bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Continuous adjoint aerodynamic optimization design for multi-stage gas turbine with cooling air
Authors: Chen Lei , Chen Jiang 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to conduct the optimization of the multi-stage gas turbine with the effect of the cooling air injection based on the adjoint method.

Design/methodology/approach
Continuous adjoint method is combined with the S2 surface code.

Findings
The optimization of the stagger angles, stacking lines and the passage can improve the attack angles and restrain the development of the boundary, reducing the secondary flow loss caused by the cooling air injection.

Practical implications
The aerodynamic performance of the gas turbine can be improved via the optimization of blade and passage based on the adjoint method.

Originality/value
The results of the first study on the adjoint method applied to the S2 surface through flow calculation including the cooling air effect are presented.
Rights of the elderly: an emerging human rights discourse
Authors: Malek Md Abdul , Razzak Muhammad Abdur 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to demonstrate the specialty of the elderly issues and acknowledge the existence of their specific human rights that propose for a special treatment to be given or shown to them as priority as women or children, etc. Indubitably, the very issue is timely in all perspective. Because it is now axiomatic that the fastest growing elderly population becomes a challenge for the whole world for manifold reasons. They include, inter alia, the lack of a social security apparatus or if any, they are insufficient; the weakening of traditional family bonding; almost no explicit references to elderly people in existing international human right laws; and mere stand-by of soft law addressing the rights of the elderly over time. Consequently, these all have probably failed to meet the most urgent needs of this growing demographic.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper is an effort made to recognize the “particular vulnerability” of the older persons and with identification of “specific rights”, advocate for special treatment for them and, optimally, the realization of their rights with respect.

Findings
In addition, this treatise attempts to focus on the nature and constitutional importance of elderly rights with the aim of providing the elderly with social security and prioritization; and more particularly, scrutiny of the impending and timely imperative for formulation of new legal instrument so as to adequately address the issue globally.
Improving and evaluating performance with the Public Sector Scorecard
Authors: Moullin Max 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
The Public Sector Scorecard (PSS) is an integrated performance management framework incorporating strategy mapping, service improvement, and measurement and evaluation. It adapts and extends the balanced scorecard to suit the culture and values of the public and voluntary sectors. The purpose of this paper is to assess, with the aid of two case studies across organisational boundaries, how the PSS addresses a number of critical success factors for performance management and improvement in the public and third sectors.

Design/methodology/approach
The research takes a case study approach assessing the use of the PSS for the UK Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force, and for Sheffield Let’s Change4Life, a £10 million programme addressing obesity in children and families.

Findings
This paper concludes that the PSS is an effective framework to help organisations improve outcomes for service users and stakeholders without increasing overall cost, and develop measures of performance that help them improve and assure quality without motivating staff to achieve arbitrary targets at the expense of poor service to the public. Key to this is its emphasis on developing a performance management culture based on improvement, innovation and learning rather than a top-down blame culture.

Originality/value
There have been many research papers describing the problems and pitfalls of public sector performance management, but few which offer a solution. A particular innovation is how the theory of planned behaviour was integrated with a performance management framework for a behaviour change programme addressing childhood obesity.
A sequential process of brand tribalism, brand pride and brand attitude to explain purchase intention: a cross-continent replication study
Authors: Taute Harry A. , Sierra Jeremy J. , Carter Larry L. , Maher Amro A. 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore and replicate the indirect effect of smartphone brand tribalism on purchase intent via brand pride and brand attitude.

Design/methodology/approach
Using survey data from 190 US (Study 1) and 432 Qatari (Study 2) smartphone consumers, path analysis is used to evaluate the hypotheses.

Findings
For these disparate samples, only the defense of the tribal brand dimension of brand tribalism influences brand pride, which in turn leads to a sequential process of brand attitude and purchase intention.

Research limitations/implications
Using only smartphone data from the USA and Qatar may hinder external validity. As effect sizes in this context are understood, researchers have additional benchmarks for future brand tribalism and brand pride research.

Practical implications
The psychological underpinning and presence of brand tribes in society cannot be overlooked by strategists. Such tribal-laden following is too evident within smartphone communities. By further understanding the effect of brand tribalism on brand pride and subsequent attitudinal response and behavioral intent, marketers and brand leaders are in an improved position to develop strategies that appeal to targeted customers, ultimately growing and strengthening their brand value.

