bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Household food security through cooperative societies in northern Ethiopia
Authors: Zeweld Woldegebrial , Van Huylenbroeck Guido , Buysse Jeroen 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to investigate the effect of cooperative societies on household food security in six villages of Northern Ethiopia. Cooperative societies have significant contribution to the food security and poverty reduction. However, limited empirical studies exist in the study areas about the roles of cooperative societies on food security.

Design/methodology/approach
– Primary cross-sectional data were collected from randomly selected 400 households. The study also gathered secondary data from the cooperative associations and government offices for comparison purposes. The paper applied Heckman two-stage model to capture the effect of cooperative societies on household food security.

Findings
– The probability of the households to join cooperative societies and also ensure food security depends on various determining factors like institutional factors, demographic variables and rural functions. The paired sample t-test shows that the mean income and expenditure of the cooperative member households were 70 and 40 per cent higher in 2010 and 2011, respectively, than in the baseline. The two-sample independent t-test indicates that the mean income and expenditure of the member households were 47 and 32 per cent higher than the counterpart households. The Heckman model explains that cooperative societies have statistically significant, positive and robust effects on household food security at 1 per cent level.

Research limitations/implications
– A few variables might suffer from endogeneity problem, although theoretically insignificant and have no sound justification. The study also considers only two indicators of food security (income and expenditure), but the findings of the study would have been good and sound with several and composite food security index.

Practical implications
– Such impact studies on cooperative societies are limited in the study areas. Thus, this study helps decision-makers, cooperative analysts and other concerned bodies to give priority for cooperative societies so as to curtail the food insecurity problem. It can also make meaningful contributions to bridge the gap in the cooperative literature.

Social implications
– The present study can improve the understanding of cooperative societies in the country. The finding of this paper can serve as an input for university students, decision-makers and cooperative analysts. The result can also strengthen the economic justification for policy intervention on cooperative societies.

Originality/value
– Most studies in the areas address the financial performance, historical movement and opportunities and challenges of cooperative societies. This implies that more work is necessary to obtain a clear picture and broad spectrum about cooperative societies, and thus, this study addresses the effect of cooperative societies on household food security.
Aid for food security: does it work?
Authors: Petrikova Ivica 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to contribute to existing literature by examining whether development aid has any measurable impact on food security, whether the impact is conditioned on the quality of governance and whether it differs based on the type of aid provided.

Design/methodology/approach
– Panel-data analysis of 85 developing countries between 1994 and 2011, using generalized method of moments and two-stage least squares estimators.

Findings
– The paper finds that aid in general has a small positive impact on food security; that multilateral aid, grants and social and economic aid have a positive effect on food security in their own right, and that bilateral aid, loans and agricultural aid are more conditioned on the quality of governance that other aid.

Research limitations/implications
– The main limitations rest with the imperfect nature of cross-country data on food security and governance, which I have tried to overcome through a series of robustness tests.

Practical implications
– The findings suggest that aid, despite its many deficiencies, can play a positive role in strengthening food security. Furthermore, they indicate that concessional loans, bilateral aid and agricultural aid are likely to foster food security only in countries with better governance.

Originality/value
– The paper constitutes a novel contribution to existing literature because it is one of the first to use cross-country data to explore the impact of aid on food security and because it utilizes a relatively complex aid categorization, which allows its conclusions to be more nuanced.
Why brand drugs priced higher than generic equivalents
Authors: Iacocca Kathleen , Sawhill James , Zhao Yao 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to investigate why brand-name drugs are priced higher than their generic equivalents in the US market. The authors hypothesize that some consumers have a preference for brand names, which outweighs the cost savings realized by switching to generics. Consumers may prefer a brand drug because the brand may have a higher perceived quality due to advertising and other promotional activities. Additionally, individuals are habitual in their consumption of prescription drugs, which leads to continued use of the brand in the face of generic competition.

Design/methodology/approach
– The authors develop a structural demand model and proceed to estimate it using wholesale price and demand data from the years 2000 through 2004.

Findings
– The results of our analysis reveal that customers have a strong preference for brand drugs. In addition, consumers exhibit high switching costs for prescription drugs.

