bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Resistance exercise improves autonomic regulation at rest and haemodynamic response to exercise in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Jakovljevic Djordje G. , Hallsworth Kate , Zalewski Pawel , Thoma Christian , Klawe Jacek J. , Day Christopher P. , Newton Julia , Trenell Michael I. 
Published: March 2013

Autonomic dysfunction has been reported in patients with NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) and is associated with clinical presentations. To date, there are no therapies to improve autonomic regulation in people with NAFLD. The present study defines the impact of a short-term exercise programme on cardiac autonomic and haemodynamic regulation in patients with NAFLD. A total of 17 patients with clinically defined NAFLD [age, 55±12 years; BMI (body mass index), 33±5 kg/m2; liver fat, 17±9%] were randomized to 8 weeks of resistance exercise or a control group to continue standard care. Resting and submaximal exercise (50% of peak oxygen consumption) autonomic and cardiac haemodynamic measures were assessed before and after the intervention. Resistance exercise resulted in a 14% reduction in HR (heart rate) and 7% lower SBP (systolic blood pressure) during submaximal exercise (16 beats/min, P=0.03 and 16 mmHg, P=0.22). Sympathovagal balance, expressed as LF/HF (low-frequency/high-frequency) ratio of the mean HR beat-to-beat (R–R) interval, was reduced by 37% (P=0.26). Similarly sympathovagal balance of DBP (diastolic blood pressure) and SBP variability decreased by 29% (P=0.33) and 19% (P=0.55), respectively in the exercise group only. BRS (baroreflex sensitivity) increased by 31% (P=0.08) following exercise. The mean R–R interval increased by 23% (159 ms, P=0.09). Parasympathetic regulation was decreased by 17% (P=0.05) and overall sympathovagal balance in BP regulation (LF/HF ratio) increased by 26% (P=0.02) following resistance exercise. Resting haemodynamic measures remained similar between groups. Resistance exercise therapy seems to improve autonomic and submaximal exercise haemodynamic regulation in NAFLD. Further studies are required to define its role in clinical management of the condition.
Adult Work Commitment, Financial Stability, and Social Environment as Related to Trajectories of Marijuana Use Beginning in Adolescence
Authors: Brook Judith S. , Lee Jung Yeon , Finch Stephen J. , Seltzer Nathan , Brook David W. 
Published: March 2013

Background The objective of this study is to examine trajectories of marijuana use among African Americans and Puerto Ricans from adolescence to adulthood, with attention paid to work commitment, financial stability, drug use, and violence. Methods Participants ( N = 816) completed in-class questionnaires as students in the East Harlem area of New York City at the first wave and provided follow-up data at 4 additional points in time (mean ages = 14, 19, 24, 29, and 32 years). Among 816 participants, there were 60% females, 52% African American, and 48% Puerto Ricans. Results The chronic marijuana user trajectory group compared with the none or low, increasing, and/or moderate marijuana user trajectory group was associated with negative aspects of work commitment, financial stability, and the social environment. The chronic marijuana user group was similar to the increasing marijuana user group on work commitment and financial stability. Conclusions These results suggest that treating marijuana use in late adolescence may reduce difficulty in the assumption of adult roles. Because chronic marijuana users experienced the most adverse effects in each of the domains, they require more intense clinical intervention than moderate marijuana users.
The interpenetrated three-dimensional framework of a new mixed lithium/ammonium perchlorate grown in a gel medium
Authors: Walha Siwar , Bouchaala Mahmoud , Ben Salah Abdelhamid 
Published: March 2013

Mixed lithium/ammonium perchlorate, Li0.41(NH4)0.59ClO4, has been prepared by gel diffusion using agar agar gel as the medium of growth at ambient temperature. The Cl and mixed Li/N atoms are located on the 4a({1 \over 2}, {1 \over 2}, {1 \over 2}) and 4b({1 \over 2}, 0, {1 \over 4}) special positions, respectively, in the space groupI\overline 42d. The structure features a twofold interpenetrated three-dimensional entanglement architecture, in which single three-dimensional networks are constructed from tetrahedral coordination based on [–(ClO4)–(Li/NH4)–(ClO4)–]∞diamondoid arrays. A comparison of the crystal structures of Li0.41(NH4)0.59ClO4, LiClO4·3H2O, LiClO4and NH4ClO4is given.
A memo of qualitative research for information science: toward theory construction
Authors: Cibangu Sylvain K. 
