bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exact and approximate limit behaviour of the Yule tree’s cophenetic index
Authors: Bartoszek Krzysztof 
Published: March 2017

AbstractIn this work we study the limit distribution of an appropriately normalized cophenetic index of the pure–birth tree conditioned onncontemporary tips. We show that this normalized phylogenetic balance index is a submartingale that converges almost surely and inL2. We link our work with studies on trees without branch lengths and show that in this case the limit distribution is a contraction–type distribution, similar to the Quicksort limit distribution. In the continuous branch case we suggest approximations to the limit distribution. We propose heuristic methods of simulating from these distributions and it may be observed that these algorithms result in reasonable tails. Therefore, we propose a way based on the quantiles of the derived distributions for hypothesis testing, whether an observed phylogenetic tree is consistent with the pure–birth process. Simulating a sample by the proposed heuristics is rapid, while exact simulation (simulating the tree and then calculating the index) is a time–consuming procedure. We conduct a power study to investigate how well the cophenetic indices detect deviations from the Yule tree and apply the methodology to empirical phylogenies.
A Gaussian process model of human electrocorticographic data
Authors: Owen Lucy L. W. , Muntianu Tudor A. , Heusser Andrew C. , Daly Patrick , Scangos Katherine , Manning Jeremy R. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractWe present a model-based method for inferring full-brain neural activity at millimeter-scale spatial resolutions and millisecond-scale temporal resolutions using standard human intracranial recordings. Our approach makes the simplifying assumptions that different people’s brains exhibit similar correlational structure, and that activity and correlation patterns vary smoothly over space. One can then ask, for an arbitrary individual’s brain: given recordings from a limited set of locations in that individual’s brain, along with the observed spatial correlations learned from other people’s recordings, how much can be inferred about ongoing activity at other locations throughout that individual’s brain? We show that our approach generalizes across people and tasks, thereby providing a person- and task-general means of inferring high spatiotemporal resolution full-brain neural dynamics from standard low-density intracranial recordings.
Influence of calcium nitrite on the passive films of rebar in simulated concrete pore solution
Authors: Tang Yanbing , Wang Shengnian , Xu Yunpu , Ni Jingxu 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to study the influence of the addition of calcium nitrite on the passive films of rebar to reveal what causes calcium nitrite to further prolong the durability service life of the reinforced concrete structures.

Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive experimental study of the passive films, such as components, surface morphologies, electric structure and compactness, was carried out in a saturated calcium hydroxide solution which is normally used to simulate concrete pore solution by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, Mott–Schottky and potentiostatic polarization, respectively.

Findings
The results showed that the passivation behavior of rebar has been changed dramatically by the addition of calcium nitrite. That is, the passive film formed in the solution with the addition of 10 g/L Ca(NO2)2 had less donor density (Nd), more positive plat potential, smoother surface and lower content of Fehydrox than that formed in the solution without Ca(NO2)2.

Originality/value
The study focuses on the passive films and provides a more clear cognition of the durability service life extension of the reinforced concrete structures caused by the addition of calcium nitrite.
Experimental and theoretical studies on inhibition of benzothiazines against corrosion of mild steel in acidic medium
Authors: Hemapriya Venkatesan , Prabakaran Mayakrishnan , Parameswari Kandasamy , Chitra Subramaniyan , Kim Seung-Hyun , Chung Ill-Min 
Published: March 2017

PurposeThe aim of this paper was to investigate the corrosion inhibition potential of two synthesized benzothiazines, namely, 3,4-dihydro-2-methoxycarbonylmethyl-3-oxo-2H-1,4-benzothiazine (1) and ethyl 3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-benzothiazine-2-carboxylate (2) on mild steel corrosion in 1M H2SO4.Design/methodology/approachCorrosion inhibition efficiency (IE%) was studied by weight loss measurements, potentiodyanmic polarization method, alternating current (AC) impedance spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Quantum chemical approach was used to complement the experimental results.FindingsThe results obtained show that the IE% increased with inhibitor concentration and follow the order 2 > 1, obeying Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The calculated quantum chemical indices were consistent with experimental results.Originality/valueThis paper provides information on the inhibitive properties of new set of benzothiazines on mild steel corrosion in 1M H2SO4.
Using best-worst scaling to reveal perceived relative importance of website attributes
Authors: Pascoe Michael , Wright Owen , Winzar Hume 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review and extend previous work involving branding and website performance and aesthetics by applying a best-worst scaling (BWS) approach. Respondents were tasked with choosing the best and worst from 16-brand attribute statements representing website communications and aesthetics, a more effective understanding of consumer segmentation is revealed between the offline facility to the online retail experience.

