bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In vivo multiphoton microscopy of cardiomyocyte calcium dynamics in the beating mouse heart
Authors: Jones Jason S. , Small David M. , Nishimura Nozomi
Published: January 2018

We demonstrated intravital multiphoton microscopy in the beating heart in an intact mouse and optically measured action potentials with GCaMP6f, a genetically-encoded calcium indicator. Images were acquired at 30 fps with spontaneous heart beat and continuously running ventilated breathing. The data were reconstructed into three-dimensional volumes showing tissue structure, displacement, and GCaMP activity in cardiomyocytes as a function of both the cardiac and respiratory cycle.
Choice History Biases Subsequent Evidence Accumulation
Authors: Urai Anne E. , de Gee Jan Willem , Tsetsos Konstantinos , Donner Tobias H.
Published: January 2018

Abstract

Perceptual choices depend not only on the current sensory input, but also on the behavioral context. An important contextual factor is the history of one’s own choices. Choice history often strongly biases perceptual decisions, and leaves traces in the activity of brain regions involved in decision processing. Yet, it remains unknown how such history signals shape the dynamics of later decision formation. Models of perceptual choice construe decision formation as the accumulation of sensory evidence towards decision bounds. In this framework, it is commonly assumed that choice history signals shift the starting point of accumulation towards the bound reflecting the previous choice. We here present results that challenge this idea. We fit bounded-accumulation decision models to behavioral data from perceptual choice tasks, and estimated bias parameters that depended on observers’ previous choices. Across multiple task protocols and sensory modalities, individual history biases in overt behavior were consistently explained by a history-dependent change in the evidence accumulation, rather than in its starting point. Choice history signals thus seem to bias the interpretation of current sensory input, akin to shifting endogenous attention towards (or away from) the previously selected interpretation.
Elongator is required for root stem cell maintenance by regulatingSHORT ROOTtranscription
Authors: Qi Linlin , Zhang Xiaoyue , Zhai Huawei , Liu Jian , Wu Fangming , Li Chuanyou , Chen Qian
Published: January 2018

SHORTROOT(SHR) is essential for stem cell maintenance and radial patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana roots, but how its expression is regulated is still unknown. Here, we report that Elongator regulates the transcription ofSHR. The depletion of Elongator drastically reducedSHRexpression and led to defective root stem cell maintenance and radial patterning. The importance of the nuclear localization of Elongator for its functioning, together with the insensitivity of theelp1mutant to the transcription elongation inhibitor 6-azauracil and the direct interaction of the ELP4 subunit with the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII CTD), support the notion that Elongator plays important roles in transcription elongation. Indeed, we found that ELP3 associates with the pre-mRNA ofSHRand that mutation of Elongator reduces the enrichment of RNAPII on theSHRgene body. Moreover, Elongator interacted in vivo with SUPPRESSOR OF Ty4 (SPT4), a well-established transcription elongation factor that was recruited to theSHRlocus. Together, these results demonstrate that Elongator acts in concert with SPT4 to regulate the transcription ofSHR.
Ciliary and rhabdomeric photoreceptor-cell circuits form a spectral depth gauge in marine zooplankton
Authors: Verasztó Csaba , Gühmann Martin , Jia Huiyong , Rajan Vinoth Babu Veedin , Bezares-Calderón Luis A. , Lopez Cristina Piñeiro , Randel Nadine , Shahidi Réza , Michiels Nico K. , Yokoyama Shozo , Tessmar-Raible Kristin , Jékely Gáspár
Published: January 2018

Ciliary and rhabdomeric photoreceptor cells represent two main lines of photoreceptor evolution in animals. The two photoreceptor-cell types coexist in some animals, however how they functionally integrate is unknown. We used connectomics to map synaptic paths between ciliary and rhabdomeric photoreceptors in the planktonic larva of the annelidPlatynereisand found that ciliary photoreceptors are presynaptic to the rhabdomeric circuit. The behaviors mediated by the ciliary and rhabdomeric cells also interact hierarchically. The ciliary photoreceptors are UV-sensitive and mediate downward swimming to non-directional UV light, a behavior absent in ciliary-opsin knockouts. UV avoidance antagonizes positive phototaxis mediated by the rhabdomeric eyes so that vertical swimming direction is determined by the ratio of blue/UV light. Since this ratio increases with depth,Platynereislarvae may use it as a depth gauge during planktonic migration. Our results revealed a functional integration of ciliary and rhabdomeric photoreceptors with implications for eye and photoreceptor evolution.
Higher transcriptome stability during aging in long-lived giant mole-rats compared to short-lived rats
Authors: Sahm Arne , Bens Martin , Henning Yoshiyuki , Vole Christiane , Groth Marco , Schwab Matthias , Platzer Matthias , Szafranski Karol , Dammann Philip
Published: January 2018

