bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mapping the environment for corporate social responsibility
Authors: Ihlen Øyvind 
Published: May 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to seek to improve how companies map their environment in order to identify the social norms and values that exist in relation to corporate social responsibility (CSR).Design/methodology/approachA theoretical discussion is accompanied by a short case study that includes analysis of ten sustainability reports published by the oil company Shell.FindingsThe mapping tools recommended in the literature of management and public relations have limitations. There are also weaknesses in the way that Shell, a supposed leader in the CSR movement, maps its environment. The public sphere concept is suggested as a fruitful supplement.Research limitations/implicationsMore in‐depth case studies accompanied with qualitative interviews are needed to back up the conclusions put forward.Practical implicationsThe norms, values and expectations regarding CSR are not fixed entities, and it is thus vital for organisations to engage in ongoing listening and dialogue to keep abreast of these changing factors. Companies have to attempt to be well informed and well read participants in civic society. Conceptualizing their environments as made up of stakeholders and a public sphere, can help in this endeavour.Originality/valueThe paper points to the limitation of current environmental mapping tools, and discusses how such mapping exercises can be improved.
Who's in and who's out?
Authors: Verhoeven Piet 
Published: May 2008

PurposeThis paper aims at providing a theoretical perspective to study the effects of the communication management/public relations of organizations on the social cohesion of individuals, groups and societies.Design/methodology/approachThe possible connections between communication management and social cohesion, social integration and diversity are explored by looking at the concept of social capital. After discussing aspects of the hypothesis of decreasing social capital and of the hypothesis of increasing contingency of Western societies, questions are raised about the societal role of communication management as a profession that is usually described as being concerned with building relations. To study questions like these empirically, the actor network theory (ANT) is suggested as an analytical perspective and a methodological approach to elaborate the position of reflective communication management.FindingsANT or the sociology of associations seems a suitable theoretical perspective for studying the relations between communication management, social capital and social cohesion. ANT sheds a light on fact and meaning construction, on issues of power and framing and on coalition building activities and translation: who is bridging or bonding with whom and with what consequences?Originality/valueResearch from the perspective of ANT could result in a comprehensive understanding of communication management/public relations incorporating functionalistic, social psychological, relationship and rhetorical approaches.
Integrated online marketing communication: implementation and management
Authors: Gurău Călin 
Published: May 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the particularities of integrated marketing communication (IMC) in the online environment.Design/methodology/approachBoth secondary and primary data (face‐to‐face interviews with 29 marketing or communication managers of UK online consumer retail firms) are analysed in order to identify the various meanings of the integrated online marketing communication, the opportunities and challenges raised by online communication, and the structure of an efficient integrated online marketing communication system.FindingsThe transparency, interactivity and memory of the internet force the organisation to adopt a proactive‐reactive attitude in online communication, and to combine consistency and continuity with flexibility and customisation.Research limitations/implicationsThe number of interviews used to collect primary data is relatively small; the use of the information collected is general and unstructured; and the findings are applicable only to online customer product retailers.Practical implicationsThe messages sent by the company to its online audiences have to be transformed/adapted in a three‐stage process.Originality/valueThe paper identifies the specific opportunities and challenges raised by the internet for integrated marketing communication, and proposes an original model for the adaptation of online messages to core corporate values, communication strategy and tactics, and targeted audience/communication channels.
Service development in traditional product manufacturing companies
Authors: Gebauer Heiko , Krempl Regine , Fleisch Elgar 
Published: May 2008

