bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The significance and performance of UK-REITs in a mixed-asset portfolio
Authors: Newell Graeme , Marzuki Muhammad Jufri Bin 
Published: August 2016

Purpose
UK-Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are an important property investment vehicle, being the fourth largest REIT market globally. The purpose of this paper is to assess the significance, risk-adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits of UK-REITs in a mixed-asset portfolio over 2007−2014. The post-global financial crisis (GFC) recovery of UK-REITs is highlighted.

Design/methodology/approach
Using total monthly returns, the risk-adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits of UK-REITs over 2007–2014 are assessed. Efficient frontier and asset allocation diagrams are used to assess the role of UK-REITs in a mixed-asset portfolio. Sub-period analysis is used to assess the post-GFC recovery of UK-REITs.

Findings
UK-REITs delivered poor risk-adjusted returns compared to UK stocks over 2007–2014 with limited portfolio diversification benefits. However, since the GFC, UK-REITs have delivered strong risk-adjusted returns, but with continued limited portfolio diversification benefits with UK stocks. Importantly, this sees UK-REITs as strongly contributing to the UK mixed-asset portfolio across the portfolio risk spectrum in the post-GFC environment.

Practical implications
UK-REITs are a significant market at a European and global REIT level. The results highlight the major role of UK-REITs in a UK mixed-asset portfolio in the post-GFC context. The strong risk-adjusted performance of UK-REITs compared to UK stocks sees UK-REITs contributing to the mixed-asset portfolio across the portfolio risk spectrum. This is particularly important, as many investors (e.g. small pension funds, defined contribution [DC] funds) use UK-REITs to obtain their property exposure in a liquid format, as well as the increased importance of blended property portfolios of listed property and direct property.

Originality/value
This paper is the first published empirical research analysis of the risk-adjusted performance of UK-REITs and the role of UK-REITs in a mixed-asset portfolio. This research enables empirically validated, more informed and practical property investment decision-making regarding the strategic role of UK-REITs in a portfolio.
Agreement on service performance ratings between frontline employees and their supervisor
Authors: Kim Peter BeomCheol , Carlson Kevin D. 
Published: August 2016

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether agreement between frontline employee self-ratings and supervisory ratings of service performance functions as an indicator of healthy supervisor-subordination relationships above and beyond what might be indicated simply by either supervisory ratings or self-ratings.Design/methodology/approachResearch hypotheses were tested using a sample of 220 matched pairs of frontline service workers and their immediate supervisors from nine full service hotels in the USA.FindingsThe results show that higher levels of agreement in service performance ratings between employees and supervisors is associated with higher levels of leader-member exchange (LMX) and organizational commitment.Practical implicationsSenior managers can refer to the level of performance rating agreement between customer service employees and their supervisors in assessing supervisors’ competency to manage their work relationship with their subordinates.Originality/valueThis study examined rating agreement in a service performance context and found rating agreement between subordinates and their supervisor may have a unique effect on service worker effectiveness, producing a unique incremental effect on LMX and organizational commitment. This is important given that few attempts have been made to examine service performance from both subordinates’ and supervisors’ perspectives and the implication that rating agreement may have for improving employee service performance.
The service-profit chain in call centre services
Authors: Chicu Dorina , Valverde Mireia , Ryan Gerard , Batt Rosemary 
Published: August 2016

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the explanatory power of the service-profit chain (SPC) model in a context that differs from its original conception. The authors do so by considering whether the main relationships it proposes apply in the context of call centre services, characterised by remote services and cost cutting business models.Design/methodology/approachThe data were gathered from a survey of call centre management with a sample of 937 call centres from 14 countries. The analysis was carried out using structural equation modelling.FindingsFindings reveal that the SPC model behaves somewhat differently in call centres. Although there is general support for most of the links in the model, the results indicate that customer satisfaction in the call centre industry is a separate outcome, rather than a precursor to company performance.Research limitations/implicationsAs is common in most research of this type, the present study is based on cross-sectional data.Practical implicationsManagers would be well advised to keep in mind that even minimum investments in human capital can make a difference in customer satisfaction and company results.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine the main links in the SPC in non-traditional, non-face-to-face services. It demonstrates that the basic logic of the model is upheld, thus providing evidence that the boundaries of the SPC model may be further pushed in line with the peculiarities of the evolving service economy. Also, the authors make a methodological contribution by proposing a series of organisational level proxies for measuring elements of the chain that are typically assessed using individual level data that is expensive to gather.
Self-funded elder care and the Care Act 2014: insights from a qualitative study of family carers’ experiences
Authors: Mangano Alfia 
Published: August 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to look at family carers’ views and experiences of self-funded care for older people with an emphasis on attitudes to public intervention.

Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with family carers in a densely populated city in Northern England. Study participants were recruited according to a purposive sampling strategy; data analysis was based on a qualitative content analysis approach.

Findings
The paper concludes that it may not be straightforward for local authorities to engage with family carers as appropriate under the Care Act 2014. An issue is that family carers do not envisage an intervention of the local authority in circumstances involving the use of privately paid social services.

Research limitations/implications
Qualitative information gathered within a broad study of family carers’ views, attitudes and practices of care of dependent older people have been interpreted in the light of the provisions of the Care Act 2014 concerning self-funders. The qualitative approach and the limited number of study participants are issues with the generalisation of findings.

Originality/value
Only a handful of studies have attempted to look into family carers’ experiences of self-funded care and the paper aims to contribute to such limited literature. It also provides an evidence-based assessment of the challenges associated with the implementation of the Care Act 2014.
Do agri‐environment schemes result in improved water quality?
Authors: Jones J. Iwan , Murphy John F. , Anthony Steven G. , Arnold Amanda , Blackburn John H. , Duerdoth Chas P. , Hawczak Adrianna , Hughes Greg O. , Pretty James L. , Scarlett Peter M. , Gooday Richard D. , Zhang Yusheng S. , Fawcett Laura E. , Simpson Diane , Turner Anthony W. B. , Naden Pamela S. , Skates James 
Published: August 2016

Summary

Improved water quality, through a reduction in diffuse pollution from agricultural sources, is an expected benefit of agri‐environment schemes, but this has yet to be demonstrated in practice. Here, we evaluate the impact of Welsh agri‐environment schemes on water quality and freshwater ecosystem condition through a combined monitoring and modelling framework.

To determine the influence of the agri‐environment schemes on ecosystem condition, spatially independent catchments dominated by a single scheme (>40% of catchment) were compared to control catchments dominated (>70%) by agricultural land that was not part of any scheme. Biological indicators of water quality were monitored at the outfall of each catchment and a spatially explicit modelling framework of diffuse pollutant emissions applied to each of the 80 catchments.

Direct comparison (scheme/non‐scheme) was unable to identify any significant effect of agri‐environment scheme participation. However, derived biological indicators that reflected organic pollution, eutrophication and pesticide run‐off were strongly correlated with modelled concentrations of corresponding diffuse pollutants, thus providing a ground‐truth for the models. Scenarios that assessed the correct counterfactuals (i.e. the influence of scheme entry on pollutant output) were developed for the whole of Wales. The models indicated an important effect of scheme entry on water quality, but this effect was not evenly distributed across the landscape.

Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate that agri‐environment schemes can deliver improvements in water quality, through a reduction in diffuse pollution from agricultural sources. However, it is not easy to demonstrate scheme effectiveness; the combination of field survey and modelling used here provides a framework for addressing these difficulties. A spatially targeted approach for agri‐environment scheme options to protect water resources from diffuse pollution is likely to be most effective at delivering water quality improvements.
Why do Graffiti Writers Write on Murals? The Birth, Life, and Slow Death of Freeway Murals in Los Angeles
Authors: Bloch Stefano 
Published: August 2016

AbstractFor three decades graffiti writers have marked the Olympic Festival freeway murals painted in celebration of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (LA). These high‐profile murals, which once symbolized LA's status as the ‘Mural Capital of the World', became palimpsests on which graffiti writers painted their monikers, perhaps unwittingly contributing to their eventual destruction. Local government, muralists and residents have bemoaned the murals' slow death, though have not been able to identify or understand the motives for such vandalism, interpreting it as ‘mindless', ‘animalistic' vandalism perpetrated by ‘kids' who simply lack respect. I argue that the burial of these murals under layers of paint must be understood in the context of competing claims made to public space. Relying on rare personal interviews with the graffiti writers who participated in their destruction, I answer the question ‘Why do graffiti writers write on murals?', while situating the birth and life of the Olympic murals within a larger historical discussion aboutChicano/amural making, urbanization, freeway construction, and the growth of the graffiti subculture in the United States' paradigmatic global city.
Hospital Advertising, Competition, and HCAHPS: Does It Pay to Advertise?
Authors: Huppertz John W. , Bowman R. Alan , Bizer George Y. , Sidhu Mandeep S. , McVeigh Colleen 
Published: August 2016

