bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling the functional relationship network at the splice isoform level through heterogeneous data integration
Authors: Li Hong-Dong , Menon Rajasree , Eksi Ridvan , Guerler Aysam , Zhang Yang , Omenn Gilbert S. , Guan Yuanfang
Published: January 2014

Functional relationship networks, which reveal the collaborative roles between genes, have significantly accelerated our understanding of gene functions and phenotypic relevance. However, establishing such networks for alternatively spliced isoforms remains a difficult, unaddressed problem due to the lack of systematic functional annotations at the isoform level, which renders most supervised learning methods difficult to be applied to isoforms. Here we describe a novel multiple instance learning-based probabilistic approach that integrates large-scale, heterogeneous genomic datasets, including RNA-seq, exon array, protein docking and pseudo-amino acid composition, for modeling a global functional relationship network at the isoform level in the mouse. Using this approach, we formulate a gene pair as a set of isoform pairs of potentially different properties. Through simulation and cross-validation studies, we showed the superior accuracy of our algorithm in revealing the isoform-level functional relationships. The local networks reveal functional diversity of the isoforms of the same gene, as demonstrated by both large-scale analyses and experimental and literature evidence for the disparate functions revealed for the isoforms ofPtbp1andAnxa6by our network. Our work can assist the understanding of the diversity of functions achieved by alternative splicing of a limited set of genes in mammalian genomes, and may shift the current gene-centered network prediction paradigm to the isoform level.

Author summary

Proteins carry out their functions through interacting with each other. Such interactions can be achieved through direct physical interactions, genetic interactions, or co-regulation. To summarize these interactions, researches have established functional relationship networks, in which each gene is represented as a node and the connections between the nodes represent how likely two genes work in the same biological process. Currently, these networks are established at the gene level only, while each gene, in mammalian systems, can be alternatively spliced into multiple isoforms that may have drastically different interaction partners. This information can be mined through integrating data that provide isoform-level information, such as RNA-seq and protein docking scores predicted from amino acid sequences. In this study, we developed a novel algorithm to integrate such data for predicting isoform-level functional relationship networks, which allows us to investigate the collaborative roles between genes at a high resolution.
Distinct Amino Acids in the C-Linker Domain of the Arabidopsis K+ Channel KAT2 Determine Its Subcellular Localization and Activity at the Plasma Membrane
Authors: Nieves-Cordones Manuel , Chavanieu Alain , Jeanguenin Linda , Alcon Carine , Szponarski Wojciech , Estaran Sebastien , Chérel Isabelle , Zimmermann Sabine , Sentenac Hervé , Gaillard Isabelle
Published: January 2014

Shaker K+ channels form the major K+ conductance of the plasma membrane in plants. They are composed of four subunits arranged around a central ion-conducting pore. The intracellular carboxy-terminal region of each subunit contains several regulatory elements, including a C-linker region and a cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD). The C-linker is the first domain present downstream of the sixth transmembrane segment and connects the CNBD to the transmembrane core. With the aim of identifying the role of the C-linker in the Shaker channel properties, we performed subdomain swapping between the C-linker of two Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) Shaker subunits, K+ channel in Arabidopsis thaliana2 (KAT2) and Arabidopsis thaliana K+ rectifying channel1 (AtKC1). These two subunits contribute to K+ transport in planta by forming heteromeric channels with other Shaker subunits. However, they display contrasting behavior when expressed in tobacco mesophyll protoplasts: KAT2 forms homotetrameric channels active at the plasma membrane, whereas AtKC1 is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum when expressed alone. The resulting chimeric/mutated constructs were analyzed for subcellular localization and functionally characterized. We identified two contiguous amino acids, valine-381 and serine-382, located in the C-linker carboxy-terminal end, which prevent KAT2 surface expression when mutated into the equivalent residues from AtKC1. Moreover, we demonstrated that the nine-amino acid stretch 312TVRAASEFA320 that composes the first C-linker α-helix located just below the pore is a crucial determinant of KAT2 channel activity. A KAT2 C-linker/CNBD three-dimensional model, based on animal HCN (for Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated K+) channels as structure templates, has been built and used to discuss the role of the C-linker in plant Shaker inward channel structure and function.
A Novel Rice Cytochrome P450 Gene, CYP72A31, Confers Tolerance to Acetolactate Synthase-Inhibiting Herbicides in Rice and Arabidopsis
Authors: Saika Hiroaki , Horita Junko , Taguchi-Shiobara Fumio , Nonaka Satoko , Nishizawa-Yokoi Ayako , Iwakami Satoshi , Hori Kiyosumi , Matsumoto Takashi , Tanaka Tsuyoshi , Itoh Takeshi , Yano Masahiro , Kaku Koichiro , Shimizu Tsutomu , Toki Seiichi
Published: January 2014

