bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Small Ubiquitin-Like Modifier Proteases OVERLY TOLERANT TO SALT1 and -2 Regulate Salt Stress Responses in Arabidopsis
Authors: Conti Lucio , Price Gillian , O'Donnell Elizabeth , Schwessinger Benjamin , Dominy Peter , Sadanandom Ari 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
Understanding salt stress signaling is key to producing salt-tolerant crops. The small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is a crucial regulator of signaling proteins in eukaryotes. Attachment of SUMO onto substrates is reversible, and SUMO proteases, which specifically cleave the SUMO–substrate linkages, play a vital regulatory role during SUMOylation. We have identified two SUMO proteases, OVERLY TOLERANT TO SALT1 (OTS1) and OTS2, which are localized in the nucleus and act redundantly to regulate salt stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. ots1 ots2 double mutants show extreme sensitivity to salt. However, under low-salt conditions, ots1 ots2 double mutants are phenotypically similar to wild-type plants. We demonstrate that salt stress induces a dose-dependent accumulation of SUMO1/2-conjugated proteins in Arabidopsis. ots1 ots2 double mutants constitutively accumulate high levels of SUMO1/2-conjugated proteins even under nonstress conditions and show a further dramatic increase in SUMO1/2-conjugated proteins in response to salt stress. Transgenic lines overexpressing OTS1 have increased salt tolerance and a concomitant reduction in the levels of SUMOylated proteins. Conversely, the ectopic expression of the mutant ots1(C526S) protein lacking SUMO protease activity fails to produce a salt-tolerant phenotype. We show that salt directly affects OTS1-dependent signaling by inducing OTS1 protein degradation. Our results indicate a requirement for OTS1 deSUMOylation activity in plant salt tolerance responses.
Supply risk management vs supplier selection to manage the supply risk in the EPC supply chain
Authors: Micheli Guido J.L. , Cagno Enrico , Zorzini Marta 
Published: October 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand whether a link between the use of supplier selection (SS) and supply risk management (SRM) exists and whether further contextual factors which lead to the use of SRM and of SS exist in the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) sector.Design/methodology/approachA multiple case study has been undertaken as an empirical analysis to answer a series of research questions. The data have been collected through structured interviews to corporate procurement directors of companies belonging to the Italian EPC sector and operating in an engineer‐to‐order fashion.FindingsThe results of the research point out that supply risk can be managed through both SS and SRM. These two different approaches are used alternatively by the companies investigated under resource constraints. A further set of contextual factors leading to the use of SRM (project orientation in supply management, use of partnerships with suppliers, corporate standardisation), and a contextual factor leading to the use of SS (need of co‐design) are highlighted in the EPC sector.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the sample of the in‐depth research is representative of the Italian EPC sector, its size implies care in drawing a fully generalizable conclusion. Moreover, the research focuses on companies belonging only to the EPC sector, but the behaviours could significantly vary in other sectors.Originality/valueThe paper is of value in identifying product‐ and supplier‐related factors for SRM including cultural (project orientation in supply management), strategic (use of partnerships with suppliers), and organizational (corporate standardisation).
Commitment in the workplace
Authors: Ogba Ike‐Elechi 
Published: October 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to extend previous research on employee commitment to their organisation within the Nigerian banking sector. This paper aims to use income and age as variables in assessing employee commitment to their organisations in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach was employed in data collection, using a 28‐item, seven‐point Likert scaled questionnaire administered to 200 participants with a 42 per cent usable response rate. A factor analysis resulted in three components of commitment.FindingsThe results from the analysis indicate that employees with high income represent the same group of employees within the age groups 31‐35 with low commitment to their organisation.Originality/valueThis paper demonstrates that the relationships between age, income and commitment might be explained by reference to cultural factors which might have stronger influence on employee expression of commitment to their organisations.
