bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Designing a knowledge management tool to support knowledge sharing networks
Authors: Perez‐Araos Agustin , Barber Kevin D. , Eduardo Munive‐Hernandez J. , Eldridge Steve 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a knowledge management (KM) tool which has been designed to support the creation of virtual knowledge sharing networks (KSNs). It is a software‐based application that enables the sharing of knowledge related to the implementation of manufacturing excellence (ME) best practices and improvement tools.Design/methodology/approachA survey of SMEs was carried out to investigate the implementation of ME best practices. The results indicated that that the main barrier to the implementation of best practices, quality models and improvement tools is a lack of knowledge about these initiatives due to the resource constraints experienced by SMEs. This led to the development of a KM tool to support the creation of virtual networks to enable SMEs to manage improvement projects and share effectively the generated knowledge. The KM tool is currently at the stage of validation and its future implementation is also under consideration.FindingsThe KM tool supports the creation of KSNs through an explicit KM approach to share ideas, experiences and knowledge about implementation of best practices and improvement tools; helping SMEs to become more competitive.Practical implicationsThis research has demonstrated that is possible to provide a KM tool that is suitable for use by a KSN of SMEs. This approach allows transferring some of the tacit and explicit knowledge generated during the implementation of improvement initiatives into electronic documents for future consultation by KSN members.Originality/valueThe KM tool works not only as an electronic repository for knowledge, but it also drives users to apply and share knowledge through its capability to help managing improvement projects.
Literature review on the agile manufacturing criteria
Authors: Ramesh G. , Devadasan S.R. 
Published: February 2007

PurposeTo review on the literature and contribute a comprehensive model that would identify the criteria for attaining agility and suggest a procedure to successfully implement it in manufacturing arena.Design/methodology/approachThe literature dealing with agile manufacturing (AM) criteria were studied. The meaning and definitions of AM were derived. Further, the criteria enunciated in certain papers were identified. These findings were used to design a 20 criteria agile model. Subsequently, its implementation procedure was designed.FindingsWhile reviewing the literature, the following observations were made: time and again, some researchers brought out certain criteria of AM; these criteria do not comprehensively focus towards attaining agility; the researchers who have contributed these criteria have failed to evolve an implementation procedure.Research limitations/implicationsContributions of this paper are based on reviewing the literature. Since, no survey in manufacturing arena has been carried out, the 20 criteria agile model and its implementation procedure may suffer from incompatibility problems in manufacturing arena. However, these contributions provide an avenue fro further researching in this directionPractical implicationsThe customers' dynamic demands and the ever increasing intensity of global competition force the practitioners to adopt agile principles. The 20 criteria agile model and its implications procedure would enable the organizations to focus towards attaining agility. This process will prevent the derailment of AM journey and the wastage of time and money spent while moving towards agilityOriginality/valueThe study of literature on AM reveals that no researcher has enunciated the exhaustive integration of management and technology‐oriented AM criteria and their implementation feasibilities. Hence, the contribution of this paper is original in the literature world.
Operations and maintenance performance in production and manufacturing assets
Authors: Liyanage Jayantha P. 
Published: February 2007

PurposeSustainable production and manufacturing is an emerging concept for commercially successful performance. A question is how core asset processes should be streamlined to ensure performance quality and to portray their business roles within sustainability requirements. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue from asset operations and maintenance (O&M) perspective.Design/methodology/approachIssues discussed here are based on findings from a project launched during 2000‐2003 in Norway with major emphasis on performance integrity, consistency, and quality.FindingsThrough the findings of the original study, the paper elaborates on the important “Business – Production or Manufacturing asset – Operations and Maintenance” performance architecture in sustainable business environments.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper aims at stimulating production and manufacturing cluster to initiate joint R&D efforts to further explore and research this interesting and important subject matter that seems to be sensitive from socio‐economical viewpoint.Practical implicationsThe paper provides a framework to explore and specify critical elements for a risk‐based industrial asset management practice in dynamic and complex settings of sustainable environments. This is critical for many commercial businesses with the ongoing debates on the proper balance between profits and fundamentals, and to develop effective performance measurements and auditing systems for asset O&M process to ensure integrity, consistency and quality in performance.Originality/valueMany underlying issues regarding sustainability performance in production and manufacturing environments still remain ill‐defined. This paper clarifies how the emerging sustainable business concept can influence performance in industrial production and manufacturing assets, and how to outline a framework to streamline O&M performance.
