Showing papers by "University of Winnipeg published in 2012"

Implementing coordination contracts in a manufacturer Stackelberg dual-channel supply chain

Abstract: We examine a manufacturer's pricing strategies in a dual-channel supply chain, in which the manufacturer is a Stackelberg leader and the retailer is a follower. We show the conditions under which the manufacturer and the retailer both prefer a dual-channel supply chain. We examine the coordination schemes for a dual-channel supply chain and find that a manufacturer's contract with a wholesale price and a price for the direct channel can coordinate the dual-channel supply channel, benefiting the retailer but not the manufacturer. We illustrate how such a contract with a complementary agreement, such as a two-part tariff or a profit-sharing agreement, can coordinate the dual-channel supply chain and enable both the manufacturer and the retailer to be a win–win.

Inoculation of bats with European Geomyces destructans supports the novel pathogen hypothesis for the origin of white-nose syndrome

Abstract: White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emerging disease of hibernating bats associated with cutaneous infection by the fungus Geomyces destructans (Gd), and responsible for devastating declines of bat populations in eastern North America. Affected bats appear emaciated and one hypothesis is that they spend too much time out of torpor during hibernation, depleting vital fat reserves required to survive the winter. The fungus has also been found at low levels on bats throughout Europe but without mass mortality. This finding suggests that Gd is either native to both continents but has been rendered more pathogenic in North America by mutation or environmental change, or that it recently arrived in North America as an invader from Europe. Thus, a causal link between Gd and mortality has not been established and the reason for its high pathogenicity in North America is unknown. Here we show that experimental inoculation with either North American or European isolates of Gd causes WNS and mortality in the North American bat, Myotis lucifugus. In contrast to control bats, individuals inoculated with either isolate of Gd developed cutaneous infections diagnostic of WNS, exhibited a progressive increase in the frequency of arousals from torpor during hibernation, and were emaciated after 3–4 mo. Our results demonstrate that altered torpor-arousal cycles underlie mortality from WNS and provide direct evidence that Gd is a novel pathogen to North America from Europe.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Base of the Pyramid: A Recipe for Inclusive Growth or Social Exclusion?

Abstract: Policy makers often see entrepreneurship as a panacea for inclusive growth in underdeveloped ‘Base of the Pyramid’ (BOP) regions, but it may also lead to unanticipated negative outcomes such as crime and social exclusion. Our objective is to improve the understanding of how entrepreneurship policies can lead to socially inclusive growth at the BOP. Drawing on data collected from Brazilian tourism destinations with varying entrepreneurship, innovation, and social inclusion policies, we argue that weak institutions coupled with alert entrepreneurs encourage destructive outcomes, especially if entrepreneurship policies are based solely on economic indicators. Policies addressing both economic and social perspectives may foster more productive entrepreneurial outcomes, albeit at a more constrained economic pace. The study extends the related BOP, entrepreneurship, global value chain, and sustainable tourism literatures by examining the poor as entrepreneurs, the role of local innovation, and how entrepreneurship policies generate different social impacts within poor communities.

Unpacking the social media phenomenon: towards a research agenda

Abstract: In this paper, we highlight some of the challenges and opportunities that social media presents to researchers, and offer relevant theoretical avenues to be explored. To do this, we present a model that unpacks social media by using a honeycomb of seven functional building blocks. We then examine each of the seven building blocks and, through appropriate social and socio-technical theories, raise questions that warrant further in-depth research to advance the conceptualization of social media in public affairs research. Finally, we combine the individual research questions for each building block back into the honeycomb model to illustrate how the theories in combination provide a powerful macro-lens for research on social media dynamics. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

