bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Modelling EU‐GCC energy systems and trade corridors
Authors: Kanudia Amit , Gerboni Raffaella , Loulou Richard , Gargiulo Maurizio , Labriet Maryse , Lavagno Evasio , De Miglio Rocco , Schranz Laura , Tosato GianCarlo 
Published: July 2013

PurposeThis article is based on the REACCESS research project, sponsored by the European Commission, with the objectives of evaluating the technical, economic, and environmental aspects of present and future energy corridors between the European countries (EU27) and their main energy suppliers. GCC countries have an important role to play given their role in EU energy supply and in greenhouse gas emissions. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachA single energy model was built by hard‐linking the TIMES integrated assessment model (TIAM‐World), the Pan European TIMES model (PET), and the RECOR model (REaccess CORridors), including more than 1,000 possible energy corridors supplying the European countries. Another major methodology advance was to create a hybrid objective function, combining the usual cost objective and a metric representing the supply risk incurred by EU27. The risk component was constructed via a novel approach that aggregates the elemental risk parameters of each corridor using a Min‐Max function. Four contrasted scenarios were assessed, based on security and climate objectives.FindingsAmong the many results, it appears that a large reduction of the supply risk may be achieved at a very modest increase of the total energy system cost for EU27. Cross‐effects of climate mitigation and security objectives are also observed. Due to the diversification requirement, the contribution of GCC countries to EU energy imports increases under risk scenario. Sensitivity analyses show that the European energy system seems unable to reduce the market shares of fossil fuels import from MENA countries, including GCC countries, much below the reference case, proving the strong dependency of EU27 energy system from these countries. However, total fossil fuels imports, as well as total energy consumed, are decreased under the risk adverse scenarios.Originality/valueMethodological developments, as described above, result in an advanced tool to assess how to increase the “energy system security”, by reducing the concentration of supply countries, diversifying import sources but also reducing the energy dependence at the end‐use side.
Employer branding in power industry
Authors: Heilmann Pia , Saarenketo Sami , Liikkanen Katja 
Published: July 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine what kind of motives and practices company has for employer branding in power industry. The objective is to find out the benefits of employer branding and how it is targeted towards potential and current employees. In addition, the aim is to examine whether companies see employer branding as a process and what kind of processes they have for employer branding.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical perspective of this study is based on literature review, which provides a better understanding of employer branding. The empirical part is a qualitative case study of two large, international companies in the field of power industry. The data was gathered with interviews.FindingsThe main motives for employer branding are better employer image, more efficient recruitment and improved job satisfaction. Employer branding efforts are focused according to target group. Recruitment and educational co‐operation are the main objects of employer branding towards potential employees, whereas training and development are an essential part of employer branding towards current employees. This article also discovers that there is some kind of process aspect in the background of employer branding.Practical implicationsCompanies invest in employer branding in order to get good applicants, retain employees and create the image of a great employer. Power industry is an internationally remarkable field of business. Energy and the solutions of power technology are always needed and there exist a major need for new experts in power industry. As limitations, this study includes only two power industry companies and the data is qualitative. Therefore, the results cannot be generalized in larger scale.Originality/valueThe competition of talented workforce will increase because of the decrease in working‐age population. Employer branding will become more prominent in the future when companies strive to gain competitive advantage.
Stakeholder management: the sociodynamic approach
Authors: Walley Paul 
Published: July 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether or not traditional methods of sociodynamic profiling are useful as an analytical management approach to manage stakeholders in projects that are likely to experience high degrees of resistance to change.Design/methodology/approachAs part of an action research project, three case studies are reported; 80 people involved in the projects were given semi‐structured interviews as part of the study.FindingsThe approach identified the stakeholder mechanisms that caused one project to fail. It also showed how and why the two other projects succeeded after adapting their approaches.Research limitations/implicationsThe work is restricted to one economic sector: healthcare. There are methodological issues with the measurement of levels of support and resistance for projects.Practical implicationsThe method helped refine stakeholder identification, linked stakeholder requirements and project scope, identified likely project failures, improved stakeholder communication methods and created a better understanding of resistance to change.Originality/valueThe approach has not previously been validated and shows great promise where it is used to analyse complex situations. It also highlights the dynamic nature of the stakeholder management task for project managers, as the challenges can be seen to change over time. The paper also provides a different insight into resistance to change in a project context.
Using organizational knowledge for the selection of construction methods
Authors: Ferrada Ximena , Serpell Alfredo 
Published: July 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report and summarize the findings from a doctoral thesis that analyze the construction methods' selection process, from a knowledge management perspective. The first author also reports her PhD journey.Design/methodology/approachThe research methodology is based on the development of case studies in three construction companies. In each case study, semi‐structured interviews, direct observation and review of companies' documentation were applied. The results of the case studies allowed the development of a prototype system for the construction methods' selection. The thesis research methodology is described in detail in this article.FindingsIt was concluded that the construction methods' selection process is based in individual knowledge, therefore the construction industry needs to understand how to identify, acquire, store, transfer and use this knowledge. The construction methods knowledge system proposed in this research could help to resolve this problem.Practical implicationsA knowledge management system for construction companies must incorporate knowledge management technologies and techniques to be a real solution for the industry problems regarding information and knowledge management.Originality/valueThis research expands the analysis of the construction methods' selection process with a deeper analysis of this activity, understanding how it is applied in a project, what knowledge is required to make a good decision and offering a system to manage this knowledge, recognizing the particular characteristics of the process and the industry.
Does a surprise strategy need words? The effect of explanations for a surprise strategy on customer delight and expectations
Authors: Gyung Kim Min , S. Mattila Anna 
Published: July 2013