PurposeThe primary objective of this paper is to explore antecedents for developing different types of services. A second objective is to address the neglected role of service development in manufacturing firms.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research approach is used. While the study is qualitative due to its context, it is positioned between deductive and inductive qualitative studies, being neither a test of an already developed theory nor a development of a new theory. Rather, it is an extension of existing theories on service development through dialectic interaction between field studies and existing theory.FindingsThe findings suggest that three types of service (customer service, product‐related services, and customer support services) differ in their configuration of antecedents for service development.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based on case‐study research, but the external validity (generalisability) of the antecedents could not be assessed. Future research would benefit from insights obtained from quantitative data.Practical implicationsThe combination of different service types and antecedents forms a model that can guide managers in typical product manufacturing companies who wish to extend the service business by developing services successfully.Originality/valueBased on three in‐depth case studies and 18 bi‐polar mini cases, this paper explores the relationship between types of services in manufacturing companies and typical antecedents that are necessary for service development.
Perceptual navigation in web mining
Authors: Elsayed Adel 
Published: May 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to present an epistemological perspective of how web mining can be performed by human agents, and a technical overview of a possible approach to achieve this.Design/methodology/approachThe concept of visual mining of information is based on the principle of creating a fused information space that could be navigated using visual perception, just as is possible within a natural environment. It is argued that, as the information available through human‐created artefacts increases, conventional methods of information acquisition will fail to circumvent the bottle‐neck created by the associated information overflow.FindingsFour types of human‐created artefacts are identified: cognitive externalisations, artistic expressions, communicative accounts, and factual records. It is the communicative artefacts that are responsible for the information overflow. As a possible way forward, it is suggested that an information space could be constructed in two layers: a perceptual layer and a cognitive layer. The information in the perceptual layer could be encoded in iconic cues to create an information landscape that could be navigated visually. The cognitive layer, on the other hand, will operate on the information‐engendering data structures of the communicative artefacts.Practical implicationsWhen developed, the perceptual layer could provide a subject domain landscape that induces social familiarity with frequently traversed information environments. This should be particularly helpful for learning where frequent traversal provides opportunities for repeated rehearsal, a necessary condition for long‐term retention.Originality/valueThe objective of this paper is to facilitate a shift in cognitive loading associated with knowledge acquisition from post‐perceptual to perceptual operations. The appealing nature of perceptual processing underpins the claim about enhancing long‐term retention.
The plausibility of computing the h‐index of scholarly productivity and impact using reference‐enhanced databases
Authors: Jacsó Péter 
Published: May 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a general overview, to be followed by a series of papers focusing on the analysis of pros and cons of the three largest, cited‐reference‐enhanced, multidisciplinary databases (Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science) for determining the h‐index.Design/methodology/approachThe paper focuses on the analysis of pros and cons of the three largest, cited‐reference‐enhanced, multidisciplinary databases (Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science).FindingsThe h‐index, developed by Jorge E. Hirsch to quantify the scientific output of researchers, has immediately received well‐deserved attention in academia. The theoretical part of his idea was widely embraced, and even enhanced, by several researchers. Many of them also recommended derivative metrics based on Hirsch's idea to compensate for potential distortion factors, such as high self‐citation rates. The practical aspects of determining the h‐index also need scrutiny, because some content and software characteristics of reference‐enhanced databases can strongly influence the h‐index values.Originality/valueThe paper focuses on the analysis of pros and cons of the three largest, cited‐reference‐enhanced, multidisciplinary databases.
Problems with complaint handling: expectations and outcomes
Authors: Cowan Jane , Anthony Sandy 
Published: May 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to the current debate about problems with the NHS complaints system.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines, in light of a recent audit of NHS complaint handling by the Healthcare Commission, the underlying reasons for complaints and for dissatisfaction with the way a complaint is handled. It discusses the implications of various recommendations and research findings for enhancing and improving complaints handling.FindingsMore emphasis is needed on the quality of interpersonal interaction with complainants for successful resolution of complaints. Attending to the process alone will not reduce dissatisfaction among complainants.Practical implicationsLearning from complaints to improve services is important to complainants as well as to healthcare providers and communicating this should be an integral part of the process.Originality/valueThe value of the paper is that it re‐emphasises the important role that complaints can play in the continuous improvement of services. It also sheds light on possible reasons for dissatisfaction with the way complaints are handled.
Assessment of selected heavy metals in some water treatment plants and household tap water in Greater Cairo, Egypt
Authors: Lasheen M.R. , El‐Kholy G. , Sharaby C.M. , Elsherif I.Y. , El‐Wakeel S.T. 
Published: May 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess and monitor a sample of heavy metals, namely lead, cadmium and copper, in water treatment plants at Greater Cairo, Egypt, to assess the efficiency of water treatment plants for metals removal and to monitor lead concentrations in the distribution system.Design/methodology/approachWater samples were collected from two water treatment plants. In addition, randomly flushed tap water samples from different districts at Greater Cairo were analyzed for lead concentration. Other water quality parameters also were monitored in water samples.FindingsThe study indicated that for water treatment plant intake, the mean concentrations were 4.44, 0.38 and 5.54μg/l for lead, cadmium and copper respectively. However, the final effluent shows that the mean concentrations of lead, cadmium and copper were 2.0, 0.15 and 2.78μg/l respectively. The drinking water mean metals concentrations were below World Health Organization drinking water guidelines and the Egyptian drinking water standards. The results revealed that water‐treatment plants have a high efficiency for metals removal where lead, cadmium and copper concentrations were reduced by 54.9, 60.5 and 49.8 per cent respectively. On the other hand, as expected, the water treatment plant sludge showed high accumulation with metals in concentrations decreased in the following order Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cd. The mean lead concentration was 9.5μg/l in tap water samples.Originality/valueWater treatment plants have a high efficiency for metals removal; water treatment plant sludge contains high concentrations of metals and should be treated before discharge; lead contamination from the distribution system is well established and lead concentration in homes in studied areas were higher than concentrations in plant effluent.
The composition of productive government expenditure
Authors: Monteiro Goncalo , Turnovsky Stephen J. 
Published: May 2008

