bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploration and prioritization of lean techniques in a hotel supply chain
Authors: Al-Aomar Raid , Hussain Matloub 
Published: July 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for identification, categorization and prioritization of lean techniques adopted in a hotel supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach
A survey tool is used for the identification of lean techniques that are relevant to a hotel supply chain. The targeted sample includes experts from 50 four- and five-star hotels in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that confirmed experience in implementing lean practices across hotels supply chain. A Supplier-Inputs-Process-Outputs-Customers (SIPOC) chart and experts’ opinion are used to allocate and categorize the identified lean techniques across the construct of the hotel supply chain. Finally, analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is used to prioritize the criteria and sub-criteria of adopted lean techniques.

Findings
Study results have identified six main categories of lean practices and 19 specific lean techniques as relevant to a hotel supply chain. The identified categories include JIT, Kaizen, Quality, Inventory, Maintenance and Standardization. The study found that JIT and Kaizen take the top priority among the identified categories of lean practices. In line with that, on-time service to customers, effective improvement system and on-time delivery from suppliers were found to be the three most relevant lean techniques to a hotel supply chain.

Research limitations/implications
The study has targeted a representative sample of hotels with experience in implementing lean practices. Study findings have several implications to researchers and practitioners for effective adoption of lean techniques within a hotel supply chain. However, the accuracy and credibility of results obtained from this research including SIPOC allocation and lean categorization are highly dependent on the accuracy and credibility of collected empirical data from surveyed hotels within the study context. Results of AHP prioritization also depend on the credibility of judgements made by the hotels’ supply chain experts.

Practical implications
The study provides the hospitality industry with a structured approach that can help in a prioritized adoption of most relevant lean techniques across the hotel supply chain to reduce wastes, create value, increase efficiency and improve the service level. Study findings can be used by hotel management to direct and focus the effort of lean capacity building, resources allocation and implementation plans.

Originality/value
Limited research is available on lean management in the context of a hotel supply chain. Also, most of the previous research is focused on lean impacts, while academics and practitioners agree that the identification and prioritization of most relevant lean techniques is crucial to the successful implementation of lean management for waste reduction and value creation. This research addresses this important issue in hotel supply chains and proposes a structured approach for effective lean adoption.
Does financial development accelerate economic growth?
Authors: Fetai Besnik Taip 
Published: July 2018

Purpose
This study aims to empirically explore whether there is causality and in which direction, i.e. whether financial development generates economic growth or whether financial development merely follows economic growth in transition European countries, including Russian Federation and Turkey, during 1998-2015.

Design/methodology/approach
The study uses different techniques such as pooled OLS, fixed and random effects and the Hausman–Taylor model with instrumental variables.

Findings
The regression results show a positive relationship between financial development indicators and real GDP per capita growth, thus supporting the hypothesis that finance leads economic growth. The result also shows that financial crisis has a negative effect on real GDP per capita growth. Furthermore, these findings show that government spending and inflation have a negative impact on real GDP per capita growth. The study also shows that financial development plays growth-supporting role in real GDP per capita growth in 20 European countries in transition, including Russian Federation and Turkey.

Practical implications
As financial development generates real GDP per capita growth, on the basis of the results of the study, a course of action that involves institutional improvement and incentivizing competition in the financial sector is recommended to the Central Banks’ policymakers in transition economies. These will in turn lead to higher real GDP per capita growth.

Originality/value
The study is original in nature and makes effort to promote financial development in transition European countries, including Russian Federation and Turkey. The findings of this study will be of value to Central Banks and other policymakers.
Professional development of future foreign language teachers during short-term exchanges
Authors: Helmchen Christian , Melo-Pfeifer Sílvia 
Published: July 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the self-perceived influence of short-term exchanges in schools abroad on future foreign language teacher’s professionalization, regarding professional values and pedagogy and practice. It grasps students’ changes in the perception of values attached to short-term exchanges in a professional setting.

Design/methodology/approach
In the scope of the European project SPIRAL, four prospective foreign language teachers attended a two-week internship at schools in another country. This paper explores, resorting to a combined content and discourse analysis, their letters of motivation (two months before the exchange), emails sent individually to the local coordinator (one week after the arrival) and a focus-group interview (two months after the arrival).

Findings
Future foreign language teachers change their focus when referring to the values attached to their experiences at schools abroad: from an initial focus on language skills improvement, they come to value the intercultural pedagogic experience they lived, focusing on differences and similarities between professional values and pedagogical practices across the contexts.