NEMA NU 4-2008 Comparison of Preclinical PET Imaging Systems

Abstract: The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) standard NU 4-2008 for performance measurements of small-animal tomographs was recently published. Before this standard, there were no standard testing procedures for preclinical PET systems, and manufacturers could not provide clear specifications similar to those available for clinical systems under NEMA NU 2-1994 and 2-2001. Consequently, performance evaluation papers used methods that were modified ad hoc from the clinical PET NEMA standard, thus making comparisons between systems difficult. Methods: We acquired NEMA NU 4-2008 performance data for a collection of commercial animal PET systems manufactured since 2000: microPET P4, microPET R4, microPET Focus 120, microPET Focus 220, Inveon, ClearPET, Mosaic HP, Argus (formerly eXplore Vista), VrPET, LabPET 8, and LabPET 12. The data included spatial resolution, counting-rate performance, scatter fraction, sensitivity, and image quality and were acquired using settings for routine PET. Results: The data showed a steady improvement in system performance for newer systems as compared with first-generation systems, with notable improvements in spatial resolution and sensitivity. Conclusion: Variation in system design makes direct comparisons between systems from different vendors difficult. When considering the results from NEMA testing, one must also consider the suitability of the PET system for the specific imaging task at hand.

Agentic and communal values: their scope and measurement.

Abstract: Agency is the meta-concept associated with self-advancement in social hierarchies; communion is the partner concept associated with maintenance of positive relationships. Despite the wealth of data documenting the conceptual utility of agency and communion (A & C) as superordinate metaconcepts, no direct measures of global A & C value dimensions are currently available. The first part of this article presents structural analyses of data from 4 diverse data sets (3 archival and 1 new): Each included a broad inventory of values or life goals. All 4 data sets revealed higher order A & C dimensions that were either apparent or implicit. The second part details the development of the ACV, a 24-item questionnaire measuring global A and C values, and documents its psychometric properties. Four studies support their joint construct validity by positioning the value measures within a nomological network of interpersonal traits, self-favorability biases, ideology dimensions, gender, socio-sexuality, and religious a...

What makes a cry a cry? A review of infant distress vocalizations

Abstract: In contrast to the cries of human infants, sounds made by non-human infants in different stressful behavioral contexts (hunger or physical discomfort, isolation, capture by humans or predators) are usually treated as distinct types of vocalizations. However, if distress vocalizations produced by different species and in different contexts share a common motivational state and associated neurochemical pathways, we can expect them to share a common acoustic structure and adaptive function, showing only limited variation that corresponds to the infant's level of arousal. Based on this premise, we review the acoustic structure and adaptive function of two types of distress calls, those given when infants were isolated from their mothers (isolation calls) or captured by humans (capture calls). We conducted a within-context comparison examining the two call types across a diverse se- lection of mammalian species and other vertebrate groups, followed by a comparison of how acoustic structure and function dif- fers between these contexts. In addition, we assessed acoustic traits that are critical to the response of caregivers. Across verte- brate species, distress vocalizations produced in these two behavioral contexts tend to be tonal with a simple chevron, flat or de- scending pattern of frequency modulation. Reports that both isolation and capture calls of vertebrate infants serve to attract care- givers are universal, and the fundamental frequency of infant vocalizations is often critical to this response. The results of our re- view are consistent with the hypothesis that differences in the acoustic structure of isolation and capture distress vocalizations re- flect differences in arousal, and not discrete functions. The similarity in acoustic structure and caregiver response observed across vertebrates adds support to the hypothesis that the production and processing of distress vocalizations are part of a highly-conserved system of social vocal behaviour in vertebrates. Bioacoustic research may move forward by recognizing the commonality among different forms of infant solicitations that attract caregivers, and the commonality of these solicitations with vocalizations that attract conspecifics in still other behavioral contexts (Current Zoology 58 (5): 698−726, 2012).

