bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiple species of wild tree peonies gave rise to the ‘king of flowers’,
Paeonia suffruticosa
Andrews
Authors: Zhou Shi-Liang , Zou Xin-Hui , Zhou Zhi-Qin , Liu Jing , Xu Chao , Yu Jing , Wang Qiang , Zhang Da-Ming , Wang Xiao-Quan , Ge Song , Sang Tao , Pan Kai-Yu , Hong De-Yuan
Published: November 2014

The origin of cultivated tree peonies, known as the ‘king of flowers' in China for more than 1000 years, has attracted considerable interest, but remained unsolved. Here, we conducted phylogenetic analyses of explicitly sampled traditional cultivars of tree peonies and all wild species from the shrubby section
Moutan
of the genus
Paeonia
based on sequences of 14 fast-evolved chloroplast regions and 25 presumably single-copy nuclear markers identified from RNA-seq data. The phylogeny of the wild species inferred from the nuclear markers was fully resolved and largely congruent with morphology and classification. The incongruence between the nuclear and chloroplast trees suggested that there had been gene flow between the wild species. The comparison of nuclear and chloroplast phylogenies including cultivars showed that the cultivated tree peonies originated from homoploid hybridization among five wild species. Since the origin, thousands of cultivated varieties have spread worldwide, whereas four parental species are currently endangered or on the verge of extinction. The documentation of extensive homoploid hybridization involved in tree peony domestication provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying the origins of garden ornamentals and the way of preserving natural genetic resources through domestication.
The nutritionally responsive transcriptome of the polyphenic beetle
Onthophagus taurus
and the importance of sexual dimorphism and body region
Authors: Kijimoto Teiya , Snell-Rood Emilie C. , Pespeni Melissa H. , Rocha Guilherme , Kafadar Karen , Moczek Armin P.
Published: November 2014

Developmental responses to nutritional variation represent one of the ecologically most important classes of adaptive plasticity. However, knowledge of genome-wide patterns of nutrition-responsive gene expression is limited. Here, we studied genome-wide transcriptional responses to nutritional variation and their dependency on trait and sex in the beetle
Onthophagus taurus.
We find that averaged across the transcriptome, nutrition contributes less to overall variation in gene expression than do sex or body region, but that for a modest subset of genes nutrition is by far the most important determinant of expression variation. Furthermore, our results reject the hypothesis that a common machinery may underlie nutrition-sensitive development across body regions. Instead, we find that magnitude (measured by number of differentially expressed contigs), composition (measured by functional enrichment) and evolutionary consequences (measured by patterns of sequence variation) are heavily dependent on exactly which body region is considered and the degree of sexual dimorphism observed on a morphological level. More generally, our findings illustrate that studies into the developmental mechanisms and evolutionary consequences of nutrition-biased gene expression must take into account the dynamics and complexities imposed by other sources of variation in gene expression such as sexual dimorphism and trait type.
Is China's dairy processing industry oligopolistic and/or oligopsonistic?
Authors: Dai Jiawu , Wang Xiuqing
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Complaints about lower agricultural farm-gate price and higher consumer price have emerged in China in recent years. The large gap between dairy farm-gate price and consumer price gives rise to worries that China's dairy industry is characterized by strong degree of oligopoly. The purpose of this paper is to take the dairy processing industry as an epitome of China's food industry, and use a new approach to investigate whether it is oligopolistic and/or oligopsonistic.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on a new proposed Primal-Dual Solow Residual model, the authors first test the hypothesis that there are significant oligopoly and oligopsony powers in China's dairy sector, and the latter is stronger. The authors then turn to measure these two kinds of market power using regressions of the model.

Findings

– The estimation results show that firms in the sector have both strong oligopoly and oligopsony power, but the latter is stronger than the former. Meanwhile, with the continuous reinforcement of competition in China's dairy sector, market power in both the upstream and downstream has decreased slightly.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first to simultaneously test oligopoly and oligopsony power in China's dairy sector. The empirical results explicitly imply that more attention should be paid to the raw milk purchase market.
Impacts of the cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement on the grouper fish markets in Taiwan and mainland China
Authors: Ahn Byeong-il , Liao Pei-An , Kim Hanho
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess the effects of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) on the grouper fish markets in Taiwan and mainland China.

Design/methodology/approach

– A stochastic simulation model is developed in such a way that the oligopoly or monopoly power of grouper fish exporters plays a role for having different impacts of the ECFA.