Knowledge creation processes in small innovative hi‐tech firms
Authors: Spraggon Martin , Bodolica Virginia 
Published: October 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore knowledge creation processes in small innovative hi‐tech firms operating in the software industry.Design/methodology/approachThe research framework examines specific action and interaction processes aiming at creating knowledge. This exploratory research is constituted by five case studies, each of them being represented by a small Canadian software firm. Analysis draws upon four sources of data. A total of 15 interviews (three per case) had been conducted and subsequently transcribed and coded using qualitative software –Nvivo 07.FindingsThe results of the study reveal that interaction processes permitting the creation of knowledge in small hi‐tech firms can take place via: formal meetings; informal communities; project teams; external interaction; and information technology‐tools. Rapid prototyping represents the kernel activity of knowledge creation through action. Details of the results, implications of the findings, and conclusions are presented and discussed.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is based on a limited number of case studies, therefore empirical results cannot be generalized. Future research on larger samples of small Canadian software firms is needed, using the same eligibility criteria and comparing the same knowledge creation processes as those explored in this study. Other promising avenues of inquiry include such questions as the way small knowledge‐based firms operating in turbulent environments organize internally to create knowledge, the conditions enabling the generation of knowledge, and the particular “spaces” in which knowledge creation occurs in these firms.Practical implicationsThe systematic description and comparison of knowledge creation processes in each explored company contribute to the better understanding of specific “interaction” and “action” processes through which knowledge is generated, enabling practitioners in small innovative hi‐tech firms to design appropriate policies and procedures for enhancing knowledge creation behaviors of their employees.Originality/valueThis research is among the first and most exhaustive exploratory and comparative studies carried out in the Canadian context of small firms operating in the software industry.
Biomimetic adhesives: a review of recent developments
Authors: Bogue Robert 
Published: October 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a review of recent progress into the development of biomimetic adhesives, particularly those that mimic the attachment mechanism of the gecko lizard's foot.Design/methodology/approachThis paper first discusses the discovery of the gecko's adhesion mechanism. It then describes key “gecko glue” developments and summarises the properties of experimental adhesives that exploit this effect. It concludes with a consideration of anticipated applications.FindingsThis paper shows that, following the discovery of the gecko's adhesion mechanism in 2002, which is based on van der Waals forces, biomimetic adhesives have become the topic of a major research effort. These developments are poised to yield families of novel adhesive materials with superior properties which are likely to find uses in industries ranging from defence and nanotechnology to healthcare and sport.Originality/valueThe paper provides a unique insight into the latest developments in biomimetic adhesive technology.
Adhesives in electronic and electrical assembly
Authors: Connolly Christine 
Published: October 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on various adhesives and their uses in the electronics industry.Design/methodology/approachA description of the different types of adhesives and their strengths and weaknesses is followed by illustrations of their applications in electronic and electrical assembly. Equipment and procedures for cleaning and surface preparation are presented, and the paper finishes with an examination of techniques for rework and repair.FindingsPolymers form the body of an adhesive, but other elements may be included to control electrical and heat conduction, light absorption and cross‐bonding behaviour. This makes them highly controllable and adaptable to specialised requirements. Photo‐curable adhesives with cure times of under 1 s are available for fast‐throughput assembly. Polymer underfills are increasingly important for shock‐proofing handheld electronics. Adhesives and cleaning agents are becoming environmentally safer.Originality/valueThe paper reveals the versatility of polymer adhesives and names suppliers.
Evaluation of temperature and properties at interface of AISI 1040 steels joined by friction welding
Authors: Kuscu Hilmi , Becenen Ismail , Sahin Mumin 
Published: October 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate temperature and properties at interface of AISI 1040 steels joined by friction welding.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, AISI 1040 medium carbon steel was used in the experiments. Firstly, optimum parameters of the friction welding were obtained by using a statistical analysis. Later, the microstructures of the heat‐affected zone are presented along with micro hardness profiles for the joints. Then, the temperature distributions are experimentally obtained in the interface of the joints that is formed during the friction welding of 1040 steels with the same geometry. This study was carried out by using thermocouples at different locations of the joint‐interface. The results obtained were compared with previous studies and some comments were made about them.FindingsIt was discovered that temperature had a substantial effect on the mechanical and metallurgical properties of the material.Research limitations/implicationsThe maximum temperature in the joint during frictional heating depends not only on the pressure, but also on the temperature gradient which depends on the rotational speed in particular. It is important to note that the measurement process was successfully accomplished in this study although it was particularly difficult to obtain temperature due to the large deformations at the interface. Future work could be concentrated on the temperature measurement of the joined materials.Practical implicationsTemperature is one of the most important of all physical quantities in industry. Its measurement plays a key part in industrial quality and process control, in the efficient use of energy and other resources, in condition monitoring and in health and safety. This paper contributes to the literature about temperature measurement in welded, brazed and soldered materials.Originality/valueThe main value of this paper is to contribute and fulfill the influence of the interface temperature on properties in welding of various materials that is being studied so far in the literature.
