Convenient Label Research Articles

Analysis of the photophysical properties of zearalenone using density functional theory

The intrinsic photophysical properties of the resorcylic acid moiety of zearalenone offer a convenient label free method to determine zearalenone levels in contaminated agricultural products. Steady-state fluorescence and density functional methods were applied to investigate the role of structural chemistry on zearalenone detection. Geometry optimization calculations using the B3LYP density functional identified a tautomeric form of zearalenone. Excited state geometries for zearalenone and a tautomeric form were obtained by MNDO semi-empirical optimizations. Steady-state fluorescence studies suggest that fluorescence quenching at neutral pH is associated with water interactions. Time-dependent density functional and ground state calculations indicate that the anionic and dianionic forms of zearalenone possess lower band gaps, excitation energies, and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals are positioned over the non-fluorophoric portion of zearalenone. These results suggest that deprotonation of one or more of the phenolic hydroxyls diminishes the intensity of the fluorescence emission of zearalenone.

Quantification of multiple simultaneously occurring nitrogen flows in the euphotic ocean

Abstract. The general features of the N cycle in the sunlit region of the ocean are well known, but methodological difficulties have previously confounded simultaneous quantification of transformation rates among the many different forms of N, e.g., ammonium (NH4+), nitrite (NO2−), nitrate (NO3−), and particulate/dissolved organic nitrogen (PN/DON). However, recent advances in analytical methodology have made it possible to employ a convenient isotope labeling technique to quantify in situ fluxes among oft-measured nitrogen species within the euphotic zone. Addition of a single 15N-labeled NH4+ tracer and monitoring of the changes in the concentrations and isotopic compositions of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), PN, NH4+, NO2−, and NO3− pools allowed us to quantify the 15N and 14N fluxes simultaneously. Constraints expressing the balance of 15N and 14N fluxes between the different N pools were expressed in the form of simultaneous equations, the unique solution of which via matrix inversion yielded the relevant N fluxes, including rates of NH4+, NO2−, and NO3− uptake; ammonia oxidation; nitrite oxidation; DON release; and NH4+ uptake by bacteria. The matrix inversion methodology that we used was designed specifically to analyze the results of incubations under simulated in situ conditions in the euphotic zone. By taking into consideration simultaneous fluxes among multiple N pools, we minimized potential artifacts caused by non-targeted processes in traditional source–product methods. The proposed isotope matrix method facilitates post hoc analysis of data from on-deck incubation experiments and can be used to probe effects of environmental factors (e.g., pH, temperature, and light) on multiple processes under controlled conditions.

Aitamurto, Kaarina and Simpson, Scott (eds) Modern Pagan and Native Faith Movements in Central and Eastern Europe (review)

REVIEWS 793 Aitamurto, Kaarina and Simpson, Scott (eds). Modern Pagan and Native Faith Movements in Central and Eastern Europe. Studies in Contemporary and Historical Paganism, 2. Routledge, Abingdon and New York, 2014. x + 358 pp. Tables. Notes. Bibliography. Index. £90.00. The volume, Modern Pagan and Native Faith Movements in Central and Eastern Europe, edited by Kaarina Aitamurto and Scott Simpson, two academics specializing in contemporary Paganism studies in Central and Eastern Europe, is an ambitious and successful contribution to Pagan studies. In Central and Eastern European countries, where this academic field is still relatively new, this collection can be regarded as pioneering, providing a thorough reflection on contemporary trends in Pagan and Native Faith movements in the region. The volume brilliantly challenges various stereotypes and paradigms related to the subject. These include the common Soviet experience or belief that modern Paganism in Eastern Europe is necessarily prone to nationalism, supportive of right wing politics and focused on local ethnic traditions (in contrast to that in the West, which is most commonly presented as concentrating on magic, liberation from traditional gender and sex roles or leaning to the political left). The authors also object to simplified models of study, such as the imposition of convenient labels (in many cases the English word ‘pagan’) without taking into consideration other definitions and an automatic hierarchical ordering of the objects of study. The collection is divided into three parts: overviews, country studies and thematic studies. The first part of the volume — overviews — aims to provide guidelines for the core of Pagan and Native Faith movements in the region. The chapter by Piotr Wiench is based on extensive research that covers most of the region and is focused on providing a theoretical framework for the analysis of Neopagan movements which emerged in the late-1980s. The article also discusses the relevance of post-colonial theory in studying the field. It evaluates to what extent foreign domination in the region had an impact on the dynamics of native religions. This is illustrated by an example of two analogous anti-Valentine’s Day campaigns by Shiv Sena Hindus and Polish Neopagans. This indicates that resistance to mass culture and foreign domination are shared by various anti-colonial groups around the world. In her chapter, Agnieszka Gajda explores the phenomenon of re-paganizing and the pagan ideas that originated from Romanticism, when a strong national culture was re-created in Poland. The Romantic re-discoveries of the Slavic Native Faith and re-acknowledgment of its value preconditioned the dawn of re-paganizing — the emergence of organized Neopagan movements in the twentieth century. SEER, 94, 4, October 2016 794 Although the chapter focuses on the Polish case, the phenomenon discussed can be applied to the region as a whole. The second part of the volume — country studies — analyses individual case studies. The essay by Rasa Pranskevičiūtė considers Lithuania, where Native Faith is relatively strong, well established and enjoys widespread support. The essay provides an explanation of the core principles of Lithuanian Romuva, using information gathered from interviews with its members. This establishes a contrast with the neighbouring Latvian Dievturi movement, presented in the chapter by Gatis Ozoliņš, which has been far less successful in attracting the younger generation. Fixations on conservative doctrines and a lack of innovation, as well as conflicts between groups, are identified as the key reasons for the absence of broader public recognition. The chapter by Anna-Marie Dostálová explores Pagan movements in the Czech Republic in the context of individual histories of the people involved in shaping Neopagan communities. The Czech case is particularly interesting because it is a construct of various traditions, and is perhaps the most open to Western forms of Neopaganism. What makes this contribution unique is that the author is herself a member of a Neopagan community and is actively involved in its development, thus providing an exclusive opportunity to glimpse the dynamics of this phenomenon from an insider’s perspective. The final part of the volume — thematic studies — reflects on more general themes of Neopaganism in Central and Eastern Europe. The chapter by Maciej Witulski explores the phenomenon of imported Paganism in Poland. The author concentrates...

