bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Punding
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Punding from the Movement Disorders section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Restless legs
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Restless legs from the Movement Disorders section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Ocular tic
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Ocular tic from the Eyes/Eye Movements section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Horner’s syndrome
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Horner’s syndrome from the Eyes/Eye Movements section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Unreactive dilated pupils
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Unreactive dilated pupils from the Eyes/Eye Movements section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Horizontal nystagmus
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Horizontal nystagmus from the Eyes/Eye Movements section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Convergence-retraction nystagmus
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Convergence-retraction nystagmus from the Eyes/Eye Movements section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
See-saw nystagmus
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on See-saw nystagmus from the Eyes/Eye Movements section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Facial weakness
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Facial weakness from the Head and Neck section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Voice
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Voice from the Head and Neck section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Tongue
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Tongue from the Head and Neck section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Babinski response
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Babinski response from the Reflexes section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Slow relaxing reflexes
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Slow relaxing reflexes from the Reflexes section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Developmental (primitive) reflexes
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Developmental (primitive) reflexes from the Reflexes section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Spastic ataxic gait
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Spastic ataxic gait from the Gait section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Early parkinsonian gait
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Early parkinsonian gait from the Gait section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Retropulsion and propulsion
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Retropulsion and propulsion from the Gait section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Cerebellar disorders
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Cerebellar disorders from the Cerebellar Disorders section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Introduction to upper motor neuron disorders
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Introduction to upper motor neuron disorders from the Upper Motor Neuron disorders section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Hemiparesis
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Hemiparesis from the Upper Motor Neuron disorders section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Spastic gait
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Spastic gait from the Upper Motor Neuron disorders section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Jaw jerk
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Jaw jerk from the Upper Motor Neuron disorders section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Anterior horn cell disorders
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Anterior horn cell disorders from the Lower Motor Neuron / Muscle disorders section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Radiculopathies
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Radiculopathies from the Lower Motor Neuron / Muscle disorders section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Fasciculations
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Fasciculations from the Lower Motor Neuron / Muscle disorders section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Psychogenic tremor
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Psychogenic tremor from the Psychogenic Disorders section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Synkinesis
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Synkinesis from the Miscellaneous signs section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
Narcolepsy/cataplexy
Authors: Morris John G. , Grattan-Smith Padraic J.
Published: August 2016

This is a chapter on Narcolepsy/cataplexy from the Miscellaneous signs section of A Manual of Neurological Signs. Most of the chapters contain a description of the sign, associated signs, and cases, supported by clinical videos and figures.
DeepAD: Alzheimer’s Disease Classification via Deep Convolutional Neural Networks using MRI and fMRI
Authors: Sarraf Saman , DeSouza Danielle D. , Anderson John , Tofighi Ghassem ,   for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiativ
Published: August 2016

1

To extract patterns from neuroimaging data, various statistical methods and machine learning algorithms have been explored for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease among older adults in both clinical and research applications; however, distinguishing between Alzheimer’s and healthy brain data has been challenging in older adults (age > 75) due to highly similar patterns of brain atrophy and image intensities. Recently, cutting-edge deep learning technologies have rapidly expanded into numerous fields, including medical image analysis. This paper outlines state-of-the-art deep learning-based pipelines employed to distinguish Alzheimer’s magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional MRI (fMRI) from normal healthy control data for a given age group. Using these pipelines, which were executed on a GPU-based high-performance computing platform, the data were strictly and carefully preprocessed. Next, scale- and shift-invariant low- to high-level features were obtained from a high volume of training images using convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture. In this study, fMRI data were used for the first time in deep learning applications for the purposes of medical image analysis and Alzheimer’s disease prediction. These proposed and implemented pipelines, which demonstrate a significant improvement in classification output over other studies, resulted in high and reproducible accuracy rates of 99.9% and 98.84% for the fMRI and MRI pipelines, respectively. Additionally, for clinical purposes, subject-level classification was performed, resulting in an average accuracy rate of 94.32% and 97.88% for the fMRI and MRI pipelines, respectively. Finally, a decision making algorithm designed for the subject-level classification improved the rate to 97.77% for fMRI and 100% for MRI pipelines.
Judgments of auditors on “principles” versus “guidance” in lease accounting standard
Authors: Tsunogaya Noriyuki , Sugahara Satoshi , Chand Parmod
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of a principles-based accounting standard with guidance (principles-with-guidance approach), stringency (conservativeness) of numerical thresholds, and incentives (high or low debt-equity ratio environment) on the judgments of Japanese auditors in a lease accounting setting.