Practical implications
A generalized introduction of professional exchange programs, both in pre-service and continuing teacher education, could improve teachers’ perceptions of global structural, educational, political and curricular contexts and demands. It would also help the teachers decenter from educational practices and professional habitus taken for granted, and raise their awareness of what it means to be educated and professionalized in other contexts.

Originality/value
Few studies have focused on short-term exchanges and their impact on teachers’ professional development. The present paper highlights the pedagogical, intercultural and identity-building potential of short-term exchanges in foreign language teacher education.
Design Elements of Listeria Environmental Monitoring Programs in Food Processing Facilities: A Scoping Review of Research and Guidance Materials
Authors: Zoellner Claire , Ceres Kristina , Ghezzi‐Kopel Kate , Wiedmann Martin , Ivanek Renata 
Published: July 2018

AbstractOccurrence of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), the causative agent of listeriosis, in food processing facilities presents considerable challenges to food producers and food safety authorities. Design of an effective, risk‐based environmental monitoring (EM) program is essential for finding and eliminating Lm from the processing environment to prevent product contamination. A scoping review was conducted to collate and synthesize available research and guidance materials on Listeria EM in food processing facilities. An exhaustive search was performed to identify all available research, industry and regulatory documents, and search results were screened for relevance based on eligibility criteria. After screening, 198 references were subjected to an in‐depth review and categorized according to objectives for conducting Listeria sampling in food processing facilities and food sector. Mapping of the literature revealed research and guidance gaps by food sector, as fresh produce was the focus in only 10 references, compared to 72 on meat, 52 on fish and seafood, and 50 on dairy. Review of reported practices and guidance highlighted key design elements of EM, including the number, location, timing and frequency of sampling, as well as methods of detection and confirmation, and record‐keeping. While utilization of molecular subtyping methods is a trend that will continue to advance understanding of Listeria contamination risks, improved study design and reporting standards by researchers will be essential to assist the food industry optimize their EM design and decision‐making. The comprehensive collection of documents identified and synthesized in this review aids continued efforts to minimize the risk of Lm contaminated foods.
Mycotoxin Biomarkers of Exposure: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Vidal Arnau , Mengelers Marcel , Yang Shupeng , De Saeger Sarah , De Boevre Marthe 
Published: July 2018

AbstractTo date, the use of biomarkers has become generally accepted. Biomarker‐driven research has been proposed as a successful method to assess the exposure to xenobiotics by using concentrations of the parent compounds and/or metabolites in biological matrices such as urine or blood. However, the identification and validation of biomarkers of exposure remain a challenge. Recent advances in high‐resolution mass spectrometry along with new analytical (post‐acquisition data‐mining) techniques will improve the quality and output of the biomarker identification process. Chronic or even acute exposure to mycotoxins remains a daily fact, and therefore it is crucial that the mycotoxins’ metabolism is unravelled so more knowledge on biomarkers in humans and animals is acquired. This review aims to provide the scientific community with a comprehensive overview of reported in vitro and in vivo mycotoxin metabolism studies in relation to biomarkers of exposure for deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, fusarenon‐X, T‐2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol, ochratoxin A, citrinin, fumonisins, zearalenone, aflatoxins, and sterigmatocystin.
The effect of the algal microbiome on industrial production of microalgae
Authors: Lian Jie , Wijffels Rene H. , Smidt Hauke , Sipkema Detmer 
Published: July 2018