An extended process model of knowledge discovery in database
Authors: Li Tianrui , Ruan Da 
Published: February 2007

PurposeMuch research on knowledge discovery in database (KDD) merely pays attention to data mining, one of many interacting steps in the process of discovering previously unknown and potentially interesting patterns in large databases, but little to the whole process. However, such approaches cannot satisfy the need of real applications of KDD. The purpose of this work is to extend a process model of KDD in practice at large.Design/methodology/approachA new model based on research experiences of the knowledge discovery process is formalized as an extension of the model by Fayyadet al. A case study by a reduct method from rough set theory is to illustrate why the process model is proposed and in what situation it can be used in practice.FindingsThis model incorporates data collection in the KDD process to supply a sound framework to better support KDD applications.Research limitations/implicationsThis model reflects the native of KDD in some tested cases. It may need further research to be used in all other situations.Practical implicationsIt can be used in the area of information security, medical treatment and other information management.Originality/valueUsing this model, one can directly collect data that are essential and useful for the mining results. It also offers practical help to those KDD researchers both from industry and academia.
The “militarizing” of organization and management studies
Authors: Stokes Peter 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to undertake an analysis of the engagement of organization and management literature with military and militarization themes and issues.Design/methodology/approachAn interpretive, textual literature analysis which identifies a range of international themes and issues in relation to militarization.FindingsIdentifies a modernistic‐managerialist tendency in the organization and management literature which elects to engage with military aspects and issues. This is predicated on a perceived mutual utility between the apparently separable “military” and “non‐military” domains and revolves around a series of commonly invoked texts and sets of popular cultural representations. Also recognises that organization and management commentaries influenced by critical perspectives tend not to engage so readily with military contexts and points up political commitments that might make this the case. Identifies approaches to blurring military/non‐military divides in current militaristic representations.Research limitations/implicationsProvides a considered thematic and paradigmatic reflection on militarization commentary in extant organization and management literature. Identifies and explores methodological challenges in considering militarization and its pervasive effects and delineations.Practical implicationsMaps the organization and management literature in relation to militarization and generates a series of critical platforms from which to embark on a corresponding exploration of militarization.Originality/valueConducts a novel consideration of the limitations of management and organization literature's hitherto treatment of military and militarization aspects. Generates a fruitful set of conditions and insights for international critical organization and management approaches to military topics and issues.
Commerce in US schools: four dominant perspectives
Authors: Domine Vanessa 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThis paper seeks to provide a systematic understanding of the controversy surrounding commerce in US schools.Design/methodology/approachThe paper surveys the history, research and policies related to commerce in schooling (1890‐2005) within the USA. The literature is organized according to four emergent US perspectives – protectionist, celebrant, cultural critic, and educated consumer.FindingsThe review finds that dominant US assumptions of commercial media subscribe to a stimulus‐response model of learning, rather than an active model of young people as constructing their own experiences with commercial media. Much of the research and many of the policies about commercial media in schools reflect adult assumptions about how young people learn, rather than provide empirical research about how young people actually interact with commercial texts while in school. The paper questions an excessive emphasis on the texts and technologies of instruction and calls for more empirical research that is grounded in theories of social constructivism, symbolic interactionism, and media education.Research limitations/implicationsThe four dominant media perspectives generated through this review of literature are limited to the USA.Practical implicationsA useful review of literature and schema to inform the understanding of educators, policy makers, and researchers as to the dominant US perspectives about commercial media and the education of young people. The schema can be used as a springboard for research and inquiry into the perspectives and policies of commercial practices and education in other countries.Originality/valueThis paper contextualizes nearly a century of research on commercial media and the education of youth in the USA, and provides a historical and theoretical context for researching education, technology and commerce in the USA and other countries.
Empirical examination of diversification strategies in business groups
Authors: Mishra Anurag , Akbar M. 
Published: February 2007

PurposeTo examine the influence of direction of related and unrelated diversification on business groups' performance in emerging markets.Design/methodology/approachThe paper empirically examines a hypothesis based on the theoretical perspective of the resource‐based view. The paper builds a regression model with the dependent variable Tobin's q as a proxy for group/firm value and various other performance measures (derived from financial data) that theory suggests influences firm value. It examines the differences in firm value measure across three classes, namely related‐diversified business groups, unrelated‐diversified business groups and standalone firms.FindingsThe results confirm the findings of prior research which suggests that group affiliation is beneficial in emerging markets. However, as a departure, the main finding is that the benefits of group affiliation are not equally available to related‐diversified and unrelated diversified groups.Research limitations/implicationsThis research needs to be tested in other emerging markets for generalizability. The results hold under certain assumptions that the paper makes (and mentions) while subjecting data to aggregation and empirical analysis.Practical implicationsWhile diversified business groups are valued in emerging markets, this work clearly establishes that related‐diversification strategy is better and more profitable in the context of emerging market. Thus, managers of business groups are better off pursuing related‐diversified strategy over unrelated‐diversified strategy.Originality/valuePrior work has examined the benefits of group affiliation and the extent of diversification question separately. This paper examines the direction of diversification question which is built based on the resource‐based perspective for the first time. This contribution extends the understanding of business groups and performance linkages in an emerging market context.
