bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An overview of strategic responses of Vietnamese higher education institutions
Authors: Do Ngoc Minh
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the strategic management of Vietnamese higher education institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examined the external environment of the country’s education system based on the five forces framework by Michael Porter and inspected the strategies of universities and colleges.

Findings

It was concluded that lack of environmental analysis from both the government and higher education institutions themselves diminishes the intended effectiveness of the reforms; problems of skill shortage in the labor market, staff insufficiency and poor quality are prevalent; and that strategies developed by the institutions are purely responsive to the State’s direction without considering sustainability.

Research limitations/implications

Lack of literature on Vietnamese higher education limits timely analysis.

Practical implications

Strategic planning based on a thorough investigation of the environment is imperative to enhance the performance of the education system generally as well as of academic institutions individually. The government plays a key role in developing initiatives to enhance staff capabilities and improve quality of educational outputs.

Originality/value

There has not been any paper that approached Vietnam’s higher education management under such an analytical framework.
The integration of young workers into the labour market in France
Authors: Bazen Stephen , Maman Waziri Khalid
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Using a representative survey of young persons having left full-time education in France in 1998 and interviewed in 2001 and 2005, the purpose of this paper is to examine the process of their integration into normal employment (a stable job with a standard employment contract) and the extent to which job matches are inefficient in the sense that the pay in a job is below an individual’s potential earnings. The latter are determined principally by diploma level and educational specialisation, although other forms of training and labour market experience are relevant.

Design/methodology/approach

A stochastic earnings frontier approach is used in order to examine workers’ ability to capture their full potential earnings in labour markets where there is inefficient job matching (due to the lack of information, discrimination, over-education or the process of integration).

Findings

The results suggest that young workers manage to obtain on average about 82 per cent of their potential earnings three years after leaving full-time education and earnings inefficiency had disappeared four years later. The results are robust to the treatment of selectivity arising from the exclusion of the unemployed in the estimation of the frontier.

Originality/value

The stochastic earnings frontier is a useful and appropriate tool for modelling the process of labour market integration of certain groups (young persons, migrants and the long-term unemployed) where over-education due to inefficient initial job matches occurs. Over time this situation tends to be rectified as job mobility leads to improved matching and less inefficiency.
Auditors’ ethical reasoning in developing countries: the case of Egypt
Authors: Abdelhak Engy E. , Elamer Ahmed A. , AlHares Aws , McLaughlin Craig
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate Egyptian auditors’ ethical reasoning, to understand whether auditors’ ethical reasoning is influenced by audit firm size and/or auditor’s position.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on 178 questionnaires that include six different ethical scenarios. This paper also uses the accounting ethical dilemma instrument that is developed by Thorne (2000) to measure the ethical reasoning of Egyptian auditors.

Findings

The findings are threefold. First, this study finds that the general level of deliberative ethical reasoning of auditors working in the Central Auditing Organization (CAO) and small firms are categorized in the post-conventional level, while auditors working in big and medium firms are categorized in conventional level. Second, the result suggests that there is a negative relationship between ethical reasoning and audit firm size in Egypt. Finally, the results show that ethical reasoning levels decrease when the position of auditors increase except for auditors working in CAO.

Originality/value

This study adds to the scarce literature in developing countries that measure auditors’ ethical reasoning. The findings suggest that auditors’ ethical reasoning depends on auditor’s firm size and the position the auditor holds within the firm. These findings will aid policymakers and regulators, especially in developing countries, to avoid any potential risk regarding professional misconduct and in evaluating the adequacy of the current code of ethics.
Operations managers’ individual competencies for mass customization
Authors: Trentin Alessio , Somià Tatiana , Sandrin Enrico , Forza Cipriano
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The development of mass-customization capability (MCC) is crucial for a growing number of manufacturing firms nowadays and presents great challenges, especially in the area of operations management. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into which individual competencies (ICs) of an operations manager (OM) are important to the MCC of the manufacturing organization the OM works for.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple-case study was designed, involving eight machinery manufacturers in one European country, to collect data on their MCC and on the ICs of their OMs. Empirical case data were triangulated with analytical conceptual arguments grounded in the existing literature.

Findings

The study provides empirical evidence of, and logical explanations for, the fact that OMs working in high-MCC manufacturing organizations use the ICs of negotiation, information seeking, efficiency orientation, analytical thinking and pattern recognition significantly more often than OMs employed by low-MCC organizations.

Research limitations/implications

Future research could replicate this study in other industries and countries, as well as for other managerial roles.

Practical implications

The study provides indications for OM selection and training in companies that are pursuing a mass-customization strategy.

