bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Predicting Language Outcomes for Children Learning Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Child and Environmental Factors
Authors: Brady Nancy C. , Thiemann-Bourque Kathy , Fleming Kandace , Matthews Kris 
Published: June 2013

PurposeTo investigate a model of language development for nonverbal preschool-age children learning to communicate with augmentative or alternative communication.MethodNinety-three preschool children with intellectual disabilities were assessed at Time 1, and 82 of these children were assessed 1 year later, at Time 2. The outcome variable was the number of different words the children produced (with speech, sign, or speech-generating devices). Children's intrinsic predictor for language was modeled as a latent variable consisting of cognitive development, comprehension, play, and nonverbal communication complexity. Adult input at school and home, and amount of augmentative or alternative communication instruction, were proposed mediators of vocabulary acquisition.ResultsA confirmatory factor analysis revealed that measures converged as a coherent construct, and a structural equation model indicated that the intrinsic child predictor construct predicted different words children produced. The amount of input received at home, but not at school, was a significant mediator.ConclusionsThe hypothesized model accurately reflects a latent construct of Intrinsic Symbolic Factor (ISF). Children who evidenced higher initial levels of ISF and more adult input at home produced more words 1 year later. The findings support the need to assess multiple child variables and suggest interventions directed to the indicators of ISF and input.
GPViz: dynamic visualization of genomic regions and variants affecting protein domains
Authors: Snajder Rene , Trajanoski Zlatko , Hackl Hubert 
Published: June 2013

Abstract
Summary: GPViz is a versatile Java-based software for dynamic gene-centered visualization of genomic regions and/or variants. User-defined data can be loaded in common formats as resulting from analysis workflows used in sequencing applications and studied in the context of the gene, the corresponding transcript isoforms, proteins and their domains or other protein features. Both the genomic regions and variants can be also defined interactively. Various gene filter options are provided to enable an intersection of variants, genomic regions and affected protein features. Finally, by using GPViz, we identified differentially expressed exons, which could indicate alternative splicing events, and found somatic variants in different cancer types affecting metabolic proteins. GPViz is freely available at http://icbi.at/gpviz (released under GNU general public license), is based on Java 7 and can be used as a stand-alone or Web Start application.
Availability: http://icbi.at/gpviz
Contact: hubert.hackl@i-med.ac.at
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Pepper Arginine Decarboxylase Is Required for Polyamine and γ-Aminobutyric Acid Signaling in Cell Death and Defense Response
Authors: Kim Nak Hyun , Kim Beom Seok , Hwang Byung Kook 
Published: June 2013

Abstract
The Xanthomonas campestris pv vesicatoria (Xcv) effector AvrBsT induces a hypersensitive cell death in pepper (Capsicum annuum). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying AvrBsT-triggered cell death are not fully understood. Here, we identified pepper arginine decarboxylase (CaADC1) as an AvrBsT-interacting protein, which is early and strongly induced in incompatible pepper-Xcv interactions. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation and coimmunoprecipitation assays showed that the CaADC1-AvrBsT complex was localized to the cytoplasm. Transient coexpression of CaADC1 with avrBsT in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves specifically enhanced AvrBsT-triggered cell death, accompanied by an accumulation of polyamines, nitric oxide (NO), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) bursts. Among the polyamines, spermine application strongly induced NO and H2O2 bursts, ultimately leading to cell death. CaADC1 silencing in pepper leaves significantly compromised NO and H2O2 accumulation and cell death induction, leading to the enhanced avirulent Xcv growth during infection. The levels of salicylic acid, polyamines, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and the expression of defense response genes during avirulent Xcv infection, were distinctly lower in CaADC1-silenced plants than those in the empty vector control plants. GABA application significantly inhibited avirulent Xcv growth in CaADC1-silenced leaves and the empty vector control plants. Together, these results suggest that CaADC1 may act as a key defense and cell death regulator via mediation of polyamine and GABA metabolism.
