bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Competitive intelligence theoretical framework and practices
Authors: Garcia-Alsina Montserrat , Cobarsí-Morales Josep , Ortoll Eva
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to summarise previous studies to develop a theoretical framework useful to describe and classify competitive intelligence (CI) practices. It is applied to study CI practices developed by Spanish universities, comparing usual practices with those developed during the process of adaptation of degrees to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), with strong challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research employs a mixed-methods approach (semi-structured interviews and questionnaires) developed in two phases. It has focused on the academic offer, which represents 46.35 per cent of the degrees presented in 2009, belonging to 90.16 per cent of Spanish universities.

Findings

– The results reveal predominance of incipient and reactive practices, oriented to the tactical level. During the adaptation process, these practices evolved due to the perception of the involvement of universities in the adaptation process. In addition, the proposed theoretical framework could be a tool to study CI both in other university management areas and other kind of organisations.

Research limitations/implications

– This research has been applied only to a critic incident: the design of university academic offer to be adapted to the EHEA. More studies about CI practices in other areas of universities should be done, using the same framework proposed in this study.

Practical implications

– This framework based on research done in business sector can be applied to any kind or organisations, including NGO and public sectors.

Originality/value

– Management tools used in the business sector, such as CI, have been adopted by Higher Educations Institutions, but while CI has been studied in depth in the business sector, it has scarcely been studied in higher education. This framework can be applied to any kind or organisations.
Efficacy of a giant component in co-authorship networks
Authors: Kumar Sameer
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a sparse and relatively small giant component (GC) will capture highly productive authors.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author used a geographically dispersed data set involving authors in the field of economics in ten countries in Southeast Asia and applied social network analysis methods to investigate the structure and dynamics of GCs.

Findings

– Results reveal that a GC, characterized by both low density and small size, can still capture a significant percentage (68 per cent of the top 25) of the most productive authors. There seems to be a topological backing for this occurrence. The number of direct connections (or “degree”) in the GC was correlated with research productivity, such that high-degree authors were almost twice as productive as low-degree authors. It is probable that productive authors having higher than average degrees may be the cause of the formation of the GC. The author hypothesize that irrespective of its size or sparseness, GCs in co-authorship networks may still represent the seat of main intellectual activity in the network.

Originality/value

– This is one of the first studies to quantitatively analyse the ability of a co-authorship-based less-prominent GC to capture prominent authors.
Quality attributes of a high specification product
Authors: Carvalho Jose Marcio , Paiva Ely Laureano , Vieira Luciana Marques
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– High-specification food products that reach prices or expert reviews above average, results from buyer-supplier engagement in quality management. The purpose of this paper is to identify the main attributes of the coffee industry supply chain that deals with high-specification products. Coffee may be included in this category of consumption goods that has increasing importance at consumption level around the world. Several groups of high-quality food products such as wine, coffee, spirits and cheese seem to have a very similar supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study was based on multiple case studies. Three research techniques were used in the investigation: secondary data analysis, direct observations and interviews with coffee company’s managers and experts. The within-case and the cross-case analyses made it possible to find the main attributes of a high-specification product supply chain.

Findings

– The cases studies pointed out differences between the two groups of coffee shops in relation to their supply chain strategies. The first group can be called Independent Coffee Shops, since they are focussed on the coffee preparation business. The second group can be called Integrated Coffee Shops, due to the fact that these organizations are responsible to manufacturing activities in addition to the coffee preparation activities. Despite this supply chain configuration difference, both groups have a similar perception about their role for the final consumer, to provide a premium experience with coffee.

Research limitations/implications

– The main limitation of this research comes from the fact it was possible to interview only one person in each organization. Only the commercialization of the supply chain was analyzed, if the agricultural production was also analyzed, this paper could have broader implications.

Originality/value

– The results of this research show the configuration of a supply chain that handles a high-specification product. They are set to transform the trade of a product that has a component of volatility in its quality attributes into a trade of a product that embodies all the desirable attributes preferred by a specific group of costumers. The logic of a supply chain that deals with commodities is different, since in most of the cases it will try to accommodate the variations on quality that comes from nature. This paper describes the market based strategy of 12 organizations and their supply chain configuration in order to offer a premium product.
Food souvenirs: buying behaviour of tourists in Norway
Authors: Altintzoglou Themistoklis , Heide Morten , Borch Trude
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– Food is an important element of a holiday. An in depth understanding of factors that influence tourists’ perception of food is central in increased tourist satisfaction and repurchase intentions. However, tourists may differ in innovativeness and thus in their willingness to buy unfamiliar food and food souvenirs. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the special context in which tourists choose food during holidays and the associated food-cultural distance involved in this context.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study was based on data collected by using a questionnaire completed by 277 tourists on board a small Norwegian cruise ship sailing along the coast of Norway. The main focus in the questionnaire was on factors that influence tourists when considering buying food in general and food souvenirs in particular.