Originality/value

While the literature on technological and organization-level enablers of MCC has grown considerably, the understanding of its individual-level enablers is still limited and concerns mostly the workforce. This is the first study that relies not on practitioners’ opinions, but on data regarding manufacturers’ MCC and their managers’ ICs to shed light on which managerial competencies are important to a manufacturer’s MCC.
Dynamic characteristics of opposed-conical gas-dynamic bearings
Authors: Li Yan , Zhang Desheng , Duan Fuhai
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate dynamic characteristics of opposed-conical gas-dynamic bearings considering five degree-of-freedom motion, including translation and tilt.

Design/methodology/approach

The steady-state Reynolds equation and perturbed Reynolds equations are solved on the surface of conical bearings, and both stiffness and damping coefficients are calculated. A formula for quickly calculating critical mass is deduced to discriminate the stability of the rotor considering the five degree-of-freedom motion.

Findings

Results show that the stability of the rotor is mainly determined by translation rather than tilt. The formula of critical mass is validated by comparing the results with traditional Routh–Hurwitz criterion.

Originality/value

The formula proposed in this paper greatly simplifies the solution of critical mass, which facilitates the rotor stability design. It is applicable for opposed-conical bearings, opposed-hemispherical bearings and spherical bearings. The results provide theoretical guidance for the design of gas-dynamic bearings.
Wear mechanism of a coated carbide tool in cryogenic machining of AISI 4340
Authors: Sheik Muhamad Shalina , A. Ghani Jaharah , Che Haron Che Hassan , Yazid Hafizal
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate wear mechanisms of a multi-layered TiAlN/AlCrN-coated carbide tool during the milling of AISI 4340 steel under cryogenic machining.

Design/methodology/approach

The wear progression was measured using a toolmaker microscope and an optical microscope. Later, a field emission scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis were used to investigate the wear mechanisms in detail.

Findings

A comprehensive analysis revealed that the main causes of tool wear mechanisms were abrasion and adhesion wear on the flank face.

Originality/value

The investigations presented in this paper may be used by the machining industry to prolong the tool life at higher cutting speed by the application of liquid nitrogen.
Encouraging client’s knowledge sharing in enterprise system post-implementation through psychological contract and entrepreneurial orientation
Authors: Cai Zhao , Liu Hefu , Huang Qian , Kang Yue , Liang Liang
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relationship between psychological contract and knowledge sharing behavior in the enterprise system (ES) post-implementation stage. The fulfillment and obligation of psychological contract are proposed as antecedents of knowledge sharing behavior performed by client firms. Additionally, entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is considered a moderator in the relationship between psychological contract and knowledge sharing.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted the questionnaire survey to collect data from 132 client firms of a focal ES provider in the garment industry of China. Hierarchical regression analysis was used for data analysis.

Findings

Psychological contract fulfillment is negatively related to knowledge sharing, whereas the positive role of psychological contract obligation is supported. EOstrengthens the role of both psychological contract fulfillment and obligation in shaping knowledge sharing behavior of client firms.

Originality/value

This study adopts forward- and backward-looking approaches in decision making as a theoretical lens to investigate how to improve client firms’ knowledge sharing behavior through psychological contract. By figuring out the roles of psychological contract and EO in influencing knowledge sharing, this research benefits both vendor and client firms in maintaining sustainable collaboration and continuous improvement of ES projects.
Overcoming managers’ myopic decisions in a waste collection company
Authors: Bivona Enzo , Ceresia Francesco , Tumminello Giovanni
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show how the changing interrelationships between fleet management, human resources and outsourcer capacity areas are likely to counterbalance managerial policies, thereby generating a performance decay. The use of system dynamics modelling in a waste collection company offered an effective contribution to support decision makers to overcoming myopic decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature review and a case study analysis (including interviews with company actors and data gathering) offered the basis to build a system dynamics model. The model built was then used to run simulations sessions to assess alternative investments decisions.

Findings

Simulation results show that understanding cause-and-effect relationships between company sub-systems can help managers to shift the focus of their decision process from a single department to the whole business system. Further, the paper offers three alternative scenarios (myopic, reactive and proactive) from which to learn how to design effective long-term sustainable policies.

Research limitations/implications

The simulation model was developed based on a literature review and a single-case study. Although it offers a useful contribution in the investigated case, to generalise its results, additional application to waste collection companies would be desirable.