Findings

– Taiwan's grouper sector benefits considerably from the implementation of the ECFA tariff reductions. Export of the Taiwanese grouper fish to mainland China and the overall gross revenue of the Taiwanese grouper fish farmers are simulated to increase up to 4.04 and 4.54 percent, respectively, due to a 5 percent tariff reduction implemented by the ECFA. The authors further find that a larger degree of grouper fish exporters’ market power would result in the ECFA having a lesser impact on the Taiwanese and mainland Chinese grouper fish markets.

Practical implications

– The findings suggest that Taiwan and mainland China should further negotiate reduction in tariffs over other agricultural products and/or other product categories.

Originality/value

– This study is the first empirical analysis to examine how the grouper industries on the “Early Harvest List” have responded to the ECFA tariff reductions.
Strategy development by Indian SMEs for improving coordination in supply chain
Authors: Kumar Ravinder , K. Singh Rajesh , Shankar Ravi
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the strategy development by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for improving coordination in supply chain in Indian perspective. Globalization and liberalization of the world economy has leveled the field for all competitors around the globe. To face global competition successfully, SMEs have to break isolation of their suppliers and other entities in the supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

– For collecting data, a question-based survey was conducted. In total, 251 valid responses were received. Statistical analysis of data acquired from survey is done by one sample t-test, correlation and regression analysis.

Findings

– Uncertainty of customer order/demand, insufficient knowledge of supply chain management (SCM) and involvement of middlemen in supply chain are the main problems faced by Indian SMEs during implementation of SCM. Quality improvements, delivery on time and cost reduction are the major priorities while forming supply chain strategies. Coordination strategies are positively correlated with business performances.

Research limitations/implications

– Major implication is that SMEs should develop their strategies effectively after analyzing business environment and future plans. While developing strategies for improving coordination in supply chain of SMEs, they should give due importance to problems and risks they face. However, it is felt that this study can be further explored by considering other aspects of strategy development such as human resource, organization culture, etc.

Originality/value

– Finding and issues of the paper will be highly useful for SMEs in framing their strategies for improving coordination in supply chain, and academia for further research in the context of changing market scenario.
Poker and gambling: a positive competitive game
Authors: Hillman Jordan , E. Block Walter
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– In the present epoch, when the witch hunt for victimless criminals continues apace and even increases, it is all the more important to protect our liberties. One of the purposes of the present paper is to do so with regard to gambling.

Design/methodology/approach

– We use logical arguments (reductios ad absurdum) and empirical case studies to make the case that online or any other kind of gambling in general, and poker in particular, are justified uses of our freedoms.

Findings

– We find that although poker, whether online or in any other format is under attack by the powers that be, the case for such initiatives is a weak one.

Originality/value

– The value of this essay is to focus attention on yet another one of our liberties that is in grave danger of being obliterated.
Swift perspective shape matching algorithm based on Phong’s model for FPC stiffener bonding systems
Authors: Su Ye , Yutang Ye , Yu Xie , Maoli Yi , Jing Zhang , Ying Luo , Chunlei Du
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to solve the issue of target positioning in auto stiffener bonder (ASB) systems for flexible printed circuits.

Design/methodology/approach

– The proposed approach uses Phong’s bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model to simulate the reflection of light off a target in ASB systems to predict the current pose of the target based on image brightness, update the template, decrease the initial errors in the template and narrow down the search range.

Findings

– The experimental results indicate that the proposed approach can predict the inclination angle of the target with precision, presenting angle prediction errors of less than three degrees. Furthermore, with larger inclined angles, the overall matching errors were less than 1.5 pixels. Comparisons with the unmodified matching algorithm revealed that the proposed approach resulted in 65 per cent less calculation time for the algorithm and 14 per cent higher overall work efficiency in the ASB system.

Originality/value

– The edge-based perspective shape matching algorithm was modified using the Phong BRDF model and enhanced algorithm efficiency with the target pose prediction method while ensuring the precision and robustness of the system. The proposed approach has high potential value and can be expanded to recognition systems for objects with varying inclination angles and highly reflective surfaces.
Greedy immunization strategy in weighted scale-free networks
Authors: Liu Zhang-Hui , Chen Guo-Long , Wang Ning-Ning , Song Biao
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a new immunization strategy for effectively solving the control of the spread of the virus.

Design/methodology/approach

– Inspired by the idea of network partition, taking two optimization targets which are the scale of sub-network and the sum of the strengths of the sub-network's nodes into account at the same time, a new immunization strategy based on greedy algorithm in the scale-free network is presented. After specifying the number of nodes through the immunization, the network is divided into the scale of sub-network and the sum of the strength of the sub-network's nodes as small as possible.

Findings

– The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has the better performance than targeted immunization which is supposed to be highly efficient at present.

