bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Numerical simulation of EPS geofoam behaviour in triaxial tests
Authors: Ekanayake Sanka Dilshan , Liyanapathirana D.S. , Leo Chin Jian 
Published: July 2015

Purpose
– EPS geofoam has been widely used in embankment construction, slope stabilisation, retaining walls, bridge approaches and abutments. Nevertheless, the potential of EPS geofoam as an engineering material in geotechnical applications has not been fully realised yet. The purpose of this paper is to present the finite element formulation of a constitutive model based on the hardening plasticity, which has the ability to simulate short-term behaviour of EPS geofoam, to predict the mechanical behaviour of EPS geofoam and it is implemented in the finite element programme ABAQUS.

Design/methodology/approach
– Finite element formulation is presented based on the explicit integration scheme.

Findings
– The finite element formulation is verified using triaxial test data found in the literature (Wong and Leo, 2006 and Chun et al., 2004) for two varieties of EPS geofoam. Performance of the constitute model is compared with four other models found in the literature and results confirm that the constitutive model used in this study has the ability to simulate the short-term EPS geofoam behaviour with sufficient accuracy.

Research limitations/implications
– This research is focused only on the short-term behaviour of EPS geofoam. Experimental studies will be carried out in future to incorporate effects of temperature and creep on the material behaviour.

Practical implications
– This formulation will be applicable to finite element analysis of boundary value problems involving EPS geofoam (e.g. application of EPS geofoam in ground vibration isolation, retaining structures as compressible inclusions and stabilisation of slopes).

Originality/value
– Finite element analysis of EPS geofoam applications are available in the literature using elastic perfectly plastic constitutive models. However, this is the first paper presenting a finite element application utilising a constitutive model specifically developed for EPS geofoam.
Optimizing parameters of support vector machines using team-search-based particle swarm optimization
Authors: Zhang Long , Wang Jianhua 
Published: July 2015

Purpose
– It is greatly important to select the parameters for support vector machines (SVM), which is usually determined by cross-validation. However, the cross-validation is very time-consuming and complicated to create good parameters for SVM. The parameter tuning issue can be solved in the optimization framework. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
– In this paper, the authors propose a novel variant of particle swarm optimization (PSO) for the selection of parameters in SVM. The proposed algorithm is denoted as PSO-TS (PSO algorithm with team-search strategy), which is with team-based local search strategy and dynamic inertia factor. The ultimate design purpose of the strategy is to realize that the algorithm can be suitable for different problems with good balance between exploration and exploitation and efficiently control the inertia of the flight. In PSO-TS, the particles accomplish the assigned tasks according to different topology and detailedly search the achieved and potential regions. The authors also theoretically analyze the behavior of PSO-TS and demonstrate they can share the different information from their neighbors to maintain diversity for efficient search.

Findings
– The validation of PSO-TS is conducted over a widely used benchmark functions and applied to tuning the parameters of SVM. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can tune the parameters of SVM efficiently.

Originality/value
– The developed method is original.
Locavores: where you buy defines who you are
Authors: Spielmann Nathalie , Bernelin Margot 
Published: July 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to understand what motivates consumers, in particular consumers of local food products or locavores, to purchase in local retail channels vs traditional supermarkets. Using the Theory of Reasoned Action, and reviewing the literature on traceability, social relationships, involvement, values, motivation, and distribution channels, the authors propose a model explaining the antecedents and consequences of local food consumption for both locavores and traditional supermarket consumers.

Design/methodology/approach
– Face to face interviews were conducted in supermarket and farmers market contexts in a mid-sized city in France. A structural equation modelling was used to explain the relationship between the examined variables.

Findings
– The results suggest that consumers in traditional food distribution channels are not very involved with local food products. Alternatively, this research shows that for locavores, traceability and social links are positively related to involvement with local food products, which lowers price perceptions and positively influences utilitarian shopping value.

Originality/value
– The research provides a first empirical and academic perspective on local food consumption within different food retail channels in Europe. Much of the recent results on locavores and their behaviours have been conducted in North America and/or have remained rather conceptual.
Market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation and business performance among small retailers
Authors: Kajalo Sami , Lindblom Arto 
Published: July 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of market orientation (MO) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on business performance among small retailers. In particular, the goal is to understand and determine to what extent MO and EO influence firm performance directly, and to what extent MO and EO are connected to performance via marketing capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach
– The developed conceptual model is tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) using a sample of 202 small retailers.