Practical implications

The findings of the study have implications for public decision makers and those scholars investigating how to discourage the adoption of myopic decisions in complex environments.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, only few studies investigated how the fleet management is likely to impact on the performance of waste collection companies. This study offers a contribution in this direction.
Comparative study on adoption of sustainable supply chain management practices in Indian manufacturing industries
Authors: Mathivathanan Deepak , Mathiyazhagan K. , Noorul Haq A. , Kaippillil Vishnu
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) concepts have received immense attention in the recent past in both academia and industries. Especially, manufacturing industries in developing countries realize the importance of adopting sustainability concepts in their supply chain. The SSCM adoption has not been to the same level across different manufacturing sectors and hence a single implementation framework will not have the same effect across sectors. This paper aims to compare the adoption level of 25 SSCM practices across three major manufacturing sectors, namely, automobile, electronics and textile, in an emerging economy, India.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire-based data collection technique is used to obtain adoption levels of each of the identified SSCM practices on a five-point Likert-type scale with “1” representing not considering presently to “5” indicating successful implementation. Second, a hypothesis is framed and tested to compare the adoption levels across sectors using a one-way single-factor ANOVA followed by a post hoc test by Tukey’s test.

Findings

The results derived suggest that though the industries across different sectors are in the course of adopting SSCM practices, the level of adoption is found to be not the same. The textile sector has adopted the least, and the electronic sector edges ahead of the automobile sector in terms of successful transformation to SSCM.

Originality/value

This study focuses on the differences and similarities in the adoption of policies in the automobile, electronics and textile sectors using statistical data analysis tools. A total of 25 individual practices are identified from existing literature and classified into six groups, namely, management, supplier, collaboration, design, internal and society, based on their similarities. Based on a detailed questionnaire survey with industrial experts in relevant fields as respondents, the adoption levels of practices are rated individually and categorically.
Servant leadership and innovative behavior: a moderated mediation
Authors: Wang Zhining , Meng Lijun , Cai Shaohan
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the cross-level effect of servant leadership on employee innovative behavior by studying the mediating role of thriving at work and the moderating role of team reflexivity.

Design/methodology/approach

This research collected data from 199 dyads of employees and their direct supervisors in 55 work units, and tested a cross-level moderated mediation model using multilevel path analysis.

Findings

The findings suggest that thriving at work mediates the relationship between servant leadership and innovative behavior. The results also show that team reflexivity positively moderates the relationship between servant leadership and thriving at work and the mediating effect of thriving at work.

Practical implications

The empirical findings suggest that organizations should make efforts to promote servant leadership and encourage team reflexivity. Moreover, managers should make efforts to stimulate employees’ thriving at work, thereby facilitating employee and organizational development.

Originality/value

This research identifies thriving at work as a key mediator that links servant leadership to innovative behavior and reveals the role of team reflexivity in strengthening the effect of servant leadership on employee innovative behavior.
Business model development for sustainable apparel consumption
Authors: Holtström Johan , Bjellerup Charlotte , Eriksson Johanna
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify key aspects of business model development for sustainable apparel consumption, as actors show an increasing interest in product‒service systems. This purpose should be seen from a retailers’ perspective so as to develop sustainable solutions for long-term survival in the apparel industry when meeting consumer preferences for fashion as well as an increasing interest in consuming less. Further, this is from a perspective in an economy where sharing and circularity are potential drivers for changing consumer patterns.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on the apparel retailer Houdini Sportswear and its business model development from a traditional model of selling sportswear to a more future-oriented model where sustainability is more salient. The data for analysis were collected through interviews with employees within the studied company. The interviews have been guided by overarching themes covering relevant areas of interest for this study.

Findings

Overall, the paper shows how sustainability can be included in strategic development, from product idea, product development, production and sales/rental to repair, reuse and finally recycling. The paper also highlights potential obstacles in a developed business model with increased sustainability, including technological platforms, distribution networks for collecting and returning products and consumer consumption preferences. There are a few intertwined factors to be considered on different societal levels to achieve long-term success.

Originality/value

This study contributes an increased understanding of how more sustainable solutions can be included when developing business models. While the manufacture, distribution and consumption of clothes have an impact on the environment, some retailers and producers want to reduce this environmental impact. One alternative is to change the way clothes are consumed, to include more sharing and circularity.
A posteriori segmentation of elderly internet users: applying PLS-POS
Authors: Arenas-Gaitán Jorge , Villarejo Ramos A. Francisco , Peral-Peral Begoña
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose the study of the adoption and use of e-banking by adults over the age of 50, from the theoretical framework based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology.

Design/methodology/approach

After proving the validity of the model, the authors analyse the heterogeneity of these persons by using a structural model-based latent class segmentation called partial least squares prediction-oriented segmentation.

Findings

The results enable the identifying of four segments with different behaviours with respect to this electronic service. As implications of the results obtained, it is observed how sociodemographic characteristics do not explain their differences. However, the psychographic as well as the cognitive age, self-confidence and audacity are discriminating and explanatory criteria for the behaviour of the four segments.

