bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification of combinatorial and singular genomic signatures of host adaptation in influenza A H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes
Authors: Khaliq Zeeshan , Leijon Mikael , Belák Sándor , Komorowski Jan 
Published: March 2016

AbstractBackgroundThe underlying strategies used by influenza A viruses (IAVs) to adapt to new hosts while crossing the species barrier are complex and yet to be understood completely. Several studies have been published identifying singular genomic signatures that indicate such a host switch. The complexity of the problem suggested that in addition to the singular signatures, there might be a combinatorial use of such genomic features, in nature, defining adaptation to hosts..ResultsWe used computational rule-based modeling to identify combinatorial sets of interacting amino acid (aa) residues in 12 proteins of IAVs of H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes. We built highly accurate rule-based models for each protein that could differentiate between viral aa sequences coming from avian and human hosts,. We found 68 combinations of aa residues associated to host adaptation (HAd) on HA, M1, M2, NP, NS1, NEP, PA, PA-X, PB1 and PB2 proteins of the H1N1 subtype and 24 on M1, M2, NEP, PB1 and PB2 proteins of the H3N2 subtypes. In addition to these combinations, we found 132 novel singular aa signatures distributed among all proteins, including the newly discovered PA-X protein, of both subtypes. We showed that HA, NA, NP, NS1, NEP, PA-X and PA proteins of the H1N1 subtype carry H1N1-specific and HA, NA, PA-X, PA, PB1-F2 and PB1 of the H3N2 subtype carry H3N2-specific HAd signatures. M1, M2, PB1-F2, PB1 and PB2 of H1N1 subtype, in addition to H1N1 signatures, also carry H3N2 signatures. Similarly M1, M2, NP, NS1, NEP and PB2 of H3N2 subtype were shown to carry both H3N2 and H1N1 HAd signatures.ConclusionsTo sum it up, we computationally constructed simple IF-THEN rule-based models that could distinguish between aa sequences of virus particles originating from avian and human hosts. From the rules we identified combinations of aa residues as signatures facilitating the adaptation to specific hosts. The identification of combinatorial aa signatures suggests that the process of adaptation of IAVs to a new host is more complex than previously suggested. The present study provides a basis for further detailed studies with the aim to elucidate the molecular mechanisms providing the foundation for the adaptation process.
The competitiveness of the Uruguayan rural tourism sector and its potential to attract German tourists
Authors: Topolansky Barbe Federico , Gonzalez Triay Magdalena , Häufele Cornelia 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to assess the competitiveness of the Uruguayan rural tourism sector against its main competitors from Argentina and Brazil, as perceived by Uruguayan stakeholders on the supply side. The paper will also evaluate the potential of Uruguay as a rural tourism destination in attracting German tourists.

Design/methodology/approach
– Two different questionnaires were administered, one to Uruguayan rural tourism stakeholders and another one to potential German tourists in Germany.

Findings
– The findings indicate that the main strengths of Uruguayan rural tourism offer, compared to Argentina and Brazil, are the hospitality and friendliness of local people, the natural and cultural attractions and the country’s security and safety. Main weaknesses identified were the poor management of several destination components that are key to create a successful tourism destination and poor management of the “demand conditions” component of Dwyer and Kim’s (2003) integrated model.

Originality/value
– There is very limited research done on the competitiveness of Uruguay as a rural tourist destination in attracting foreign tourists (Mackinnon et al., 2009). The objective of this study is to partially fill this gap by assessing how competitive Uruguayan rural tourism is and evaluating whether Uruguay represents an attractive market for German tourists looking for agro tourism and farm holiday destinations. The German market was chosen because it is one of the top tourist-generating countries and one of the biggest spenders in international tourism (The World Tourism organization, 2010). Moreover, most tourists – from outside South America – selecting Uruguay as a tourist destination come from Germany, USA and Australia (Peralta, 2012).
Evaluation of the national higher education system’s competitiveness
Authors: Stonkiene Marija , Matkeviciene Renata , Vaiginiene Erika 
Published: March 2016