Purpose
– Delighting customers by pleasant surprises is a common strategy, yet the potential downside of such a strategy (i.e. raising customer expectations) has received scant attention. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of explanations as a solution to control customers
'
expectations following a surprise-delight event.

Design/methodology/approach
– Hypotheses were tested with a 2 (surprise)×2 (explanation) between-subjects experimental design in two different service contexts (utilitarian and hedonic). University staff and faculty members served as the participant pool.

Findings
– The results indicate that providing an explanation helps to avoid raising customer expectations to unsustainable levels and enhances customer delight.

Research limitations/implications
– Using hypothetical scenarios, single test for each context, and having the participants with high educational and income levels are identified as limitations in this study.

Practical implications
– This study demonstrates that providing appropriate explanations can reduce escalating expectations for future consumption episodes and thus help service firms to effectively delight their customers.

Originality/value
– This is the first empirical study to test the use of explanation as a possible solution for problems associated with surprise strategies, therefore extending the relevant literature.
Revisiting internal market orientation: a note
Authors: Kaur Sahi Gurjeet , Lonial Subhash , Gupta Mahesh , Seli Nitasha 
Published: July 2013

Purpose
– This paper seeks to further the understanding of the domain of the IMO construct in a developing country, as suggested by Lings and Greenley. It seeks to build on their proposed construct and provide empirical evidence of its impact in the context of the Indian banking industry.

Design/methodology/approach
– The behavioral dimensions of the construct are confirmed in a manner consistent with established market orientation (external) construct. The paper validates scale pertaining to the wants and needs of bank employees for effective intelligence generation and dissemination as well as for effective response implementation.

Findings
– The authors find a positive significant relationship between internal market orientation and staff attitude and perceived customer satisfaction. Further, the impact of staff attitude on employee job satisfaction is also significant.

Research limitations/implications
– Internal market orientation, with the passage of time, may not be as prevalent and exhaustive as it is now because the nature of the marketing environment is extremely dynamic. So, there is a need to make changes as time evolves so that this scale remains focused with a high level of reliability and validity.

Practical implications
– To generate internal market intelligence, bank management should not only rely on internal customer surveys, but also the intelligence obtained through a variety of formal and informal means, such as meetings and discussion with internal customers; analysis of sales reports and worldwide customer databases; and formal market research, such as employees
'
attitude surveys and sales response in a test market.