Design/methodology/approach

To reflect Japanese auditors’ judgmental features, this study adopts a quasi-experiment that uses both manipulation for different environments (i.e. stable or critical financial condition) and perceptions about the importance of “principles” and “guidance” in different types of lease accounting standards (i.e. substantially all, approximately 90 and 88 percent).

Findings

“Principle” (substantially all) has a positive effect, while “guidance” (approximately 90 percent) has a negative effect on encouraging Japanese auditors to capitalize lease transactions. “More stringent guidance” (approximately 88 percent) has a positive effect only when clients are in critical financial conditions. Other findings indicate that judgments of Japanese auditors are strongly influenced by their colleagues’ perceived judgments.

Originality/value

This is the first quasi-experiment to examine Japanese auditors’ professional judgments using a lease accounting setting. To find out whether Japanese auditors interpret and apply International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in the similar manner as their counterparts in other countries will be important when Japanese policymakers make their final decision regarding the adoption of IFRS. The discussion and findings also contribute to the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) with regard to enhancing global convergence of financial reporting.
A theory of multi-dimensional organizational innovation cultures and innovation performance in transitional economies
Authors: Xie Xuemei , Wu Yonghui , Zeng Saixing
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This study aims to construct a theory of multi-dimensional organizational innovation cultures and innovation performance in transitional economies and explore the moderating effect of team cohesion on this theoretical relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data collected from 175 manufacturing firms in transitional economies, this study constructs a new theory framework of multi-dimensional organizational innovation cultures (knowledge sharing, organizational innovation atmosphere, team decision-making and organizational change) and firms’ innovation performance and also explores the moderating effect of team cohesion on this theoretical relationship.

Findings

The findings show that there are positive relationships between knowledge sharing, organizational innovation atmosphere, team decision-making, organizational change and innovation performance of firms. Furthermore, team cohesion plays a positive moderating role in this relationship.

Practical implications

It extends the general understanding of multi-dimensional organizational cultures management in the context of transition economies by exploring the differences between the Chinese and Vietnamese firms in terms of the impact of organizational innovation culture on innovation performance.

Originality/value

This study constructs a new theory framework of multi-dimensional organizational innovation cultures along the four dimensions of knowledge sharing, organizational innovation atmosphere, team decision-making and organizational change. These factors together have rarely been examined before. Hence, the findings extend existing research on organizational cultures management. Moreover, a new idea for this study is that the authors consider team cohesion as a moderating variable between organizational innovation culture and innovation performance of firms, hence providing both theoretical discussion and empirical validation of the impact of team cohesion on this relationship. It thus extends existing research on the team theory.
The development of school autonomy and accountability in Hong Kong
Authors: Ko James , Cheng Yin Cheong , Lee Theodore Tai Hoi
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to trace the development of school autonomy and accountability and related multiple changes and impacts in key areas of school education in Hong Kong since implementing school-based management (SBM) from 1990s.

Design/methodology/approach

To explore the evolution and the uniqueness of autonomy and accountability in the Hong Kong school system, the paper begins with an historical account, followed by an evaluation of the effects of SBM as shown in policy documents, local research, international reviews and illustrative findings from a case study. The local and international implications of SBM for research and practice are then discussed.

Findings

This paper shows the links between school autonomy and accountability by exploring the potential effects of both of these factors on educational management and student achievement, which are increasingly emphasised in educational policies. The investigation shows that the assumed links and effects are not always consistent or empirically supported. The positive effects that school autonomy has on school governance and management, teachers’ work, school-based curriculums and student learning are all significant when there is also strong leadership, comprehensive continuous professional development and a positive, collaborative school climate. These key elements work alongside school autonomy to facilitate positive change.

