bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-trait mimicry and the relative salience of individual traits
Authors: Kazemi Baharan , Gamberale-Stille Gabriella , Leimar Olof
Published: October 2015

Mimicry occurs when one species gains protection from predators by resembling an unprofitable model species. The degree of mimic–model similarity is variable in nature and is closely related to the number of traits that the mimic shares with its model. Here, we experimentally test the hypothesis that the relative salience of traits, as perceived by a predator, is an important determinant of the degree of mimic–model similarity required for successful mimicry. We manipulated the relative salience of the traits of a two-trait artificial model prey, and subsequently tested the survival of mimics of the different traits. The unrewarded model prey had two colour traits, black and blue, and the rewarded prey had two combinations of green, brown and grey shades. Blue tits were used as predators. We found that the birds perceived the black and blue traits to be similarly salient in one treatment, and mimic–model similarity in both traits was then required for high mimic success. In a second treatment, the blue trait was the most salient trait, and mimic–model similarity in this trait alone achieved high success. Our results thus support the idea that similar salience of model traits can explain the occurrence of multi-trait mimicry.
‘Impact hunters’ catalyse cooperative hunting in two wild chimpanzee communities
Authors: Gilby Ian C. , Machanda Zarin P. , Mjungu Deus C. , Rosen Jeremiah , Muller Martin N. , Pusey Anne E. , Wrangham Richard W.
Published: October 2015

Even when hunting in groups is mutually beneficial, it is unclear how communal hunts are initiated. If it is costly to be the only hunter, individuals should be reluctant to hunt unless others already are. We used 70 years of data from three communities to examine how male chimpanzees ‘solve’ this apparent collective action problem. The ‘impact hunter’ hypothesis proposes that group hunts are sometimes catalysed by certain individuals that hunt more readily than others. In two communities (Kasekela and Kanyawara), we identified a total of five males that exhibited high hunt participation rates for their age, and whose presence at an encounter with red colobus monkeys increased group hunting probability. Critically, these impact hunters were observed to hunt first more often than expected by chance. We argue that by hunting first, these males dilute prey defences and create opportunities for previously reluctant participants. This by-product mutualism can explain variation in group hunting rates within and between social groups. Hunting rates declined after the death of impact hunter FG in Kasekela and after impact hunter MS stopped hunting frequently in Kanyawara. There were no impact hunters in the third, smaller community (Mitumba), where, unlike the others, hunting probability increased with the number of females present at an encounter with prey.
Genes, psychological traits and civic engagement
Authors: Dawes Christopher T. , Settle Jaime E. , Loewen Peter John , McGue Matt , Iacono William G.
Published: October 2015

Civic engagement is a classic example of a collective action problem: while civic participation improves life in the community as a whole, it is individually costly and thus there is an incentive to free ride on the actions of others. Yet, we observe significant inter-individual variation in the degree to which people are in fact civically engaged. Early accounts reconciling the theoretical prediction with empirical reality focused either on variation in individuals’ material resources or their attitudes, but recent work has turned to genetic differences between individuals. We show an underlying genetic contribution to an index of civic engagement (0.41), as well as for the individual acts of engagement of volunteering for community or public service activities (0.33), regularly contributing to charitable causes (0.28) and voting in elections (0.27). There are closer genetic relationships between donating and the other two activities; volunteering and voting are not genetically correlated. Further, we show that most of the correlation between civic engagement and both positive emotionality and verbal IQ can be attributed to genes that affect both traits. These results enrich our understanding of the way in which genetic variation may influence the wide range of collective action problems that individuals face in modern community life.
Collective action problem in heterogeneous groups
Authors: Gavrilets Sergey
Published: October 2015

I review the theoretical and experimental literature on the collective action problem in groups whose members differ in various characteristics affecting individual costs, benefits and preferences in collective actions. I focus on evolutionary models that predict how individual efforts and fitnesses, group efforts and the amount of produced collective goods depend on the group's size and heterogeneity, as well as on the benefit and cost functions and parameters. I consider collective actions that aim to overcome the challenges from nature or win competition with neighbouring groups of co-specifics. I show that the largest contributors towards production of collective goods will typically be group members with the highest stake in it or for whom the effort is least costly, or those who have the largest capability or initial endowment. Under some conditions, such group members end up with smaller net pay-offs than the rest of the group. That is, they effectively behave as altruists. With weak nonlinearity in benefit and cost functions, the group effort typically decreases with group size and increases with within-group heterogeneity. With strong nonlinearity in benefit and cost functions, these patterns are reversed. I discuss the implications of theoretical results for animal behaviour, human origins and psychology.
Dietary Breadth is Positively Correlated with Venom Complexity in Cone Snails
Authors: Phuong Mark A , Mahardika Gusti N , Alfaro Michael E
Published: October 2015