Originality/value

– This paper proposes a new immunization strategy based on greedy algorithm in the scale-free network for effectively solving the control of the spread of the virus.
FPGA-based hardware implementation of arctangent and arccosine functions for the inverse kinematics of robot manipulator
Authors: Kung Ying-Shieh , Wu Ming-Kuang , Linh Bui Thi and Hai , Jung Tz-Han , Lee Feng-Chi , Chen Wen-Chuan
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The inverse kinematics in robot manipulator have to handle the arctangent and arccosine function. However, the two functions are complicated and need much computation time so that it is difficult to be realized in the typical processing system. The purpose of this paper is to solve this problem by using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) to speed up the computation power.

Design/methodology/approach

– The Taylor series expansion method is firstly applied to transfer arctangent and arccosine function to a polynomial form. And Look-Up Table (LUT) is used to store the parameters of the polynomial form. Then the behavior of the computation algorithm is described by Very high-speed IC Hardware Description Language (VHDL) and a co-simulation using ModelSim and Simulink is applied to evaluate the correctness of the VHDL code.

Findings

– The computation time of arctangent and arccosine function using by FPGA need only 320 and 420 ns, respectively, and the accuracy is <0.01°.

Practical implications

– Fast computation in arctangent and arccosine function can speed up the motion response of the real robot system when it needs to perform the inverse kinematics function.

Originality/value

– This is the first time such to combine the Taylor series method and LUT method in the computation the arctangent and arccosine function as well as to implement it with FPGA.
Fuzzy visual detection for human-robot interaction
Authors: Shieh Ming-Yuan , Hsieh Chung-Yu , Hsieh Tsung-Min
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a fast object detection algorithm based on structural light analysis, which aims to detect and recognize human gesture and pose and then to conclude the respective commands for human-robot interaction control.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, the human poses are estimated and analyzed by the proposed scheme, and then the resultant data concluded by the fuzzy decision-making system are used to launch respective robotic motions. The RGB camera and the infrared light module aim to do distance estimation of a body or several bodies.

Findings

– The modules not only provide image perception but also objective skeleton detection. In which, a laser source in the infrared light module emits invisible infrared light which passes through a filter and is scattered into a semi-random but constant pattern of small dots which is projected onto the environment in front of the sensor. The reflected pattern is then detected by an infrared camera and analyzed for depth estimation. Since the depth of object is a key parameter for pose recognition, one can estimate the distance to each dot and then get depth information by calculation of distance between emitter and receiver.

Research limitations/implications

– Future work will consider to reduce the computation time for objective estimation and to tune parameters adaptively.

Practical implications

– The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system.

Originality/value

– This paper achieves real-time human-robot interaction by visual detection based on structural light analysis.
A study of risk-adjusted stock selection models using genetic algorithms
Authors: Huang Chien-Feng , Hsieh Tsung-Nan , Rong Chang Bao , Chang Chih-Hsiang
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Stock selection has long been identified as a challenging task. This line of research is highly contingent upon reliable stock ranking for successful portfolio construction. The purpose of this paper is to employ the methods from computational intelligence (CI) to solve this problem more effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors develop a risk-adjusted strategy to improve upon the previous stock selection models by two main risk measures – downside risk and variation in returns. Moreover, the authors employ the genetic algorithm for optimization of model parameters and selection for input variables simultaneously.

Findings

– It is found that the proposed risk-adjusted methodology via maximum drawdown significantly outperforms the benchmark and improves the previous model in the performance of stock selection.

Research limitations/implications

– Future work considers an extensive study for the risk-adjusted model using other risk measures such as Value at Risk, Block Maxima, etc. The authors also intend to use financial data from other countries, if available, in order to assess if the method is generally applicable and robust across different environments.

Practical implications

– The authors expect this risk-adjusted model to advance the CI research for financial engineering and provide an promising solutions to stock selection in practice.

Originality/value

– The originality of this work is that maximum drawdown is being successfully incorporated into the CI-based stock selection model in which the model's effectiveness is validated with strong statistical evidence.
The impact of training on productivity: evidence from a panel of Italian firms
Authors: Colombo Emilio , Stanca Luca
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of training activity on labor productivity in a panel of Italian firms.

Design/methodology/approach

– The use of a large panel data of individual firms allows the author to properly account for the possible endogeneity of training activity and avoid aggregation biases typical in industry-level data.

Findings

– The paper finds that training has a positive and significant impact on productivity. While unobserved heterogeneity leads to overestimate the impact of training, failing to account for the endogeneity of training leads to underestimate its effects on productivity. Within occupational groups, training has large and significant effects for blue-collar workers, while the effects for executives and clerks are relatively small. Finally, using a measure of effective training intensity the paper finds that failing to account for training duration may lead to underestimate the effect of training on productivity.