Findings

– The main finding was that food souvenirs should be adapted to the needs of tourists with high and low innovativeness to fulfil the needs of the whole target tourist population. Even though highly innovative tourists were more willing to buy food souvenirs that are characteristic of the country visited, tourists with low innovativeness may have been more comfortable with the purchase of food that is less innovative, within a different food-culture. The main factors influencing tourists in choosing and buying food and food souvenirs on holiday are quality, taste, local origin and the perceived authenticity of the food.

Originality/value

– This paper provides data that reveal similarities and most interestingly differences in food choice behaviour of consumers in the context of being tourists. It describes the relationship of choice with innovativeness, which may vary while being at home vs being a tourist and exposed to a distant food culture. It brings together perspectives on local food, authenticity, familiarity, innovativeness, budget management/price and their interaction during a real life situation that is rarely studied in the consumer research literature. This study adds a refreshing sample to the existing literature about food choice; tourists.
The significance of culinary cultures to diet
Authors: Gatley Andy
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the routine, everyday experiences and attitudes people bring to cooking and eating and aims to compare the significance of such culinary cultures to diets in France and Britain.

Design/methodology/approach

– The initial phase of this qualitative, comparative research involved in-depth interviews with 13 French and 14 British citizens who were each asked to reflect upon foods eaten in the home, preparation methods and issues surrounding dietary practices and culinary cultures. The next phase of the research asked “experts” working within the field to reflect and elaborate upon the initial findings and in total ten French and nine British “experts” were interviewed.

Findings

– The results reveal how to a greater extent French respondents relied upon raw ingredients from which they more regularly prepared “traditional”, structured and commensal meal occasions. Such a food model remains a significant part of everyday life and culinary cultures in France support the consumption of a relatively healthy diet unlike in Britain.

Research limitations/implications

– This is a small exploratory study based on a limited number of respondents. Further research would benefit from observing what people actually do rather than relying on what people say they do.

Practical implications

– Those responsible for promoting healthier diets need to further prioritise the significance of culinary cultures to cooking practices and diet.

Originality/value

– While the influence of domestic cooking practices on food intake has received some scholarly attention, this paper presents a more holistic insight into how culinary cultures can play a significant mediating role on diets more generally.
British Food Journal: gaining global ground
Authors: Chipp Kerry , Chohan Raeesah , Ferreira Caitlin , Ringas Astrid
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the impact of editorial policy towards being both inclusive and international on the quantitative metrics of the journal.

Design/methodology/approach

– A bibliometric analysis was performed.

Findings

– The chief areas of impact, along with trends in methodologies and international contribution and collaboration are discussed.

Originality/value

– A review of the British Food Journal over the past ten years.
An analysis of purchase intentions toward organic food on health consciousness and food safety with/under structural equation modeling
Authors: Hsu Shu-Yen , Chang Chiao-Chen , Lin Tyrone T.
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influences of natural content, food safety concern, health consciousness, and subjective knowledge on attitudes towards organic food and purchase intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

– Samples are collected in Taiwan from April to May 2014 with a total of 252 returned effective questionnaires. The data are analyzed by structural equation modeling.

Findings

– The results show that food safety concern and subjective knowledge have a significantly positive impact on attitudes towards organic food and purchase intentions, and natural content has a significantly positive effect on attitudes towards organic food. Moreover, it also shows that health consciousness and attitudes towards organic food have a significantly positive effect on purchase intentions. This study has found that subjective knowledge of organic food, health consciousness, and food safety concern are important factors impacting organic food purchase intentions.

Practical implications

– This study provides organic industry to understand the consumer’s demand from the consumers’ perspective and as a basis for the future development of organic food.

Originality/value

– The study results will provide a reference for the agricultural department of the government and the organic food promotion and education of organic food producers.
The existence of buyer power in the Italian fresh milk supply chain
Authors: Madau Fabio A. , Furesi Roberto , Pulina Pietro
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– Buyer power can be defined as the ability to obtain trade terms more favourable than a supplier’s normal trade terms. The purpose of this paper is to estimate existence of buyer power in the Italian market of fresh milk. The sector is characterised by high industrial and retail firms concentration and a significant gap between the downstream and upstream prices exists.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors applied the “first-pass” test proposed by Lloyd et al. (2009) on a set of monthly price indexes series from 2000 to 2013 in order to estimate if a buyer power exists in this sector. This in order to verify how prices are transmitted along the supply chain and to determine if buyer power contributes in conditioning the retail-producer price spread.