Although diet is believed to be a major factor underlying the evolution of venom, few comparative studies examine both venom composition and diet across a radiation of venomous species. Cone snails within the family, Conidae, comprise more than 700 species of carnivorous marine snails that capture their prey by using a cocktail of venomous neurotoxins (conotoxins or conopeptides). Venom composition across species has been previously hypothesized to be shaped by (a) prey taxonomic class (i.e., worms, molluscs, or fish) and (b) dietary breadth. We tested these hypotheses under a comparative phylogenetic framework using ecological data in conjunction with venom duct transcriptomes sequenced from 12 phylogenetically disparate cone snail species, including 10 vermivores (worm-eating), one molluscivore, and one generalist. We discovered 2223 unique conotoxin precursor peptides that encoded 1864 unique mature toxins across all species, >90% of which are new to this study. In addition, we identified two novel gene superfamilies and 16 novel cysteine frameworks. Each species exhibited unique venom profiles, with venom composition and expression patterns among species dominated by a restricted set of gene superfamilies and mature toxins. In contrast with the dominant paradigm for interpreting Conidae venom evolution, prey taxonomic class did not predict venom composition patterns among species. Our results suggests that cone snails have either evolved species-specific expression patterns likely as a consequence of the rapid evolution of conotoxin genes, or that traditional means of categorizing prey type (i.e., worms, mollusc, or fish) and conotoxins (i.e., by gene superfamily) do not accurately encapsulate evolutionary dynamics between diet and venom composition. We also found a significant positive relationship between dietary breadth and measures of conotoxin complexity. These results indicate that species with more generalized diets tend to have more complex venoms and utilize a greater number of venom genes for prey capture. Whether this increased gene diversity confers an increased capacity for evolutionary change remains to be tested. Overall, our results corroborate the key role of diet in influencing patterns of venom evolution in cone snails and other venomous radiations.
Adaptation to heavy-metal contaminated environments proceeds via selection on pre-existing genetic variation
Authors: Wright Kevin M. , Gaudinier Allison , Hellsten Uffe , Jeong Annie L. , Sreedasyam Avinash , Holalu Srinidhi , Vegara Miguel Flores , Carvajal Arianti Rojas , Xu Chenling , Chapman Jarrod A. , Franks Robert , Grimwood Jane , Barry Kerrie , Jenkins Jerry , Lovell John , Coop Graham , Schmutz Jeremy , Kelly John K. , Rokhsar Daniel S. , Blackman Benjamin K. , Willis John H.
Published: October 2015

Anthropogenic environmental changes create evolutionary pressures on populations to adapt to novel stresses. It is as yet unclear, when populations respond to these selective pressures, the extent to which this results in convergent genetic evolution and whether convergence is due to independent mutations or shared ancestral variation. We address these questions using a classic example of adaptation by natural selection by investigating the rapid colonization of the plant speciesMimulus guttatusto copper contaminated soils. We use field-based reciprocal transplant experiments to demonstrate that mine alleles at a major copper tolerance locus, Tol1, are strongly selected in the mine environment. We assemble the genome of a mine adapted genotype and identify regions of this genome in tight genetic linkage to Tol1. We discover a set of a multicopper oxidase genes that are genetically linked to Tol1 and exhibit large differences in expression between tolerant and non-tolerant genotypes. We overexpressed this gene inM. guttatusandA. thalianaand found the introduced gene contributes to enhanced copper tolerance. We identify convergent adaptation loci that are additional to Tol1 by measuring genome-wide differences in allele frequency between pairs of mine and off-mine populations and narrow these regions to specific candidate genes using differences in protein sequence and gene expression. Furthermore, patterns of genetic variation at the two most differentiated candidate loci are consistent with selection acting upon alleles that predates the existence of the copper mine habitat. These results suggest that adaptation to the mine habitat occurred via selection on ancestral variation, rather than independentde novomutations or migration between populations.
Elevation of linkage disequilibrium above neutral expectations in ancestral and derived populations ofDrosophila melanogaster
Authors: Garud Nandita R. , Petrov Dmitri A.
Published: October 2015