Originality/value

– Our data set is unique in terms of size and coverage and overcomes several limitations of previous research using firm-level data. Moreover, besides estimating the overall effect of training on productivity, the paper allows to address some more specific questions. Does the effect of training depend on the type of worker being trained? What is the relevance of effective participation to training activity?
All-atom molecular-level computational analyses of polyurea/fused-silica interfacial decohesion caused by impinging tensile stress-waves
Authors: Grujicic M. , Yavari R. , Snipes J.S. , Ramaswami S. , Barsoum R.S.
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to address the problems of interaction of tensile stress-waves with polyurea/fused-silica and fused-silica/polyurea interfaces, and the potential for the accompanying interfacial decohesion.

Design/methodology/approach

– The problems are investigated using all-atom non-equilibrium molecular-dynamics methods and tools. Before these methods/tools are employed, previously determined material constitutive relations for polyurea and fused-silica are used, within an acoustic-impedance-matching procedure, to predict the outcome of the interactions of stress-waves with the material-interfaces in question. These predictions pertain solely to the stress-wave/interface interaction aspects resulting in the formation of transmitted and reflected stress- or release-waves, but do not contain any information regarding potential interfacial decohesion. Direct molecular-level simulations confirmed some of these predictions, but also provided direct evidence of the nature and the extent of interfacial decohesion. To properly model the initial state of interfacial cohesion and its degradation during stress-wave-loading, reactive forcefield potentials are utilized.

Findings

– Direct molecular-level simulations of the polyurea/fused-silica interfacial regions prior to loading revealed local changes in the bonding structure, suggesting the formation of an interphase. This interphase was subsequently found to greatly affect the polyurea/fused-silica decohesion strength.

Originality/value

– To the authors’ knowledge, the present work is the first public-domain report of the use of the non-equilibrium molecular dynamics and reactive force-field potentials to study the problem of interfacial decohesion caused by the interaction of tensile waves with material interfaces.
Computational analysis of gear-box roller-bearing white-etch cracking
Authors: Grujicic M. , Chenna V. , Galgalikar R. , Snipes J.S. , Ramaswami S. , Yavari R.
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– A simple economic analysis has revealed that in order for wind energy to be a viable alternative, wind-turbines (convertors of wind energy into electrical energy) must be able to operate for at least 20 years, with only regular maintenance. However, wind-turbines built nowadays do not generally possess this level of reliability and durability. Specifically, due to the malfunction and failure of drive-trains/gear-boxes, many wind-turbines require major repairs after only three to five years in service. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The subject of the present work is the so-called white etch cracking, one of the key processes responsible for the premature failure of gear-box roller-bearings. To address this problem, a multi-physics computational methodology is developed and used to analyze the problem of wind-turbine gear-box roller-bearing premature-failure. The main components of the proposed methodology include the analyses of: first, hydrogen dissolution and the accompanying grain-boundary embrittlement phenomena; second, hydrogen diffusion from the crack-wake into the adjacent unfractured material; third, the inter-granular fracture processes; and fourth, the kinematic and structural response of the bearing under service-loading conditions.

Findings

– The results obtained clearly revealed the operation of the white-etch cracking phenomenon in wind-turbine gear-box roller-bearings and its dependence on the attendant loading and environmental conditions.

Originality/value

– The present work attempts to make a contribution to the resolution of an important problem related to premature-failure and inferior reliability of wind-turbine gearboxes.
English as gatekeeper: linguistic capital and American schools
Authors: Tosky King Elena , M. Scott Lakia
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to progress the dialogue on language rights in the urban classroom. Research has evidenced how language can serve as a powerful tool in mainstream ideologies; more specifically, the preferred and dominant use of Standard Written English in the American classroom has demonstrated how language serves as a gatekeeper for student success. This paper calls for a more democratic notion of language usage that denies the “gatekeeper” of English into specific educational tracks.

Design/methodology/approach

– By framing the issue of linguistic diversity through a theoretical analysis of cultural reproduction theory, this paper demonstrates how language serves as a bridge in building and negotiating cultural identities for students. In addition, an examination of how language serves as a stratification tool in educational contexts provides credence for reform initiatives.

Findings

– In the field of linguistics, the shift in verbal and language repertoires has provided a new paradigm for rethinking what constitutes as an acceptable and innovative language use. However, structures such as schools have remained static in their vision of linguistic success in the classroom, assessing students’ language abilities in the specifics of standard written English.