Information Cost and Consumer Choices of Healthy Foods

This article examines whether or not a reduction in consumer search cost for nutritional information increases the probability that heterogeneous consumers will choose healthier food products. Empirical results from the ready‐to‐eat breakfast cereal (RTEC) market confirm the conceptual analysis that lowering information cost via simplified nutritional labeling increases the healthfulness of consumer choices. The healthfulness attribute weighs 28.44% more heavily in consumers' decision‐making with simpler labeling systems. On average, introducing front‐of‐package labeling increased the probability of a consumer choosing a healthy RTEC by 3.49% and reduced the probability of choosing an unhealthy RTEC by 3.81%. Calories, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium consumption decrease by 0.31%, 2.63%, 6.94%, and 1.97%, respectively. Fiber intake increases by 3.24%. Further results show that less‐educated and smaller households with less frequent purchases benefit the most from a reduction in information cost. Overall, this article shows the potentially positive role that voluntary, more convenient labeling could play in improving market and public health outcomes.

Application of the DNA-specific stain methyl green in the fluorescent labeling of embryos.

Methyl green has long been known as a histological stain with a specific affinity for DNA, although its fluorescent properties have remained unexplored until recently. In this article, we illustrate the method for preparing a methyl green aqueous stock solution, that when diluted can be used as a very convenient fluorescent nuclear label for fixed cells and tissues. Easy procedures to label whole zebrafish and chick embryos are detailed, and examples of images obtained shown. Methyl green is maximally excited by red light, at 633 nm, and emits with a relatively sharp spectrum that peaks at 677 nm. It is very inexpensive, non-toxic, highly stable in solution and very resistant to photobleaching when bound to DNA. Its red emission allows for unaltered high resolution scanning confocal imaging of nuclei in thick specimens. Finally, this methyl green staining protocol is compatible with other cell staining procedures, such as antibody labeling, or actin filaments labeling with fluorophore-conjugated phalloidin.

The Kosal Movement in Western Odisha: Subregional Sentiments, Countervailing Identities, and Stalemated Subnationalism

This article analyses the Kosala movement in western Odisha in the light of a general model of sub-national movements in India. The popular agitation for a separate State has many of the ingredients of similar separatist movements in other parts of India. It draws on sentiments of discrimination and relative deprivation, for which the activists hold politicians from the more advanced coastal districts of Odisha responsible. Supporters of the movement point towards historical records of powerful kingdoms with all the ritual paraphenalia that go into the making of proto-states. Yet, the articulation of a strong sub-regional voice under the leadership of a political party comparable to the TRS in Telengana is absent. Detailed analysis reveals “Kosala identity” to lack cohesion. It is more a politically convenient label than a cohesive core capable of extracting the kind of sacrifice from participants. Finally, there are powerful countervailing, centripetal forces that act against the tendency towards separatism.

A convenient label free colorimetric assay for pyrophosphatase activity based on a pyrophosphate-inhibited Cu(2+)-ABTS-H2O2 reaction.