Research limitations/implications

School autonomy and accountability should be viewed as necessary, but not sufficient, conditions for school improvement and development. Further characterisation of the processes happening in schools is needed to explore the different realisations of school autonomy and accountability.

Originality/value

This investigation of school autonomy and accountability in Hong Kong provides the international audience with a deeper understanding of the dynamics involved in the development of SBM.
School autonomy, leadership and student achievement: reflections from Finland
Authors: Saarivirta Toni , Kumpulainen Kristiina
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide national information on school autonomy, leadership and student achievements in Finland.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a literature review on Finnish studies focusing on school autonomy, leadership and student achievement. The studies have been reviewed on the basis of a content analysis.

Findings

There exists a shortage of studies connecting school leadership to student achievements. School leadership in Finland has been investigated in previous research, especially from the perspective of shared or pedagogical leadership, but vast majority of the studies have focused on teachers and educational staff, not directly on students. An evident reason for this is inaccessible information on school-based data and the nature of education being a “public good”, which is supposed to meet the same standards across the country.

Originality/value

This review will provide the international audience a deeper understanding in the school autonomy and leadership development in Finland.
School autonomy and 21st century skills in the Israeli educational system
Authors: Nir Adam , Ben-David Adi , Bogler Ronit , Inbar Dan , Zohar Anat
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze two parallel processes in the Israeli educational system: first, the idea of school autonomy, exploring its origins and its pedagogical implications and effectiveness; and second, the development of the progressive education evident mainly in the cognitive domain of twenty-first century skills (21st CS), focussing on fostering “deep knowledge” and children’s thinking skills. The manuscript explores the various “waves” of progressive pedagogies that have taken place in the Israeli school system over the years, describing and analyzing the processes that characterize them.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a historical perspective, the paper describes chronologically the main developments related to school autonomy and 21st CS policy initiatives, based on a literature review and analysis of policy documents.

Findings

The review indicates that the Israeli educational system is still caught in the “centralization trap,” inhibiting major changes in the patterns of central control and degrees of freedom granted to school-level educators. As for school pedagogy, it is evident that most of the changes in pedagogy suggested by the numerous policy documents over the years have not resulted in sustainable, system-wide change. In both issues a large disparity is evident between declarations about innovative pedagogies and school autonomy and their actual implementation.

Originality/value

The review reflects the idiosyncratic articulation of policy plans conducted by the Ministry of Education, producing discrepancies and incongruences at the school level. Some implications of the “declarative culture” created are further discussed.
Integrating Big Data in “e-Oman”: opportunities and challenges
Authors: Saxena Stuti , Kumar Sharma Sujeet
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to integrate Big Data in e-government in Oman, also known as “e-Oman”, wherein Big Data might be better harnessed to tackle real-time challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

Besides a description of the concepts of e-government and Big Data in general, the paper underscores the dimensions of “e-Oman”. Following a qualitative approach, the paper asserts how integration of Big Data in “e-Oman” may be useful by invoking examples from four short case studies across different sectors.

Findings

The paper supports the integration of “e-Oman” and Big Data wherein besides providing smooth public services, the government is encouraged to forge inter- and intra-ministerial collaboration and public-private partnership. The paper probes through the challenges and opportunities in effecting this integration.

Practical implications

The paper provides a platform for the policymakers to conceive of a synchronized programme for integrating “e-Oman” and the Big Data generated by it. This integration would go a long way in building upon the economy of Oman, besides providing better public services to the individuals and businesses on a real-time basis.

Social implications

The paper does throw light on the issues of privacy and confidentiality of data available with the government. There are challenges of cybercrime as well. Therefore, the paper posits that a robust fool-proof infrastructure should be instituted by the government for effecting integration of e-government and Big Data.