Originality/value

– This analysis encourages recommendations for examining current curriculum with regards to the promotion of language diversity, encouragement for teachers to reexamine their individual perceptions about language difference and the realignment of assessment and academic measurement tools to better accommodate students with linguistically diverse backgrounds.
SEC issues guidance update regarding enhanced mutual fund disclosure
Authors: Pugliese Domenick , Rosella Michael , Hearth David
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– To explain a guidance update recently issued by the USA Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Division of Investment Management that furthers the SEC’s goal of clear and concise, user-friendly disclosure by focusing on certain specified requirements of Form N-1A and the rules under the Securities Act of 1933.

Design/methodology/approach

– Discusses five areas where the SEC staff had been providing significant numbers of comments related to mutual fund disclosure after the adoption of the amendments to Form N-1A in 2009 by summarizing the applicable instructions of Form N1-A and/or rule and the SEC staff’s observations with respect to such instruction or rule.

Findings

– Funds should ensure that during their next annual update they review their prospectus disclosure in light of this guidance update and make necessary changes so that the disclosure is clear and concise and not overly technical.

Originality/value

– A concise summary of the SEC’s guidance update from experienced investment management lawyers.
FINRA fines broker-dealer for failing to apply Class A sales charge waivers for certain eligible customers on its mutual fund platform
Authors: F. Kerr Richard
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– To review FINRA enforcement action taken against a broker-dealer over failure to waive mutual fund sales charges for certain eligible customers and failure to establish, maintain, and enforce a supervisory system and written procedures reasonably designed to ensure eligible accounts received sales charge waivers as set forth in the mutual funds’ prospectuses.

Design/methodology/approach

– Reviews and summarizes FINRA’s finding’s regarding the broker-dealer’s failure to apply applicable mutual fund sales charge waivers, deficiencies in the broker-dealer’s supervisory system and written procedures resulting in the failure, resulting violations of FINRA rules, the broker-dealer’s remedial efforts, and the sanctions imposed.

Findings

– This settlement provides an important reminder for FINRA member broker-dealers of the need to ensure that eligible investors receive applicable sales charger waivers or are placed in the appropriate share class, and to establish, maintain, and enforce a supervisory system and written procedures reasonably designed to ensure eligible accounts received sales charge waivers as set forth in the mutual funds’ prospectuses.

Originality/value

– Practical explanation from experienced financial institutions lawyers.
Publishing student scholarship: exploring the ETD initiative at a medium-sized institution
Authors: Wang Xiaocan (Lucy) , Bulick Natalie , Muyumba Valentine
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe the Electronic Theses and Dissertations program implemented and managed by the Indiana State University since 2009. The paper illustrates issues relating to the background, policies, platform, workflow and cataloging, as well as the publication and preservation of graduate scholarship.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors examined many aspects of the Electronic Theses and Dissertations program and addressed issues dealt before, during and after the publication of the electronic theses and dissertations collection. The approaches the authors utilized are literature review and personal management experience from working on the program.

Findings

– Implementing an Electronic Theses and Dissertations program involves providing a series of management services. These services include developing relevant policies, implementing an archiving and publication platform and creating submission and publishing workflows, as well as cataloging, disseminating and preserving the student collection. Openly publishing the collection through a range of access points significantly increases its visibility and accessibility. Adopting several archival and preservation strategies ensures the long-term readiness of the collection.

Originality/value

– This paper will provide useful practices for implementing an ETD program to those institutions new to the ETD initiative process. It also contributes to the current body of literature and to the overall improvement of ETD programs globally.
Architecture as a strategy for reduced energy consumption? An in-depth analysis of residential practices’ influence on the energy performance of passive houses
Authors: Wågø Solvår , Berker Thomas
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to discuss how architectural solutions may influence residential practice and energy consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is part of a larger study based on qualitative investigations of six energy-efficient housing projects in Norway. Here, the authors examine one of these projects, Løvåshagen in Bergen, the first Norwegian passive house flat building. Based on a combination of 14 interviews with household members and energy consumption data for all flats, the authors show how residential practices influence energy consumption. In the discussion and conclusion, the authors focus on the role of the architecture in these practices.

Findings

– On the one hand, Løvåshagen reflects a mainstreaming approach to sustainable building, attracting a wide array of different occupants. On the other hand, the specific add-ons that are intended to make the buildings energy efficient require new definitions of comfort and new skills to achieve the promised energy savings. This combination can explain why Løvåshagen, after four years of occupation, has a large variation in actual energy consumption.

Practical implications

– In designing new energy-efficient housing, greater attention should be paid to the level of end-user control and adaptability, the level of system complexity, and the need for adequate information. An alternative to the mainstreaming approach would be to actively use architecture to influence residential practices towards reduced energy consumption.