Originality/value
– The present research would be of value to managers across the world for identifying key requirements of internal customers, which need to be evaluated consistently from time to time, for different strategic actions.
Integrating country‐of‐origin image and brand image in corporate rebranding: the case of China
Authors: Guercini Simone , Ranfagni Silvia 
Published: July 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how companies entering the Chinese market integrate brand image and country image, how they redefine this integration in the corporate rebranding process adopted to develop the new market, and what impact they achieve in terms of commercial and economic results.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on the analysis of the cases of Alpha and Beta. Alpha is a multinational company specialized in the production of chocolate, while Beta is one of the world's largest companies in the tyre industry. These cases are emblematic for the way the two companies combine brand attributes and country image attributes.FindingsThe case analysis shows that: initially in the corporate rebranding strategy defined in China, brand image is created independently from the country image; the impact of the integration on brand attitude is sought by producing a cross‐fertilization between the meaning of brand attitude and of country image attitude; the level of integration (country‐of‐manufacture, country‐of‐design) embodies the aim of the integration itself; and the differentiation of the country image for different brands passes through a phase of focalization.Originality/valueThe study identifies practices that managers can consider in the definition of the integration strategies involving brand image and country images that accompany their rebranding processes in the Chinese market. The analysis of these practices together with the results may help managers to arrive at pondered decisions concerning integration.
Fabrication of HA/β‐TCP scaffolds based on micro‐syringe extrusion system
Authors: Huang Wei , Zhang Xianglin , Wu Quan , Wu Bin 
Published: July 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel and concise technique of fabricating HA/β‐TCP composite ceramic scaffolds for bone tissue engineering via extrusion deposition method.Design/methodology/approachA new rapid prototyping (RP) machine called motor assisted micro‐syringe (MAM) system is used in the authors' research. It is implemented to control the morphology, pore size and porosity of scaffolds precisely and to optimize their mechanical properties in this study.FindingsIn the fabrication process, HA/β‐TCP ceramic composite slurry with prominent uniformity, stability and liquidity is prepared by deliberating the influential factors such as its ingredient, pH and viscosity. After optimizing the system parameters, scaffolds with homogeneous and interconnected pores in sizes ranging from 50 to 580 μm were obtained, and the whole process had excellent stability and repeatability. The average compressive strength of scaffolds with a porosity of around 50% reaches 50.33 MPa after sintered in microwave furnace at 1,200°C for 30 min.Research limitations/implicationsDegradation rates and biological properties concluding experiments in vitro and vivo should be further investigated.Practical implicationsThe paper describes a brief method with excellent stability and repeatability which is practical for manufacturing composite ceramic scaffolds with desirable structures and strength.Originality/valueThe mentioned method can be used in tissue engineering, not only proper for ceramics scaffolds but many medical application fields such as implants.
Production of customized hip stem prostheses – a comparison between conventional machining and electron beam melting (EBM)
Authors: Cronskär Marie , Bäckström Mikael , Rännar Lars‐Erik 
Published: July 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the use of the additive manufacturing (AM) method, electron beam melting (EBM), for manufacturing of customized hip stems. The aim is to investigate EBM's feasibility and commercial potential in comparison with conventional machining, and to map out advantages and drawbacks of using EBM in this application. One part of the study concerns the influence on the fatigue properties of the material, when using the raw surface directly from the EBM machine, in parts of the implant.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on a case study of manufacturing a batch of seven individually adapted hip stems. The stems were manufactured both with conventional machining and with EBM technology and the methods were compared according to the costs of materials, time for file preparation and manufacturing. In order to enhance bone ingrowths in the medial part of the stem, the raw surface from EBM manufacturing is used in that area and initial fatigue studies were performed, to get indications on how this surface influences the fatigue properties.FindingsThe cost reduction due to using EBM in this study was 35 per cent. Fatigue tests comparing milled test bars with raw surfaced bars indicate a reduction of the fatigue limit by using the coarse surface.Originality/valueThe paper presents a detailed comparison of EBM and conventional machining, not seen in earlier research. The fatigue tests of raw EBM‐surfaces are interesting since the raw surface has shown to enhance bone ingrowths and therefore is suitable to use in some medical applications.
Factors affecting species delimitations with the GMYC model: insights from a butterfly survey
Authors: Talavera Gerard , Dincă Vlad , Vila Roger 
Published: July 2013

Summary

The generalized mixed Yule‐coalescent (GMYC) model has become one of the most popular approaches for species delimitation based on single‐locus data, and it is widely used in biodiversity assessments and phylogenetic community ecology. We here examine an array of factors affecting GMYC resolution (tree reconstruction method, taxon sampling coverage/taxon richness and geographic sampling intensity/geographic scale).

