bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Continuing professional development for middle leaders in primary schools in Hong Kong
Authors: Ng Shun-wing , Kenneth Chan Tsan-ming 
Published: August 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to report on an exploratory study regarding the present situation of middle managers in schools; their professional development needs; and requirements of middle leaders for quality school management so that contents of existing professional development programmes could be improved to meet the needs of middle leaders of primary school education.

Design/methodology/approach
– Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, this paper reports on a study of the training needs of middle leaders in primary schools in which their present situation, their needs for professional development and requirements for quality school management and leadership are explored. The study adopted survey questionnaires as the main method of data collection. To supplement quantitative data with regard to the professional development needs, six middle managers were purposefully selected for semi-structured interviews.

Findings
– The findings suggest that there are insufficient training opportunities for middle leaders in primary schools and that there is a strong demand for including the notions of interpersonal skills, crisis management, resources management and understanding of education ordinances in the professional development curriculum for middle leaders. The study recommends that training programmes should exert focus on meeting the specific needs of middle leaders and the content and approach be multi-dimensional.

Originality/value
– In spite of the small scale of the survey study, the data collected from individual in-depth interviews can provide the investigators with supplementary information on their professional development needs which also serves the purpose of triangulation. The finding can also be a very constructive reference for course providers who wish to re-engineer and improve the quality of professional development programmes for middle leaders. This may help arouse their interests and enhance their learning motivation.
Profitability of industries and firms over time
Authors: Jay Bourgeois III L. , Ganz Adam , Gonce Andrew , Nedell Keith 
Published: August 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to further the knowledge of how industries perform, and sheds light on how the relative positions of industry change over time.

Design/methodology/approach
– Using rank-order listings, histograms, and linear regressions, the comparisons of firms in the Fortune 1000 yield four results, two that are confirmatory, and two that are new.

Findings
– As expected, industries differ widely in performance, regardless of the financial metric used, and there is a dramatic difference between within-industry variance (high) and between-industry variance (low). In fact, high-performing firms in less profitable industries often outperform low-performing firms in more profitable industries. Contrary to previous research, the paper shows that industries shift relative position over time: the industries with the highest return on equity in one year often are not the highest in subsequent years; and, contrary to IO theory, the paper finds that concentration is not a reliable predictor of profitability. Although certain industries may show increased profitability after undergoing concentration, there is no consistent relationship between an industry's concentration ratio and that industry's average profitability.

Research limitations/implications
– While the research is limited to its use of visual (such as histogram) and qualitative (such as rank-order) observations of only large (Fortune 1000) US-based, public firms, the results suggest that researchers should decompose the elements of industry structure and firm strategies to understand what, specifically, contributes to variation in firm performance.

Practical implications
– For executives, the research confirms that the quality of their business strategies is more important than the initial choice of industries within which they choose to compete. Simply competing in an industry with high average profitability does not guarantee success.

Originality/value
– This research shows how industries vary significantly in relative profit rankings over time, a finding that differs from prior research where time coefficients are found to be small. In addition, the research challenges the traditional IO notion that industry concentration leads to superior performance.
Healthcare strategic management and the resource based view
Authors: Arbab Kash Bita , Spaulding Aaron , D. Gamm Larry , E. Johnson Christopher 
Published: August 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine how two large health systems formulate and implement strategy with a specific focus on differences and similarities in the nature of strategic initiatives across systems. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the role of resource dependency theory (RDT) and resource based view (RBV) in healthcare strategic management.Design/methodology/approach– A comparative case study design is used to describe, categorize and compare strategic change initiatives within a children's health and a multi-hospital system located in two competitive metropolitan markets. A total of 61 in-person semi-structured interviews with healthcare administrators were conducted during 2009. Summary statistics and qualitative content analysis were employed to examine strategic initiatives.Findings– The two health systems have as their top initiatives very similar pursuits, thus indicating that both utilize an externally oriented RDT method of strategy formulation. The relevance of the RBV becomes apparent during resource deployment for strategy implementation. The process of healthcare strategic decision-making incorporates RDT and RBV as separate and compatible activities that are sequential.Research limitations/implications– Results from this comparative case study are based on only two health systems. Further, the RBV perspective only takes managerial resources and time into consideration.Practical implications– Given that external resources are likely to become more constrained, it is important that hospitals leverage relevant internal resources, in the identification of competitive advantages and effective execution of strategic initiatives.Originality/value– The author propose a refined healthcare strategic management framework that takes both RDT and RBV into consideration by systematically linking strategy formulation with deployment of resources.
Trait compensation between boldness and the propensity for tail autotomy under different food availabilities in similarly aged brown anole lizards
Authors: Kuo Chi‐Yun , Irschick Duncan J. , Lailvaux Simon P. 
Published: August 2014