Many aging-associated physiological changes are known to come up in short‐ and long-lived species with a different trajectory and emerging evidence suggests that large parts of life history trait differences between species are based on inter-species variation in gene expression. Little information is yet available, however, about transcriptome changes during aging when comparing mammals with different lifespans. For this reason, we studied the transcriptomes of five tissues and two age cohorts in two similar sized rodent species with very different lifespans: rat (Rattus norvegicus) and giant mole-rat (Fukomys mechowii) with maximum lifespans of 3.8 and >20 years, respectively. Our results show that giant mole-rats exhibit higher transcriptome stability during aging than the rat. While well-known aging signatures (e.g. up-regulation of pro-inflammatory genes) were detected in all rat tissues, they showed up only in one giant mole-rat tissue. Furthermore, many differentially expressed genes that were found in both species, were regulated in opposite directions during aging. This suggests that expression changes that cause aging in short-lived species are counteracted in long-lived species. Taken together, transcriptome stability may be one key causal factor of the long life‐ and healthspan of giant mole-rats and maybe of African mole-rats in general.
Rapid and dynamic alternative splicing impacts the Arabidopsis cold response transcriptome
Authors: Calixto Cristiane P. G. , Guo Wenbin , James Allan B. , Tzioutziou Nikoleta A. , Entizne Juan Carlos , Panter Paige E. , Knight Heather , Nimmo Hugh G. , Zhang Runxuan , Brown John W. S.
Published: January 2018

Background

Plants have adapted to tolerate and survive constantly changing environmental conditions by re-programming gene expression. The scale of the contribution of alternative splicing (AS) to stress responses has been underestimated due to limitations in RNA-seq analysis programs and poor representation of AS transcripts in plant databases. Significantly, the dynamics of the AS response have not been investigated but this is now possible with accurate transcript quantification programs and AtRTD2, a new, comprehensive transcriptome for Arabidopsis.

Results

Using ultra-deep RNA-sequencing of a time-course of Arabidopsis thaliana plants exposed to cold treatment, we identified 8,949 genes with altered expression of which 2,442 showed significant differential alternative splicing (DAS) and 1,647 genes were regulated only at the level of AS (DAS-only). The high temporal resolution demonstrated the rapid induction of both transcription and AS resulting in coincident waves of differential expression (transcription) and differential alternative splicing in the first 6-9 hours of cold. The differentially expressed and DAS gene sets were largely non-overlapping, each comprising thousands of genes. The dynamic analysis of AS identified genes with rapid and sensitive AS within 3 h of transfer to the cold (early AS genes), which were enriched for splicing and transcription factors. A detailed investigation of the novel cold-response DAS-only gene, U2B”-LIKE, suggested that it regulates AS and is required for tolerance to freezing.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that transcription and AS are the major regulators of transcriptome reprogramming that together govern the physiological and survival responses of plants to low temperature.
Fine-tuning of ABA responses by the protein kinase WNK8
Authors: Waadt Rainer , Hashimoto Kenji , Jawurek Esther , Krebs Melanie , Scholz Martin , Hong-Hermesdorf Anne , Li Yan , Hippler Michael , Grill Erwin , Kudla Jörg , Schumacher Karin
Published: January 2018

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates various growth- and developmental processes in response to limiting water conditions. ABA functions through an established signaling pathway consisting of PYR1/PYL/RCAR ABA receptors that inhibit group A type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs) in an ABA-dependent manner. Inhibition of PP2Cs enables the activation of SnRK2-type protein kinases that phosphorylate downstream targets including transcription factors and ion channels. However, ABA-dependent signals have to be integrated into other growth- and developmental programs to ensure a successful life cycle. Here, we have characterized the role of the protein kinase WNK8 in the ABA signalling pathway. Two T-DNA insertion alleles wnk8-1 and wnk8-4 exhibited contrasting ABA responses during seed germination and young seedling growth. However, reciprocal crossings with wild type plants suggested that wnk8-1 that still expressed the WNK8 kinase domain functioned in a hypermorphic and dominant manner. WNK8 directly interacted with the PP2C PP2CA in planta and was negatively regulated by this phosphatase in vitro. WNK8 also phosphorylated the ABA receptor PYR1 in vitro. Double mutant analyses revealed that the dominant allele wnk8-1 suppressed the ABA- and glucose hypersensitivity of the pp2ca-1 T-DNA allele. In transient protoplast assays WNK8 suppressed ABA-induced reporter gene expression that was dependent on a functional kinase. In summary, we have identified the protein kinase WNK8 as a negative regulator of ABA responses during young seedling establishment through its direct interaction with core ABA signaling components.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