Design/methodology/approach
A research design utilising BWS was deployed to provide an alternate perspective of consumer choice in an omni-channel retail environment.

Findings
Findings indicate a bifurcated audience with one-half reliant on communication and the other half on aesthetics is most important in the online environment when generating a positive relationship towards the retail brand.

Research limitations/implications
This study was conducted within a single retail format category (sportswear and apparel) so future studies need to estimate cross-category implications. The authors also suggest online experimental designs for consumers to compare traditional retail brand images. Finally as this study utilised Australian responses only the authors suggest cross-cultural comparisons to better understand the universal nature of website functionality and its link with traditional retail formats.

Practical implications
Retail executives will find the results from this study useful in two ways. To ensure consistency of brand image across channels managers must communicate efficiently and effectively. Brand managers must mediate between customer segments with some preferring clear concise website communications and others well established aesthetics.

Originality/value
This study adopts a BWS approach to better understand consumer choices in an online/offline branding environment.
The mediating role of product and process innovations on the relationship between knowledge management and operational performance in manufacturing companies in Jordan
Authors: Al-Sa’di Ahmad Fathi , Abdallah Ayman Bahjat , Dahiyat Samer Eid 
Published: March 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of knowledge management (KM) on product and process innovations, as well as on operational performance (OP). In addition, the effects of product and process innovations on OP, as well as their mediating effects on the relationship between KM and OP, are also investigated.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire-based survey was designed and used to collect data from 207 manufacturing companies operating in the Jordanian capital Amman. To assess construct validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. To test research hypotheses, the bootstrap re-sampling method was applied using Hayes’s SPSS multiple-mediator PROCESS macro.FindingsThe results indicate that KM has significant positive effects on product and process innovations, and OP. Process innovation was found to have a significant positive effect on OP, while product innovation was not. Furthermore, only process innovation was found to significantly mediate the KM-OP relationship.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study provide useful insights about the role of KM in facilitating and enhancing product and process innovations, as well as OP in the surveyed manufacturing companies. An important implication concerns the roles of product and process innovations. Manufacturing companies seeking improvements in their OP are recommended to focus on process innovation rather than product innovation. While product innovation may affect other aspects of performance, such as market and financial ones, it was not found to significantly affect OP. Process innovation can also leverage KM’s contribution to manufacturing companies’ OP.Originality/valueThis is a pioneering study in that it developed an integrated model that depicts the interrelationships among KM, product innovation and process innovation and OP, in a developing country context.
Aggregation of factors causing cost overruns and time delays in large public construction projects
Authors: Adam Abderisak , Josephson Per-Erik Bertil , Lindahl Göran 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact that cost overruns and time delays exert on large public construction projects to clarify how past and current research regard factors causing cost overruns and time delays in large public construction projects.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper, which is based on an analysis of a literature selection consisting of 40 journal articles, investigates and ranks the occurrence of and the explanations for cost overruns and time delays in large public construction projects. The study makes use of a kiviat diagram/radar chart in order to visualize multivariate data.

Findings
Aggregated rankings of important causes of cost overruns and time delays are reported. These show a strong emphasis on the management aspect as a primary cause of cost overruns and delays. Additionally, there seems to be a trend toward deemphasizing the role of financial considerations in explaining cost overruns and delays. It is argued that there needs to be a more rigorous assessment of the impact that each factor has on cost increases and delays based on factual observed data as opposed to retrospective accounts from questionnaire respondents.

Research limitations/implications
Only public construction projects have been considered. The results will not be directly applicable to privately funded construction projects and/or projects of a smaller size.