Findings
– The result of the SEM model shows that both MO and EO act as a basis for improved business performance among small retailers. However, the performance impact of MO and EO is not that straightforward. Based on the research findings, it can be argued that both MO and EO require marketing capabilities to more fully unlock their value-creating potential among small retail firms.

Originality/value
– This study has provided new insights regarding the impact of MO and EO on business performance in the context of small retail firms. In particular, the study has contributed to the literature by demonstrating the routes through which MO and EO impact on performance.
The relationship between resources and market coverage in small local internet retailing
Authors: Cho Yun Kyung 
Published: July 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the association of e-channel resources with market coverage of small local retailers.

Design/methodology/approach
– This survey-based study collects data from 147 North American florists who use web sites as e-channels. The data are analysed through a set of multi-nomial logistic regressions, and multiple analysis of covariance. Measurement validation is conducted before data analysis.

Findings
– Considering two resources, e-IT competence and e-service agility − both critical for providing e-services − this study finds that e-service agility is significantly associated with market coverage. This paper also verifies that small local retailers who have wider market coverage than their competitors achieve higher performance from an e-channel. However, the retailers with wider market coverage do not have higher total retail sales.

Practical implications
– Practitioners should carefully consider the imbalance between the cost of resource development to enable market extension and the eventual performance return. Market extension requires a high level of e-service agility, but the corresponding performance return may be inadequate. This finding advises the owners or managers of small local retailers to have a complete resource plan for the effective use of an e-channel.

Originality/value
– This is the first survey-based study on the relationship between resources and market coverage for small internet retailing. The study uses cross-disciplinary perspectives to examine the practices of internet retailing and the resources required, based on insights on marketing, operations management, and management information systems.
Visual methodologies in mental health
Authors: Beart Kirsteen , Barnard Adam , Skelhorn Hannah 
Published: July 2015

Purpose– This lack of knowledge and experience meant that students often found it difficult to engage with this very complex, conceptual and controversial area of health and social care. The use of visual methodologies in learning mental health and illness was being examined here with a view to its potential for overcoming this obstacle in the students’ learning and further assisting students in their conceptual understanding of the subject. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach– In total, 30 participants were recruited from a student population of 44 undergraduates studying a module at level three on mental health. Ethics and consent were secured by giving students full information to decide whether to be part of the study group. The methodology of interpretative phenomenological analysis was the philosophical framework used for the study and this was directed using a five-staged process. Data were collected through group discussions and collation of the students analysis of their visualisations.Findings– Students in the study were encouraged to think about mental health and illness in a non-traditional way of learning. Visualisation of their own perceptions or pre-conceived ideas of MH were explored. This led to some very insightful learning which included not only learning about the subject from a holistic perspective but also a continual reframing of students’ conception of mental health and an enhancement of their understanding. They demonstrated this by developing skills in “self-reflection and professional values development” which are key skills of a mental health practitioner.Research limitations/implications– The findings have implications for further research into how this type of learning can actually influence practitioners when they do work with people with mental health challenges and illness. This study was limited to a fundamentally theoretical plan for how the learning contributes to professional practice. It is also important to note that the students were also benefitting from the evidence, experience and value of the teaching and learning in a traditional sense so it is not completely clear of that influence of the innovative methodology. Therefore another aspect of study which could enhance the understanding of the influence of visualisation in mental health is to compare practitioners practice who use this technique to learn and develop and those who use a more traditional educational approach.Practical implications– This research will inform the use of a pedagogy approach in education, learning and teaching about concepts of mental health and illness and contribute to professional practice in health and social care education.Social implications– This paper makes contributions to mental health practice, visualisation, mental health education.Originality/value– Overall, the study offers an opening into the value of visual methodology in mental health awareness, education and practice and a contribution to professional practice in mental health education.
When does corporate governance matter? Evidence from across the corporate life-cycle
Authors: O'Connor Thomas , Byrne Julie 
Published: July 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between corporate governance and firm value at different stages of the corporate life-cycle.Design/methodology/approach– The authors use two measures, commonly employed in the literature, to differentiate between “immature” and “mature” firms, and estimate separate governance-value regressions for each set of firms.Findings– The findings suggest that it is differences in the resource/strategic governance functions, which manifest in young firms which result in differences in value across firms, all else equal. The authors find no relationship between governance and firm value for older firms. Hence, differences in the monitoring aspect of governance between mature firms are not rewarded with a value premium.Research limitations/implications– The findings imply that the strategic and resource roles of governance are “must haves” for firms since firms that score highly on these fronts are valued more highly. In contrast, differences in the monitoring aspect of governance are not rewarded, suggesting that effective monitoring is not a necessity, but rather a “nice to have”. The analysis is limited to a small sample of emerging market firms, and it would be of interest to extend this analysis to a larger and broader sample of firms.Originality/value– The findings suggest that corporate governance is not valued at all stages of the corporate life-cycle.
Regulation of p53 during senescence in normal human keratinocytes
Authors: Kim Reuben H. , Kang Mo K. , Kim Terresa , Yang Paul , Bae Susan , Williams Drake W. , Phung Samantha , Shin Ki‐Hyuk , Hong Christine , Park No‐Hee 
Published: July 2015

