bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The elusive transpositions
Authors: Lamarche Jean-Baptiste
Published: November 2017

Freud’s canonical account portrays the birth of psychoanalysis as the result of an inner observation of oneself located beyond the reach of social requirements. Yet an account of psychoanalytic theory that locates it in the context of the relationships in which it is used shows that the image of the intrapersonal relationship created by this theory, is actuallya transposition of an interpersonal relationship: the portraying of an intrapersonal relationship thus offers a way to define a situation of interaction between social partners. This transposition allows different strategies of actions, which organize interactions by gauging them against norms of modern ‘contractual’ societies. In this way, the situational and dialogical account developed here locates psychoanalysis in its historical and social context.
Enhancing curricula and learning environments using critical realist perspectives and approaches: a case study and critique
Authors: Withell Andrew , Haigh Neil
Published: November 2017

While critical realist (CR) ontological and epistemological perspectives and research approaches are becoming more widely adopted by higher education researchers, the scope of research is relatively limited, and novice researchers in the area still struggle to create rich, in‐depth, and critical accounts of these approaches ‘in action’. This article provides an account of teacher‐researchers’ exploration of these perspectives in the context of an important aspect their everyday teaching practice – the design of effective curricula and learning environments. The context is research that focused on the design, evaluation, and enhancement of learning environments intended to facilitate students’ development of design thinking expertise. The article outlines the researchers’ CR paradigm positioning and implications for methodologies used to gather, analyse, and theorise data about the response of design and business students to three iterations of a design thinking learning environment. The research involved action research that integrated survey, case study, and theorising methodologies. Examples of data, analyses, and explanatory theory are provided to give insights into specific research tasks and their outcomes. Possible explanations for the findings and their implications for attempts to enhance the learning environment are considered from a CR perspective along with challenges that deploying these approaches may entail.
Higher colonization pressure increases the risk of sustaining invasion by invasive non-indigenous species
Authors: MacIsaac Hugh J. , Johansson Mattias L.
Published: November 2017

Considerable attention has been focused on the concept of Propagule Pressure (number of individuals introduced and introduction events) as a predictor of invasion success (975 papers). Much less well studied is the role of Colonization Pressure (number of species introduced; 24 studies), the complement of propagule pressure. Here we review the invasion history of the Laurentian Great Lakes to predict the risk of a future invasive (i.e. producing adverse ecological effects on other species) non-indigenous species based upon the number of species introduced (colonization pressure), using the recorded history of invasions in this system as our starting point. Historically, 52% of the fishes that were introduced and became established in the Great Lakes were subsequently identified in the literature as invasive, whereas the value for invertebrates (16%) was much lower. Assuming future invaders have similar invasion attributes as those already present, the risk of getting at least one high impact species is positively and asymptotically related to the number of species introduced, though the rate is substantially higher for fishes than for invertebrates. Our study provides support for the contention that managers ought to focus initially on vectors transmitting multiple species when attempting to prevent invasion of their system by species likely to become problematic.
‘We Refuse to be Enemies’: Political Geographies of Violence and Resistance in Palestine
Authors: Seidel Timothy
Published: November 2017

The political and economic geography of occupied Palestinian territory presents significant constraints to the livelihoods of Palestinian families. And yet the story of many Palestinian families is one not of resignation but of steadfastness and resistance. This article explores this as an important example of civil resistance. It begins by building a theoretical case for giving greater attention to the constitutive role of marginalised people in the production of concepts and practices of civil resistance claiming that this helps us identify overlooked and seemingly everyday practices of colonised groups. Next it explores the case of one Palestinian family farm in the west Bethlehem village of Nahhalin as an example of alternative imagined geographies and communities that present a refusal to Israeli colonial occupation. It argues that this refusal is an expression of civil resistance that constitutes a counter-map that rejects Israel's settler-colonial map of their farmland by refusing to leave, and that rejects the violence of the state and its claims to sovereignty by ‘refusing to be enemies’.
Constructive Resistance in Northern Kurdistan: Exploring the Peace, Development and Resistance Nexus
Authors: Koefoed Minoo
Published: November 2017

Cultural and linguistic repression of Kurdish ethnic identity rests at the heart of the conflict between the Turkish state and the Kurdish movement in Turkey's Kurdish region, also known as Northern Kurdistan. Inspired by Peet and Hartwick's conceptualisation of alternative development, combined with Gandhi's idea of the constructive programme and Galtung's conceptualisation of positive peace, this article investigates intersections between peace, development and resistance. The discussion is informed and developed by illuminating two empirical cases of what will be argued should be seen as ‘constructive resistance’ conducted by the Kurdish movement. Both cases seek to undermine repressive Turkish assimilation policies. This article shows how social movements, through constructive resistance practices, can be understood as central actors in processes of social and political transformation, termed ‘self-organised development’.
The April Uprising: How a Nonviolent Struggle Explains the Transformation of Armed Conflict in Nepal
Authors: Subedi D.B. , Bhattarai Prakash
Published: November 2017