Originality/value

From the academic point of view, this paper offers important contributions to the prior literature. First, although there is an extensive literature on the use of internet banking, the authors have nevertheless found a clear lack of research studies related to the specific group of older adults. There are not many works that exclusively deal with the elderly’s acceptation and use of technologies, and even less so in the case of internet banking services. Also, if the elderly are focussed, then it is discovered that there is a socially shared stereotype that sees them as inexpert and cut off from technology. This is, however, an unfair view that conceals a broad diversity of behaviours as has been proved for the different segments found.
X-Scale: a new scale to measure consumer xenocentrism
Authors: Rojas-Méndez José I. , Chapa Sindy
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to create and validate a scale that measures consumer xenocentrism in developing countries, where this phenomenon is furthermost prevalent. This study aimed for the conceptualization, construct development and validation of a new scale labeled X-Scale. The theoretical framework was based on the theories of social comparison, system justification and culture.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed a mixed-method and multi-stage research approach to investigate the domain of xenocentrism in the context of consumer behavior and subsequently develop a scale (X-Scale), while assessing its dimensionality, reliability and validity. Qualitative and quantitative techniques were used for the development of the scale. Multi-stage data from five developing countries were collected for validation purposes: Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and China.

Findings

Results indicate that the consumer xenocentrism construct has two dimensions: foreign admiration and domestic rejection. Each dimension is comprised of five items. The reliability tests, the goodness-of-fit measures and the psychometric properties indicate a reliable construct. In addition, this study shows that consumer xenocentrism is a key predictor of consumers’ preferences for foreign brands over domestic ones.

Originality/value

This is the first empirical study on consumer xenocentrism conducted in several developing countries. The X-Scale developed here is invariant across countries and, therefore, allows for comparison among them.
Encouraging managers of care homes for older adults to participate in research
Authors: Smith Nick , Towers Ann-Marie , Collins Grace , Palmer Sinead , Allan Stephen , Beecham Jennifer
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Research in care homes requires the co-operation of care home managers. Noting the challenges faced by the care home sector, the purpose of this paper is to consider ways in which research studies can encourage care home managers and their homes to participate in research.

Design/methodology/approach

The discussion is informed by two research projects which are used to explore methods of encouraging managers of care homes to participate in research. One of the studies included interviews with care home managers to understand their reasons for taking part in research.

Findings

This paper outlines and assesses three strategies for encouraging care home managers to participate in research: working in partnership, providing payment and providing personalised feedback on findings. Whereas all the strategies have the potential to encourage care home managers’ participation in research, partnership working in particular was found to be fraught with difficulties.

Research limitations/implications

This paper suggests that the research projects could employ any of these strategies to encourage managers of care homes to participate in research. It also suggests that proactive measures could help ameliorate the pitfalls of partnership working.

Originality/value

This paper shows the advantages and disadvantages of using a combination of strategies for encouraging the participation of care home managers in research.
Efficiency of electricity distribution companies
Authors: Boente Diego Rodrigues , Lustosa Paulo Roberto B.
Published: October 2019

Purpose

After assessing papers on efficiency, most of the studies available are focused on the analysis of efficiency measures, without providing a deep discussion of the factors that determine efficiency. This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of Brazilian electricity distribution companies based on a structural model that enables the identification of a network of relationships among representative variables that contribute to efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling was applied in a sample of 62 electricity distribution companies operating in Brazil, forming a balanced panel from 2010 to 2014. Then, the authors verified the model compliance according to the empirical evidence of the entities analyzed. This verification included a survey of the variables, which was supported by theoretical references related to the phenomenon studied. The data collected were statistically treated, and benchmarking models and multivariate techniques were used. Once the adjustments were made, the re-specified model was estimated using the maximum likelihood method.

Findings

The empirical model reached good adjustment rates. The analysis concluded that the constructs information system, structural system, management system and sociocultural system affect efficiency.

Originality/value

This study adds to several other papers, and this is one of its main contributions. Relationships among the constructs have been systematized according to literature in the form of a structural model, which will enable future researchers to have a reference frame of relevant studies and a research foundation in this area of knowledge. A third contribution is the model tested in a sample of Brazilian electricity distribution companies, whose results can be compared to other utility sectors (e.g. telecommunications) or to other countries' electrical sectors, thus providing an empirical basis for the proposed hypotheses. Finally, this study also offers a contribution to the Brazilian Electrical Energy Agency (Aneel, in Portuguese), a regulatory agency, providing mechanisms to guide tariff adjustments, seeking a balance between costs and the need for investments allied to tariff affordability.
Overcoming cultural resistance to open source innovation
Authors: Winsor John , Paik Jin , Tushman Mike , Lakhani Karim
Published: October 2019

Purpose

This article offers insight on how to effectively help incumbent organizations prepare for global business shifts to open source and digital business models.

