bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of surface tension on the size-dependent ferroelectric characteristics of free-standing BaTiO3 nano-thin films
Authors: Su Yu , Chen Haitao , Li Jacqueline J. , Soh Ai Kah , Weng George J.
Published: October 2011

Intrinsic surface tension of nanoscale ferroelectric thin film tends to induce tensile stress in its surface layer, whereas the other portion of the film is subjected to compression to maintain mechanical balance. A continuum-based phase-field model accounting for such surface effect has been set up to investigate the evolution of domain structure and thickness-dependent ferroelectric properties of free-standing BaTiO3 nano-thin films. It was observed that both remnant polarization and coercive field decrease with a decrease of film thickness and increase of surface tension, and that, for film thickness ranging from 10-20 nm, both properties decreased sharply at the surface strain 2-3ɛ0 (ɛ0 being the spontaneous strain). Further decrease in film thickness or increase in surface tension could result in loss of ferroelectricity. Such a critical state for the ferroelectric-to-paraelectric transition has also been established for the range of film thickness 4-20 nm.
Note: Recent achievements at the 60-MeV Linac for sub-picosecond terahertz radiation at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory
Authors: Yim Changmook , Hong Juho , Parc Yongwoon , Jung Seonghoon , Han Daehun , Ryu Jaehyun , Park Jaehun , Kang Heung-Sik , Ko In Soo
Published: October 2011

A femtosecond (fs) terahertz (THz) linac has been constructed to generate fs-THz radiation by using ultrashort electron beam at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory. To generate an ultrashort electron beam with 60-MeV energy, a chicane bunch compressor has been adopted. Simulation studies have been conducted to design the linac. In this note, recent achievements at 60-MeV linac are presented.
Cryogenic implementation of charging diamond anvil cells with H2 and D2
Authors: Chi Zhenhua , Nguyen Huyen , Matsuoka Takahiro , Kagayama Tomoko , Hirao Naohisa , Ohishi Yasuo , Shimizu Katsuya
Published: October 2011

A cryogenic loading system for introducing H2 and D2 into the diamond anvil cell has been designed and constructed. The integration of pressure loading mechanism, ruby fluorescence spectrometer, and microscope camera allows for in situ tuning and calibrating the pressure. The performance of the system has been demonstrated by successful synthesis of hydride and deuteride of transition metal and rare earth metal. Our cryogenic methodology features facile start-over of loading and in situ electrical resistance measurement of as-synthesized sample.
Mass sensing based on a circuit cavity electromechanical system
Authors: Jiang Cheng , Chen Bin , Li Jin-Jin , Zhu Ka-Di
Published: October 2011

We present a scheme for mass sensing based on a circuit cavity electromechanical system where a free-standing, flexible aluminium membrane is capacitively coupled to a superconducting microwave cavity. Integration with the microwave cavity enables capacitive readout of the mechanical resonance directly on the chip. A microwave pump field and a second probe field are simultaneously applied to the cavity. The accreted mass landing on the membrane can be measured conveniently by tracking the mechanical resonance frequency shifts due to mass changes in the probe transmission spectrum. The mass responsivity for the membrane is 0.72 Hz/ag and we demonstrate that frequency shifts induced by adsorption of one hundred 1587 bp DNA molecules can be well resolved in the probe transmission spectrum.
Extension of the spectral responsivity of the photocurrent in solution-processed small molecule composite via a charge transfer excitation
Authors: Hernandez-Sosa Gerardo , Tong Minghong , Coates Nelson E. , Valouch Sebastian , Moses Daniel
Published: October 2011

Incorporating [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) in solution-processed composites comprising the two small molecular semiconductors 9,10-Diphenylanthracene (DPA) and 5,6,11,12-tetraphenylnaphthacene (Rubrene) extends significantly the onset wavelength of the steady-state photoconductivity from 610 nm in the pristine DPA:Rubrene composite to 900 nm in the DPA:Rubrene:PCBM composite. The experimental data indicate carrier generation in the near IR spectral region arising from inter-molecular charge transfer (IMCT) excitation that potentially could be useful for extending solar radiation light harvesting. Pump/probe photoinduced absorption (PIA) measurements indicate instantaneous carrier generation at sub-band-gap photon energies, confirming the viability of IMCT excitations as the underlying carrier generation mechanism at the near IR spectral region.
Polarization-based all-optical logic controlled-NOT, XOR, and XNOR gates employing electro-optic effect in periodically poled lithium niobate
Authors: Zhang Yinxing , Chen Yuping , Chen Xianfeng
Published: October 2011