The extent to which selection and demography impact patterns of genetic diversity in natural populations ofDrosophila melanogasteris yet to be fully understood. We previously observed that the pattern of LD at scales of ~10 kb in the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP), consisting of 145 inbred strains from Raleigh, North Carolina, measured both between pairs of sites and as haplotype homozygosity, is elevated above neutral demographic expectations. Further, we demonstrated that signatures of strong and recent soft sweeps are abundant. However, the extent to which this pattern is specific to this derived and admixed population is unknown. Neither is it clear whether such a pattern may have arisen as a consequence of the extensive inbreeding performed to generate the DGRP data. Here we analyze > 100 fully sequenced strains from Zambia, an ancestral population to the Raleigh population, that has experienced little to no admixture and was generated by sequencing haploid embryos rather than inbred strains. This data set allows us to determine whether patterns of elevated LD and signatures of abundant soft sweeps are generic to multiple populations ofD. melanogasteror whether they are generated either by inbreeding, bottlenecks or admixture in the DGRP dataset. We find an elevation in long-range LD and haplotype homozygosity in the Zambian dataset, confirming the result from the DGRP data set. This elevation in LD and haplotype structure remains even after controlling for many sources of LD in the data including genomic inversions, admixture, population substructure, close relatedness of individual strains, and recombination rate variation. Furthermore, signatures of partial soft sweeps similar to those found in the DGRP are common in Zambia. These results suggest that while the selective forces and sources of adaptive mutations may differ in Zambia and Raleigh, elevated long-range LD and signatures of soft sweeps are generic inD. melanogaster.
A population-based temporal logic gate for timing and recording chemical events
Authors: Hsiao Victoria , Hori Yutaka , Rothemund Paul W.K. , Murray Richard M.
Published: October 2015

Single-cell bacterial sensors have numerous applications in human health monitoring, environmental chemical detection, and materials biosynthesis. Such bacterial devices need not only the capability to differentiate between combinations of inputs, but also the ability to process signal timing and duration. In this work, we present a two-input temporal logic gate that can sense and record the order of the inputs, the timing between inputs, and the duration of input pulses. The temporal logic gate design relies on unidirectional DNA recombination with bacteriophage integrases to detect and encode sequences of input events. When implemented in a chromosomally-modifiedE. colistrain, we can utilize stochastic single cell responses to predict overall heterogeneous population behavior. We show that a stochastic model can be used to predict final population distributions of thisE. colistrain, and thus that final differentiated sub-populations can be used to deduce the timing and duration of transient chemical events.
Evaluation of antimalarial properties from Azores deep-sea invertebrate extracts: a first contribution
Authors: Lino Silvia Patricia Pena , Machado Marta , Lopes Dinora , Rosario Virgilio do , Santos Ricardo S. , Colaco Ana
Published: October 2015

Several deep-sea marine invertebrates were collected from hydrothermal vents, seamounts and cold coral assemblages in the North Atlantic Ocean, near the Azores islands. The effect of their lipid crude extracts against two strains of malaria parasiteP. falciparum(Dd2 and 3D7) was measuredin vitroin order to establish the potential of these invertebrates as new sources for antimalarial compounds. Extracts that presented higher antimalarial activity potential were gorgonianCallogorgia verticillataand the hydrothermal vent shrimpMirocaris fortunata, presenting the lowest value of IC50 and the highest selectivity index for both evaluated stains. To our knowledge this is the first report on the antimalarial activity of crude lipid extracts considering species collected at depths higher then 100 m.
Xylem traits and growth phenology predict growth and mortality response to defoliation in temperate forests
Authors: Foster Jane R.
Published: October 2015

Defoliation outbreaks are biological disturbances that alter tree growth and mortality in temperate forests. Trees respond to defoliation in many ways; some recover rapidly, while others decline gradually or die. These differences may arise from species functional traits that constrain growth such as xylem anatomy, growth phenology or non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) storage, but this has not been shown. Although many studies address these phenomena, varied and idiosyncratic measures limit our ability to generalize and predict defoliation responses across species. I synthesized and translated published growth and mortality data into consistent standardized variables suitable for numerical models. I analyzed data from 32 studies, including 16 tree species and 10 defoliator systems from North America and Eurasia, and quantitatively compared responses to defoliation among species and tree functional groups using linear mixed-effects models.

Relative growth decreased linearly or curvilinearly as defoliation stress accumulated across species. Growth decreased by only 5-20% following 100% defoliation in ring-porousQuercus,whereas growth of diffuse-porous hardwoods and conifers declined by 50-100%. Mortality increased exponentially with defoliation, more rapidly forPinusand diffuse-porous species than forQuercusandAbies.Species-specific mixed models were best (R2c = 0.83-0.94), yet functional-group models lost little in terms of goodness-of-fit (R2c = 0.72-0.92), providing useful alternatives when species data is lacking. These responses are consistent with functional differences in wood growth phenology and NSC storage. Ring-porous spring xylem growth precedes budburst. Defoliators whose damage follows foliar development can only affect development of later wood. Growth of diffuse-porous and coniferous species responds more drastically, yet differences in NSC storage make them more vulnerable to mortality as stress accumulates. Ring-porous species resist defoliation-related changes in growth and mortality more than diffuse-porous and coniferous species. These findings apply in general to disturbances that cause spring defoliation and should be incorporated into forest vegetation models.
Evidence for Increasingly Variable Drought Conditions in the United States Since 1895
Authors: Rayne Sierra , Forest Kaya
Published: October 2015