Findings

– Estimated results suggest that buyer power exists in the Italian fresh milk supply chain and oligopsonistic behaviour affects the spread between downstream and upstream prices.

Originality/value

– The paper gives a contribute on estimation of buyer power in the agro-food supply chains. However, more research needs to be carried out in order to precisely evaluate the nature and the causes of presence of buyer power.
Quantifying the degree of leanness and agility at any point within a supply chain
Authors: Bezuidenhout C. N.
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– Not many researchers have attempted to numerically quantify a supply chain’s degree of leanness or agility. Although focusing predominantly on food, the purpose of this paper is to propose a simple and universal methodology to quantify the degrees of leanness and agility at any point within any supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

– Daily processing capacities of stochastic model runs and real supply chain data were projected onto a standardized Euclidean surface. Indexes that calculate, amongst others, the agility, leanness, baseline production and ceiling conditions were derived.

Findings

– The indexes were often well correlated across the various supply chains. Leanness correlates negatively with agility, as can be expected, however, these attributes do not stand opposed to each other. Most supply chains seem to exhibit both lean and agile attributes simultaneously. Sugar, various types of tomatoes, avocado and onion supply chains are discussed and compared. Although a large amount of data were analysed, there exists an opportunity to widen this study significantly.

Originality/value

– This paper presents a unique and simple approach to quantify the degree of supply chain leanness and agility. Although these terms are often used, only a few authors have made attempts to quantify these attributes and in most cases the approaches are relatively cumbersome. The relatively simple indexes create an opportunity for supply chain management to measure, evaluate and communicate their strategies along the supply chain and between different chains.
Is there a silver bullet to career success for women?
Authors: Woudstra Inge
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– Organizations were originally designed for men. Women are different and organizations will need to adapt to maximize progress and performance of women as well as men. Line managers need to be aware of gender differences in their approach of a mixed-gender team.

Design/methodology/approach

– In a review of literature, key gender differences that could play a role at work were identified. Five top sports coaches were interviewed to find how they had to adapt to improve performance of female teams. Practical application of their strategies in organizations was tested in four workshops and 15 interviews with women and managers.

Findings

– Six key gender differences were identified. Top sports coaches confirmed that they had to adapt their style to a female team, and could relate those to some of the differences from literature. The workshops and interviews showed that teaching managers to adapt their style is a promising approach.

Research limitations/implications

– The research was set up to find if there is merit in being aware of gender differences in organizations. There is, but as it is exploratory research, it is now important to find further evidence.

Originality/value

– Gender diversity efforts tend to be focused on equality, flexible working, and upgrading women’s skills. This paper highlights that those initiatives are not enough, and organizations need to adapt to women’s needs to maximize performance and progress of women as well as men.
Embracing complexity in performance-based contracts for road maintenance
Authors: Schoenmaker Rob , de Bruijn Hans
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– An important feature in managing road infrastructures is the growing use of performance-based contracts (PBCs) in the delivery of maintenance. The expectations are high. But there are also risks connected to PBC. The main question for road agencies is: how to achieve as much as possible of the expected advantages while limiting the possible disadvantages? The purpose of this paper is to answer that question and explore how PBC of maintenance can be improved.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on theoretical constructs this paper investigates the strategies of the English Highways Agency and the Dutch Rijkswaterstaat, when outsourcing the maintenance of their existing road infrastructures and the effects of their strategies.

Findings

– The paper finds that road agencies should focus on the process of interaction of the main actors involved, rather than the performance measurement systems (PMS) itself. The agencies should adjust their governance to the degree of uncertainty. PBC requires an informed and knowledgeable principal.

Research limitations/implications

– The in-depth study is limited to two road agencies. More systematic research is needed in linking theoretical constructs with empirical evidence from more road agencies. The method applied in this paper can be used for further research.

Practical implications

– The lessons drawn from the case studies offer potential benefits to other road authorities that use or consider PBC as their method of delivery of maintenance.

Originality/value

– Where only few empirical studies have investigated in detail the actual achievements of PBC in road maintenance, this empirical research aims to fill that gap.
Productivity and performance improvement in the medical records department of a hospital
Authors: Bhat Shreeranga , Gijo E.V. , Jnanesh N. A.
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology was applied to a medical records department (MRD) of a hospital in India to reduce the Turn-Around-Time (TAT) of medical records preparation process and thus to improve the productivity and performance of the department.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research reported in this paper is based on a case study carried out using LSS approach and in improving the medical records preparation process.