Silos and Social Identity: The Social Identity Approach as a Framework for Understanding and Overcoming Divisions in Health Care

Abstract: The achievement of integration and collaboration among different providers of care is one of the foremost challenges facing today's health care system. The theme of overcoming disciplinary, sectoral, and institutional “silos” is echoed in almost every area of health-services research, from primary-care reform to patient safety, chronic-disease management to cost containment (e.g., Clancy 2006; Mann 2005; McDonald et al. 2007). The urgency of the problem has increased in the current policy context, where it can be argued that the success of health reform stands or falls on the ability of delivery system reform to replace fragmentation and waste with coordination and cost-effectiveness. Strategies for achieving this—from the micro level of interprofessional teams and primary care medical homes, to the macro level of accountable care organizations—are fundamentally about collaboration across silos. Indeed, while serving as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Donald Berwick placed the elimination of silos at the top of a list of values needed to improve American health care (Schaeffer 2011). Interest in teamwork and integration, and in the organizational changes that may foster them, is equally strong internationally (Finn, Currie, and Martin 2010; Mann 2005). Yet earlier reviews, albeit extensive (e.g., Oandasan et al. 2006), have not offered a theory of what makes cross-silo relationships flourish or decay. Part of the problem may be that although such relationships clearly constitute an intergroup issue, the theme of group dynamics is frequently ignored. Most of the literature does not focus on the group level, but on the individual and interpersonal (e.g., what traits, skills, and processes facilitate teamwork) or the operational and systemic (e.g., what structures and resources promote integration). To amend this gap, we seek out literature that addresses the neglected group level and examine this body of literature through the lens of a general theory of group processes: the social identity approach (SIA), which comprises social identity theory (SIT; see Tajfel and Turner 1979) and its extension, self-categorization theory (Turner et al. 1987). There is increasing recognition of the value of theory in guiding health-services and policy research (Grol et al. 2007). However, researchers have also cautioned that a proliferation of theoretical constructs promotes confusion, not understanding (Michie et al. 2005). Whereas one popular approach is to devise frameworks by combining theories, thus risking a fragmented analysis that lacks conceptual coherence, this article explores the integrative potential of a single theory that is sufficiently broad and multifaceted for the task. In doing so, it seeks not to diminish the value of other theoretical approaches, but to highlight the SIA's capacity to synthesize findings and insights from disparate traditions. The SIA arose from the recognition that group memberships form an important part of the individual's self-concept. Focusing on the nexus between the individual and the group, this approach explores how seeing ourselves and others in terms of social categories affects our perceptions, attitudes, and behavior. The SIA encompasses five key dimensions: Social identity. People categorize themselves and others as members of an in-group (“us”) or an out-group (“them”), because (a) being part of a positively valued group enhances self-esteem and (b) categorization offers a meaningful way to organize the social world (Tajfel and Turner 1979; Turner et al. 1987). People also compare their group with others, often striving to maximize the positive distinctiveness of their own. When social identity is salient, people focus more on the shared attributes uniting group members than on the personal characteristics differentiating them. These perceptions engender group behavior, which, depending on the context, can be either positive (e.g., cooperation) or negative (e.g., discrimination). Social structure. Structural relations among groups, notably intergroup differences in status and power (especially if seen as unstable and illegitimate), can make the difference between conflict and peaceful coexistence (Tajfel and Turner 1979). Groups can alter structural relations when they take collective action on the basis of their social identity. Identity content. The identities we value are defined by specific norms and attributes. Members internalize group norms and use them to guide behavior (including intergroup behavior) and to evaluate other members, including leaders (Haslam 2004; Jetten, Spears, and Manstead 1996). Members also mobilize in support of, or to combat threats to, these shared norms (Ellemers, Spears, and Branscombe 1999). Strength of identification. Individuals typically belong to many groups, but tend to identify strongly with some and weakly with others. Group identification amplifies both positive and negative social behavior (Ellemers, Spears, and Doosje 2002); high identifiers are more likely to take action in the service of group goals and to fight to protect the group from perceived threats to its status, distinctiveness, or norms. Context. The relative prominence of an individual's multiple identities is not fixed but changes with the social context (Turner et al. 1987). This fluidity of social identity—well demonstrated in empirical studies (e.g., Levine and Reicher 1996)—provides hope that by modifying the context, we can change group behavior. The SIA has three major strengths: (1) as a general theory of group processes and intergroup relations, it enables the transfer of insights across levels (e.g., interprofessional to interorganizational) and domains (e.g., non–health care to health care); (2) as a multidimensional theory, it allows researchers and decision makers to consider multiple influences on (inter)group dynamics; and (3) as a well-established theory that has continued to develop over three decades, it has a strong empirical foundation in both basic and applied research (Ellemers, Spears, and Doosje 2002). Haslam (2004) extensively reviewed the SIA's contribution to organizational psychology, presenting evidence that adumbrates social identity's important role in myriad phenomena, including leadership, employee motivation and commitment, communication, group performance, intergroup negotiation, group decision making, and response to stress. Among the relevant findings: leaders are more likely to win support when they belong to a valued in-group, advance its interests, and endorse its norms—indeed, members tend to prefer leaders whose characteristics differentiate them from an out-group, even when such characteristics are objectively undesirable (Haslam, Reicher, and Platow 2011); organizational identification reliably outperforms job satisfaction as a predictor of an employee's intent to stay (Randsley de Moura et al. 2009); and shared social identity underpins effective communication—not only does information flow less readily across salient intergroup boundaries (Agama 1997), but we are more receptive to influence from in-group members, as we assume that they see the world as we do (Abrams et al. 1990). We investigated both what the SIA has already contributed and what it can contribute to an understanding of intra- and intergroup relationships among health care providers. Our review questions were (1) To what extent, and how accurately, has the SIA been applied? and (2) How does the overall literature on health care groups (including non-SIA-citing sources) address the five SIA dimensions? The first question required a critical analysis of sources citing social identity; the second demanded a broader exploration of the perspectives from which health care groups have been examined. We describe our approach as a “critical scoping review”—a combination of scoping review (Arksey and O’Malley 2005) and theory-based synthesis.