Annual and summertime trends towards increasingly variable values of the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) over a sub-decadal period (five years) were investigated within the contiguous United States between 1895 and the present. For the contiguous U.S. as a whole, there is a significant increasing trend in the five-year running minimum-maximum ranges for the annual PDSI (aPDSI5yr(min|max range)). During this time frame, the averageaPDSI5yr(min|max range)has increased by about one full unit, indicating a substantial increase is drought variability over short time scales across the United States. The end members of the runningaPDSI5yr(min|max range)highlight even more rapid changes in the drought index variability within the past 120 years. This increasing variability in theaPDSI5yr(min|max range)is driven primarily by changes taking place in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean coastal climate regions, climate regions which collectively comprise one-third the area of the contiguous U.S. Overall, interannual drought patterns are becoming more extreme and difficult to predict, posing a challenge to agricultural and other water-resource related planning efforts.
Crystallographic identification of an unexpected by-product in an Ullman's reaction toward biphenyls: 1-(4-hexyloxy-3-hydroxyphenyl)ethanone
Authors: Manzano Veronica E. , Baggio Ricardo , Cukiernik Fabio D.
Published: October 2015

The synthesis of 3,3′-diacetoxy-4,4′-bis(hexyloxy)biphenyl following the nickel-modified Ullmann reaction yielded a by-product which was identified successfully by crystallographic analysis as 1-(4-hexyloxy-3-hydroxyphenyl)ethanone, C14H20O3. This unexpected nonbiphenyl by-product exhibited IR,1H NMR,13C NMR and COSY (correlation spectroscopy) spectra fully consistent with the proposed structure. The compound crystallized in the orthorombicPbcaspace group, with two independent formula units in the asymmetric unit (one of which was slightly disordered), and showed a supramolecular architecture in which molecules linked by hydroxy–ethanone O—H...O interactions are organized in columns separated by the aliphatic tails.
Regulatory capital and its effect on credit growth, non-performing loans and bank efficiency
Authors: Osei-Assibey Eric , Asenso Joseph Kwadwo
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the influence of the central bank’s regulatory capital on commercial banks specific performance outcomes such as credit supply, interest rate spread (as a measure of efficiency) and non-performing loans (NPLs).

Design/methodology/approach

– Using specific commercial bank-level panel data from 2002-2012, a system of equations was modeled that allows us to apply the system generalized methods of moment approach and estimate the equations, while controlling for specific bank level, industry and macroeconomic variables.

Findings

– The study finds a positive relationship between a net minimum capital ratio and the net interest margin. Although this is in contrast with the study expectations, the result suggests that a high net minimum capital requirement would widen the spread between the lending and saving rates. The study further finds evidence to support the fact that high minimum capital requirement and excess capital above the minimum required drive credit growth in the banking sector of Ghana. However, high excess capital increases risk-taking activities of the banks, as excess capital is found to be associated with high NPL ratios.

Practical implications

– Given the economic benefits and costs of sharply increasing bank regulatory capital, our results speak to the ongoing debates on the right level of capital, the effectiveness of the Bank of Ghana policy rate (PR) and the high lending rates that appear to respond only slowly to macroeconomic indicators such as the PR and the inflation rate. The finding also has practical implications for the adoption of the Basel III accord.

Originality/value

– The empirical literature has not paid enough attention to the impact of regulatory capital on the three specific bank-level outcomes – NPLs, interest rate spread and the nature of interrelationships among these variables, particularly in the African context.
Determinants of systemically important banks: the case of Europe
Authors: Kleinow Jacob , Nell Tobias
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the drivers of systemic risk and contagion among European banks from 2007 to 2012. The authors explain why some banks are expected to contribute more to systemic events in the European financial system than others by analysing the tail co-movement of banks’ security prices.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, the authors derive a systemic risk measure from the concepts of marginal expected shortfall and conditional value at risk analysing tail co-movements of daily bank stock returns. The authors then run panel regressions for the systemic risk measure using idiosyncratic bank characteristics and a set of country and policy control variables.