Based on electro-optic Pockels effect of periodically poled lithium niobate, different polarization-based binary all-optical logic functions: controlled-NOT, XOR, and XNOR gates were demonstrated by altering the linear polarization state of input optical signal about 90° on the polarization plant. Because the depletion of signal intensity in polarization-based logic gates is smaller than that of digital logic signal in intensity-based logic gates and almost negligible, this scheme has potential application in realizing complex logic functions by cascading several basic gates.
Analysis of entries into the penalty area as a performance indicator in soccer
Authors: Ruiz‐Ruiz Carlos , Fradua Luis , Fernández‐GarcÍa Ángel , Zubillaga Asier
Published: October 2011

This study examines entries into the penalty area as a performance indicator that distinguishes between winning, drawing and losing soccer teams. It assesses whether entries into the penalty area are influenced by match status, a player's dismissal and the respective quality of the competing teams. Two observers analysed the relation between defensive and offensive strategies and their scoring consequences for all 64 matches played in the 2006 World Cup. Kappa values ranged between 0.93 and 0.98 for intra‐reliability and between 0.88 and 0.98 for inter‐reliability. It was found that winning teams received significantly fewer entries into their own penalty area (mean=41.42, s=11.86) than drawing (mean=50.07, s=14.75) and losing teams (mean=47.23, s=12.14). Teams that received more entries into their own penalty area than the opposing team were significantly more likely to concede a goal (P <0.001). Teams losing by one (mean=0.41, s=0.21), two (mean=0.42, s=0.26) or more than two goals (mean=0.34, s=0.13) received significantly fewer entries into the penalty area per minute than teams winning by one (mean=0.55, s=0.27) or two goals (mean=0.59, s=0.39). Teams with fewer players on the pitch received significantly more entries into the penalty area per minute than teams with more (mean=0.22, s=0.07) or the same number (mean=0.14, s=0.05) of players. Based on these results, it is suggested that teams should enter the opposing team's penalty area but should not allow their opponents to do the same. These results also highlight the significance of the dismissal of a player.
A system-level approach for deciphering the transcriptional response to prion infection
Authors: Zampieri Mattia , Legname Giuseppe , Segrè Daniel , Altafini Claudio
Published: October 2011

Motivation: Deciphering the response of a complex biological system to an insulting event, at the gene expression level, requires adopting theoretical models that are more sophisticated than a one-to-one comparison (i.e. t-test). Here, we investigate the ability of a novel reverse engineering approach (System Response Inference) to unveil non-obvious transcriptional signatures of the system response induced by prion infection.

Results: To this end, we analyze previously published gene expression data, from which we extrapolate a putative full-scale model of transcriptional gene–gene dependencies in the mouse central nervous system. Then, we use this nominal model to interpret the gene expression changes caused by prion replication, aiming at selecting the genes primarily influenced by this perturbation. Our method sheds light on the mode of action of prions by identifying key transcripts that are the most likely to be responsible for the overall transcriptional rearrangement from a nominal regulatory network. As a first result of our inference, we have been able to predict known targets of prions (i.e. PrPC) and to unveil the potential role of previously unsuspected genes.

Contact:  altafini@sissa.it

Supplementary Information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
MetaRank: a rank conversion scheme for comparative analysis of microbial community compositions
Authors: Wang Tse-Yi , Su Chien-Hao , Tsai Huai-Kuang
Published: October 2011

Motivation: Metagenomics involves sampling and studying the genetic materials in microbial communities. Several statistical methods have been proposed for comparative analysis of microbial community compositions. Most of the methods are based on the estimated abundances of taxonomic units or functional groups from metagenomic samples. However, such estimated abundances might deviate from the true abundances in habitats due to sampling biases and other systematic artifacts in metagenomic data processing.

Results: We developed the MetaRank scheme to convert abundances into ranks. MetaRank employs a series of statistical hypothesis tests to compare abundances within a microbial community and determine their ranks. We applied MetaRank to synthetic samples and real metagenomes. The results confirm that MetaRank can reduce the effects of sampling biases and clarify the characteristics of metagenomes in comparative studies of microbial communities. Therefore, MetaRank provides a useful rank-based approach to analyzing microbiomes.