The phytohormone abscisic acid regulates the water household of plants through a defined core signaling pathway. Here we have identified the protein kinase WNK8 as a direct interactor of core abscisic acid signalling components and as a negative modulator of abscisic acid responses during young seedling development in Arabidopsis.
Workplace staff canteen is associated with lower blood pressure among industry workers
Authors: Vinholes Daniele B. , Machado Carlos Alberto , Chaves Hilton , Rossato Sinara L. , Melo Ione M.F. , Fuchs Flavio D. , Fuchs Sandra C.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

A staff canteen in the workplace can offer a healthier diet, which may lower the blood pressure (BP). The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether the presence of staff canteen in the workplace is associated with consumption of healthy food and lower systolic and diastolic BP.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study was conducted, randomly selecting workers through a multistage sampling, stratified by company size in Brazil. Demographic, socioeconomic, and life style characteristics were evaluated, and weight, height, and BP were measured. Statistical analysis used generalized linear models, controlling for design effect and confounding factors, to assess the association between BP and staff canteen and the intake of food items.

Findings

In total, 4.818 workers, aged 35.4±10.7 years, 76.5 percent men, with 8.7±4.1 years of formal education were enrolled. Prevalence of hypertension was 24.7 percent (p-value <0.001) among workers from industries with staff canteen vs 30.6 percent among those with no staff canteen. Workers of industries with staff canteen consumed higher proportion of fruits, green leafy vegetables, and milk than workers of industries without canteen, and had lower systolic and diastolic BP, independently of the frequency of intake.

Practical implications

Workers of industries with staff canteen consumed a healthier diet, and had lower systolic and diastolic BP, and lower prevalence of hypertension than workers from workplaces without staff canteen.

Originality/value

This study was the first carried out among workers of industries reporting that the presence of a staff canteen in the workplace is associated with lower systolic and diastolic BP and prevalence of hypertension.
Globalising chains – decoupling grape production, wine production and wine exports
Authors: Mann Stefan , Beciu Silviu , Karbauskas Antanas
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show that globalisation (or de-regionalisation) in the wine business is entering a new phase in which grape production, wine production and wine exports are increasingly decoupled. In order to illustrate the case, the authors present Lithuania, compared to Romania, as a case study.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors tested the hypothesis that grape production and wine trade are increasingly decoupling. Based on the notion that transformation countries act as an avant-garde where new developments show first, the authors use Central and Eastern Europe as a case in point. The authors apply a mixed and a fixed effects model, where self-sufficiency in grapes explains wine exports to a reducing degree.

Findings

In the descriptive part the authors demonstrate how Lithuania, since EU accession, has become a major hub for wine trade, importing from the main export countries, and exporting mostly to Russia. In the multivariate section, it can then be shown that this decoupling between grape production and wine exports is a significant development in international terms.

Practical implications

The division of labour in wine trade has entered a new phase where wine production and wine marketing are decoupled. If extrapolated into the future, this may indicate that in the future world market, grape production and wine production may also decouple.

Originality/value

The paper has traced a new and un-described phenomenon on the global wine market. It shows that the division of labour is still advancing.
Dairy production barriers diagnosis in Southern Brazil
Authors: Bonamigo Andrei , Ferenhof Helio Aisenberg , Tezza Rafael , Forcellini Fernando Antonio
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically test the dairy production barriers: lack of cooperation between the chain actors, milk quality deficiencies, rural exodus and, productivity limitations in southern Brazil, based on Santa Catarina’s dairy production ecosystem players perceptions.

Design/methodology/approach

From inquiry result analysis with 305 dairy sector experts, the authors performed statistical tests using the technique of factorial analysis and confirmatory factorial analysis to confirm and/or refute the dairy production barriers presented by Bonamigo et al. (2016b).

Findings

The results confirmed the presence of the barriers presented by Bonamigo et al. (2016b). The barrier lack of cooperation between the chain actors is presented as the biggest obstacle in the sector, according to the interviewees. The authors also found that rural exodus is the barrier with the smallest impact on the dairy sector development in relation to other barriers presented by Bonamigo et al. (2016b). The confirmation of these barriers in practice allows developing new studies to eliminate and/or mitigate these barriers of the dairy sector. Furthermore, the study might shed some light on dairy production activities and help improve management skills.

Research limitations/implications

This study does not cover all the players that make up the dairy production ecosystem. It is limited only to the main players that are inserted in this sector. The authors observed the lack of data characterizing the dairy production system in Santa Catarina.

Originality/value

This study presents theoretical and practical contribution. By the confirmation that these barriers are present in the field, it is possible to direct new studies that seek to mitigate them and results in dairy production improvements. As for the practical contribution, the confirmation of those barriers can serve as a basis for the dairy sector decision-making actors, such as government, research institutions, and extension, producers, cooperatives, among others, and assist them in developing strategic actions that concern a cooperative way to develop the whole sector.
Performance analysis of Takaful and conventional insurance companies in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Akhtar Muhammad Hanif
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the performance of Takaful and conventional insurance companies in Saudi Arabia during a period of 2010-2015 by using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique for the whole population of insurance companies.