Interdisciplinary business education: curriculum through collaboration
Authors: Bajada Christopher , Trayler Rowan 
Published: June 2013

PurposeA modern business graduate is expected to have strong disciplinary skills as well as the soft skills of communication and team work. However today's business graduate needs to be more than the traditional “I‐shaped” graduate of the past and more of the “T‐shaped” graduate employers are looking for. Many undergraduate business degrees profess to offer integration of the curriculum but on investigation this occurs mainly through a capstone subject at the end of the degree. Today's business graduates need a more integrated approach to their learning. This paper aims to outline the transformation of a traditional business curriculum to one that is inter‐disciplinary, outlining the necessary steps and conditions including the most challenging – faculty buy in.Design/methodology/approachThe review of the Bachelor of Business degree at University of Technology Sydney (UTS) provided an opportunity to explore the option to embrace an integrated curriculum. The authors outline how the review was shaped, the need for change and the approaches to interdisciplinary business education, and an approach to designing an interdisciplinary curriculum. They also provide two case studies.FindingsApproaches to developing an integrative curriculum can take many forms, but the most effective is one that is embedded throughout an entire degree program. This must start with a cornerstone subject to set the road map for the student's study. This subject needs to demonstrate how each discipline interrelates and how at the end of the degree through a capstone subject, this knowledge is again brought together to deal with more complex issues using the more sophisticated tools studied throughout the degree. There also needs to be a strategy that integrates the various first‐year disciplinary subjects traditionally included in an undergraduate business degree.Originality/valueThis paper aims to outline the transformation of a traditional business curriculum to one that is inter‐disciplinary and integrated. The outcome of such an approach produces graduates with the inter‐disciplinary skills that employers are looking for.
The reincarnation of the effective schools research: rethinking the literature on district effectiveness
Authors: Trujillo Tina 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the district effectiveness literature. It begins by summarizing the school effectiveness research, the correlates of effective schools, and the conceptual and methodological characteristics of this field. It then describes the findings from a review of 50 studies of district effectiveness, the most frequently identified correlates of effective districts, and the conceptual and methodological features of this research. From there, it compares and contrasts the two fields, paying attention to the ways in which they frame notions of success, purposes of education, the contextualized nature of school performance, and theoretical explanations for student success.Design/methodology/approachData sources for this literature review included 50 primary documents on district effectiveness. The studies were bound to those that presented the original results from investigations of the relationship between district‐level policies, routines, behaviors, or other characteristics and classroom‐level outcomes.FindingsSeveral themes run through the literature on district effectiveness. These include findings that standards‐aligned curricula, coherent organizational structures, strong instructional leadership, frequent monitoring and evaluation, and focused professional learning lead to higher test scores. Most of these investigations are framed from technical perspectives that explore the relationship between organizational regulations and improved test performance. Less common are inquiries about the socio‐political and normative forces that shape districts’ improvement experiences. One consequence of this technical focus is that the field of district effectiveness has come to share several of the conceptual and methodological properties that characterized the former school‐level research.Research limitations/implicationsThe article concludes by discussing the implications for the growing volume of district‐level research on educational leadership, district improvement, and educational equity.Originality/valueThis article details the ways in which a sharp focus on questions of what works in the district effectiveness literature has deepened researchers’ and practitioners’ knowledge of the specific mechanisms that may produce more desirable results in test performance, yet these questions alone, decoupled from corresponding inquiries about the complex, highly contextualized character of higher or lower scoring districts, leave researchers and practitioners vulnerable to the same scholarly and practical pitfalls of their predecessors.
A framework for stakeholder management and corporate culture
Authors: von Meding Jason , McAllister Keith , Oyedele Lukumon , Kelly Kevin 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the link between two knowledge areas that have not been previously linked conceptually: stakeholder management and corporate culture. Focussing on the UK construction industry, the research study demonstrates mutual dependency of each of these areas on the other and establishes a theoretical framework with real potential to impact positively upon industry.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilises both qualitative and quantitative data collection and then analysis to produce results contributing to the final framework. Semi‐structured interviews were used and analysed through a cognitive mapping procedure. The result of this stage, set in the context of previous research, facilitated a questionnaire to be developed which helped gather quantitative values from a larger sample to enhance the final framework.FindingsThe data suggests that stakeholder management and corporate culture are key areas of an organisation's success, and that this importance will only grow in future. A clearly identifiable relationship was established between the two theoretical areas and a framework developed and quantified.Originality/valueIt is evident that change is needed within the UK construction industry. Companies must employ ethical and social stakeholder management and manage their corporate culture like any other aspect of their business. Successfully doing this will lead to more successful projects, better reputation and survival. The findings of this project begin to show how change may occur and how companies might intentionally deploy advantageous configurations of corporate culture and stakeholder management.