Contact:  hktsai@iis.sinica.edu.tw

Supplementary Information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Palliative Care—What, Who and When?
Authors: Cope Emma , Daly Patrick
Published: October 2011

Palliative care is a speciality which has grown considerably in recent years gaining recognition as its own subspecialty of medicine by the Royal College of Physicians in 1987. GPs have always had a role in providing palliative care, and as our ageing population increases, the number of people living with incurable illnesses will continue to rise. This article aims to provide an understanding of palliative care medicine, the role of the GP in the palliative care team, guidance to help identify those patients who may benefit from palliative care services and when referral to specialist services may be needed. We have also highlighted key documents pertaining to palliative care applicable to general practice.
A Gain-of-function Mutation in Adenylate Cyclase Confers Isoflurane Resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Saifee Owais , Metz Laura B. , Nonet Michael L. , Crowder C. Michael
Published: October 2011

Background

Volatile general anesthetics inhibit neurotransmitter release by a mechanism not fully understood. Genetic evidence in Caenorhabditis elegans has shown that a major mechanism of action of volatile anesthetics acting at clinical concentrations in this animal is presynaptic inhibition of neurotransmission. To define additional components of this presynaptic volatile anesthetic mechanism, C. elegans mutants isolated as phenotypic suppressors of a mutation in syntaxin, an essential component of the neurotransmitter release machinery, were screened for anesthetic sensitivity phenotypes.

Methods

Sensitivity to isoflurane concentrations was measured in locomotion assays on adult C. elegans. Sensitivity to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb was used as an assay for the global level of C. elegans acetylcholine release. Comparisons of isoflurane sensitivity (measured by the EC₅₀) were made by simultaneous curve-fitting and F test.

Results

Among the syntaxin suppressor mutants, js127 was the most isoflurane resistant, with an EC₅₀ more than 3-fold that of wild type. Genetic mapping, sequencing, and transformation phenocopy showed that js127 was an allele of acy-1, which encodes an adenylate cyclase expressed throughout the C. elegans nervous system and in muscle. js127 behaved as a gain-of-function mutation in acy-1 and had increased concentrations of cyclic adenosine monophosphate. Testing of single and double mutants along with selective tissue expression of the js127 mutation revealed that acy-1 acts in neurons within a Gαs-PKA-UNC-13-dependent pathway to regulate behavior and isoflurane sensitivity.

Conclusions

Activation of neuronal adenylate cyclase antagonizes isoflurane inhibition of locomotion in C. elegans.
Pseudahrensia aquimaris gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from seawater
Authors: Jung Yong-Taek , Park Sooyeon , Lee Jung-Sook , Oh Tae-Kwang , Yoon Jung-Hoon
Published: October 2011

A Gram-negative, non-motile, ovoid to rod-shaped bacterium, designated HDW-32T, was isolated from seawater of the Yellow Sea, Korea. Strain HDW-32T grew optimally at pH 7–8, at 30 °C and with 2–3 % (w/v) NaCl. Strain HDW-32T exhibited 95.1 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with

Nitratireductor basaltis

J3T, 94.8 % sequence similarity with

Ahrensia kielensis

IAM 12618T and <94.5 % with other members of the family

Phyllobacteriaceae

. In the neighbour-joining, maximum-likelihood and maximum-parsimony trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain HDW-32T clustered with

A. kielensis

IAM 12618T. Strain HDW-32T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acid. Differences in polar lipids, DNA G+C content and other phenotypic properties distinguished strain HDW-32T from

A. kielensis

JCM 20689T. Strain HDW-32T could also be distinguished from representatives of the genera

Nitratireductor

and

Hoeflea

by differences in fatty acids and polar lipids. On the basis of phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data, strain HDW-32T represents a novel species belonging to a novel genus of the family

Phyllobacteriaceae

of the class

Alphaproteobacteria

, for which the name Pseudahrensia aquimaris gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the type species is HDW-32T ( = KCTC 23345T  = CCUG 60023T).
The Mediator Complex in Plants: Structure, Phylogeny, and Expression Profiling of Representative Genes in a Dicot (Arabidopsis) and a Monocot (Rice) during Reproduction and Abiotic Stress
Authors: Mathur Saloni , Vyas Shailendra , Kapoor Sanjay , Tyagi Akhilesh Kumar
Published: October 2011

The Mediator (Med) complex relays regulatory information from DNA-bound transcription factors to the RNA polymerase II in eukaryotes. This macromolecular unit is composed of three core subcomplexes in addition to a separable kinase module. In this study, conservation of Meds has been investigated in 16 plant species representing seven diverse groups across the plant kingdom. Using Hidden Markov Model-based conserved motif searches, we have identified all the known yeast/metazoan Med components in one or more plant groups, including the Med26 subunits, which have not been reported so far for any plant species. We also detected orthologs for the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) Med32, -33, -34, -35, -36, and -37 in all the plant groups, and in silico analysis identified the Med32 and Med33 subunits as apparent orthologs of yeast/metazoan Med2/29 and Med5/24, respectively. Consequently, the plant Med complex appears to be composed of one or more members of 34 subunits, as opposed to 25 and 30 members in yeast and metazoans, respectively. Despite low similarity in primary Med sequences between the plants and their fungal/metazoan partners, secondary structure modeling of these proteins revealed a remarkable similarity between them, supporting the conservation of Med organization across kingdoms. Phylogenetic analysis between plant, human, and yeast revealed single clade relatedness for 29 Med genes families in plants, plant Meds being closer to human than to yeast counterparts. Expression profiling of rice (Oryza sativa) and Arabidopsis Med genes reveals that Meds not only act as a basal regulator of gene expression but may also have specific roles in plant development and under abiotic stress conditions.
Collective indexing of emotions in videos
Authors: Knautz Kathrin , Stock Wolfgang G.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The object of this empirical research study is emotion, as depicted and aroused in videos. This paper seeks to answer the questions: Are users able to index such emotions consistently? Are the users' votes usable for emotional video retrieval?