Findings

– The root causes for the problem were identified and validated through data-based analysis from LSS tool box, at different stages in the project. As a result of this project, the TAT was reduced from average 19 minutes to eight minutes and the standard deviation was reduced by one-tenth, which was a remarkable achievement for department under study. This was resulted in the reduction in the work-in-process inventory of medical records from 40 units to 0 at the end of the day. Project in-turn reduced the staffing level from the earlier level of six to a current level of four.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper is based on a single case study executed in IP-MRD of a single hospital and hence there is limitation in generalizing the specific results from the study. But the approach adopted and the learning from this study can be generalized.

Originality/value

– This paper will be helpful for those professionals who are interested in implementing LSS to healthcare organization to improve the productivity and performance.
An extended model of the interaction between work-related attitudes and job performance
Authors: Melián-González Santiago
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to test a comprehensive work-related attitudinal model relevant for job performance by extending the perceived organizational support (POS), job satisfaction, and organizational commitment model with both perceived supervisor support (PSS) and psychological contract breach attitudes.

Design/methodology/approach

– The proposed model was tested using a sample of a company’s 104 employees and through partial least squares analysis.

Findings

– A total of 23 percent of the variance in job performance was explained. Interactions among attitudes were all significant. PSS and psychological contract breach accounted for 70 percent of the POS variance.

Research limitations/implications

– There is a risk of common-method bias. The cross-sectional design limits making causal inferences.

Practical implications

– Instead of measuring employee attitudes in an amorphous way, managers can rely on the included attitudes since these are significant for job performance. The construct’s content allows managers to elaborate specific practices to improve staffs’ attitudinal state.

Originality/value

– This model incorporates five independent attitudes that any employee can experience. This is the first study that proposes and tests an interaction among all of them that is significant for job performance.
Combination of CPTED and space syntax for the analysis of crime
Authors: Matijosaitiene Irina
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to combine both Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and space syntax for the more detailed and overall analysis of built environment in terms of crime. The author is aiming to verify the designed research methodology by its application in cities that are similar in terms of size and population, and are very different in culture and location: New Haven (USA) and Kaunas (Lithuania).

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on CPTED strategies the factors of urban environment are analyzed, such as topological depth from private space to a public space, density of entrances and windows, street’s constitutedness, inter-visibility, land use, blind walls, segment’s accessibility, greenery, lighting, objects of small architecture, graffiti. Space syntax method is applied for the analysis of the following topological properties of urban spaces: integration, choice, depth, connectivity.

Findings

– The combination of both methods revels that choice and depth of urban spaces are related to robberies, and connectivity and depth are related to thefts from motor vehicles in New Haven. Integration and depth are related to thefts from motor vehicles in Kaunas. According to the correlation analysis results, in Kaunas more robberies happen in common use areas, and more thefts from cars happen in the spaces with blind walls and dense abandoned greenery. In New Haven more thefts from motor vehicles happen in spaces with blind walls. In both cities with the increase of the topological depth the thefts from motor vehicles increase too.

Originality/value

– Based on the research results recommendations on urban planning and design are developed. The implementation of the recommendations might make New Haven and Kaunas safer.
What are the support needs of women with learning disabilities who have been abused?
Authors: McCarthy Michelle
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– In discussing some of the issues arising from the article by Angela Olsen and Catherine Carter, the purpose of this paper is to draw readers’ attention to the various support needs women with learning disabilities may have.

Design/methodology/approach

– Critical analysis based on review of literature and the author’s research and practice-based experience.

Findings

– Women with learning disabilities have similar support needs to other women who have experienced violence and abuse. However, in order to get their needs met, they need access to information, support from professionals and to share experiences with other women.

Originality/value

– This commentary encourages readers to view the abuse of women with learning disabilities in a broad social context and to use all the knowledge available to protect and empower individuals, whilst at the same time demanding social changes to end discrimination and abuse.
Animating the Urban Vortex: New Sociological Urgencies
Authors: Hall Suzanne , Savage Mike
Published: December 2015

The current era of global urbanization is defined by a convergence of economic and political crises requiring urgent sociological reflection on the meaning of the ‘urban' today. This article responds to the current rethinking of worldwide processes of urbanization sparked off by Brenner, and Brenner and Schmid, arguing for a renewed sociological approach to urban formations that probes beyond the economic logic of urban ‘de‐territorialization', towards the capricious life‐worlds and forms of planetary organization that define the urban. We pursue a theory of the ‘urban vortex' to capture the maelstrom of disorienting crises since 2008, and explicate the social formations implicated in the construction, materialization and practice of power and transgression in cities today. Our aim is to consider what forms of social change emerge in volatile, intense and centralized dynamics (the urban vortex), and how this might relate to arrangements of interconnectivity, particularity and variegation (the planetary). The article highlights three prominent processes of urban social formation: accumulation, stratification and hyper‐diversity—reinstating the need to theorize the centrality of the city within the formations of twenty‐first century capitalism.
The role of exercise, milk, dairy foods and constituent proteins on the prevention and management of sarcopenia
Authors: Cooper Lydia AM , Brown Sarah L , Hocking Erica , Mullen Anne C
Published: December 2015