Design/methodology/approach

Discussion related to observation, experience and case studies related to incumbent organizations and their efforts to adopt open source models and business tools.

Findings

Companies that let their old culture reject the new risk becoming obsolete if doing so inhibits their rethinking of their future using powerful tools like crowdsourcing, blockchain, customer experience-based connections, integrating workflows with artificial intelligence (AI), automated technologies and digital business platforms. These new ways of working affect how and where work is done, access to information, an organization’s capacity for work and its efficiency. As important as technological proficiency is, managing the cultural shift required to embrace transformative industry architecture – the key to innovating new business models – may be the bigger challenge.

Research limitations/implications

Findings are based on original research and case studies. Insights are theoretically, based on additional study, interviews, and research, but need to be tested through additional case studies.

Practical implications

The goal is to make the transition more productive and less traumatic for incumbent firms by providing a language and tested methods to help senior leaders use innovative technologies to build on their core even as they explore new business models.

Social implications

This article provides insights that will lead to more effective ideas for helping organizations adapt.

Originality/value

This article is based on original research and case experience. That research and experience has then been analyzed and viewed through the lens of models that have been known to work. The result is original insights and findings that can be applied in new ways to further adoption within incumbent organizations.
Degree of invasion of Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.) plays an important role in the variation of plant taxonomic diversity and community stability in eastern China
Authors: Wang Shu , Wei Mei , Wu Bingde , Jiang Kun , Du Daolin , Wang Congyan
Published: October 2019

Understanding the impacts of invaders on plant taxonomic diversity and community stability is significant for understanding the mechanisms underlying successful invasion. This study explored the impacts of the invasive plant Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.; goldenrod hereafter) with different degrees of invasion on plant taxonomic diversity and community stability by conducting a comparative study in eastern China. Degree of invasion was divided into the following categories, low (<35%, LDI), moderate (35–75%, MDI), and high (>75%, HDI), on the basis of the relative abundance of goldenrod in the invaded plant communities. Plant diversity, dominance, richness, and plant community stability noticeably decreased under HDI but plant diversity and dominance dramatically increased under LDI compared with the adjacent uninvaded plant communities. Plant diversity, dominance, richness, and community stability markedly declined as the degree of goldenrod invasion increased in the invaded plant communities. The greater plant diversity and dominance observed under LDI may be primarily driven by the passenger effects rather than a driving force of the presence of goldenrod. The greater competitive superiority of goldenrod over coexisting native plants under HDI might allow for invasion and enhance the risk of stochastic local extinction of several native species. A significantly positive diversity‐stability relationship was observed, which may explain the underlying mechanisms for the decreased plant community stability and drastic decline in plant diversity under HDI. Accordingly, the degree of invasion of goldenrod plays an important role in the variation of plant taxonomic diversity and community stability in eastern China.
Adolescents’ experiences of communication following acquired brain injury
Authors: Buckeridge Katherine , Clarke Channine , Sellers Diane
Published: October 2019

Background

Paediatric acquired brain injury (ABI) is one of the leading causes of neurodisability in childhood. The long‐term effects of ABI on cognition, behaviour and emotions are well documented. Previous research has found that communication is difficult for adolescents with ABI compared with typically developing peers. Quantitative studies have identified deficits in specific domains of speech and language, but no research studies have sought to capture adolescents’ lived experiences of communication or explored the multidimensional nature of this.

Aims

To explore adolescents’ everyday experiences of communication following ABI. This research also offered adolescents an opportunity to give their views on an issue that has not previously been explored in relation to paediatric ABI.

Method & Procedures

A qualitative study was undertaken using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) for in‐depth exploration of the lived experiences of communication following ABI. Participants were recruited from an NHS Trust in England. Six adolescents (aged 11–18 years) participated in semi‐structured interviews. Data analysis followed the guides for IPA.

Outcomes & Results

The data revealed three main themes: the social world; communication competence; and life in the classroom. Adolescents experienced communication changes and challenges, which affected functioning and participation. Difficulties with communication affected identity, learning, relationships and confidence.