Design/methodology/approach

Given its objectives, the present study adopts the most prevalent DEA approach, by using the DEA Solver-Pro (Version 13). The DEA has emerged as a valuable analytical research technique. It measures the relative efficiency of firms in the presence of multiple inputs and outputs, based on a linear programming technique, and attempts to find out the firms that determine an envelopment frontier, are super efficient and with a higher productivity index.

Findings

It stems from the analysis that on a yearly basis, the average efficiency scores of firms have soared up overtime since 2010 till 2014 reflecting that most of the companies did well on the efficiency front. It is notable to mention here that the top slots for super efficiency are taken over by smaller firms, while the bigger firms are laggards here rather than the leaders. This reflects that the larger insurance firms need to augment their efficiency levels through more efficient utilization of inputs. The results of the study reveal that both Takaful and the larger conventional insurance firms in the country need to strengthen their operations more efficiently in order to take advantage of the economies of scale and scope. Market share and profitability are important determinants of efficiency.

Research limitations/implications

The larger insurance firms in the country need to a possible solution to the issue of inefficient market dynamics might lie in consolidation of the market through mergers and acquisitions. However, this needs a direct involvement of regulators in the Kingdom so that the market becomes healthy. Even though the Saudi insurance sector appears to have benefited from the compulsory insurance regulations for the expatriates and their families, however, there is still a need for efficiency and productivity improvement in the industry. The Takaful firms need to adopt such measures that would help them to take advantage of their specialized products toward efficiency vis-à-vis productivity drives. Finally, the insurance firms in Saudi Arabia need to adopt the use of threshold practices in order to compare their relative performance to improve on their efficiency and productivity levels by catching-up with the frontiers of best practices.

Originality/value

Based on the available literature, an exclusive study on the insurance sector of Saudi Arabia is so far non-existent. The study stands as pioneer to provide a starting point on overall performance evaluation of insurance firms in Saudi Arabia in various contexts in addition to the current and future trends of the insurance sector in the Kingdom.
A comparative study of classifier techniques for lift index data analysis
Authors: Asjad Mohammad , Alam Azazullah , Hasan Faisal
Published: January 2018

Purpose

A classifier technique is one of the important tools which may be used to classify the data or information into systematic manner based on certain criteria pertaining to get the accurate statistical information for decision making. It plays a vital role in the various applications, such as business organization, e-commerce, health care, scientific and engineering application. The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of different classification techniques in lift index (LI) data classification.

Design/methodology/approach

The analyses consist of two stages. First, the random data are generated for lifting task through computer programming, which is then put into the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health equation for LI estimation. Based on the evaluated index, the task may be classified into two groups, i.e. high-risk and low-risk task. The classified task is considered to analyze the performance of different tools like Artificial Neural Network (ANN), discriminant analysis (DA) and support vector machines (SVMs).

Findings

The work clearly demonstrates the accuracy and computational ability of ANN, DA and SVM for data classification problems in general and LI data in particular. From the research it may be concluded that SVM may outperform ANN and DA.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited to a particular kind of data that may be further explored by selecting the different controllable parameters and model specification. The study can also be applied to realistic problem of manual loading. It is expected that this will help researchers, designers and practicing engineers by making them aware of the performance of classification techniques in this area.

Originality/value

The objective of this research work is to assess and compare the relative performance of some well-known classification techniques like DA, ANN and SVM, which suggest that data characteristics considerably impact the classification performance of the methods.
Benchmarking freight transportation corridors and routes with data envelopment analysis (DEA)
Authors: Melo Isotilia Costa , Junior Paulo Nocera Alves , Perico Ana Elisa , Guzman Maria Gabriela Serrano , Rebelatto Daisy Aparecida do Nascimento
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to collectively measure and compare the efficiency of Brazilian and American soybean transport corridors, from farmers to export ports, using the data envelopment analysis (DEA).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper aims to determine routes from main producing micro-regions to main export ports, specifically using slack-based measure and variables that represent the three pillars of sustainability (economic, social, and environmental). The choice of variables was guided by literature review and analyzed through the principal component analysis. After the application of the model, the quantitative tiebreaking method of the composite index is applied.

Findings

The findings are coherent with a global report that compares soybean transportation in both countries (Brazil and USA). Efficient routes and corridors tend to present short distance truck trips and long distance train or barge trips. The efficiency of the inland waterway trips depends on how many barges are used in the same expedition. Routes with more than three modes tend to be inefficient which suggest that there is a limit for multimodality.