The evaluation of pyrophosphatase (PPase) activity plays an important role in diagnosing diseases and understanding the function of PPase in the related biological events. In this work, an inhibition effect of pyrophosphate (PPi) on Cu(2+)-catalyzed H2O2-mediated oxidation of 2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) was observed. We utilize this inhibition effect to develop a convenient label free visual method for PPase activity detection. A hydroxyl radical could be generated from a Cu(2+)-based Fenton-like reaction, and then reacted with ABTS to produce colored ABTS˙(+). The strong complexation between PPi and Cu(2+) disturbed this Cu(2+)-catalyzed ABTS-H2O2 reaction probably due to changing redox potentials of Cu(2+) towards H2O2. The PPase-catalyzed hydrolysis of PPi into Pi prohibited the complexation, resulting in the recovery of catalytic capability of Cu(2+). As a result, the solution color changed from colorless to green with a remarkable increase of absorbance. Compared with the traditional PPase assays, the developed visual assay is cost-effective and easy to implement. And a high sensitivity for PPase with a detection limit of 0.027 U mL(-1) was achieved. Moreover, the proposed colorimetric strategy was also applied to evaluate PPase inhibition and exhibited a good assay performance in complex biological samples.

Specific language impairment: a convenient label for whom?

The term 'specific language impairment' (SLI), in use since the 1980s, describes children with language impairment whose cognitive skills are within normal limits where there is no identifiable reason for the language impairment. SLI is determined by applying exclusionary criteria, so that it is defined by what it is not rather than by what it is. The recent decision to not include SLI in DSM-5 provoked much debate and concern from researchers and clinicians. To explore how the term 'specific language impairment' emerged, to consider how disorders, including SLI, are generally defined and to explore how societal changes might impact on use the term. We reviewed the literature to explore the origins of the term 'specific language impairment' and present published evidence, as well as new analyses of population data, to explore the validity of continuing to use the term. We support the decision to exclude the term 'specific language impairment' from DSM-5 and conclude that the term has been a convenient label for researchers, but that the current classification is unacceptably arbitrary. Furthermore, we argue there is no empirical evidence to support the continued use of the term SLI and limited evidence that it has provided any real benefits for children and their families. In fact, the term may be disadvantageous to some due to the use of exclusionary criteria to determine eligibility for and access to speech pathology services. We propose the following recommendations. First, that the word 'specific' be removed and the label 'language impairment' be used. Second, that the exclusionary criteria be relaxed and in their place inclusionary criteria be adopted that take into account the fluid nature of language development particularly in the preschool period. Building on the goodwill and collaborations between the clinical and research communities we propose the establishment of an international consensus panel to develop an agreed definition and set of criteria for language impairment. Given the rich data now available in population studies it is possible to test the validity of these definitions and criteria. Consultation with service users and policy-makers should be incorporated into the decision-making process.

Preparation and Evaluation of Fluorine-18-Labeled Insulin as a Molecular Imaging Probe for Studying Insulin Receptor Expression in Tumors

A convenient emulsion-based labeling method was used to synthesize fluorine-18-labeled insulin specifically B(1)-(4-[(18)F]fluorobenzoyl)insulin ((18)F-4b) in 6% overall radiochemical yield in 240 min. In vitro screening in MCF7 breast cancer cells demonstrated that the nonradioactive analogue (19)F-4a effectively competed with (125)I-insulin for the insulin receptor (IC50 = 10.6 nM) comparable to that for insulin (IC50 = 7.4 nM). (18)F-4b was also more stable than (125)I-insulin in mouse plasma with 50% remaining intact after 30 min. A biodistribution study in normal mice showed initial uptake of the tracer in the kidneys, liver, and gall bladder but rapid clearance via the urine/bladder which was also observed in murine models bearing insulin receptor positive tumors.

Christian Engagement with Islamic kalām in Late 14th-Century Egypt: The Case of al-Ḥāwī by al-Makīn Jirjis Ibn al-ʿAmīd ‘the Younger’

‭Towards the end of the 14th century ce, a Coptic government-bureaucrat-turned-monk called al-Makīn Jirjis ibn al-ʿAmīd produced a theological/ecclesiastical encyclopedia known sometimes as Mukhtaṣar al-bayān fī taḥqīq al-īmān, and sometimes as al-Ḥāwī al-mustafād min badīhat al-ijtihād, or simply as al-Ḥāwī. Book I, Chapter 1, Part 3 of this work is an essay on al-qaḍāʾ wa-l-qadar, which is described in the present essay. In making his case for humanity’s capacity for freely willed action, Ibn al-ʿAmīd presents arguments from the Old Testament and the New; a story from the Kitāb al-Siyāsa fī tadbīr al-riʾāsa (better known as Sirr al-asrār or Secretum secretorum), purportedly a book written by Aristotle for Alexander the Great (which is interesting as a witness to the use of Alexander-material by the Copts); and a typology in which the Muslim mutakallimūn Abū Isḥāq al-Isfarāʾīnī, al-Bāqillānī, al-Ashʿarī, Abū l-Ḥusayn al-Baṣrī, and the Muʿtazila in general serve as convenient labels for the positions described—and which turns out to be an epitome of a passage from masʾala 22 of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s Kitāb al-Arbaʿīn. While the reproduction of al-Rāzī’s typology hardly amounts to a serious engagement with him or with the list of thinkers just mentioned, it is perhaps not insignificant that, in a time of sharp inter-communal tensions, Ibn al-ʿAmīd should claim the Muʿtazila as allies in his discourse on human freedom.‬