Quality systems and competitive performance of food companies
Authors: Kafetzopoulos Dimitrios , Gotzamani Katerina , Psomas Evangelos 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of the effective implementation of both ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 systems on the competitive performance of certified food manufacturing companies.Design/methodology/approachA survey instrument was used for quantitative data collection. All items were measured on a seven‐point modified Likert scale. The data were analysed statistically by means of Statistical Package for Social Scientists. Factor analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted to test the research hypotheses. Both validity and reliability of the measures were checked in order to reduce the measurement error.FindingsThe results show a positive and significant relationship between the combined effective implementation of ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 standards and competitive performance of certified food companies, explaining a significant proportion of variance in their performance.Practical implicationsThe results of this study help managers of food companies realize that both the effective implementation of the quality management and quality safety systems ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 lead to increased competitive performance for certified companies. Thus, the paper may motivate the non‐certified food companies to effectively adopt the principles and conform to the requirements of these standards, leading to enhanced manufacturing capabilities and competitive performance.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the influence of quality and food safety management systems on the competitive performance of the certified food manufacturing companies. It reveals the value of the combined effective implementation of ISO 22000 and ISO 9001:2000 systems, proving that, when effectively implemented, they have a favourable effect on companies' performance.
In the shadow of offshoring: exploring providers’ expectations
Authors: Pinho de Almeida Mariana , Filipa do Amaral Chambre de Meneses Soares Bastos Moutinho Raquel 
Published: June 2013

PurposeAlthough the literature on offshoring is vast, very scarce research has been undertaken to understand the providers’ perspective of offshoring. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap, aiming to assess the expectations of providers when they started working with foreign firms and compare those expectations with their perceptions of reality.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted exploratory research based on grounded theory. A purposive theoretical sampling technique was used to select seven Portuguese offshoring providers. Data collected were then coded and analysed.FindingsIn total, three broad categories of expectations and perceptions emerged: business‐, firm‐ and client‐related. “Creation of business” and “Acquisition of skills” were the most referred categories, both as expectations and as perceptions of reality, stated by all the interviewees. However, several expectations do not match the providers’ perceptions, and some perceptions were not part of the providers’ initial expectations.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is exploratory and conditioned by a small national sample. Also, it does not explain the relationships between expectations and perceptions of reality, an issue that should be addressed in future research.Practical implicationsThe practical and social implications of the paper's findings are wide: offshoring providers bring business and promote the acquisition of skills in the economy, so managers and governments should stimulate this business model.Originality/valueThe paper's findings contribute to the offshoring literature, focusing on the still unnoticed dimension of the providers. Through the addition of categories of expectations to the few already found in the literature, and their comparison to the providers’ perceptions of reality, the authors have conferred extra originality and value to the research.
Evolutions in the ecologically conscious consumer behaviour in Greece
Authors: Tilikidou Irene 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine simultaneously all types of ecologically conscious consumer behaviour (ECCB) during the current economic crisis in Greece and investigate some of the factors able to affect it; to reveal the distances between the results of this study and those of previous studies in the same geographical area; and to present a detailed profile of the ecologically conscious consumers’ (ECCs) market segment.Design/methodology/approachAn effort was made to examine simultaneously all types of ECCB, namely pro‐environmental purchasing behaviour, recycling behaviour, pro‐environmental post‐purchasing behaviour and pro‐environmental (non‐purchasing) activities. A set of demographic, attitudinal and personality variables was added in the investigation. The relevant research objectives were set and they were accomplished by a quantitative survey of a large enough ‐‐ for the urban area of Thessaloniki ‐‐ probability sample.FindingsAll ECCB types were found to be positively related to consumers’ education, attitudes towards recycling and locus of control over politics; and to be related negatively to environmental unconcern. Strong inter‐relationships among all the ECCB types were revealed. Cluster analysis indicated that the ECCs segment counts for 16 per cent, a size considerably smaller than a decade ago.Research limitations/implicationsA remaining social desirability effect despite the effort to eliminate it. Limited understanding of the economic crisis's consequences. Incomplete profile of ECCs.Practical implicationsManagers of ecological products, managers in charge of recycling programmes and executives working with the ecological organizations should all be aware that they share the same target group, that of ECCs. They should study carefully the characteristics of ECCs and choose the most appropriate communication strategies.Social implicationsEnvironmental protection undoubtedly affects quality of life. Understanding better ecologically related consumer behaviour provides the necessary basis for corporate socially responsible strategies. Public policy makers in charge of environmental protection programmes need to increase people's locus of control and recycling attitudes while eliminating their unconcern towards environmental issues.Originality/valueThe paper is an effort to overcome the usual fragmentary examination of ecological behaviours. All types of ECCB were examined under an integrated theoretical framework and they were found to be inter‐related. This is the first study to examine the impact of the economic crisis in Greece on pro‐environmental behaviours.