Summary

Trait compensation denotes the situation in which individuals offset the costs of one trait with the benefits of another trait. The phenomenon of trait compensation is best exemplified by a negative correlation between the degree of predator avoidance and the strength of morphological defence.

In this study, we used the relationship between risk‐taking tendency (boldness) and the propensity for tail autotomy in the brown anole lizards Anolis sagrei to address two important questions regarding trait compensation. First, we investigated whether trait compensation existed among individuals of similar age. Second, we examined how the relationship between boldness and the propensity for tail autotomy responded to changes in food availability.

Overall, bolder individuals autotomized their tails more readily. Although mean values of boldness and the propensity for tail autotomy did not differ under high and low food availability, the compensatory effect between the two traits was only obvious when food was abundant.

The existence of trait compensation among similarly aged individuals will serve as the first step to understanding the evolution of compensatory effects among traits observed at higher level. In addition, food availability affected the dynamics of trait compensation by influencing the amount of variation of traits involved, rather than altering the mean values of traits per se.
Conditions favouring hard seededness as a dispersal and predator escape strategy
Authors: Paulsen Torbjørn R. , Högstedt Göran , Thompson Ken , Vandvik Vigdis , Eliassen Sigrunn 
Published: August 2014

Summary

The water‐impermeable seed coat of ‘hard’ seeds is commonly considered a dormancy trait. Seed smell is, however, strongly correlated with seed water content, and hard seeds are therefore olfactionally cryptic to foraging rodents. This is the rationale for the crypsis hypothesis, which proposes that the primary functions of hard seeds are to reduce seed predation and promote rodent seed dispersal.

We use a mechanistic model to describe seed survival success of plants with different dimorphic soft and hard seed strategies. The model is based on established empirical–ecological relationships of moisture requirements for germination and benefits of seed dispersal, and on experimentally demonstrated relationships between seed volatile emission, predation and predator escape.

We find that water‐impermeable seed coats can reduce seed predation under a wide range of natural humidity conditions. Plants with rodent dispersed seeds benefit from producing dimorphic soft and hard seeds at ratios where the anti‐predator advantages of hard seeds are balanced by the dispersal benefits gained by producing some soft seeds.

The seed pathway predicted from the model is similar to those of experimental seed‐tracking studies. This validates the relevance and realism of the ecological mechanisms and relationships incorporated in the model.

Synthesis. Rodent seed predators are often also important seed dispersers and have the potential to exert strong selective pressures on seeds to evolve methods of avoiding detection, and hard seeds seem to do just that. This work suggests that water‐impermeable hard seeds may evolve in the absence of a dormancy function and that optimal seed survival in many environments with rodent seed predators is obtained by plants having a dimorphic soft and hard seed strategy.
Acetoclastic methane formation fromEucalyptusdetritus in pristine hydrocarbon-rich river sediments byMethanosarcinales
Authors: Beckmann Sabrina , Manefield Mike 
Published: August 2014