Target-site and non-target-site herbicide tolerance are caused by the prevention of herbicide binding to the target enzyme and the reduction to a nonlethal dose of herbicide reaching the target enzyme, respectively. There is little information on the molecular mechanisms involved in non-target-site herbicide tolerance, although it poses the greater threat in the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds and could potentially be useful for the production of herbicide-tolerant crops because it is often involved in tolerance to multiherbicides. Bispyribac sodium (BS) is an herbicide that inhibits the activity of acetolactate synthase. Rice (Oryza sativa) of the indica variety show BS tolerance, while japonica rice varieties are BS sensitive. Map-based cloning and complementation tests revealed that a novel cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, CYP72A31, is involved in BS tolerance. Interestingly, BS tolerance was correlated with CYP72A31 messenger RNA levels in transgenic plants of rice and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Moreover, Arabidopsis overexpressing CYP72A31 showed tolerance to bensulfuron-methyl (BSM), which belongs to a different class of acetolactate synthase-inhibiting herbicides, suggesting that CYP72A31 can metabolize BS and BSM to a compound with reduced phytotoxicity. On the other hand, we showed that the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP81A6, which has been reported to confer BSM tolerance, is barely involved, if at all, in BS tolerance, suggesting that the CYP72A31 enzyme has different herbicide specificities compared with CYP81A6. Thus, the CYP72A31 gene is a potentially useful genetic resource in the fields of weed control, herbicide development, and molecular breeding in a broad range of crop species.
The Evolutionary Conserved Oil Body Associated Protein OBAP1 Participates in the Regulation of Oil Body Size
Authors: López-Ribera Ignacio , La Paz José Luis , Repiso Carlos , García Nora , Miquel Mercè , Hernández María Luisa , Martínez-Rivas José Manuel , Vicient Carlos M.
Published: January 2014

A transcriptomic approach has been used to identify genes predominantly expressed in maize (Zea mays) scutellum during maturation. One of the identified genes is oil body associated protein1 (obap1), which is transcribed during seed maturation predominantly in the scutellum, and its expression decreases rapidly after germination. Proteins similar to OBAP1 are present in all plants, including primitive plants and mosses, and in some fungi and bacteria. In plants, obap genes are divided in two subfamilies. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome contains five genes coding for OBAP proteins. Arabidopsis OBAP1a protein is accumulated during seed maturation and disappears after germination. Agroinfiltration of tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) epidermal leaf cells with fusions of OBAP1 to yellow fluorescent protein and immunogold labeling of embryo transmission electron microscopy sections showed that OBAP1 protein is mainly localized in the surface of the oil bodies. OBAP1 protein was detected in the oil body cellular fraction of Arabidopsis embryos. Deletion analyses demonstrate that the most hydrophilic part of the protein is responsible for the oil body localization, which suggests an indirect interaction of OBAP1 with other proteins in the oil body surface. An Arabidopsis mutant with a transfer DNA inserted in the second exon of the obap1a gene and an RNA interference line against the same gene showed a decrease in the germination rate, a decrease in seed oil content, and changes in fatty acid composition, and their embryos have few, big, and irregular oil bodies compared with the wild type. Taken together, our findings suggest that OBAP1 protein is involved in the stability of oil bodies.
2-{[2-(2-Hydroxy-5-methoxybenzylidene)hydrazin-1-ylidene]methyl}-4-methoxyphenol
Authors: Taha Muhammad , Shah Syed Adnan Ali , Sultan Sadia , Ismail Nor Hadiani , Yousuf Sammer
Published: January 2014

The title phenylhydrazine derivative, C16H16N2O4, has a crystallographically imposed centre of symmetry. Except for the methyl group, all non-H atoms are almost coplanar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0095 Å). Intramolecular O—H...N hydrogen bonds are observed, generatingS(6) graph-set ring motifs.
(E)-3-[(Dimethylamino)methylidene]-4-phenyl-1H-1,5-benzodiazepin-2(3H)-one
Authors: Loughzail Mohamed , Baouid Abdesselam , Fernandes José A. , Driss Mohamed , Soumhi El Hassane
Published: January 2014

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C18H17N3O, consists of two independent molecules, each having anEconformation with respect to the C=C bond between the benzodiazepinone and dimethylamine groups. In the crystal, the two independent molecules are linked into a dimer by a pair of N—H...O hydrogen bonds.
catena-Poly[[aquabis(4-formylbenzoato-κ2O1,O1′)cadmium]-μ-pyrazine-κ2N:N′]
Authors: Çelik Fatih , Dilek Nefise , Çaylak Delibaş Nagihan , Necefoğlu Hacali , Hökelek Tuncer
Published: January 2014

