bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emergent Strategy
Authors: Slevin Dennis P. , Covin Jeffrey G.
Published: January 2015

Emergent strategy can be defined as internally consistent patterns of competitive actions and reactions that spontaneously arise over time as organizations navigate within their operating environments. This definition recognizes that emergent strategies may occupy one end of a deliberate–emergent continuum which represents different fundamental behaviors concerning the strategic process. Deliberate strategies involve a well‐articulated and formalized planning process. Emergent strategies, in contrast, are more sporadic, have short time‐frame, reactive, and show opportunistic responses to environmental conditions.
Expertise and Entrepreneurship
Authors: Sarasvathy Saras D. , Read Stuart
Published: January 2015

Recently there is a move to study entrepreneurship as expertise: a set of skills, models, and processes that can be acquired with time and deliberate practice. Effectual reasoning, or expert entrepreneurial reasoning, however, does not begin with a specific goal. Instead, it begins with a given set of means and allows goals to emerge contingently over time from the varied imagination and diverse aspirations of the founders and the people they interact with.
Habitual Entrepreneurs
Authors: Ucbasaran Deniz , Westhead Paul , Wright Mike
Published: January 2015

This article examines the theory and evidence relating to entrepreneurs who start, purchase, and own more than one venture. The article begins by defining the various types of habitual entrepreneur and distiniguishing them from first time or novice entrepreneurs. We examine concepts relating to the human capital and learning that results from habitual entrepreneurship. The article also examines the evidence relating to the performance and innovative behavior resulting from habitual entrepreneurship activities. Finally, the implications for entrepreneurship policy are discussed.
Imitation and Innovation: A Strategic Heuristic
Authors: Anderson Brian S. , Semadeni Matthew
Published: January 2015

Firms faced with the introduction of an innovation by a competitor face a difficult decision. Does the firm imitate the innovation in a bid to ward off any competitive advantage accruing to the competitor; or does the firm forgo imitation, believing that the competitor has misjudged the market receptiveness of the innovation? The risk of following – hoping that the competitor has judged the market correctly and warrants resource expenditure – must be weighed against the risk of not following – potentially missing out on a critical market opportunity. We offer a theoretical framework for firms contemplating imitation using signals embedded at the innovation‐level and at the organizational‐level of the competitor to better guide imitation decision making.
Innovations
Authors: Ahuja Gautam , Toh Puay Khoon
Published: January 2015

The definition and nature of innovation is investigated. An innovation typology is presented which includes radicalness, disruptiveness, architectural/modularity and nature/form dimensions. Indicators of innovation, such as patents, are explored.
International Entry Modes by New Ventures
Authors: Li Dan
Published: January 2015

Entry mode refers to the mechanism through which firms enter a foreign market. The existing literature of international entrepreneurship has identified determinants of entry modes by new ventures at various levels. The main
country‐level
determinants of international entry mode include host country risk, host market potential, and government intervention and bargaining power.
Firm‐level
determinants include international experience on prior entry mode choices, asset specificity, innovation orientation and capability, market specific knowledge, appropriability of knowledge assets, product nature, and network relationships with suppliers and customers.
Individual‐level
determinants of entry modes are somewhat unique to the entrepreneurship literature; prior research has emphasized the role of entrepreneurs' and managers' personal biases, perceptions of risks, and prior experience in new ventures' choices of entry modes. While significant progress has been made over the last two decades, our understanding of international entry modes by new ventures is still limited; several future research avenues are suggested.
Opportunity Creation
Authors: Alvarez Sharon A.
Published: January 2015

The distinction between opportunities that are created and those that are discovered is explored. The process of creation is stressed, with the role of heuristics in the process highlighted. The formation of creation opportunities is delineated as a path‐creation‐path‐dependent process that involves acting and reacting. Questions are raised about the role of alertness, and differences between entrepreneurs and non‐entrepreneurs in creating opportunity.
Product Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Authors: Weaver K. Mark
Published: January 2015

Innovation is the new buzz word of the decade. This essay looks at definition issues, alternative processes of innovation, managing innovation for success, and the role of people in innovation. Working models for implementing innovation are offered to assist the reader.
Spin‐Offs
Authors: Semadeni Matthew
Published: January 2015

Spin‐offs are a unique manner to restructure a corporate, providing the spun‐off division its autonomy and the ability to approach the market as an independent firm. However, the post‐spin‐off performance of the newly independent firms has been quite mixed. Agency theory, transaction cost economics, and upper echelons theory all provide unique insights into when and under what conditions spin‐offs might be more successful. Most recently scholars have focused on the top management linkages between the parent and child firms, revealing important keys to success.
ComparativeHRM
Authors: Brewster Chris
Published: January 2015

ComparativeHRMcompares the way thatHRMis conceptualized, focused, and targeted in, typically, different countries. As a specialist subject, it is a relatively recent area of research, although it builds on existing foundations in areas such as industrial relations and international business.
Employment Relations
Authors: Fiorito Jack
Published: January 2015

