bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
DNA Double Strand Breaks Induced in Escherichia Coli Cells by Radiations of Different Quality
Authors: Schäfer M. , Schmitz C. , Bücker H. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Vegetative cells of Escherichia coli (strains B/r and Bs-1) differing in their radiosensitivity are used as simple test systems to measure the induction of DNA double strand breaks (dsb) and their correlation with cell survival dependent on the radiation quality. The pulse field gel electrophoresis is used which allows the quantitative study of the distribution of DNA fragments after irradiation with heavy ions (atomic numbers above 10) and 150 kVp X rays. Linear DNA fragments with lengths up to 8 x 106 bp can be separated. With this technique dsb induction was measured at dose values corresponding to cell survival between 0.1 and 90%. The DNA of unirradiated cells is in a supercoiled state and unable to move in the agarose matrix. In order to determine the number of dsb, the amount of intact DNA remaining in the plugs is measured in terms of the fluorescence light intensity of ethidium-bromide-stained DNA. The intact DNA content decreases exponentially for increasing radiation dose or particle fluence. The slope of these curves is taken as a measure of the effectiveness of dsb induction for the radiation used. The data show an approximately linear correlation between inactivation and dsb induction cross sections. Both cross sections can be described using a simple model based on the radial dose distribution of heavy particles, the target size and the X ray sensitivity and are presented for comparison.
Environmental Measurements with Thermoluminescence Dosemeters - Trends and Issues
Authors: de Planque G. , Gesell (INVITED) T.F. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Progress in the application of thermoluminescence dosemeters (TLDs) to environmental measurements is examined with emphasis on the results from the series of International Intercomparisons of Environmental Dosemeters. These studies, of which eight have taken place to date, began in 1974. They now, typically, attract about 130 participating laboratories from over 30 countries and include virtually every type of TLD system currently in use for environmental measurements. Key issues associated with environmental measurements are reviewed, such as: low exposure levels, complex radiation fields (ß, ? and cosmic radiation), effects of environmental insults (e.g. temperature related problems) and calibration isotopes and methods. Results from an international survey are presented showing trends in current environmental measurements programmes including the number and types of sites measured, the reasons for monitoring, the TLD systems used, and the choice of measurement quantities and units.
One-Element Phosphate Glass Dosimetry Systems for the Simultaneous Indication of Different Dose Quantities in Individual and Area Dosimetry
Authors: Piesch E. , Burgkhardt B. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
On the basis of changing and optimising energy compensation filters, phosphate glasses may indicate several dose quantities of interest. The paper discusses the energy dependence of two dosemeter types, namely the FD-1 glass in the perforated spherical tin filter which has been successfully used for twenty years in personnel dosimetry and the FD-7 glass in a flat two-part tin filter. With respect to the new and previously used dose quantities H'(10), H'(0.07), H*(10) and Hx,p, Hx,f, the energy and angular dependence has been investigated in the energy range 25-662 keV using irradiations free-in-air as well as on the ICRU sphere with irradiations at 0o, 45o and on a rotating phantom. Above 35 keV, the sphere dosemeter allows the simultaneous indication of all dose quantities of interest. In personnel dosimetry the flat phosphate glass dosemeter indicates simultaneously the dose quantities exposure, H'(10) and H'(0.07) in the above indicated energy range within ±15%. The PL dosemeter results are compared with those found for a LiF TLD system.
The role of internal auditing in corporate governance: a Foucauldian analysis
Authors: Mihret Dessalegn Getie , Grant Bligh 
Published: February 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to articulate the conceptual foundations of the role of internal auditing in corporate governance by drawing on Michel Foucault’s concept of governmentality.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a literature-based analysis of the role of internal auditing from a Foucauldian perspective.FindingsIt is argued that Foucault’s notion of governmentality provides conceptual tools for researching internal auditing as a disciplinary mechanism in the corporate governance setting of contemporary organizations. The paper develops an initial conceptual formulation of internal auditing as:ex postassurance about the execution of economic activities within management’s preconceived frameworks andex anteadvisory services to enhance the rationality of economic activities and accompanying controls.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is expected to initiate debate on the choice of theory and method in internal auditing research. The propositions and research agenda discussed can be used to address research questions of an interpretive nature that could enrich the current understanding of internal auditing.Originality/valueThis paper extends the Foucauldian analysis of accounting to incorporate internal auditing. It offers original propositions as a research agenda and discusses ontological and epistemic considerations associated with adopting the Foucauldian framework for internal auditing research.
An empirical exploration of the link between reporting to stakeholders and corporate social responsibility reputation in the Spanish context
Authors: Pérez Andrea , López Carlos , García-De los Salmones María del Mar 
Published: February 2017