Sediment records of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the continental shelf of China: implications for evolving anthropogenic impacts.

Abstract: Sources, compositions, and historical records of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment cores collected from the Yellow Sea and the South China Sea were analyzed to investigate the influence of anthropogenic activities. The occurrence of PAHs was mainly derived from various combustion sources, especially the combustion of biomass and domestic coal. Uniform composition of sedimentary PAHs (52–62% of phenanthrene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, and benzo[g,h,i]perylene) suggested air-borne mixtures intractable to degradation. The concentrations of the sum of 15 PAHs (16 priority pollutants designed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency minus naphthalene; designed as Σ15PAH) in Yellow Sea sediment cores were generally higher than those in the South China Sea. The profiles of Σ15PAH concentrations recorded in the sediment cores closely followed historical socioeconomic development in China. In general, Σ15PAH concentrations started to increase from the background pol...

Successive phase transitions and extended spin-excitation continuum in the S=1/2 triangular-lattice antiferromagnet Ba3CoSb2O9.

Abstract: Using magnetic, thermal, and neutron measurements on single-crystal samples, we show that ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{3}{\mathrm{CoSb}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{9}$ is a spin-$1/2$ triangular-lattice antiferromagnet with the $c$ axis as the magnetic easy axis and two magnetic phase transitions bracketing an intermediate up-up-down phase in magnetic field applied along the $c$ axis. A pronounced extensive neutron-scattering continuum above spin-wave excitations, observed below ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$, implies that the system is in close proximity to one of two spin-liquid states that have been predicted for a 2D triangular lattice.

Transformative learning theory, public involvement, and natural resource and environmental management

Abstract: This paper reviews studies of transformative learning through public involvement in natural resource and environmental management (NREM). It summarises evidence regarding instrumental, communicative, transformative and sustainability-oriented learning outcomes, and learning processes such as reflection, rational discourse and applying new frames of references in individual and social action. The paper discusses the implications for the design of NREM and public involvement, and presents a new framework connecting non-formal education, involvement in NREM, transformative learning and sustainability. The paper concludes with suggestions for promising future research, such as scaling up transformative learning in the context of NREM, including examining potential complementarities with leading models of social and organisational learning.