Findings

– The results comprise highly significant drivers of systemic risk in the European banking sector with important implications for research and banking regulation. Using a set of panel regressions, the authors identify bank size, asset and income structure, loss and liquidity coverage, profitability and several macroeconomic conditions as drivers of systemic risk.

Research limitations/implications

– Analysing the tail co-movement of security prices excludes a number of “smaller” institutions without publicly listed securities. The other shortfall is that we do not assess the systemic impact of non-bank financial institutions.

Practical implications

– Regulators have to consider a broad variety of indicators for assessing systemic risks. Existing microprudential-oriented rules are less effective, and policymakers may consider new measures like asset diversification to mitigate systemic risks in the banking system.

Originality/value

– The authors contribute to existing empirical analyses in three ways. First, they propose a method to identify systemically important banks (SIBs). Second, they develop two measures to assess their potential negative impact on the system. Third, they contribute to the closing of the research gaps by analysing which macroprudential regulations for SIBs are most effective without hampering free market forces.
Macroeconomic fundamentals and dynamics of the Indian rupee-dollar exchange rate
Authors: Sharma Chandan , Setia Rajat
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the relationship between Indian rupee-US dollar exchange rate and the macroeconomic fundamentals for the post-economic reform period.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors have used an empirical model which includes a range of important macroeconomic variables based on the basic monetary theories of exchange rate determination. At the first stage of the analysis, they have tested structural break in the data. Subsequently, they have employed the fully modified ordinary least square, Wald’s coefficient restriction and impulse response functions (IRF) to estimate the monetary model in the long- and short-run horizons.

Findings

– Results of analyses indicate that the macroeconomic fundamentals determine exchange rate in a significant way, but their effect varies sizably across the periods. The IRF illustrate the importance of interest rate in controlling exchange rate volatility.

Practical implications

– The analysis of the behavior of inter-relationship among macroeconomic variables will help policymakers in a deep-rooted understanding of this complex and time-varying relationship.

Originality/value

– Most of the existing studies have tested the impact of a single or a few macroeconomic fundamentals on exchange rate. But in the present study, we have tested the impact of a range of important variables, i.e. money supply, real income or output, price level and trade balance. Further, considering the importance of structural breaks in data, they authors have employed standard tests of structural break and incorporated the issue in the cointegration analysis.
Banks under X-rays: business model choices and trading
Authors: Campolongo Francesca , Cariboni Jessica , Ndacyayisenga Nathalie , Pagano Andrea
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to do an empirical analysis assessing whether banks highly involved into trading activities show specific business model choices. Key factors in the analysis are a proper measure for trading activities and a consistent classification of banks in terms of business choices.

Design/methodology/approach

– We investigate three measures for trading activities proposed by regulators in the context of bank structural reform in Europe. Through robust statistics we identify the key trading players and classify banks into a limited number of business model clusters, relying on a set of balance sheet and income statement indicators.

Findings

– Using a sample of 100 European banks in 2007-2012, results show that the measures identify similar, but not identical, sets of banks highly involved into trading. The measure proposed by the European Commission selects fewer banks and is more consistent over time. The business model analysis identifies six rather stable clusters, from small-medium retail-focused banks to very large investment groups. The measures coherently identify as key trading players the largest investment groups and select very few retailed focused banks. Differences among measures arise for very large retail-diversified and medium/large wholesale banks.

Originality/value

– These results could feed the debate on which measures for trading regulators could consider depending on the target of the reform they would implement. For instance we show that the measure proposed by the European Commission selects less well capitalized retail-diversified banks compared to the others.
“It takes fire to make steel”
Authors: Hines Erik M. , Borders L. DiAnne , Gonzalez Laura M.
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to understand the asset and success factors that contributed to college completion of African American males who persisted through college. Only a dismal 22 per cent of African American males receive bachelor’s degrees compared to 41 per cent of White males (Kenaet al., 2015).

Design/methodology/approach

– The data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. The authors interviewed two first-generation African-American males from rural backgrounds to capture their experiences of their process to college completion.

Findings

– Themes, based in cultural capital theory, that impacted their college persistence were identified within their pre-college experiences, college experiences and post-college perceptions. Recommendations for helping rural African-American males attend and persist through college are offered.

Research limitations/implications

– Only two participants from one predominately white institution in the southeastern USA were interviewed. Rural students from other geographical areas might have different backgrounds, challenges, assets and successes. Although the interview questions were based on relevant literature, they may not have covered all key aspects of the participants’ experiences. As in any qualitative study, biases of the researchers and research team may have influenced the results, although these were identified and shared before reading any of the transcripts and then discussed several times during the data analysis process.

