bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Geometric constraints dominate the antigenic evolution of influenza H3N2 hemagglutinin
Authors: Meyer Austin G. , Wilke Claus O. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractWe have carried out a comprehensive analysis of the determinants of human influenza A H3 hemagglutinin evolution, considering three distinct predictors of evolutionary variation at individual sites: solvent accessibility (as a proxy for protein fold stability and/or conservation), experimental epitope sites (as a proxy for host immune bias), and proximity to the receptor-binding region (as a proxy for protein function). We found that these three predictors individually explain approximately 15% of the variation in site-wisedN/dS. The solvent accessibility and proximity predictors were largely independent of each other, while the epitope sites were not. In combination, solvent accessibility and proximity explained 32% of the variation indN/dS. Incorporating experimental epitope sites into the model added only an additional 2 percentage points. We also found that the historical H3 epitope sites, which date back to the 1980s and 1990s, showed only weak overlap with the latest experimental epitope data. Finally, sites withdN/dS> 1, i.e., the sites most likely driving seasonal immune escape, are not correctly predicted by either historical or experimental epitope sites, but only by proximity to the receptor-binding region. In summary, proximity to the receptor-binding region, and not host immune bias, seems to be the primary determinant of H3 evolution.Author summaryThe influenza virus is one of the most rapidly evolving human viruses. Every year, it accumulates mutations that allow it to evade the host immune response of previously infected individuals. Which sites in the virus’ genome allow this immune escape and the manner of escape is not entirely understood, but conventional wisdom states that specific “immune epitope sites” in the protein hemagglutinin are preferentially attacked by host antibodies and that these sites mutate to directly avoid host recognition; as a result, these sites are commonly targeted by vaccine development efforts. Here, we combine influenza hemagglutinin sequence data, protein structural information, experimental immune epitope data, and historical epitopes to demonstrate that neither the historical epitope groups nor epitopes based on experimental data are crucial for predicting the rate of influenza evolution. Instead, we find that a simple geometrical model works best: sites that are closest to the location where the virus binds the human receptor are the primary driver of hemagglutinin evolution. There are two possible explanations for this result. First, the existing historical and experimental epitope sites may not be the real antigenic sites in hemagglutinin. Second, alternatively, hemagglutinin antigenicity may not the primary driver of influenza evolution.
The impact of country connectedness and cultural values on the equity of a country’s workforce
Authors: DesAutels Philip , Berthon Pierre , Caruana Albert , Pitt Leyland F. 
Published: January 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to focus on the impact that country connectedness and cultural values have on the equity afforded to a country’s workforce in today’s global economy.Design/methodology/approach– Drawing upon a number of large international surveys of national-level metrics, e-readiness is identified as a proxy measure for country connectedness. Cultural variables are proxied by the World Values Survey’s national-level scores on “survival/self-expression” and “traditional/secular-rational” values. Workforce equity is captured via three measures: per capita Gross National Income (GNI) based on purchasing power parity (PPP), a Gini-coefficient, and the prevalence of child labor. Stepwise regression analysis is employed to investigate expected relationships.Findings– Results suggest an interesting link between the constructs investigated. A negative and significant effect of e-readiness and a negative and significant effect of traditional/secular-rational values on workforce equity are reported. In addition, the impact of e-readiness appears to be absolutely larger while thee impact of survival/self-expression values on the workforce equity is not found to be significant.Research limitations/implications– The research is primarily exploratory in nature thereby providing a foundation but not an end product. Next, the data used in the research is aggregate-level data providing broad generalizations about each country. Does a country have a single culture? Is the connectivity of a country a valid measure of the regions within? The authors chose to use an analysis at a single point in time. A longitudinal study could provide more insight and thus help to highlight causality. The data utilized was repurposed from third-party sources. Finally, only 37 observations are used and a broader data set could help strengthen findings further.Social implications– The rapid march of country connectedness across the globe is eroding firms’ ability to shade their actions through the distance afforded by global supply chains. A country’s culture values has a significant impact on workforce equity but country connectedness has a stronger impact, thus companies operating in more traditional and less developed countries will face significant impacts as these countries get connected. Rather than a threat, companies may see country connectedness and workforce equity as an opportunity. Firms that treat their workers well will see vast new markets open for them as evermore of the world’s population becomes economically active.Originality/value– Uses an innovative data capture methodology that allows the investigation of an interesting and unexplored research question.
Graduate Certificates in Ontario colleges: uniquely engaging in specialized skills development
Authors: Thorsell Laura A. 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to examine Graduate Certificates in colleges in Ontario, Canada, and their distinctive ability to generate intrinsic student engagement in specialized skills development, and a culture of progression and scholarship.