Summaryp53, the guardian of the genome, is a tumor suppressor protein and critical for the genomic integrity of the cells. Many studies have shown that intracellular level of p53 is enhanced during replicative senescence in normal fibroblasts, and the enhanced level of p53 is viewed as the cause of senescence. Here, we report that, unlike in normal fibroblasts, the level of intracellular p53 reduces during replicative senescence and oncogene‐induced senescence (OIS) in normal human keratinocytes (NHKs). We found that the intracellular p53 level was also decreased in age‐dependent manner in normal human epithelial tissues. Senescent NHKs exhibited an enhanced level of p16INK4A, induced G2 cell cycle arrest, and lowered the p53 expression and transactivation activity. We found that low level of p53 in senescent NHKs was due to reduced transcription of p53. The methylation status at the p53 promoter was not altered during senescence, but senescent NHKs exhibited notably lower level of acetylated histone 3 (H3) at the p53 promoter in comparison with rapidly proliferating cells. Moreover, p53 knockdown in rapidly proliferating NHKs resulted in the disruption of fidelity in repaired DNA. Taken together, our study demonstrates that p53 level is diminished during replicative senescence and OIS and that such diminution is associated with H3 deacetylation at the p53 promoter. The reduced intracellular p53 level in keratinocytes of the elderly could be a contributing factor for more frequent development of epithelial cancer in the elderly because of the loss of genomic integrity of cells.
Associations between family characteristics and parental empowerment in the family, family service situations and the family service system
Authors: Vuorenmaa M. , Perälä M.‐L. , Halme N. , Kaunonen M. , Åstedt‐Kurki P. 
Published: July 2015

SummaryBackgroundParental empowerment signifies parents' sense of confidence in managing their children, interacting with services that their children use and improving child care services. High empowerment is associated with parents' resilience to demands and their confidence to make decisions and take actions that positively affect their families. Most families with children access various healthcare and education services. Professionals working in these services are therefore ideally placed to reinforce parental empowerment. However, little is known about the characteristics associated with parental empowerment within a generic sample of parents or in the context of basic child care services.AimThe aim of this study was to assess how family characteristics are associated with maternal and paternal empowerment in the family, in service situations and in the service system.MethodParental empowerment was measured among 955 parents (mothers = 571; fathers = 384) of children aged 0–9 years using the Generic Family Empowerment Scale. Family characteristics were assessed through questions on children, parents and the life situation. Associations between empowerment and family characteristics were evaluated using one‐way analysis of variance and t‐test. Parental empowerment was predicted by multiple linear regression analysis.ResultsParents' concerns related to their parenting, such as whether they possessed sufficient skills as a parent or losing their temper with children, as well as experiences of stress in everyday life, were negatively associated with all dimensions of maternal and paternal empowerment. Both determinants were more common and more significant in empowerment than child‐related problems.ConclusionPromoting parental self‐confidence and providing appropriate emotional and concrete support for everyday functioning may reinforce parental empowerment, thereby enhancing families' well‐being and coping, as well as improving their access to required services and timely support. Finally, it may facilitate the provision of better services to all families.
Learning to Read Chinese: Universal and Unique Cognitive Cores
Authors: McBride Catherine , Wang Ying 
Published: July 2015