AbstractPristine hydrocarbon-rich river sediments in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (Australia) release substantial amounts of methane. The present study aimed to unravel for the first time the active methanogens mediating methane formation and exploiting the bacterial diversity potentially involved in the trophic network. Quantitative PCR of 16S rRNA gene and functional genes as well as 454 pyrosequencing were used to address the unknown microbial diversity and abundance. Methane-releasing sediment cores derived from three different river sites of the Tootie River. Highest methane production rates of 10.8 ± 0.5 μg g−1wet weight day−1 were detected in 40 cm sediment depth being in congruence with the detection of the highest abundances of the archaeal 16S rRNA gene and the methyl-coenzyme M reductase (mcrA) genes. Stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic signatures of the produced methane indicated an acetoclastic origin. Long-term enrichment cultures amended with either acetate or H2/CO2 revealed acetoclastic methanogenesis as key methane-formation process mediated by members of the order Methanosarcinales. Conditions prevailing in the river sediments might be suitable for hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria observed in the river sediments that were previously unclassified or closely related to the Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi group, the Firmicutes and the Chloroflexi group fuelling acetoclastic methanogensis in pristine river sediments.
Comparative Analysis of Olive Oil Organogels Containing Beeswax and Sunflower Wax with Breakfast Margarine
Authors: Yılmaz Emin , Öğütcü Mustafa 
Published: August 2014

AbstractThe purpose of this research was to develop olive oil organogels with sunflower wax (SW) and beeswax (BW) at 3%, 7%, and 10% addition levels and to compare these organogels with breakfast margarine (BM). The organogels and BM sample were stored at 2 different temperatures (4 and 20 °C), and the peroxide values (PVs) and textural properties were monitored for 3 mo. The PVs of all organogels were within legal limits and the gels were structurally stable throughout the storage period. The textural properties of 3% SW and 7% BW organogels were closely similar to BM. The solid fat contents of the organogels were lower than that of the BM. Moreover, the thermal properties of 3% BW gel were more similar to that of the BM. The results of X‐ray diffraction peaks, approximately 3.70 and 4.10 Å, were similar to β′ polymorphic form. In conclusion, both of the organogel types may have value in replacing BMs.
Sweetener Blend Optimization by Using Mixture Design Methodology and the Electronic Tongue
Authors: Waldrop Megan E. , Ross Carolyn F. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractUtilizing more than one sweetener has been shown to be an effective way to substitute sucrose in food products. The objective of this study was to apply the augmented simplex‐centroid mixture design for the optimization of acceptable sweetener blends using coconut sugar, agave, and stevia. Sweetener blends were evaluated in aqueous solutions and gluten‐free granola bars by a trained panel and consumers (n= 60). Significant differences were found between sweetener mixtures in solutions by both panelists and consumers (P< 0.05). Taste profiles for the sweetener solutions were also generated using the electronic tongue. Most consumer and trained intensity ratings were highly correlated (R2≥ 0.79) with the electronic tongue taste profile analysis. Granola bars were also found to be significantly different (P< 0.05), with consumers preferring coconut sugar mixtures. Using contour plots and desirability function analysis, an optimal sweetener combination was found for a granola bar formulation of 89.9% coconut sugar, 6.1% agave, and 4% stevia. These results indicate that a mixture design can be a reliable way to develop new sweetener blends for product development.
A refined technique for extraction of extracellular matrices from bacterial biofilms and its applicability
Authors: Chiba Akio , Sugimoto Shinya , Sato Fumiya , Hori Seiji , Mizunoe Yoshimitsu 
Published: August 2014