A plethora of literature explains how armed conflicts terminate in nonviolent political settlements. However, little is known about how and why nonviolence functions as a mechanism of conflict transformation. Using the case study of the 2006 April Uprising (Jana Andolan II) in Nepal, this paper shows how the nonviolent struggle was a vehicle for the termination of the armed conflict that ravaged the country for a decade (1996–2006). The collaboration between the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and the Communist Party of Nepal Maoist (CPNM), erstwhile enemies, led to nonviolent collective action, driven by the convergence of interests of these two key actors towards fighting a common enemy: the royal Palace. The paper argues that the nonviolent struggle also transformed strategies, attitudes and behaviour of key actors, including the CPNM, which ultimately transformed conflict issues into peace issues and induced structural changes in the long run. Thus the processes of actor transformation, issue transformation and structural transformation catalysed by the April Uprising explain why and how the nonviolent struggle functioned as a catalyst for the termination of the armed conflict.
‘Living between Two Lions’: Civilian Protection Strategies during Armed Violence in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Suarez Carla
Published: November 2017

This article examines how civilians assess, negotiate with, and in some cases deceive armed actors in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It demonstrates that civilians not only navigate the precarious and unpredictable conditions within armed conflict, but also exploit these conditions to improve their security situations. The ‘self-protection’ strategies analysed aim to prevent, mitigate and confront violent threats that civilians encounter in their daily lives. This article argues that civilian self-protection strategies are especially prevalent in contexts marked as ‘no peace – no war’. Characterised by prolonged and low intensity violence, ‘no peace – no war’ contexts shape civilian self-protection strategies in three ways. First, civilians often develop a sophisticated understanding of the actors involved and the patterns of violence that unfold. Second, civilians often learn what particular strategies are most likely to be successful, typically through trial and error. Third, civilians have often become sceptical and cynical about international actors and activities. Understanding what actions civilians take to protect themselves, their families, and their communities is critical for the international community's role in peacemaking and peacebuilding.
Brauer correspondent blocks with one simple module
Authors: Navarro Gabriel , Tiep Pham , Vallejo Carolina
Published: November 2017

One of the main problems in representation theory is to understand the exact relationship between Brauer corresponding blocks of finite groups. The case where the local correspondent has a unique simple module seems key. We characterize this situation for the principal

p
p

-blocks where

p
p

is odd.
RecoverY: k-mer-based read classification for Y-chromosome-specific sequencing and assembly
Authors: Rangavittal Samarth , Harris Robert S , Cechova Monika , Tomaszkiewicz Marta , Chikhi Rayan , Makova Kateryna D , Medvedev Paul
Published: November 2017

Motivation

The haploid mammalian Y chromosome is usually under-represented in genome assemblies due to high repeat content and low depth due to its haploid nature. One strategy to ameliorate the low coverage of Y sequences is to experimentally enrich Y-specific material before assembly. As the enrichment process is imperfect, algorithms are needed to identify putative Y-specific reads prior to downstream assembly. A strategy that uses k-mer abundances to identify such reads was used to assemble the gorilla Y. However, the strategy required the manual setting of key parameters, a time-consuming process leading to sub-optimal assemblies.

Results

We develop a method, RecoverY, that selects Y-specific reads by automatically choosing the abundance level at which a k-mer is deemed to originate from the Y. This algorithm uses prior knowledge about the Y chromosome of a related species or known Y transcript sequences. We evaluate RecoverY on both simulated and real data, for human and gorilla, and investigate its robustness to important parameters. We show that RecoverY leads to a vastly superior assembly compared to alternate strategies of filtering the reads or contigs. Compared to the preliminary strategy used by Tomaszkiewicz et al., we achieve a 33% improvement in assembly size and a 20% improvement in the NG50, demonstrating the power of automatic parameter selection.

Availability and implementation

Our tool RecoverY is freely available at https://github.com/makovalab-psu/RecoverY.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Depression symptoms as mediators of inequalities in self-reported health: the case of Southern European elderly
Authors: Leão T , Perelman J
Published: November 2017

Background

Inequalities in the distribution of self-reported health (SRH) have been widely reported. Its higher expressivity among women, elderly and least educated groups has been partly attributed to differences in their health perceptions. However, this subjectivity may be masking the burden of mental illness in these groups. Thus, we sought to understand if depression symptoms mediate inequalities in SRH.