Originality/value

– The use of qualitative methods to analyse quantitative energy data is original and provides promising opportunities to understand the significance of residential practices regarding actual energy consumption.
Assessing thermal comfort and energy efficiency in tropical African offices using the adaptive approach
Authors: O. Efeoma Meshack , Uduku Ola
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to adduce the most appropriate thermal comfort assessment method for determining human thermal comfort and energy efficient temperature control in office buildings in tropical West Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper examines the Adaptive Thermal Comfort Standard, from its research evolution to its contemporary use as an environmental design assessment Standard. It compares the adaptive component of ASHRAE Standard 55 and the European CEN/EN 15251. It begins by reviewing relevant literature and then produces a comparative analysis of the two standards, before suggesting the most appropriate Adaptive Thermal Comfort Standard for use in assessing conditions in tropical climate conditions. The suggested Standard was then used to analyse data collected from the author's pilot research into thermal conditions, in five office buildings situated in the city of Enugu, South Eastern Nigeria.

Findings

– The paper provides insight as to why the ASHRAE adaptive model is more suitable for thermal comfort assessment of office buildings in the tropical West African climate. This was demonstrated by using the ASHRAE Thermal Comfort Standard to assess comfort conditions from pilot research study data collected on Nigerian office buildings by the author.

Originality/value

– The paper compares the adaptive component of ASHRAE Standard 55 with CEN/EN 15251, and their different benefits for use in tropical climates. It suggested the need for further research studies and application of the ASHRAE Adaptive Thermal Comfort Standard in the tropical West African climate.
Measuring knowledge management performance in industrial enterprises
Authors: Yin Rebecca Yiu Man , Fai Pun Kit
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to discuss an integrated paradigm that aligns the measures of knowledge management (KM) performance to attain corporate goals in organisations. It presents the main findings of an exploratory study on the use of the paradigm and the accompanied self-assessment scheme in industrial enterprises in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T).

Design/methodology/approach

– An integrated knowledge management (IKM) model was derived, incorporating the guiding principles of the Total Quality Management/Business Excellence Models. A host of 20 elements was advocated under 5 assessment criteria, namely, Senior management leadership, KM processes, people development, continuous improvement and results orientation. A four-level self-assessment scheme was developed for facilitating users to determine the maturity status of IKM performance in organisations. An exploratory study was conducted with respondents of 18 companies in T&T. A results-oriented methodology with a self-assessment instrument (includes a set of questionnaire and facilitative tools) was used to acquire the industry practitioners’ views on the potential applicability of the IKM model. The study compared the current with the expected organisational performance and explored the relevance of integrating KM and PM practices in these participating organisations.

Findings

– The findings provided some useful data sources and managerial insights in integrating KM/PM initiatives with reference to groups of large enterprises vs small- and medium-sized companies in T&T. Empirical evidence showed that the self-assessment analysis could help participating organisations utilise their resources and keep up with improvement progress. The objectives, emphasis and administrative context of the KM/PM integration could be changed with varying resources, constraints and maturity status of organisations.

Research limitations/implications

– Future research could validate the self-assessment paradigm of KM performance in enterprises across various industry sectors, with the emphasis on human–technology–organisation interactions.

Originality/value

– It is anticipated that adapting the IKM model and using it for regular self-assessments could help industrial enterprises to enhance their KM and PM capabilities for attaining improvement goals. The results could facilitate information sharing of best practices and create conditions conducive to continuous performance improvement.
Team performance in learning organizations: mediating effect of employee engagement
Authors: Hoon Song Ji , Hun Lim Doo , Gu Kang In , Kim Woocheol
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This aim of the current research is to provide empirical evidence for the relationships among several organizational factors affecting team performance improvement, including the learning organization and employee engagement. In addition, the mediating effect of employee engagement was assessed to explain team performance improvement within the supportive learning organization. The target sample consisted of major Korean for-profit firms, and a total of 309 cases were used for data analyses. Structural equation modeling was used along with basic descriptive and multivariate research assumption tests. Results support that cultural aspects of the learning organization in Korean for-profit firms positively and directly affect the employee engagement, whereas cultural aspects of the learning organization positively affect team performance positively and indirectly only through employee engagement, and employee engagement plays a full mediating role in explaining the relationship between the learning organization and team performance. Conclusions are discussed, followed by implications for organizational development, limitations and future research suggestions.

Design/methodology/approach

– The target sample consisted of major Korean for-profit firms, and a total of 309 cases were used for data analyses. Structural equation modeling was used along with basic descriptive and multivariate research assumption tests.

Findings

– Results support that cultural aspects of the learning organization in Korean for-profit firms positively and directly affect the employee engagement, while cultural aspects of the learning organization positively affect team performance positively and indirectly only through the employee engagement, and the employee engagement plays a full mediating role in explaining the relationship between the learning organization and team performance.