Fairness and financial services in Australia and the United Kingdom
Authors: Worthington Steve , Devlin James 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThere has been limited research into financial services customers’ perceptions of how fairly they are treated by financial services providers. Fairness as a concept has its theoretical roots in the theory of justice and equity and has been conceptualised as being made up of two distinct elements, procedural fairness and distributive fairness. Some scholars have further distinguished between procedural fairness and interactional fairness, and hence this research aims to measure all three of these fairness constructs and employ them in the analysis of the results.Design/methodology/approachThe Financial Services Research Forum (FSRF) in the United Kingdom (UK) has used constructs derived from theory to devise a benchmark measure: the Fairness Index. The index can be used to analyse trends through time and differences between sectors in the financial services industry. The FSRF has now collected seven waves of data investigating trends in consumers’ perceptions of fairness in financial services. The Fairness Index approach was replicated in Australia in early 2012 and responses were sought from 750 Australian consumers, with 250 respondents per sector, answering questions about their main bank, their credit card provider and their financial advisor.FindingsAustralian financial advisors were found to have higher Fairness Index scores than banks and credit card providers across all the dimensions of fairness. Surprisingly, for banks, there was a pronounced negative relationship between customers’ fairness perceptions and length of relationship with the bank. In terms of what drives customers’ overall perceptions of fairness, it appears that distributive fairness is by far the dominant influence for all three types of providers investigated. Finally, comparisons are offered between the Fairness Index scores for both Australia and the UK, in the same time period.Originality/valueThere has been limited research into financial services customers’ perceptions of how fairly they are treated by financial services providers. This study measures three fairness constructs – procedural fairness, distributive fairness and interactional fairness – and employs them in the analysis of the results. A benchmark measure, the Fairness Index, has been devised and used to investigate trends in consumers’ perceptions of fairness in financial services in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Best practice of structural retrofit: the SS. Rosario Church in Gesualdo, Italy
Authors: Cennamo Claudia , Di Fiore Marco 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show the importance of a total understanding of the manufacture, before approaching any structural intervention.Design/methodology/approachThe adopted methodology consists of a non‐invasive kind of structural retrofit, in accordance with the history of the manufacture and, at the same time, giving effective respect to seismic solicitations.FindingsThe results are very important for demonstration purposes, and they may be taken as examples in many similar problems.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation of this research principally consists in the old datation of the study case, because it could be approached more easily with the help of modern concepts.Practical implicationsMany applications can be carried out from the study case: first, the respectful approach to the cultural heritage, in the sense of knowledge and understanding of the “art rule” belonging to the ancient constructors.Social implicationsThe paper has implications for the safety and conservation of historical heritage.Originality/valueThe originality consists in showing the almost unknown work of a master: he reasoned anticipating the technological progress.
Conceptualisation of branding: strategy based on the Indian pharma sector
Authors: Nath Sanyal Shamindra , Datta Saroj Kumar , Banerjee Asok Kumar 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address how the concept of branding exists in the pharmaceutical sector and Indian market in particular; and second, how this branding technique might be modified to optimize the marketing of branded generics in India.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted using qualitative interviews with two sets of respondents in Kolkata city, India: first, 20 senior managers of five renowned Indian pharmaceutical companies and second, 20 physicians of two categories. Patterns of concordance for the author‐coder pairs were tested by using Cohen's kappa.FindingsThis study investigated the relationships between five different parameters deemed responsible for enhancing the brand awareness of pharmaceuticals. Out of these five parameters, the authors have identified that “importance of customers' perceptions and need achievement” leads to the development of a positioning statement to communicate the brand's functional values and brand personality; and “importance of pharma brand age in brand awareness” establishes the relationship of brand age with brand recall and communication in brand recall. A high value of Cohen's kappa has helped to establish the qualitative inquiry of the current research.Practical implicationsThe authors have proposed that through the said five parameters, the pharmaceutical branding technique might be modified to optimise the marketing of branded generics in India. A strategic comprehensive model that has been constructed would give a direction for branding in the pharmaceutical industry.Originality/valueThis research work has extended prior pharmaceutical branding research by conceptualising the branding strategy as a brand awareness tool, in a new area called branded generic drugs in India.