Originality/value

Corridor benchmarking is a rare topic in the literature and previous works normally focus on some specific and limited corridor performance characteristics, such as cost. The main contribution of this research is that it expands the discussion regarding corridor benchmarking and it focuses on efficiency as a whole. The paper also proposes a method that can be applied in different logistics contexts, like expanding the study to different countries. More specifically, this method could be used in infrastructure investments programs.
Highly engaged but burned out: intra-individual profiles in the US workforce
Authors: Moeller Julia , Ivcevic Zorana , White Arielle E. , Menges Jochen I. , Brackett Marc A.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to use the job demands-resources model to investigate intra-individual engagement-burnout profiles, and demands-resources profiles.

Design/methodology/approach

A representative sample of the US workforce was surveyed online. Latent profile analysis (LPA) and configural frequency analysis examined intra-individual profiles and their inter-relations.

Findings

A negative inter-individual correlation between engagement and burnout suggested that burnout tends to be lower when engagement is high, but intra-individual analyses identified both aligned engagement-burnout profiles (high, moderate, and low on both variables), and discrepant profiles (high engagement – low burnout; high burnout – low engagement). High engagement and burnout co-occurred in 18.8 percent of workers. These workers reported strong mixed (positive and negative) emotions and intended to leave their organization. Another LPA identified three demands-resources profiles: low demands – low resources, but moderate self-efficacy, low workload and bureaucracy demands but moderate information processing demands – high resources, and high demands – high resources. Workers with high engagement – high burnout profiles often reported high demands – high resources profiles. In contrast, workers with high engagement – low burnout profiles often reported profiles of high resources, moderate information processing demands, and low other demands.

Originality/value

This study examined the intersection of intra-individual engagement-burnout profiles and demands-resources profiles. Previous studies examined only one of these sides or relied on inter-individual analyses. Interestingly, many employees appear to be optimally engaged while they are burned-out and considering to leave their jobs. Demands and resources facets were distinguished in the LPA, revealing that some demands were associated with resources and engagement.
Cultivating virtual communities of practice in KAFKA
Authors: Sartori Fabio , Melen Riccardo , Pinardi Stefano
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for cultivating virtual communities of practice in distributed environments. The framework is based on the integration of knowledge artifacts and wearable technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed knowledge artifact is based on the correlation between conceptual and computational tools for the representation of different kinds of knowledge.

Findings

In this way, it is possible to make deeper the collaboration between knowledge seekers and contributors within the community, given that seekers and contributors share, at least in part, design choices at the knowledge modeling level.

Originality/value

A practical application of the framework has been described, to show its originality with respect to traditional knowledge management systems. In particular, it has been demonstrated how lurking phenomenon inside communities of practice can be significantly reduced. To this aim, opportune indexes have been defined from existing ones in literature.
A numerical study on unsteady natural/mixed convection in a cavity with fixed and moving rigid bodies using the ISPH method
Authors: Nguyen Minh Tuan , Aly Abdelraheem M. , Lee Sang-Wook
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to conduct numerical simulations of unsteady natural/mixed convection in a cavity with fixed and moving rigid bodies and different boundary conditions using the incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics (ISPH) method.

Design/methodology/approach

In the ISPH method, the pressure evaluation is stabilized by including both of divergence of velocity and density invariance in solving pressure Poisson equation. The authors prevented the particles anisotropic distributions by using the shifting technique.

Findings

The proposed ISPH method exhibited good performance in natural/mixed convection in a cavity with fixed, moving and free-falling rigid body. In natural convection, the authors investigated the effects of an inner sloshing baffle as well as fixed and moving circular cylinders on the heat transfer and fluid flow. The heated baffle has higher effects on the heat transfer rate compared to a cooled baffle. In the mixed convection, a free-falling circular cylinder over a free surface cavity and heat transfer in the presence of a circular cylinder in a lid-driven cavity are simulated. Fixed or moving rigid body in a cavity results in considerable effects on the heat transfer rate and fluid flow.

Originality/value

The authors conducted numerical simulations of unsteady natural/mixed convection in a cavity with fixed and moving rigid bodies and different boundary conditions using the ISPH method.
Numerical assessment of the mixed convection and volumetric radiation in a vertical channel with MRT-LBM
Authors: Derfoufi Soufiane , Moufekkir Fayçal , Mezrhab Ahmed
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The paper aims to focus on modeling of combined mixed convection and volumetric radiation within a vertical channel using a hybrid thermal lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The multiple relaxation time LBM (MRT-LBM) is used to compute the dynamical field. The thermal field is determined by a finite difference method (FDM), and the simple relaxation time-LBM (SRT-LBM) serves to calculate the radiative part. The geometry considered concerns a vertical channel defined by two diffuse and isothermal walls. The active fluid represents a gray gas participating in absorption, emission and isotropically scattering. The parametrical study conducted aims to highlight the effect of Richardson number (Ri), Planck number (Pl) and the optical thickness (τ) on dynamical and thermal fields. It is found that radiation affects greatly heat transfer.