PurposeBased on the principles of stakeholder theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the information reported to stakeholders in corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports and companies’ CSR reputation (CSRR).Design/methodology/approachThe paper implements two regression models to test how reporting to stakeholders influences the CSRR of 84 companies included in the Spanish “MercoEmpresas Responsables” reputation index.FindingsThe results demonstrate that greater global reporting intensity to stakeholders does not necessarily mean a better CSRR. Contrarily, the reporting-reputation link depends on the intensity of reporting to specific stakeholders such as investors, regulators and the media. The findings are explained largely by the institutional, political and business characteristics of Spain after the Great Recession of 2007-2008.Research limitations/implicationsThe evidence reported in this paper confirms stakeholder theory as an adequate framework to understand corporate reporting to stakeholders and its relationship with CSRR. The findings suggest that stakeholder salience (i.e. power, legitimacy and urgency) is a key concept for understanding the reporting-reputation link better in future research.Practical implicationsIn the light of the findings, companies willing to use reporting to stakeholders as a tool to improve CSRR should establish regular mechanisms for monitoring stakeholder power, legitimacy and urgency, provide complete information to investors in their CSR reports and minimize the amount of detail provided to regulators and the media in their CSR reports.Originality/valueThere is still little empirical evidence concerning how the information to stakeholders contained in CSR reports influences the processes by which CSRR is built or destroyed. This paper contributes to the previous literature by describing how the global intensity of reporting to stakeholders and the intensity of reporting to different stakeholder groups relate to CSRR.
Property rights and investment: the mediating effect of contract enforcement
Authors: Hailu Ziade , Nkote Isaac N. , Munene John C. 
Published: February 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to empirically test whether enforceability mediates the relationship between property rights and investment in housing, using data from land formalization project in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Design/methodology/approach
The study was cross-sectional in design; data were collected from a sample of 210 households that benefited from the recent Addis Ababa city land and buildings formalization project. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the goodness-of-fit of the latent structures underlying the constructs. Mediation was tested using the Baron and Kenny steps, combined with bootstrapping technique. Robustness of results was checked.

Findings
The results indicate statistically significant mediation effect of contract enforcement. However, the mediation is partial, there is still a substantial direct effect of security of property rights on investment.

Practical implications
Any initiative to land formalization projects needs to consider contract enforcement environment, as presence and size of property rights effects largely depend on whether those rights are properly enforced.

Originality/value
This is the first study that conceptualizes the mediating effect of contract enforcement on the relationship between property rights and investment from an African country perspective.
The influences of suppliers on buyer market competitiveness: an opportunism perspective
Authors: Yen Yu-Xiang , Hung Shiu-Wan 
Published: February 2017

PurposeThis paper aims to propose an integrated model based on buyer and supplier opportunism to show the mechanism through which current and competing suppliers influence buyer market competitiveness.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires were distributed to purchasing staff in listed electronics firms in Taiwan to collect empirical data. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze these data and examine the fitness of the proposed model.FindingsThe findings show that current and competing suppliers influence buyer market competitiveness through supplier opportunistic behaviors and buyer commitment. The alternative attractiveness of competing suppliers affects buyer market competitiveness through the influence of asset specificity. Supplier opportunism negatively and indirectly influences buyer market competitiveness through buyer commitment. Nevertheless, buyer opportunism does not influence buyer commitment and market competitiveness.Research limitations/implicationsThe investigation focused on only one industry in one country. Future research could investigate other industries and countries to increase the generalizability of the findings.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that buyers can focus on utilizing the pressure of alternative suppliers to improve market competitiveness through increased specific investments by the current supplier.Originality/valueOn the basis of buyer–supplier opportunism, this study shows the mechanism through which the asset specificity of current suppliers and alternative attractiveness influence buyer market competitiveness.
Counterfeiting and piracy in supply chain management: theoretical studies
Authors: Li Fan , Yi Zelong 
Published: February 2017

