bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Passenger rail SOEs as domestic institutional market actors
Authors: Christensen Lene Tolstrup 
Published: January 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to make an empirical-based conceptualization of the contemporary domestic state-owned enterprises (SOEs) as domestic institutional market actors (IMAs) in the marketization of public service delivery.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a qualitative comparative case study of the SOEs in passenger rail in Denmark and Sweden from 1990 to 2015.

Findings
The paper shows how marketization results in a layered institutional set-up of public service delivery based on both competition and monopoly where the SOE becomes what we call an IMA bridging sectorial challenges. In Sweden, this role has a new public governance form as the monopoly over time is fully dismantled. In Denmark, over time marketization is put on hold due to problems with the SOE as a market actor, but the SOE is nevertheless safeguarded in a new Weberian model as a sector coordinator.

Originality/value
The paper contributes to the recent literature on SOEs and marketization with an original and novel conceptualization of contemporary SOEs in public governance.
Welfare effects of state-owned multinational enterprises
Authors: Rygh Asmund 
Published: January 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to theoretically investigate the potential welfare effects of state-owned enterprises’ (SOEs) international operations.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper is conceptual, applying standard economics state ownership theory based on agency theory and incomplete contracts theory to different forms of SOE cross-border operations.

Findings
When private firms are risk averse or financially constrained, or when writing complete contracts and making credible commitments are not possible, state ownership can achieve objectives such as international operations supporting domestic industrial policy, addressing social objectives in another government’s territory and addressing transnational market failures. Welfare effects may, however, also depend on home-host country relationships.

Originality/value
This is the first application of standard economics state ownership theory to state-owned multinationals. The analysis shows that key conclusions from the state ownership literature in a domestic setting can be extended to international operations, and highlights new theoretical issues arising from SOEs going beyond their home jurisdiction to that of another government.
Modelling the critical success factors of women entrepreneurship using fuzzy AHP framework
Authors: Amrita Kumari , Garg Chandra Prakash , Singh Saumya 
Published: January 2018

Purpose
The contribution of women toward entrepreneurial activities has gained significant attention in recent years because of economic and social concerns, government support and initiatives and increased education and awareness. Women’s entrepreneurial activity has increased and women-owned businesses can today be found in every sector of the economy, irrespective of region. In India, government bodies such as the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and several other organizations (private and NGOs) have adopted considerable measures to promote women entrepreneurship (WE). To improve WE, the critical factors of WE adoption need to be identified and evaluated. The purpose of this paper is to identify, prioritize and evaluate the critical success factors of WE adoption in Indian MSMEs.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper proposes a methodology based on fuzzy analytical hierarchal process to prioritize the critical success factors of WE adoption. A numerical analysis of Indian MSMEs is presented to demonstrate the use of the proposed method. This proposed method considered fuzzy framework, which can handle impreciseness and uncertainty. Sensitivity analysis is also performed to test the robustness of the proposed model.

Findings
Potential critical success factors are identified from relevant literature and validated by industry experts. This research finalize the critical success factors of WE adoption in Indian MSMEs under seven dimensions, so prioritization of identified critical success factors can be developed and insights relationship of factors would be explored. The results of the study found that individual, management and government dimensions take paramount importance while women aim to become entrepreneurs in Indian MSMEs.

Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to identifying evaluation factors; other factors have not been identified and categorized. Evaluation is one by experts in this area so it is natural that views of decision-makers may be subjective and vary with regard to industry-type, priorities, resources, etc.

Practical implications
This study will help industry to identify, evaluate and prioritize factors for successful implementation of women entrepreneurship. MSMEs could device these factors by applying the outcome of the study in their decisions with higher priority to implement women entrepreneurship culture.

Originality/value
Potential factors are identified from relevant literature and validated by industry experts. Indian MSMEs could device these factors by applying the outcome of the study in their decisions with higher priority to adopt women entrepreneurship.
Place-based competitiveness in subsistence small businesses
Authors: Jardón Carlos M. , Tañski Nilda C. 
Published: January 2018

Purpose
This paper aims to study the competitiveness of subsistence small businesses (SSBs) and the use of the place to get competitive advantages. Complementarily the paper analyzes the intellectual capital as a possible mediator for the competitiveness of SSBs.

Design/methodology/approach
Data were obtained by conducting surveys with owners and managers of wood-processing companies located in Misiones (Argentina), during 2015. The research uses principal component analysis and path analysis to study the relationships. The study introduces tangible resources and size as control variables.