Originality/value

– This research has not been conducted in the Korean context, and this research will provide not only scholarly evidences on the importance of the learning organization for performance improvement, but also the practical guideline for the practitioners to make effort to make their organizations as the learning organization for performance improvement.
Natural Control of Corn Postharvest Fungi Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium sp. Using Essential Oils from Plants Grown in Argentina
Authors: Camiletti Boris X. , Asensio Claudia M. , Pecci María de la Paz Giménez , Lucini Enrique I.
Published: November 2014

The objective in this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of essential oils from native and commercial aromatic plants grown in Argentina against corn postharvest fungi and to link the essential oil bioactivity with lipid oxidation and morphological changes in fungus cell membrane. Essential oil (EO) of oregano variety Mendocino (OMen), Cordobes (OCor), and Compacto (OCom), mint variety Inglesa (Mi), and Pehaujo (Mp), Suico (Sui); rosemary (Ro), and Aguaribay (Ag) were tested in vitro against 4 corn fungi: A. flavus (CCC116–83 and BXC01), P. oxalicum (083296), and P. minioluteum (BXC03). The minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were determined. The chemical profiles of the EOs were analyzed by GC‐MS. Lipid oxidation in cell membrane of fungi was determined by hydroperoxides and related with essential oil antifungal activity. The major compounds were Thymol in OCor (18.66%), Omen (12.18%), and OCom (9.44%); menthol in Mi and Mp; verbenone in Sui; dehydroxy‐isocalamendiol in Ag; and eucaliptol in Ro. OCor, Omen, and OCom showed the best antifungal activity. No antifungal activity was observed in Ag and Ro EO. The hydroperoxide value depended on the fungi (P < 0.001) and the antimicrobial agent (P < 0.001).Membrane lipids were oxidized by Sui EO in A. flavus BXC01 and A. flavus CCC116–83 (0.021 and 0.027 meqO2/kg, respectively). The results suggest that the EOs of OCor, OMen, OCom, Mi, Mp, and Sui grown in Argentina can be used as natural alternatives to control fungi that produce mycotoxin in maize.
Opioid Analgesia for Acute Abdominal Pain in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Poonai Naveen , Paskar David , Konrad Shauna‐Lee , Rieder Michael , Joubert Gary , Lim Rodrick , Golozar Asieh , Uledi Sefu , Worster Andrew , Ali Samina
Published: November 2014

Objectives

There are long‐held concerns that analgesia in patients with acute abdominal pain may obscure the physical examination and lead to missing a diagnosis of appendicitis. Despite evidence to the contrary, analgesia continues to be underutilized and suboptimally dosed in children with acute abdominal pain. The objective of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to determine if opioids provide analgesia without an increase in side effects and appendicitis‐related complications.

Methods

Trials were identified through electronic searches of MEDLINE (1946–2013), EMBASE (1980–2013), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (2013), CINAHL (1981–2013), and Google Scholar (2013). All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of children aged 0–18 years with acute abdominal pain that compared any opioid analgesic to placebo were included. The methodologic qualities of studies and the overall quality of evidence were evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system, respectively.

Results

Six RCTs met inclusion criteria, and each compared a single‐dose parenteral opioid to a placebo, providing data on 342 children aged 5 to 18 years. The pooled mean pre/post difference in self‐reported pain scores was 19.61 mm (95% confidence interval [CI] = –1.16 to 40.37 mm) lower in those receiving opioid analgesia. There was no significant increase in the risk of perforation or abscess associated with opioids in cases of appendicitis (relative risk [RR] = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.55 to 1.93). The risk of side effects was significantly greater in patients who received opioids (RR = 6.06, 95% CI = 1.10 to 33.49). Subtherapeutic dosing of opioids was detected in all six trials.

Conclusions

The use of opioids in undifferentiated acute abdominal pain in children is associated with no difference in pain scores and an increased risk of mild side effects. However, there is no increased risk of perforation or abscess. The overall quality of evidence is low, suggesting the need for larger, high‐quality trials that are powered to detect both serious complications of appendicitis and determine the most efficacious opioid dosing for children.
Low‐dose Ketamine Improves Pain Relief in Patients Receiving Intravenous Opioids for Acute Pain in the Emergency Department: Results of a Randomized, Double‐blind, Clinical Trial
Authors: Beaudoin Francesca L. , Lin Charlie , Guan Wentao , Merchant Roland C.
Published: November 2014

Objectives

Low‐dose ketamine has been used perioperatively for pain control and may be a useful adjunct to intravenous (IV) opioids in the control of acute pain in the emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of low‐dose ketamine as an adjunct to morphine versus standard care with morphine alone for the treatment of acute moderate to severe pain among ED patients.