PurposeRecent research supports the role of productive government spending as an important determinant of economic growth. Previous analyses have focused on the separate effects of public investment in infrastructure and on investment in education. This paper aims to introduce both types of public investment simultaneously, enabling the authors to address the trade‐offs that resource constraints may impose on their choice.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ a two‐sector endogenous growth model, with physical and human capital. Physical capital is produced in the final output sector, using human capital, physical capital, and government spending on infrastructure. Human capital is produced in the education sector using human capital, physical capital, and government spending on public education. The introduction of productive government spending in both sectors yields an important structural difference from the traditional two‐sector growth models in that the relative price of human to physical capital dynamics does not evolve independently of the quantity dynamics.FindingsThe model yields both a long‐run growth‐maximizing and welfare‐maximizing expenditure rate and allocation of expenditure on productive capital. The welfare‐maximizing rate of expenditure is less than the growth‐maximizing rate, with the opposite being the case with regard to their allocation. Moreover, the growth‐maximizing value of the expenditure rate is independent of the composition of government spending, and vice versa. Because of the complexity of the model, the analysis of its dynamics requires the use of numerical simulations the specific shocks analyzed being productivity increases. During the transition, the growth rates of the two forms of capital approach their common equilibrium from opposite directions, this depending upon both the sector in which the shock occurs and the relative sectoral capital intensities.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings confirm that the form in which the government carries out its productive expenditures is important. The authors have retained the simpler, but widely employed, assumption that government expenditure influences private productivity as a flow. But given the importance of public investment suggests that extending this analysis to focus on public capital would be useful.Originality/valueTwo‐sector models of economic growth have proven to be a powerful tool for analyzing a wide range of issues in economic growth. The originality of this paper is to consider the relative impact of government spending on infrastructure and government spending on human capital and the trade‐offs that they entail, both in the long run and over time.
Transfer of Conjugative Elements from Rumen and Human
Firmicutes
Bacteria to
Roseburia inulinivorans
Authors: Scott Karen P. , Martin Jenny C. , Mrazek Jakub , Flint Harry J. 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACT

Studies on
Firmicutes
bacteria from the gut are hampered by a lack of gene transfer systems. Here the human colonic anaerobe
Roseburia inulinivorans
A2-194 was shown to be a transfer recipient for two conjugative transposons, Tn
1545
from
Eubacterium cellulosolvens
and Tn
K10
from
Clostridium saccharolyticum
K10.
Calcineurin Target CrzA Regulates Conidial Germination, Hyphal Growth, and Pathogenesis of
Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Cramer Robert A. , Perfect B. Zachary , Pinchai Nadthanan , Park Steven , Perlin David S. , Asfaw Yohannes G. , Heitman Joseph , Perfect John R. , Steinbach William J. 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACT

The calcineurin pathway is a critical signal transduction pathway in fungi that mediates growth, morphology, stress responses, and pathogenicity. The importance of the calcineurin pathway in fungal physiology creates an opportunity for the development of new antifungal therapies that target this critical signaling pathway. In this study, we examined the role of the zinc finger transcription factor Crz1 homolog (CrzA) in the physiology and pathogenicity of the opportunistic human fungal pathogen
Aspergillus fumigatus
. Genetic replacement of the
crzA
locus in
A. fumigatus
resulted in a strain with significant defects in conidial germination, polarized hyphal growth, cell wall structure, and asexual development that are similar to but with differences from defects seen in the
A. fumigatus
Δ
cnaA
(calcineurin A) strain. Like the Δ
cnaA
strain, the Δ
crzA
strain was incapable of causing disease in an experimental persistently neutropenic inhalational murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Our results suggest that CrzA is an important downstream effector of calcineurin that controls morphology in
A. fumigatus
, but additional downstream effectors that mediate calcineurin signal transduction are likely present in this opportunistic fungal pathogen. In addition, the importance of CrzA to the production of disease is critical, and thus CrzA is an attractive fungus-specific antifungal target for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis.
Integration Host Factor Positively Regulates Virulence Gene Expression in
Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Stonehouse Emily , Kovacikova Gabriela , Taylor Ronald K. , Skorupski Karen 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACT

Virulence gene expression in
Vibrio cholerae
is dependent upon a complex transcriptional cascade that is influenced by both specific and global regulators in response to environmental stimuli. Here, we report that the global regulator integration host factor (IHF) positively affects virulence gene expression in
V. cholerae
. Inactivation of
ihfA
and
ihfB
, the genes encoding the IHF subunits, decreased the expression levels of the two main virulence factors
tcpA
and
ctx
and prevented toxin-coregulated pilus and cholera toxin production. IHF was found to directly bind to and bend the
tcpA
promoter region at an IHF consensus site centered at position −162 by using gel mobility shift assays and DNase I footprinting experiments. Deletion or mutation of the
tcpA
IHF consensus site resulted in the loss of IHF binding and additionally disrupted the binding of the repressor H-NS. DNase I footprinting revealed that H-NS protection overlaps with both the IHF and the ToxT binding sites at the
tcpA
promoter. In addition, disruption of
ihfA
in an
hns
or
toxT
mutant background had no effect on
tcpA
expression. These results suggest that IHF may function at the
tcpA
promoter to alleviate H-NS repression.
Role of the DksA-Like Protein in the Pathogenesis and Diverse Metabolic Activity of
Campylobacter jejuni
Authors: Yun Jiae , Jeon Byeonghwa , Barton Yi-Wen , Plummer Paul , Zhang Qijing , Ryu Sangryeol 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACT

DksA is well known for its regulatory role in the transcription of rRNA and genes involved in amino acid synthesis in many bacteria. DksA has also been reported to control expression of virulence genes in pathogenic bacteria. Here, we elucidated the roles of a DksA-like protein (CJJ81176_0160, Cj0125c) in the pathogenesis of
Campylobacter jejuni
. As in other bacteria, transcription of stable RNA was repressed by the DksA-like protein under stress conditions in
C. jejuni
. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of
C. jejuni
81-176 and an isogenic mutant lacking the DksA-like protein showed differential expression of many genes involved in amino acid metabolism, iron-related metabolism, and other metabolic reactions. Also, the
C. jejuni
DksA-like protein mutant exhibited a decreased ability to invade intestinal cells and induce release of interleukin-8 from intestinal cells. These results suggest that the DksA-like protein plays an important regulatory role in diverse metabolic events and the virulence of
C. jejuni
.
Transcription Factors CysB and SfnR Constitute the Hierarchical Regulatory System for the Sulfate Starvation Response inPseudomonas putida
Authors: Kouzuma Atsushi , Endoh Takayuki , Omori Toshio , Nojiri Hideaki , Yamane Hisakazu , Habe Hiroshi 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACTPseudomonas putidaDS1 is able to utilize dimethyl sulfone as a sulfur source. Expression of thesfnFGoperon responsible for dimethyl sulfone oxygenation is directly regulated by a σ54-dependent transcriptional activator, SfnR, which is encoded within thesfnECRoperon. We investigated the transcription mechanism for the sulfate starvation-induced expression of thesesfnoperons. Using an in vivo transcription assay and in vitro DNA-binding experiments, we revealed that SfnR negatively regulates the expression ofsfnECRby binding to the downstream region of the transcription start point. Additionally, we demonstrated that a LysR-type transcriptional regulator, CysB, directly activates the expression ofsfnECRby binding to its upstream region. CysB is a master regulator that controls the sulfate starvation response of thesfnoperons, as is the case for the sulfonate utilization genes ofEscherichia coli, although CysBDS1appeared to differ from that ofE. coliCysB in terms of the effect ofO-acetylserine on DNA-binding ability. Furthermore, we investigated what effector molecules repress the expression ofsfnFGandsfnECRin vivo by using the disruptants of the sulfate assimilatory genescysNCandcysI. The measurements of mRNA levels of thesfnoperons in these gene disruptants suggested that the expression ofsfnFGis repressed by sulfate itself while the expression ofsfnECRis repressed by the downstream metabolites in the sulfate assimilatory pathway, such as sulfide and cysteine. These results indicate that SfnR plays a role independent of CysB in the sulfate starvation-induced expression of thesfnoperons.
Centrifuge modeling of geotextile-reinforced steep clay slopes
Authors: Porbaha A , Goodings D J 
Published: May 2008

When on-site soil is not granular, substantial cost savings can be achieved if a stable, steeply sloped, reinforced retaining system, backfilled with on-site fill can be sustituted for a vertical retaining wall with granular fill. Centrifuge modeling was used in this work to investigate the failure and prefailure behaviour of 14 reduced-scale geotextile-reinforced steep model slopes of 45, 63.4, 71.6°, backfilled with cohesive soil and constructed on either firm or rigid foundations. The overall performance of model slopes on firm foundations was found to be better than that of similar models on rigid foundations. A stability analysis, using the Bishop simplified method incorporating reinforcement, was found to be a good predictor of the behaviour of models. Key words: reinforced soil, centrifuge modeling, geotextile, retaining structure, slope stability.