Findings
The results show the importance of place as source of competitive advantages in SSBs. The SSBs present competitive advantages that generate better results. The place affects competitive advantages directly and indirectly through intellectual capital.

Research limitations/implications
The data used refer to a certain period, so the use of the panel data enables generalizing findings over time. Sample is in a particular region and sector, and generalizations should be done carefully.

Practical implications
SSBs should raise the strategy integrating short and long term, which requires a strengthening of intellectual capital, especially in cooperation, professionalism and training.

Social implications
The findings suggest specific support local policies to these businesses to improve their performance in developing countries.

Originality/value
SSBs are very important in developing countries, but they are not sufficiently studied. This paper examines place-based competitiveness of SSBs and the moderation effect of dimensions of intellectual capital.
Beyond entrepreneurship education: business incubation and entrepreneurial capabilities
Authors: Ikebuaku Kenechukwu , Dinbabo Mulugeta 
Published: January 2018

Purpose
As a way of dealing with Nigeria’s macroeconomic challenge of unemployment and its concomitant socio-economic problems, the federal government, in 2006, made entrepreneurship study a compulsory course for all higher education students irrespective of their area of specialization. However, studies have shown that the programme is yet to achieve its goals as many Nigerian graduates still remain unemployed long after graduation. Using Sen’s capability approach, this paper aims to investigate business incubation as an effective tool for enhancing entrepreneurial capabilities beyond entrepreneurship education.

Design/methodology/approach
This study has engaged both quantitative (survey questionnaire) and qualitative methodologies (semi-structured interview).

Findings
The result shows that through business incubation, budding entrepreneurs have increased access to infrastructures and resources necessary for entrepreneurial success, thereby enhancing their real opportunities (capabilities) for success.

Practical implications
For greater effectiveness, business incubation should be integrated into the current entrepreneurship education programme in Nigeria.

Originality/value
This study is a debut of research endeavours which theoretically assess entrepreneurship programmes via the capability approach lens. It has developed a conceptual model for assessing business incubation using the capability approach.
Analysis of production planning in a global manufacturing company with process mining
Authors: ER Mahendrawathi , Arsad Noval , Astuti Hanim Maria , Kusumawardani Renny Pradina , Utami Rivia Atmajaningtyas 
Published: January 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the result of using process mining to model the production planning (PP) process of a manufacturing company that is supported by enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses event logs obtained from the case company’s ERP database. The steps for this research are planning process mining implementation, extraction and construction of event log, discovering process model with Heuristic Miner and analysis.

Findings
Process model obtained from process mining shows how the PP is actually conducted. It shows the loop in materials requirement planning and create plan order process. Furthermore, the occurrences of changing plan order date and production line indicate the schedule instability in the case company. Further analysis of the material management (MM) event log shows the implication of production plan changes on MM. Continuous change in the plan affects material allocation priority and may result in a mismatch between production needs and the materials available.

Research limitations/implications
The study is only conducted in a single and specific case. Therefore, even though the findings provide good insight, the use of solitary case study does not imply a general result applied to other cases. Hence, there is a need to conduct similar studies on various cases so that a more generic conclusion can be drawn.

Practical implications
The result provides insights into how the current company’s policy of adjusting the production plan to accommodate changing demand impacts their operation. It can help the company to consider a better balance between flexibility and efficiency to improve their process.

Originality/value
The paper demonstrates the use of process mining to capture the real progression of PP based on the data stored in the company’s ERP database, which give an insight into how a real company conducts their PP process, the implication of schedule instability on MM and production. The novelty of this research lies in the use of process mining to attest to the schedule nervousness issue at a process level.
Formulation and efficacy study of metabolic syndrome-specific ingredient mix
Authors: Miglani Neetu , Bains Kiran , Bhathal Simranpreet Kaur 
Published: January 2018

Purpose
The study aims to design metabolic syndrome (MetS) ingredient mix with optimum amino acid makeup using key foods with reported functional properties and study the efficacy of this mix to alleviate the symptoms of MetS among adult men and women with MetS.

Design/methodology/approach
In total, 25 MetS-specific ingredient mixes that included wheat flour, common legumes, fenugreek and flaxseeds were formulated by correcting their amino acid score. The suitability of these mixes was tested for the preparation of chapati (an unleavened Indian bread). Owing to its highest lysine content, the ingredient mix of whole wheat flour, oat flour, soybean, flaxseeds and fenugreek seeds was selected for the 12-week supplementation trial among patients with MetS.