Originality/value
Supported by the anthropological view of brand tribalism, this paper contributes to the branding literature by examining the indirect effect of brand tribalism on purchase intention via brand pride and brand attitude. The posited model, previously untested and replicated here across two ethnically diverse samples, shows more explanatory power for defense of the tribal brand on brand pride as compared to the other brand tribalism dimensions. A novel and valid, multi-item brand pride measure is also developed.
A multiple-criteria approach to human resource management assessment in organizations with respect to industry
Authors: Čančer Vesna , Šarotar Žižek Simona 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to develop a multiple-criteria model for the assessment of human resource management (HRM), focusing on groups of organizations with respect to industry.

Design/methodology/approach
The approach presented in this paper follows the framework procedure for multiple-criteria decision-making based on the Quantified Dialectical Systems Theory. It considers the factor analysis results in structuring the problem. By considering several experts’ judgments already when measuring the importance of criteria, it enables respondents to omit those sets of criteria for which they are neither experts nor responsible.

Findings
The paper shows that the factor analysis results can also be used in structuring the multi-dimensional concept in multiple-criteria model for assessing HRM – a step forward to multi-methodology. The obtained aggregate values show human resource managers the key success and failure factors to adopt an integrated/requisitely holistic and innovated strategy related to HRM in organizations.

Research limitations/implications
The approach presented in this paper helps managers in developing and implementing a requisitely holistic model of HRM, adapted to several groups of organizations, such as with respect to their industry, in any country.

Practical implications
This paper provides recommendations for HRM in organizations.

Originality/value
This paper fills the gap in the research on multiple-criteria HRM assessment in organizations with respect to their industry by developing a multiple-criteria model for the assessment of HRM in groups of organizations, with application based on their industries.
An evaluation of logistics policy enablers between Taiwan and the UK
Authors: Chang Chia-Hsun , Lai Po-Lin 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to empirically identify crucial international logistics policy enablers and to examine their impacts on logistics performance using survey data collected from 169 responding firms in Taiwan and 109 responding firms in the UK including logistics companies, freight forwarders, shipping companies, agencies and airline companies.

Design/methodology/approach
A multiple regression analysis is used as a method to empirically validate the research model.

Findings
Results indicate the five most important logistics policy enablers according to Taiwanese logistics firms are information technology system, inland transport linkage, simplifying the customs clearance procedures, ports and maritime transport and having a policy to ensure efficient service operation and multiplicity of services. In contrast, for the UK logistics firms, the five most important logistics policy enablers are telecommunications, information technology system, avoidance of unnecessary regulation, inland transport linkage and ports and maritime transport. Results also indicate that logistics policy dimensions in terms of regulation, integration, infrastructure and logistics education have a positive influence on firms’ logistics service quality and efficiency.

Originality/value
Theoretical and policy implications from the research findings on logistics policy between these two countries are discussed in this paper.
Managerial decision horizon and real estate investment trusts (REITs)
Authors: Yung Kenneth , Li Diane DeQing , Jian Yi 
Published: March 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of managerial decision horizon (MDH) on real estate investment trust (REIT) behavior and performance.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the authors expand the number of proxies and measure managerial horizon by CEO age, CEO tenure, cash compensation relative to total compensation, and the amount of vested equity-based compensation to total compensation. To avoid potential measurement error, the authors compute the average ranking score of the four individual measures to determine the overall MDH of a CEO. Cross-sectional time series regressions are then performed on the effects of CEO MDH on REIT policies and performance. The authors also examine if the effect of myopic MDH can be mitigated by good corporate governance. For robustness purpose, the authors also compare the effects of age-related MDH and compensation-related MDH.FindingsThe results show that REITs managed by CEOs with short MDHs have lower levels of asset growth and a lower standard deviation of return on assets. These REITs also have lower debt levels, lower dividend payouts, and hold more cash. The results suggest that short-horizon CEOs have incentives to lower investment risk, default risk, and liquidity risk at the firm level in order to protect personal benefits. CEOs with a short horizon also have a negative impact on REIT performance. The results also show that CEO compensation-related horizon problems are mitigated by corporate governance, but CEO age-related horizon problems are significant and persistent. The results suggest that age-related behavioral biases of the CEO are important determinants of corporate decisions.Practical implicationsThe results of this study suggest that the managerial behavioral biases should be considered in understanding firm behavior.Originality/valueThis is the first study that examines the effects of MDH on REIT behavior and performance. The unique regulatory environment of REITs makes them less susceptible to agency problems of free cash flow and thus provides a clearer picture of the effect of MDH. Prior studies focus on the effect of managerial horizon on firm investment activity, this study expands the scope to examine the effects on investment and financial policies. In addition, this study adds to the literature by showing that the effect of age-related horizon problems may not be mitigated by good corporate governance.
How to Mend a Fragmented City: a Critique of ‘Infrastructural Solidarity'
Authors: Cesafsky Laura 
Published: March 2017