Design/methodology/approach

The authors worked with a controlled vocabulary for nine basic emotions (love, happiness, fun, surprise, desire, sadness, anger, disgust and fear), a slide control for adjusting the emotions' intensity, and the approach of broad folksonomies. Different users tagged the same videos. The test persons had the task of indexing the emotions of 20 videos (reprocessed clips from YouTube). The authors distinguished between emotions which were depicted in the video and those that were evoked in the user. Data were received from 776 participants and a total of 279,360 slide control values were analyzed.

Findings

The consistency of the users' votes is very high; the tag distributions for the particular videos' emotions are stable. The final shape of the distributions will be reached by the tagging activities of only very few users (less than 100). By applying the approach of power tags it is possible to separate the pivotal emotions of every document – if indeed there is any feeling at all.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the first steps in the new research area of emotional information retrieval (EmIR). To the authors' knowledge, it is the first research project into the collective indexing of emotions in videos.
How information systems communicate as documents: the concept of authorial voice
Authors: Feinberg Melanie
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This study aims to examine how systems for organizing information may present an authorial voice and shows how the mechanism of voice may work to persuasively communicate a point of view on the materials being collected and described by the information system.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper synthesizes a conceptual framework from the field of rhetoric and composition and uses that framework to analyze how existing organizational schemes reveal authorial voice.

Findings

Through textual analysis, the mechanism of authorial voice is described in three example information systems. In two of the examples, authorial voice is shown to function as a persuasive element by enabling identification, the rhetorical construct defined by the literary critic Kenneth Burke. In one example, voice appears inconsistently and does not work to facilitate persuasion.

Research limitations/implications

This study illustrates the concept of authorial voice in the context of information systems, but it does not claim to comprehensively catalog all potential manifestations of authorial voice.

Practical implications

By analyzing how information systems work as a form of document, we can better understand how information systems communicate to their users, and we can use this understanding to facilitate design.

Originality/value

By creating designs that incorporate an enhanced conceptual grasp of authorial voice and other rhetorical properties of information systems, the construction of information systems that systematically and purposefully communicate original, creative points of view regarding their assembled collections can be facilitated, and so enable learning, discovery, and critical engagement for users.
ICT education in library and information science programs
Authors: Al‐Daihani Sultan M.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore students' perceptions and views of the instructors, in relation to information and communications technology (ICT) education in library and information science (LIS) programs.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was carried out among students from the two LIS departments in Kuwait. A focus group was conducted with faculty members of the two institutions, who provided qualitative input about the instruction of ICT, needed changes, and relevance of market needs.

Findings

Participants showed dissatisfaction with the currently available ICT courses in the LIS programs. Students pointed out deficiencies and inadequacies in ICT resources and facilities, and suggested upgrading software and hardware. They appeared to be satisfied with the ICT skills being targeted by LIS programs. They also appeared to be satisfied with the ICT instructors. The study pointed out a need for collaboration with professional forums for continuing education programs and the need for revisions in curricula to introduce more focused courses that meet the needs of the ever‐changing market requirements and give the students access to professional bilingual materials. The faculty members noted the demands of the job market and proposed measures for addressing them through enhanced course content and improved opportunities for hands‐on instruction.

Originality/value

Earlier studies reported in the literature have discussed ICT education in broader terms. This study reports the situation of ICT education in IS programs in Kuwait, focusing on specific areas such as resource, curricula, and instructors.
Towards effective management of grey literature for higher education, research and national development
Authors: Okoroma Francisca N.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address issues in grey literature (GL) management and to proffer solutions to the problems. The specific aims are: to identify the categories of grey materials stocked, and the method of acquisition; to examine the method of GL management and the degree of access in Illinois state libraries; and also to identify the challenges/solutions to the problems associated with GL management and access.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted in Illinois state, USA in 2010, using an online questionnaire posted to various listservs used by 118 academic libraries in Illinois, including those of the Consortia of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois and the Illinois Association of College and Research Libraries. The online survey questionnaire was designed to identify the categories of grey materials stocked by libraries, the method of acquisition and organization, the degree of access and the challenges/solutions to the problems associated with GL management and access. Simple frequencies and percentage were used in data analyses.