Combining substrate dynamics, binding statistics, and energy barriers to rationalize regioselective hydroxylation of octane and lauric acid by CYP102A1 and mutants
Authors: Feenstra K. Anton , Starikov Eugene B. , Urlacher Vlada B. , Commandeur Jan N.M. , Vermeulen Nico P.E. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractHydroxylations of octane and lauric acid by Cytochrome P450‐BM3 (CYP102A1) wild‐type and three active site mutants—F87A, L188Q/A74G, and F87V/L188Q/A74G—were rationalized using a combination of substrate orientation from docking, substrate binding statistics from molecular dynamics simulations, and barrier energies for hydrogen atom abstraction from quantum mechanical calculations. Wild‐type BM3 typically hydroxylates medium‐ to long‐chain fatty acids on subterminal (ω−1, ω−2, ω−3) but not the terminal (ω) positions. The known carboxylic anchoring site Y51/R47 for lauric acid, and hydrophobic interactions and steric exclusion, mainly by F87, for octane as well as lauric acid, play a role in the binding modes of the substrates. Electrostatic interactions between the protein and the substrate strongly modulate the substrate's regiodependent activation barriers. A combination of the binding statistics and the activation barriers of hydrogen‐atom abstraction in the substrates is proposed to determine the product formation. Trends observed in experimental product formation for octane and lauric acid by wild‐type BM3 and the three active site mutants were qualitatively explained. It is concluded that the combination of substrate binding statistics and hydrogen–atom abstraction barrier energies is a valuable tool to rationalize substrate binding and product formation and constitutes an important step toward prediction of product ratios.
Design, expression, and stability of a diverse protein library based on the human fibronectin type III domain
Authors: Olson C. Anders , Roberts Richard W. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractProtein libraries based on natural scaffolds enable the generation of novel molecular tools and potential therapeutics by directed evolution. Here, we report the design and construction of a high complexity library (30 × 1013 sequences) based on the 10th fibronectin type III domain of human fibronectin (10FnIII). We examined the bacterial expression characteristics and stability of this library using a green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐reporter screen, SDS‐PAGE analysis, and chemical denaturation, respectively. The high throughput GFP reporter screen demonstrates that a large fraction of our library expresses significant levels of soluble protein in bacteria. However, SDS‐PAGE analysis of expression cultures indicates the ratio of soluble to insoluble protein expressed varies greatly for randomly chosen library members. We also tested the stabilities of several representative variants by guanidinium chloride denaturation. All variants tested displayed cooperative unfolding transitions similar to wild‐type, and two exhibited free energies of unfolding equal to wild‐type 10FnIII. This work demonstrates the utility of GFP‐based screening as a tool for analysis of high‐complexity protein libraries. Our results indicate that a vast amount of protein sequence space surrounding the 10FnIII scaffold is accessible for the generation of novel functions by directed as well as natural evolution.
NMR structure of the pseudo‐receiver domain of CikA
Authors: Gao Tiyu , Zhang Xiaofan , Ivleva Natalia B. , Golden Susan S. , LiWang Andy 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThe circadian input kinase (CikA) is a major element of the pathway that provides environmental information to the circadian clock of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. CikA is a polypeptide of 754 residues and has three recognizable domains: GAF, histidine protein kinase, and receiver‐like. This latter domain of CikA lacks the conserved phospho‐accepting aspartyl residue of bona fide receiver domains and is thus a pseudo‐receiver (PsR). Recently, it was shown that the PsR domain (1) attenuates the autokinase activity of CikA, (2) is necessary to localize CikA to the cell pole, and (3) is necessary for the destabilization of CikA in the presence of the quinone analog 2,5‐dibromo‐3‐methyl‐6‐isopropyl‐p‐benzoquinone (DBMIB). The solution structure of the PsR domain of CikA, CikAPsR, is presented here. A model of the interaction between the PsR domain and HPK portion of CikA provides a potential explanation for how the PsR domain attenuates the autokinase activity of CikA. Finally, a likely quinone‐binding surface on CikAPsR is shown here.