Sarcopenia, an age‐related decline in muscle mass, is a burgeoning public health concern in the UK, with the number of people over the age of 65 expected to double by 2050. Resistance exercise is an effective intervention in its prevention and management. Increasing quantity and improving quality of dietary protein, by inclusion of high‐availability leucine, are also purportedly beneficial. Leucine is a key anabolic amino acid, found in dairy foods. A number of studies have investigated dairy foods in prevention of sarcopenia. This paper reviews interventions of exercise, amino acids including leucine, dairy protein and foods for prevention of sarcopenia.
Chemical Quality of Raw Milk Retentate processed by Ultra‐filtration or Reverse Osmosis at the Dairy Farm
Authors: Sørensen Ida , Jensen Søren , Ottosen Niels , Neve Tommas , Wiking Lars
Published: December 2015

Concentrating raw milk at the dairy farms – rather than at the dairy – reduces energy consumption and CO2 emission, due to less road transportation of the milk. This study demonstrates whether it is possible to use either reverse osmosis or ultra‐filtration for milk concentration at the farm without harming the milk quality, regarding lipolysis and proteolysis. Filtration at low temperature (4 °C) secures a good milk quality. Despite reverse osmosis operating at much higher feed pressures, the effect on lipolysis is small, which makes this technology the most applicable, as lactose is withhold in retentate.
Allocating Grant to the UK's Devolved Territories by Needs Assessment: Lessons from School Funding Formulae in England and Scotland
Authors: King David , Eiser David
Published: December 2015

The UK's devolved governments (DGs) receive block grants to finance almost all their expenditure. The Barnett formula used to calculate these grants is often criticised because it does not consider the DGs’ spending needs. However, the feasibility of allocating block grants by needs assessment is often questioned, given the contestability of spending needs.

This paper compares the formula used within England to assess the education spending needs of local authorities there with the equivalent Scottish formula, by using each formula in turn to calculate the relative spending needs of the UK territories. The rationale is to consider how similar the two formulae are in how they estimate the territories’ relative spending needs for education, a major responsibility of the DGs.

The results show that the English and Scottish education allocation formulae produce similar estimates of the territories’ relative education spending needs. This suggests that it may be more feasible to allocate education resources to the UK's devolved territories based on needs assessment than some have suggested. The results also suggest some inequity in current patterns of education spending across the UK.
Assessing the Food Safety Knowledge of University of Maine Students
Authors: Ferk Chelsea C. , Calder Beth L. , Camire Mary Ellen
Published: December 2015

Foodborne illness is a global public health issue. Young adults may work in foodservice while they are university students, and their habits may later shape the practices and well‐being of their children. The objective of this study was to establish baseline data and assess the food safety knowledge of 18‐ to 26‐year‐old Univ. of Maine students. Demographic questions and the previously validated Food Safety Knowledge Questionnaire (FSKQ) were placed online. Of 123 people who responded to the email recruitment notice, 104 Univ. of Maine undergraduates aged 18 to 26 years completed the survey. The average score among all participants was 60% correct (53 points out of a possible 89 points). Survey questions that required participants to identify common sources of foodborne pathogens had the lowest average percent correct (31%). Less than 50% of participants were able to correctly identify several high‐risk foods, including sliced melon, raw sprouts, and unpasteurized fruit juice. Our findings indicate a need for educational programs for 18‐ to 26‐year‐old Univ. of Maine students in regards to common sources of foodborne pathogens and proper handling of fresh produce and that food safety knowledge among university students has not improved since publication of a national survey using the FSKQ in 2006. Effective educational programs are needed to ensure that young adults understand food risks and appropriate food handling practices.
Toward Determining Best Practices for Recruiting Future Leaders in Food Science and Technology
Authors: Stevenson Clinton D.
Published: December 2015

There is a shortage of qualified food scientists in the workforce that has adverse consequences for the quality and safety of our food supply. The Institute of Food Technologists and other institutions have initiated and continue to initiate outreach programs; however, an analysis of the effectiveness of these efforts has not yet come to fruition. The potential for determining best practices in recruitment is infinite. This manuscript provides a brief review of the possibilities for leveraging Social Cognitive Career Theory and various research instruments toward determining best practices in recruiting future generations of food science and technology professionals.
True Density Prediction of Garlic Slices Dehydrated by Convection
Authors: López‐Ortiz Anabel , Rodríguez‐Ramírez Juan , Méndez‐Lagunas Lilia
Published: December 2015

