bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effects of paper-based DDL on the acquisition of lexico-grammatical patterns in L2 writing
Authors: Huang Zeping 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThis paper examines whether and to what extent data-driven learning (DDL) activities can improve the lexico-grammatical use of abstract nouns in L2 writing. A topic-based corpus was compiled to develop concordance learning activities, and 40 Chinese students majoring in English were randomly assigned to a control group or an experimental group. At the prewriting stage, both groups were given a list of five abstract nouns: the experimental group was provided with paper-based concordance lines to study the collocations of the words, while the control group was allowed to consult dictionaries for the usage of the words. The written texts of the pre-test, immediate post-test, and delayed post-test were analysed and compared between and within groups. The results showed that the written output by the experimental group, as compared with the control group, contained a higher variety of collocational and colligational patterns and had fewer linguistic errors in using the target abstract nouns. The post-experiment learning journals and questionnaires administered to the experimental group further confirmed that concordance activities encouraged usage-based learning, helped students notice the lexical collocations and prepositional colligations of the target words, and thus improved accuracy and complexity in their productive language. Despite these positive findings, potential problems of using concordance activities for independent learning were also reflected in the students’ written output and reported in the learning journals.
GROEBNER BASES AND NONEMBEDDINGS OF SOME FLAG MANIFOLDS
Authors: PETROVIĆ ZORAN Z. , PRVULOVIĆ BRANISLAV I. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractGroebner bases for the ideals determining mod$\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}2$cohomology of the real flag manifolds$F(1,1,n)$and$F(1,2,n)$are obtained. These are used to compute appropriate Stiefel–Whitney classes in order to establish some new nonembedding and nonimmersion results for the manifolds$F(1,2,n)$.
Predictive combinatorial design of mRNA translation initiation regions for systematic optimization of gene expression levels
Authors: Seo Sang Woo , Yang Jae-Seong , Cho Han-Saem , Yang Jina , Kim Seong Cheol , Park Jong Moon , Kim Sanguk , Jung Gyoo Yeol 
Published: March 2014

AbstractBalancing the amounts of enzymes is one of the important factors to achieve optimum performance of a designed metabolic pathway. However, the random mutagenesis approach is impractical since it requires searching an unnecessarily large number of variants and often results in searching a narrow range of expression levels which are out of optimal level. Here, we developed a predictive combinatorial design method, called UTR Library Designer, which systematically searches a large combinatorial space of expression levels. It accomplishes this by designing synthetic translation initiation region of mRNAs in a predictive way based on a thermodynamic model and genetic algorithm. Using this approach, we successfully enhanced lysine and hydrogen production in Escherichia coli. Our method significantly reduced the number of variants to be explored for covering large combinatorial space and efficiently enhanced pathway efficiency, thereby facilitating future efforts in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology.
Partner’s Perspective on Long-term Sexual Dysfunction After Prostate Cancer Treatment
Authors: Movsas Tammy Z. , Yechieli Raphael , Movsas Benjamin , Darwish-Yassine May 
Published: March 2014

Objective:
Prostate cancer is the most common type of male cancer in the United States and the negative effect of prostate cancer treatment on sexual function has been well documented. The objective of this study was to examine the long-term impact of sexual dysfunction on spouses or partners of prostate cancer survivors.

Methods:
A total of 742 spouses of prostate cancer survivors was mailed surveys by the Michigan Public Health Institute, of which 379 were returned (51%). Nine surveys were excluded owing to study ineligibility. Spouses responding to the survey completed a combination of modified items from the Sexual Adjustment Questionnaire and researcher-developed items.

Results:
Over 75% of spouses reported a decline in sex life quality after treatment. Communication about sexual issues between survivors and their health care providers was rated as good to excellent by 54.7% of partners, whereas 35.1% reported it as fair to poor. Approximately 60% of physicians initially recommended some form of sexual treatment. However, despite the persistence of sexual dysfunction, only 7% of the prostate cancer survivors were currently receiving treatment. Only 4.1% of health care providers referred the survivor to a sex therapist.

Conclusions:
Physicians need to understand the importance of the open, ongoing communication with prostate cancer survivors about sexual issues because sexual dysfunction seems to continue indefinitely after completion of treatment. Research on the effectiveness of behavioral interventions in restoring sexual health is critically needed for this population, especially as first-line sexual aids and medications are often not satisfactory solutions.
Defining Quality of Life Levels to Enhance Clinical Interpretation in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Michel Pierre , Baumstarck Karine , Boyer Laurent , Fernandez Oscar , Flachenecker Peter , Pelletier Jean , Loundou Anderson , Ghattas Badih , Auquier Pascal 
Published: March 2014

Background:
To enhance the use of quality of life (QoL) measures in clinical practice, it is pertinent to help clinicians interpret QoL scores.