This article describesemployment relations(also known as “industrial relations”). Employment relations is a field of study and practice focused on the interactions between workers and employers to establish terms and conditions of employment at the workplace and in the broader society. Government often plays an important role in these matters, as do organizations of workers and employers. Changing terminology and related subjects are discussed, as well as how employment relations is approached as an academic subject. Distinguishing values and assumptions are often said to help define the subject, and these are discussed. This article concludes with a discussion of conceptual models used for the study of employment relations.
Working Hours
Authors: Needle David
Published: January 2015

Working hours refers to the number of hours and employee is at the disposal of the employer. The concept is central to the employment contract and is enshrined in law in many countries. The number of hours worked and the pattern of those hours varies from country to country although the overall trend globally is towards a reduction in working hours. The initial driver to reduce working hours was concern for the health and safety of employees. In recent years key factors to emerge include the concern for improved work‐life balance and the organization's need for increased flexibility and reduced costs. Patterns of work have changed to reflect these drivers leading to an increase in part‐time work and various approaches to flexible working. While many of these are the product of economic and market changes, increased employer power and reduced trade union power some are the product of social change and employee preference.
Executive Compensation
Authors: Perkins Stephen J.
Published: January 2015

The article explores contemporary issues in executive compensation. It offers definitions of the organizational “high end” population of interest as well as forms of compensation applied to it. The article then comments on efforts in the academic literature to explain trends in and outcomes of regulation of executive compensation.
Job Analysis
Authors: Ellington J. Kemp , Brannick Michael T. , Levine Edward L.
Published: January 2015

Job analysis is the systematic process of investigating the components and context of a job.
Job Evaluation
Authors: Mulvey Paul W.
Published: January 2015

Job evaluation is a process used to determine the worth of jobs in an organization and to provide a new or revised job and base pay structure for the organization. This summary notes antecedents, consequences, and alternatives to the job evaluation process. Also, descriptions and prevalence of the primary job evaluation methods including market pricing, point system, job classification, and ranking are provided.
Background Checking (Generic)
Authors: Russell Craig J.
Published: January 2015

Background checking in the broadest sense gathers any and all existing information about job applicants from electronic and human sources (e.g., creditors, prior employers, court records, and neighbors).
Glass Ceiling
Authors: Kelan Elisabeth K.
Published: January 2015

The glass ceiling is a commonly used as an explanatory metaphor to account for the paucity of women in senior leadership positions. The glass ceiling describes the invisible barrier that hinders women to reach the highest echelons in organizations. Highly qualified women who theoretically could advance to senior leadership positions get “stuck” in middle management positions leading to a “leaky pipeline” phenomenon. Five reasons for the paucity of women in senior leadership positions are outlined and variations of the glass ceiling metaphor are discussed.
Job Description
Authors: Ellington J. Kemp , Brannick Michael T. , Levine Edward L.
Published: January 2015

The job description is a written summary of the nature of a job, which is derived by performing a Job Analysis.
Management By Objectives
Authors: Campbell Donald J.
Published: January 2015

At the individual level, management by objectives (MBO) is an interactive process whereby a manager and an employee (i) jointly identify and agree upon the subordinate's work goals, (ii) define each of their responsibilities for achieving the agreed‐upon goals, and (iii) then use goal accomplishment as a guide for examining and evaluating the subordinate's performance.
Reliability
Authors: Williams Larry J.
Published: January 2015

Classic measurement theory proposes that the variability in the measures used in behavioral science research contain two distinct components: true score variance and random error variance.
Utility Analysis
Authors: Russell Craig J.
Published: January 2015

Methods for estimating the economic impact of management interventions on organizations are described. Difficulties in estimating standard deviation in dollar terms precluded its operational use until recently, though issues remain.
Age
Authors: Lawrence Barbara S. , Kim Najung
Published: January 2015

Ample research shows that an employee's age and the distribution of ages in groups and organizations affect work. There are at least two mechanisms that explain these effects. The first is that age exerts a direct effect on work‐related variables. Here, the effect of any given age is fixed and independent of how others perceive it. For instance, 85 year olds are unlikely to have sufficient motor control to become brain surgeons. The second is that age affects work outcomes indirectly. Here, the effects emerge from individuals' perceptions of age‐related behavior, age norms, and the meanings age acquires through social interactions. A majority of age research explains work outcomes using the direct mechanism. However, the international implications of age effects rely more on indirect effects. Age effects are context‐dependent and thus emerge from group, organizational, and national phenomena. The significant role that age plays in cross‐cultural situations opens a new stream of international research concerning the interdependence between direct and emergent mechanisms.
Causality
Authors: Antonakis John
Published: January 2015