AbstractHow do children learn to read Chinese? Three abilities identified as cognitive cores for reading in alphabetic orthographies are letter knowledge, phonemic awareness, and rapid automatized naming (RAN; Hulme & Snowling, 2013). What are the cognitive cores for Chinese? Identifying such cores is important for two reasons. First, if they can be identified, cores can be tested early to distinguish those children who might be at risk for reading difficulties, helping prevent and remediate dyslexia. Second, training of such core abilities might facilitate more optimal word recognition and word writing over time. In other words, identifying such core abilities can suggest more effective ways to teach early Chinese literacy skills. In this article, we argue that phonological sensitivity, RAN, and morphological awareness are cores for Chinese learning. In addition, visual‐orthographic abilities may be associated causally with Chinese literacy skills over time.
Census and effective population sizes of white‐spotted charr (Salvelinus leucomaenis) in a fragmented landscape
Authors: Yamamoto Shoichiro , Kubota Hitoshi , Hasegawa Koh , Nakamura Tomoyuki 
Published: July 2015

AbstractSeveral habitat models have been proposed to predict population size for stream fishes and to guide habitat assessment and monitoring techniques. However, most models do not incorporate the potential advantage of molecular genetic markers. We conducted a field survey and microsatelliteDNAanalyses to quantify the relationships among genetic diversity, census/effective population size and habitat variables in fragmented populations of white‐spotted charr (Salvelinus leucomaenis). The census population size significantly increased with the stream length, the number of pools and a pool‐riffle sequence index, a proxy for channel‐unit habitat type complexity within reaches. Population density was correlated with the pool‐riffle sequence index only. Genetic diversity and effective population size were not correlated with the habitat variables or census population size. There was a lack of isolation‐by‐distance population structure in the studied populations. Our results suggest that stream length and the number of pools within reaches associated with habitat complexity are the habitat variables that explain the majority of variation in population size of white‐spotted charr. Our findings provide further evidence that census population sizeper seis a poor indicator of the inclusive genetic diversity within populations in a fragmented landscape.
Is the Setal Patch on the Chelae of Hemigrapsus takanoi and Hemigrapsus sinensis (Crustacea, Brachyura, Varunidae) Advantageous in Fighting and Mating?
Authors: Miyajima Aya , Wada Keiji 
Published: July 2015

AbstractMany animals have unique morphological characters that function in social behavior. Sexual selection can affect the expression of such traits in males and females, leading to sexual dimorphism. We investigated the social function of setal patches on the chelae of two species of varunid crabs, one in which males, but not females, have setal patches (Hemigrapsus takanoi), and one in which both sexes have setal patches (Hemigrapsus sinensis). We experimentally removed setal patches and compared fighting and mating behavior of individuals with and without setal patches. In H. sinensis, males with setal patches removed were inferior fighters compared to intact males. In male H. takanoi and female H. sinensis, setal removal did not influence the outcome of fights. In mating, males lacking setal patches had a similar ability to copulate with females as intact males in both species. However, male H. takanoi with their setae removed tended to take more time to initiate copulation than did intact males. When females were given the opportunity to choose intact males or males without setal patches, females of H. takanoi did not discriminate between the two. Female H. sinensis, however, copulated with intact males more frequently compared to males lacking setal patches. Male H. sinensis showed no preferences for the presence of setal patches or the body size of females. Thus, our results indicate that setal patches have a social function in male H. takanoi and male H. sinensis, but not in female H. sinensis, suggesting that the setal patches of male crabs are a sexually selected trait in both species. However, the social function of male setal patches was more prominent in the species in which both sexes possess setal patches than in the species in which only males bear setal patches.
Exercise testing in the equine athlete
Authors: Allen K. J. , van Erck‐Westergren E. , Franklin S. H. 
Published: July 2015

SummaryIn the last decade there have been significant technological advances and increases in the availability of portable diagnostic equipment for use in the assessment of athletic performance. The design and application of appropriate exercise tests are critical factors for the diagnosis of conditions affecting equine performance and it is therefore necessary for veterinary surgeons using such equipment to develop an understanding of appropriate exercise testing methods. This is the first in a series of three papers covering exercise testing in the equine athlete, interpretation of heart rate and rhythm during exercise and interpretation of dynamic upper respiratory tract function. In this first paper, both performance and clinical exercise testing in the equine athlete are reviewed.