Design/methodology/approach

MRT-LBM is used to compute the dynamical field. The thermal field is determined by FDM, and SRT-LBM serves to calculate the radiative part.

Findings

This study has shown the strong capability of this approach to simulate similar problems. The Planck number largely affects the streamlines and isotherms distribution. Also, it causes disappearance of reversal flow, undesirable in most industrial applications, for low Planck numbers. The optical thickness causes the disappearance of reversal flow, in the case in which it appears, for lower opacity. However, for higher opacity it leads to a recurrence of reversed flow.

Originality/value

The use of a new original method composed of MRT-LBM to solve the fluid velocity, FDM to handle the temperature equation and extended SRT-LBM to compute the radiative part of the energy equation.
Political connections, institutional monitoring and the cost of debt: evidence from Malaysian firms
Authors: Tee Chwee Ming
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the main and joint effects of politically connected firms (PCFs) and institutional monitoring on the cost of debt.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a panel data set of Malaysian politically connected and non-politically connected listed firms from 2002 till 2015, the author performs regression analysis. To address the issue of self-selection, the PCFs’ equation is estimated, following Lennox et al. (2012) and Heckman (1979).

Findings

This paper finds that PCFs are associated with higher cost of debt. However, the positive association between PCFs and the cost of debt is attenuated by higher institutional ownership (IO). Further test reveals that monitoring by institutional investors is heterogeneous from the perspective of domicile. Local institutional investors are associated with lower cost of debt, particularly in PCFs, while foreign institutional investors are associated with higher cost of debt.

Originality/value

The author shows that firm outcome, i.e. cost of debt in emerging markets can differ from advanced markets due to different institutional setting. Additionally, different types of political ties can produce different firm outcomes: GLCs are associated with lower cost of debt as opposed to connected firms based on personal ties. However, agency problems in PCFs can be alleviated through effective institutional monitoring. Consistent with geographical proximity theory, local institutional investors play a more effective monitoring role in Malaysian listed firms, thus lowering cost of debt. Overall, the results contribute to deeper understanding on variation in firm outcomes between emerging and advanced markets.
Offering a framework for value co-creation in virtual academic learning environments
Authors: Ranjbarfard Mina , Heidari Sureshjani Mahboobeh
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This research aims to convert the traditional teacher–student models, in which teachers determine the learning resources, into a flexible structure and an active learning environment so that students can participate in the educational processes and value co-creation in virtual academic learning environments (VALEs).

Design/methodology/approach

Mixed-methods (qualitative–quantitative) approach has been used. First, to develop the primary framework, papers were content-analyzed. Then, to validate the results of the content analysis, responses of the questionnaires distributed among students and teachers at five virtual universities in Iran were analyzed.

Findings

VALEs have the value co-creation potential. The students and teachers in this sample identified and confirmed three dimensions including partnership requirements (including organizational capabilities, structural requirement, individual competencies, motivational factors and resources), collaborative learning services (including IT infrastructure, common services and educational services) and social networks. The foundation of value co-creation is a partnership requirement. Collaborative learning services are flexible services that redesign methods and curriculum and promote deep learning among students. In addition, the wide use of social networks enables dialogue, communication, participation and establishment of virtual learning groups.

Practical implications

By means of the suggested framework, it is possible to achieve value co-creation in VALEs.

Originality/value

The paper presents outcomes of the research that is focused on technical, human and organizational aspects for value co-creation in VALEs that have not been much discussed previously.
How diverse is corporate brand management research? Comparing schools of corporate brand management with approaches to corporate strategy
Authors: Schmidt Holger J. , Redler Jörn
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This paper contrasts research streams in corporate brand management (CBM) with perspectives on corporate strategy (CS). The aim is to examine whether CBM research is as diverse as research on CS and to identify potentially new research perspectives within CBM.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the main dimensions to capture approaches and directions in general strategy research are carved out and integrated into a framework for subsequent analysis (strategy descriptor cube). Second, research streams within CBM are clustered into predominating schools. Third, the framework is then used to classify the identified schools, allowing further evaluation. In doing so, an innovative view on the status of and developments in CBM research is provided.

Findings

Most schools of CBM are built on rational and prescriptive approaches, while political and emergent conceptions are hardly addressed. Thus, from the strategy-derived dimensions, approaches to CBM are surprisingly homogenous, with only one school diverging from the dominating pattern. A variety of perspectives as found in strategy research cannot be validated for CBM. Alternative conceptualizations to CBM in terms of assumptions about the genesis of strategic directions and the perspective of analysis might provide impetus for progress in CBM research.