A Petri net model for the design and performance evaluation of a flexible assembly system
Authors: Ullah Hamid , Bohez Erik L.J. 
Published: October 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a Petri net (PN) model based on assembly plan is presented for modeling a flexible assembly system (FAS) configuration, determining an optimal work‐in‐process (WIP), lead time, throughput, and utilization of each station.Design/methodology/approachPN model is developed for design, analysis, and performance evaluation of a FAS, keeping in view the assembly line balancing. PN is optimized using weighted WIP. The throughput is bounded by the utilization of the bottleneck machines.FindingsThe PN optimization gives minimum WIP corresponding to the maximum production rate. Minimum WIP leads to minimum lead time. The weighted arcs make the model simple and reduce the optimized number of kanbans. Moreover, the PN model pushes more inventory to the initial assembly phase. This reduces the total cost of the WIP.Research limitations/implicationsIn the proposed PN model, the transportation times are included in the transitions times. In the future research, the proposed model can be extended for inclusion of transportation times for AGVs.Practical implicationsUsing the PN model, the assembly manager may design, analyze, evaluate, and even optimize the layout of the assembly system for minimum WIP, maximum throughput, and reduced lead time. The determination of the total WIP, total number of stations in the assembly system, and the number of servers at each station may be helpful in factory floor management. The same cycle time is managed at each assembly station for the purpose of line balancing. It may result in the highest efficiency and the shortest idling time along with ease of management and supervision.Originality/valueThis paper presents a new PN model for the design and performance evaluation of a dual kanban FAS.
Gender stereotypical attitudes
Authors: Wood Glenice 
Published: October 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe a longitudinal study which followed up middle managers who had participated in a survey on attitudes to promotion eight years earlier. The aim was to contact a sample of these individuals to ascertain their current views on women's career advancement in management.Design/methodology/approachIn‐depth interviews were conducted with 30 interviewees (19 male and 11 female managers). Respondents were reminded of their initial response to the question “How long do you think it will take before women in this organisation fill 50 per cent of senior management positions?” Current views were recorded to ascertain if any attitudinal changes had occurred over the previous eight years.FindingsThe responses from this sample reflected a pessimistic change in views and were consistent with the view that gender stereotyping of the management role continues, influencing attitudes toward the appropriateness of women in senior management positions. The majority of these male and female managers now feel that it will take “more than ten years” before female managers fill 50 per cent of senior management positions, suggesting that some respondents do not believe they will see this outcome during their working life‐time.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of the follow‐up study were the small sample that was available, highlighting some of the methodological difficulties involved in carrying out research of a longitudinal nature. The responses obtained suggested that gender stereotyping of the management role continues, exerting a negative influence on the career advancement of women. It was concluded that female talent is still not being utilised sufficiently in the ranks of senior management. Practical implications of such practices are noted.Originality/valueThis paper allows an examination of any attitude change that may have occurred in a small sample of managers who participated in an initial study in relation to predictions about the length of time it will now take for women to fill 50 per cent of senior management roles. Obviously, because of the small sample, it will not be possible to draw any generalizations from the results obtained, however it will be possible to observe the indicative trends, and these may suggest fruitful paths of exploration for future research.
Complainers versus non‐complainers retaliatory responses towards service dissatisfactions
Authors: Phau Ian , Baird Michael 
Published: October 2008

PurposeThe paper aims to investigate the different forms of retaliatory responses towards unsatisfactory service encounters experienced by Australian consumers. It further compares demographic and psychographic profiles of complainers versus non‐complainers.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 1,200 mail surveys were sent out through a random list of addresses obtained from the White Pages. Data from 237 usable surveys (29.1 per cent) were analysed using a series of statistical techniques including factor analysis to profile psychographic factors and discriminant analysis to identify complainers from non‐complainers.FindingsIt is found that both complainers and non‐complainers engage in some form of retaliatory responses. Complainers have a high sense of justice, are less conservative and have a more positive attitude towards complaining than their non‐complaining counterparts. Gender, income and education have no effect on complaining behaviour for both complainers and non‐complainers.Practical implicationsThe high number of retaliations through “exit” is a concern for Australian firms. Firms have to make an effort to identify exactly the conditions in which each occurs and the strategies best available to rectify them. Mechanisms can be put in place to reduce these occurrences to improve the business as a whole.Originality/valueThe paper matches the demographic and psychographic profiles of complainers and non‐complainers with potential types of products and services and the related retaliatory responses.