Originality/value
The use of trend data, as illustrated in a kiviat diagram, showing how different ranking factors causing cost overruns and time delays has changed in importance over time.
Enforcement of the purports of binding banking documents in Rastin Banking – Part II
Authors: Bidabad Bijan , Abdollahi Saeid , Sherafati Mahshid 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to facilitate and accelerate the enforcement of binding banking documents and to decrease the enforcement burden of the registration offices, courts and judicial authorities and to transfer it to the banks.

Design/methodology/approach
A new mechanism for “enforcement of the purports of binding banking documents in Rastin Banking” is proposed. In the proposed regulations, a part of the executive path for enforcement of the purports of binding banking documents is transferred into a newly established unit located in every bank. The method considers all financial, legal and executive issues.

Findings
Promotion of practical justice is a main factor to promote social and economic circumstances; the proposed model can prepare a way to improve the social and economic well-being.

Research limitations/implications
Codifying the law and regulations is a highly sophisticated task, and the art of codification can be examined after scrutinizing and executing the full text of the law.

Practical implications
Though this paper presents the concept, the detailed proposed regulations are presented in two drafts of the bill and bylaw for enforcement of the purports of binding banking documents and handling complaints against executive operations in Rastin Banking.

Social implications
This procedure is a model that can be adapted for other countries, especially those countries that have a large number of legal disputes and where the process of dispute settlement is very lengthy and cumbersome.

Originality/value
It fulfils an identified need to solve the practical legal problem in vindication of rights that can lead to positive and important effects towards creating public trust in financial obligations and increasing the speed of collecting demands.
Reforming fire and rescue services: a comparative study of Estonia and Georgia
Authors: Puolokainen Tarmo 
Published: March 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare the systems of fire and rescue services (FRS) in Estonia and Georgia with respect to recent centralization reforms, especially with performance measurement and management in mind, and analyse their prospects for successful implementations.Design/methodology/approachA desk study, covering all the main publicly available strategic plans of both countries relevant to FRS was conducted by the author. In addition, a meeting with the Georgian officials from the Emergency Management Agency was held in May 2016 and follow-up inquiries to specify certain aspects were made in the following two months.FindingsThis study demonstrates that Estonia is using performance indicators widely to set the target levels and manage the fire and rescue system, whereas Georgia is still under the process of introducing performance indicators. Therefore, since the systems of both countries are under centralized management in contrast to the typical European system, it would be suitable to learn from the reforms of each country to further understand the best practices.Research limitations/implicationsSince Georgia was in the process of reform in 2016, it does not have many performance indicators or impact evaluations of the reform readily available, which makes the possibilities of comparison limited.Practical implicationsThe last reform of the FRS in Estonia and Georgia was similar: the centralization of services to increase the potential of cooperation and standardize the level of service provision. Estonia’s FRS system is eager to implement the reforms based on a data-driven analysis, whereas Georgia, still in the process of reform, does not have many performance indicators. As a result, Georgia and other countries aiming to centralize their FRS system in the near future would have the perfect opportunity to learn from Estonia’s reforms as well as predict and adapt to the possible bottlenecks of the reforms. For a wider audience, an analysis of the possible challenges of centralizing public agencies in transitional countries are of interest.Originality/valueThe public service provision is not widely analysed in the context of transition countries. As the reforms are to some extent the result of the accession process of joining the EU, it is crucial to understand whether the reforms have the planned impact on public services. The current paper analysed the reforms and implementations of public management techniques in the FRS, based on two transitional countries: Estonia and Georgia. FRS has seen relatively few studies analysing and comparing the reforms of different countries.
Challenges and competencies for project management in the Australian public service
Authors: Blixt Carley , Kirytopoulos Konstantinos 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
Public sector projects still fail to meet delivery expectations, and the lack of significant project management experience in the Australian public service (APS) has been identified as a contributing factor. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of competencies required for delivering public sector projects, as well as challenges faced by the project managers when operating in a public context.

Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative semi-structured interviews were used to enlighten the social and operating construct in APS. In parallel, a quantitative survey was used to determine the relative importance of various competencies to effective project delivery.

Findings
The research concludes that communication, accountability, business alignment, scope and deliverables, change, and project and program orientation are the most important competencies in APS project delivery. Furthermore, there is evidence that the operating environment acts as a barrier to successful project delivery, noting that it does not let project management practice deploy its full potential for increased effectiveness and efficiency.