Making correct causal claims is important for research and practice. This article explains what causality is, and how it can be established via experimental design. Because experiments are infeasible in many applied settings, researchers often use “observational” methods to estimate causal models. In these situations, it is likely that model estimates are compromised by endogeneity. The article discusses the conditions that engender endogeneity and methods that can eliminate it.
Corporate Governance
Authors: Steger Thomas
Published: January 2015

Corporate governance has become one of the key topics of discussions amongst management researchers, practitioners, and the wider public. Given the broad heterogeneity and complexity of the topic, this paperarticle aims to give a clear definition of the term “corporate governance,” to describe the main theoretical approaches in the field (namely agency theory and institutional theory), and to provide insight into three major models of corporate governance in three different countries (United States, Germany, Japan). Finally, a tentative answer will be given to the widely debated question regarding convergence or divergence of corporate governance around the globe.
Corruption
Authors: Cuervo‐Cazurra Alvaro
Published: January 2015

This article analyzes corruption in governnment. Corruption is the abuse of public power for private gain. There are not only negative but also positive views on corruption. However, most research tends to propose and find that corruption has a negative impact on economic transactions, even though its illegal nature makes it difficult to measure and analyze. Solutions to corruption can address the demand of bribes by government official or the supply of bribes by companies and individuals. To reduce the demand of bribes, the government can reduce the opportunity for corruption via controls and transparency, and increase the cost of engaging in corruption by government officials via laws. To reduce the supply of bribes, companies can limit the ability of employees to supply a bribe via codes of conduct and controls, and the government can increase the cost to employees and companies who supply a bribe via laws punishing the supply of bribes at home and abroad.
Cultural Intelligence
Authors: Thomas David C.
Published: January 2015

Cultural intelligence is the capability that individuals have to be effective in intercultural interactions. While the term has been used as an umbrella concept to include a wide variety of intercultural effectiveness ideas, it has its origins as an individual difference in a multifaceted type of intelligence. While different conceptualizations exist they share a focus on the higher order cognitive development of individuals in a cross‐cultural context.
Culture
Authors: McNett Jeanne M.
Published: January 2015

This broad term describes excellence in the arts (opera and the symphony – high culture), a people's cooking and eating habits, ways of thinking, assumptions, beliefs, values, practices, and institutions, distinctive to a particular society.
Economic Development
Authors: Davison Sue Canney
Published: January 2015

Economic development means change with expectation of improved economic conditions across a wide sector of the population. The concept of economic development depends on monetary measures of economic growth (measured by gross domestic product, GDP, and purchasing power parity, PPP) and integrates social measures of the quality of life (human development index, HDI). Economic development now includes concern for sustainable economic development. It does not ensure equitable distribution of the benefits.
Ethnocentrism
Authors: McNett Jeanne M.
Published: January 2015

The term ethnocentrism originates in anthropology and describes the tendency to make value judgments about other cultures from one's own cultural perspective and to regard one's own culture as central and superior.
First World Country
Authors: O'Connell John
Published: January 2015

First world countries are those that are highly industrialized, have high per capita incomes in relation to most other countries, high levels of education, and other economic and social attributes one might expect from nations such as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain (in fact, virtually all of Western Europe), Japan, the United States, and a few other countries.
Institution‐Based View
Authors: Sun Sunny L. , Ding Zhujun
Published: January 2015

Institution‐based view emerges as a major theoretical lens and paradigm in international management research. The institution‐based view matters not only to probe the new practices in emerging economies, but also explains the management phenomenon, even in developed economies, for example, the rule‐based and relationship‐based institutions. Under the new guide of institution‐based view, management scholars in different interest groups and countries are exploring many interesting questions.
Internationalization
Authors: Vissak Tiia
Published: January 2015

The term “internationalization” has been used frequently, but consensus on what it actually means has not been reached yet, although several authors have stressed the importance of this topic. This article identifies three main characteristics of internationalization: increasing international involvement, crossing borders, and engaging in foreign – inward, outward, and/or linked/cooperative – operation modes. It also gives a short overview of other aspects that some authors have stressed in their definitions of internationalization.
Organizational Structure
Authors: Hoşgör Evren A.
Published: January 2015

Organizational structure defines how tasks are allocated, who reports to whom, and the formal coordinating mechanisms and interaction patterns among members. Some organizations are highly specialized, formalized, and centralized, have a tall hierarchy of authority, and are highly bureaucratic, whereas some others rely less on formal codes of behavior, create cross‐hierarchical and cross‐functional teams, and develop boundaryless forms. Organizations then differ the ways in which various subunits are coordinated, interrelated, and supervised. Other contextual variables such as size, technology, and environment influence organizational structure. Most common structural configurations are simple structure, bureaucracy, divisionalized form, matrix structure, adhocracy, and network organization.
Resource‐Based View (
RBV
)
Authors: Ciszewska‐Mlinarič Mariola , Wasowska Aleksandra
Published: January 2015