Methods

SHARE waves 4 and 6, pertaining to Spain, Italy and Portugal, were used (n2011 = 8517, n2015 = 11 046). Inequalities in SRH were calculated, comparing the risk amongst education level, gender and age groups, adjusting for chronic diseases, functional limitations and country fixed effects. We then tested depression symptoms as mediators.

Results

Depression symptoms were associated with poor SRH (odds ratio (OR)2011 = 1.379, OR2015 = 1.384, P < 0.001). Their inclusion reduced the magnitude of the association between SRH and education, annulled the statistical significance for age, and reversed the gender effect. As expected, chronic diseases and functional limitations remained significant predictors of poor SRH.

Conclusions

Depression symptoms, together with chronic diseases and functional limitations, explain the poorer SRH of the least educated, female and older groups in the Southern European population. Therefore, tackling inequalities in SRH must require focusing on mental health issues, which disproportionately affect the most vulnerable groups.
Evaluation of a Model for Predicting the Infection Risk of Squash and Cantaloupe by Pseudoperonospora cubensis
Authors: Neufeld Katie N. , Keinath Anthony P. , Ojiambo Peter S.
Published: November 2017

Infection risk models of downy mildew of cucumber caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis were evaluated for their performance in predicting the infection risk of squash and cantaloupe plants under field conditions. Experiments were conducted from 2012 to 2014 in Clayton, NC and Charleston, SC, where disease-free potted plants were exposed to weather conditions during a 24- and 48-h period (hereafter 24- and 48-h models, respectively) within a plot with naturally occurring inoculum. Exposed plants were subsequently placed in a growth chamber where they were monitored for disease symptoms, which was indicative of a successful infection. Disease severity was assessed after 7 days as the proportion of leaf area with disease symptoms. Two predictor variables, day temperature and hours of relative humidity >80% during each exposure were used as inputs to generate model predictions that were compared with observed data. The threshold probability on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve that minimized the overall error rate for the 24-h model was 0.85 for both squash and cantaloupe. The 24-h model was consistently more accurate than the 48-h model in predicting the infection risk for the two hosts. The accuracy of the 24-h model as estimated using area under ROC curve ranged from 0.75 to 0.81, with a correct classification rate ranging from 0.69 to 0.74 across the two hosts. Specificity rates for the model ranged from 0.81 to 0.84, while the sensitivity rates ranged from 0.58 to 0.67. Optimal decisions thresholds (POT) developed based on estimates of economic damage and costs of management showed that POT was dependent on the probability of disease occurrence, with the benefit of using the 24-h model for making management decisions being greatest at low levels of probability of disease occurrence. This 24-h model, previously developed using cucumber as the host, resulted in accurate estimates of the daily infection risk of squash and cantaloupe and could potentially be useful when incorporated into a decision support tool to guide fungicide applications to manage downy mildew in these other cucurbit host types.
Tracing cellular heterogeneity in pooled genetic screens via multi-level barcoding
Authors: Boettcher Michael , Covarrubias Sergio , Biton Anne , Blau James A , Wang Haopeng , Zaitlen Noah , McManus Michael T
Published: November 2017

While pooled loss- and gain-of-function screening approaches have become increasingly popular to systematically investigate mammalian gene function, they have thus far ignored the fact that cell populations are heterogeneous. Here we introduce multi-level barcoded sgRNA libraries to (i) monitor differences in the behavior of multiplexed clonal cell lines, (ii) trace sub-clonal lineages of cells expressing the same sgRNA, (iii) derive in-sample screen replicates and (iv) reduce the number of cells and sequencing read counts required to reach statistical significance. Using our approach, we illustrate how clonal heterogeneity impairs the results of pooled genetic screens and demonstrate the ability of multi-level barcoding to resolve cellular heterogeneity related issues.
Elevated polygenic burden for autism is associated with differential DNA methylation at birth
Authors: Hannon Eilis , Schendel Diana , Ladd-Acosta Christine , Grove Jakob ,   iPSYCH-Broad ASD Group, Hansen Christine Søholm , Andrews Shan V. , Hougaard David Michael , Bresnahan Michaeline , Mors Ole , Hollegaard Mads Vilhelm , Bækvad-Hansen Marie , Hornig Mady , Mortensen Preben Bo , Børglum Anders D. , Werge Thomas , Pedersen Marianne Giørtz , Nordentoft Merete , Buxbaum Joseph , Fallin M Daniele , Bybjerg-Grauholm Jonas , Reichenberg Abraham , Mill Jonathan
Published: November 2017

Background

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities. The etiology of ASD involves both inherited and environmental risk factors, with epigenetic processes hypothesized as one mechanism by which both genetic and non-genetic variation influence gene regulation and pathogenesis.