ObjectiveTo test whether hospital advertising expenditures predict HCAHPS global ratings.Data Sources/Study SettingWe examined media advertising expenditures by 2,142 acute care hospitals in 209 markets in the United States. Data on hospital characteristics, location, and revenue came from CMS reports; system ownership was obtained from the American Hospital Association. Advertising data came from Kantar Media. HCAHPS data were obtained from HospitalCompare.Study DesignRegression models examined whether hospitals’ advertising spending predicts HCAHPS global measures and whether market concentration moderated this association.Data Collection/Extraction MethodsHospital advertising spending was calculated by adding each individual hospital's expenditures to the amount spent by its parent health system, proportionally allocated by hospital revenue. Health system market share was used to estimate market concentration. These data were compared to hospitals’ HCAHPS measures.Principal FindingsIn competitive markets (HHI below 1,000), hospital advertising predicted HCAHPS global measures. A 1‐percent increase in advertising was associated with a 1.173‐percent increase in patients rating the hospital a “9” or “10” on the HCAHPS survey and a 1.540‐percent increase in patients who “definitely” would recommend the hospital. In concentrated markets, this association was not significant.ConclusionsIn competitive markets, hospitals that spend more on advertising earn higher HCAHPS ratings on global measures.
Generating a Corpus of Mobile Forensic Images for Masquerading user Experimentation
Authors: Guido Mark , Brooks Marc , Grover Justin , Katz Eric , Ondricek Jared , Rogers Marcus , Sharpe Lauren 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe Periodic Mobile Forensics (PMF) system investigates user behavior on mobile devices. It applies forensic techniques to an enterprise mobile infrastructure, utilizing an on‐device agent named TractorBeam. The agent collects changed storage locations for later acquisition, reconstruction, and analysis. TractorBeam provides its data to an enterprise infrastructure that consists of a cloud‐based queuing service, relational database, and analytical framework for running forensic processes. During a 3‐month experiment with Purdue University, TractorBeam was utilized in a simulated operational setting across 34 users to evaluate techniques to identify masquerading users (i.e., users other than the intended device user). The research team surmises that all masqueraders are undesirable to an enterprise, even when a masquerader lacks malicious intent. The PMF system reconstructed 821 forensic images, extracted one million audit events, and accurately detected masqueraders. Evaluation revealed that developed methods reduced storage requirements 50‐fold. This paper describes the PMF architecture, performance of TractorBeam throughout the protocol, and results of the masquerading user analysis.
Microbial bioinformatics 2020
Authors: Pallen Mark J. 
Published: August 2016

SummaryMicrobial bioinformatics in 2020 will remain a vibrant, creative discipline, adding value to the ever‐growing flood of new sequence data, while embracing novel technologies and fresh approaches. Databases and search strategies will struggle to cope and manual curation will not be sustainable during the scale‐up to the million‐microbial‐genome era. Microbial taxonomy will have to adapt to a situation in which most microorganisms are discovered and characterised through the analysis of sequences. Genome sequencing will become a routine approach in clinical and research laboratories, with fresh demands for interpretable user‐friendly outputs. The “internet of things” will penetrate healthcare systems, so that even a piece of hospital plumbing might have its own IP address that can be integrated with pathogen genome sequences. Microbiome mania will continue, but the tide will turn from molecular barcoding towards metagenomics. Crowd‐sourced analyses will collide with cloud computing, but eternal vigilance will be the price of preventing the misinterpretation and overselling of microbial sequence data. Output from hand‐held sequencers will be analysed on mobile devices. Open‐source training materials will address the need for the development of a skilled labour force. As we boldly go into the third decade of the twenty‐first century, microbial sequence space will remain the final frontier!
Next‐generation studies of microbial biofilm communities
Authors: Rice Scott A. , Wuertz Stefan , Kjelleberg Staffan 
Published: August 2016