First muon-neutrino disappearance study with an off-axis beam

Abstract: We report a measurement of muon-neutrino disappearance in the T2K experiment. The 295-km muon-neutrino beam from Tokai to Kamioka is the first implementation of the off-axis technique in a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. With data corresponding to 1.43 x 10(20) protons on target, we observe 31 fully-contained single mu-like ring events in Super-Kamiokande, compared with an expectation of 104 +/- 14 (syst) events without neutrino oscillations. The best-fit point for two-flavor nu(mu) -> nu(tau) oscillations is sin(2)(2 theta(23)) = 0.98 and vertical bar Delta m(32)(2)vertical bar = 2.65 x 10(-3) eV(2). The boundary of the 90% confidence region includes the points sin(2)(2 theta(23)), vertical bar Delta m(32)(2)vertical bar = (1.0, 3.1 x 10(-3) eV(2)), (0.84, 2.65 x 10(-3) eV(2)) and (1.0, 2.2 x 10(-3) eV(2)).

An Arousal Regulation Explanation of Mood Effects on Consumer Choice

Abstract: This article examines how consumers’ preferences are affected by the interplay between their level of arousal and the valence of their current affective state. Building on prior research examining the regulation of mood valence, the authors propose that consumers are also motivated to manage their level of arousal. It is predicted that this motivation systematically affects consumers’ product preferences such that consumers in a pleasant mood will tend to choose products that are congruent with their current level of arousal, while those in an unpleasant mood will tend to choose products that are incongruent with their current level of arousal. The results of three consequential choice studies—that use scent and music to vary consumers’ moods—provide strong support for the hypotheses. The article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical implications of the results.

Measurements of the T2K neutrino beam properties using the INGRID on-axis near detector

Abstract: Precise measurement of neutrino beam direction and intensity was achieved based on a new concept with modularized neutrino detectors. INGRID (Interactive Neutrino GRID) is an on-axis near detector for the T2K long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. INGRID consists of 16 identical modules arranged in horizontal and vertical arrays around the beam center. The module has a sandwich structure of iron target plates and scintillator trackers. INGRID directly monitors the muon neutrino beam profile center and intensity using the number of observed neutrino events in each module. The neutrino beam direction is measured with accuracy better than 0.4 mrad from the measured profile center. The normalized event rate is measured with 4% precision.

Hibernation energetics of free-ranging little brown bats

Abstract: Hibernation physiology and energy expenditure have been relatively well studied in large captive hibernators, especially rodents, but data from smaller, free-ranging hibernators are sparse. We examined variation in the hibernation patterns of free-ranging little brown bats ( Myotis lucifugus ) using temperature-sensitive radio-transmitters. First, we aimed to test the hypothesis that age, sex and body condition affect expression of torpor and energy expenditure during hibernation. Second, we examined skin temperature to assess whether qualitative differences in the thermal properties of the hibernacula of bats, compared with the burrows of hibernating rodents, might lead to different patterns of torpor and arousal for bats. We also evaluated the impact of carrying transmitters on body condition to help determine the potential impact of telemetry studies. We observed large variation in the duration of torpor bouts within and between individuals but detected no effect of age, sex or body condition on torpor expression or estimates of energy expenditure. We observed the use of shallow torpor in the midst of periodic arousals, which may represent a unique adaptation of bats for conservation of energy during the most costly phase of hibernation. There was no difference in the body condition of hibernating bats outfitted with transmitters compared with that of control bats captured from the same hibernaculum at the same time. This study provides new information on the energetics of hibernation in an under-represented taxon and baseline data important for understanding how white-nose syndrome, a new disease devastating populations of hibernating bats in North America, may alter the expression of hibernation in affected bats.