Methods

A double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial with three study groups was conducted at a large, urban academic ED over a 10‐month period. Eligible patients were 18 to 65 years old with acute moderate to severe pain (score of at least 5 out of 10 on the numerical pain rating scale [NRS] and pain duration < 7 days) who were deemed by their treating physician to require IV opioids. The three study groups were: 1) morphine and normal saline placebo (standard care group), 2) morphine and 0.15 mg/kg ketamine (group 1), or 3) morphine and 0.3 mg/kg ketamine (group 2). Participants were assessed at 30, 60, and 120 minutes after study medication administration and received rescue analgesia as needed to target a 50% reduction in pain. The primary outcome measure of pain relief, or pain intensity reduction, was derived using the NRS and calculated as the summed pain‐intensity (SPID) difference over 2 hours. The amount and timing of rescue opioid analgesia was evaluated as a secondary outcome. The occurrence of adverse events was also measured.

Results

Sixty patients were enrolled (n = 20 in each group). There were no differences between study groups with respect to age, sex, race/ethnicity, preenrollment analgesia, or baseline NRS. Over the 2‐hour poststudy medication administration period, the SPIDs were higher (greater pain relief) for the ketamine study groups than the control group (standard care 4.0, interquartile range [IQR] = 1.8 to 6.5; group 1 7.0, IQR = 4.3 to 10.8; and group 2 7.8, IQR = 4.8 to 12.8; p < 0.02). The SPIDs for the ketamine groups were similar (p < 0.46). When compared to standard care, group 2 sustained the reduction in pain intensity up to 2 hours, whereas group 1 was similar to standard care by 2 hours. Similar numbers of patients received rescue analgesia: standard care group, seven of 20, 35%; group 1, four of 20, 20%; and group 2, four of 20, 20% (p = 0.48). Among those receiving rescue analgesia, those in the standard care group received analgesia sooner than either low‐dose ketamine group, on average. More participants in the low‐dose ketamine groups reported dysphoria and dizziness.

Conclusions

Low‐dose ketamine is a viable analgesic adjunct to morphine for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain. Dosing of 0.3 mg/kg is possibly more effective than 0.15 mg/kg, but may be associated with minor adverse events. Future studies should evaluate additional outcomes, optimum dosing, and use in specific populations.
Patient and Trauma Center Characteristics Associated With Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Transport for Patients With Minor Injuries in the United States
Authors: Cheung Brian H. , Delgado M. Kit , Staudenmayer Kristan L.
Published: November 2014

Background

Helicopter emergency medical services (EMS) transport is expensive, and previous work has shown that cost‐effective use of this resource is dependent on the proportion of minor injuries flown. To understand how overtriage to helicopter EMS versus ground EMS can be reduced, it is important to understand factors associated with helicopter transport of patients with minor injuries.

Objectives

The aim was to characterize patient and hospital characteristics associated with helicopter transport of patients with minor injuries.

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of adults ≥18 years who were transported by helicopter to Level I/II trauma centers from 2009 through 2010 as identified in the National Trauma Data Bank. Minor injuries were defined as all injuries scored at an Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score of <3. Patient and hospital characteristics associated of being flown with only minor injuries were compared in an unadjusted and adjusted fashion. Hierarchical, multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for patient demographics, mechanism of injury, presenting physiology, injury severity, urban–rural location of injury, total EMS time, hospital characteristics, and region.

Results

A total of 24,812 records were identified, corresponding to 76,090 helicopter transports. The proportion of helicopter transports with only minor injuries was 36% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 34% to 39%). Patient characteristics associated with being flown with minor injuries included being uninsured (odds ratio [OR] = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.26 to 1.47), injury by a fall (OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.20 to 1.45), or other penetrating trauma (OR = 2.52, 95% CI = 2.12 to 3.00). Being flown with minor injuries was more likely if the patient was transported to a trauma center that also received a high proportion of patients with minor injuries by ground EMS (OR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.58 to 2.26) or a high proportion of EMS traffic by helicopter (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.78). No significant association with urban–rural scene location or EMS transport time was found.

Conclusions

Better recognizing which patients with falls and penetrating trauma have serious injuries that could benefit from being flown may lead to the more cost‐effective use of helicopter EMS. More research is needed to determine why patients without insurance, who are most at risk for high out‐of‐pocket expenses from helicopter EMS, are at higher risk for being flown when only having minor injuries. This suggests that interventions to optimize cost‐effectiveness of helicopter transport will likely require an evaluation of helicopter triage guidelines in the context of regional and patient needs.