Electrostatic changes in phosphorylase kinase induced by its obligatory allosteric activator Ca2+
Authors: Priddy Timothy S. , Middaugh C. Russell , Carlson Gerald M. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractSkeletal muscle phosphorylase kinase (PhK) is a 1.3‐MDa hexadecameric complex that catalyzes the phosphorylation and activation of glycogen phosphorylase b. PhK has an absolute requirement for Ca2+ ions, which couples the cascade activation of glycogenolysis with muscle contraction. Ca2+ activates PhK by binding to its nondissociable calmodulin subunits; however, specific changes in the structure of the PhK complex associated with its activation by Ca2+ have been poorly understood. We present herein the first comparative investigation of the physical characteristics of highly purified hexadecameric PhK in the absence and presence of Ca2+ ions using a battery of biophysical probes as a function of temperature. Ca2+‐induced differences in the tertiary and secondary structure of PhK measured by fluorescence, UV absorption, FTIR, and CD spectroscopies as low resolution probes of PhK's structure were subtle. In contrast, the surface electrostatic properties of solvent accessible charged and polar groups were altered upon the binding of Ca2+ ions to PhK, which substantially affected both its diffusion rate and electrophoretic mobility, as measured by dynamic light scattering and zeta potential analyses, respectively. Overall, the observed physicochemical effects of Ca2+ binding to PhK were numerous, including a decrease in its electrostatic surface charge that reduced particle mobility without inducing a large alteration in secondary structure content or hydrophobic tertiary interactions. Without exception, for all analyses in which the temperature was varied, the presence of Ca2+ rendered the enzyme increasingly labile to thermal perturbation.
Domain motions of glucosamine‐6P synthase: Comparison of the anisotropic displacements in the crystals and the catalytic hinge‐bending rotation
Authors: Mouilleron Stéphane , Golinelli‐Pimpaneau Béatrice 
Published: February 2007

AbstractGlucosamine‐6‐phosphate synthase channels ammonia over 18 Å from glutamine at the glutaminase site to fructose‐6P at the synthase site. We have modeled the anisotropic displacements of the glutaminase and synthase domains from the two crystallized states, the enzyme in complex with fructose‐6P or in complex with glucose‐6P and a glutamine affinity analog, using TLS (rigid‐body motion in terms of translation, libration, and screw motions) refinement implemented in REFMAC. The domains displacements in the crystal lattices are compared to the movement of the glutaminase domain relative to the synthase domain that occurs during the catalytic cycle upon glutamine binding, which was visualized by comparing the two structures. This movement was analyzed by the program DYNDOM as a 22.8° rotation around an effective hinge axis running approximately parallel to helix 300–317 of the synthase domain, the glutaminase loop that covers the glutaminase site upon glutamine binding acting as the mechanical hinge.
Kinetic analysis of the binding of monomeric and dimeric ephrins to Eph receptors: Correlation to function in a growth cone collapse assay
Authors: Pabbisetty Kumar B. , Yue Xin , Li Chen , Himanen Juha‐Pekka , Zhou Renping , Nikolov Dimitar B. , Hu Longqin 
Published: February 2007

AbstractEph receptors and ephrins play important roles in regulating cell migration and positioning during both normal and oncogenic tissue development. Using a surface plasma resonance (SPR) biosensor, we examined the binding kinetics of representative monomeric and dimeric ephrins to their corresponding Eph receptors and correlated the apparent binding affinity with their functional activity in a neuronal growth cone collapse assay. Our results indicate that the Eph receptor binding of dimeric ephrins, formed through fusion with disulfide‐linked Fc fragments, is best described using a bivalent analyte model as a two‐step process involving an initial monovalent 2:1 binding followed by a second bivalent 2:2 binding. The bivalent binding dramatically decreases the apparent dissociation rate constants with little effect on the initial association rate constants, resulting in a 30‐ to 6000‐fold decrease in apparent equilibrium dissociation constants for the binding of dimeric ephrins to Eph receptors relative to their monomeric counterparts. Interestingly, the change was more prominent in the A‐class ephrin/Eph interactions than in the B‐class of ephrins to Eph receptors. The increase in apparent binding affinities correlated well with increased activation of Eph receptors and the resulting growth cone collapse. Our kinetic analysis and correlation of binding affinity with function helped us better understand the interactions between ephrins and Eph receptors and should be useful in the design of inhibitors that interfere with the interactions.