Message framing: keeping practitioners in the picture
Authors: Pervan Simon J. , Vocino Andrea 
Published: October 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how message framing is commonly used by magazine advertisers.Design/methodology/approachFollowing the classification suggested by Levin et al., the frequency and nature of message framing in magazine advertising is explored using a content analysis of 2,864 advertisements in a sample of popular US magazines.FindingsResults suggest a lack of consistency between marketing practice and academic findings. Contrary to academic recommendations, advertisers used positive framing in almost all advertising messages. Further, the use of attribute framing and combined attribute and goal framing was more popular than pure goal framingResearch limitations/implicationsAlthough the findings are limited by a judgement sample of US magazines, they do suggest the need for academics to conduct more research on the effectiveness of combined attribute and goal framing techniques.Practical implicationsOf equal importance is the need for practitioners to explore the potentiality of negative framing in their advertising content.Originality/valueAdopting the Levin et al.'s typology, this paper highlights the need for advertising researchers to engage with practitioners to try to understand current industry practice with regard to message framing. The inconsistencies revealed in this paper point to either an insufficient understanding of message framing by one or both parties or the need for better communication between the two.
Concept testing: the state of contemporary practice
Authors: Peng Ling , Finn Adam 
Published: October 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to better understand current concept testing practice and its role in the new product development process; identify the relationship, if any, between concept testing design and perceptions of its effectiveness; determine what evidence product managers or research consultants have for the reliability and validity of current concept testing.Design/methodology/approachA survey of new product managers collected detailed information on their organization's most recent traditional or conjoint concept testing project. In the study of marketing research consultants, 100 firms were asked to provide the publicly available information about the reliability and validity track record of their concept testing services.FindingsThere are differences between practices for incrementally and radically new concepts. Practitioners prefer to keep their information proprietary, so little has been learned about how concept tests should be designed, despite the thousands of concepts tested every year.Practical implicationsThe paper identifies current concept testing practice, including which methods/models are used, what is known about their reliability and validity, and the perceived problems and desired improvements.Originality/valueThe paper identifies how concept testing is currently carried out and those issues most in need of future research.
Object‐matrix model of complex manufacturing technology
Authors: Iwańkowicz Remigiusz 
Published: October 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to present a model of complex production processes, witch allows permanent optimisation of manufacturing technology to be accomplished.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents theoretical fundamentals of building the model of manufacturing technology.FindingsThe paper points out the possibilities of using. Leontief's input‐output model in the description of manufacturing technology. Obtained matrix notation allowed the introduction of complex technology concept. The paper presents various forms of combinations and their mathematical notations. It shows the possibility of applying object‐matrix model in the optimisation of ship's hull manufacturing technology.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed method can be applied in modelling and optimisation of any complex production process.Practical implicationsApplication of object‐matrix model allows optimisation of manufacturing technology, prediction of costs and supply needs of a production system.Originality/valueThe object‐matrix model is originally developed basing on Leontief's input‐output model. The main contribution of the paper is that the presented model can be applied in the optimisation of any complex production process.
Reliability‐based measure for a system with standbys subjected to switching failures
Authors: Ke Jyh‐Bin , Lee Wen‐Chiung , Ke Jau‐Chuan 
Published: October 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the reliability and sensitivity analysis of a system with M primary units, W standby units, and one repair facility when switching to primary units may fail.Design/methodology/approachFailure times of primary and standby units are assumed to have exponential distributions, and repair times of the failed units are also assumed to have an exponential distribution. Different failure rates and switching failure probabilities are given depending on the readiness states of standby units, designated hot, warm, or cold. The Laplace transform technique is used to transform a set of ordinary differential equations to a set of equations. After finding the solution, we can obtain the desired measures in the time domain by using the inverse Laplace transform.FindingsExpressions for system reliability and mean time to failure (MTTF) are derived. Sensitivity analysis of the system reliability and the MTTF with respect to system parameters are investigated.Originality/valueThis paper presents the first time that a contour of the MTTF with respect to standby states has been obtained, which is quite useful for the decision makers.