Physiochemical parameters with constant values are employed for the mass‐heat transfer modeling of the air drying process. However, structural properties are not constant under drying conditions. Empirical, semi‐theoretical, and theoretical models have been proposed to describe true density (ρp). These models only consider the ideal behavior and assume a linear relationship between ρp and moisture content (X); nevertheless, some materials exhibit a nonlinear behavior of ρp as a function of X with a tendency toward being concave‐down. This comportment, which can be observed in garlic and carrots, has been difficult to model mathematically. This work proposes a semi‐theoretical model for predicting ρp values, taking into account the concave‐down comportment that occurs at the end of the drying process. The model includes the ρs dependency on external conditions (air drying temperature (Ta)), the inside temperature of the garlic slices (Ti), and the moisture content (X) obtained from experimental data on the drying process. Calculations show that the dry solid density (ρs) is not a linear function of Ta, X, and Ti. An empirical correlation for ρs is proposed as a function of Ti and X. The adjustment equation for Ti is proposed as a function of Ta and X. The proposed model for ρp was validated using experimental data on the sliced garlic and was compared with theoretical and empirical models that are available in the scientific literature. Deviation between the experimental and predicted data was determined. An explanation of the nonlinear behavior of ρs and ρp in the function of X, taking into account second‐order phase changes, are then presented.
Rare phenotypes in domestic animals: unique resources for multiple applications
Authors: Leroy G. , Besbes B. , Boettcher P. , Hoffmann I. , Capitan A. , Baumung R.
Published: December 2015

Preservation of specific and inheritable phenotypes of current or potential future importance is one of the main purposes of conservation of animal genetic resources. In this review, we investigate the issues behind the characterisation, utilisation and conservation of rare phenotypes, considering their multiple paths of relevance, variable levels of complexity and mode of inheritance. Accurately assessing the rarity of a given phenotype, especially a complex one, is not a simple task, because it requires the phenotypic and genetic characterisation of a large number of animals and populations and remains dependent of the scale of the study. Once characterised, specific phenotypes may contribute to various purposes (adaptedness, production, biological model, aesthetics, etc.) with adequate introgression programmes, which justifies the consideration of (real or potential) existence of such characteristics inin situorex situconservation strategies. Recent biotechnological developments (genomic and genetic engineering) will undoubtedly bring important changes to the way phenotypes are characterised, introgressed and managed.
Insertion of intrauterine contraceptive devices by registered nurses in Australia
Authors: Kemeny Fiona , Digiusto Erol , Bateson Deborah
Published: December 2015

Background

In spite of many advantages, intrauterine contraception (IUC) is underutilised in Australia: only 5% of Australian women using contraceptive methods in 2011 were using IUC.

Aims

In 2012, Family Planning New South Wales (FPNSW) commenced training registered nurses (RNs) to insert IUC. This article reports outcomes of insertion attempts by the first four trained RNs and suggests strategies for increasing IUC utilisation in Australia.

Materials and Methods

Data regarding client characteristics and outcomes of insertion attempts, including relevant adverse events that occurred during a 6‐month follow‐up period after the IUC insertions, were retrospectively extracted from the FPNSW clinical record system and analysed in SPSS.

Results

Of 207 insertion attempts by RNs, 91% were successful without Medical Officer (MO) assistance. The likelihood of insertion attempts being successful did not differ significantly between nulliparous and parous clients. Incidence of a postinsertion adverse event was equal to or less than rates in previous studies. All adverse events involved parous clients.

Conclusions

We have shown that RNs who undertook competency‐based IUC insertion training had a high rate of successful insertions and a low rate of adverse outcomes. Utilisation of IUC in Australia could be increased by engaging RNs as inserters, and it is timely to review the barriers that make it difficult for private medical services to employ RNs to insert IUC.
Exploring the minescape: engaging with the complexity of the extractive sector
Authors: Ey Melina , Sherval Meg
Published: December 2015

This paper introduces the concept of the minescape as a conceptual and imaginative tool through which to integrate and represent growing shifts in the way natural resource extraction is understood. In recent years, traditional perceptions of extractive processes as ‘natural’ and purely economic in nature have been increasingly challenged by new developments within the fields of human geography and anthropology. Likewise, growing insights into the multifaceted socio‐cultural terrain of extractive operations, and burgeoning work on the interplay of materiality and discourse within the extractive sector, have also transformed the way that extractive processes (and their potentialities) are being conceptualised. The concept of the minescape aims to draw together significant insights concerning the extractive sector, which are increasingly being deployed when representing extractive spaces. Appropriating the term from its current use in fine art, the minescape joins a number of recent appropriations of the ‘scapes’ suffix to capture the expanding analytical scope of extractive sector inquiry. In essence, the minescape stands as a representational tool that underscores the intricate ways in which extractive processes are imbued with complex socio‐cultural dynamics, and powerful material and discursive elements.
Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility Reporting Practices from an Emerging Mobile Telecommunications Market
Authors: Hossain Moazzem , Hecimovic Angela , Choudhury Lema Aklema
Published: December 2015