The polymeric title compound, [Cd(C8H5O3)2(C4H4N2)(H2O)]n, contains two 4-formylbenzoate (FB) anions, one pyrazine molecule and one coordinating water molecule; the FB anions act as bidentate ligands. The O atom, the aldehyde H atom and the benzene ring of one of the FB anions are disordered over two positions. The O atoms were freely refined [refined occupancy ratio 0.79 (2):0.21 (2)], while the aldehyde H atoms and the benzene ring atoms were refined with fixed occupancy ratios of 0.8:0.2 and 0.5:0.5, respectively. In the ordered FB anion, the carboxylate group is twisted away from the attached benzene ring (A) by 22.7 (8)°. In the disordered FB anion, the corresponding angles are 15.6 (10) and 11.4 (11)° for ringsBandB′, respectively. Benzene ringsAandBare oriented at a dihedral angle of 24.2 (7),AandB′ at 43.0 (8)°. The pyrazine ring makes dihedral angles of 67.5 (4), 89.6 (7) and 86.2 (7)°, respectively, with benzene ringsA,BandB′. The pyrazine ligands bridge the CdIIcations, forming polymeric chains running along theb-axis direction. In the crystal, O—Hwater... Ocarboxylatehydrogen bonds link adjacent chains into layers parallel to thebcplane. These layers are linkedviaC—Hpyrazine... Oformylhydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network. π–π interactions [centroid–centroid distances = 3.870 (11)–3.951 (5) Å] further stabilize the crystal structure. There is also a weak C—H...π interaction present.
Redetermination of β-Ba(PO3)2
Authors: Weil Matthias
Published: January 2014

In comparison with the previous structure determination of the β-modification of bariumcatena-polyphosphate that was based on Weissenberg film data [Grenieret al.(1967).Bull. Soc. Fr. Minéral. Cristallogr.90, 24–31], the current CCD-data-based redetermination reveals all atoms with anisotropic displacement parameters, standard uncertainties for the atomic coordinates, and the determination of the absolute structure. Moreover, a much higher accuracy in terms of the bond-length distribution for the polyphosphate chain, with two shorter and two longer P—O distances, was achieved. The structure consists of polyphosphate chains extending parallel to [100] with a periodicity of two PO4tetrahedra. The Ba2+cations are located between the chains and are surrounded by ten O atoms in the form of a distorted coordination polyhedron, with Ba—O distances ranging from 2.765 (3) to 3.143 (3) Å, also reflecting the higher precision of the current redetermination.
Anion...π interactions in copper(I) chloride and bromide coordination polymers bearing 1,4-bis(pyridazin-4-yl)benzene ligands
Authors: Degtyarenko Anna S. , Domasevitch Konstantin V.
Published: January 2014

In poly[[μ4-1,4-bis(pyridazin-4-yl)benzene-1:2:3:4κ4N1:N2:N1′:N2′]di-μ2-chlorido-dicopper(I)], [Cu2Cl2(C14H10N4)]n, (I), and its isomorphous bromide analogue, [Cu2Br2(C14H10N4)]n, (II), the organic ligand is situated across a centre of inversion. The CuIcations adopt a distorted tetrahedral [CuN2X2] [X= Cl in (I) or Br in (II)] environment [Cu—N = 2.0183 (14)–2.0936 (14) Å; Cu—Cl = 2.2686 (6) and 2.4241 (5) Å; Cu—Br = 2.4002 (6) and 2.5284 (5) Å] and the primary coordination motif consists of cuprohalogenide chains accommodating μ-pyridazine groups. The organic ligands are tetradentate and link the inorganic chains into corrugated layers. Their packing is influenced by interlayer anion...π interactions [Cl...π = 3.540 (2) Å and Br...π = 3.593 (2) Å] with the electron-deficient pyridazine rings. This kind of interaction precludes the characteristic slipped π–π stacking and close parallel alignment of the organic tectons; it may be involved as a structure-defining factor for coordination layers based upon lengthy polyaromatic linkers.
The coordination polymer poly[[aqua(μ-oxalato)[1H-1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione]cadmium(II)] monohydrate]
Authors: Liang Qian , Wang Yu-Lin , Zhao Yan , Cao Gao-Juan
Published: January 2014

The title complex, {[Cd(C2O4)(C2H3N3S)(H2O)]·H2O}n, has a two-dimensional metal–organic framework, with the CdIIcation coordinated by three oxalate ligands, a 1H-1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione (H2trzS) ligand and a water molecule. The CdO6S and oxalate units form an extended two-dimensional layered structure, with the terminal H2trzS ligands bonded to the CdIIsites through the thione S atoms. Hydrogen-bond interactions exist between adjacent layers.
(Re)constructing economic citizenship in a welfare state – intersections of gender and class
Authors: Hirsto Heidi , Katila Saija , Moisander Johanna
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of the paper is to discuss and illustrate how contemporary market discourses rearticulate socio-political relationships and identities, including the rights, duties, and opportunities of individuals and categories of individuals as citizens. More specifically, the purpose is to analyze how “economic citizenship” is articulated and negotiated in the intersection of (Nordic) welfare state ideals and shareholder-oriented market discourses. The paper further elaborates on how different identity markers, especially gender and class, intersect in these articulations and contribute to exclusionary practices.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper approaches the articulation of economic citizenship through an empirical study that focusses on business media representations and online discussions of a major factory shutdown in Finland. Drawing from discourse theory and the notions of representational intersectionality and translocational positionality, the paper analyzes how gender and class intersect in the construction of economic citizenship in the business media.