Published: March 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to advocate for a clearer and less fragmentary use of qualitative research in the increasingly interdisciplinary research setting of information science.Design/methodology/approachThe paper performs a textual analysis of more than 500 peer‐reviewed articles to assess information science's involvement with qualitative research. The paper undertakes historical criticism to trace qualitative research in the reviews of information science for the last three decades.FindingsAuthors are unclear and lax in their uses of basic research terms. Authors do not account for qualitative research's characteristics, methods, and contributions to information science's bodies of knowledge. Only 4.3 percent of published articles mention their contributions to information science's literature whereas 5.6 percent mention qualitative method(s) in their abstracts. Publications do not show (intra‐)collaboration between areas of information science. Information science's contributions to the theoretical discussions of the wider scientific community are lacking.Originality/valueThe paper discusses afresh information science's qualitative research. The paper suggests a tighter and long‐term investment of information science in qualitative research and the formation of the information science's own theorists and theory‐illumined practitioners. The paper puts forth some practical recommendations.
Social media for international students – it's not all about Facebook
Authors: Saw Grace , Abbott Wendy , Donaghey Jessie , McDonald Carolyn 
Published: March 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discover which social networking sites international students prefer for information dissemination activities. As more libraries experiment with social networking to inform and connect with students, there is a need to determine the effectiveness of this strategy for reaching international students. The paper seeks to address three questions: what social networking sites do international students prefer and why? Which sites do they use to socialise and which do they use to gather and distribute information? How can libraries leverage this information to enhance the international student experience?Design/methodology/approachInformation on social networking preferences and usage was gathered from 13 per cent of students at Bond University via an online survey.FindingsThe findings confirm that for some international student populations, social networking preferences differentiated between the domestic students' preferences. In addition to social activities, international and domestic students are using particular social networking sites for a wide range of educational purposes, including group work and sharing and gathering information. Although Facebook is still the predominant choice for the majority of students, the findings suggest particular sites such as Twitter and YouTube should be considered by libraries as a means to engage both international and domestic students. Institutions with large Chinese student populations should consider the use of Renren.Originality/valueAs of yet there have been no studies that have investigated and compared international students' social networking preferences to domestic students. The study connects the findings to practical implications for academic library use of social networking sites.
Fostering a sticky relationship with academic library users
Authors: Wilcox Emma , Boon Chia Yew 
Published: March 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify strategies to help academic libraries to be more useful and present to users in the context of the plethora of information made available by the online revolution.Design/methodology/approachProfessors Davenport and Beck's stickiness model, comprising convenience, relevance, engagement and community, outlined in The Attention Economy: Understanding the New Currency of Business, is first identified as a framework to examine how to improve stickiness between the library and its users. Each factor is investigated in the context of an academic library and then specifically, in the Humanities and Social Sciences Library, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. A survey is then conducted to establish the relative importance of the factors to users. Priority areas where application of the factors could be strengthened are then identified. Finally, an assessment of the usefulness and comprehensiveness of the model is made.FindingsThe stickiness model has some limitations; library roles such as preservation and data curation are not examined. Beyond this, the model is a very useful practical tool to evaluate the library's strengths and weaknesses, identify growth areas, and formulate a strategy to improve stickiness.Practical implicationsConvenience and relevance are currently key areas, while engagement and community offer great potential to cement stickiness.Originality/valueThe paper highlights the issue of attention deficit and identifies strategies to improve the library's stickiness, change traditional mindsets about its roles and usefulness and enable it to be more present in the lives of its users.
Business process improvement in services: case studies of financial institutions in Thailand
Authors: Buavaraporn Nattapan , Tannock James 
Published: March 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how financial institutions adopt business process improvement (BPI) for improving service quality, to enhance customer satisfaction. To explain this adoption, it was necessary to develop a theory to explain the linkages between BPI initiatives and customer satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachCase study was used as the research strategy, following the theory‐building process suggested by Eisenhardt. In total, three phases of data collection were employed, with expert interviews for theory enhancement and validation.FindingsThe authors identified three main stages of BPI adoption. A theory model was developed and refined using the empirical findings, to provide understanding of the outcomes of BPI initiatives. This model is compared with existing service quality models.Research limitations/implicationsThe research outcomes represent an extension of existing service quality approaches, to consider the BPI adoption process as well as broader organisational issues. However, data were collected only from Thai financial institutions, which might impact the generalisation of the results.Practical implicationsThe proposed theory model is developed at an operational level, and specifically aims to provide managers with adoption guidance and a practical foundation for further development of operational‐level assessment, assisting a more systematic evaluation of the outcomes of specific BPI initiatives at the project level.Originality/valueThe paper provides empirical evidence of BPI adoption in a financial services context. A theory model is presented based on service quality principles, to help explain BPI adoption outcomes at an operational (e.g. project) level, which provides a different perspective to that of existing service quality models.