Methods

We quantified neonatal methylomic variation in 1,263 infants - of whom ~50% went on to subsequently develop ASD – using DNA isolated from a unique collection of archived blood spots taken shortly after birth. We used matched genetic data from the same individuals to examine the molecular consequences of ASD genetic risk variants, identifying methylomic variation associated with elevated polygenic burden for ASD. In addition, we performed DNA methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTL) mapping to prioritize target genes from ASD GWAS findings.

Results

Although we did not identify specific loci showing consistent changes in neonatal DNA methylation associated with later ASD, we found a significant association between increased polygenic burden for autism and methylomic variation at two CpG sites located proximal to a robust GWAS signal for ASD on chromosome 8.

Conclusions

This study is the largest analysis of DNA methylation in ASD yet undertaken and the first to integrate both genetic and epigenetic variation at birth in ASD. We demonstrate the utility of using a polygenic risk score to identify molecular variation associated with disease, and of using mQTL to refine the functional and regulatory variation associated with ASD risk variants.
Cytokine response of acute myeloid leukemia cells has impact on patient prognosis: Insights from mathematical modeling
Authors: Stiehl Thomas , Ho Anthony D , Marciniak-Czochra Anna
Published: November 2017

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease. One reason for the heterogeneity may originate from inter-individual differences in the responses of leukemic cells to endogenous cytokines. On the basis of mathematical modeling, computer simulations and patient data, we have provided evidence that cytokine-independent leukemic cell proliferation is linked to early relapses and poor overall survival. Depending whether the model of cytokine-dependent or cytokine-independent leukemic cell proliferation fits to the clinical data, patients can be assigned to two groups that differ significantly with respect to overall survival. The modeling approach further enables us to identify parameter constellations that can explain unexpected responses of some patients to external cytokines such as blast crisis or remission without chemotherapy.
Preference for relationship help and emotional help from third parties across cultures
Authors: Yang Huadong , Yousaf Amna
Published: November 2017

Purpose

In this paper, the authors examine the role of idiocentric and allocentric cultural orientations in employees’ preference for relationship help and for emotional help from third parties in two cross-cultural samples. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the psychological dynamics of cultural dimensions in relation to cross-cultural conflict intervention.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors tested the theoretical assumptions by using questionnaire survey in two cross-cultural samples. Study 1 is a cross-cultural comparison within a country, including 83 Dutch employees and 106 Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands. Study 2 is a comparison between countries, including 123 Germany-based German employees and 101 Pakistan-based Pakistani employees.

Findings

The results show that employees’ allocentric orientation, but not idiocentric orientation, explains the differences in preference for relationship help in both the within-country comparison (Study 1: individualistic Dutch culture vs collectivistic Turkish culture) and the between-country comparison (Study 2: individualistic German culture vs collectivistic Pakistani culture). However, only in the between-country comparison (Study 2), the findings reveal that the difference in preference for emotional help between individualistic German culture and collectivistic Pakistani culture is mediated by idiocentric orientation (not by allocentric orientation).

Research limitations/implications

The study confirms that the extent to which disputants’ preference for third-party help regarding social and personal aspects does differ across national cultures, and supports that the argument that social relationship is one of the paramount concerns in conflict handling in the collectivistic cultures. In addition, the study signals an alternative way of conducting two culture comparisons and expands our view on the cultural dimension of individualism-collectivism.

Practical implications

The findings have practical implications both for third-party intervention and for managing cultural diversity in the workplace.

Social implications

In general, this study contributes to our understanding on how culture influences conflict handling and provides suggestions for third parties to be culturally adaptive.

Originality/value

The research demonstrates that culture plays an important role in determining the extent to which disputants favour relationship help and emotional help from third parties. The research is also valuable in terms of reliability. The authors tested the hypotheses in two cross-cultural samples both within a country and between countries.
Forecasting sales in industrial services
Authors: Stormi Kati , Laine Teemu , Suomala Petri , Elomaa Tapio
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how installed base information could help servitizing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) forecast and support their industrial service sales, and thus increase OEMs’ understanding regarding the dynamics of their customers lifetime values (CLVs).

Design/methodology/approach

This work constitutes a constructive research aiming to arrive at a practically relevant, yet scientific model. It involves a case study that employs statistical methods to analyze real-life quantitative data about sales and the global installed base.

Findings

The study introduces a forecasting model for industrial service sales, which considers the characteristics of the installed base and predicts the number of active customers and their yearly volume. The forecasting model performs well compared to other approaches (Croston’s method) suitable for similar data. However, reliable results require comprehensive, up-to-date information about the installed base.