Practical implications

– Educators not only should try to address the cultural capital limitations of these men but also highlight and build on their cultural assets. These assets include familial and platonic individuals who see their potential for success and encourage them to attend college to become something better than what they see in their community, reverse role models who encourage youth to make different choices than they did, media-based examples of successful Black students, cultural messages of strength and determination (e.g. Million Man March) and the exhortation to be an example that other African-American boys could look up to.

Originality/value

– This paper addresses the need for K-12 and higher education institutions to understand how to assist first-generation, rural African-American males in getting admitted to college, matriculating through college and graduating from college.
The examination of courses in the teacher education programs in terms of multicultural education
Authors: Arsal Zeki
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The aim of this study is to examine the pedagogy courses of teacher education programs implemented in two universities in Turkey and the USA in terms of multicultural education. The teaching practices in the pedagogy courses of teacher education programs in the USA might have multicultural education principles, and they could be models for teacher educators in Turkey. In addition, this study can contribute to the cross-cultural studies on teacher education between the USA and Turkey.

Design/methodology/approach

– Ten teacher educators participated in the study; all of them had experience in teaching pedagogy courses in the early childhood teacher education program. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The open-ended questions were related to objectives, content, teaching methods and activities. Assessment procedures and methods were also asked from the participants to evaluate their teaching experiences in terms of multicultural education. Thematic analysis was used to examine data of the study.

Findings

– The results of the study revealed that there were differences between the objectives, content, teaching process and assessment methods of the courses in the teacher education programs in Turkey and the USA in terms of multicultural education. The results of this study revealed that the objectives, content, teaching process and assessment methods planned and implemented by teacher educators in the USA are more multicultural and multiethnic when compared with their counterparts in Turkey.

Originality/value

– This study can contribute to the cross-cultural studies on teacher education between the USA and Turkey.
Pre-service teachers’ preparedness for teaching multicultural students
Authors: Magogwe Joel M. , Ketsitlile Lone E.
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study was to find out if colleges of education in Botswana were preparing teachers to meet the diverse needs of prospective students in primary schools, and what were the teachers’ attitudes toward teaching such students.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study used questionnaire and interview methods to collect information from the students of a college of education in Botswana, who were undertaking teaching practices in various primary schools at the time of their study.

Findings

– The findings of this study show that the pre-service teachers were aware of multiculturalism in schools, but were not prepared by their colleges of education to teach culturally diverse students.

Research limitations/implications

– The implication is that colleges of education should design programs that adequately prepare teachers to better meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students in formal education to achieve true democracy in education.

Originality/value

– This study is essential in Botswana because multiculturalism seems to be lacking in the Botswana education system. Mokgosi and Jotia (2013) are concerned that the Botswana curricular lacks diversity in approach and is geared toward addressing the needs of the mainstream in Botswana society. In the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the few (if any) studies that explores pre-service teachers’ preparedness for teaching multicultural students.
Partnerships: the engaged university and library publishing
Authors: Cruz Laura , Fleming Rachel
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to delineate a model of library publishing, the library as publishing partner, that reflects the diversity of institutions in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

– The model is based on a particular case, but also on the integration of literature on institutional theory, emerging scholarships and library science.

Findings

– The paper argues that increasing diversity in higher education requires us to think creatively and strategically about different models for library publishing. The library as publishing partner model is presented as an alternative to a one-size-fits-all model based on the experience of research institutions.

Research limitations/implications

– The library as publishing partner model is intended to spark further research and conversations about models for other institutional types.

Practical implications

– The library as publishing partner model has potential applications at other public comprehensive institutions (or those with similar missions).

Social implications

– The library as publishing partner model is intended to combat the tendency in higher education toward academic drift and to contribute to an increasingly diverse landscape in higher education.

Originality/value

– This paper presents an original model, the library as publishing partner, but also argues for an original perspective, in which academic libraries at different types of institutions can be constructively differentiated from each other.
Understanding the role of argument quality in the adoption of online reviews
Authors: Xu Xi , Yao Zhong
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a research model that examines the effect of argument quality and argument perspective on the adoption of online reviews in a value-based decision model. In addition, the paper investigates the moderating effects of argument quality from needs theory.

Design/methodology/approach

– To validate the research model, a questionnaire survey was conducted in the Chinese online shopping context. Hypotheses were tested using partial least squares analysis on a data set of 208 online consumers.

Findings

– The results suggest that argument quality and argument perspective have positive impacts on perceived value, further influencing the adoption of online reviews. Moreover, the results confirm that the information credibility and quantity sufficiency of online reviews are positively associated with argument quality. The findings also indicate that argument quality mediates the relationship between argument perspective and perceived value.