Conclusions & Implications

These findings provide an insight into how communication is experienced in everyday life from the perspectives of adolescents with ABI. The study revealed that adolescents’ individual experiences of communication were dependent on contextual factors. Sensitivity to communication changes was associated with the age when the ABI occurred. Difficulties with communication impacted on identity. Negative communication experiences at school affected a sense of belonging; peer group support helped some adolescents to cope with the communication challenges they faced. Further research is needed to explore how participation in communication is affected by paediatric ABI and what could be done to support this. It is recommended that increased attention should be paid by professionals to the psychological impact of communication changes and difficulties experienced by this population.
Bacterial Profiling of Soil For Forensic Investigations: Consideration of Ex Situ Changes in Questioned and Known Soil Samples
Authors: Foran David R. , Badgley Alyssa J.
Published: October 2019

Soil, being diverse and ubiquitous, can potentially link a suspect or victim to a crime scene. Recently scientists have examined the microbial makeup of soil for determining its origin, and differentiating soil samples is well‐established. However, when soil is transferred to evidence its microbial makeup may change over time, leading to false exclusions. In this research, “known” soils from diverse habitats were stored under controlled conditions, while evidence soils were aged on mock evidence. Limited quantities of soil were also assayed. Bacterial profiles were produced using next‐generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Overall, known soils stored open at room temperature were more similar to evidence soils over time than were known soils stored bagged and/or frozen. Evidence soils, even as little as 1 mg, associated with the correct habitat 99% of the time, accentuating the importance of considering ex situ microbial changes in soil for its successful use as forensic evidence.
Macro‐and Microstructural, Textural Fabrics and Deformation Mechanism of Calcite Mylonites from Xar Moron‐Changchun Dextral Shear Zone, Northeast China
Authors: LIANG Chenyue , LIU Yongjiang , ZHENG Changqing , LI Weimin , NEUBAUER Franz , ZHANG Qian
Published: October 2019

The calcite mylonites in the Xar Moron‐Changchun shear zone show a significance dextral shearing characteristics. The asymmetric (σ‐structure) calcite/quartz grains or aggregates, asymmetry of calcite c‐axes fabric diagrams and the oblique foliation of recrystallized calcite grains correspond to a top‐to‐E shearing. Mineral deformation behaviors, twin morphology, C‐axis EBSD fabrics, and quartz grain size‐frequency diagrams demonstrate that the ductile shear zone was developed under conditions of greenschist facies, with the range of deformation temperatures from 200 to 300°C. These subgrains of host grains and surrounding recrystallized grains, strong undulose extinction, and slightly curved grain boundaries are probably results of intracrystalline deformation and dynamic recrystallization implying that the deformation took place within the dislocation‐creep regime at shallow crustal levels. The calculated paleo‐strain rates are between 10−7.87 s−1 and 10−11.49 s−1 with differential stresses of 32.63–63.94 MPa lying at the higher bound of typical strain rates in shear zones at crustal levels, and may indicate a relatively rapid deformation. The S‐L‐calcite tectonites have undergone a component of uplift which led to subhorizontal lifting in an already non‐coaxial compressional deformation regime with a bulk pure shear‐dominated general shear. This E‐W large‐scale dextral strike‐slip movement is a consequence of the eastward extrusion of the Xing'an‐Mongolian Orogenic Belt, and results from far‐field forces associated with Late Triassic convergence domains after the final closure of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean.
Permian Tectonic Evolution in the Middle Part of Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Evidence from Newly Identified Volcanic Rocks in the Bilutu Area, Inner Mongolia
Authors: WANG Shijie , LIU Yang , DONG Xiaojie , XU Zhongyuan , WANG Wenlong , LI Shichao , SHI Qiang , CUI Weilong
Published: October 2019

In this study, zircon U‐Pb ages, geochemical and Lu‐Hf isotopic data are presented for the newly identified volcanic rocks which were considered as Bainaimiao group in Bainaimiao Arc Belt (BAB), Inner Mongolia, which could provide important constraints on the evolution of the northern part of North China Block (NCB) and BAB. Basalt to basaltic andesite and andesite to dacite were collected from two sections, which showed eruption ages of 278.2±4.1 Ma and 258.3±3.0 Ma respectively. All samples are characterized by high abundances in Al2O3, LREEs, and LILEs, but depleted in HFSEs. Together with high Mg# ratios and low K/tholeiite to calc‐alkaline series, these features indicated that basalt to andesite was likely derived from relatively low degree partial melting of the subduction‐fluid related mantle in the spinel phase. And dacite was mainly from the partial melting of crust, then affected by mantle. All samples barely went through fractional crystallization process with the slight Eu anomaly. Compared with the contemporary basalt in NCB, rocks in BAB have a complex composition of zircon and a more positive εHf (t) value (–6.6–6.4), indicating that they had different magma sources of rocks. Though with different basements, NCB and BAB have become an integrated whole before 278 Ma. Therefore, it could be concluded that NCB and BAB belonged to the active continental margin and the PAO had not closed yet until late Permian and then it disappeared gradually and the CAOB developed into a condition of syn‐post collision.
The Late Early Cretaceous Mo Mineralization in the South China Mo Province: Constraints from U–Pb and Re–Os Geochronology of the Lufeng Porphyry Mo Deposit
Authors: WANG Yongbin , ZENG Qingdong , LIU Jianming , ZHOU Lingli
Published: October 2019