Findings

The study identified various categories of grey stocked, including: theses and dissertations, faculty works, conference proceedings, research reports, in‐house publications of associations, government documents and translations. The study diagnosed various challenges in the organization and dissemination of GL, and solutions to the challenges in order to ensure optimal access and utilization of grey materials.

Practical implications

The implication of this work is that institutional and subject repositories are needed in order to aggregate these useful resources into globally accessible databases, where the resources will be rediscovered through international catalogues such as online computer library center and major web search engines such as Google. The end result will showcase the value of these resources to the public for greater access and utilization.

Originality/value

The knowledge gained will help to more effectively manage and harness the current and factual contents of grey materials, for quality education, research and national advancement. The paper will be of benefit to libraries, librarians, educationists, researchers and decision makers globally.
Environmental consciousness and intellectual capital management
Authors: Huang Cheng‐Li , Kung Fan‐Hua
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This study aims to discuss the impact that environmental consciousness and green intellectual capital had on competitive advantage. The study adopted green intellectual capital as an intervening variable to gain insight into how environmental consciousness indirectly affects competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey on the environmental consciousness and intellectual capital management of Taiwan's manufacturing firms was conducted, and 227 samples were analyzed. The research model investigates the relevant relationships among the constructs by using a structural equation modelling approach.

Findings

Research results reveal that environmental consciousness had an indirect impact on competitive advantage through investment in green intellectual capital. It was thus known that green intellectual capital is a mediator of the relationship between environmental consciousness and competitive advantage.

Originality/value

This paper may serve as a reference for firms mapping out future environmental policies and provide an input of various perspectives and arguments into the discipline of green management.
Competence exploration and exploitation in new product development
Authors: Yang Tsau‐Tang , Li Ci‐Rong
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to extend research on exploration and exploitation by investigating the effects of competence exploration and exploitation on new product development outcomes in China. Premised from the perspective of environment‐performance relationship and the fit‐as‐moderation view, the authors argue that exploration and exploitation have curvilinear effects on new product development performance due to external environmental factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a questionnaire survey/analysis of a sample of 289 firms in China.

Findings

Consistent with the two perspectives mentioned above, the curvilinear link between competence exploration and new product performance was negatively moderated by environmental dynamism but positively moderated by environmental competitiveness. In contrast, the non‐linear effect of competence exploitation on new product performance was positively moderated by environmental dynamism but negatively moderated by environmental competitiveness.

Originality/value

The exploration and exploitation‐performance link emerges as more complex than previous research has shown. The results indicate the need for simultaneous consideration of environmental dynamism and competitiveness as moderators in the discourse on the curvilinear effects of exploration and exploitation on new product performance.
Effects of international entry‐order strategies on foreign subsidiary exit
Authors: Park Young‐Ryeol , Yul Lee Jeoung , Hong Sunghoon
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to determine whether international entry‐order strategies by Korean chaebols affect the exit of their foreign subsidiaries.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consists of a set of 61 parent firms and their 500 foreign subsidiaries. The sample includes 27 Korean business groups, called chaebols, and spans 51 markets, during the period from 1999 to 2004. The study employs resource‐ and knowledge‐based views, and is based on the Cox's proportional hazard model.

Findings

This study leads to two main findings: in the context of Korean business groups, latecomers in international markets have greater survival rates than pioneers do because latecomers have stronger resource commitments; and, nonetheless, if chaebol pioneers have greater competitive advantages than chaebol latecomers, the pioneers' subsidiaries have better survival rates than do those of latecomers.

Originality/value

The analysis advances order‐of‐entry research by exploring the international order‐of‐entry strategies of chaebol multinationals and their impact on international exit and the interrelationship between the order‐of‐entry and core competencies of chaebol multinationals.
Temporal hierarchy in enterprise risk identification
Authors: Kmec Peter
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a risk identification method which is a synthesis of existing tools and techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

Risks are viewed as a temporal hierarchy of major decisions or events at the highest level, projects at the middle level, and routine operations at the lowest level. Furthermore, risks emerge as organizational activities progress over time. The organizational activities, called movements in this paper, typically follow the phases of routine (operations) > major decision/event > project > adjustment > routine which correspond to the chosen temporal hierarchy. Risks are identified by examining the movements in all applicable phases of their development. The method was applied in a case study of an enterprise in the energy sector.