Design/methodology/approach
– This is a review of selected literature on student engagement. While extrinsic motivation, such as employment, has most often been discussed this paper purposefully considers intrinsic motivation and factors that build deeper engagement in students. This paper compares and contrasts the literature, and its link with the features of the Ontario College Graduate Certificate in Canada. More specifically, it examines the background and development of the credential in the context of the movement towards competency-based education.

Findings
– This paper postulates that colleges can uniquely provide applied and intrinsically engaging programming through credentials like the Graduate Certificate. The Graduate Certificate helps heighten graduate skills engagement, a culture of progression and scholarship, and ultimately competitiveness in today’s workplace.

Practical implications
– The findings of this paper have implications for colleges to distinguish themselves amongst post-secondary institutions as providers of specialized skills development in higher education, especially as competency-based education grows in importance. It also puts in to question how this type of engaging design can be further built in to post-secondary graduate curriculum.

Originality/value
– This paper illuminates innovative practice at the post-graduate level, as an example of a skills-based scholarly activity. It helps position colleges as providers of effective, competency and outcomes-based higher education. This paper can add value to practitioners looking to build similar programming, by combining this Graduate Certificate design with evidence-based factors that build student engagement, particularly intrinsic motivation.
The impact of role identity on student expectations
Authors: Davis Jane 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present the viewpoint that student role identity, its dimensions and salience, impact strongly on student expectations of college-based higher education (CBHE) within the UK.

Design/methodology/approach
– The paper draws on doctoral research undertaken within the context of CBHE in the UK and is further supported through engagement with a range of pertinent literature.

Findings
– The paper suggests ways in which the individually constructed student role identity may impact on the expectations of the experience of CBHE. In so doing, the paper highlights the way in which expectations of higher education recursively influence, and are influenced by, perceptions and actions played out from within the student role.

Research limitations/implications
– The empirical research, from which the paper draws its theme, was undertaken in one large institution. The author recognises that a wider, longitudinal study would be beneficial in recognition of the diversity of provision in the CBHE sector.

Practical implications
– The paper proposes that greater awareness of the way in which students construct and moderate their perceptions and understandings of studenthood would be beneficial to a range of strategic considerations, such as promotional information, partnership activity, peer relations and the nature of pedagogies and learning architectures.

Social implications
– The paper foregrounds the political remit of CBHE as a progression route for “non-traditional” students, and considers the varied understandings of the meaning of the student role adopted by students attending colleges. Engagement with issues of multiple roles, identity salience and variable role porosity highlights social and pyschosocial issues faced by many such students.

Originality/value
– The paper considers role identity in the context of Kurt Lewin’s conceptualisation of life space and uses this framework to highlight issues that may face students and colleges in raising awareness of student expectations. It challenges the homogenous conceptualisation of the term “students” through consideration of the psychic state at a given moment in time.
Influence of internationalization orientation on export performance: in the perspective of Malaysian manufacturing firms
Authors: Behyan Mina , Mohamad Osman , Omar Azizah 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate several concepts of inward and outward internationalization and their impact on export performance in the context of Malaysian manufacturing exporting firms.

Design/methodology/approach
– Mail survey was administered to gather data from the Malaysian manufacturing firms that have been identified to have business export trading to the major oil and gas producer countries in the Middle East. A total of 120 respondents were received and further analysis was tabulated.

Findings
– Findings revealed that the outward internationalization is positively related to economic and non-economic measures of export performance. It indicates that an outward internationalization related to organizational capability has a major contribution to the export performance of Malaysian manufacturing and exporting firms. On the other hand, top management international orientation as an inward internationalization is negatively and significantly associated with economic measures, but not in the non-economic measures of the export performance.

Research limitations/implications
– The cross-sectional nature of this study may have limitations with respect to examining the direction and causality of some of the variables. The findings are limited to Malaysian manufacturing firms exporting to targeted markets. The significant of this study emanates from its expected theoretical implications to knowledge and practical implications to business and public organization. It lends support to the internationalization theory and contributes to a firm’s performance and enhances their export marketing knowledge with useful implications for international and relationship marketing.