Objective:
The aim of this study was to define clusters of QoL levels from a specific questionnaire (MusiQoL) for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients using a new method of interpretable clustering based on unsupervised binary trees and to test the validity regarding clinical and functional outcomes.

Methods:
In this international, multicenter, cross-sectional study, patients with MS were classified using a hierarchical top-down method of Clustering using Unsupervised Binary Trees. The clustering tree was built using the 9 dimension scores of the MusiQoL in 2 stages, growing and tree reduction (pruning and joining). A 3-group structure was considered, as follows: “high,” “moderate,” and “low” QoL levels. Clinical and QoL data were compared between the 3 clusters.

Results:
A total of 1361 patients were analyzed: 87 were classified with “low,” 1173 with “moderate,” and 101 with “high” QoL levels. The clustering showed satisfactory properties, including repeatability (using bootstrap) and discriminancy (using factor analysis). The 3 clusters consistently differentiated patients based on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and the QoL scores were assessed using a generic questionnaire, ensuring the clinical validity of the clustering.

Conclusions:
The study suggests that Clustering using Unsupervised Binary Trees is an original, innovative, and relevant classification method to define clusters of QoL levels in MS patients.
Environmental protection and developmental interests
Authors: Nain Gill Gitanjali 
Published: March 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of a global challenge: the relationship between commercial development and the protection of eco-fragile systems particularly where river water is involved. It reviews and critiques the legal and political processes that underpinned the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010 in Delhi and the building of the accommodation Village on the floodplain of the river Yamuna.Design/methodology/approach– The paper covers the controversial modern history of the Yamuna river that runs through Delhi. The river is “dead” and has been subject to litigation concerning its usage and that of its flood plain. In particular, the controversy peaked prior to the CWG 2010 in Delhi and the required buildings associated with the games. The paper traces the history of the legal actions and the inter-related involvement of the various actors being the politicians, construction developers, the river bank dwellers and the local environmentalists. Close analysis is made of the statutory administrative procedures required for environmental clearance, the subsequent case law both in the High Court of Delhi and the Supreme Court of India. Additionally, usage is made of the media and its concerns over corrupt and negligent practices.Findings– The Indian judiciary in their willingness to promote the construction of the Village failed to apply its own environmental jurisprudence. There was a failure to “lift the veil” and review flawed administrative practices that violated governing statutes. National pride, time pressures, political support, economic interests and rapid urbanisation created a pressure that the courts could not challenge. It was left to investigative committees, after the Games had concluded, to expose these wrongdoings.Originality/value– The paper highlights the issue of the relationship of the courts and political and economic interests and how legally protected ecological interests are ignored.
Evidence of green leases in England and Wales
Authors: Bright Susan , Dixie Hannah 
Published: March 2014

Purpose
– This paper aims to report on research that investigates the use of green clauses in leases of office and retail premises in England and Wales.

Design/methodology/approach
– The authors examined 26 recent leases of green build properties registered at HM Land Registry. The green clauses discovered were classified and compared with the model form green clauses promoted by the London-based Better Building Partnership's Green Lease Toolkit.

Findings
– Of the 26 leases analysed, 18 contained some form of green provision.

Research limitations/implications
– As the sample selected was not representative, a larger study is needed to detect trends in green leasing. This research method does not show the impact of green clauses on property management.

Practical implications
– This research illustrates the types of clauses that have been used in leases but also shows that green leasing principles are not yet the industry standard. Many new, long leases still make no reference to environmental practices.

Originality/value
– This is the first research to be done examining the green content of agreed leases and develops a methodology that can be used for future research.
Revisiting the ideologies of planning law
Authors: Adshead Julie 
Published: March 2014

Purpose
– The aim of the research is to examine the legal ideologies of planning law proposed by Patrick McAuslan in 1980 and their operation in one key aspect of modern-day planning law in England and Wales in order to assess the balance between these ideologies today.

Design/methodology/approach
– In order to achieve this, the philosophical and theoretical foundations of the respective legal ideologies are revisited. The approach that follows is a mixed doctrinal and socio-legal one. The content of the law in certain key areas is established and then analysed against the framework of McAuslan's ideologies in order to establish the social context balance of the law.

Findings
– The paper concludes that, despite much change in law and policy, the balance between the three competing ideologies in the area of development control in the planning regime of England and Wales remains similar to that in 1980.