Findings

– The study illustrates how financialist market discourses render citizenship intelligible in exceedingly economic terms, overriding social and political dimensions of citizenship. The business media construct hierarchies of economic citizens where two categories of actors claim full economic citizenship: the transnational corporation and the transnational investor. Within these categories, particular systems of privilege intersect in similar ways, rendering them masculine and upper middleclass. Whether interpreted as hegemonic or counter-hegemonic, the financialist discourses rearticulate the social hierarchies and moral landscape in Finnish society.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to critical/feminist management studies by elaborating on the role of the business media as an important site of political identity work, positioning, and moral regulation, where neoliberal ideas, based upon and reproducing masculine and elitist systems of privilege, appear as normalized and self-evidently valued.
Learning organization and innovative behavior
Authors: Kyoung Park Yu , Hoon Song Ji , Won Yoon Seung , Kim Jungwoo
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of work engagement on the relationship between learning organization and innovative behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study used surveys as a data collection tool and implemented structural equation modeling for empirically testing the proposed research model.

Findings

– The study found that learning organization culture makes a direct and indirect impact on employees' innovative work behaviors. Results from hierarchical multiple regressions and structural equation modeling supported that work engagement fully mediates the relationship between the learning organization and innovative work behaviors.

Practical implications

– HRD practitioners can develop effective interventions to enhance their employees' innovative behavior by devoting efforts to create a workplace that promotes collaborative learning culture and work engagement.

Originality/value

– This study is valuable to HRD specialists interested in developing effective interventions that encourage employees to engage in innovative behavior.
Leadership's influence on innovation and sustainability
Authors: M. Waite Alina
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this study is to review published articles within the HRD and related fields to identify relationships between disparate streams of research (leadership and innovation and sustainability).

Design/methodology/approach

– Academic research supports the complex relationships between leadership and innovation and leadership and sustainability. An integrative literature review of published articles is used to gain an understanding about effective leadership as an important link between innovation and sustainability.

Findings

– The analysis revealed the parallel research streams are rather isolated from one another. Central themes focused around leadership roles, orientations, practices, and influences; leadership capacity building; and (global) leadership development. Emergent themes with respect to sustainability included global mindset and concern for others. Servant leadership was brought forth.

Research limitations/implications

– The literature review was drawn from the four Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) journals, as well as sources from the human resource management (HRM), business and management, and related fields.

Practical implications

– The study discussed influences of leadership on innovation and sustainability, mindsets and competencies, and leadership development strategies for use in understanding how to foster innovation and sustainable practices. Developmental activities including experiential learning, action learning, and service learning programs were considered.

Originality/value

– This article is among the first to highlight leadership as a connection between innovation and sustainability and provides a valuable platform for HRD scholars and practitioners interested in enhancing leadership capacity and development in these areas.
Innovation and human resource development (HRD)
Authors: Sheehan Maura , N. Garavan Thomas , Carbery Ronan
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a prologue to the issue of human resource development (HRD) and innovation which has been under-researched despite the widespread recognition of the critical role of innovation for sustained national, regional and organisational competitiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper provides an overview of the evolution of innovation within the economic and management literatures. It then examines previous work on human resource management (HRM), HRD and innovation. The paper then provides a brief overview of the articles for this issue focussing on HRD and innovation.

Findings

– HRD interventions can positively contribute to organisation's innovation activities. HRD is also found to positively influence employee engagement, leadership, manager's motivation to learn, the promotion of a learning culture, and social capital development all of which are positively associated with innovation. Informal HRD and access to mentors and coaches is shown to be critical for innovation in SMEs.

Originality/value

– This paper provides an introduction to this special issue on HRD and innovation. It shows that this has been an under-researched area and it also emphasises that HRD and its relationship with innovation must be analysed within the context of the organisation's culture, its context, and its leadership capabilities. The four conceptual contributions provide a rich road map for future research on HRD and innovation.
Work-related suicide
Authors: Germain Marie-Line
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– For the past 50 years, the research literature has shown that employment can contribute to an individual's personal development. Yet, it has also shown that it can become a life-threatening stressor. Reported occupational suicides increased by 22.2 percent between 1995 and 2010, becoming a leading cause of death in the USA. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of six US government reports on employee suicides between 1995 and 2012.