Originality/value
– Considering the price and quantity of prescriptions filled each day, determining why brand drugs do not lower their prices to compete with their generic equivalents is an important question. Unfortunately, the existing literature only acknowledges this counter-intuitive business practice, but does not mathematically explain it. The authors address this knowledge gap in literature and provide important insight for all players in this industry including consumers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and health insurance companies.
Waviness and straightness of cylinder and textured piston ring tribo pair
Authors: Zavos Anastasios , Nikolakopoulos Pantelis George 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to review and to provide a dipper understanding of what happens to piston rings and cylinder surfaces when manufacturing errors depicted, such as waviness and straightness. The mechanism of friction and the piston ring structural integrity, due to the surface irregularities, are analyzed either for smooth ring surface or for artificial textured, while piston ring floats into the piston groove or not.

Design/methodology/approach
– In this work two tribological models of a piston ring- cylinder package are presented using CFD analysis. Initially, the piston ring is considered as a secured ring in the groove of piston (secured ring) while in second model, the piston ring floats into the piston groove (free ring).

Findings
– Increasing the number of waves across the piston ring thickness, the structural integrity of the ring is strongly influenced. Piston ring with surface texturing reduces the mean friction force, under the consideration of cylinder straightness. The gas leaks due to existence of the ring gap, affects significantly the maximum mechanical stresses.

Originality/value
– The novelty of this paper is the analysis of manufacturing errors, such as waviness and straightness either for smooth or for artificial textured piston ring. In particular, the piston ring structural integrity investigated while chamber gas pressure leaks through the ring gap or not. The number of the waves, their amplitude and the fluid velocity are also taken into consideration.
Study on the evolution mechanism of oxidation and copper diffusion and precipitation phenomena and their effect on the surface quality of steel plates
Authors: Papaefthymiou Spyros , Goulas Constantinos , Panteleakou Vasiliki 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– Identification of the critical process conditions that enhance Cu diffusion in ferrite grain boundaries and promote precipitation of Cu-rich particles in the proximity of steel semi-finished products surface is crucial for every steel maker as it leads to the creation of hot shortness cracks in final products deteriorating surface condition. The purpose of this paper is to reveal the possible effect of Cu segregation in the metal/oxide interface, its role in surface crack initiation and, finally, to propose actions to prevent from hot shortness issues throughout the production chain of steel products.

Design/methodology/approach
– The here presented study was based on S355 steel plate production starting from re-melting of scrap in an EAF, followed by metallurgical treatment in a Ladle Furnace, continuous casting, re-heating (RH) and thermo-mechanical rolling in a reversing mill. For the purposes of this study, more than ten heats, 100 t of steel each, were analyzed. Here presented are depicted steels in the high and low end of the permitted Cu-wt-% spectrum, 0.4 wt-% Cu (0.15 wt-% C, 1.1 wt-% Mn, VTi micro-alloyed steel) and 0.25 wt-% Cu (0.09 wt-% C, 1.2 wt-% Mn, NbTi micro alloyed steel), respectively.

Findings
– Although Cu levels of 0.25-0.40 wt-% are well below the Cu solubility in austenite and ferrite (8 percent wt-% and 3 wt-% Cu, respectively) and within specifications, precipitation of Cu-rich particles is observed in industrial semi-finished and/or final products. Cu-rich precipitates and Cu segregation along grain boundaries near the steel surface lead to hot shortness cracks in industrial products.

Research limitations/implications
– Hot shortness surface defects related to Cu presence in steel having significantly lower Cu amounts than its maximum solubility in austenite and ferrite does not make sense in first place. Correctly, Cu is expected to remain in solid solution. Identification of Cu-rich particles is explained on the basis of the development of double diffusion actions: interstitial diffusion of carbon (decarburization) and substitution diffusion of copper. Root cause analysis and reliable countermeasures will save financial and material resources during steel production.