Originality/value

This paper seeks to fill the gap in extant literature which remains scant on the integration of e-government with Big Data. This is especially true in the case of Oman where not a single study has been presented to probe this issue. Given that “e-Oman” is expanding its scope over the years, this paper foresees the concomitant opportunities and challenges in the integration of Big Data in “e-Oman”.
Distance and diversification
Authors: Lee Stephen
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether geographical distance or economic distance offers greater diversification benefits in the UK office market.

Design/methodology/approach

The real estate investment data for this study come from the Investment Property Databank analysis “UK Quarterly Key Centres Q2 2015”. The author measures the geographical distance between the City of London and 27 local authorities (LAs) by road distance. The author used the market size and employment structure of the LAs relative to the City of London to calculate economic distance.

Findings

The results show that LAs that are classified on their economic distance show significant negative office rental growth correlations with the City of London. In contrast, geographical distance shows no relationship. Results are consistent for the overall sample period and for various periods.

Practical implications

Spatial diversity is a fundamental tenet of real estate portfolio management and the results here show that it is better to diversify by across office markets in the UK using the economic attributes of LAs rather than the physical distance between locations.

Originality/value

This is one of only two papers to explicitly examine whether economic distance or geographical distance leads to significantly lower rental growth coefficients between locations in office markets and the first in the UK.
Linkages between cross-country business cycles, cross-country stock market cycles and cross-country real estate market cycles
Authors: Liow Kim Hiang
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This research aims to investigate whether and to what extent the co-movements of cross-country business cycles, cross-country stock market cycles and cross-country real estate market cycles are linked across G7 from February 1990 to June 2014.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical approaches include correlation analysis on Hodrick–Prescott (HP) cycles, HP cycle return spillovers effects using Diebold and Yilmaz’s (2012) spillover index methodology, as well as Crouxet al.’s (2001) dynamic correlation and cohesion methodology.

Findings

There are fairly strong cycle-return spillover effects between the cross-country business cycles, cross-country stock market cycles and cross-country real estate market cycles. The interactions among the cross-country business cycles, cross-country stock market cycles and cross-country real estate market cycles in G7 are less positively pronounced or exhibit counter-cyclical behavior at the traditional business cycle (medium-term) frequency band when “pure” stock market cycles are considered.

Research limitations/implications

The research is subject to the usual limitations concerning empirical research.

Practical implications

This study finds that real estate is an important factor in influencing the degree and behavior of the relationship between cross-country business cycles and cross-country stock market cycles in G7. It provides important empirical insights for portfolio investors to understand and forecast the differential benefits and pitfalls of portfolio diversification in the long-, medium- and short-cycle horizons, as well as for research studying the linkages between the real economy and financial sectors.

Originality/value

In adding to the existing body of knowledge concerning economic globalization and financial market interdependence, this study evaluates the linkages between business cycles, stock market cycles and public real estate market cycles cross G7 and adds to the academic real estate literature. Because public real estate market is a subset of stock market, our approach is to use an original stock market index, as well as a “pure” stock market index (with the influence of real estate market removed) to offer additional empirical insights from two key complementary perspectives.
Materiality and external assurance in corporate sustainability reporting
Authors: Jones Peter , Hillier David , Comfort Daphne
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purposes of this paper are to provide a preliminary examination of the extent to which Europe’s leading commercial property companies are embracing the concept of materiality and commissioning independent external assurance as part of their sustainability reporting processes and to offer some wider reflections on materiality and external assurance in sustainability reporting.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins with an introduction to corporate sustainability, an outline of the European property market and of the drivers for, and challenges to, sustainability for property companies and a review of the characteristics of materiality and external assurance. The information on which the paper is based is drawn from the leading European commercial property companies’ corporate websites.

Findings

The paper reveals that all of Europe’s leading property companies had either reported or provided information on sustainability but that only approximately half of these companies had embraced materiality or commissioned some form of independent external assurance as an integral part of their sustainability reporting processes. In many ways, this reduces the reliability and credibility of the leading property companies’ sustainability reports. Looking to the future, growing stakeholder pressure may force more of the leading European property companies to embrace materiality and commission external assurance as systematic and integral elements in the sustainability reporting process.