The resource‐based view (
RBV
) sees the firm as a bundle of resources and capabilities, explaining the relationship between firm's internal characteristics (resources and capabilities) and its performance. It is built around two underlying assumptions on heterogeneity and immobility of resources across firms. The central point of the theory states that a firm competitive advantage results from the application of the resources holding specific characteristics that are at the firm's disposal. Resources that constitute the basis of a firm competitive advantage must be valuable, rare, inimitable and organized. If these conditions are fulfilled, the bundle of firm resources and capabilities can enhance a firm ability to achieve a sustained competitive advantage and in consequence above average returns. The RBV has given the rise to prominent, related perspectives: the knowledge‐based view, the natural‐resources‐based‐view, and dynamic capabilities view. Within international business field, its contribution is particularly visible in four areas: multinational management, strategic alliances, market entries (incl. emerging markets strategies) and international entrepreneurship.
Self‐Concept
Authors: Yagi Noriko
Published: January 2015

The self‐concept relates to human beings' capacity to conceptualize themselves and construct their own images through symbol processing (Foddy and Kashima, 2002).
Transition Economy
Authors: Gurkov Igor
Published: January 2015

Transition economies are economies that are changing from a centrally planned (socialist) economy to a market economy. Since 1979 in China and the late 1980s in the former Soviet Union and countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), these countries have experienced profound changes toward establishing institutions that support private enterprises and entrepreneurship.
Review of Information Technology Value Research: A Triple‐Outcomes Perspective
Authors: Gholami Roya , Kohli Rajiv
Published: January 2015

An extensive body of literature shows that we have long moved past the early debate on Solow's “productivity paradox.” IT contribution to value is now widely accepted. Recent research establishes that IT's value creation occurs under certain conditions and that value manifests itself in many ways. The extant research highlights the need for broadening the scope of the IT value research beyond the established financial and economic frameworks and proposes investigating the cocreation of value and expanding different perceptions of value. This article provides a brief review of the literature on productivity paradox and lays out the issues and challenges of measuring IT value, followed by a discussion on evaluation of IT contribution. Since IT has economic, environmental, and societal impacts, this article also proposes a triple‐outcomes perspective for future research that should go beyond the economic‐value‐based frameworks and investigate environmental and social value of IT.
Digital Payments
Authors: Chircu Alina M.
Published: January 2015

Digital payments, also called
electronic payments
, refer to payments made using an electronic network, rather than physical cash or checks. Digital payments have evolved over the years from simple automated payments and credit and debit card processing to providing support for e‐commerce transactions through new methods such as smart cards, digital wallet, and person‐to‐person payments, becoming an increasingly preferred way of paying both online and offline around the world. This article discusses different types of digital payments, as well as issues related to digital payments adoption, security, reliability, and privacy.
Customer Relationship Management
Authors: Othman Boujena , Wes Johnston
Published: January 2015

In recent years, customer relationship management (CRM) initiatives have come to the front of companies' strategies within highly competitive markets to maintain value creation and customer equity monitoring (see Forester Research's report on CRM in 2013).
Inelastic Demand
Authors: Becker Gilbert
Published: January 2015

This article defines the economic meaning of the term inelastic demand and identifies the conditions under which this demand situation occurs. Also demonstrated is its importance to management decisions through its relation to a firm's total revenue and profit. Some examples of goods having an inelastic demand are also offered.
Pecuniary Economies
Authors: Becker Gilbert
Published: January 2015

This article examines the concept of pecuniary economies and distinguishes them from real economies of scale. The underlying source of these economies, and some examples, are offered. The treatment of pecuniary economies from a business management perspective is contrasted with the proper treatment of these gains from a public policy perspective.
Sherman Act
Authors: Becker Gilbert
Published: January 2015

This article provides a description and analysis of the Sherman Act, which was first antitrust law enacted in the united states. The two principal sections of the act are addressed separately, with the prevailing language of each being provided. The interpretation of this language is then presented. It identifies the conditions under which certain business practices, such as price fixing and the monopolizing of a market, have been deemed by the US courts to be in violation of the law. Recent changes in the courts' position concerning resale price maintenance are also discussed. The economic rationale behind these decisions is identified. Some possible defenses are also offered.
Predatory Dumping
Authors: Jones Kent A.
Published: January 2015

Predatory dumping is the practice of international price discrimination (dumping) by an exporter with the intention or result of driving domestic producers in the targeted export market out of business. Often, the practice is alleged to increase economic welfare in the exporting country at the expense of the importing country.
Monopsony
Authors: Polutnik Lidija
Published: January 2015

Monopsony exists when there is a single buyer of an input or product in the market. The classic example of a monopsony is a one‐company town where the only employer in the town is a textile mill or a coal mine. A single buyer of labor in a textile‐mill town faces the entire labor supply of the town. While the competitive firm can hire all the labor it wants at the going wage, the monopsonist cannot. The monopsonist must pay successively higher wage rates to attract additional workers and the higher wage rate applies to all the workers previously hired. As a result, the marginal cost of input (labor) curve lies above its supply curve. The monopsonist restricts hiring in order to pay a lower price for labor or other inputs. For example, in a monopsonistic labor market, the firm pays a lower wage rate than would prevail in the case of a competitive market, because workers lack alternative sources of employment and specialized inputs in general can be sold to one or, at best, a limited number of users. Monopsony power depends on elasticity of market supply, the number of buyers in the market, and the type of interaction between the buyers.
Principal–Agent Problem
Authors: Polutnik Lidija
Published: January 2015