Originality/value
– Automobile scrap re-melting results in noticeable Cu amounts in EAF produced steel. Presence of Cu-rich particles in grain boundaries near the surface of intermediate or final products deteriorates surface quality through relevant surface defects. Identification of Cu-rich particles is explained on the basis of the development of double diffusion actions: interstitial diffusion of carbon and substitution diffusion of copper. Pre condition for metallic Cu precipitation in ferrite is the Cu amount to be above 3 wt-%, which is ten times higher than the usual permitted Cu amount in such steel grades. This pre-condition is met through austenite oxidation during RH.
Advanced leaf spring design and analysis with respect to vehicle kinematics and durability
Authors: Karditsas Stylianos , Savaidis Georgios , Malikoutsakis Michail 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to provide sound understanding of the mutual interactions of the major leaf spring design parameters and their effects on both the stress behavior of the designed leaf and the steering behavior of the vehicle.Design/methodology/approach– Finite elements analyses have been performed referring to the design of a high performance monoleaf spring used for the suspension of the front axle of a serial heavy truck. Design parameters like eye type, eye lever, spring rate and arm rate difference have been parametrically examined regarding the stress performance and their influence on the wheel joint kinematics. The effect of each design parameter is exhibited both qualitatively and quantitatively.Findings– Eye lever and eye type affect significantly the wheel joint kinematics and therewith the steering behavior of the vehicle. Spring rate and arm rate difference affect solely the stress performance of the leaf spring.Practical implications– Design engineers may use the outcomes of this research as a guide to achieve optimal leaf spring design ensuring its operational strength in conjunction with accurate steering performance of the vehicle.Originality/value– The international literature contains only few, mostly qualitative data regarding the effect of single design parameters on the leaf spring and the corresponding axle kinematics. The present work contains a comprehensive and systematic study of all major leaf spring design parameters, and reveals their effect on both the stress behavior and the steering behavior of the vehicle qualitatively and quantitatively.
Adoption of Web 2.0 in library associations in the presence of social media
Authors: Hussain Akhtar 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to discuss the adoption of Web 2.0 in library associations in the presence of social media. This paper attempts to measure the penetration of Web 2.0 tools in various library associations all over the world.Design/methodology/approach– The study was conducted through an assessment of the library associations’ web sites. A total of 188 library associations’ web sites were analysed, out of which 115 library associations have implemented Web 2.0 applications; this is 61.17 percent of the total.Findings– On the basis of the analysis it was found that the majority of Web 2.0 tools have been used by American continents library associations. This stands at, 89.86 percent, whereas only a small number of Web 2.0 tools have been used by Asian continent library associations, that is, 25.64 percent. The most of Web 2.0 tools used by library associations, is, Facebook, Twitter, RSS feeds, LinkedIn, Flickr and Blogs.Research limitations/implications– The findings of this study can be utilized to assess the status of assorted Web 2.0 tools used in libraries associations. It may enable future research to investigate other aspects, such as the adoption of Web 2.0 tools in library associations of a particular country as well as continent.Originality/value– The paper begins with an introduction to Web 2.0 technology and attempts has been made to analyse the usage of this new technology in library associations worldwide.
Negation detection and word sense disambiguation in digital archaeology reports for the purposes of semantic annotation
Authors: Vlachidis Andreas , Tudhope Douglas 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present the role and contribution of natural language processing techniques, in particular negation detection and word sense disambiguation in the process of Semantic Annotation of Archaeological Grey Literature. Archaeological reports contain a great deal of information that conveys facts and findings in different ways. This kind of information is highly relevant to the research and analysis of archaeological evidence but at the same time can be a hindrance for the accurate indexing of documents with respect to positive assertions.

Design/methodology/approach
– The paper presents a method for adapting the biomedicine oriented negation algorithm NegEx to the context of archaeology and discusses the evaluation results of the new modified negation detection module. A particular form of polysemy, which is inflicted by the definition of ontology classes and concerning the semantics of small finds in archaeology, is addressed by a domain specific word-sense disambiguation module.

Findings
– The performance of the negation dection module is compared against a “Gold Standard” that consists of 300 manually annotated pages of archaeological excavation and evaluation reports. The evaluation results are encouraging, delivering overall 89 per cent precision, 80 per cent recall and 83 per cent F-measure scores. The paper addresses limitations and future improvements of the current work and highlights the need for ontological modelling to accommodate negative assertions.

Originality/value
– The discussed NLP modules contribute to the aims of the OPTIMA pipeline delivering an innovative application of such methods in the context of archaeological reports for the semantic annotation of archaeological grey literature with respect to the CIDOC-CRM ontology.
UHF RFID proof of concept (POC) with open-source ILS at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Libraries
Authors: Khor JingHuey , Ismail Widad , Md Rashid Mohd Nasir , Wan Ismail A. Akla , Omar Muhammad Qayum , Mohd Zanal Farah Hazwani 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) uses different detection technologies and integrated library systems (ILS) at its four libraries located at different sites. Hence, ubiquitous data management system is required in the four libraries to enable real-time data sharing and tracking among the libraries. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
– Proof of concept is used to verify the performance of integration between different detection technologies including barcode, high frequency (HF) and ultra high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) as well as Integrated Library Management Utility (ILMU) and Koha ILSs. Five pilot tests are performed to investigate the speed of the borrowing and returning transactions, the efficiency of security gate to detect non-borrowed items, and the reliability of the ubiquitous data management system.