Originality/value

The paper provides an accessible review of the current status of materiality and external assurance among Europe’s leading commercial property companies’ sustainability reporting and as such it will interest professionals, practitioners, academics and students interested in the sustainability in the property industry.
The significance and performance of UK-REITs in a mixed-asset portfolio
Authors: Newell Graeme , Marzuki Muhammad Jufri Bin
Published: August 2016

Purpose

UK-Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are an important property investment vehicle, being the fourth largest REIT market globally. The purpose of this paper is to assess the significance, risk-adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits of UK-REITs in a mixed-asset portfolio over 2007−2014. The post-global financial crisis (GFC) recovery of UK-REITs is highlighted.

Design/methodology/approach

Using total monthly returns, the risk-adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits of UK-REITs over 2007–2014 are assessed. Efficient frontier and asset allocation diagrams are used to assess the role of UK-REITs in a mixed-asset portfolio. Sub-period analysis is used to assess the post-GFC recovery of UK-REITs.

Findings

UK-REITs delivered poor risk-adjusted returns compared to UK stocks over 2007–2014 with limited portfolio diversification benefits. However, since the GFC, UK-REITs have delivered strong risk-adjusted returns, but with continued limited portfolio diversification benefits with UK stocks. Importantly, this sees UK-REITs as strongly contributing to the UK mixed-asset portfolio across the portfolio risk spectrum in the post-GFC environment.

Practical implications

UK-REITs are a significant market at a European and global REIT level. The results highlight the major role of UK-REITs in a UK mixed-asset portfolio in the post-GFC context. The strong risk-adjusted performance of UK-REITs compared to UK stocks sees UK-REITs contributing to the mixed-asset portfolio across the portfolio risk spectrum. This is particularly important, as many investors (e.g. small pension funds, defined contribution [DC] funds) use UK-REITs to obtain their property exposure in a liquid format, as well as the increased importance of blended property portfolios of listed property and direct property.

Originality/value

This paper is the first published empirical research analysis of the risk-adjusted performance of UK-REITs and the role of UK-REITs in a mixed-asset portfolio. This research enables empirically validated, more informed and practical property investment decision-making regarding the strategic role of UK-REITs in a portfolio.
Agreement on service performance ratings between frontline employees and their supervisor
Authors: Kim Peter BeomCheol , Carlson Kevin D.
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether agreement between frontline employee self-ratings and supervisory ratings of service performance functions as an indicator of healthy supervisor-subordination relationships above and beyond what might be indicated simply by either supervisory ratings or self-ratings.

Design/methodology/approach

Research hypotheses were tested using a sample of 220 matched pairs of frontline service workers and their immediate supervisors from nine full service hotels in the USA.

Findings

The results show that higher levels of agreement in service performance ratings between employees and supervisors is associated with higher levels of leader-member exchange (LMX) and organizational commitment.

Practical implications

Senior managers can refer to the level of performance rating agreement between customer service employees and their supervisors in assessing supervisors’ competency to manage their work relationship with their subordinates.

Originality/value

This study examined rating agreement in a service performance context and found rating agreement between subordinates and their supervisor may have a unique effect on service worker effectiveness, producing a unique incremental effect on LMX and organizational commitment. This is important given that few attempts have been made to examine service performance from both subordinates’ and supervisors’ perspectives and the implication that rating agreement may have for improving employee service performance.
The service-profit chain in call centre services
Authors: Chicu Dorina , Valverde Mireia , Ryan Gerard , Batt Rosemary
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the explanatory power of the service-profit chain (SPC) model in a context that differs from its original conception. The authors do so by considering whether the main relationships it proposes apply in the context of call centre services, characterised by remote services and cost cutting business models.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were gathered from a survey of call centre management with a sample of 937 call centres from 14 countries. The analysis was carried out using structural equation modelling.