Findings

Focus on movements bridges company silos. Risk logs make sense only when supplied with visualization tools. The future state of the enterprise's routines should be modelled early in the decision‐making process. Attention should be paid to changes that major decisions, events, and projects impose on organizational routines.

Originality/value

The method belongs to the minority of approaches which explore risk evolution, relationships, and hierarchy rather than risk likelihood and impact. Risk evolution is explored by choosing movements as the basic units of risk identification. Risk relationships are detected on the level of routines where risk relationships are the least obvious but most important. The chosen hierarchy serves an enterprise‐deep view of risks and makes it possible to be alert for periods when the organization's risks change or new ones emerge.
Antecedents and consequences of corporate diversification
Authors: Liu Heng‐Yih , Hsu Chia‐Wen
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to introduce a comprehensive model explaining what affects the scope of the firm and also to find out its impact on firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on an empirical analysis of a sample of 312 hardware manufacturing companies in Taiwan.

Findings

The research findings indicate that capability exploitation and upgrading will exert a positive influence on corporate diversification. In addition, corporate diversification will exhibit a curvilinear effect on firm performance.

Practical implications

Under the logic of capability‐based growth, managers should manage portfolios of capability upgrading and capability exploitation; and then, managers have to conduct econometric analyses to find out a firm's optimal level of corporate diversification for performance maximization.

Originality/value

This study attempts to propose a dynamic capabilities perspective, which suggests that the successful growth of a firm hinges on a strategic logic of capability‐based growth management containing both capability exploitation and capability upgrading, for exploring the antecedents and consequences of corporate diversification.
Business groups and the boundaries of the firm
Authors: Cainelli Giulio , Iacobucci Donato
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to show that the business group – i.e. the set of firms under common ownership and control – is the most appropriate unit to study the behavior and organization of firms and define their boundaries. Particular emphasis is given to notions such as unitary direction – i.e. the influence over strategic decisions – and administrative co‐ordination which allow owners to exercise supervision and authority over the controlled companies.

Design/methodology/approach

Given these aims the paper adopts an interdisciplinary perspective that relies on economics, management and law. This multidisciplinary approach is necessary for analyzing the different aspects characterizing business groups in terms of ownership, control, economic synergies between firms and internal organizational mechanisms. To support the propositions, data and information from various sources are used, ranging from official statistics on the firm's population, to sample surveys, case studies and juridical evidence. The use of different sources is justified not only by the interdisciplinary nature of the problem but also by the lack of systematic statistical evidence on the phenomenon of business groups.

Findings

The authors suggest that when a company is part of a group, the business group rather than the individual company is the most appropriate “unit” for analyzing the organization and behavior of firms. This does not deny that in some cases it can be worthwhile using the legal boundary as the appropriate unit; however, most of the empirical analyses about firms consider the legal boundary without considering whether companies are independent or part of a business group.

Originality/value

The authors show that forms of unitary direction and administrative co‐ordination are common in business groups; these forms can be assimilated to the internal organization of firms. For this reason they propose that the group rather than the individual company is the appropriate unit to delimit the boundary of the firm. In this sense, their main conclusion is that not considering the business group underestimates the actual firm boundaries.
Business manoeuvring: a model of B2B selling processes
Authors: Åge Lars‐Johan
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This study aims at developing a model that captures the reality of complex contemporary B2B selling processes.

Design/methodology/approach

The grounded theory methodology was deployed in this study. In‐depth interviews and interactive lectures were used for data collection.

Findings

This study indicates that contemporary B2B selling processes are complex and dynamic endeavours in which various (sometimes conflicting) interests are ultimately managed by the involved actors through a dynamic process best described as “business manoeuvring”.

Research limitations/implications

Possible avenues of future enquiry include investigation of other industrial sectors in which the proposed model's description of selling processes is valid and assessment of the characteristics of companies (in terms of size and profitability).

Practical implications

The model proposed in this study can be utilised by practitioners to impose a useful conceptual structure on otherwise fluid and intangible processes – thus making them easier to analyse and thereby facilitating strategic corporate decision‐making.

Originality/value

Based on the real life experiences of the involved actors, this model describes that complex contemporary B2B selling processes are dynamic processes and not linear or sequential ones.
Gifts in Croatian public and academic libraries
Authors: Hebrang Grgic Ivana
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide information on handling gifts‐in‐kind in Croatian public and academic libraries. It also recommends what should be done to improve practice with gifts for collections.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on the author's research conducted using an anonymous online questionnaire that was sent to Croatian public libraries (n=139) and academic libraries (n=73) in May 2011. After a two‐week period, a total of 84 responses was received (40 public libraries and 44 academic libraries). In statistical analysis, some variables are tested by χ2‐test to show whether differences between public and academic libraries are statistically significant.