Research limitations/implications
– For publication as a research paper, the scope of the examination was necessarily restricted. Certain areas scrutinised by McAuslan are of less relevance today, but, nonetheless, there is clearly scope to revisit some of the other aspects of planning law considered in 1980 and, indeed, to expand the scope of analysis to other areas of environmental law.

Originality/value
– The paper takes a framework of legal ideologies that was proposed over 30 years ago and applies it to elements of the modern-day planning regime. The paper will be of value to both legal academics and those in the town planning discipline.
Developing a model for the influence of perceived organizational climate on organizational citizenship behaviour and organizational performance based on balanced score card
Authors: Shahin Arash , Shabani Naftchali Javad , Khazaei Pool Javad 
Published: March 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of employees’ perception of organizational climate on organizational citizenship behaviour outbreak and the impact of both of them on organizational performance.Design/methodology/approach– This survey has been performed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The statistical population composed of the managers of Mazandaran small- to medium-sized enterprises. The analysis of the data obtained from distributed survey questionnaire has been performed by SPSS18 and AMOS18 software.Findings– Findings imply that positive perception of organizational climate influences on increasing organizational citizenship behaviour outbreak and performance of enterprise, and organizational citizenship behaviour in turn has positive and significant impact on organizational performance. Results of this survey also indicate that organizational citizenship behaviour impacts on sub-criteria of enterprise performance (i.e. financial, customer, learning and growth, internal processes). Moreover, the influence of organizational climate on all sub-criteria of performance except internal processes has been confirmed.Research limitations/implications– Lack of sufficient information concerning organizational climate in internal resources, and in some external ones, and low number of surveys performed in this field, limits the possibility of comparing the results of this survey with other similar surveys.Originality/value– This survey can be considered as an innovative survey, since there is no similar survey conducted in which three variables of organizational climate, performance, and citizenship behaviour studied, considering their specified sub-criteria.
A different and simple approach for comparing sampling methods in quality control
Authors: do Carmo Manuel , Infante Paulo , M Mendes Jorge 
Published: March 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to measure the performance of a sampling method through the average number of samples drawn in control.

Design/methodology/approach
– Matching the adjusted average time to signal (AATS) of sampling methods, using as a reference the AATS of one of them the paper obtains the design parameters of the others. Thus, it will be possible to obtain, in control, the average number of samples required, so that the AATS of the mentioned sampling methods may be equal to the AATS of the method that the paper uses as the reference.

Findings
– A more robust performance measure to compare sampling methods because in many cases the period of time where the process is in control is greater than the out of control period. With this performance measure the paper compares different sampling methods through the average total cost per cycle, in systems with Weibull lifetime distributions: three systems with an increasing hazard rate (shape parameter β=2, 4 and 7) and one system with a decreasing failure rate (β=0, 8).

Practical implications
– In a usual production cycle where the in control period is much larger than the out of control period, particularly if the sampling costs and false alarms costs are high in relation to malfunction costs, the paper thinks that this methodology allows us a more careful choice of the appropriate sampling method.

Originality/value
– To compare the statistical performance between different sampling methods using the average number of samples need to be inspected when the process is in control. Particularly, the paper compares the statistical and economic performance between different sampling methods in contexts not previously considered in literature. The paper presents an approximation for the average time between the instant that failure occurs and the first sample with the process out of control, as well.
Multi criteria FMECA for coal-fired thermal power plants using COPRAS-G
Authors: Das Adhikary Debasis , Kumar Bose Goutam , Bose Dipankar , Mitra Souren 
Published: March 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present a multi criterion failure mode effect and criticality analysis for coal-fired thermal power plants using uncertain data as well as substituting the traditional risk priority number estimation method.

Design/methodology/approach
– Grey-complex proportional assessment (COPRAS-G) method, a multi criteria decision making tool is applied to evaluate the criticalities of the failure modes (alternatives). In this model the criteria (criticality factor) against each alternative are expressed in grey number instead of crisp values.

Findings
– Rupture failure of the straight tube of economizer (ECO) due to erosion is the highest critical failure mode whereas rupture failure of the stub of ECO due to welding defect is the lowest critical failure mode.