SummaryBiofilm‐forming bacteria embedded in polymeric extracellular matrices (ECMs) that consist of polysaccharides, proteins and/or extracellular DNAs (eDNAs) acquire high resistance to antimicrobial agents and host immune systems. To understand molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation and maintenance and to develop therapeutic countermeasures against chronic biofilm‐associated infections, reliable methods to isolate ECMs are inevitable. In this study, we refined the ECM extraction method recently reported and evaluated its applicability. Using three Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in which proteins, polysaccharides or eDNAs are major contributors to their integrity, ECMs were extracted using salts and detergents. We found that extraction with 1.5 M sodium chloride (NaCl) could be optimum for not only ECM proteins but also polysaccharides and eDNAs. In addition, long‐time incubation was not necessary for efficient ECM isolation. Lithium chloride (LiCl) was comparative to NaCl but is more expensive. In contrast to SDS, NaCl hardly caused leakage of intracellular proteins and did not affect viability of bacterial cells within biofilms. Furthermore, this method is applicable to other bacteria such as Gram‐positive Staphylococcus epidermidis and Gram‐negative Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Thus, this refined method is very simple, rapid, low cost and non‐invasive and could be used for a broad range of applications.
Phase I‐II trial of oral cyclophosphamide, prednisone and lenalidomide for the treatment of patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma
Authors: Reece Donna E. , Masih‐Khan Esther , Atenafu Eshetu G. , Jimenez‐Zepeda Victor H. , Anglin Peter , Chen Christine , Kukreti Vishal , Mikhael Joseph R. , Trudel Suzanne 
Published: August 2014

SummaryThis single institution, open label Phase I‐II dose escalation trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of the combination of lenalidomide (Revlimid®), cyclophosphamide and prednisone (CPR) in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The maximal administered dose of CPR consisted of cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m2 on day 1, 8, and 15, lenalidomide 25 mg on d 1–21 and prednisone 100 mg every other day in a 28‐d cycle. Between November 2007 and June 2009, 32 patients were entered in cohorts of three at three dose levels. The median age was 64 years, 59% were male, with a median two prior regimens. Responding patients could stay on treatment until progression. The full‐dose CPR regimen produced no dose‐limiting toxicity and was delivered for a median of 16 months (3·5–65 months) with acceptable safety and tolerance. The overall response rate (≥ partial response) was 94% at a median follow up of 28 months. The median progression‐free survival was 16·1 months [95% confidence interval (CI); 10·9–22·5 months], while the median overall survival was 27·6 months (95% CI; 16·8–36·6 months). Only the beta‐2 microglobulin level at protocol entry correlated with a better survival (P = 0·047). These observations compare favourably with other 2‐ and 3‐ drug combinations for relapsed/refractory myeloma, and suggest that CPR should be evaluated further in the setting of relapsed/refractory disease, or in newly diagnosed patients.
Mechanism of induction of immune tolerance in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by combination treatment with fingolimod plus pathogenic autoantigen
Authors: Yoshida Yuya , Mikami Norihisa , Tsuji Takumi , Takada Yuki , Nakazawa Yuka , Dan Rie , Takatsuji Miku , Fujita Tetsuro , Tsujikawa Kazutake , Kohno Takeyuki 
Published: August 2014

AbstractObjectiveWe previously reported that relapse of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) occurred approximately 1 week after discontinuation of fingolimod (FTY720), but combination treatment with FTY720 plus pathogenic autoantigen significantly suppressed occurrence of relapse. Here, we investigated the mechanism of this suppression.MethodsEAE mice were treated from onset with FTY720 alone or in combination with an autoantigenic peptide of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 35(MEVGWYRSPFSRVVHLYRNGK)55 (MOG35‐55). Antigen‐specific T cell activity and T cell subpopulations were analyzed by using flow cytometric analysis. Spinal cords were excised and examined immunohistochemically.ResultsAfter treatment with FTY720 alone, CD4+ T cells from inguinal lymph nodes (LN) maintained activity towards pathogenic autoantigen. The percentage of CD4+CD44highCD62Llow (effector memory) T cells in inguinal LN was significantly increased. At day 8 after discontinuation, infiltration of CD3+ and CD4+ cells in spinal cords was significantly increased, and the absolute number of CD4+ T cells in inguinal LN was decreased. However, in the case of combination treatment, the absolute number of CD4+ T cells in inguinal LN remained unchanged, and infiltration of CD3+ and CD4+ cells was significantly suppressed.ConclusionsAs the number of CD4+ T cells in inguinal LN was unchanged in the FTY720 plus MOG35‐55 group, the combination treatment might inhibit relapse by decreasing the ability of pathogenic T cells to migrate from peripheral tissues to the central nervous system. The combination treatment might become a breakthrough remission‐induction treatment for MS.
Efficient encoding of texture coordinates guided by mesh geometry
Authors: Váša Libor , Brunnett Guido 
Published: August 2014