Research limitations/implications

The question arises why emergent and political perspectives have not been seriously pursued in the past decades of brand research. Researchers might seize opportunities to be further stimulated from the many faceted research approaches in CS. Further dimensions for description, as well as alternative clusterings of CBM schools, should be discussed.

Practical implications

A broadening of perspectives, including potentially a more attentive reception of agile trends in CBM, might become increasingly relevant for CBM practitioners. As new realities shape the present and future of corporate brand building, new paradigms should be explored and tested.

Originality/value

The corporate brand strategy link is evidently important; however, to date, few papers have such a focus. This is the first paper to apply reasoning and perspectives that have contributed to significant developments in CS research to the current situation in CBM research. It introduces a novel way to analyze and discuss developments between and within CBM schools.
Transferring outranking models to real estate management
Authors: Metzner Steffen
Published: January 2018

Purpose

For the purpose of decision-making in real estate portfolio management, alternatives are to be collected, assessed and prioritized. Due to the complexity of real estate markets, investment products and management processes, the respective decision situations are subject to several parameters. Multi-criteria models must be used to exactly evaluate and prioritize alternatives. Such models can be found in other economic and social areas but must be transferred or re-developed for the purposes of real estate management. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper includes the transfer of the basic outranking methodology, the PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization METHod für Enrichment Evaluations) method in particular, to real estate issues. Methods used outside the real estate industry are analyzed, selected and adapted by using real estate parameters (transfer approach).

Findings

Structured multi-criteria processes such as PROMETHEE are suitable for the solution of complex real estate selection decisions. The methodology with regard to the respective issues is much more consistent and efficient. PROMETHEE avoids the restriction of criteria in mathematical calculations and the restriction of quality in simple scorings.

Research limitations/implications

The target system and decision criteria of investors were used exemplarily. The individual parameters and criteria can lead to new model solutions.

Practical implications

Multi-criteria models such as PROMETHEE stringently and transparently solve complex decision problems and alternative evaluations in real estate portfolio management. They can be developed for strategic, tactical and operative decision situations. The decision quality and verification for compliance requirements improve.

Social implications

Multi-criteria models such as PROMETHEE can also be developed for social, societal and political decision situations.

Originality/value

First adaption of the outranking procedure PROMETHEE to a real estate decision situation in market analysis and portfolio management.
Bubbles in US hotel/lodging real estate investment trusts
Authors: Almudhaf Fahad
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test for the presence of bubbles in the US lodging/hotel real estate investment trust (REIT) subsector from 1994 to 2016. It also compares the profitability of a buy-and-hold strategy with several technical trading rules when applied to lodging REITs.

Design/methodology/approach

To investigate speculative bubbles, the sequential right-sided unit root tests of Phillips, Shi and Yu (2015a, b) are used.

Findings

The results confirm the possibility of the existence of multiple bubbles and explosive behavior in prices and the price-dividend ratio. One of the detected bubbles coincides with the financial economic crisis of 2008 using both measures. In addition, several technical rules are found to be superior to a naïve buy-and-hold strategy even after adjusting for risk.

Practical implications

These findings will be of interest to policy makers, who can use such models as an early alert to take anticipative action to avoid bursting of bubbles and consequent negative effects on the economy. The findings also provide important information to investors attempting to devise trading rules that utilize the signals from bubble detection, as well as to hotel executives devising policies aimed at reducing risk and creating more firm value to maximize shareholder wealth. Moreover, valuation and bubbles are important to lenders and creditors who use assets as collaterals for financing hotel REITs.

Originality/value

Hotels are a unique hybrid of retail and housing that combine operating business with real estate. This paper is the first to investigate speculative bubbles in lodging REITs.
Betterment: a taxing problem
Authors: Grover Richard
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the issues involved in land value taxation and betterment and the issues involved in apportioning value between land and improvements.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical and valuation issues in betterment are reviewed and a case study of a betterment tax introduced in the UK is used to illustrate the practical problems in implementation.

Findings

The idea of land value taxation depends upon being able to apportion property values between land and improvements. This raises both theoretical and practical problems that are difficult to overcome.

Practical implications

The apportionment property values between land and improvements produces results that cannot be verified by market evidence, suggesting that an alternative approach be adopted through value-based recurrent property taxes revalued at frequent intervals.