Design/methodology/approach

– Through an interpretive case study approach (Yin, 2003), this study undertook a document analysis of key US government reports examining occupational suicides. Specifically, an analysis of three US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports was undertaken along with other documents, identifying key themes and facts.

Findings

– The analysis of the US government reports reveals a dim legal recognition of employee suicide as an occupational accident. The paper presents the characteristics of suicides as an occupational accident as well as the profile of a typical US occupational suicide victim. Finally, the paper discusses the main causes of employee suicide.

Practical implications

– Organizations have a “duty of care” to their employees, both physical and psychological. Human resource (HR) professionals ought to create preventive policies to minimize work-related suicides and have clear crisis management systems in place, should an employee commit suicide or threaten to do so.

Originality/value

– Occupational distress is not typically apparent or obvious and is not the subject of many studies in the field of HRs. Yet, because of its rampant increase in today's organizations, its direct connection with employee suicide and its impact on organizational revenues, psychological distress in the workplace merits closer attention. This paper is unique as it provides insights for HR professionals based on the analysis of US government reports on work-related suicides.
Comparing tasks of 160 occupations across eight European countries
Authors: G. Tijdens Kea , De Ruijter Esther , De Ruijter Judith
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– Do similar job titles refer to the same work activities, as assumed often, but hardly empirically tested? The purpose of this paper is to analyze the similarity of 160 occupations within and across eight European countries using interrater agreement statistics (rWG).

Design/methodology/approach

– Using a multilingual web survey, experts and jobholders in the eight countries rated the frequency of ten tasks per occupation they had knowledge of (n=4,197 ratings). Three hypotheses are investigated: first, interrater agreements of occupations are similar regardless the country; second, interrater agreements of occupations are similar within countries; and third, experts and jobholders are similar in their ratings.

Findings

– Half of the occupations reveal no agreement across ratings, one-third shows a weak/moderate agreement and one in ten shows a strong agreement. H1 is rejected for task frequency but not for task importance. Within-country similarity of occupations is larger than across-country similarity. H2 is supported for two countries and rejected for two other countries. H3 is not supported. Jobholders demonstrate higher agreement than experts.

Research limitations/implications

– An empirical testing of occupation-specific tasks for a wide range of occupations across Europe seems a viable approach.

Practical implications

– The paper contributes to the challenges related to labor market mobility across borders.

Originality/value

– Work tasks for a wide range of occupations and countries, using job-specific work activities in combination with web surveys and the internet for recruitment of jobholders, have not been used before.
An analysis of copyright protection in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Mastura Muhammad Arif Afida
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to explore the copyright laws of Saudi Arabia, illustrating the provisions governing the law. It seeks to outline Saudi Arabia copyright law within the framework of the international copyright protection, which include the Berne Convention and the TRIPS agreement.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is a thorough scrutinizing of the legal provisions of the Saudi Copyright Laws in regard to protected works, author's exclusive rights, lawful use of copyrighted works and the exceptions, mandatory licenses, duration of protection, provisions of infringements and penalties. The highlighted issue is concerning the exceptions in regard to public interest, particularly relating to education purposes.

Findings

– The paper finds that the Saudi Arabia Copyright Laws have met the requirement of the international copyright laws. The conditions for mandatory license and the 12 exceptions which permit lawful usage of copyrighted work under the copyright law without seeking the permission of the author are also in line with the international copyright laws, as public interest is the paramount consideration in exercising these exceptions.

Originality/value

– There is lack of study on copyright law in the Saudi Arabiaper se. Therefore, this study on the Saudi Arabia copyright laws seeks to fill in this gap and to provoke further discussion on this issue. It should be useful to the academic community, particularly in the Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Lifting the veil of incorporation under common law and statute
Authors: Nyombi Chrispas
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– The paper examines case law and statutory provisions related to lifting the corporate veil. The aim of the paper is to explore recent case law in order to determine whether courts have moved away from an overly restrictive approach when dealing with cases relating to the corporate personality. To offer a full account of the exceptions to the corporate personality doctrine, this paper also examines cases where the veil of incorporation is lifted due to a breach of a statutory provision.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper reviews recent case law and statutory provisions relating to lifting the corporate veil. The paper critically reviews the exceptions to the corporate personality doctrine which amount to lifting the corporate veil.

Findings

– The paper finds that courts are more willing to lift the corporate veil compared to before. They have moved away from the restrictive approach and this is demonstrated by the tendency to find new exceptions to the corporate personality doctrine such as the interests of justice argument or lifting the veil in tort cases.