Findings

Findings reveal that the SPC model behaves somewhat differently in call centres. Although there is general support for most of the links in the model, the results indicate that customer satisfaction in the call centre industry is a separate outcome, rather than a precursor to company performance.

Research limitations/implications

As is common in most research of this type, the present study is based on cross-sectional data.

Practical implications

Managers would be well advised to keep in mind that even minimum investments in human capital can make a difference in customer satisfaction and company results.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine the main links in the SPC in non-traditional, non-face-to-face services. It demonstrates that the basic logic of the model is upheld, thus providing evidence that the boundaries of the SPC model may be further pushed in line with the peculiarities of the evolving service economy. Also, the authors make a methodological contribution by proposing a series of organisational level proxies for measuring elements of the chain that are typically assessed using individual level data that is expensive to gather.
Self-funded elder care and the Care Act 2014: insights from a qualitative study of family carers’ experiences
Authors: Mangano Alfia
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to look at family carers’ views and experiences of self-funded care for older people with an emphasis on attitudes to public intervention.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with family carers in a densely populated city in Northern England. Study participants were recruited according to a purposive sampling strategy; data analysis was based on a qualitative content analysis approach.

Findings

The paper concludes that it may not be straightforward for local authorities to engage with family carers as appropriate under the Care Act 2014. An issue is that family carers do not envisage an intervention of the local authority in circumstances involving the use of privately paid social services.

Research limitations/implications

Qualitative information gathered within a broad study of family carers’ views, attitudes and practices of care of dependent older people have been interpreted in the light of the provisions of the Care Act 2014 concerning self-funders. The qualitative approach and the limited number of study participants are issues with the generalisation of findings.

Originality/value

Only a handful of studies have attempted to look into family carers’ experiences of self-funded care and the paper aims to contribute to such limited literature. It also provides an evidence-based assessment of the challenges associated with the implementation of the Care Act 2014.
Do agri‐environment schemes result in improved water quality?
Authors: Jones J. Iwan , Murphy John F. , Anthony Steven G. , Arnold Amanda , Blackburn John H. , Duerdoth Chas P. , Hawczak Adrianna , Hughes Greg O. , Pretty James L. , Scarlett Peter M. , Gooday Richard D. , Zhang Yusheng S. , Fawcett Laura E. , Simpson Diane , Turner Anthony W. B. , Naden Pamela S. , Skates James
Published: August 2016

Improved water quality, through a reduction in diffuse pollution from agricultural sources, is an expected benefit of agri‐environment schemes, but this has yet to be demonstrated in practice. Here, we evaluate the impact of Welsh agri‐environment schemes on water quality and freshwater ecosystem condition through a combined monitoring and modelling framework.

To determine the influence of the agri‐environment schemes on ecosystem condition, spatially independent catchments dominated by a single scheme (>40% of catchment) were compared to control catchments dominated (>70%) by agricultural land that was not part of any scheme. Biological indicators of water quality were monitored at the outfall of each catchment and a spatially explicit modelling framework of diffuse pollutant emissions applied to each of the 80 catchments.

Direct comparison (scheme/non‐scheme) was unable to identify any significant effect of agri‐environment scheme participation. However, derived biological indicators that reflected organic pollution, eutrophication and pesticide run‐off were strongly correlated with modelled concentrations of corresponding diffuse pollutants, thus providing a ground‐truth for the models. Scenarios that assessed the correct counterfactuals (i.e. the influence of scheme entry on pollutant output) were developed for the whole of Wales. The models indicated an important effect of scheme entry on water quality, but this effect was not evenly distributed across the landscape.

Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate that agri‐environment schemes can deliver improvements in water quality, through a reduction in diffuse pollution from agricultural sources. However, it is not easy to demonstrate scheme effectiveness; the combination of field survey and modelling used here provides a framework for addressing these difficulties. A spatially targeted approach for agri‐environment scheme options to protect water resources from diffuse pollution is likely to be most effective at delivering water quality improvements.
Smoke gets in your eyes: what is sociological about cigarettes?
Authors: Marron Donncha
Published: August 2016

Contemporary public health approaches increasingly draw attention to the unequal social distribution of cigarette smoking. In contrast, critical accounts emphasize the importance of smokers’ situated agency, the relevance of embodiment and how public health measures against smoking potentially play upon and exacerbate social divisions and inequality. Nevertheless, if the social context of cigarettes is worthy of such attention, and sociology lays a distinct claim to understanding the social, we need to articulate a distinct, positive and systematic claim for smoking as an object of sociological enquiry. This article attempts to address this by situating smoking across three main dimensions of sociological thinking: history and social change; individual agency and experience; and social structures and power. It locates the emergence and development of cigarettes in everyday life within the project of modernity of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It goes on to assess the habituated, temporal and experiential aspects of individual smoking practices in everyday lifeworlds. Finally, it argues that smoking, while distributed in important ways by social class, also works relationally to render and inscribe it.
Why do Graffiti Writers Write on Murals? The Birth, Life, and Slow Death of Freeway Murals in Los Angeles
Authors: Bloch Stefano
Published: August 2016

For three decades graffiti writers have marked the Olympic Festival freeway murals painted in celebration of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (LA). These high‐profile murals, which once symbolized LA's status as the ‘Mural Capital of the World', became palimpsests on which graffiti writers painted their monikers, perhaps unwittingly contributing to their eventual destruction. Local government, muralists and residents have bemoaned the murals' slow death, though have not been able to identify or understand the motives for such vandalism, interpreting it as ‘mindless', ‘animalistic' vandalism perpetrated by ‘kids' who simply lack respect. I argue that the burial of these murals under layers of paint must be understood in the context of competing claims made to public space. Relying on rare personal interviews with the graffiti writers who participated in their destruction, I answer the question ‘Why do graffiti writers write on murals?', while situating the birth and life of the Olympic murals within a larger historical discussion aboutChicano/amural making, urbanization, freeway construction, and the growth of the graffiti subculture in the United States' paradigmatic global city.
Hospital Advertising, Competition, and HCAHPS: Does It Pay to Advertise?
Authors: Huppertz John W. , Bowman R. Alan , Bizer George Y. , Sidhu Mandeep S. , McVeigh Colleen
Published: August 2016

Objective

To test whether hospital advertising expenditures predict HCAHPS global ratings.

Data Sources/Study Setting

We examined media advertising expenditures by 2,142 acute care hospitals in 209 markets in the United States. Data on hospital characteristics, location, and revenue came from CMS reports; system ownership was obtained from the American Hospital Association. Advertising data came from Kantar Media. HCAHPS data were obtained from HospitalCompare.

Study Design

Regression models examined whether hospitals’ advertising spending predicts HCAHPS global measures and whether market concentration moderated this association.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Hospital advertising spending was calculated by adding each individual hospital's expenditures to the amount spent by its parent health system, proportionally allocated by hospital revenue. Health system market share was used to estimate market concentration. These data were compared to hospitals’ HCAHPS measures.

Principal Findings

In competitive markets (HHI below 1,000), hospital advertising predicted HCAHPS global measures. A 1‐percent increase in advertising was associated with a 1.173‐percent increase in patients rating the hospital a “9” or “10” on the HCAHPS survey and a 1.540‐percent increase in patients who “definitely” would recommend the hospital. In concentrated markets, this association was not significant.

Conclusions

In competitive markets, hospitals that spend more on advertising earn higher HCAHPS ratings on global measures.
Generating a Corpus of Mobile Forensic Images for Masquerading user Experimentation
Authors: Guido Mark , Brooks Marc , Grover Justin , Katz Eric , Ondricek Jared , Rogers Marcus , Sharpe Lauren
Published: August 2016