Research limitations/implications

The study contributes to the servitization literature by introducing a new method for utilizing installed base information and, thus, a novel approach for improving business profitability.

Practical implications

OEMs can use the forecasting model to predict the demand for – and measure the performance of – their industrial services. To-the-point predictions can help OEMs organize field services and service production effectively and identify potential customers, thus managing their CLV accordingly. At the same time, the findings imply new requirements for managing the installed base information among the OEMs, to understand and realize the industrial service business potential. However, the results have their limitations concerning the design and use of the statistical model in comparison with alternative approaches.

Originality/value

The study presents a unique method for employing installed base information to manage the CLV and supplement the servitization literature.
From strategic goals to business model innovation paths: an exploratory study
Authors: Heikkilä Marikka , Bouwman Harry , Heikkilä Jukka
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how different strategic goals of (micro-, small- and medium-sized firms=SMEs) relate to the business model innovation (BMI) paths that SMEs take when improving their business.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted 11 in-depth case studies involving SMEs innovating their business models (BMs).

Findings

The authors found evidence that strategic goals of SMEs (start new business, growth and profitability) lead them to alternative innovation path in terms of BM components affected. Growth seekers start from the right-hand side of a BM Canvas, while profitability seekers start from the back end, the left side of a Canvas; and new businesses adopt a cyclical approach considering BM components in turn, while at the same time redesigning and testing the BM. The findings of this study also indicate that all three paths gradually lead to improvement in several BM components.

Research limitations/implications

Findings indicate that a strategic management view in which strategic goals define BMI also applies to SMEs. The distinctive BMI paths that the authors identified provide evidence to suggest that, although the SMEs may not have an explicitly formulated strategy, their strategic goals determine the type of improvements they make to their BM. All three SME groups started their improvements from different BM components and changed several elements in their BMs in a specific order, forming distinctive BMI paths. Finally, to understand the BMI in SMEs better, more research is needed into BMI processes and into the way BMI is managed in SMEs.

Practical implications

The findings of this study help SMEs to anticipate the next steps in their path towards an improved BM. By mirroring their approach to the BMI paths, they can better manage their BM makeover process and focus on their innovation activities. For providers of BMI tools and methods, the study indicates which SME innovation tasks could be supported by tools and how the tools should be aligned with the BMI paths.

Originality/value

BMI is attracting growing attention in both research and practice. However, knowledge concerning BMI in SMEs is limited. The authors contributed to BMI research by focussing on the BMI paths of SMEs, i.e. the often sequential, non-linear and iterative steps taken to improve the business by making changes to specific BM components.
How does national culture enable or constrain entrepreneurship? Exploring the role of Harambee in Kenya
Authors: Vershinina Natalia , Woldesenbet Beta Kassa , Murithi William
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conceptualise how various value dimensions of Harambee, the Kenyan culture, affect the fostering of entrepreneurial behaviours. Theoretically, we draw upon perspectives that view culture as a toolkit and use cultural variables provided by Hofstede to examine the links between national culture and entrepreneurial endeavours in an African context.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on review and synthesis of accessible secondary sources (published research, country-specific reports, policy documents, firm-level empirical evidences, etc.) on the topic and related areas to understand and advance research propositions on the link between enterprising efforts and national culture specific to the Kenyan context.

Findings

Several theoretical propositions are offered on themes of collective reliance, social responsibility, enterprising, resource mobilisation and political philanthropy to establish relationships, both positive and negative, between values of Harambee and entrepreneurial behaviours. Further, the study provides initial insights into how actors blend both collectivistic and emergent individualistic orientations and display collective identity in the process of mobilising resources and engaging in entrepreneurship.

Research limitations/implications

The conceptual framework presented bears a considerable relevance to the advancing theory, policy and practice associated with the national culture and entrepreneurial behaviour in the African context and has potential to generate valuable insights.

Originality/value

This original study provides a springboard for studying the relationship between African cultural context and entrepreneurial behaviours.
Psychological drivers of referral reward program effectiveness
Authors: Orsingher Chiara , Wirtz Jochen
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Empirical research presents conflicting findings with regards to the effectiveness of referral reward programs (RRPs) and supports two alternative and conflicting views on the effectiveness of incentivizing recommendations. They are, first, a positive effect via perceived attractiveness of the incentive, and second, a negative effect via metaperception of the recommendation. The purpose of this paper is to examine these two opposing psychological mechanisms to reconcile the conflicting findings.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted three experiments. Study 1 tests the base model. Studies 2 and 3 add moderators to test whether each mediating variable operates exclusively on its intended relationship.