This study examines corporate social responsibility reporting practices in the rapidly growing mobile telecommunications industry in Bangladesh. This industry sector is one of the fastest growing in the world making it an attractive global investment. Using content analysis we reviewed and analysed the annual reports of four major mobile companies between 2008 and 2011. The findings reveal that mobile telecommunications companies in Bangladesh disclose social and environmental responsibility information across a range of categories. We find that these mobile companies provide significant benefits to education and health in Bangladesh and that their focus on community and development disclosures are motivated in part by seeking to maintain legitimacy in an extremely competitive industry.
Ranking Corporate Governance of Australia's Top Companies: A Decade On
Authors: Psaros Jim , Seamer Michael
Published: December 2015

The Horwath/University of Newcastle (UoN) Corporate Governance Reports commenced in 2002 and were among the first to assess Australia's largest companies on their corporate governance structures and policies. Initiated prior to the release of the 2003 Australian Securities Exchange Corporate Governance Council's Principles of Good Corporate Governance and Best Practice Recommendations, and at a time of increased focus on corporate governance failures, the reports attracted much attention from both the media and stakeholder groups. This paper reports the findings of applying the Horwath/UoN methodology to the relevant corporate governance disclosures of the 2012 annual reports of Australia's top 200 companies. Comparison to the original analysis of 2002 annual report disclosures shows a significant improvement across all areas of corporate governance by Australia's top companies. However, there remain some areas of concern, particularly in respect to board diversity, risk management and insider share trading policies.
Clonal architecture of CXCR4 WHIM‐like mutations in Waldenström Macroglobulinaemia
Authors: Xu Lian , Hunter Zachary R. , Tsakmaklis Nicholas , Cao Yang , Yang Guang , Chen Jie , Liu Xia , Kanan Sandra , Castillo Jorge J. , Tai Yu‐Tzu , Zehnder James L. , Brown Jennifer R. , Carrasco Ruben D. , Advani Ranjana , Sabile Jean M. , Argyropoulos Kimon , Lia Palomba M. , Morra Enrica , Trojani Alessandra , Greco Antonino , Tedeschi Alessandra , Varettoni Marzia , Arcaini Luca , Munshi Nikhil M. , Anderson Kenneth C. , Treon Steven P.
Published: December 2015

CXCR4WHIM somatic mutations are distinctive to Waldenström Macroglobulinaemia (WM), and impact disease presentation and treatment outcome. The clonal architecture of CXCR4WHIM mutations remains to be delineated. We developed highly sensitive allele‐specific polymerase chain reaction (AS‐PCR) assays for detecting the most common CXCR4WHIM mutations (CXCR4S338X C>A and C>G) in WM. The AS‐PCR assays detected CXCR4S338X mutations in WM and IgM monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS) patients not revealed by Sanger sequencing. By combined AS‐PCR and Sanger sequencing, CXCR4WHIM mutations were identified in 44/102 (43%), 21/62 (34%), 2/12 (17%) and 1/20 (5%) untreated WM, previously treated WM, IgM MGUS and marginal zone lymphoma patients, respectively, but no chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, multiple myeloma, non‐IgM MGUS patients or healthy donors. Cancer cell fraction analysis in WM and IgM MGUS patients showed CXCR4S338X mutations were primarily subclonal, with highly variable clonal distribution (median 35·1%, range 1·2–97·5%). Combined AS‐PCR and Sanger sequencing revealed multiple CXCR4WHIM mutations in many individual WM patients, including homozygous and compound heterozygous mutations validated by deep RNA sequencing. The findings show that CXCR4WHIM mutations are more common in WM than previously revealed, and are primarily subclonal, supporting their acquisition after MYD88L265P in WM oncogenesis. The presence of multiple CXCR4WHIM mutations within individual WM patients may be indicative of targeted CXCR4 genomic instability.
Conservative management of staghorn calculi: a single‐centre experience
Authors: Deutsch Peter G. , Subramonian Kesavapilla
Published: December 2015

Objective

To evaluate the outcomes of conservatively managed staghorn calculi, specifically looking at morbidity and mortality, incidence of infections and progressive changes in renal function.

