bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ICT as an enabler for sustainable development: reflections on opportunities and barriers
Authors: Bull Richard 
Published: February 2015

Purpose
– Information and communications technology (ICT) offers a peculiar twenty-first century conundrum, as it offers both a cause and solution to rising carbon emissions. The growth in the digital economy is fueling increased energy consumption while affording new opportunities for reducing the environmental impacts of our daily lives. This paper responds and builds on Patrignani and Whitehouse’s overview of Slow Tech by providing examples of how ICT can be used to reduce energy. Encouraging examples are provided from the field of energy and buildings and implications for wider society are raised.

Design/methodology/approach
– This paper builds on the previous overview “The Clean Side of Slow Tech”, based on a comprehensive knowledge of literature of the latest developments in the field of digital economy, energy and sustainability.

Findings
– This paper provides clear and encouraging signs of how ICT can be used to contribute to sustainability through controlling systems more efficiently, facilitating behavioural changes and reducing energy consumption. Future challenges and recommendations for future research are presented.

Originality/value
– This conceptual paper presents the latest research into the use of ICT in energy reduction and offers cautious, but encouraging signs that while the environmental impact of ICT must not be overlooked, there are benefits to be had from the digital economy.
Utilizing discovery tools for classrooms: how do librarian attitudes on discovery impact tools they teach?
Authors: Allen Natasha Danae 
Published: February 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to examine the utilization of discovery tools in classrooms with the aim of trying to assess the attitude toward them.

Design/methodology/approach
– The methodology adopted in this article is a literature review.

Findings
– Despite the author's best efforts to look at the data from all angles, the author found no statistical significance in any of the data pulled from the survey. The author also tested to see if personal preference had any bearing on reference preference and found that there was no statistical significance between personal preference and reference preference. The author removed all responses that said “it depends” and the results showed that there still was no statistical significance between personal preference and reference preference.

Originality/value
– Libraries can rebrand their services by utilizing and advocating for discovery tools, but it will only happen if they are willing to make changes on their attitudes toward discovery tools.
The Quality Maturity Model: your roadmap to a culture of quality
Authors: Wilson Frankie 
Published: February 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present the complete details of the Quality Maturity Model (QMM), and the associated Quality Culture Assessment Instrument (QCAI). The QMM provides a framework for libraries to self-assess their progress towards achieving a culture of quality.

Design/methodology/approach
– The research used a Design Science approach and predominantly grounded theory methodology to develop the QMM as a roadmap that defines an ordinal scale for measuring the maturity of an academic library’s quality culture.

Findings
– The QMM describes seven facets of quality culture, and five levels for each facet.

Practical implications
– The QCAI enables libraries to locate themselves within the quality maturity landscape. They will then be able to use the QMM as a roadmap to plan their route to improvement. Such a strategic approach to improvement allows libraries to make sense of the literature in terms of what is appropriate for them, so avoiding expensive irrelevancies.

Originality/value
– The QMM is unique. There are other models that assess quality culture, but the details of these models are kept secret and the only way to be assessed is by paying a consultancy fee. There are other models that make their details public, but they describe only one or two aspects of quality culture, not all.
Affective relationships between users and libraries in times of economic stress
Authors: Giannopoulou Angeliki , Tsakonas Giannis 
Published: February 2015

Purpose
– Academic libraries are considered as key factors in the educational system of a country and strong pylons for the economic and societal development. During the current economic recession, libraries have been struck by severe budget cuts that have forced them to shrink services to the end users. The purpose of this paper is to measure the opinion of academic libraries users on four main criteria categories, namely, cost, space and atmosphere, personnel behavior and facilitation of collaborative work and to reflect the level of affective relationship of users with their libraries.

Design/methodology/approach
– The survey followed a quota sampling technique and was addressed to users of all levels (students, post-graduate, faculty members, etc.) from all academic libraries across Greece, resulting in 950 questionnaires that were then processed with inferential statistical methods. The study applies the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) behavioral framework to measure the opinion of the users on the criteria categories.

Findings
– The study provides representative findings from all Greek academic libraries and shows that libraries are considered as spaces that facilitate pleasant reading and studying, as well as efficient collaborative work. Library users are in overall satisfied by the personnel behavior and productivity, but they also believe that there are margins for further improvement of its knowledge, while they think that the cost of services should be revised and echo the current situation.