Findings

Incentive size enhanced the attractiveness of an incentive, but reduced the metaperception favorability of the recommendation. These two opposing mechanisms operated in parallel, independently and fully mediated the effects of incentive size to likelihood of making a recommendation. Thus, the net impact of incentives on recommendation behavior depended on the relative strengths of these two opposing forces.

Practical implications

The study recommends managers to design RRPs with incentives that recommenders perceive as highly useful (i.e. to increase attractiveness) but have a low face value (i.e. to reduce metaperception concerns) and to target RRPs to strong rather than weak ties.

Originality/value

Our work offers an integrated theoretical account of consumers’ responses to incentivized recommendations and provides managerially relevant guidelines for the design of effective RRPs.
Theoretical notes regarding the practical application of Stafford Beer’s viable system model
Authors: Orengo Markus
Published: November 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to capture current difficulties with the practical application of the viable system model (VSM). On this basis, a set of suggestions toward a more effective application of the model is made.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on observations from practical applications of the VSM, systematically collected by the author.

Findings

The paper suggests that the VSM is currently stuck in the typical chasm of a bell-shaped diffusion curve. The paper makes six propositions to smoother pass from the early adopters to the early majority.

Research limitations/implications

The six findings imply various research efforts.

Practical implications

In contrast to frequent claims that VSM should be made accessible easily to a larger number of people, the paper suggests that a smaller number of better trained VSM experts support a larger number of managers with a more generic know how.

Social implications

A more focused but broader application of the VSM may lead to better societal organizations and therefore to a more efficient effective solution of societal problems.

Originality/value

The paper suggests to tighten the focus of the VSM to the very abstract topic of judging variety balances and at the same time to better connect the model with the suite of established methods and tools in management. This is a contrast to other attempts, which either simplify the VSM or extend it into a comprehensive methodology.
Evolution of cybernetics: philosophical and methodological analysis
Authors: Lepskiy Vladimir
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to elaborate the connection between the evolution of cybernetics and the development of scientific rationality (classical, non-classical, post-non-classical) and to emphasize the relevance of the formation of post-non-classical cybernetics for self-developing reflexive-active environment (the third-order cybernetics).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper includes interdisciplinary analysis of the evolution of cybernetics and possible directions of its development.

Findings

A connection between the types of scientific rationality (classical, non-classical and post-non-classical) and the stages of the development cybernetics is presented. Classical rationality is first-order cybernetics dealing with observed systems (an external observer). Non-classical rationality is second-order cybernetics dealing with observing systems (built-in observer). Post-non-classical rationality is third-order cybernetics dealing with the self-developing reflexive-active environment (distributed observer).

Research limitations/implications

This is an initial theoretical conceptualization, which needs a broader assessment and case studies.

Practical implications

This proposed direction for the analysis of cybernetics opens new approaches to social control on the basis of the subject-focused models and integration of traditional cybernetic tools.

Social implications

Third-order cybernetics will promote the development of civil society. Direct democracy receives new tools for development.

Originality/value

The value of this research is in the interdisciplinary analysis of the cybernetics evolution and in new possible directions for its development.
A hybrid approach for predicting customers’ individual purchase behavior
Authors: Peker Serhat , Kocyigit Altan , Eren P. Erhan
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Predicting customers’ purchase behaviors is a challenging task. The literature has introduced the individual-level and the segment-based predictive modeling approaches for this purpose. Each method has its own advantages and drawbacks, and performs in certain cases. The purpose of this paper is to propose a hybrid approach which predicts customers’ individual purchase behaviors and reduces the limitations of these two methods by combining the advantages of them.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed hybrid approach is established based on individual-level and segment-based approaches and utilizes the historical transactional data and predictive algorithms to generate predictions. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is experimentally evaluated in the domain of supermarket shopping by using real-world data and using five popular machine learning classification algorithms including logistic regression, decision trees, support vector machines, neural networks and random forests.

Findings

A comparison of results shows that the proposed hybrid approach substantially outperforms the individual-level and the segment-based approaches in terms of prediction coverage while maintaining roughly comparable prediction accuracy to the individual-level method. Moreover, the experimental results demonstrate that logistic regression performs better than the other classifiers in predicting customer purchase behavior.

Practical implications

The study concludes that the proposed approach would be beneficial for enterprises in terms of designing customized services and one-to-one marketing strategies.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to adopt a hybrid approach combining individual-level and segment-based approaches to predict customers’ individual purchase behaviors.
Is your Brexit supply chain resilient enough? The British footwear manufacturers’ perspective
Authors: Safonovs Roman , Upadhyay Arvind
Published: November 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Authors have analyzed operations of major fashion operators, interviewed business experts with the intention to support small to mid-sized enterprises. Their first-ever-in-its-kind projects can be a guide for industry players to follow when seeking ways in which to increase their competitiveness. Some of the key aspects authors have focused on their project are as follows: a limited number of possible supply chain strategies companies can deploy, e.g. based on demand/supply predictability, various opportunities for so-called postponement strategies and pragmatic ways of matching demand and supply along the product life cycle. All is supported with a first hand and up-to-date examples of industry players.