The general problem of motivating one person or organization to act on behalf of another is known as the principal–agent problem. The principal–agent problem arises when the principal hires an agent to perform tasks on his/her behalf and the agent thereby influences the welfare of the principal. The principal–agent relationship provides a useful framework for analyzing situations in which there is asymmetric information and when there is a need to design a contract or monitor the behavior of parties. Although economists commonly assume profit maximization objective when describing the decision‐making of a firm, the incentives of managers often differ from those of the shareholders and the efforts of the managers are impossible or too costly to monitor. Given existence of incomplete contracts due to bounded rationality, the firm's profit is below the profit‐maximizing level and the difference is referred to as the residual loss. The principal–agent framework is often employed to analyze the role of monitoring and bonding activities in reducing the residual loss of the principal.
Efficiency Wages
Authors: Way Megan M.
Published: January 2015

Efficiency wages are above‐market wages paid by employers in order to improve the productivity of their workforce; the optimal efficiency wage is determined by matching the marginal cost of increasing the wage to the marginal benefit to the employer of the improved productivity elicited by the wage increase. Whereas most labor models assume that the wage reflects productivity (workers are paid the value of their marginal output), efficiency wage theory assumes that productivity is a function of the wage, with a variety of mechanisms explaining the causality. Efficiency wage theory developed as an attempt to explain why firms might pay employees above‐market‐clearing wages, as well as to explain the ensuing involuntary unemployment when wages do not fall far enough to clear the market. Empirical studies show significant support for the use of efficiency wages in certain industries.
Tournament Theory
Authors: Way Megan M.
Published: January 2015

The tournament theory of wages explains a system of awarding promotions and bonuses based on the relative productivity of workers, rather than their absolute productivity. It is particularly useful in explaining large pay differences between different hierarchical levels of a firm that may not be justified by marginal productivity differences. A large “prize”, such as a pay increase upon promotion, can motivate extra effort by those workers competing for the prize. Theory would predict that workers increase their productivity to the point where the marginal cost of exerting extra effort in the present is equal to or less than the discounted expected value of the pay increase associated with promotion or a future bonus. The firm, on the other hand, must set the wage differentials between hierarchical levels appropriately to induce optimal employee effort and maximize profits.
Contestable Markets
Authors: McAuliffe Robert E.
Published: January 2015

Contestable markets are presented along with consideration of the implications of the concept.
Declining Industry
Authors: McAuliffe Robert E.
Published: January 2015

A declining industry is defined.
Nominal Income and Prices
Authors: McAuliffe Robert E.
Published: January 2015

Nominal income and prices are defined.
Pioneering Brands
Authors: McAuliffe Robert E.
Published: January 2015

Pioneering brands are defined.
Product Life Cycle
Authors: McAuliffe Robert E.
Published: January 2015

The product life cycle is defined and applications are presented.
Residual Demand
Authors: McAuliffe Robert E.
Published: January 2015

The residual demand curve is the individual firm's demand curve which is that portion of market demand that is not supplied by other firms in the market.
Time‐Series Forecasting Models
Authors: McAuliffe Robert E.
Published: January 2015

Basic time series forecasting models are discussed.
Depreciation
Authors: Hussain Sayed A.
Published: January 2015

This article reviews straight line and declining balance depreciation methods.
Heteroskedasticity
Authors: Hussain Sayed A.
Published: January 2015

This article reviews the consequences, diagnosis, and prescription for heteroskedasticity (nonconstant variance of error terms in regression models).
Network Externalities
Authors: Hussain Sayed A.
Published: January 2015

Reviews network externalities wherein an agent's consumption/utility of a good/service depends on the number of other agents consuming the same good/service.
Deadweight Loss
Authors: Gai Yunwei
Published: January 2015

Deadweight loss is the net loss of total (consumer plus producer) surplus. It is a result of inefficient resource allocation when the marginal cost of production is not equal to the marginal benefit of the demand. It represents a welfare loss that is not captured by either consumers or suppliers, hence the name “deadweight” loss.
The relationship between worker, occupational and workplace characteristics and whether an injury requires time off work: A matched case‐control analysis in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Smith Peter , Chen Cynthia , Mustard Cameron , Hogg‐Johnson Sheilah , Tompa Emile
Published: January 2015

Background

The objective of this study was to examine individual, occupational, and workplace level factors associated with time loss following a similar injury.