AbstractCities in Latin America in particular have been investing in new transportation networks such as bicycle systems, metros and bus rapid transit (BRT) technologies in recent years. These infrastructures are promoted as cures for trenchant social and spatial divisions as much as for traffic gridlock and vehicular pollution. This article unpacks the theory that infrastructures might mend cities that have been fragmented into disparate parts by uneven capitalist development. I argue that this ‘infrastructural solidarity' thesis relies on a troubled imagination—shared across urban design and strands of urban theory—that infrastructures are static, formal arrangements that concretize relations and enforce social cohesion or fragmentation. This article draws on qualitative research on the TransMilenio BRT system in Bogotá, Colombia, as well as on the work of Bruno Latour, suggesting that the political life of infrastructure is better revealed when such systems are understood as dense knots of shifting relations with complex temporalities. Arguments for the value of this type of actor‐network theory (ANT) reading often skew towards the esoteric, but the TransMilenio case shows how sorting through infrastructural ontologies actually matters in terms of how urbanists—academic and practicing—conceive of and work towards just and functional cities.
Barriers and facilitators for psychiatrists in managing mental health patients in Hong Kong—Impact of Chinese culture and health system
Authors: Sun Kai Sing , Lam Tai Pong , Lam Kwok Fai , Lo Tak Lam 
Published: March 2017

AbstractIntroductionThis study investigated the barriers and facilitators for psychiatrists in managing mental health patients under a Chinese context and a mixed private‐public health system.MethodsTwo focus group interviews were conducted to explore the in‐depth opinions of psychiatrists in Hong Kong. The themes identified from the focus groups were investigated in a questionnaire survey with data from 83 psychiatrists working in public and private sectors.ResultsNo insurance coverage of mental health problems, patients' poor compliance of medication, and stigma of seeing psychiatrists were rated as the top barriers in the survey. Some psychiatrists mentioned in focus groups that they might write down the associated physical symptoms of the patients rather than the mental disorder diagnoses on the medical certificate. They observed some patients suspecting that psychiatric drugs were prescribed to control their behavior and make them more muddleheaded. The survey also found that consultation time constraint, long patient waiting list, and difficulty in discharging patients to primary care mostly affected public psychiatrists rather than private ones. However, they perceived similar facilitators, including public campaign to promote positive results of help‐seeking, adequate explanation by other health professionals to the patients before referrals, handling severe cases by casework approach, and having a regular primary care physician.DiscussionThe top barriers are related to insufficient public awareness and negative attitudes towards mental illness and its treatment. Major solutions include promoting positive results of help seeking, enhancing collaboration with primary care physicians, and follow‐up of severe cases by a casework approach.
Pneumonia risk in asthma patients using inhaled corticosteroids: a quasi‐cohort study
Authors: Qian Christina J. , Coulombe Janie , Suissa Samy , Ernst Pierre 
Published: March 2017

AimStudies have linked the use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) to excess pneumonia risk in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. The risk in asthma patients remains unclear. The objective of the present study was to examine the risk of pneumonia with ICSs in asthma patients aged 12–35 years.MethodsWe formed a cohort of asthma patients treated from 1990 to 2007 using Quebec health insurance databases. Subjects were considered currently exposed if they had had an ICS dispensed within the 60 days prior to their pneumonia index event or matched person‐moment. Secondary analyses investigated the risk of pneumonia according to ICS dose and type. Rate ratios (RRs) and rate differences (RDs) were both estimated through a quasi‐cohort approach.ResultsThe cohort included 152 412 subjects, of whom 1928 had a pneumonia event during follow‐up. There was an increased risk of pneumonia associated with current use of ICSs [RR 1.83; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.57, 2.14] or an excess risk of 1.44 cases per 1000 person‐years (RD 1.44; 95% CI 1.03, 1.85). There was an excess pneumonia risk with low doses (RR 1.60; 95% CI 1.06, 2.45), moderate doses (RR 1.53; 95% CI 1.12, 2.08) and high doses (RR 1.96; 95% CI 1.64, 2.34) of ICSs, and with budesonide (RR 2.67; 95% CI 2.05, 3.49) and fluticasone (RR 1.93; 95% CI 1.58, 2.36), specifically relative to no use. When accounting for potential protopathic bias, the risk with current use of ICSs was attenuated (RR 1.48; 95% CI 1.22, 1.78).ConclusionICS use in asthma patients appears to be associated with an increased risk of pneumonia and is present for both budesonide and fluticasone.
‘It feels sometimes like my house has burnt down, but I can see the sky’: A qualitative study exploring patients’ views of cognitive behavioural therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome
Authors: Picariello Federica , Ali Sheila , Foubister Caroline , Chalder Trudie 
Published: March 2017

ObjectivesCognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is currently a first‐line treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Even though the results from trials are promising, there is variability in patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of patients withCFSwho undertookCBTat a specialist service forCFS.DesignThis was a qualitative study.MethodsThirteen patients withCFS, approaching the end ofCBT, participated in semi‐structured interviews. In addition, participants were asked to rate their satisfaction withCBTand perceived level of improvement. The data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsThe majority of participants were satisfied with treatment and reported marked improvements. This was evident from the ratings and corroborated by the qualitative data, yet recovery was in general incomplete. Participants often disclosed mixed feelings towardsCBTprior to its start. Behavioural aspects of treatment were found useful, while participants were more ambivalent towards the cognitive aspects of treatment. The tailored nature ofCBTand therapist contact were important components of treatment, which provided participants with support and validation. Engagement and motivation were crucial for participants to benefit fromCBT, as well as the acceptance of a bio‐psychosocial model ofCFS. Illness beliefs aroundCFSwere also discussed throughout the interviews, possibly impeding engagement with therapy.ConclusionsThe results suggest that various factors may moderate the effectiveness ofCBT, and a greater understanding of these factors may help to maximize benefits gained fromCBT.Statement of contributionWhat is already known on this subject?CBT is effective in reducing CFS symptoms, but not all patients report marked improvements following treatment.Predictors of outcome have been explored in the literature.Few studies have looked at the experience of adult patients with CFS who have had CBT.What does this study add?Findings provide insights as to why variability in CBT‐related improvements exists.Beliefs about CFS and CBT may shape engagement and consequently contribute to post‐treatment outcomes.Flexibility and sensitivity are necessary from therapists throughout treatment to ensure full engagement.
Causes of death in Japanese patients with diabetes based on the results of a survey of 45,708 cases during 2001–2010: Report of the Committee on Causes of Death in Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Nakamura Jiro , Kamiya Hideki , Haneda Masakazu , Inagaki Nobuya , Tanizawa Yukio , Araki Eiichi , Ueki Kohjiro , Nakayama Takeo 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe principal causes of death among 45,708 patients with diabetes (29,801 men and 15,907 women) who died in 241 hospitals throughout Japan during 2001–2010 were determined based on a survey of the hospital records. Autopsy had been conducted in 978 of the 45,708 cases. The most frequent cause of death was malignant neoplasia (38.3%), followed by, in order of descending frequency: infections (17.0%); and then vascular diseases (14.9%), including renal failure (3.5%), ischemic heart diseases (4.8%) and cerebrovascular diseases (6.6%). Diabetic coma associated with hyperglycemia with or without ketoacidosis accounted for only 0.6% of the deaths. In regard to the relationship between the age and cause of death in patients with diabetes, the incidence of death due to vascular diseases was higher in patients over the age of 30 or 40 years, and the 97.0% of the total death due to vascular diseases was observed in patients over the age of 50 years. The incidence of death due to infectious diseases, especially pneumonia, increased in an age‐dependent fashion, and the 80.7% of the total death due to pneumonia was observed in patients over the age of 70 years. ’Poorer’ glycemic control was associated with the reduced lifespan of patients with diabetes, especially of those with nephropathy. The average age at death in the survey population was 72.6 years. The lifespan was 1.6 years shorter in patients with ‘poorer’ glycemic control than in those with ‘better’ glycemic control. In patients with diabetes of less than 10 years’ duration, the incidence of death due to macroangiopathy was higher than that due to nephropathy. Of the 45,708 patients with diabetes, 33.9% were on oral medication, 41.9% received insulin therapy and 18.8% were treated by diet alone. Among the patients in whom the cause of death was diabetic nephropathy, a high percentage, 53.7%, was on insulin therapy. The average age at death of the 45,708 patients with diabetes was 71.4 years in men and 75.1 years in women. However, the report of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan in 2010 set the average lifespan of the Japanese at 79.6 years for men and 86.3 years for women. Thus, the average lifespan of patients with diabetes still appears to be shorter than that of the general population in Japan. However, the differences in lifespan between patients with diabetes and the general population were shorter than those in the former surveys.