Findings
The sensory scores of chapatis made using nine ingredient mixes was comparable with those of chapati made from whole wheat flour (control). The test chapatis had a significantly (p = 0.05) higher protein, ash, fibre and fat content, and lysine was also higher (591-1,006 mg/100 g) than the control chapatis (314 mg). Positive and significant changes in the anthropometry, body composition, fasting blood glucose levels, blood pressure and lipid profile of the patients with MS was seen after consumption of the selected ingredient mix.

Originality/value
Keeping in view the traditional vegetarian Indian meals which usually take care of including foods from different sources to improve their protein quality, the concern for providing protein quality to prevent metabolic abnormalities is significant for a large lacto-vegetarian population in India which depends on plant foods for obtaining essential amino acids. Obtaining optimum protein quality from meals along with maintaining a physically active lifestyle may help people have the appropriate fat to lean mass proportion which may have a protective role against MetS.
Diet, microbiota and inflammatory bowel disease: review
Authors: Radavelli Bruna Luísa , Zanella Priscila Berti , Silva Amanda Souza , Dall’Alba Valesca 
Published: January 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to verify the possible associations between dietary components and the intestinal microbiota in clinical parameters of inflammatory bowel disease.

Design/methodology/approach
In this review, a search in PubMed and Bireme databases was performed. The authors included randomized clinical trials published between 2005 and 2017, only in adult humans with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

Findings
Six articles were included by the end of the search. The most widely used intervention was the use of prebiotics, including fructooligosaccharides or fructooligosaccharides with inulin, followed by probiotics. The main findings regarding the microbiota were the increase in the total amount of bacteria and variability (phyla). Clinically, there was improvement in inflammation seen in parameters such as C-reactive protein, interleukins and tumor necrosis factor alpha.

Originality/value
Dietary interventions, especially from symbiotics, can modulate the microbiota, mainly in relation to time, when compared pre- and post-supplementation, and this positively interferes with clinical parameters of inflammatory bowel diseases. However, the studies were quite heterogeneous in population, methodology, intervention, mycobiota analysis and inflammatory markers.
Assessment of TQM implementation level in Palestinian healthcare organizations
Authors: Baidoun Samir D. , Salem Mohammed Z. , Omran Omar A. 
Published: January 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the level of total quality management (TQM) implementation in Palestinian governmental and non-governmental hospitals using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) framework.

Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on collecting data using a survey questionnaire that was designed according to the MBNQA criteria. In total, 363 questionnaires from governmental and non-governmental hospitals operating in Gaza Strip were analyzed to assess the level of TQM implementation level in all hospitals (governmental and non-governmental).

Findings
The main results of this study indicate that Palestinian hospitals operating in Gaza Strip perform at a relatively acceptable level. Comparing results shows that the performance of non-governmental hospitals is better with higher degree of TQM implementation than the governmental hospitals. Detailed analysis identifies improvement opportunities-related specific aspects of the human resources focus and the performance results.

Research limitations/implications
Although this study has collected data from one Palestinian Territory, the Gaza Strip, it still identifies the critical factors and practices for TQM implementation within the Palestinian healthcare organizations to improve performance.

Practical implications
This paper suggests that business excellence models such as the MBNQA criteria can be used to assess the level of implementation of quality practices and identify the strengths and weaknesses to improve the quality of service delivery, processes, and performance of hospitals.

Originality/value
Despite the widespread use of TQM in the developed countries, little attention has been placed to implement and assess the quality initiatives by organizations in the developing countries and even fewer in low-income Arab countries (Aamer et al., 2017; Øvretveit and Al Serouri, 2006). In addition, a very few number of studies in reference to the assessment of TQM implementation in the Palestinian context, in general, and in healthcare organizations, in particular, highlight the need for this study. To move the field in that direction, the goal of this research was to assess the level of TQM implementation in the healthcare organizations (mainly hospitals) in Gaza Strip (one of the least fortunate areas of the Palestinian-occupied territories) where no prior similar research studies could be found. Therefore, this study contributes to filling this gap in the literature by providing empirical assessment of TQM level of implementation in Gaza Strip hospitals.
Towards smarter harvesting from natural palm populations by sparing the individuals that contribute most to population growth or productivity
Authors: Jansen Merel , Anten Niels P. R. , Bongers Frans , Martínez‐Ramos Miguel , Zuidema Pieter A. 
Published: January 2018

Abstract

Natural populations deliver a wide range of products that provide income for millions of people and need to be exploited sustainably. Large heterogeneity in individual performance within these exploited populations has the potential to improve population recovery after exploitation and thus help sustain yields over time.