PurposeThis paper aims to generate novel insights in supply chain management by reviewing studies related to counterfeiting and piracy issues with a particular emphasis on theoretical works.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review of more than 100 peer-reviewed academic papers is conducted. The authors first introduce the social acceptance of counterfeiting and piracy to explain the existence of these illegal products. After that, they focus on the negative effect of counterfeiting and piracy on supply chain management and society while mentioning their positive and normative effects carefully under certain circumstances.FindingsPeople have been attempting to reveal the impacts of counterfeiting and piracy on customers, licit firms, industry sectors, governments and the society as a whole. The negative impacts of counterfeiting and piracy on legal firms and licit supply chains is examined thoroughly in the literature; however, benefits from counterfeiting and piracy are also pointed out. Additionally, researchers are interested in firms’ reactions toward this phenomenon. Based on heuristics from the above analysis, it is fruitful to conduct this research in a theme of supply chain management.Originality/valueMost studies on counterfeiting and piracy are not from a supply chain management perspective and mainly focus on their effect on consumers or a single firm. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of few studies that incorporate the key aspects of counterfeiting and piracy into supply chain management and also highlight several important directions for future research in the sense of supply chain.
An empirical study of benchmarking evaluation using MCDM in service industries
Authors: Singh Bhupender , Grover Sandeep , Singh Vikram 
Published: February 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to generate awareness of contributions made by benchmarking toward building performance of Indian service industries in globally market. Ranking of Benchmarking is done on the basis of their application which give confidence for the managers to adopt in their Industries so that they may become best in their field.

Design/methodology/approach
Methodology consists of three phase: define, phase include definitions, factors of benchmarking as literature outcomes, questionnaire survey and outcome of survey. In the second phase, analysis of collected data and applications of multi-criteria decision-making approaches [technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and analytical network process (ANP)] are used. The last phase includes comparison of results which gives validation in similarities of ranking obtained.

Findings
The study identifies seven different benchmarking techniques used for service industries. Using TOPSIS and ANP approaches shows similarity that external benchmarking, performance benchmarking and internal benchmarking are the first three ranks that give basis for several critical success factors s, namely, planning, reliability, standardization, time behavior, usability, etc., as part of benchmarking using in service industries.

Research limitations/implications
The limitation is the assumptions made by multi-criteria decision-making approaches which may effect the analysis of the study as these are taken theoretically.

Originality/value
This study is a first attempt to find similarities in both techniques while comparing benchmarking in Indian service industries.
Performance measurement and management systems
Authors: Hourneaux Jr Flavio , Carneiro-da-Cunha Julio Araujo , Corrêa Hamilton Luiz 
Published: February 2017

Purpose
Managerial usage of performance measurement and management systems (PMMS) is commonly far from what theory advocates as ideal. Based on this, the purpose of this paper is to identify the justifications for using PMMS and how much each of them explains the actual use of these systems.

Design/methodology/approach
An empirical survey was conducted with 149 manufacturing companies’ managers as respondents. Descriptive statistics analysis and factorial analysis were performed with multivariate analysis to test proposed hypotheses.

Findings
The results for all the companies surveyed are similar for the four dimensions – monitoring, focus, strategic decision-making and legitimization. Only monitoring dimension presents a difference between larger and smaller companies. There is no difference in the other three dimensions. As for the source of capital, there is no difference in any of the four dimensions. It evidences that companies do not seem to be mature enough in the full usage of their PMMS.

Research limitations/implications
Data are related only to a sample of São Paulo manufacturing companies and should not be fully considered in different contexts without the proper awareness of ambiance differences.

Practical implications
There is still room for organizations to improve their performance measurement systems as managers could learn how to better avail themselves of the information from the PMMS. Brazilian policymakers could support this process through policies and programs that incentivize manager to gain education in PMMS.

Social implications
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) should be supported by policymakers (through learning programs or internal monitoring incentives) to improve their measurement performance systems usage capabilities.