Practical implications
– The study is primarily a quantitative one and as such it provides the broad view of the current situation in the country. It focusses on important drivers of the expression of affective relationships and its findings can be useful to library administrators as it highlights the effects of economic crisis on key areas of library operation.

Originality/value
– It is the first nation-wide user survey that reports findings and recommendations from a national-wide user-based survey that was conducted in 2012. Previous nation-wide surveys were mainly addressed to library personnel or limited to specific institutions. The study is also the only one to the authors’ knowledge that applies the S.O.R. framework in the academic library setting.
Measures of relationship capital for the value scorecard
Authors: Town J. Stephen 
Published: February 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the development of ideas relating to the value of library relationships. The paper is conceptual and provides a framework for the measurement of relationship capital (RC) for academic and research libraries.

Design/methodology/approach
– The research approach has been to employ a mixed method research strategy combining desk research on the concepts of the definition of RC and its foundation theories with an exploration of relational capital assessment methods from other industries. A historical review is presented with cases of the traditional main method of delivering effective relationships in libraries (embedded librarians, academic liaison and subject librarians).

Findings
– The synthesis suggests a measurement approach to populate the RC dimension of the value scorecard, thereby providing an estimation of the full value of the library’s relational capital.

Originality/value
– The paper fills a gap in the consideration of the importance of relationships to academic and research libraries, and provides a unique and original framework for assessment and measurement.
New evidence on alliance experience and acquisition performance
Authors: Fang Yiwei , Jin Dawei , Sun Xian , Wang Haizhi 
Published: February 2015

Purpose– This study aims to build on the organizational learning theory and propose a complex strategy by combining strategic alliance with subsequent acquisitions to penetrate new product markets. The authors empirically examined whether and to what extent preacquisition alliance experience affects the short- and long-term stock performance of acquiring firms.Design/methodology/approach– Data on acquisitions, in which the acquirers have experience from preacquisition alliance activities in their targets’ respective industry, were collected. Diversifying acquisitions were focused upon to ensure that preacquisition alliance experience is the major source of organizational learning. A standard event study to examine acquirers’ abnormal returns was used and a Fama-French calendar-time portfolio approach to gauge long-run abnormal stock performance was adopted. In addition, regression analysis was conducted to investigate the alliance–acquisition relationship, controlling a set of variables capturing firm and acquisition characteristics.Findings– It has been documented that in the short run, alliance experience may not always benefit acquirers’ stock performance surrounding the acquisition announcements. In particular, for acquiring firms experiencing negative cumulative abnormal returns, investors value alliance experience negatively. However, for up to 36 months after acquisitions, acquirers with alliance experience outperform their counterparts in almost every acquisition category regardless of the short-term announcement returns.Originality/value– The current study has used a large-scale representative sample to investigate the dynamic interaction between alliances and acquisitions as two organizational forms for firms to grow. Findings indicate that firms can deliberately learn from their alliance activities and, later on, enter new markets through acquisitions. More importantly, it was found that, at least for some acquirers, preacquisition alliance activities are associated with worse short-term stock price performance because of possible information spillover and lifted entry barriers. It was confirmed that short-term pain nets long-term gains for acquirers heading into new markets.
Flight to quality?
Authors: Fuerst Franz , McAllister Patrick , Sivitanides Petros 
Published: February 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of the crisis on the pricing of asset quality attributes. This paper uses sales transaction data to examine whether flight from risk phenomena took place in the US office market during the financial crisis of 2007-2009.

Design/methodology/approach
– Hedonic regression procedures are used to test the hypothesis that the spread between the pricing of low-quality and high-quality characteristics increased during the crisis period compared to the pre-crisis period.

Findings
– The results of the hedonic regression models suggest that the price spread between Class A and other properties grew significantly during the downturn.

Research limitations/implications
– Our results are consistent with the hypothesis of an increased price spread following a market downturn between Class A and non-Class A offices. The evidence suggests that the relationships between the returns on Class A and non-Class A assets changed during the period of market stress or crisis.

Practical implications
– These findings have implications for real estate portfolio construction. If regime switches can be predicted and/or responded to rapidly, portfolios may be rebalanced. In crisis periods, portfolios might be reweighted towards Class A properties and in positive market periods, the reweighting would be towards non-Class A assets.

Social implications
– The global financial crisis has demonstrated that real estate markets play a crucial role in modern economies and that negative developments in these markets have the potential to spillover and create contagion for the larger economy, thereby affecting jobs, incomes and ultimately people’s livelihoods.