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to present a model for the analysis of the competitiveness of the higher education system based on the application of M. E. Porter’s diamond model for researching the competitiveness of the national higher education system.Design/methodology/approach– For the research that is presented in the paper, several methods of theoretical research were used: induction, deduction and comparison.Findings– Application of the selected model provided factors for assessment of the performance of higher education institutions and their performance, as well as the ability of higher education institutions to monitor the environment and, depending on the changes in the environment, to introduce internal changes.Originality/value– The paper proposes a model for examining of the factors of competitiveness in the higher education system.
Impact of clusters on regional economic performance
Authors: Resbeut Mathieu , Gugler Philippe 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– This paper aims to examine the methodology used to identify clusters on the one hand and assess the economic impact that those may have on regions on the other hand.

Design/methodology/approach
– The influential work on “clusters”lead by Michael Porter since the 1990s has become a tool for promoting innovation and growth at national and regional level. Even if the theory has become very popular, a few empirical investigations were conducted since. In a recent study, Delgado, Porter and Stern developed a model to investigate the impact of cluster composition on the performance of regions in the USA. They find strong evidence that industries operating in a strong cluster environment perform better. The aim of this study is to improve the methodology used in evaluating the cluster environment and then to replicate their model and apply it to a highly competitive industry in Switzerland, namely, the precision goods sector. It enables to look closely at the importance of the microeconomic environment surrounding an industry at the regional level.

Findings
– In Switzerland, the precision industry forms a traded cluster in three different regions. The model then reveals that those regions perform better. The results show that industries located in or nearby regions with a strong cluster environment experience higher employment growth rates.

Originality/value
– It highlights the importance of the microeconomic environment even in small competitive countries.
The effectiveness of vocational versus general secondary education
Authors: Kuzmina Julia , Carnoy Martin 
Published: March 2016

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine the relative academic effectiveness of vocational education in three countries with early tracking systems: Austria, Croatia, and Hungary.Design/methodology/approach– The authors use an instrumental variables approach to estimate vocational education’s relative academic effectiveness in terms of achievement on an international test, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Program of International Student Assessment (PISA), and two possible indicators of non-cognitive outcomes – self-efficacy in mathematics and intrinsic motivation in mathematics, both also available from the PISA student survey.Findings– The results show few, if any, differences in student gains from attending the vocational track in secondary school as opposed to the academic track. Specifically, the results show that attending the vocational or academic track results in similar achievement gains in the tenth grade and generally similar gains in self-efficacy and motivation in mathematics.Originality/value– The study is unique because in the three countries, the authors can use a fuzzy regression discontinuity approach based on school systems’ age entrance date rules to estimate the gain in test scores over an academic year and to compare the gain for students in the vocational and academic tracks. The results contradict almost all other studies by showing that in these countries student academic gains in vocational education are about the same as in the academic track.
Immigrant job satisfaction: the Australian experience
Authors: Kifle T. , Kler P. , Shankar S. 
Published: March 2016

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to study the level of job satisfaction among Australian immigrants relative to the native-born over time as a measure of their labour market assimilation.Design/methodology/approach– Using the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia panel data set, six measures of job satisfaction are tested using the random effects Generalised Least Squares method with a Mundlak correction. Labour market assimilation is defined by “years since arrival” and also via cohort effects.Findings– The authors find statistical evidence of general job dissatisfaction amongst immigrants in Australia relative to the native-born, driven mainly by non-English Speaking Background (NESB) immigrants, though this dissipates for long-term immigrants, irrespective of English Speaking Background (ESB) or NESB status. Econometric results strengthen these results though improvements over time are only strongly evident for NESB immigrants, whilst results for ESB immigrants remain mixed, and is dependent on the definition of “assimilation”.Originality/value– This paper extends the immigrant labour market assimilation literature by introducing job satisfaction as a measure of assimilation.
Educational mismatch and job aspirations
Authors: Salinas-Jiménez Maria del Mar , Artés Joaquín , Salinas-Jiménez Javier 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between education, job aspirations and subjective well-being. This analysis is done across the entire well-being distribution and taking account of educational mismatches that could condition individuals’ satisfaction if education generates certain aspirations which are not met by the individuals.

