B2B E-Marketplace in the Procurement Supply Chain of Airlines: a Strategic Direction for the Future?

With the airline industry experiencing a global economic downturn, B2B e-Business isbecoming more and more the focus of airlines’ strategies. More recently, airlines have studiedintensively the potential of joint-procurement possibilities and have taken measures in creatingconsortia-led B2B e-Marketplaces as mediators for aggregating demand and to facilitate transactions.In academic literature, limited academic research has been undertaken in exploring the value creation of B2B e-Marketplace models in the aviation industry. The aim is to conduct a theoretical analysis to explore whether or not e-Marketplaces have the potential to add value to procurement in the aviation industry. The research focuses on the potential of B2B e-Marketplaces in terms of improving an airline’s competitiveness in its procurement value chain. The theoretical framework adopted supports the identification of barriers to success and critical success factors

A New Hub in the Aviation Industry: towards an Integration of B2B e-marketplaces in the Airline Industry

In academic literature, limited academic research has been undertaken in exploring the value creation of B2B e-Marketplace models in the aviation industry. The aim is to conduct a theoretical analysis to explore whether or not e-Marketplaces have the potential to add value to procurement in the aviation industry. The research focuses on the potential of B2B e-Marketplaces in terms of improving an airline’s competitiveness in its procurement value chain. The theoretical framework adopted supports the identification of barriers to success and critical success factors

Capable environments

Purpose: To outline the role played by different aspects of the social, physical and organisational environments in preventing behaviour described as challenging in people with learning disabilities. Design/methodology/approach: Conceptual elaboration drawing on research and practice literature. Findings: Community placements for people with learning disabilities should develop the characteristics of capable environments. Such characteristics are associated with prevention of challenging behaviour and improved quality of life outcomes. Originality/value: The notion of the capable environment may help to shift the focus from the individual who displays behaviour described as challenging to the characteristics of the social, physical and organisational supports that they receive

Numerical and analytical study of undular bores governed by the full water wave equations and bi-directional Whitham-Boussinesq equations

Undular bores, also termed dispersive shock waves, generated by an initial discontinuity in height as governed by two forms of the Boussinesq system of weakly nonlinear shallow water wave theory, the standard formulation and a Hamiltonian formulation, two related Whitham-Boussinesq equations, and the full water wave equations for gravity surface waves are studied and compared. It is found that the Whitham-Boussinesq systems give solutions in excellent agreement with numerical solutions of the full water wave equations for the positions of the leading and trailing edges of the bore up until the onset on modulational instability. The Whitham-Boussinesq systems, which are far simpler than the full water wave equations, can then be used to accurately model surface water wave undular bores. Finally, comparisons with numerical solutions of the full water wave equations show that the Whitham-Boussinesq systems give a slightly lower threshold for the onset of modulational instability in terms of the height of the initial step generating the undular bore

Editorial: Molecular mechanisms of flowering plant reproduction

Plant reproduction is an intricate process important for the survival of all dominant autotrophs and critical in agriculture and stable food production as the basis of our diet. Angiosperms undergo extreme transformations during their ontogeny, leading to the reproductive transition. During this process, several steps are needed, including transforming a shoot apical or a lateral vegetative meristem into an inflorescence meristem with flowering competence. Floral meristems are formed from the latter accompanied by cell differentiation leading to gamete formation in specialized reproductive floral organs. Gamete interaction relies on successful pollination, whether that occurs via biotic or abiotic vectors. In addition, fertilization requires numerous molecular and hormonal signals in place and results in proper pollen tube growth, zygote viability, and seed formation. This Research Topic addresses some of the most outstanding discoveries on angiosperm reproduction in model species like Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa and crops like cauliflower, cassava, citrus, and sugarcane, among others. In the papers on the topic, the reader will discover highlights on extremely diverse floral promotion pathways, mechanisms of floral organ identity and morphogenesis, sporogenesis and gametogenesis, pollen presentation, pollination, and fertilization strategies.Fil: Pabón Mora, Natalia. Universidad de Antioquia; ColombiaFil: Goldman, Maria Helena S.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Smyth, David R.. Monash University; AustraliaFil: Muschietti, Jorge Prometeo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Costa, Maria Manuela R.. Universidade do Minho; Portuga

Paying more or accepting less child support: Parental compromises in CSA private collect

We extend our two earlier articles in this special issue by conducting a detailed cross-case analysis of the reason(s) that individual payers and payees gave for paying more or taking less child support than required. We focus on apparently consensual arrangements occurring in the context of private transfers because the ‘black box’ nature of these transfers means that the presence of financial abuse may be hidden. Data were collected in 2008 (ie, pre-child support reform). The analytic sample (n=107) comprised: (a) 64 female payees who reported accepting less child support than was due; (b) 43 male payers who reported paying more child support than was due. Among those who reported private transfers of child support, we found evidence of both cooperation and possible financial coercion. Future research needs to explore potential gender differences in the language of financial ‘pressure’ and ‘intimidation’, and examine the nature of private child support arrangements struck as a result of intimidation and/or pressure

Bargaining in the shadow of the child support agency? cooperative versus coercive private arrangements.