We explored the potential of using individual heterogeneity to design smarter harvest schemes, by sparing individuals that contribute most to future productivity and population growth, using the understorey palm Chamaedorea elegans as a model system. Leaves of this palm are an important non‐timber forest product and long‐term inter‐individual growth variability can be evaluated from internode lengths.

We studied a population of 830 individuals, half of which was subjected to a 67% defoliation treatment for 3 years. We measured effects of defoliation on vital rates and leaf size—a trait that determines marketability. We constructed integral projection models in which vital rates depended on stem length, past growth rate and defoliation and evaluated transient population dynamics to quantify population development and leaf yield. We then simulated scenarios in which we spared individuals that were either most important for population growth or had leaves smaller than marketable size.

Individuals varying in size or past growth rate responded similar to leaf harvesting in terms of growth and reproduction. By contrast, a reduction in survival chance was smaller in large individuals than in small ones. Simulations showed that harvest‐induced population decline was greatly reduced when sparing individuals from size and past growth classes that contributed most to population growth. Under this scenario, cumulative leaf harvest over 20 years was somewhat reduced, but long‐term leaf production was sustained. A threefold increase in leaf yield was generated when individuals with small leaves were spared.

Synthesis and applications. This study demonstrates the potential to create smarter systems of palm leaf harvest by accounting for individual heterogeneity within exploited populations. Sparing individuals that contribute most to population growth ensured sustained leaf production over time. The concepts and methods presented here are generally applicable to exploited plant and animal species which exhibit considerable individual heterogeneity.
Ethanolamine is a valuable nutrient source that impacts Clostridium difficile pathogenesis
Authors: Nawrocki Kathryn L. , Wetzel Daniela , Jones Joshua B. , Woods Emily C. , McBride Shonna M. 
Published: January 2018

SummaryClostridium (Clostridioides) difficile is a gastrointestinal pathogen that colonizes the intestinal tract of mammals and can cause severe diarrheal disease. Although C. difficile growth is confined to the intestinal tract, our understanding of the specific metabolites and host factors that are important for the growth of the bacterium is limited. In other enteric pathogens, the membrane‐derived metabolite, ethanolamine (EA), is utilized as a nutrient source and can function as a signal to initiate the production of virulence factors. In this study, we investigated the effects of ethanolamine and the role of the predicted ethanolamine gene cluster (CD1907‐CD1925) on C. difficile growth. Using targeted mutagenesis, we disrupted genes within the eut cluster and assessed their roles in ethanolamine utilization, and the impact of eut disruption on the outcome of infection in a hamster model of disease. Our results indicate that the eut gene cluster is required for the growth of C. difficile on ethanolamine as a primary nutrient source. Further, the inability to utilize ethanolamine resulted in greater virulence and a shorter time to morbidity in the animal model. Overall, these data suggest that ethanolamine is an important nutrient source within the host and that, in contrast to other intestinal pathogens, the metabolism of ethanolamine by C. difficile can delay the onset of disease.
Eukaryotic phytoplankton community spatiotemporal dynamics as identified through gene expression within a eutrophic estuary
Authors: Gong Weida , Paerl Hans , Marchetti Adrian 
Published: January 2018

SummaryOver the span of a year, we investigated the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors within the eutrophic Neuse River Estuary (NRE). Through metatranscriptomic sequencing in combination with water quality measurements, we show that there are different metabolic strategies deployed along the NRE. In the upper estuary, taxonomically resolved phytoplankton groups express more transcripts of genes for synthesis of cellular components and carbon metabolism whereas in the lower estuary, transcripts allocated to nutrient metabolism and transport were more highly expressed. Metabolisms for polysaccharide synthesis and transportation were elevated in the lower estuary and could be reflective of unbalanced growth and/or interactions with their surrounding microbial consortia. Our results indicate phytoplankton have high metabolic activity, suggestive of increased growth rates in the upper estuary and display patterns reflective of nutrient limitation in the lower estuary. Among all the environmental parameters varying along the NRE, nitrogen availability is found to be the main driving factor for the observed spatial divergence.