The Periodic Mobile Forensics (PMF) system investigates user behavior on mobile devices. It applies forensic techniques to an enterprise mobile infrastructure, utilizing an on‐device agent named TractorBeam. The agent collects changed storage locations for later acquisition, reconstruction, and analysis. TractorBeam provides its data to an enterprise infrastructure that consists of a cloud‐based queuing service, relational database, and analytical framework for running forensic processes. During a 3‐month experiment with Purdue University, TractorBeam was utilized in a simulated operational setting across 34 users to evaluate techniques to identify masquerading users (i.e., users other than the intended device user). The research team surmises that all masqueraders are undesirable to an enterprise, even when a masquerader lacks malicious intent. The PMF system reconstructed 821 forensic images, extracted one million audit events, and accurately detected masqueraders. Evaluation revealed that developed methods reduced storage requirements 50‐fold. This paper describes the PMF architecture, performance of TractorBeam throughout the protocol, and results of the masquerading user analysis.
Microbial bioinformatics 2020
Authors: Pallen Mark J.
Published: August 2016

Microbial bioinformatics in 2020 will remain a vibrant, creative discipline, adding value to the ever‐growing flood of new sequence data, while embracing novel technologies and fresh approaches. Databases and search strategies will struggle to cope and manual curation will not be sustainable during the scale‐up to the million‐microbial‐genome era. Microbial taxonomy will have to adapt to a situation in which most microorganisms are discovered and characterised through the analysis of sequences. Genome sequencing will become a routine approach in clinical and research laboratories, with fresh demands for interpretable user‐friendly outputs. The “internet of things” will penetrate healthcare systems, so that even a piece of hospital plumbing might have its own IP address that can be integrated with pathogen genome sequences. Microbiome mania will continue, but the tide will turn from molecular barcoding towards metagenomics. Crowd‐sourced analyses will collide with cloud computing, but eternal vigilance will be the price of preventing the misinterpretation and overselling of microbial sequence data. Output from hand‐held sequencers will be analysed on mobile devices. Open‐source training materials will address the need for the development of a skilled labour force. As we boldly go into the third decade of the twenty‐first century, microbial sequence space will remain the final frontier!
Next‐generation studies of microbial biofilm communities
Authors: Rice Scott A. , Wuertz Stefan , Kjelleberg Staffan
Published: August 2016

As we look into the future of microbial biofilm research, there is clearly an emerging focus on communities rather than populations. This represents an essential change in direction to more accurately understand how and why microorganisms assemble into communities, as well as the functional implications for such a life style. For example, current research studies shows that communities display emergent properties or functions that are not predicted from the individual single species populations, including elevated stress tolerance and resistance to antibiotics. Models for mixed species biofilms can be very simple, comprised only a handful of species or can be extremely species rich, with hundreds or thousands of species present. The future holds much promise for this area of research, where investigators will increasingly be able to resolve, at the molecular and biochemical levels, interspecies relationships and mechanisms of interaction. The outcome of these studies will greatly enhance our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary factors that drive community function in natural and engineered systems.
Integrating Seasonal Information on Nutrients and Benthic Algal Biomass into Stream Water Quality Monitoring
Authors: Konrad Christopher P. , Munn Mark D.
Published: August 2016

Benthic chlorophyll a (BChl a) and environmental factors that influence algal biomass were measured monthly from February through October in 22 streams from three agricultural regions of the United States. At‐site maximum BChl a ranged from 14 to 406 mg/m2 and generally varied with dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN): 8 out of 9 sites with at‐site median DIN >0.5 mg/L had maximum BChl a >100 mg/m2. BChl a accrued and persisted at levels within 50% of at‐site maximum for only one to three months. No dominant seasonal pattern for algal biomass accrual was observed in any region. A linear model with DIN, water surface gradient, and velocity accounted for most of the cross‐site variation in maximum chlorophyll a (adjusted R2 = 0.7), but was no better than a single value of DIN = 0.5 mg/L for distinguishing between low and high‐biomass sites. Studies of nutrient enrichment require multiple samples to estimate algal biomass with sufficient precision given the magnitude of temporal variability of algal biomass. An effective strategy for regional stream assessment of nutrient enrichment could be based on a relation between maximum BChl a and DIN based on repeat sampling at sites selected to represent a gradient in nutrients and application of the relation to a larger number of sites with synoptic nutrient information.