Methods

Seven thousand three hundred and forty‐eight workers’ compensation claims that did not require time off work were matched with up to four claims that required time off work on the event, nature, and part of body injured as well as injury year. Conditional logistic regression models examined individual, occupational, and workplace level factors that were associated with the likelihood of not requiring time off work.

Results

Employees from firms with higher premium rates were more likely to report no time loss from work and workers in more physically demanding occupations were less likely to report no time loss from work. We observed no association between age or gender and the probability of a time loss claim submission.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that insurance costs are an incentive for workplaces to adopt policies and practices that minimize time loss following a work injury. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:402–410, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reconciling the convergence of supraspinous fossa shape among hominoids in light of locomotor differences
Authors: Green David J. , Sugiura Yui , Seitelman Brielle C. , Gunz Philipp
Published: January 2015

Differences in scapular morphology between modern humans and the African and lesser apes are associated with the distinct locomotor habits of these groups. However, several traits, particularly aspects of the supraspinous fossa, are convergent between Homo and Pongo—an unexpected result given their divergent locomotor habits. Many morphological assessments of the scapula rely on the limited number of static landmarks available, and traditional approaches like these tend to oversimplify scapular shape. Here, we present the results of two geometric morphometric (GM) analyses of hominoid supraspinous fossa shape—one employing five homologous landmarks and another with 83 sliding semilandmarks—alongside those of traditional methods to evaluate if three‐dimensional considerations of fossa shape afford more comprehensive insights into scapular shape and functional morphology. Traditional measures aligned Pongo and Homo with narrow and transversely oriented supraspinous fossae, whereas African ape and Hylobates fossae are broader and more obliquely situated. However, our GM results highlight that much of the convergence between Homo and Pongo is reflective of their more medially positioned superior angles. These approaches offered a more complete assessment of supraspinous shape and revealed that the Homo fossa, with an intermediate superior angle position and moderate superoinferior expansion, is actually reminiscent of the African ape shape. Additionally, both Pongo and Hylobates were shown to have more compressed fossae, something that has not previously been identified through traditional analyses. Thus, the total morphological pattern of the Pongo supraspinous fossa is unique among hominoids, and possibly indicative of its distinctive locomotor habits. Am J Phys Anthropol 156:498–510, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Inhibition of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase activation reverses Alzheimer disease phenotypes in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice
Authors: Zhou Qiong , Wang Man , Du Ying , Zhang Wei , Bai Miao , Zhang Zhuo , Li Zhuyi , Miao Jianting
Published: January 2015

Objective

Growing evidence indicates that the activation of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) is implicated in the multiple major pathological features of Alzheimer disease (AD). However, whether specific inhibition of JNK activation could prevent disease progression in adult transgenic AD models at moderate stage remains unknown. Here we first investigated the potential disease‐modifying therapeutic effect of systemic administration of SP600125, a small‐molecule JNK‐specific inhibitor, in middle‐aged APPswe/PS1dE9 mice.

Methods

Using behavioral, histological, and biochemical methods, outcomes of SP600125 treatment on neuropathology and cognitive deficits were studied in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice.

Results

Compared with vehicle‐treated APPswe/PS1dE9 mice, chronic treatment of SP600125 for 12 weeks potently inhibited JNK activation, which resulted in a marked improvement of behavioral measures of cognitive deficits and a dramatic reduction in amyloid plaque burden, β‐amyloid production, tau hyperphosphorylation, inflammatory responses, and synaptic loss in these transgenic animals. In particular, we found that SP600125 treatment strongly promoted nonamyloidogenic amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing and inhibited amyloidogenic APP processing via regulating APP‐cleavage secretase expression (ie, ADAM10, BACE1, and PS1) in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice.

Interpretation

Our findings demonstrate that chronic SP600125 treatment is powerfully effective in slowing down disease progression by markedly reducing multiple pathological features and ameliorating cognitive deficits associated with AD. This study highlights the concept that active JNK actually contributes to the development of the disease, and provides critical preclinical evidence that specific inhibition of JNK activation by SP600125 treatment may be a novel promising disease‐modifying therapeutic strategy for the treatment of AD. Ann Neurol 2015;77:637–654
Extensive acute axonal damage in pediatric multiple sclerosis lesions
Authors: Pfeifenbring Sabine , Bunyan Reem F. , Metz Imke , Röver Christian , Huppke Peter , Gärtner Jutta , Lucchinetti Claudia F. , Brück Wolfgang
Published: January 2015

Objective

Axonal damage occurs early in multiple sclerosis (MS) and contributes to the degree of clinical disability. Children with MS more often show disabling and polyfocal neurological symptoms at disease onset than adults with MS. Thus, axonal damage may differ between pediatric and adult MS patients.

Methods

We analyzed axonal pathology in archival brain biopsy and autopsy samples from 19 children with early MS. Lesions were classified according to demyelinating activity and presence of remyelination. Axonal density and extent of acute axonal damage were assessed using Bielschowsky silver impregnation and immunohistochemistry for amyloid precursor protein (APP), respectively. Axonal injury was correlated with the inflammatory infiltrate as well as clinical characteristics. Results were compared with data from adult MS patients.