Design/methodology/approach
– Using data from the European Social Survey, a quantile regression model is estimated. This approach allows one to assess the impact of the education variables at different points of the happiness conditional distribution.

Findings
– The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the impact of education on subjective well-being varies across the distribution, with education effects lower at the top of the happiness distribution. It is also found that education generates certain aspirations among individuals in regard to the job they expect to hold and that people suffer a psychological cost when those aspirations are not met. This “aspiration mechanism” seems however to weaken as one moves along the distribution.

Originality/value
– The central contribution of this paper lies in the treatment of job aspirations through different variables of educational mismatch. Although rising aspirations have often been highlighted as the main mechanism that could explain the weak relationship between education and subjective well-being, this mechanism has barely been analyzed empirically. Moreover, the effects of educational mismatch on individual satisfaction have only been analyzed at the mean of the conditional distribution. The value of this study is therefore twofold, focussing on the analysis across the entire well-being distribution of the aspiration mechanism generated by education in regard to the job an individual expects to hold.
The impact of project methodologies on project success in different project environments
Authors: Joslin Robert , Müller Ralf 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to qualitatively validate the constructs of a theoretically derived research model while gaining insights to steer the direction of a greater study on methodologies, their elements, and their impact on project success. In doing so, to investigate whether different project environments, notably project governance, impacts the relationship between methodologies and project success.

Design/methodology/approach
– A deductive approach was applied to validate a theoretically derived research model. In total, 19 interviews across 11 industrial sectors and four countries were used to collect data. Pattern-matching techniques were utilized in the analysis to deductively validate the research model.

Findings
– There is a positive relationship between project methodology elements and the characteristics of project success; however, environmental factors, notably project governance, influence the use and effectiveness of a project methodology and its elements with a resulting impact on the characteristics of project success.

Research limitations/implications
– Project governance plays a major role in the moderating effect of a project methodology’s effectiveness. Contingency theory is applicable to a project’s methodology’s selection and its customization according to the project environment.

Practical implications
– Understand the impact of project methodologies and their elements on the characteristics of project success while being moderated by the project environment, for example, the risk of suboptimal project performance due to the effectiveness of methodology elements being negatively impacted by the project environment.

Originality/value
– The impact of a project methodology (collection of heterogeneous-related elements) on the characteristics of project success is identified while being moderated by the project environment, notably project governance.
Modern selection criteria for procurement methods in construction
Authors: Naoum Shamil George , Egbu Charles 
Published: March 2016

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive literature review that seeks to address modern factors worldwide that are associated with the selection of current procurement methods. The aim is to develop an up-to-date multi-attribute procurement decision-making chart for selecting the appropriate method for the project.Design/methodology/approach– Stage 1 (literature review). The search engines, Emerald; Business Source Premier; Science Direct and Sage were selected to identify journals that have published the most procurement methods-related articles. The search covered the period 1980-2015. Stage 2 (Survey) – after analyzing and appraising the literature, an up-to-date utility decision-making chart for selecting the appropriate procurement method for the project was developed. The chart was based on findings from a survey that included 57 construction professionals and who have demonstrated sound experience about the various procurement options.Findings– There is no one best procurement method for all projects. The selection depends on the nature of the issues or problem at hand. Decision making is not a punctual act. It is often a complex process. Effective decision making also demands quality and timely information, and a careful consideration of alternatives. The multi-attribute decision-making chart presented in this paper has included modern criteria and the client would have end up with different recommendations and consequences should these criteria were not included in priority weightings.Practical implications– The literature review provides states-of-the art research in the field of procurement methods in construction and the multi-attribute chart is intended to offer decision makers an opportunity to broaden their horizon on the different alternatives procurement routs that could lead to different consequences.Originality/value– To the best of the authors’ knowledge, very few publications have discussed modern selection criteria for procurement methods in construction under one study. Therefore, this paper has established a platform for scholars and researchers to obtain more useful insights into procurement methods concerns. It has identified research trends in procurement methods which may allow industrial practitioners to appreciate the key concerns in their development of modern concepts and principles such as supply chain, lean construction, sustainability, innovation, value engineering, e-procurement and Building information modeling. The inclusion of these modern criteria will present and add value to procurement decision makers within the construction industry.
Design vs practice
Authors: Ellway Benjamin 
Published: March 2016