Originality/value

– This work contributes to the literature by employing a value-based decision model to study the adoption of online reviews in the online shopping context, as well as the moderating effect of argument quality on the argument perspective to perceived value. The main conclusions of this study can be valuable to online marketing managers.
Preparation and characterisation of novel cross-linked poly (IBOMA-BA-DFMA) latex
Authors: Chen Lijun , Bao Zhongbin , Fu Zhengrong , Li Wen
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this research was to synthesize a novel cross-linked latex copolymerised by butyl acrylate (BA), isobornyl methacrylate (IBOMA), hydroxy propyl methacrylate (HPMA) and dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DFMA). IBOMA is a very useful functional monomer. Its molecular structure not only contains bornyl acetate alkoxy but also includes a double bond, which can be copolymerised with other unsaturated monomers via free radical polymerization. The large nonpolar bicyclic alkyl in bornyl acetate alkoxy offers the polymer chain strong space steric protection, which endows the polymer with some special properties.

Design/methodology/approach

– The semi-continuous seeded emulsion polymerisation technology was adopted to copolymerise BA, IBOMA, HPMA and DFMA in the water phase, which was initiated with potassium persulfate (KPS) and emulsified with the mixed surfactants of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and OP-10.

Findings

– The particle size of the latex decreases with an increase in the amount of IBOMA. All the latexes have good mechanical stability and calcium ion stability. The latex has good film-forming property when the IBOMA amount is controlled moderately. The optimal IBOMA amount is 10.00 g. The thermal stability and water resistance of the film are improved.

Practical implications

– The latexes can be applied as a binder of coatings and adhesions.

Originality/value

– The effect of the amount of IBOMA and BA on the properties of the resultant latex and its film were investigated in detail. In comparison with the latexes copolymerised without IBOMA, the novel latex has better thermal stability and water resistance.
Spectrally selective nano-absorber pigments
Authors: Abdel-Mohsen Fawzia Fahim , Emira Hassan Salah Aly
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study was to prepare colour pigments for use as spectrally selective coatings for solar absorbers.

Design/methodology/approach

– Nano-particles cobalt and nickel oxides were prepared by sol–gel techniques. These oxides were prepared with its molar ratios and annealed at 200, 400, 600 and 800°C. The structure of the pigments was characterized by infrared spectrometer, differential scanning calorimetry analysis, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope.

Findings

– Encapsulated cobalt and nickel oxides were completely formed at 800 and 600°C, and its colour was black and dark green, respectively. The results confirmed that black and green pigments combined selectivity with colour. Optical properties such as absorption and reflection were affected by the firing temperatures on cobalt and nickel oxides–gel polymers. All synthesized pigments consisted of nano-particles.

Research limitations/implications

– The prepared samples used in the present work were synthesized from cobalt chloride and nickel acetate. The salts were dispersed in polyacrylamide as a precursor.

Practical implications

– The prepared metal oxides had good solar properties.

Originality/value

– Colour becomes more important for thermal solar collectors, and it has attracted interest. This might be related to a generally growing attention towards architectural integration of solar energy systems into building. Architects would prefer different colours besides black, even if lower efficiency would have to be accepted.
Electrochemical behaviour of acetyl G as corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in acid medium
Authors: Sangeetha Y. , Meenakshi S. , Sairam Sundaram C.
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in 1 M HCl.

Design/methodology/approach

– A pharmaceutical drug acetyl G was investigated for its corrosion inhibition efficiency using weight loss method, potentiodynamic polarisation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

Findings

– The inhibition efficiency increased with increase in inhibitor concentration. Results from polarisation studies revealed mixed type of inhibition. Impedance studies, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform spectroscopy confirm the adsorption of inhibitor on the mild steel surface.

Research limitations/implications

– The drug acetyl G has sulphur and nitrogen atoms which effectively block the corrosion of mild steel and is non-toxic and has good inhibition efficiency.

Practical implications

– This method provides an excellent, non-toxic and cost-effective material as a corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in acid medium.

Originality/value

– Application of this drug as a corrosion inhibitor has not been reported yet in the literature. Replacing the organic inhibitors, this green inhibitor shows excellent inhibition efficiency. This is adsorbed excellently on the mild steel surface due to the presence of long chain and hetero atoms. Thus, the drug retards the corrosion reaction.
Synthesis of a novel tetrakisazo navy-blue reactive dye based on DSD acid and its synergistic blackening property
Authors: Gao Aiqin , Zhang Hongjuan , Xie Kongliang
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to synthesise a tetrakisazo reactive dye and to characterise its dyeing property to meet the demand for better black reactive dyes.