There is a notable lack of empirical data on the prevalence of private child support arrangements and the dynamics surrounding them. This article examines the reasons some non-resident fathers give for paying more than their ‘official’ child support obligation, as well as the reasons some resident mothers report accepting lower payments. We analyse data from 733 separated parents registered with the Child Support Agency surveyed as part of a large national study conducted in early 2008. One quarter (n=185) of respondents reported paying more, or taking less, child support than was due. As might be expected, the majority of those private child support arrangements appeared to occur in cases where the Child Support Agency was not responsible for collecting payments. Our data suggest that private child support arrangements may be more widespread than previously discussed, and can be motivated by the desire to: (a) protect or encourage parent–child contact; (b) stop fights over parenting arrangements; (c) improve the perceived fairness of payments — or some combination of these. Our data also suggest that female payees were more likely to report feeling intimidated and/or pressured to take less child support than male payers who reported paying over and above their child support assessment. These pre-reform data raise the spectre that coercion may underpin a number of private child support arrangements, and that some male payers may be informally paying extra child support in order to have regular contact with their children

'Private' child support arrangements in Australia: A brief primer

This is the first article in a three-part series examining ‘private’ child support arrangements in Australia. This brief primer sets out the basic ‘nuts and bolts’ of administrative assessments and the provisions for formal child support agreements that can be accepted by the Child Support Registrar. It also sets out the options for parents to make ‘informal’ agreements that do not conform with the official child support register. This piece acts as useful technical background to the two accompanying empirical articles by the authors in this issue

Adipose-Derived Autotaxin Regulates Inflammation and Steatosis Associated with Diet-Induced Obesity

Autotaxin (ATX) is a secreted enzyme that generates the bioactive lipid lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). We generated mice with global inducible post-natal inactivation or adipose-specific loss of the Enpp2 gene encoding ATX. The animals are phenotypically unremarkable and exhibit differences in adipocyte size and adipose tissue expression of inflammatory genes after high fat feeding without gross differences in fat distribution or body mass. Surprisingly, both models of Enpp2- deficiency exhibited marked protection from high fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis. This phenotype was not associated with differences in dietary fat absorption but may be accounted for by differences in hepatic expression of genes involved in de novo synthesis of triglycerides. These findings suggest that pharmacological inhibition of ATX might be protective against hepatic steatosis

Nebulization of a polyelectrolyte-drug system for systemic hypertension treatment

Hypertension is a chronic pathology where blood pressure levels are continuously high, causing cardiac, renal, cerebral, and vascular damage leading to early morbi-mortality. This illness is the main risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and the main cause of atrial fibrillation. Atenolol (AT) is a β-1 blocker drug useful for antihypertension and antiarrhythmic treatments. However, this drug possesses low oral bioavailability associated to its low permeability and extensive hepatic first-pass metabolism. To solve the conventional AT-administration problems, oral controlled-release and transdermal delivery have been reported. In this work, an alternative AT inhalatory system administered by nebulization is presented. This system is based on an ionic complex between acidic groups of alginic acid and cationic groups of AT (AA-AT), which was obtained by spray-drying. Pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical properties for AA-AT inhalatory administration using a jet nebulizer were investigated. The aerodynamic performance (assayed at different cup-nebulizer loadings) of the nebulized system demonstrated that around 40% of the formulation would deposit in the respiratory membrane, with mass median aerodynamic diameters of 3.4–3.6 µm. The AT carried in the AA-AT system was released adequately by ionic exchange in saline solution by permeation through a cellulose membrane. The presence of AA as polyelectrolyte conferred mucoadhesive properties to the ionic complex. Even at high relative AA-AT concentrations, no cytotoxic effect was detected in A-549 cell line. Finally, the preliminary pharmacokinetic assay in the in vivo model confirmed that AT was absorbed from the lung to the systemic circulation, with a greater plasmatic AUC compared to the pure drug (around 50% higher). Then, the system and the nebulization administration demonstrated potential for drug cardiac targeting.Fil: Ceschan, Nazareth Eliana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química; ArgentinaFil: Scioli Montoto, Sebastián. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencas Exactas. Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Bioactivos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Sbaraglini, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencas Exactas. Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Bioactivos; ArgentinaFil: Ruiz, María Esperanza. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencas Exactas. Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Bioactivos; ArgentinaFil: Smyth, Hugh David Charles. University of Texas at Austin; Estados UnidosFil: Bucala, Veronica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química; ArgentinaFil: Ramírez Rigo, María Veronica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química; Argentin