Patients and Methods

A total of 22 patients with unilateral or bilateral staghorn calculi, who were treated conservatively, were included in the study. Patients were reviewed yearly with symptom assessment, urine culture and measurement of estimated glomerular filtration rate.

Results

The presentations to the urology department of staghorn calculi were incidental (41%), haematuria (36%), abdominal discomfort (5%) and recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs; 18%). The reasons for conservative management in the cohort were comorbidities (59%), patient choice (36%) or poor access/anatomy (5%). In the whole cohort the rate of recurrent UTIs was 50%, the progressive renal failure rate was 14%, the disease‐specific mortality rate was 9%, the dialysis dependence rate was 9% and the rate of hospital attendances attributable to stone‐related morbidity was 27%. Comparison of outcome measures between the unilateral and bilateral staghorn stones showed statistically significant differences in disease‐specific mortality (0 vs 40%) and morbidity (12 vs 80%) in favour of the unilateral group. Although there was a lower incidence of UTIs (41 vs 80%), renal deterioration (6 vs 40%) and dialysis requirement (6 vs 20%) in the unilateral group, these findings were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

From the results, we conclude that conservative management of staghorn calculi is not as unsafe as previously thought. Careful patient selection to include unilateral asymptomatic stones with minimal infection, and thorough counselling with regard to the risks, could make conservative management a suitable option for specific patient groups.
Lack of allergy to timothy grass pollen is not a passive phenomenon but associated with the allergen‐specific modulation of immune reactivity
Authors: Hinz D. , Seumois G. , Gholami A. M. , Greenbaum J. A. , Lane J. , White B. , Broide D. H. , Schulten V. , Sidney J. , Bakhru P. , Oseroff C. , Wambre E. , James E. A. , Kwok W. W. , Peters B. , Vijayanand P. , Sette A.
Published: December 2015

Background

Timothy grass (TG) pollen is a common seasonal airborne allergen associated with symptoms ranging from mild rhinitis to severe asthma.

Objective

The aim of this study was to characterize changes in TG‐specific T cell responses as a function of seasonality.

Methods

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from allergic individuals and non‐allergic controls, either during the pollen season or out of season, were stimulated with either TG extract or a pool of previously identified immunodominant antigenic regions.

Results

PBMCs from allergic subjects exhibit higher IL‐5 and IL‐10 responses in season than when collected out of season. In the case of non‐allergic subjects, as expected we observed lower IL‐5 responses and robust production of IFN‐γ compared to allergic individuals. Strikingly, non‐allergic donors exhibited an opposing pattern, with decreased immune reactivity in season. The broad down‐regulation in non‐allergic donors indicates that healthy individuals are not oblivious to allergen exposure, but rather react with an active modulation of responses following the antigenic stimulus provided during the pollen season. Transcriptomic analysis of allergen‐specific T cells defined genes modulated in concomitance with the allergen exposure and inhibition of responses in non‐allergic donors.

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance

Magnitude and functionality of T helper cell responses differ substantially in season vs. out of season in allergic and non‐allergic subjects. The results indicate the specific and opposing modulation of immune responses following the antigenic stimulation during the pollen season. This seasonal modulation reflects the enactment of specific molecular programmes associated with health and allergic disease.
Application of whole‐exome sequencing for detecting copy number variants in CMT1A/HNPP
Authors: Jo H.‐Y. , Park M.‐H. , Woo H.‐M. , Han M.H. , Kim B.‐Y. , Choi B.‐O. , Chung K.W. , Koo S.K.
Published: December 2015

Large insertions and deletions (indels), including copy number variations (CNVs), are commonly seen in many diseases. Standard approaches for indel detection rely on well‐established methods such as qPCR or short tandem repeat (STR) markers. Recently, a number of tools for CNV detection based on next‐generation sequencing (NGS) data have also been developed; however, use of these methods is limited. Here, we used whole‐exome sequencing (WES) in patients previously diagnosed with CMT1A or HNPP using STR markers to evaluate the ability of WES to improve the clinical diagnosis. Patients were evaluated utilizing three CNV detection tools including CONIFER, ExomeCNV and CEQer, and array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH). We identified a breakpoint region at 17p11.2‐p12 in patients with CMT1A and HNPP. CNV detection levels were similar in both 6 Gb (mean read depth = 80×) and 17 Gb (mean read depth = 190×) data. Taken together, these data suggest that 6 Gb WES data are sufficient to reveal the genetic causes of various diseases and can be used to estimate single mutations, indels, and CNVs simultaneously. Furthermore, our data strongly indicate that CNV detection by NGS is a rapid and cost‐effective method for clinical diagnosis of genetically heterogeneous disorders such as CMT neuropathy.