AbstractIn this paper, we investigate the possibilities of efficient encoding of UV coordinates associated with vertices of a triangle mesh. Since most parametrization schemes attempt to achieve at least some level of conformality, we exploit the similarity of the shapes of triangles in the mesh and in the parametrization. We propose two approaches building on this idea: first, applying a recently proposed generalization of the parallelogram predictor, using the inner angles of mesh triangles corresponding to the UV‐space triangles. Second, we propose an encoding method based on discrete Laplace operator, which also allows exploiting the information contained in the mesh geometry to efficiently encode the parametrization. Our experiments show that the proposed approach leads to savings of up to 3 bits per UV vertex, without loss of precision.
Robust Region Detection via Consensus Segmentation of Deformable Shapes
Authors: Rodolà E. , Bulò S. Rota , Cremers D. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractWe consider the problem of stable region detection and segmentation of deformable shapes. We pursue this goal by determining a consensus segmentation from a heterogeneous ensemble of putative segmentations, which are generated by a clustering process on an intrinsic embedding of the shape. The intuition is that the consensus segmentation, which relies on aggregate statistics gathered from the segmentations in the ensemble, can reveal components in the shape that are more stable to deformations than the single baseline segmentations. Compared to the existing approaches, our solution exhibits higher robustness and repeatability throughout a wide spectrum of non‐rigid transformations. It is computationally efficient, naturally extendible to point clouds, and remains semantically stable even across different object classes. A quantitative evaluation on standard datasets confirms the potentiality of our method as a valid tool for deformable shape analysis.
Clever Support: Efficient Support Structure Generation for Digital Fabrication
Authors: Vanek J. , Galicia J. A. G. , Benes B. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractWe introduce an optimization framework for the reduction of support structures required by 3D printers based on Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology. The printers need to connect overhangs with the lower parts of the object or the ground in order to print them. Since the support material needs to be printed first and discarded later, optimizing its volume can lead to material and printing time savings. We present a novel, geometry‐based approach that minimizes the support material while providing sufficient support. Using our approach, the input 3D model is first oriented into a position with minimal area that requires support. Then the points in this area that require support are detected. For these points the supporting structure is progressively built while attempting to minimize the overall length of the support structure. The resulting structure has a tree‐like shape that effectively supports the overhangs. We have tested our algorithm on the MakerBot® Replicator™ 2 printer and we compared our solution to the embedded software solution in this printer and to Autodesk® Meshmixer™ software. Our solution reduced printing time by an average of 29.4% (ranging from 13.9% to 49.5%) and the amount of material by 40.5% (ranging from 24.5% to 68.1%).
Blue‐Noise Remeshing with Farthest Point Optimization
Authors: Yan Dong‐Ming , Guo Jianwei , Jia Xiaohong , Zhang Xiaopeng , Wonka Peter 
Published: August 2014

AbstractIn this paper, we present a novel method for surface sampling and remeshing with good blue‐noise properties. Our approach is based on the farthest point optimization (FPO), a relaxation technique that generates high quality blue‐noise point sets in 2D. We propose two important generalizations of the original FPO framework: adaptive sampling and sampling on surfaces. A simple and efficient algorithm for accelerating the FPO framework is also proposed. Experimental results show that the generalized FPO generates point sets with excellent blue‐noise properties for adaptive and surface sampling. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our remeshing quality is superior to the current state‐of‐theߚart approaches.