Originality/value
– This is one of the first studies that address the flight to quality phenomenon in commercial real estate markets during periods of financial crisis and market turmoil.
Review of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the diabetic patient
Authors: Punjabi Paawan , Hira Angela , Prasad Shanti , Wang Xiangbing , Chokhavatia Sita 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThis article reviews the known pathophysiological mechanisms of comorbid gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the diabetic patient, discusses therapeutic options in care, and provides an approach to its evaluation and management. We searched for review articles published in the past 10 years through a PubMed search using the filters diabetes mellitus, GERD, pathophysiology, and management. The search only yielded a handful of articles, so we independently included relevant studies from these review articles along with related citations as suggested by PubMed. We found diabetic patients are more prone to developing GERD and may present with atypical manifestations. A number of mechanisms have been proposed to elucidate the connection between these two diseases. Studies involving treatment options for comorbid disease suggest conflicting drug–drug interactions. Currently, there are no published guidelines specifically for the evaluation and management of GERD in the diabetic patient. Although there are several proposed mechanisms for the higher prevalence of GERD in the diabetic patient, this complex interrelationship requires further research. Understanding the pathophysiology will help direct diagnostic evaluation. In our review, we propose a management algorithm for GERD in the diabetic patient.
Some isolates of the nematophagous fungusPochonia chlamydosporiapromote root growth and reduce flowering time of tomato
Authors: Zavala‐Gonzalez E.A. , Escudero N. , Lopez‐Moya F. , Aranda‐Martinez A. , Exposito A. , Ricaño‐Rodríguez J. , Naranjo‐Ortiz M.A. , Ramírez‐Lepe M. , Lopez‐Llorca L.V. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe fungal parasite of nematode eggsPochonia chlamydosporiais also a root endophyte known to promote growth of some plants. In this study, we analysed the effect of nineP.chlamydosporiaisolates from worldwide origin on tomato growth. Experiments were performed at different scales (Petri dish, growth chamber and greenhouse conditions) and developmental stages (seedlings, plantlets and plants). SevenP.chlamydosporiaisolates significantly (P< 0.05) increased the number of secondary roots and six of those increased total weight of tomato seedlings. SixP.chlamydosporiaisolates also increased root weight of tomato plantlets. Root colonisation varied between different isolates of this fungus. AgainP.chlamydosporiasignificantly increased root growth of tomato plants under greenhouse conditions and reduced flowering and fruiting times (up to 5 and 12 days, respectively) versus uninoculated tomato plants.P. chlamydosporiaincreased mature fruit weight in tomato plants. The basis of the mechanisms for growth, flowering and yield promotion in tomato by the fungus are unknown. However, we found thatP. chlamydosporiacan produce Indole‐3‐acetic acid and solubilise mineral phosphate. These results suggest that plant hormones or nutrient ability could play an important role. Our results put forward the agronomic importance ofP. chlamydosporiaas biocontrol agent of plant parasitic nematodes with tomato growth promoting capabilities.
Sensory and inflammatory colonic changes induced by vincristine in distinct rat models of colitis
Authors: Viana‐Cardoso K. V. , Silva M. T. B. , Peixoto‐Junior A. A. , Marinho L. S. , Matias N. S. , Soares P. M. G. , Santos A. A. , Brito G. A. C. , Rola F. H. , Gondim F. de A. A. 
Published: February 2015

SummaryPreclinical and clinical studies show that gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation can evoke sensory changes occasionally far from the original inflammatory site. Animal models of colitis with either trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid (TNBS) or mustard oil (MO) produce distinct patterns of somatic and visceral sensory changes. We evaluated the effects of four doses of i.v. vincristine 150 μg kg−1 (total of 600 μg kg−1) treatment on the somatic (thermal nociceptive threshold) and colonic (morphological) changes induced by TNBS or MO in rats. TNBS and MO groups were further submitted to vincristine or saline pretreatments. TNBS induced somatic hypersensitivity, while MO induced somatic hyposensitivity (P < 0.05) when compared to the saline and ethanol control groups. Vincristine per se induced somatic hypersensitivity (P < 0.05). This effect was enhanced by TNBS and reversed by MO treatments. Although vincristine increased the colitis area (colonic weight length−1 ratio) and the Morris' score in TNBS‐treated rats, it did not alter the colitis area and even lowered the Morris' score in MO‐treated rats. Compared to the saline (control) group, vincristine did not alter the colonic microscopic pattern. However, such lesions scores are higher (P < 0.05) in colitis groups induced by TNBS and MO, pretreated or not with vincristine. In conclusion, the somatic changes induced by different models of experimental colitis are diverse and modulated differently by vincristine.
Small Area Estimation via Multivariate Fay–Herriot Models with Latent Spatial Dependence
Authors: Porter Aaron T. , Wikle Christopher K. , Holan Scott H. 
Published: February 2015