Compared to other Mo provinces, few studies focused on the South China Mo Province (SCMP), especially for Early Cretaceous Mo mineralization. The Lufeng porphyry Mo deposit in the SCMP is characterized by disseminated and veinlet‐type mineralization in granite porphyry, gneiss, and rhyolite. In this study, six molybdenite samples yield a Re–Os isochron age of 108.0±1.8 Ma, which is consistent with the zircon U–Pb age of the granite porphyry (108.4±0.8 Ma). The coincidence of magmatic and hydrothermal activities indicates that Mo mineralization was associated with the intrusion of granite porphyry during the late Early Cretaceous. A compilation of U–Pb and Re–Os chronological data suggests that an extensive and intensive Mo mineralization event occurred in the SCMP during the late Early Cretaceous. The marked difference in molybdenite Re contents between Cu‐bearing (85–536 ppm) and Cu‐barren (1.3–59 ppm) Mo deposits of the late Early Cretaceous indicates that the ore‐forming materials were derived from strong crust–mantle interactions. Together with regional petrological and geochemical data, this study suggests that late Early Cretaceous Mo mineralization in the SCMP occurred in an extensional setting associated with the roll‐back of the Paleo‐Pacific slab.
Experimental Study of Dissolution‐Alteration of Amphibole in a Hydrothermal Environment
Authors: LI Yongli , HUANG Fei , GAO Wenyuan , TANG Xu , REN Yaqun , MENG Lin , ZHANG Zhibin
Published: October 2019

Amphibole is a rock‐forming mineral widely existing on the earth. It is easily dissolved and altered during the later stage of diagenesis and mineralization, and often forms chloritization, which is an important indicator for prospecting. To explore amphibole's dissolution process and alteration mechanism, dissolution experiments were carried out under acidic conditions using pargasite‐rich amphibole as raw material, and the effects of temperature, pH, and experiment duration on amphibole alteration were investigated. Experimental samples and products were analyzed using X‐ray diffractometer, field emission scanning electron microscope, electron probe micro analyzer, and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that many pores and erosion edges are produced after amphibole dissolution, and there is a clear interface between the dissolved residual portion and the parent. The dissolved residual portion remains in the amphibole phase, but as the temperature and time increase, the intensity of the diffraction peak of the phase in the product decreases, and the peak position shifts to a small angle. Many clay minerals such as chlorite and griffithite formed on the amphibole surface. In an environment with strong acidity (pH=3), the amount of chamosite increases with temperature (180°C→210° C→240°C), whereas clinochlore is only increased in a 150–210°C environment. Griffithite growth was observed in the acidic (pH=6) and low temperature (<180°C) environments. Based on this analysis, large radius Cl–enters the amphibole lattice or cracks to promote dissolution. The Al‐poor and Ca‐ and Fe‐rich regions between the edge and core of the amphibole are caused by dynamic equilibrium in amphibole dissolution and alteration process, which is an essential indicator for the beginning of amphibole dissolution‐alteration. Diffusion and the coupled dissolution‐reprecipitation mechanism accomplishes the process of dissolution and alteration to form clay minerals. The energy of the system determined by temperature and pH is the key to controlling the rate of growth and nucleation of clay minerals. High temperature and strong acidity will dissolve more iron from amphibole, which is conducive to chlorite growth. Compared to chlorite, griffithite is more sensitive to temperature. Griffithite attaches on the amphibole surface with a star‐like in a weak acid and low‐temperature environment. The results of this study can provide a mineralogical basis for the analysis of hydrothermal alteration processes and the division of alteration zones.
Petroleum Origins and Accumulation Patterns in the Weixinan Sag in the Beibu Gulf Basin, Using Subsag B as an Example
Authors: GAO Gang , XU Xinde , QU Tong , GAN Jun , DANG Wenlong , ZHOU Xiaoxiao , LIU Fengyan
Published: October 2019