Findings
– The HF RFID technology and the proprietary library system have been used in many libraries. The current study proves that the integration of the UHF RFID technology and the Koha open-source ILS, which is named as Total Open-Source Library Automation Solution, can be a novel solution and can serve as a guide for other libraries.

Originality/value
– In the current phase of library data management system, it is common to integrate various technologies in improving the efficiency of the library system. But, the combination of Koha with UHF RFID into a single ILS for intra-library automation system has not been proven. This shows the importance of the proposed proven proof of concept that proves such integration is suitable to be implemented at USM libraries and other libraries.
A strategic framework for good governance through e-governance optimization
Authors: Kalsi Nirmaljeet Singh , Kiran Ravi 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to attempt to find out whether the new information and communication technologies can make a significant contribution to the achievement of the objective of good governance. The study identifies the factors responsible for creating a conducive environment for effective and successful implementation of e-governance for achieving good governance and the possible barriers in the implementation of e governance applications. Based on the comprehensive analysis it proposes a strategic policy framework for good governance in Punjab in India. Punjab is a developed state ranked amongst some of the top states of India in terms of per capita income and infrastructure.Design/methodology/approach– The study designs a framework for good governance by getting the shared vision of all stakeholders about providing good quality administration and governance in the Indian context through “Participatory Stakeholder Assessment”. The study uses descriptive statistics, perception gap, ANOVA and factor analysis to identify the key factors for good governance, the priorities of public regarding e-services, the policy makers’ perspectives regarding good governance to be achieved through e-governance.Findings– The study captures the good governance factors mainly contributing to the shared vision. The study further highlights that most Indian citizens in Punjab today believe in the power of information and communication technology (ICT) and want to access e-governance services. Major factors causing pain and harassment to the citizens in getting the services from various government departments include: unreasonable delay, multiple visits even for small services; poor public infrastructure and its maintenance in government offices. In the understanding of citizens the most important factors for the success of e-governance services are: overall convenience and experience of the citizens; reduction in the corruption levels by improvement in the transparency of government functioning and awareness about the availability of service amongst general masses.Originality/value– The present study has evolved a shared vision of all stakeholders on good governance in the Indian context. It has opened up many new possibilities for the governments, not only to use ICTs and help them in prioritizing the governance areas for focused attention, but also help to understand the mindset of the modern citizenry, their priorities and what they consider as good governance. The study will help policy makers focus on these factors for enhancing speedy delivery of prioritized services and promote good governance in developing countries similar to India.
The quintessence of a therapeutic environment: the foundations for the Windsor conference 2014
Authors: Haigh Rex 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to introduce the “Quintessence” framework and its roots in TC phenomenology; to explain how each of the contributors to the conference is related to it; to pose questions about how the “TC movement” may use the underlying ideas in the future.

Design/methodology/approach
– Adaptation of theoretical ideas to a conference structure.

Findings
– As the necessary developmental experience for everybody, the quintessence principles are recreated in well-functioning therapeutic communities, and in the 2014 Windsor Conference.

Research limitations/implications
– As a theory that is becoming well used in the TC field, it needs more qualitative, quantitative, critical or philosophical underpinning.

Practical implications
– Widely accepted as useful in TCs.

Social implications
– Has wider applicability.

Originality/value
– Derived from condensation of numerous relevant psychological, sociological and systemic theories.
Containment: from cruelty to kindness
Authors: Campling Penelope 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– This paper is about therapeutic containment. It makes links between what the author understands about containment in therapeutic communities and wider perspectives on containment in the context of organisational and social forces within which the author lives and works in modern society. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
– The author explores relational dynamics, focusing particularly on the English NHS, using evidence from a cross-section of disciplines including ethology, anthropology and economic philosophy.

Findings
– The author suggests that the crisis in healthcare culture reflects a wider crisis of containment in the modern world; and that the theoretical legacy from, and lived experience in, therapeutic communities offers a rich perspective on the issues and points to ways forward.

Social implications
– The paper suggests ways that therapeutic community thinking can be applied more widely to topical problems such as the undermining of healthcare culture. The paper argues that an explicit focus on values is important in order to mitigate the forces that distract from co-operative and therapeutic relationships. To illustrate this, the author describes a simple model for nurturing the conditions for intelligent kindness.

Originality/value
– The paper draws important parallels between therapeutic community philosophy and practice, and the culture at large.