Practical implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
The case for “fluid” hierarchies in therapeutic communities
Authors: Clarke Jenelle Marie
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Democratic therapeutic communities (TCs), use a “flattened hierarchy” model whereby staff and clients are considered to have an equal voice, sharing administrative and some therapeutic responsibility. Using the sociological framework of interaction ritual chain theory, the purpose of this paper is to explain how TC client members negotiated and enforced community expectations through an analysis of power within everyday interactions outside of structured therapy.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used narrative ethnography, consisting of participant observation with two democratic communities, narrative interviews with 21 client members, and semi-structured interviews with seven staff members.

Findings

The findings indicate social interactions could empower clients to recognise their personal agency and to support one another. However, these dynamics could be destructive when members were excluded or marginalised. Some clients used their interactions at times to consolidate power amongst dominant members.

Practical implications

It is argued that the flattened hierarchy approach theoretically guiding TC principles does not operate as a flattened model in practice. Rather, a fluid hierarchy, whereby clients shift and change social positions, seems more suited to explaining how the power structure worked within the communities, including amongst the client group. Recognising the hierarchy as “fluid” may open dialogues within TCs as to whether, and how, members experience exclusion.

Originality/value

Explorations of power have not specifically focused on power dynamics between clients. Moreover, this is one of the first papers to look at power dynamics outside of structured therapy.
Dermoscopic features of endocrine mucin‐producing sweat gland carcinoma
Authors: Hasegawa‐Murakami Yoshie , Kono Michihiro , Yokota Kenji , Inaba Hiroko , Fukumoto Takaya , Akiyama Masashi
Published: November 2017

Endocrine mucin‐producing sweat gland carcinoma (EMPSGC) is very rare, with only 61 cases reported to date. EMPSGC is considered to be a low‐grade carcinoma of sweat gland origin. Dermoscopic findings of EMPSGC have not been previously reported. We report the first case of a man with EMPSGC, featuring dermoscopic findings. Dermoscopic examinations of the present EMPSGC lesion revealed tumor cell proliferation that appeared as pink ovoid nests and elongated epidermis that resembled a whitish‐pink network. Another characteristic finding of the present lesion was the large red/blue globules in pink ovoid nests in the tumor. Those reflected lacunae containing secretory fluid with red blood cells. We think that the large red/blue globules in pink ovoid nests in our case could be a characteristic dermoscopic finding specific to EMPSGC. We dermatologists encounter many “pink nodules” at out‐patient clinics. The present dermoscopic findings may be useful for the differential diagnosis of EMPSGC.
Comparative transcriptomic analysis of larval and adult Malpighian tubules from the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera
Authors: Yuan Yi‐Yang , Li Mei , Fan Fan , Qiu Xing‐Hui
Published: November 2017

Malpighian tubules (MTs) are usually considered the key excretory and osmoregulatory organs of insects. However, increasing evidence has suggested that MTs perform many more functions than just osmoregulation. Until now, the molecular and physiological functions of MTs in the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), a very important agricultural pest, are largely unknown. In this study, the transcriptomes of H. armigera MTs from larvae, male adults and female adults were sequenced using RNA‐Seq technology, and comparative analyses of transcriptomes between two life stages (larval and adult) and between adult sexes were conducted. We generated a total of 84 643 high‐quality unigenes, and identified a large number of abundant transcripts putatively encoding proteins involved in diuresis, detoxification, immunity, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, development and reproduction. We found that the expression pattern of unigenes was relatively similar between female and male adult MTs, but different between larval and adult MTs. Our data suggest that insect MTs may take multiple physiological functions as versatile organs. The extensive alterations in gene expression in MTs occurred from larvae to adults reflect an ecological adaptation to different feeding habits. Sexual dimorphism in the cotton bollworm is somewhat indicated by the transcriptional difference of genes related to carbohydrate metabolism, detoxification, immunity and reproduction in the MTs of male and female adults.
Has planning been de‐democratised in Sydney?
Authors: MacDonald Heather
Published: November 2017