SummaryMicrobes are ubiquitously distributed, and they are also present in algae production systems. The algal microbiome is a pivotal part of the alga holobiont and has a key role in modulating algal populations in nature. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the role of bacteria in artificial systems ranging from laboratory flasks to industrial ponds. Coexisting microorganisms, and predominantly bacteria, are often regarded as contaminants in algal research, but recent studies manifested that many algal symbionts not only promote algal growth but also offer advantages in downstream processing. Because of the high expectations for microalgae in a bio‐based economy, better understanding of benefits and risks of algal–microbial associations is important for the algae industry. Reducing production cost may be through applying specific bacteria to enhance algae growth at large scale as well as through preventing the growth of a broad spectrum of algal pathogens. In this review, we highlight the latest studies of algae–microbial interactions and their underlying mechanisms, discuss advantages of large‐scale algal–bacterial cocultivation and extend such knowledge to a broad range of biotechnological applications.
Testing clustering strategies for metabarcoding‐based investigation of community–environment interactions
Authors: Xiong Wei , Zhan Aibin 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe degradation of freshwater ecosystems has become a common ecological and environmental problem globally. Owing to the complexity of biological communities, there remain tremendous technical challenges for investigating influence of environmental stressors (e.g., chemical pollution) on biological communities. High‐throughput sequencing‐based metabarcoding provides a powerful tool to reveal complex interactions between environments and biological communities. Among many technical issues, the clustering strategies for operational taxonomic units (OTUs) which are crucial for assessing biodiversity of communities, may affect final conclusions. Here, we used zooplankton communities along an environmental pollution gradient in the Chaobai River in Northern China to test different clustering strategies, including nonclustering and clustering with varied thresholds. Our results showed that though the number of OTUs estimated by nonclustering strategies and clustering strategies with divergence thresholds of 99%–97% largely varied, they were able to identify the same set of significant environmental and spatial variables responsible for geographical distributions of zooplankton communities. In addition, the ecological conclusions obtained by clustering thresholds of 99%–97% were consistent with nonclustering strategies, where for all eight clustering scenarios we detected that species sorting predicted by environmental variables overrode dispersal as the dominant factor in structuring zooplankton communities. However, clustering with the divergence thresholds of <95% affected the environmental and spatial variables identified. We conclude that both newly developed nonclustering methods and traditional clustering methods with divergence thresholds ≥97% were reliable to reveal mechanisms of complex community–environment interactions, although different clustering strategies could lead to largely varied biodiversity estimates such as those for α‐diversity.
Targeted resequencing of codingDNAsequences forSNPdiscovery in nonmodel species
Authors: Förster Daniel W. , Bull James K. , Lenz Dorina , Autenrieth Marijke , Paijmans Johanna L. A. , Kraus Robert H. S. , Nowak Carsten , Bayerl Helmut , Kuehn Ralph , Saveljev Alexander P. , Sindičić Magda , Hofreiter Michael , Schmidt Krzysztof , Fickel Jörns 
Published: July 2018

AbstractTargeted capture coupled with high‐throughput sequencing can be used to gain information about nuclear sequence variation at hundreds to thousands of loci. Divergent reference capture makes use of molecular data of one species to enrich target loci in other (related) species. This is particularly valuable for nonmodel organisms, for which often no a priori knowledge exists regarding these loci. Here, we have used targeted capture to obtain data for 809 nuclear codingDNAsequences (CDS) in a nonmodel organism, the Eurasian lynxLynx lynx, using baits designed with the help of the published genome of a related model organism (the domestic catFelis catus). Using this approach, we were able to survey intraspecific variation at hundreds of nuclear loci inL. lynxacross the species’ European range. A large set of biallelic candidateSNPs was then evaluated using a high‐throughputSNPgenotyping platform (Fluidigm), which we then reduced to a final 96SNP‐panel based on assay performance and reliability; validation was carried out with 100 additional Eurasian lynx samples not included in theSNPdiscovery phase. The 96SNP‐panel developed fromCDSperformed very successfully in the identification of individuals and in population genetic structure inference (including the assignment of individuals to their source population). In keeping with recent studies, our results show that genicSNPs can be valuable for genetic monitoring of wildlife species.
Immune sensitization during 1 year in the Antarctic high‐altitude Concordia Environment
Authors: Feuerecker Matthias , Crucian Brian E. , Quintens Roel , Buchheim Judith‐Irina , Salam Alex P. , Rybka Ales , Moreels Marjan , Strewe Claudia , Stowe Raymond , Mehta Satish , Schelling Gustav , Thiel Manfred , Baatout Sarah , Sams Clarence , Choukèr Alexander 
Published: July 2018