Results

Acute axonal damage was most extensive in early active demyelinating (EA) lesions of pediatric patients and correlated positively with the Expanded Disability Status Scale at attack leading to biopsy/autopsy. Comparison with 12 adult patients showed a 50% increase in the extent of acute axonal damage in EA lesions from children compared to adults, with the highest number of APP‐positive spheroids found prior to puberty. The extent of acute axonal damage correlated positively with the number of lesional macrophages. Axonal density was reduced in pediatric lesions irrespective of the demyelinating activity or the presence of remyelination. Axonal reduction was similar between children and adults.

Interpretation

Our results provide evidence for more pronounced acute axonal damage in inflammatory demyelinating lesions from children compared to adults. Ann Neurol 2015;77:655–667
Chip‐basierte Freiflusselektrophorese mit integrierter Nanospray‐Massenspektrometrie‐Kopplung
Authors: Benz Christian , Boomhoff Michael , Appun Johannes , Schneider Christoph , Belder Detlev
Published: January 2015

Die Freiflusselektrophorese ist ein ideales Hilfsmittel zur mikropräparativen Trennung im kontinuierlichen Durchfluss. Mit unserem Ansatz zur Kopplung von Freiflusselektrophorese und Massenspektrometrie können nun auch nichtfluoreszierende Stoffe erfasst und massenspektrometrisch identifiziert werden. Die Funktionalität der Methode und das Potential als integrierte Trenneinheit im kontinuierlichen Mikrodurchfluss wurden am Beispiel einer Mehrkomponenten‐[3+2]‐Cycloanellierung demonstriert.
Nanoscale Magnetic Stirring Bars for Heterogeneous Catalysis in Microscopic Systems
Authors: Yang Shuliang , Cao Changyan , Sun Yongbin , Huang Peipei , Wei Fangfang , Song Weiguo
Published: January 2015

Nanometer‐sized magnetic stirring bars containing Pd nanoparticles (denoted as Fe3O4‐NC‐PZS‐Pd) for heterogeneous catalysis in microscopic system were prepared through a facile two‐step process. In the hydrogenation of styrene, Fe3O4‐NC‐PZS‐Pd showed an activity similar to that of the commercial Pd/C catalyst, but much better stability. In microscopic catalytic systems, Fe3O4‐NC‐PZS‐Pd can effectively stir the reaction solution within microdrops to accelerate mass transfer, and displays far better catalytic activity than the commercial Pd/C for the hydrogenation of methylene blue in an array of microdroplets. These results suggested that the Fe3O4‐NC‐PZS‐Pd could be used as nanoscale stirring bars in nanoreactors.
Catalytic Enantioselective [5+2] Cycloaddition between Oxidopyrylium Ylides and Enals under Dienamine Activation
Authors: Orue Ane , Uria Uxue , Reyes Efraim , Carrillo Luisa , Vicario Jose L.
Published: January 2015

Benzopyrylium ylides generated in situ from 1‐acetoxyisochroman‐4‐ones reacted with α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes in the presence of a bifunctional secondary‐amine/squaramide catalyst to furnish [5+2] cycloaddition products in good yield with high diastereo‐ and enantioselectivity. The reaction proceeds by dienamine activation and involves β,γ‐functionalization of the enal. The dienamine intermediates showed exclusive β,γ‐reactivity and provided direct access to compounds with the 8‐oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane framework. The ability of the bifunctional secondary‐amine/squaramide catalyst to engage in hydrogen‐bonding interactions with the ylide made it particularly effective in terms of both the yield and the stereoselectivity of the transformation.
A Copper(I)–Arene Complex With an Unsupported η6 Interaction
Authors: Wright Ashley M. , Irving Benjamin J. , Wu Guang , Meijer Anthony J. H. M. , Hayton Trevor W.
Published: January 2015

Addition of PR3 (R=Ph or OPh) to [Cu(η2‐Me6C6)2][PF6] results in the formation of [(η6‐Me6C6)Cu(PR3)][PF6], the first copper–arene complexes to feature an unsupported η6 arene interaction. A DFT analysis reveals that the preference for the η6 binding mode is enforced by the steric clash between the methyl groups of the arene ligand and the phenyl rings of the phosphine co‐ligand.
Wet‐Chemical Synthesis of Phase‐Pure FeOF Nanorods as High‐Capacity Cathodes for Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhu Jian , Deng Da
Published: January 2015