Practical implications
The research findings noted that the specific needs, values and functions of project management in the APS are not well defined, and therefore there were limited criteria against which public sector project management competencies could be designed and measured.

Originality/value
This empirical research contributes to the open dialogue of improving efficiency in project management within the APS context. The findings point to the conflict between the operational nature of APS agencies and their project activities, and how they struggle to define themselves as project organizations rather than lack of appreciation to individual competencies.
Russ Belk, autobiographical reflections
Authors: Belk Russell 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
By tracing something of my history in becoming a marketing professor and conducting research, I hope to demonstrate that if I can flourish without compromising my ideals or losing my enthusiasm for research, so can anyone.

Design/methodology/approach
I attempt to show my trajectory, emphasizing the little turns along the way that have sent me in certain directions. I also discuss several of my most cited articles and discuss how they emerged.

Findings
I emphasize reading broadly, working with interesting co-authors, learning from my students and breaking free of narrow disciplinary boundaries as ways that have helped to stimulate and inspire me. The implicit message here is to take a chance and dare to do something different from what seems to be the mainstream.

Practical implications
There is certainly no single way to pursue a successful career. But I hope that by showing how I happened to get to where I am, I may give support and encouragement to those who may feel they are outside the academic mainstream in marketing or that their ideas don’t quite jell with those of colleagues.

Originality/value
The story and opinions here are mine alone. Together with others’ biographies and autobiographies (Shaw and Wilkinson, 2011), hopefully the reader can find a range of possibilities.
ICTs in the context of disaster management, stakeholders, and implications
Authors: Madhavaram Sreedhar , Matos Victor , Blake Ben A. , Appan Radha 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to focus on the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in preparation for and management of human and/or nature induced disasters.

Design/methodology/approach
Drawing from the phenomenal growth of ICTs, initiatives aimed at disaster management, stakeholder theory, prior research and the successful development and implementation of 9-1-1 (emergency telephone service of the USA), this paper explores ICTs in the context of human and/or nature induced disasters.

Findings
This paper discusses a new ICT for mitigating disaster management, scans, using stakeholder theory, relevant initiatives and prior research to identify the stakeholders relevant for successful preparation for and management of disasters, and draws from the 9-1-1 example to discuss how ICTs can be successfully developed and adopted.

Research limitations/implications
There are opportunities for researchers to develop ICTs that can make countries, developing and developed, more efficient and effective in their preparation for and management of nature and human induced disasters. In addition, researchers can investigate the role of stakeholders in facilitating the adoption of new ICTs developed for disaster management. Researchers could also help public policy in designing the most efficient and effective programs for the adoption of new ICTs.

Practical/implications
As an example of new ICTs that can potentially mitigate the effect of disasters, this paper discusses the E711 text-message mobile phone service (named “I am OK”) and provides a description of how this protocol operates and can be implemented. There are tremendous opportunities to develop new ICTs in the context of disaster management.

Social/implications
This paper argues that ICTs such as E711 can have a major impact on all countries in general and poor and developing nations in particular. Specifically, in the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) markets, developing ICTs for BOP market in the context of managing human and nature induced disasters and ensuring the diffusion of such ICT innovations is both critical and challenging.

Originality/value
This paper discusses the role and importance of ICTs in disaster management, identifies relevant stakeholders, discusses how ICTs can be diffused and implemented and calls on and hopes to provide an impetus to research on ICTs that can aid in the preparation for and the management of disasters.
HRM and employees’ ability to master skills – a burning desire to make a difference that really makes a difference
Authors: Johannessen Dagny , Adriaenssen Daniel Joh. , Johannessen Jon-Arild 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to help managers gain greater insight into issues relating to employees’ sense of mastery to contribute to improved employee performance.

Design/methodology/approach
Conceptual generalization was applied in this paper.

Findings
An analytical model consisting of seven elements that can be applied as a management tool for promoting a sense of mastery among employees was developed.

Research limitations/implications
Managers have little insight into issues relating to employees’ sense of mastery, which can inhibit productivity.

Practical implications
Effective managers focus on the personal strengths of their employees. Managers select and surround themselves with the right people. Successful managers see and understand employees’ need to work on things that they are passionate about.

Originality/value
This paper used cybernetics and systemic thinking to solve mastery issues.