We test GMYC performance based on empirical data (DNA barcoding of the Romanian butterflies) on a solid taxonomic framework (i.e. all species are thought to be described and can be determined with independent sources of evidence). The data set is comprehensive (176 species), and intensely and homogeneously sampled (1303 samples representing the main populations of butterflies in this country). Taxonomy was assessed based on morphology, including linear and geometric morphometry when needed.

The number of GMYC entities obtained constantly exceeds the total number of morphospecies in the data set. We show that c. 80% of the species studied are recognized as entities by GMYC. Interestingly, we show that this percentage is practically the maximum that a single‐threshold method can provide for this data set. Thus, the c. 20% of failures are attributable to intrinsic properties of the COI polymorphism: overlap in inter‐ and intraspecific divergences and non‐monophyly of the species likely because of introgression or lack of independent lineage sorting.

Our results demonstrate that this method is remarkably stable under a wide array of circumstances, including most phylogenetic reconstruction methods, high singleton presence (up to 95%), taxon richness (above five species) and the presence of gaps in intraspecific sampling coverage (removal of intermediate haplotypes). Hence, the method is useful to designate an optimal divergence threshold in an objective manner and to pinpoint potential cryptic species that are worth being studied in detail. However, the existence of a substantial percentage of species wrongly delimited indicates that GMYC cannot be used as sufficient evidence for evaluating the specific status of particular cases without additional data.

Finally, we provide a set of guidelines to maximize efficiency in GMYC analyses and discuss the range of studies that can take advantage of the method.
Differences in the Nonverbal Requests of Great Apes and Human Infants
Authors: van der Goot Marloes H. , Tomasello Michael , Liszkowski Ulf 
Published: July 2013

This study investigated how great apes and human infants use imperative pointing to request objects. In a series of three experiments (infants, N = 44; apes, N = 12), subjects were given the opportunity to either point to a desired object from a distance or else to approach closer and request it proximally. The apes always approached close to the object, signaling their request through instrumental actions. In contrast, the infants quite often stayed at a distance, directing the experimenters' attention to the desired object through index‐finger pointing, even when the object was in the open and they could obtain it by themselves. Findings distinguish 12‐month‐olds' imperative pointing from ontogenetic and phylogenetic earlier forms of ritualized reaching.
The peripheral blood compartment in patients with Graves' disease: activated T lymphocytes and increased transitional and pre-naive mature B lymphocytes
Authors: Van der Weerd K , Van Hagen P M , Schrijver B , Kwekkeboom D J , De Herder W W , Ten Broek M R J , Postema P T E , Van Dongen J J M , Staal F J T , Dik W A 
Published: July 2013

SummaryGraves' disease (GD) is an autoimmune disease that involves aberrant B and T lymphocyte responses. Detailed knowledge about lymphocyte subpopulation composition will therefore enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis of GD and might support the development of new immunomodulatory treatment approaches. The aim of this study was to gain detailed insight into the composition of the peripheral blood lymphocyte compartment in GD before and during anti-thyroid drug therapy. Major B and T lymphocyte subpopulations were investigated by flow cytometry in peripheral blood from newly diagnosed GD patients (n = 5), GD patients treated with anti-thyroid drugs (n = 4), patients with recurrent GD (n = 7) and healthy controls (HC; n = 10). In GD patients, numbers of activated T lymphocytes [human leucocyte antigen D-related (HLA-DR)+ and CD25+] were increased. The B lymphocyte compartment in GD was characterized by significantly higher numbers of transitional (CD38highCD27−, P &lt; 0·03) and pre-naive mature (CD38lowCD27−IgD+CD5+, P &lt; 0·04) B lymphocytes, while memory populations were slightly decreased. The increased numbers of CD5+, transitional and pre-naive mature B lymphocytes correlated positively with fT4 plasma levels. GD is associated with increased numbers of activated T lymphocytes and transitional and pre-naive mature CD5+ B lymphocytes within the peripheral blood. The increase in CD5+ B lymphocytes was due mainly to an increase in transitional and pre-naive mature B lymphocytes. Increased fT4 plasma levels might be associated with this increase in transitional and pre-naive mature CD5+ B lymphocytes.