Originality/value

Much of the literature has concentrated on the theoretical advantages of land value taxation rather than examining the practical problems of implementation. These suggest a different approach with less emphasis on betterment taxes and more on how recurrent property taxes can be an effective instrument for value capture.
‘Other Spaces’ for the Dangerous Dead of Provincial England, c.1752–1832
Authors: HURREN ELIZABETH T.
Published: January 2018

The Murder Act (1752) decreed that homicide perpetrators should be hanged and sent for post‐execution punishment. This article explores the event management of criminal dissections by penal surgeons in situ. It reveals that the punishment parade of the condemned did not stop at the scaffold, contrary to the impression in many standard historical accounts. Instead, ordinary people accompanied criminal corpses to many different types of dissection venues. Penal surgeons hand‐picked these performance spaces that were socially produced for legal and practical reasons. They had to be able to process large numbers of people who wanted to be part of the consumption of post‐mortem ‘harm’ in English communities. Event management on location had to have emotional and visual appeal, moral coherence, be timed appropriately, and, if successful, would enhance the deterrence value of the capital code. Yet, managing the ‘dangerous dead’ involved a great deal of discretionary justice with unpredictable outcomes. It often happened in ‘counter‐sites’ of punishment in the community and involved a great deal of immersive theatre. Some events worked well, others threatened the social order. In ‘Other Spaces’ the ‘Dangerous Dead’ was hence a fascinating feature of the Murder Act outside the Metropolis from 1752 to 1832.
‘Give mee a Souldier's Coat’: Female Cross‐Dressing during the English Civil War
Authors: STOYLE MARK
Published: January 2018

This article lifts the veil on the women who dressed as men during the English Civil War –and on contemporary reactions towards them. The piece begins by noting that – although it is often claimed that the armies of king and parliament were accompanied by many females who had ‘counterfeited their sex’ in order to march into the field – those claims rest on a surprisingly slim evidential base. Next, the article considers the ways in which both cross‐dressed women and women in quasi‐masculine attire were viewed during the half century before the war began – and suggests that attitudes towards such women may sometimes have reflected broader politico‐religious attitudes. Finally, the article explores the handful of cases in which the presence of cross‐dressed women in the rival armies is genuinely attested to – and asks what these cases reveal about reactions to such women during the conflict itself.
The Inquisition and the Repression of Erotic and Pornographic Imagery in Early Nineteenth‐Century Madrid
Authors: SOYER FRANÇOIS
Published: January 2018

This article focuses on the repression of erotic and pornographic imagery (artworks, statues and figurines) by the Inquisition in Madrid during the last six years of its existence between 1814 and 1820. This period in the Inquisition's history has tended to be overlooked and dismissed as insignificant. After tracing the history of the Spanish Inquisition's desultory attempts in earlier years to suppress sexual imagery deemed to offend public piety, this article examines an unusual cluster of cases involving erotic or pornographic images during those six years. The article examines these cases and argues that we need to eschew simplistic narratives in which historians have presented the Inquisition as a moribund institution pathetically pursuing insignificant cases. The documentary evidence suggests that the inquisitors in Madrid were, if anything, fiercely determined to restore the fortunes of the Inquisition and its position within the absolutist monarchy of King Fernando VII. The inquisitors’ campaign against erotic and pornographic imagery was, alongside a focus on freemasonry, part of a quest for political and social legitimacy in a changing and increasingly hostile environment.
Impact of the IADPSG criteria for gestational diabetes, and of obesity, on pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Cheung N. Wah , Jiang Shan , Athayde Neil
Published: January 2018

Background

The adoption of the International Association of Diabetes Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Australia has been controversial. Obesity in pregnancy is also a growing concern.

Aims

To assess the impact of IADPSG criteria on the incidence of GDM and pregnancy outcomes, and to compare this to the effect of obesity, particularly among women who would not have GDM by the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society 1998 criteria (ADIPS1998).

Material and Methods

A retrospective observational cohort study linking results of 75 g glucose tolerance tests with demographic and pregnancy data was conducted.

Results

In our cohort of 6175 pregnancies, GDM was present in 926 (15%) women by the ADIPS1998 criteria; it increased to 1098 (17.8%) women by the IADPSG criteria. Among the 5248 pregnancies which did not meet the ADIPS1998 criteria and were not treated for GDM, women with IADPSG GDM had increased risk of gestational hypertension, pre‐eclampsia, induction of labour (IOL), primary caesarean section (PCS) and large for gestational age (LGA) compared to women without GDM (all P < 0.05), whereas obese women had increased risk of gestational hypertension, pre‐eclampsia, IOL, PCS, small for gestational age (SGA) and shoulder dystocia compared to women of normal weight (all P < 0.05). On multivariate analysis, IADPSG GDM was an independent risk factor only for IOL (P = 0.04) and LGA (<0.001). Obesity was an independent risk factor for gestational hypertension, pre‐eclampsia, IOL, PCS, shoulder dystocia and SGA (all P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Within our population, of women who are not currently treated for GDM, obesity is associated with greater pregnancy risk than GDM diagnosed by IADPSG criteria.