Findings

The majority of Croatian libraries do not have gift policy statements. Gifts do have a significant part in collection building, especially in Croatian academic libraries, but are not always handled in the right way (i.e. according to IFLA's guidelines). This paper shows the quantity of gifts in the libraries, librarians' reasons for not accepting some gifts, librarians' methods in dealing with gifts, and their way of communicating with donors or potential donors.

Originality/value

This paper gives results of the first complete study of gift policies in Croatian public and academic libraries. In conclusion, a need for a written gift policy in Croatian libraries is emphasized and some recommendations are given.
Chemistry book reviews: their value, sources, and number
Authors: Hubbard David E.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Chemistry book reviews serve as an aid to collection development, as well as an educational function for bibliographers and subject specialists. This study aims to outline a methodology for locating book reviews for a subject literature and characterizing the books reviewed.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilized UlrichsWeb Global Serials Directory to identify chemistry periodicals containing book reviews. Criteria were applied to limit the periodicals identified to those publishing ten or more book reviews in 2009 and held by 25 or more libraries. The books reviewed by the periodicals were characterized in terms of the quantity, subject coverage, overlap, lag time, and compared to chemistry books published in 2009. Books reviewed by the chemistry periodicals were also compared to general science and other periodicals known to contain chemistry book reviews.

Findings

A total of 11 chemistry periodicals met the criteria and collectively they published 445 book reviews in 2009. Three chemistry periodicals accounted for 72.1 percent of the chemistry books reviewed, thus following Bradford's Law of Scatter. The LC Classification of the books reviewed ranged widely and QDs only comprised 41.1 percent of the 380 unique titles reviewed. The overlap was low with only 17.5 percent of the chemistry titles reviewed more than once. Books reviewed were generally representative of the chemistry books published based on publisher. Few, if any, chemistry books were reviewed by general science periodicals.

Originality/value

This paper provides a methodology that is applicable to other disciplines, as well as updating and expanding previous research by characterizing the subject coverage of books reviewed.
Towards life‐cycle focused infrastructure maintenance for concrete bridges
Authors: Nan Yang Ying , Kumaraswamy Mohan M.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to present approaches towards improving some specific infrastructure maintenance principles, strategies, models and practices, based on a recent study of bridge management systems in Hong Kong. A specific goal is to develop better informed and more systematic approaches to condition assessment, deterioration forecasting, and maintenance decision making over the life‐cycle of the built asset.

Design/methodology/approach

Improved performance prediction and decision‐making approaches are developed and presented based on a research exercise to formulate a maintenance management framework for concrete bridge elements in Hong Kong. This includes for example, the presentation of decision‐making approaches for optimizing inspection intervals on bridge expansion joints.

Findings

The findings show that judicious integration is needed in incorporating valuable elements of, and lessons learned from, previous practice with proposed new strategies/ principles, models and practices for specific scenarios.

Practical implications

Based on the findings, practitioners' understandings can be deepened as regards the barriers to improving condition assessment, deterioration forecasting, and maintenance decision making over the life‐cycle of the built asset. Furthermore, the results also provide useful information for developing strategies and practices to improve currently used infrastructure management systems.

Originality/value

Major obstacles are overcome in developing better informed and more systematic approaches as above, and in extending current knowledge on condition assessment, performance prediction and decision‐making models by utilizing more pertinent data and addressing some barriers in practical implementation.
Strategies for improving safety performance of repair, maintenance, minor alteration and addition (RMAA) works
Authors: Hon Carol K.H. , Chan Albert P.C. , Chan Daniel W.M.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Managing and maintaining infrastructure assets are one of the indispensible tasks for many government agencies to preserve the nations' economic viability and social welfare. To reduce the expenditures over the life‐cycle of an infrastructure asset and extend the period for which the asset performs effectively, proper repair and maintenance are essential. While repair, maintenance, minor alteration and addition (RMAA) sector is expanding in many developed cities, occurrences of fatalities and injuries in this sector are also soaring. The purposes of this paper are to identify and then evaluate the various strategies for improving the safety performance of RMAA works.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi‐structured interviews and two rounds of Delphi survey were conducted for data collection.

Findings

Raising safety awareness of RMAA workers and selecting contractors with a good record of safety performance are the two most important strategies to improve the safety performance in this sector. Technology innovations and a pay‐for‐safety scheme are regarded as the two least important strategies.