Originality/value
Discussion was based on data from an emerging country where there are mostly SMEs and companies have to deal with more contingencies and restrictions. Although the lack of resources tends to diminish a more effective usage of these systems, PMMS are mostly directed to monitoring issues.
A randomized multicenter clinical trial of 99Tc‐methylene diphosphonate in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Mu Rong , Liang Jun , Sun Lingyun , Zhang Zhuoli , Liu Xiangyuan , Huang Cibo , Zhu Ping , Zuo Xiaoxia , Gu Jieruo , Li Xiangpei , Li Xingfu , Liu Yi , Feng Ping , Li Zhanguo 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAimTo investigate the efficacy and safety of technetium‐99 conjugated with methylene diphosphonate (99Tc‐MDP, Yunke Pharmaceutical industry) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).MethodsA total of 120 patients with active RA were randomly divided into three groups: Group A (receiving oral meloxicam tablets); Group B (receiving intravenous drip of 99TC‐MDP); Group C (receiving combination treatment of intravenous drip of 99Tc‐MDP and oral meloxicam tablets). The main clinical and laboratory parameters were evaluated at baseline and after 14 days of therapy.ResultsAfter 14 days of treatment, American College of Rheumatology 20 response was 15.62%, 34.04% and 48.78% in the three groups, respectively. The incidence of adverse events in three groups were 3.13%, 8.51% and 9.76% respectly, and has no significant difference. In addition, biochemical markers of bone metabolism including bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and dickkopf‐1 (DKK‐1), all improved in the three groups, although more significant in Group B than Group A, and more significant in the combination group than monotherapy groups.Conclusion99Tc‐MDP has good efficacy and safety in the treatment of active RA patients; the benefit was more remarkable when 99Tc‐MDP was combined with NSAIDs. 99Tc‐MDP may also have potential to improve bone metabolism.
Missing something? Codon aversion as a new character system in phylogenetics
Authors: Miller Justin B. , Hippen Ariel A. , Belyeu Jonathon R. , Whiting Michael F. , Ridge Perry G. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAlthough many studies have documented codon usage bias in different species, the importance of codon usage in a phylogenetic framework remains largely unknown. We demonstrate that a phylogenetic signal is present in the codon usage and non‐usage biases of 17 717 orthologues evaluated across 72 tetrapod species using a simple parsimony analysis of a binary matrix of codon characters. Phylogenies estimated using stop codons were more congruent with previous hypotheses than phylogenies based on any other single codon or a combination of codons. Although each codon is present in every species, specific genes have different codon preferences and may or may not use every possible codon. This observation allowed us to map the pattern of codon usage and non‐usage across the topology. These results suggest that codon usage is phylogenetically conserved across shallow and deep levels within tetrapods.
The AlloMap™ genomic biomarker story: 10 years after
Authors: Deng Mario C. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractOver the last >20 years, we have co‐developed the rationale for the first diagnostic and prognostic leukocyte gene expression profiling (GEP) biomarker test in transplantation medicine that gained US‐FDA‐regulatory clearance and international evidence‐based medicine guideline acceptance to rule out moderate/severe acute cellular cardiac allograft rejection without invasive endomyocardial biopsies (EMB). Based on this test, a non‐invasive clinical algorithm was implemented since 2005. After clinical implementation, this GEP‐based monitoring in direct comparison with an EMB‐based strategy was non‐inferior with respect to detection of clinical rejection, defined as new onset allograft dysfunction with/without histology of ACR, re‐transplantation or death, and at the same time improved patient satisfaction. Subsequently, we demonstrated the test's capacity when used as serial monitoring tool to predict these clinical rejection events. In this Personal Viewpoint article, I will discuss the various decision‐making branching points that were made in the AlloMap biomarker test development to inform future genomic biomarker test development projects.
Pancreatic stone protein and soluble CD25 for infection and sepsis in an emergency department
Authors: García de Guadiana‐Romualdo Luis , Berger Mario , Jiménez‐Santos Enrique , Rebollo‐Acebes Sergio , Jiménez‐Sánchez Roberto , Esteban‐Torrella Patricia , Hernando‐Holgado Ana , Ortín‐Freire Alejandro , Albaladejo‐Otón María Dolores 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBackgroundInfection is a common problem in emergency departments (EDs) and is associated with high mortality, morbidity and costs. Identifying infection in ED patients can be challenging. Biomarkers can facilitate its diagnosis, enabling an early management and improving outcomes. In the critical care setting, two emerging biomarkers, pancreatic stone protein (PSP) and soluble CD25 (sCD25), have demonstrated to be useful for diagnosis of sepsis. We aimed to assess the diagnostic value of these biomarkers, in comparison with procalcitonin (PCT), for infection and sepsis in an ED population with suspected infection.Materials and methodsThrough a prospective, observational study, we investigated the utility of serum PCT, PSP and sCD25 levels, measured on admission, for diagnosis of infection and sepsis, defined according to the recently updated for sepsis (Sepsis‐3), in patients presenting to the ED for suspected infection. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) analysis.ResultsOf the 152 patients enrolled in this study, 129 had a final diagnosis of infection, including 82 with noncomplicated infection and 47 with sepsis. Median PCT, PSP and sCD25 levels were significantly higher in patients with infection and sepsis. The ROC curve analysis revealed a similar diagnostic accuracy for infection (ROC area under the curve (AUC) PCT: 0·904; sCD25: 0·869 and PSP: 0·839) and for sepsis (ROC AUC: PCT: 0·820; sCD25: 0·835 and PSP: 0·872).ConclusionsPancreatic stone protein and sCD25 perform well as infection and sepsis biomarkers, with a similar performance than PCT, in ED patients with suspected infection. Further larger studies investigating use of PSP and sCD25 are needed.