Originality/value

– The paper offers an up-to-date assessment of the exceptions to the corporate personality doctrine and highlights the growing tendency to finding new ways of lifting the corporate veil.
Tax complexities in the Malaysian corporate tax system: minimise to maximise
Authors: Isa Khadijah
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine areas of tax difficulties encountered by corporate taxpayers in complying with tax obligations under the self-assessment system.

Design/methodology/approach

– A two-phase exploratory mixed methods approach was employed. The first phase involves eight focus group interviews with 60 tax auditors from the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (IRBM) and the second phase adopts a mixed-mode survey among selected Malaysian corporate taxpayers. Thematic analysis and descriptive and inferential analysis were used to examine the qualitative and quantitative data in achieving the objective.

Findings

– Three dimensions of tax complexity encountered by corporate taxpayers were tax computations, record keeping and tax ambiguity. The first two complexity dimensions were faced largely by smaller companies. On the other hand, the least difficult tax-related areas were dealing with tax agents, submitting tax returns within the given time and dealing with the tax authority.

Practical implications

– In a tax policy context, this study enables international tax authorities in general, and Malaysian tax authority in particular, to have greater confidence in developing and administering tax laws and policies to maintain and/or increase the overall level of corporate tax compliance.

Originality/value

– Unlike prior studies that mainly used individual taxpayers or students as research participants, this study employed corporate tax auditors from the tax authority and corporate tax officers. Tax auditors and corporate taxpayers provide invaluable insights into the possible determinants of compliance variables. These insights are based on their practical experience in handling corporate tax audits and managing corporate tax matters, respectively.
The evidence of compelling arguments in agenda building
Authors: Rim Hyejoon , Hong Ha Jin , Kiousis Spiro
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to explore the links among health authorities’ public relations efforts, news media coverage, and public perceptions of risk during the H1N1 pandemic outbreak.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study used a triangulation of research methods by comparing public relations materials, media coverage, and public opinion. The data were collected from a federal government web site, national newspapers, and national polls.

Findings

– The data revealed a positive relationship between information subsidy attention and media attention to the H1N1 disease as well as the severity attribute. The salience of the severity attribute in information subsidies was linked with increased H1N1 salience in media coverage, extending the testing of the compelling-arguments hypothesis to an agenda-building context. However, there was no association between salience of the severity attribute and public risk perceptions.

Research limitations/implications

– The study provides evidence for public relations effectiveness. However, the limited influence of the severity frame on the public's risk perception suggests a gap between news coverage and the public's view. Framing that effectively empowers the public to engage in desired behavior should be further studied for the success of a public health campaign. The study is limited to examining the severity attribute. A future study should pay more attention to different issue attributes or other frames. The media sample was limited to newspapers and thus lacks generalizability.

Originality/value

– The study contributes to public relations scholarship by demonstrating how information subsidies influence media agendas and public opinion in a health communication context. The public health authorities’ role in influencing media agenda should be stressed.
Dialogic communication and media relations in non-governmental organizations
Authors: Ting Lee Seow , Hemant Desai Mallika
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to seek to clarify the conceptual building blocks of relationship building between non-governmental groups (NGOs) and news media, which is essential for the development of civil society where dialogue is a product of ongoing communication and relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is based on an online survey with a sample size of 296 NGOs from India. The data are analyzed with SPSS to test six hypotheses related to dialogic orientation, media relations, relationship quality and the NGOs’ structural characteristics.

Findings

– The study found that an organization's dialogic orientation has a positive impact on media relations knowledge and strategy but not on the action dimension that focusses on providing information subsidies to journalists. A stronger dialogic orientation is also associated with better organization-media relationships. A stronger engagement in media relations also has a more positive impact on the quality of organization-media relationship. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings of this study are limited to a sample of NGOs from India. Future research should address more diverse samples to better understand the dynamics of media relations in NGOs, and how their patterns of media relations, use of information subsidies, culture and media choice shape news coverage and their impact in developing civil society.

Originality/value

– By approaching media relations from an organizational perspective to investigate media relations in the NGO sector to address an under-researched area, the study is able to draw out the significant relationships between and among three distinct and yet connected conceptual building blocks of public relations.
The cross-cultural validity of the Learning-Centered Leadership framework and its assessment instrument for principals
Authors: Chen Cravens Xiu
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to select a theoretical framework for effective school leadership that is connected with research, standards and current practices in the USA, and examine its validity and generalizability cross-culturally.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper uses both qualitative and quantitative methods through expert panel evaluation, cognitive interviews, and field testing of the instrument. The author asks: How well does the Learning-Centered Leadership (LCL) framework align with the professional standards and current practices of principals in urban Chinese schools in the opinion of the experts? Is there evidence that its leadership assessment instrument has construct validity in Chinese urban schools based on the re-examination of its content and measurement criteria? And is there evidence that the instrument is yielding consistent results when taken by the intended participants? How effective are the analytic strategies employed by this study in detecting the equivalences and discrepancies in how educational leadership is defined and evaluated, between two vastly different educational systems?