Originality/value

The paper highlights possible ways to enhance safety of the rather under‐explored RMAA sector in the construction industry.
Synthesizing a nanoparticle distribution in magnetic fluid hyperthermia
Authors: Di Barba P. , Dughiero F. , Sieni E.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the synthesis of magnetic fluid characteristics, like diameter of nanoparticles (NPs) and their concentration, in order to obtain a prescribed temperature rate. An evolution strategy algorithm is used in the optimization procedure, while three‐dimensional finite‐element (FE) modelling is used for magnetic field and thermal field analysis in transient conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

FE analysis has been used in order to compute the magnetic and thermal field in a suitable model of the tumor region. The power density due to NP has been accordingly derived.

Findings

The NP distribution, giving a prescribed thermal response, is synthesized.

Practical implications

The proposed method can be used to design a therapeutic treatment based on magnetic fluid hyperthermia.

Originality/value

The paper belongs to a streamline of innovative studies on computational hyperthermia.
Numerical simulation and investigation of induction through‐heaters in dynamic operation mode
Authors: Blinov Kirill , Nikanorov Alexander , Nacke Bernard , Klöpzig Markus
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Because of their widespread use in industry, induction through‐heaters of various metal products must be of high effectiveness not only in “quasi” steady‐state operation but in different transient modes as well. Nowadays, they are usually designed to provide the required characteristics in “quasi” steady‐state operation mode mainly. The purpose of this paper is to examine numerical simulation of transient processes in induction through‐heating lines generally and investigate dynamic temperature fields during the first start of the heaters particularly.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology is based on coupled numerical electromagnetic and thermal analyses using FEM approach. ANSYS simulations are supported with the developed tools for imitation of mass transfer effects in continuous induction heating lines.

Findings

The results show that transient temperature fields in the heated strip or slab significantly differ from their “quasi” steady‐state descriptions. Local temperature variations acquired in longitudinal as well as transverse flux induction heaters during the first start have been predicted.

Practical implications

The received results can be used for design of induction through‐heaters and improvement of their characteristics in dynamic operation modes.

Originality/value

Investigation of dynamic characteristics of the heaters in dynamic modes can be only done by numerical modelling based on special algorithms providing a time loop additional to coupling between electromagnetic and thermal analyses. Such algorithms have been developed and used for investigation of two types of induction installations: through‐heaters of cylindrical billets for forging and heating lines of strip or thin slab for rolling mills.
Modeling and optimization of coolant channel cross sections in induction heating coils
Authors: Svendsen K. , Hagen S.T.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a model that can be used in the estimation of thermal fatigue limited service life of induction coils.

Design/methodology/approach

Previous work indicates that the temperature of the cross section of an induction coil can be used to estimate thermal fatigue limited service life. This paper presents a model for estimating these temperatures based on a coupled model. Joule losses modelled in Flux2D are coupled with cooling modelled in Fluent3D. These models are controlled and combined by Python scripts that iterate the heat transfer and temperatures of heat exchange regions between the two domains.

Findings

The combined model is shown to converge nicely. The model is also applied to an optimization problem where a high power loss, copper region is surrounding a wedge‐shaped cooling channel. The point of the wedge was replaced by a radius that was optimized. The optimum was considered where the thermal fatigue service life is maximized, i.e. where the peak deviation from mean temperature in the cross section was at a minimum. The results show that the optimum corner radii are small, typically 0.25‐0.5 mm.

Originality/value

This is the first paper where the full model is presented and used to optimize specific cases.
An application of the impedance boundary condition for the design of coils used in domestic induction heating systems
Authors: Carretero Claudio , Lucía Óscar , Acero Jesús , Alonso Rafael , Burdío José M.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to propose a design procedure based on the impedance boundary condition in order to simplify the design of inductors for domestic induction heating systems.

Design/methodology/approach

An electromagnetic description of the inductor system is performed to substitute the effects of a component, named system load, for a mathematical condition, the so‐called impedance boundary condition. This is suitable to be used in electromagnetic systems involving high conductive materials at medium frequencies, as it occurs in an induction heating system. Applying this approach, a simplified electrical model arises from the general system.

Findings

A considerable reduction in the efforts devoted to design a coil for induction heating purposes is achieved, because the solution considering the variation of three physical parameters are projected to a one‐dimensional space only depending on a single parameter named corrected penetration depth. This proposal assesses the working conditions of standard induction systems.

Practical implications

This work is performed to achieve a better understanding of the fundamentals involved in the electromagnetic modeling of an induction heating system. The main goal is the definition of a better coil design process because it is probably the most time‐consuming task in the construction of a complete induction system.

Originality/value

In this paper, the so‐called corrected penetration depth is defined. This single parameter allows explaining the influence of the physical parameter of the inductor load and the excitation frequency in the equivalent of the complete inductor system. The numerical results carried out considering the corrected penetration depth instead of the physical load properties have been validated experimentally.