Crude oil has been discovered in the Paleogene and Neogene units of the Weixinan Sag in the Beibu Gulf Basin. To determine the source and accumulation mode of this crude oil, 12 crude oil samples and 27 source rock samples were collected and an extensive organic geochemical analysis was conducted on them. Based on the geological conditions and the analytical results, the types, origins and accumulation patterns of crude oil in the study area were elucidated. Except for a shallowly‐buried and biodegraded crude oil deposit in Neogene rocks, the crude oil samples in the study area were normal. All of the crude oils were derived from lacustrine source rocks. According to biomarker compositions, the crude oils could be divided into two families, A and B, distinctions that were reinforced by differences in carbon isotope composition and spatial distribution. Oil‐source correlation analysis based on biomarkers revealed that Family A oils were derived from the mature oil shale at the bottom of the second member of the Liushagang Formation, while the Family B oils formed in the mature shale of the Liushagang Formation. The Family A oils, generated by oil shale, mainly migrated laterally along sand bodies and were then redistributed in adjacent reservoirs above and below the oil shale layer, as well as in shallow layers at high structural positions, occupying a wide distribution range. The Family B oils were generated by other shale units before migrating vertically along faults to form reservoirs nearby, resulting in a narrow distribution range.
The Impact of Climatic and Environmental Factors onn‐Alkanes Indices in Southwestern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: LING Yuan , ZHENG Mianping , WANG Shuxian , SUN Qing , XIE Bingjing , ZHANG Chengjun
Published: October 2019

n‐Alkanes are widely used in paleoenvironmental reconstructions. However, our understanding of changes in the distribution ofn‐alkanes with climatic and environmental factors remains unclear in arid/semi‐arid regions. We sampled 26 surface sediments from three climatic zones across the southwestern Tibetan Plateau to evaluate the sensitivity of chain length distributions ofn‐alkanes to climatic and environmental parameters. Our observations demonstrate that average chain length (ACL), proportion of aquatic macrophyte (Paq), carbon preference index (CPI) and ratio of the contents ofnC27andnC31(nC27/nC31) are all sensitive to hydroclimatic conditions. In contrast to commonly‐adopted assumptions, the correlations between these indices and hydrological parameters are not always good, which indicates that the interpretation ofn‐alkane indices is special on the southwestern Tibetan Plateau. These might be related to the vegetation characteristics and seasonality of biological activity, and need to be considered in paleoclimatic reconstruction. The impact of seasonal precipitation onn‐alkanes indices was also evaluated.
Application of Statistical Methods to Biomarkers for Geochemical Evaluation and Genetic Type Determination of Gas Condensates in the Persian Gulf and Coastal Fars, Southern Iran
Authors: SEIDY Mohammad Javad , SABERI Mohammad Hossein
Published: October 2019

In a comprehensive geochemical study, the genetic relationships among 14 samples of gas condensates from the Persian Gulf were investigated for the purpose of evaluating the respective source rocks in terms of both age and sedimentary paleoenvironment. Chemometric analysis was used for categorization and determination of a certitude range to determine the genetic type of the condensate families in the studied basin. The samples were collected from Late Permian – Triassic reservoirs (Dalan and Kangan formations) located in 6 gasfields (gas condensate) hosting some of Iran's most important gas/gas condensate reserves. Obtained by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS), a total of 16 biomarker parameters (10 maturity‐related parameters and 6 sedimentary environment‐related parameters) were used to evaluate the samples in terms of thermal maturity (and hence their positions in the maturity chart), the sedimentary environment of the source rock and the lithology. Application of Hierarchical Clustering Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to the collected data led to the categorization of the samples into three main genetic groups, I–III. Groups I and III were found to be located in the east and the west of the Persian Gulf, respectively, while Group II was developed between the two other groups.
At the dawn of Arabian fisheries: Fishing activities of the inhabitants of the Neolithic tripartite house of Marawah Island, Abu Dhabi Emirate (United Arab Emirates)
Authors: Lidour Kevin , Beech Mark Jonathan
Published: October 2019

This paper presents the results of a study of nearly 8000 fish bones from MR11 Area A, a Neolithic stone‐built house located on Marawah Island, United Arab Emirates. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the site was inhabited from the first half of the 6th to the mid‐5th millennium BC, making it one of the oldest Neolithic occupation sites in the whole of the Arabian Gulf. Initial excavations between 2003 and 2004 revealed a single room and then more recent excavations in 2016–2017 uncovered two adjacent structures which proved to be a tripartite house. Examination of the fish remains from this particular site allows both a spatial and diachronic analysis. Archaeo‐ichthyological studies can determine the role of fisheries within the subsistence strategies of past societies and the fishing techniques they adopted. This study provides important evidence regarding coastal and island lifestyle during the Neolithic. It outlines the predominance of small coastal fish such as grunts, emperors, and seabreams in the faunal assemblage. It thus suggests that fishing was essentially carried out in the surrounding shallow waters where soft‐bottoms and seagrass meadows predominate. Non‐selective fishing techniques probably involved the use of small‐mesh devices such as beach seines and coastal barrier traps.