Originality/value
– The results support the proposition that internationalization of firms from emerging nations are dependent on learning, acquiring and applying the knowledge from other firms particularly from firms originating from advanced developed nations.
A narrative review and meta-analysis of service interaction quality: new research directions and implications
Authors: Ranjan Kumar Rakesh , Sugathan Praveen , Rossmann Alexander 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to conceptualize and empirically test the determinants of service interaction quality (SIQ) as attitude, behavior and expertise of a service provider (SP). Further, the individual and simultaneous effects of SIQ and its dimensions on important marketing outcomes are tested.

Design/methodology/approach
– The narrative review of extant research helps formulate a conceptual model of SIQ, which is investigated using the univariate and multivariate meta-analysis.

Findings
– There are interdependencies between drivers of SIQ that underlines the need to conceptualize service interaction as a dyadic phenomenon; use contemporary multilevel models, dyadic models, non-linear structural equation modeling and process studies; and study new and diverse services contexts. Meta-analysis illustrates the relative importance of the three drivers of SIQ and, in turn, their impact on consumer satisfaction and loyalty.

Research limitations/implications
– The meta-analysis is based on existing research, which, unfortunately, has not examined critical services or exigency situations where SIQ is of paramount importance. Future research will be tasked with diversifying to several important domains where SIQ is a critical aspect of perceived service quality.

Practical implications
– This study emphasizes that, although the expertise of an SP is important, firms would be surprised to learn that the attitude and behavior of their employees are equally important antecedents. In fact, there is a delicate balance that needs to be found; otherwise, attitudinal factors can have an overall counterproductive effect on consumer satisfaction.

Originality/value
– This paper provides an empirical synthesis of SIQ and opens up interesting areas for further research.
Exploring the relationship between service orientation, employee engagement and perceived leadership style: a study of managers in the private service sector organizations in India
Authors: Popli Sapna , Rizvi Irfan A 
Published: January 2015

Purpose– The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between leadership, employee engagement and service orientation, specific to the private service sector organizations in India. The paper also explores the ability of leadership style and engagement to predict service orientation in the given cross section.Design/methodology/approach– The paper has used a single cross-sectional descriptive design. Purposive sampling has been used to identify respondents who are managers in the private service sector organisations in India. A valid sample size of 106 has been used for the analysis. Instruments used for perceived leadership style are as follows: Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X short form); Employee Engagement E3 (DDI) and Service Orientation (Frimpong and Wilson, 2012).Findings– Service orientation is found to be strongly correlated to employee engagement and employee engagement is a strong predictor of service orientation. The other relationships which are significant and moderately correlated are that of transformational leadership and employee engagement and also of transformational leadership and service orientation.Research limitations/implications– The study highlights the importance and significant role of leadership and employee engagement for higher service orientation in the given cross section. The mediating impact of employee engagement of the leadership style and service orientation relationship could be further explored through path analysis or structured equation modeling techniques.Practical implications– The research emphasizes that organizations need to focus on employee engagement as much as they focus on customers. The differential advantage to organizations will come through the employees and their behaviors towards customers. Appropriate leadership styles that drive engagement and service-oriented behaviors can be fostered in organizations to drive service performance. The mediating impact of employee engagement of the leadership style and service orientation relationship could be further explored through path analysis or structured equation modeling techniques.Originality/value– The research is focused in the private service sector organizations in India and data and results support the need to focus on employees for higher scores on customer parameters. The respondents are from a cross section of service organizations and, hence, emphasizing the interplay of the three variables across organizations. The paper supports the critical role of leadership and employees in creating a higher service orientation.
The relation between accounting information-based firm risk proxies and cost of equity capital across countries
Authors: Kang Tony , Kohlbeck Mark , Yoo Yong 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate international variability in the pricing of accounting information using ex ante cost of equity capital estimates. Prior literature shows that financial statement amounts are relevant for investor decisions only when there is appropriate economic and legal infrastructure (Ball, 2001).

Design/methodology/approach
– Accrual quality and accounting loss are focussed upon as indicators of firm risk in financial statements.

Findings
– The evidence suggests that accounting information is factored into ex ante cost of equity capital in countries with strong economic and legal infrastructures but not in those with weak infrastructures. Findings support Ball’s notion that the role financial reporting plays in a capital market depends on the strength of economic and legal infrastructure.