Findings

– The paper finds evidences that give support to the claim that there is strong cross-cultural alignment on the overarching goal of improving student learning. However, the US framework and assessment will need to be modified to reflect the Chinese reform priorities that emphasize the balance between academic and social learning.

Originality/value

– The belief that there are common elements in contemporary international educational policy has brought growing interest in sharing leadership theories and successful models cross-culturally. This paper addresses the challenges in understanding the complexity of cross-cultural translation of theories and applications, and explores viable solutions to meaningful adaptation.
Differentiating the scholarly identity of educational administration
Authors: Oplatka Izhar
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to sharpen the intellectual identity of the field of educational administration (EA) and to understand its scholarly boundaries by comparing between the writings of this field and those of the field of organisational behaviour (OB), an area of study usually located in faculties of management, and share many commonalities with EA.

Design/methodology/approach

– A qualitative content analysis of textbooks and journal papers in OB and EA, reading of previous writings that revolved around the epistemological dimensions of these fields.

Findings

– The author sheds light on the theoretical and empirical distinctions of OB and EA historically and provides insight into the distinctive intellectual identity of the latter field during the 2000s. A special attention is given to paradigms and theories in EA imported to the field from outside and transformed in a way that specify the unique identity of EA in the academic world.

Originality/value

– This comparison is warranted in order to clarify more profoundly the unique contributions of EA, both theoretically and practically, to emphasise the differences that separate it from other disciplines, and to legitimate its independent position in higher education.
Reducing electrical energy consumption through behaviour changes
Authors: Kemp-Hesterman Aaron , Glick Scott , Eileen Cross Jennifer
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to look at the effect of human behaviour, and efforts to change that behaviour, on electricity consumption in a high school setting.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study uses a mixed methods design of interviews and historical electrical use data to assess two treatments impacts on electrical consumption over time at two Fort Collins high schools.

Findings

– Both treatments, the energy efficiency awareness campaign and the energy efficiency charrette, were found to have a positive impact on decreasing levels of electricity consumption. Unfortunately, these decreases lessened over time. The key attributes of communication, motivation, and leadership were identified as necessary at the high school facilities level to ensure long-term success in decreased electrical consumption.

Research limitations/implications

– The implications of this research focus on awareness of energy use in public schools and how to use awareness as a cost-effective tool in decreasing electrical consumption. The limitations are the inability to isolate HVAC consumption loads and the small study size. However, this is one of, if not the first, effort to use awareness campaigns and charrettes in a high school setting to decrease electrical use. Additional research would answer questions like: how to increase the charrette impact time; could these programs be adopted district wide at all grade levels; how could energy awareness be institutionalized so periodic charrettes are not necessary? Limitations include the inability to isolate heating and cooling electricity loads from the data.

Originality/value

– This study is the first of its kind and has value to facilities management personnel, custodians, faculty and administration members, particularly in a high school setting. This research provides a framework and potential guidance for a school organization to conserve electrical energy and achieve cost savings and environmental benefits.
Linking economic status with technology adoption in three emerging economies of Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Oke Adegoke , Walumbwa Fred , Yan Tingting , Idiagbon-Oke Moronke , A. Ojode Lucy
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– In this study, the authors aim to understand the antecedents of technology adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa by investigating the relationship between people's economic status, their positive attitudes, and the adoption of communications technology.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors used data obtained from the Gallup World Poll that was conducted in 2008. The Gallup World Poll is a survey of residents in more than 150 countries. Based on a sample of 8,787 in Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, the authors used SEM to test the hypotheses.

Findings

– Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that economic status significantly predicts both positive attitudes and technology adoption. Further, the authors found that infrastructure development moderates the relationship between economic status and technology adoption.

Originality/value

– The study attempts to plug the gaps in established theories of technology adoption which typically do not take into consideration factors that are peculiar to LDC contexts.
An application of Six Sigma methodology for improving the first pass yield of a grinding process
Authors: Gijo E.V. , Antony Jiju , Kumar Maneesh , McAdam Rodney , Hernandez Jose
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the power of the Six Sigma methodology in improving the first pass yield of a high-precision grinding process in the manufacture of automotive products.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper follows a case study approach showing how theory has been put into practice. The case study was executed in a leading automotive company based in India.

Findings

– The application of the Six Sigma methodology resulted in a reduction of tolerance-related problems and improved the first pass yield from 85 to over 99 per cent. A number of tools and techniques in the Six Sigma tool box have been utilised for data analysis and drawing valid and sound conclusions. The implementation of the Six Sigma methodology has demonstrated a saving of US$70,000 in addition to the customer-facing benefits of improved quality on returns and sales.