It is challenging to prepare phase‐pure FeOF by wet‐chemical methods. Furthermore, nanostructured FeOF has never been reported. In this study, hierarchical FeOF nanorods were synthesized through a facile, one‐step, wet‐chemical method by the use of just FeF3⋅3H2O and an alcohol. It was possible to significantly control the FeOF nanostructure by the selection of alcohols with an appropriate molecular structure. A mechanism for the formation of the nanorods is proposed. An impressive high specific capacity of approximately 250 mAh g−1 and excellent cycling and rate performances were demonstrated for sodium storage. The hierarchical FeOF nanorods are promising high‐capacity cathodes for SIBs.
Electrical ac and dc behavior of epoxy nanocomposites containing graphene oxide
Authors: Mancinelli Paolo , Fabiani Davide , Saccani Andrea , Toselli Maurizio , Fréchette Michel F.
Published: January 2015

This article deals with the investigation of electrical properties of epoxy‐based nanocomposites containing graphene oxide nanofillers dispersed in the polymer matrix through two‐phase extraction. Broadband dielectric spectroscopy and dc electrical conductivity as a function of electric field have been evaluated in specimens containing up to 0.5 wt % of nanofiller. Nanocomposites containing pristine graphene oxide do not show significant changes of electrical properties. On the contrary, the same materials after a proper thermal treatment at 135°C, able to provoke the in situ reduction of graphene oxide, exhibit higher permittivity and electrical conductivity, without showing large decrease of breakdown voltage. Moreover, a nonlinear behavior of the electrical conductivity is observed in the range of electric fields investigated, i.e. 2–30 kV mm−1. A new relaxation phenomenon with a very low temperature dependence is also evidenced at high frequency in reduced graphene oxide composites, likely associated to induced polarization of electrically conductive nanoparticles. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41923.
The composite nanomaterials containing (R)‐thalidomide‐molecularly imprinted polymers as a recognition system for enantioselective‐controlled release and targeted drug delivery
Authors: Suksuwan Acharee , Lomlim Luelak , Rungrotmongkol Thanyada , Nakpheng Titpawan , Dickert Franz L. , Suedee Roongnapa
Published: January 2015

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) enantioselective receptor for the (R)‐thalidomide enantiomer was synthesized and evaluated for its ability to deliver the drug to cancer cells. Polymer networks with precisely engineered binding sites were built into the assembled nanoparticles by a self‐organizing template in the prepolymerized mixture using methacrylic acid, a fluorescently active 2,6‐bis(acrylamido)pyridine and N,N′ methylene‐bis‐acrylamide, via both a covalent approach and a physical approach. The fine‐tuning of particle diameters was carried out by changes to the polymerizing synthesis method, the type of solvent and the amount of the poloxamer that led to an optimal formulation of the nanoparticles with sizes as small as 100 nm. Data from the 1H‐nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed the important structural motifs of an (R)‐thalidomide‐selective cavity for two different polymerization processes. We have investigated their ability for enantiomer recognition and the potential ability to protect the chiral MIP with a self‐assembled poloxamer structure. Moreover, the effect of the smaller molecular size can not only enable favorable imaging properties but also facilitate enhanced green fluorescence intensity for the deposited MIP and the (R)‐thalidomide in the poloxamer nanoparticles in a cell‐line in which the grafted MIP being higher than the deposited one. It was also demonstrated that the deposited MIP nanoparticles had the potential to make the drug effective for attacking multidrug‐resistant cells. Thus, the poloxamer nanoparticles containing a thermoresponsive MIP could maximize the release of the nontoxic (R)‐thalidomide at the tumor tissue, with the help of a proper temperature shift at the site. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41930.
Online Reconstruction of Drifting Underwater Ice Topography: The 2D case
Authors: Jørgensen Ulrik , Skjetne Roger
Published: January 2015

An online estimation design for a drifting two dimensional ice topography is presented. Under the assumption that the topography can be accurately represented by a truncated Fourier series, and given a moving window of measurements along the topography, an observer design is proposed to estimate the parameters of the model. The chosen method ensures an online cutoff of higher wave numbers in the spectrum representing the topography such that sufficient data compression is achieved for transmitting the model parameters through a limited hydroacoustic communication channel. This allows online reconstruction of the underwater drifting ice topography at a remote operation center. The observer is shown to be uniformly globally exponentially stable under a persistency of excitation condition. For comparison, a design based on B‐spline basis functions is also presented. The effectiveness of the estimation algorithm is verified on a set of real ice draft measurements taken from the underside of an ice sheet off the coast of Greenland.
Students’ aspirations, expectations and school achievement: what really matters?
Authors: Khattab Nabil
Published: January 2015

Using the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE), this study examines how different combinations of aspirations, expectations and school achievement can influence students’ future educational behaviour (applying to university at the age of 17–18). The study shows that students with either high aspirations or high expectations have higher school achievement than those with both low aspirations and low expectations. Furthermore, complete alignment between high aspirations, high expectations and high achievement is the most important predictor of future educational behaviour among students. However, it is also found that low expectations do not negatively impact students’ future behaviour when they have high aspirations accompanied with high school achievement. Additionally, the study finds significant ethnic differences in favour of white students at GCSE level, but that these differences are reversed in relation to applying to university at the age of 17–18.