Originality/value
– This paper incorporates human and environmental factors as additional factors which also influence the failure modes significantly. The COPRAS-G method is modified according this problem. Uncertainty in the scoring of criticality factors against each failure mode by various maintenance personnel is expressed in grey numbers.
The impact of employees’ attributes on the quality of food products
Authors: P. Kafetzopoulos Dimitrios , D. Gotzamani Katerina , L. Psomas Evangelos 
Published: March 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the importance of specific, quality-related employees’ attributes to the enhancement of product quality in food companies. The main goal is to examine the synergistic relationships between specific employees’ attributes, which have been related in literature to ISO 9000 successful implementation, to continuous improvement, operational performance and product quality.Design/methodology/approach– The analysis includes an initial exploratory factor analysis, followed by confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling, in order to investigate the relations between the constructs of the proposed model.Findings– The findings reveal that although the examined quality-related “employees’ attributes” do not directly contribute to “product quality”, they influence both “continuous improvement” and “operational performance” of food firms. The results also confirm the impact of both “continuous improvement” and “operational performance” on “product quality” and also that “continuous improvement” helps explain “operational performance”.Research limitations/implications– The domain in which the model has been validated, the restricted use of moderators in the model and lack of empirical validation of the model in non-food sector companies, based on various respondents from each company, are a number of limitations associated with this study which suggest future research proposals.Practical implications– The findings of this study can motivate managers of food companies to focus on certain quality-related employees’ attributes in order to boost continuous improvement of ISO 9001 systems and operational performance of their companies, leading to product quality enhancement.Originality/value– This study finds particular relevance in emphasizing that although specific quality-related employees’ attributes, as these are detected in literature, have a significant contribution towards continuous improvement and operational performance, they are not the only critical factor leading to product quality. More complex relationships need to be considered by integrating other constructs as major antecedents of food product quality.
A hybrid framework based on SIPOC and Six Sigma DMAIC for improving process dimensions in supply chain network
Authors: Mishra Pratima , Kumar Sharma Rajiv 
Published: March 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to introduce a hybrid framework (suppliers, inputs, process, output and customers+define, measure, analyze, improve and control (SIPOC+DMAIC)) aimed at improving supply chain management (SCM) process dimensions in a supply chain (SC) network.Design/methodology/approach– Based upon the critical review of literature, process dimensions (average outgoing quality limit (AOQL), average outgoing quality (AOQ), processZ, defect per million opportunity) critical to SCM performance were identified. A framework consisting of three phases, i.e., design, implementation and results has been conceptualized and a case from paint industry is investigated. Implementation framework makes use of SIPOC model and Six Sigma DMAIC methodology. The goals of the study were achieved by using Six Sigma tools such as brainstorming sessions; root cause analysis, histograms, statistical tools such as control charts and process capability analysis.Findings– Authors made an attempt to propose a conceptual framework for improving process dimensions in a SC network. It is observed from the results that selection of appropriate strategies for improving process performance based upon experiences, and use of statistical tools by cross-functional teams with an effective coordination, guarantees success. Metrics such as AOQL shows the maximum worst possible defective or defect rate for the AOQ. ProcessZhelps to know about sigma capability of the process.Research limitations/implications– The framework so developed is tested in a single company manufacturing batches of paint. The study has important implications for the industry since it tries to integrate SCM process dimensions which would help in successful implementation of SCM practices in firm by following the DMAIC process. The framework enables the practitioners to investigate the process and demonstrate improvements using DMAIC which makes use of statistical tools.Originality/value– Although process dimensions related to SCM are critical to organization competitiveness, research so far has tended to focus on supply chain operations and reference model, balanced scorecard, total quality management, activity-based costing, just in time, etc., but in literature hardly any description of the SIPOC-DMAIC model to improve SCM process performance is provided. The use of statistics in DMAIC provides better insight into the process performance, and process control.
Review of threats on trust and reputation models
Authors: Sun Po-Ling , Ku Cheng-Yuan 
Published: March 2014

Purpose
– As the number of available services increases on the web, it becomes greatly vital in service-oriented computing to discover a trustworthy service for a service composition so as to best-fit business requirements. However, some dishonest service providers may advertise more than what they can offer and cause a great loss to users. In the last few years, trust and reputation management over web service selection mechanism becomes an emerging way of dealing with security deficiencies which are inherent in web services environment. The purpose of this paper is to review the security threats carefully and expect that the results serve as a reference guide for designing the robust trust and reputation management mechanisms.

Design/methodology/approach
– Based on the published literature, the paper reviews and categorizes the most critical and important security threats that apply to trust and reputation models.

Findings
– A detailed review and a dedicated taxonomy table are derived. As emphasized earlier, they could serve as the most important guideline for design of trust and reputation mechanisms.

Originality/value
– The papers work contributes to: first, understand in details what kind of security threats may cause damage to trust and reputation management mechanisms for web services selection; and second, categorize these complex security threats and then assist in planning the defense mechanisms.