SummaryThe Fay–Herriot model is a standard model for direct survey estimators in which the true quantity of interest, the superpopulation mean, is latent and its estimation is improved through the use of auxiliary covariates. In the context of small area estimation, these estimates can be further improved by borrowing strength across spatial regions or by considering multiple outcomes simultaneously. We provide here two formulations to perform small area estimation with Fay–Herriot models that include both multivariate outcomes and latent spatial dependence. We consider two model formulations. In one of these formulations the outcome‐by‐space dependence structure is separable. The other accounts for the cross dependence through the use of a generalized multivariate conditional autoregressive (GMCAR) structure. The GMCAR model is shown, in a state‐level example, to produce smaller mean square prediction errors, relative to equivalent census variables, than the separable model and the state‐of‐the‐art multivariate model with unstructured dependence between outcomes and no spatial dependence. In addition, both the GMCAR and the separable models give smaller mean squared prediction error than the state‐of‐the‐art model when conducting small area estimation on county level data from the American Community Survey.
Genes determining the severity of cerebral palsy: the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms on the amount and structure of apolipoprotein E
Authors: Lien Espen , Andersen Guro , Bao Yongde , Gordish‐Dressman Heather , Skranes Jon S. , Blackman James A. , Vik Torstein 
Published: February 2015

AbstractAimApolipoprotein E (apoE) influences repair and other processes in the brain, and the apoE4 variant is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and for prolonged recovery following traumatic brain injury. We previously reported that specific single nucleotide polymorphisms in the APOE or TOMM40 genes affecting the structure and production of apoE were associated with epilepsy, more impaired hand function and gastrostomy tube feeding in children with cerebral palsy (CP). This study explored how various combinations of the same polymorphisms may affect these clinical manifestations.MethodsSuccessful DNA analyses of APOE and TOMM40 were carried out on 227 children. The CP Register of Norway provided details of gross and fine motor function, epilepsy and gastrostomy tube feeding. Possible associations between these clinical manifestations and various combinations of the APOEε2, ε3 or ε4 alleles and of the rs59007384 polymorphism in the TOMM40 gene were explored.ResultsEpilepsy, impaired fine motor function and gastrostomy tube feeding were less common in children carrying the combination of rs59007384 GG and APOEε2 or ε3 than in children with other combinations.ConclusionOur findings suggest that specific combinations of genes influence the structure and production of apoE differently and affect the clinical manifestations of CP.
Effects of pro‐inflammatory cytokines on cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors in immune cells
Authors: Jean‐Gilles L. , Braitch M. , Latif M. L. , Aram J. , Fahey A. J. , Edwards L. J. , Robins R. A. , Tanasescu R. , Tighe P. J. , Gran B. , Showe L. C. , Alexander S. P. , Chapman V. , Kendall D. A. , Constantinescu C. S. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractAimsTo investigate the regulation of cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 on immune cells by pro‐inflammatory cytokines and its potential relevance to the inflammatory neurological disease, multiple sclerosis (MS).CB1 and CB2 signalling may be anti‐inflammatory and neuroprotective in neuroinflammatory diseases. Cannabinoids can suppress inflammatory cytokines but the effects of these cytokines on CB1 and CB2 expression and function are unknown.MethodsImmune cells from peripheral blood were obtained from healthy volunteers and patients with MS. Expression of CB1 and CB2 mRNA in whole blood cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and T cells was determined by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Expression of CB1 and CB2 protein was determined by flow cytometry. CB1 and CB2 signalling in PBMC was determined by Western blotting for Erk1/2.ResultsPro‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐1β, IL‐6 and TNF‐α (the latter likely NF‐κB dependently) can upregulate CB1 and CB2 on human whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We also demonstrate upregulation of CB1 and CB2 and increased IL‐1β, IL‐6 and TNF‐α mRNA in blood of patients with MS compared with controls.ConclusionThe levels of CB1 and CB2 can be upregulated by inflammatory cytokines, which can explain their increase in inflammatory conditions including MS.