Practical implications

– The results of the case study have provided greater stimulus within the production facilities for wider application of the methodology as a powerful problem solving methodology. Moreover, this case study sets the foundation for many other projects within the business.

Originality/value

– The paper is valuable to many Six Sigma black belts, practitioners of Six Sigma and researchers in terms of understanding the systematic application of the methodology in a real world situation.
Models for predicting default: towards efficient forecasts
Authors: Castagnolo Fernando , Ferro Gustavo
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess and compare the forecast ability of existing credit risk models, answering three questions: Can these methods adequately predict default events? Are there dominant methods? Is it safer to rely on a mix of methodologies?

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors examine four existing models: O-score, Z-score, Campbell, and Merton distance to default model (MDDM). The authors compare their ability to forecast defaults using three techniques: intra-cohort analysis, power curves and discrete hazard rate models.

Findings

– The authors conclude that better predictions demand a mix of models containing accounting and market information. The authors found evidence of the O-score's outperformance relative to the other models. The MDDM alone in the sample is not a sufficient default predictor. But discrete hazard rate models suggest that combining both should enhance default prediction models.

Research limitations/implications

– The analysed methods alone cannot adequately predict defaults. The authors found no dominant methods. Instead, it would be advisable to rely on a mix of methodologies, which use complementary information.

Practical implications

– Better forecasts demand a mix of models containing both accounting and market information.

Originality/value

– The findings suggest that more precise default prediction models can be built by combining information from different sources in reduced-form models and combining default prediction models that can analyze said information.
Martin Luther in Nineteenth‐Century France
Authors: Mullan David
Published: January 2014

French‐language readers had little available about Martin Luther before the French Revolution. A few Catholic authors had written about him from a confessional perspective. At the beginning of the nineteenth century interest was aroused by an essay competition, but the topic had to do with political influence rather than with Luther's life. In 1835 there began a series of publications which addressed the life of the reformer, and included vast amounts of quoted material from the letters and table talk. One of these early works, by Michelet, was from a Romantic but nonsectarian perspective, that by Merle was Romantic and providential, while another by Audin was from an arch‐Catholic point of view. Over the course of the century both Catholics and Protestants continued to write essays about Luther, from confessional points of view, but there was a growth of works which achieved a greater degree of non‐partisanship, even if appreciative of his contributions. Toward the end of the century there was a treatment of Luther which recognised explicitly that he belonged to a bygone era which was increasingly inaccessible to contemporary French readers.
A neurodevelopmental profile of the rural hearing‐impaired child in theQwaQwa region,SouthAfrica
Authors: Bothma Jó‐Marié v d M. , Dunn Munita , Kokot Shirley
Published: January 2014

Being hearing impaired does not only affect a child's academic performance, but can also influence a child's overall development and ability to succeed academically. Children with hearing impairment often experience delays in other areas of their development and an understanding of the inter‐relatedness of these delays are important in order to address all these aspects, and thus minimise the impact on a child's overall development. The paper provides a neurodevelopmental profile of 4‐year‐old to 8‐year‐old rural hearing‐impaired children based on the result of a psychometric assessment. Eighteen children were selected from a special needs school in the ruralQwaQwaFreeState area ofSouthAfrica and underwent a psychometric assessment using two test batteries (Griffiths mental developmental scales – extended revised and a neurodevelopmental evaluation scale). The neurodevelopmental profile will contribute to knowledge of the nature of the challenges faced by the hearing‐impaired child in rural education and the neurodevelopmental origin of these challenges.
Do SVAR Models Justify Discarding the Technology‐Shock‐Driven Real Business Cycle Hypothesis?
Authors: Huh Hyeon‐Seung , Kim David
Published: January 2014

This study investigates the validity of technology shocks as a driving force of US business cycle fluctuations. Using three well‐known structural vector autoregression (SVAR) models, we analyse how structural shocks are associated with the variations of output and hours worked at business cycle frequencies. Empirical results reveal that technology shocks remain an important source of cyclical movements in output. Furthermore, a positive technology shock does not lead to a decline in hours worked, in contrast to previous studies. Our SVAR‐based evidence does not support discarding a technology‐shock‐driven business cycle theory.
Effects of mentoring on customer orientation: the moderating role of gender
Authors: Kwan Ho Kwong , Yim Frederick Hong‐kit , Zhou Xia
Published: January 2014

This study investigates the effects of mentoring on employees' customer orientation in a Chinese setting by focusing on the moderating role of gender. The results from a survey of 280 employees indicate that protégés have higher levels of customer orientation than non‐protégés. Moreover, protégés who receive higher levels of career and psychosocial support exhibit higher levels of customer orientation than those who receive lower levels of such support. The effects of the mentoring relationship and career support on customer orientation are stronger for women than for men. The findings are discussed in terms of the theoretical and practical implications for human resource management.