This paper investigates the complex and continuously evolving processes of de‐democratisation evident in urban planning practice in Sydney between 2011 and 2017. New South Wales' successive rounds of planning reform, establishment of a metropolitan commission, and amalgamation of local governments over that period have aimed to reduce local democratic participation in planning decisions, but they have had uneven success. I argue that while New South Wales' efforts to streamline development and de‐democratise planning have evolved considerably in response to multiple forms of opposition, the success of the neoliberal project is still uncertain. The insights this story offers add complexity to theorists' claims about the inevitability of depoliticisation and the end of meaningful democratic engagement. The story also offers insights about how power is created, lost, and regained in particular local circumstances.
Do Analysts’ Cash Flow Forecasts Improve Their Target Price Accuracy?
Authors: Hashim Noor A. , Strong Norman C.
Published: November 2017

The literature on the usefulness of analysts’ cash flow forecasts is unsettled, with Call et al. (), Mohanram (), and Radhakrishnan and Wu () providing evidence in favor of their usefulness, and Givoly et al. (), Bilinski (), and Ecker and Schipper () questioning this. Target prices provide a good setting to test the usefulness of cash flow forecasts because they are an ultimate output of an analyst's valuation process to which cash flow forecasts are an input. Moreover, studying the effect of cash flow forecasts on target prices is more relevant for assessing their usefulness than is studying their effect on earnings‐forecast accuracy, as the accuracy of target prices requires a comparison with market prices, which are less subject to management influence than reported earnings. By improving an analyst's understanding of unexpected accruals and permanent earnings, a cash flow forecast can increase an analyst's target price accuracy and signal an analyst's superior forecasting ability. We examine whether, conditional on their earnings forecasts, analysts’ cash flow forecasts improve their target price accuracy. We find that when analysts issue cash flow forecasts, their target price accuracy increases. We also find that this accuracy increases with the accuracy of their cash flow forecasts. Finally, we find that this increased target price accuracy is greater for more challenging‐to‐value firms. Our study provides confirmatory evidence of the usefulness of analysts’ cash flow forecasts.
Environmental enrichment and drug value: a behavioral economic analysis in male rats
Authors: Yates Justin R. , Bardo Michael T. , Beckmann Joshua S.
Published: November 2017

Rats raised in an enriched condition (EC) show decreased stimulant self‐administration relative to rats reared in an isolated condition (IC). However, few studies have examined the behavioral mechanisms underlying this environment‐induced difference in self‐administration. Because economic demand for drugs of abuse predicts addiction‐like behavior in both humans and animals, we applied a behavioral economic analysis to cocaine self‐administration data in EC and IC rats. During cocaine self‐administration, the dose decreased across blocks of trials (0.75–0.003 mg/kg/inf), which allowed for a determination of demand intensity and demand elasticity. Demand intensity did not differ between EC and IC rats; however, cocaine was more elastic in EC rats relative to IC rats (i.e. EC rats were less willing to respond for cocaine as the unit price increased). When EC rats were placed in an isolated condition, demand elasticity decreased, whereas elasticity increased for IC rats placed in an enriched condition. Additionally, we applied behavioral economic analyses to previously published self‐administration data and found that our results replicate past findings with cocaine and methylphenidate. To determine if differences in demand elasticity are specific to drug reinforcement, a separate group of rats was tested in sucrose or saccharin self‐administration. Results showed that sucrose and saccharin were more elastic in EC rats relative to IC rats, and demand intensity was lower for saccharin in EC rats relative to IC rats. Overall, drug and nondrug reinforcers are more elastic in EC rats, which may account for the protective effects of environmental enrichment against stimulant self‐administration.
Comorbid “treatable traits” in difficult asthma: Current evidence and clinical evaluation
Authors: Tay T. R. , Hew M.
Published: November 2017

The care of patients with difficult‐to‐control asthma (“difficult asthma”) is challenging and costly. Despite high‐intensity asthma treatment, these patients experience poor asthma control and face the greatest risk of asthma morbidity and mortality. Poor asthma control is often driven by severe asthma biology, which has appropriately been the focus of intense research and phenotype‐driven therapies. However, it is increasingly apparent that extra‐pulmonary comorbidities also contribute substantially to poor asthma control and a heightened disease burden. These comorbidities have been proposed as “treatable traits” in chronic airways disease, adding impetus to their evaluation and management in difficult asthma. In this review, eight major asthma‐related comorbidities are discussed: rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux, obstructive sleep apnoea, vocal cord dysfunction, obesity, dysfunctional breathing and anxiety/depression. We describe the prevalence, impact and treatment effects of these comorbidities in the difficult asthma population, emphasizing gaps in the current literature. We examine the associations between individual comorbidities and highlight the potential for comorbidity clusters to exert combined effects on asthma outcomes. We conclude by outlining a pragmatic clinical approach to assess comorbidities in difficult asthma.