Originality/value
– Findings support Ball’s notion that the role financial reporting plays in a capital market depends on the strength of economic and legal infrastructure.
Cross-sectional return patterns in New Zealand’s registered and OTC stock markets
Authors: Anderson Hamish , Marshall Ben , Wang Xiao 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to examine whether the cross-sectional return patterns in New Zealand’s main stock market (NZSX) are also present in the alternative (NZAX) and over-the-counter (Unlisted) markets.

Design/methodology/approach
– Cross-sectional regressions of monthly stock returns on well-known pricing factors including firm size, book-to-market (B/M) ratio, liquidity and past returns were run. The NZSX sample commenced in 1988 and continued through to 2011, while data are available for the Unlisted and NZAX markets from 2004 to 2011.

Findings
– The pricing factors that are important in explaining returns in major international markets also influence returns on the NZSX. However, only B/M is consistently priced across all New Zealand stock exchanges, including the alternative NZAX and Unlisted markets. There is evidence of reversal in NZAX stocks, but liquidity effects are not consistent or pervasive in either market.

Practical implications
– With B/M being the only consistently priced variable across all markets, investors in the NZAX and in particular Unlisted may be concerned with other risk factors. For example, the risks associated with differing levels of investor protection, corporate governance and disclosure may be of more concern to investors than pricing factors such as size, liquidity and past returns in these alternative trading platforms.

Originality/value
– The paper examines cross-sectional return patterns of the NZAX and Unlisted stocks and is the first paper to jointly test the explanatory power of size, B/M, past returns and liquidity factors for NZSX stocks.
Corporate social responsibility reporting quality, board characteristics and corporate social reputation
Authors: Lu Yingjun , Abeysekera Indra , Cortese Corinne 
Published: January 2015

Purpose– This paper aims to examine the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting quality and board characteristics on corporate social reputation of Chinese listed firms.Design/methodology/approach– Firms chosen for this study are drawn from a social responsibility ranking list of Chinese listed firms. The social responsibility rating scores identified by this ranking list are used to measure the social reputation of firms studied. The model-testing method is used to examine hypothesised relationships between CSR reporting quality, board characteristics and corporate social reputation.Findings– The results indicate that CSR reporting quality positively influences corporate social reputation but chief executive officer/chairman duality as a measure of board characteristics has a negative impact on corporate social reputation. Firm’s financial performance and firm size also positively influence corporate social reputation.Research limitations/implications– The relatively small sample of firms for a cross-sectional study, and the proxies constructed for various concepts to empirically test hypotheses can limit generalising findings to firms outside the social responsibility ranking list. Future studies can undertake longitudinal analysis and compare socially responsible firms with others to expand empirical findings about corporate social reputation.Originality/value– This paper investigates the influences of CSR reporting quality and board characteristics on corporate social reputation in the context of a developing country, China.
Research and prospect of binary high-temperature Pb-free solders
Authors: Du Yunfei , Li Chuntian , Huang Bin , Tang Ming , Du Changhua 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to identify a variety of binary system solders by alloying, and relevantly derive multiple system Pb-free solders from the former, attempting to replace the high temperature Sn-Pb solder.

Design/methodology/approach
– The basis of the paper is the synthesis of previous studies. In terms of some binary high temperature solder alloys, such as Au-20Sn, Bi-2.5Ag, Sn-5Sb, Au-12.5Ge, Zn-6Al and Zn-Sn, taking the alloy phase diagram as the starting point, the melting characteristics, microstructure, mechanical properties, wetting ability and reliability of solder joint are analysed and the prospect is consequently indicated.

Findings
– Based on the analysis of the six groups of Pb-free solders, the present binary system solder alloys, from the perspective of melting properties, mechanical properties, soldering or reliability of solder joint, rarely meet the comprehensive requirements of replacing the high-temperature Sn-Pb solder. It is assumed to be a solution that multiple-system Pb-free solders derive from a variety of binary system solders by means of alloying. The future development of high temperature Pb-free solder may focus on some factors such as physical properties, mechanical properties, processing, reliability of solder joint, environmental performance and expense.

Originality/value
– The paper concentrates on the issue of Pb-free solders at high temperature. From a specific perspective of binary system solders, the presently available Pb-free solders are suggested from the starting point of the alloy phase diagram and the prospect of alternatives of Sn-Pb solders at high temperature are indicated.