Ethical climate, goal interdependence, and commitment among Asian auditors
Authors: Shafer William E. , Poon Margaret C.C. , Tjosvold Dean 
Published: March 2013

PurposeThe aim of this study is to examine the relations among organizational ethical climate, goal interdependence (cooperative vs competitive goals), and organizational and professional commitment among auditors in Asia.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a field survey of 293 auditors employed in two offices of an international accounting firm: one in Hong Kong and one in Singapore.FindingsStructural equation analyses indicate that instrumental ethical climates that focus on the pursuit of self‐interest and firm profitability promote more competitive and less cooperative goals among auditors. Benevolent/cosmopolitan (public interest) climates appear to enhance cooperative goals among employees. Cooperative goals in turn were associated with increased affective and normative organizational and professional commitments. Competitive environments significantly reduced affective and normative organizational commitment as well as affective professional commitment. Compared with their Hong Kong counterparts, Singaporean auditors perceived the ethical climate in their firm to be more positive or supportive of ethical values, and also felt the work environment in the firm was more cooperative and less competitive. In addition, the Singaporean auditors exhibited somewhat higher levels of emotional attachment to both their firm and the public accounting profession.Originality/valueNo prior accounting study has examined the influence of cooperative/competitive goals on work outcomes in a public accounting setting, or the role of ethical climates as potential antecedents of such goals. The results of the current study indicate that the development of cooperative and competitive goals is significantly related to the perceived ethical climate in public accounting firms, and that such goals may have significant effects on employee commitment not only to their organization but also to their profession. The significant differences between auditors in Hong Kong and Singapore have not previously been documented, and raise questions for future research.
The distribution of full income in Greece
Authors: Koutsampelas Christos , Tsakloglou Panos 
Published: March 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the distributional implications of using full income instead of disposable income in the analysis of economic inequality. For that purpose the authors employ a very extensive list of noncash incomes with the aim of examining the distributional effects of noncash incomes and reassessing the level and structure of inequality under a comprehensive definition of income.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs the microdata of the 2004/2005 Greek Household Budget Survey. The value of non‐monetary components was estimated using the appropriate statistical methods and econometric techniques. Tools of income distribution analysis were utilized for assessing the distributional consequences of adopting an extended definition of income.FindingsThe results indicate that both private and public noncash incomes are far more equally distributed than monetary income, but the inequality‐reducing effect of publicly‐provided services is stronger. Noncash incomes appear to accrue more heavily to younger and older individuals.Research limitations/implicationsThe analysis uses the same equivalence scales for the analysis of both monetary income and full income. This treatment may be open to criticism in the case of in‐kind public transfers. Due to data limitations the authors do not take into account home‐produced services, as well as several in‐kind transfers such as the provision of elderly care.Practical implicationsThe study argues in favor of moving beyond disposable income for measuring inequality and for the purposes of social policy design.Originality/valueEven if several studies take into account particular noncash items, there is an important void in the distributional analysis of full income.
Multidimensional poverty assessment: applying the capability approach
Authors: Ele‐Ojo Ataguba John , Eme Ichoku Hyacinth , Fonta William M. 
Published: March 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare the assessment of poverty/deprivation using different conceptions of this phenomenon including the traditional money‐metric measure and different forms of multidimensional constructs.Design/methodology/approachThe data were drawn from a household survey conducted in Nsukka, Nigeria. Interviewer‐administered questionnaires were used in data collection from about 410 households across urban and rural localities. The counting and FGT methodologies were used to assess impoverishment, while regression analyses were used to assess the determinants of deprivation across different constructs.FindingsBetween 70 per cent and 78 per cent of the study population were identified as poor/deprived. However, more than 11 per cent of those living on less than USD1.25/day were classified as non‐poor using different measures of multidimensional poverty. Similarly, more than 62 per cent of individuals who live on more than 1.25USD/day (i.e. non‐poor) are classified as poor using different measures of multidimensional deprivation. There is some level of correlation between measures, some inevitably stronger than others. The major determinants of deprivation across the various constructs of deprivation include large family size, low level of education, poor employment, rural location, and poor health.Originality/valueThis paper uses novel datasets that incorporate variables relating to the capability approach in understanding deprivation. Specifically, it analyses the so‐called missing dimensions of poverty. It also applies a new methodology for the assessment of impoverishment and deprivation. It highlights the importance of the capability approach in explaining poverty.