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how customer involvement in call routing affects the internal operations of the call centre service system by examining customer usability problems with the interactive voice response (IVR) system and the practices of agents used to redirect incorrectly routed calls.Design/methodology/approach– A qualitative case study combined direct observation of live calls through sit-bys with agents and semi-structured interviews conducted with coaches and managers within 13 separate teams across all four functional areas of a call centre operation.Findings– Customer use of the IVR system involved effort, capability, and arrival forms of customer-induced variability, which produced incorrect call inputs into the call centre. Shared norms and attitudes concerning knowledge, IT use, and responsibility for different call types within teams were associated with redirecting practices which lead to the problematic rerouting of calls. Problems with call routing and rerouting negatively affected operational efficiency and undermined customer satisfaction.Research limitations/implications– The paper is based upon a single case study so further research is required to examine how problems identified are manifest in call centre operations of different size and complexity. The qualitative approach develops rich insights but these findings would benefit from a quantitative focus in the future.Practical implications– The customer experience of IVR systems should be continually monitored to identify usability problems and ensure effective design, while call centre management should attempt to increase teams’ awareness of and ability to successfully redirect incorrectly routed calls.Originality/value– The paper conceptualises the mutual influence of macro-level service system design and the micro-level behaviour of customers and agents upon each other. In practice, formal design decisions such as input uncertainty, decoupling, and interdependence patterns are continually reproduced or modified. Shared attitudes and norms of teams and their behavioural influence upon agents’ call handling practices are identified as a cause of coordination problems in call centres service systems. Internal rerouting by agents is also identified as a crucial operational process and important area for future research.
The rise and fall of channel management
Authors: Gadde Lars-Erik 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse the shifting perspectives on the organising and the managing of “distribution”, characterised as channels, systems or networks.

Design/methodology/approach
– The paper is based on a review of previous research, identifying three periods featuring diverse conceptualisations: the early distribution literature, the channel management perspective and today’s network approaches.

Findings
– The study shows that the early literature relied on holistic framings. This perspective was replaced by the narrower channel management view, influenced by concepts from two evolving approaches: marketing management and behavioural/social schools-of-thought. Changing business conditions eroded the basis for channel management and paid the way for current arrangements, featuring network-like conditions.

Originality/value
– Several reviews of distribution have been published, primarily focusing on the specific features of the perspectives applied. This paper emphasises dynamic aspects by attempting to explain how and why new perspectives emerge and the reasons for their reduced significance over time.
Managerial implications of research on inter-organizational interfaces
Authors: Ivens Björn S. , PARDO Catherine 
Published: March 2016

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to identify what managerial implications research related to inter-organizational interfaces has been produced in marketing. For this aim, the authors focus on a specific concept implemented in many firms that operate on business-to-business markets, which is key account management (KAM).Design/methodology/approach– The authors used the Ebsco Database entering “account management” as a key word in the title row. The search provided 51 papers to which the authors added four MSI reports written by Moriarty and Shapiro between 1980 and 1984. The authors then identified such keywords as “managers”, “practitioners”, “marketers”, “managerial”, “business”, and their variations as well as normative words such as “should”, “must”, etc. in order to identify managerial implications.Findings– Four main findings are provided: a clear managerial purpose is affirmed by KAM academic works whether as a central “purpose” of the works or as “implications”; these managerial implications may display different forms (dimensions to be considered, consequences to anticipate, advices); though the managerial scope of KAM works is clearly visible, the sophistication of managerial recommendations remains … limited; the identification of who is exactly “the manager” targeted by the implications remains vague.Research limitations/implications– The authors discuss the notion of managerial relevance of academic research.Practical/implications– The authors explore sources for practices (whether they are the ones of scholars or managers) that could help “spelling out more effectively the managerial implications.Originality/value– To the knowledge this is the first work that reviews so precisely how academic articles address to the managerial audience on a precise issue. Furthermore, the authors believe that KAM is an interesting and appropriate field for such a review because it is widely implemented on business markets.