Design/methodology/approach

– The novel tetrakisazo navy-blue reactive dye based on 4,4′-diaminostilbene-2,2′-disulphonic acid was designed and synthesized. The dyeing behaviour of it on cotton fabric was discussed. The synergistic blackening effect and absorbance spectra were investigated by absorbance and reflectance spectra, K/S and colorimetric data.

Findings

– The exhaustion and fixation of the designed reactive dye were higher than 20 per cent than those of the commercial reactive dye, CI Reactive Black 5. The novel reactive dye has complementary with Reactive Red SPB and Reactive Yellow C-5R in absorbance spectra from 360 to 700 nm. Three reactive dyes had synergistic effect in colour deepening properties. The dyed cotton fabric possessed high K/S value and low reflectance in the whole visual spectrum range from 360 to 700 nm.

Practical implications

– Comparison with the commercial Reactive Black DN-RN, the blackness of the dyed fabrics with the mixture dyes was greatly improved and the fastness properties on cotton fabrics were also good.

Originality/value

– The paper is an original research work. Because the mixture dyes had better blackness and good fastness properties, it would have wide application in the dyeing of cotton fabric.
The preparation and application of CTBN modified epoxy adhesive
Authors: Liu Lizhu , Zhang Hong , Zhang Nan , Weng Ling
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of two epoxy ratio and carboxyl-terminated butadiene solid rubber (CTBN) content on adhesive and flexible copper clad laminate (FCCL) performance. The epoxy adhesive used for FCCL was prepared with epoxy resin of 901 and 6128 as matrix and CTBN as toughener.

Design/methodology/approach

– The epoxy adhesive was prepared with epoxy resin as matrix, CTBN as toughener and 4,4′-diamino diphenyl sulfone as curing agent in solvent of butanone by mechanical agitation. The adhesives were cast on the polyimide film; subsequently, the polyimide film was dried at 160°C for 3 min to remove the solvent. Then, it was laminated with copper foil at 180°C with the pressure of 12 MPa for 3 min. The FCCL was obtained after heating for 3 h in a vacuum oven at 160°C. The structure and dielectric properties of cured adhesive, surface morphology of peeling FCCL and mechanical properties of FCCL were determined.

Findings

– CTBN was found to react with the epoxy resin during the curing process, with the rubber phase being precipitated and dispersed in the epoxy matrix. The relative dielectric constant and the dielectric loss tangent slightly increased with increasing CTBN content. The peeling strength of FCCL increased accompanied by a decrease of folding resistance with the increase of 901 content. Further, with the addition of XNBR, the peel strength of FCCL increased, as well as the folding resistance of FCCL, but at a higher XNBR level of 20 weight per cent, the folding resistance of FCCL tended to decrease.

Research limitations/implications

– In the study reported here, the effects of different epoxy resin molecular weight and CTBN content were investigated. Results of this research could benefit in-depth understanding of the influence of epoxy resin molecular weight and CTBN content on adhesive performance and could further promote the development of epoxy adhesive.

Practical implications

– The adhesion of epoxy adhesive prepared from epoxy resin with different molecular weight and CTBN increased, leading to the increase in peeling strength and folding resistance of FCCL.

Social implications

– The peeling strength of FCCL increased as the adhesion strength of epoxy adhesive increased by adding CTBN, making FCCL widely applicable.

Originality/value

– The mechanical properties of epoxy adhesive were increased by adding CTBN. The effects of CTBN on the microstructure and properties of FCCL were discussed in detail.
Borderlands: traversing spaces between art making and research
Authors: MacDonald Abbey , Moss Timothy
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to offer a picture of the relationship the researchers perceive between the art and research practices, unravelling the ways the authors shape and inform enactment of a purposeful nexus between art making and research.

Design/methodology/approach

– A hybridised methodology is adopted, where methods integral to narrative inquiry and a/r/tography are drawn together to generate a series of “pictures” of the interplay between research and artistry. Through exploration of critical events, creative prose and artefacts, the paper unfolds the parallels perceived and tensions encountered between the approaches to making art and conducting research.

Findings

– Borders can create a sense of calm and safety in allowing us to organise and contain information or matter, but they are also provocative in their potential to be crossed. Through this work, the authors chart the borders of the art making and research, and how, why and when these borders might be traversed to augment the integrity of both practices. In unfolding and examining the experiences and the perceptions thereof, the authors articulate ways in which the authors find arts practice to enrich and inhibit the research, and vice versa.

Originality/value

– Of particular value in this paper is the way in which the authors not only tell of the experiences as artists and researchers, but also show these experiences through a/r/tographic methods. As such this paper presents an approach to research that is generative, suggesting rather than concluding and challenging rather than resolving, and ultimately offering multiple avenues for artistic and analytic insight.