Economic clustering of countries in the Asia‐Pacific region
Authors: Mimis Angelos , Georgiadis Thomas 
Published: March 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the possibility of using non‐income indicators and the self‐organizing map (SOM) approach as an alternative analytical tool to map countries' welfare status.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from 27 countries of the East Asia‐Pacific region, a welfare analysis based on non‐income indicators is implemented. The set of the selected indicators employed includes measures of social indicators as well as indicators related to the overall development framework. The empirical approach of the present paper can be described as a two‐stage procedure. In the first stage, the standard incremental SOM algorithm has been used and the two‐dimensional map produced in a hexagonal grid is presented together with the weight maps. In the second stage, the k‐means methodology has been used to cluster the prototypes produced by the SOM.FindingsThe classification produced by the two‐stage approach of the empirical analysis is compared with the baseline World Bank's income categories (based on Gross National Income per capita) offering an opportunity to assess the usefulness of non‐parametric approaches that are based on non‐income indicators vis‐à‐vis World Bank's approach in analysing welfare outcomes. The emerging picture of the empirical analysis supports the potential of the SOM as a useful and prolific analytical tool in mapping welfare outcomes.Originality/valueThis study proposes a methodology beyond the conventional ordinal rankings of the welfare of the countries based on non‐income indicators and the SOM.
Strength and adhesion properties of acrylic polyol‐epoxy polyol resin protective coating on mild steel substrate
Authors: Ramis Rau S. , Vengadaesvaran B. , Naziron N.N. , Arof A.K. 
Published: March 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to improve the strength and adhesion properties of modified acrylic polyol resin using epoxy polyol resin (DEGBA).Design/methodology/approachThe hybrid systems were prepared by blending acrylic resin with epoxy polyol resin (Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol‐A, DGEBA) and polyisocyanate resin as hardener in various weight ratios with xylene as a solvent. The samples were applied on the pre‐treated cold rolled mild steel panels. The mechanical property of the blend has been evaluated using rapid impact tester (Sheen 806/40) and adhesion tester (Sheen Cross‐Hatch 750). Intended panels were checked for cracks using Dino‐Lite and Pinhole detectors (Elcometer 270/4). Crossed panels were observed for damages using digital polarized microscope (Dino‐Lite, AM413ZT). The thermal properties were studied using thermal analysis system (TGA TA‐Q500, DSC TA‐Q200).FindingsThe modification of acrylic polyol resins using DGEBA showed significant improvement of toughness compared to pure acrylic polyol resins. The blending systems with 10 wt percent of DGEBA and 90 wt percent of acrylic resin showed good adhesion and impact resistance properties on mild steel substrate.Research limitations/implicationsThe hybrid coating system has contributed to the basic conceptual understanding of the corrosion protection property, focusing mainly on recent research available.Practical implicationsThe blending method provided a simple and practical solution to improve the toughness of acrylic polyol resins.Originality/valueThe method for enhanced toughness of cured acrylic was novel and functionality of coating critically depends on adhesion between the coatings and underlying metal substrate.
Unbranding: threat to brands, opportunity for generics and store brands
Authors: Mayer Peter , Vambery Robert G. 
Published: March 2013

PurposeMarketers devote great efforts to maintaining brand value. However, brand value can come under attack in the absence of sufficient product performance and image differentiation in a process called unbranding. This paper aims to provide insights and guidelines that will give marketing managers tools to deal with variables that impact consumer decisions on whether to buy a national brand or a store brand product.Design/methodology/approachA consumer research study was based on a random, mall intercept with 188 respondents consisting of seven questions scored on a ten‐point scale. The results are presented on a set of graphs accompanied with some analysis of means (ANOM) applications.FindingsResults indicated that a significant portion of consumers (from over 40 percent to a high of 85 percent) feel that the quality differences between branded and generic products have diminished and the price premiums charged by branded products are often no longer justifiable.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study imply that in branded product premium image must be maintained and enhanced, otherwise it will be lost. In addition, the trend of brand value loss referred to as unbranding will vary significantly by and within a product category.Practical implicationsBranded products must maintain their superior consumer perception and product performance. Store or generic brand marketers should exploit the favorable price‐value relationship gained because of the loss of brand value through a process of store branding.Originality/valueThe new concept of unbranding is introduced together with research‐based recommendations for brand value protection strategies.