Enumeration and decidable properties of automatic sequences

Abstract: We show that various aspects of k-automatic sequences — such as having an unbordered factor of length n — are both decidable and effectively enumerable. As a consequence it follows that many related sequences are either k-automatic or k-regular. These include many sequences previously studied in the literature, such as the recurrence function, the appearance function, and the repetitivity index. We also give some new characterizations of the class of k-regular sequences. Many results extend to other sequences defined in terms of Pisot numeration systems.

Transforming Schools and Strengthening Leadership to Support the Educational and Psychosocial Needs of War-Affected Children Living in Canada

Abstract: This article describes a qualitative research study that examined the educational experiences of refugee students who have immigrated to Canada. Many children from war-affected countries have been denied basic human entitlements, and their immigration to Canada represents hope for their futures. Evidence suggests that these students are further marginalized by an educational system that does not recognize their unique psychosocial needs and does not provide culturally sensitive support. Purposeful steps should be taken by school leaders to address the needs of newcomers and to facilitate pedagogical practices that make schools more equitable and socially just.

Evidence of late-summer mating readiness and early sexual maturation in migratory tree-roosting bats found dead at wind turbines.

Abstract: Understanding animal mating systems is an important component of their conservation, yet the precise mating times for many species of bats are unknown. The aim of this study was to better understand the details and timing of reproductive events in species of bats that die most frequently at wind turbines in North America, because such information can help inform conservation strategies. We examined the reproductive anatomy of hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), eastern red bats (L. borealis), and silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) found dead beneath industrial-scale wind turbines to learn more about when they mate. We evaluated 103 L. cinereus, 18 L. borealis, and 47 Ln. noctivagans from wind energy facilities in the United States and Canada. Histological analysis revealed that most male L. cinereus and L. borealis, as well as over half the Ln. noctivagans examined had sperm in the caudae epididymides by late August, indicating readiness to mate. Testes regression in male hoary bats coincided with enlargement of seminal vesicles and apparent growth of keratinized spines on the glans penis. Seasonality of these processes also suggests that mating could occur during August in L. cinereus. Spermatozoa were found in the uterus of an adult female hoary bat collected in September, but not in any other females. Ovaries of all females sampled had growing secondary or tertiary follicles, indicating sexual maturity even in first-year females. Lasiurus cinereus, L. borealis, and Ln. noctivagans are the only North American temperate bats in which most first-year young of both sexes are known to sexually mature in their first autumn. Our findings provide the first detailed information published on the seasonal timing of mating readiness in these species most affected by wind turbines.

Isomer-specific biotransformation of perfluorooctane sulfonamide in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Abstract: Great variability exists in perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) isomer patterns in human and wildlife samples, including unexpectedly high percentages (e.g., >40%) of branched isomers in human sera. Previous in vitro tests showed that branched PFOS-precursors were biotransformed faster than the corresponding linear isomer. Thus, high percentages of branched PFOS may be a biomarker of PFOS-precursor exposure in humans. We evaluated this hypothesis by examining the isomer-specific fate of perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA), a known PFOS-precursor, in male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to commercial PFOSA via food for 77 days (83.0 ± 20.4 ng kg(-1) day(-1)), followed by 27 days of depuration. Elimination half-lives of the two major branched PFOSA isomers (2.5 ± 1.0 days and 3.7 ± 1.2 days) were quicker than for linear PFOSA (5.9 ± 4.6 days), resulting in a depletion of branched PFOSA isomers in blood and tissues relative to the dose. A corresponding increase in the total branched isomer content of PFOS, the ultimate metabolite, in rat serum was not observed. However, a significant enrichment of 5m-PFOS and a significant depletion of 1m-PFOS were observed, relative to authentic electrochemical PFOS. The data cannot be directly extrapolated to humans, due to known differences in the toxicokinetics of PFOS in rodents and humans. However, the results confirm that in vivo exposure to commercially relevant PFOS-precursors can result in a distinct PFOS isomer profile that may be useful as a biomarker of exposure source.