SummaryAs we look into the future of microbial biofilm research, there is clearly an emerging focus on communities rather than populations. This represents an essential change in direction to more accurately understand how and why microorganisms assemble into communities, as well as the functional implications for such a life style. For example, current research studies shows that communities display emergent properties or functions that are not predicted from the individual single species populations, including elevated stress tolerance and resistance to antibiotics. Models for mixed species biofilms can be very simple, comprised only a handful of species or can be extremely species rich, with hundreds or thousands of species present. The future holds much promise for this area of research, where investigators will increasingly be able to resolve, at the molecular and biochemical levels, interspecies relationships and mechanisms of interaction. The outcome of these studies will greatly enhance our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary factors that drive community function in natural and engineered systems.
Integrating Seasonal Information on Nutrients and Benthic Algal Biomass into Stream Water Quality Monitoring
Authors: Konrad Christopher P. , Munn Mark D. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractBenthic chlorophyll a (BChl a) and environmental factors that influence algal biomass were measured monthly from February through October in 22 streams from three agricultural regions of the United States. At‐site maximum BChl a ranged from 14 to 406 mg/m2 and generally varied with dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN): 8 out of 9 sites with at‐site median DIN >0.5 mg/L had maximum BChl a >100 mg/m2. BChl a accrued and persisted at levels within 50% of at‐site maximum for only one to three months. No dominant seasonal pattern for algal biomass accrual was observed in any region. A linear model with DIN, water surface gradient, and velocity accounted for most of the cross‐site variation in maximum chlorophyll a (adjusted R2 = 0.7), but was no better than a single value of DIN = 0.5 mg/L for distinguishing between low and high‐biomass sites. Studies of nutrient enrichment require multiple samples to estimate algal biomass with sufficient precision given the magnitude of temporal variability of algal biomass. An effective strategy for regional stream assessment of nutrient enrichment could be based on a relation between maximum BChl a and DIN based on repeat sampling at sites selected to represent a gradient in nutrients and application of the relation to a larger number of sites with synoptic nutrient information.
Application of Wavelet Coherence Method to Investigate Karst Spring Discharge Response to Climate Teleconnection Patterns
Authors: Huo Xueli , Lei Liyuan , Liu Zhongfang , Hao Yonghong , Hu Bill X. , Zhan Hongbin 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe impact of climate teleconnections on the regional hydrometeorology has been well studied, but very little effort has been made to relate climate teleconnections with groundwater flow variation. In this study, we used a wavelet coherence method to analyze monthly climate indices, precipitation, and spring discharge data, and investigated the relation between major teleconnection patterns (the Arctic Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, El Niño‐Southern Oscillation, and Indian Ocean Dipole) and karst hydrological process in Niangziguan Springs Basin, China. The results indicate precipitation and spring discharges correlate well with climate indices at intra‐ and inter‐annual time scales. Further, the climate indices are mainly correlated with precipitation at shorter periodicities, but correlated with spring discharge at longer scales. The difference reflects the modulation of karst aquifers on precipitation‐spring discharge during the processes of precipitation infiltration into the ground, and subsequent transformation into spring discharge. When teleconnection signals are transmitted into spring discharge via precipitation infiltration and groundwater propagation, some high‐frequency climatic signals are likely to be filtered, attenuated, and delayed, thus only low‐frequency climatic signals are preserved in spring discharge.
The frontal executive function in exercise addicts, moderate exercisers, and exercise avoiders
Authors: Ryu Kwangmin , Kim Yujin , Kwon Minji , Kim Hyunji , Kim Jingu 
Published: August 2016

Background and ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to compare the frontal executive functions of exercise addicts, moderate exercisers, and exercise avoiders. We hypothesized that exercise addicts and avoiders would have poorer executive functions compared to moderate exercisers.MethodsThe Korean Exercise Addiction Scale was administrated to recruit participants. Electroencephalogram was recorded at the frontal scalp sites.ResultsThe results showed that P3 and N2 latencies were shorter in the exercise addiction group than in the avoidance and moderate groups. Exercise addicts and moderate exercisers showed faster response time than exercise avoiders.DiscussionP3 and N2 latencies and P3 and N2 amplitudes were discussed in terms of executive functions.Scientific SignificanceThis study showed that exercise addiction did not impair executive functions, but increased cognitive functioning. (Am J Addict 2016;25:466–471)
Association of peripheral blood dendritic cells with recurrent pregnancy loss: a case‐controlled study
Authors: Huang Chunyu , Zhang Hongzhan , Chen Xian , Diao Lianghui , Lian Ruochun , Zhang Xu , Hu Lina , Zeng Yong 
Published: August 2016

ProblemDendritic cells (DCs) have been reported to play an important role in pregnancy. However, the role of DCs in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) has not been investigated well.Method of studyForty‐three women affected by RPL and 16 fertile controls were recruited from June 2013 to December 2014. The peripheral blood DCs subsets, including myeloid DCs (mDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), the levels (%) of CD80+, CD86+, and CD200+ DCs were analyzed using flow cytometry.ResultsThe levels of total DCs, mDCs, and CD86+ DCs were significantly higher (all P<.05); however, the level of CD200+ DCs in the RPL group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<.05). The logistical regression analyses showed that the elevated level of mDCs was significantly associated with RPL after adjustment for age (OR: 1.14, 95% CI, 1.01–1.29, P<.05).ConclusionThe elevated level of mDCs was significantly associated with RPL, which might lead to the intervention of targeted immunosuppression in women with RPL.