AbstractBackgroundAntarctica is a challenging environment for humans. It serves as a spaceflight ground analog, reflecting some conditions of long‐duration exploration class space missions. The French‐Italian Concordia station in interior Antarctica is a high‐fidelity analog, located 1000 km from the coast, at an altitude of 3232 m. The aim of this field study was to characterize the extent, dynamics, and key mechanisms of the immune adaptation in humans overwintering at Concordia for 1 year.MethodsThis study assessed immune functions in fourteen crewmembers. Quantitative and phenotypic analyses from human blood were performed using onsite flow cytometry together with specific tests on receptor‐dependent and receptor‐independent functional innate and adaptive immune responses. Transcriptome analyses and quantitative identification of key response genes were assessed.ResultsDynamic immune activation and a two‐step escalation/activation pattern were observed. The early phase was characterized by moderately sensitized global immune responses, while after 3‐4 months, immune responses were highly upregulated. The cytokine responses to an ex vivo stimulation were markedly raised above baseline levels. These functional observations were reflected at the gene transcriptional level in particular through the modulation of hypoxia‐driven pathways.ConclusionsThis study revealed unique insights into the extent, dynamics, and genetics of immune dysfunctions in humans exposed for 1 year to the Antarctic environment at the Concordia station. The scale of immune function was imbalanced toward a sensitizing of inflammatory pathways.
The Importance of Mutual Understanding Between External Accountants and Owner–Managers of SMEs
Authors: De Bruyckere Stefanie , Verplancke Frederik , Everaert Patricia , Sarens Gerrit , Coppens Carine 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThis study investigates the perspective of the owner–manager of a small or medium‐sized enterprise (SME) on the importance of mutual understanding with an external accountant. Mutual understanding means that the owner–manager understands what the accountant is saying and feels understood by the accountant. The results, based on 310 completed surveys of Belgian owner–managers, show that owner–managers who have a high level of mutual understanding use the advice of their external accountant more extensively. This is in turn positively linked to the financial health of an SME. Furthermore, several drivers that enable the establishment of a high level of mutual understanding are explored. Owner–managers with a high level of mutual understanding consider their accountant as a strategic partner, experience a high level of proactive behaviour with them, have a higher frequency of formal contact, and perceive informal contact as important. External accountants should consider these opportunities in their client management and training of internal staff. Education of clients and openness also seem very important, as the level of a client's accounting knowledge, the number of accounting topics owner–managers deal with, and transparency towards the accountant are significantly positively related to mutual understanding.
Patient‐reported outcomes of blue‐light flexible cystoscopy with hexaminolevulinate in the surveillance of bladder cancer: results from a prospective multicentre study
Authors: Smith Angela B. , Daneshmand Siamak , Patel Sanjay , Pohar Kamal , Trabulsi Edouard , Woods Michael , Downs Tracy , Huang William , Taylor Jennifer , Jones Jeffrey , O'Donnell Michael , Bivalacqua Trinity , DeCastro Joel , Steinberg Gary , Kamat Ashish , Resnick Matthew , Konety Badrinath , Schoenberg Mark , Jones J Stephen , Lotan Yair ,   Flexible Blue Light Study Group Collaborators
Published: July 2018

ObjectiveTo evaluate blue‐light flexible cystoscopy (BLFC) with hexaminolevulinate in the office surveillance of patients with non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer with a high risk of recurrence by assessing its impact on pain, anxiety, subjective value of the test and patient willingness to pay.Materials and MethodsA prospective, multicentre, phase III study was conducted during which the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Anxiety, Pain and ‘Was It Worth It’ questionnaires were administered at baseline, after surveillance with BLFC and after resection for those referred to the operating room. Comparisons of scores were performed between groups.ResultsA total of 304 patients were enrolled, of whom 103 were referred for surgical examination. Of these, 63 were found to have histologically confirmed malignancy. Pain levels were low throughout the study. Anxiety levels decreased after BLFC (∆ = −2.6), with a greater decrease among those with negative pathology results (P = 0.051). No differences in anxiety were noted based on gender, BLFC results, or test performance (true‐positive/false‐positive). Most patients found BLFC ‘worthwhile’ (94%), would ‘do it again’ (94%) and ‘would recommend it to others’ (91%), with no differences based on BLFC results or test performance. Most patients undergoing BLFC (76%) were willing to pay out of pocket.ConclusionsAnxiety decreased after BLFC in patients with negative pathology, including patients with false‐positive results. Most of the patients undergoing BLFC were willing to pay out of pocket, found the procedure worthwhile and would recommend it to others, irrespective of whether they had a positive BLFC result or whether this was false‐positive after surgery.
Maximum gait speed is associated with a wide range of cognitive functions in Japanese older adults with a Clinical Dementia Rating of 0.5
Authors: Umegaki Hiroyuki , Makino Taeko , Yanagawa Madoka , Nakashima Hirotaka , Kuzuya Masafumi , Sakurai Takashi , Toba Kenji 
Published: July 2018

AimPhysical and cognitive functions are mutually associated. However, it is unknown which markers of physical functions or body composition are most strongly associated with cognition. Here, we explored the association between body composition/physical performance and comprehensive neuropsychological assessments in an effort to identify reliable markers of cognition among factors in body composition/physical performance, including both usual and maximum gait speeds.MethodsWe examined a total of 161 Japanese individuals (71 men, 90 women; aged 76.3 ± 7.2 years) with a Clinical Dementia Rating of 0.5 and a Mini‐Mental State Examination score >24. A battery of neuropsychological assessments, physical functional assessments and measurements of body composition was carried out. We conducted a multiple regression analysis to investigate the associations between cognitive performance and the factors in body composition and physical performance with adjustments for age, sex, and number of school years.ResultsMaximum gait speed was the factor most widely associated with cognitive performance among the factors of body composition and physical performance.ConclusionMaximum gait speed might be the best marker for cognition in this population of older individuals. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1323–1329.