Polyamory: Intimate practice, identity or sexual orientation?

Polyamory means different things to different people. While some consider polyamory to be nothing more than a convenient label for their current relationship constellations or a handy tool for communicating their willingness to enter more than one relationship at a time, others claim it as one of their core identities. Essentialist identity narratives have sustained recent arguments that polyamory is best understood as a sexual orientation and is as such comparable with homosexuality, heterosexuality or bisexuality. Such a move would render polyamory intelligible within dominant political and legal frameworks of sexual diversity. The article surveys academic and activist discussions on sexual orientation and traces contradictory voices in current debates on polyamory. The author draws on poststructuralist ideas to show the shortcomings of sexual orientation discourses and highlights the losses which are likely to follow from pragmatic definitions of polyamory as sexual orientation.

21-Methylpyrenyl-cholesterol stably and specifically associates with lipoprotein peripheral hemi-membrane: A new labelling tool

Lipoproteins are important biological components. However, they have few convenient fluorescent labelling probes currently reported, and their physiological reliability can be questioned. We compared the association of two fluorescent cholesterol derivatives, 22-nitrobenzoxadiazole-cholesterol (NBD-Chol) and 21-methylpyrenyl-cholesterol (Pyr-met-Chol), to serum lipoproteins and to purified HDL and LDL. Both lipoproteins could be stably labelled by Pyr-met-Chol, but virtually not by NBD-Chol. At variance with NBD-Chol, LCAT did not esterify Pyr-met-Chol. The labelling characteristics of lipoproteins by Pyr-met-Chol were well distinguishable between HDL and LDL, regarding dializability, associated probe amount and labelling kinetics. We took benefit of the pyrene labelling to approach the structural organization of LDL peripheral hemi-membrane, since Pyr-met-Chol-labelled LDL, but not HDL, presented a fluorescence emission of pyrene excimers, indicating that the probe was present in an ordered lipid micro-environment. Since the peripheral membrane of LDL contains more sphingomyelin (SM) than HDL, this excimer formation was consistent with the existence of cholesterol- and SM-enriched lipid microdomains in LDL, as already suggested in model membranes of similar composition and reminiscent to the well-described “lipid rafts” in bilayer membranes. Finally, we showed that Pyr-met-Chol could stain cultured PC-3 cells via lipoprotein-mediated delivery, with a staining pattern well different to that observed with NBD-Chol non-specifically delivered to the cells.

Anti‐fascism and Montenegrin Identity since 1990

AbstractThis is an article about the complex role played by the concept of ‘anti‐fascism’ in the emergence of modern Montenegrin identity. The author shows how anti‐fascism becomes ‘a label of convenience’ which has been used and abused by politicians of all sides in the last twenty years. The article draws attention to the way in which anti‐fascist rhetoric was continually redefined and exploited by those in power in Montenegro to garner approval for a series of changing and frequently contradictory approaches and policies.

Conflicting sensory relationships. Encounters with allergic people

Increasingly, people employ the term ‘allergy’ to define various pathological conditions, although the biomedical community lacks a consensus on a definition of the term. It has become a widespread and convenient label for diverse conditions, often going beyond biomedical diagnosis. The aim of this paper is to explore how allergic people narrate their illness experiences, focusing specifically on the relationship between words, senses and bodies. This paper is based on an ethnographic study in a medium-sized north Italian city conducted from 2004 to 2008, starting in a public hospital Allergy Unit, and then developing through snowball recruitment and referral methods. Interviews were conducted with 37 allergic people, four allergologists and four nurses. Allergic people's narratives constantly drew upon two main concepts: weakness and pollution. These are interpreted as sensorial dimensions expressing a conflicting relationship with the outside environment. It is argued that in times of marked individualism and social transformations, bodily states are of fundamental importance and the mobilisation of sensory concepts is an attempt to give order and meaning to a world that is perceived as constituted by threatening aspects, polluted and out of order.

Fluorescent labeling of alkyl chains of phosphocholine lipids by one-pot TMS cleavage-click reaction

A simple click strategy for fluorescent tagging of azide-containing alkyl-chains of phosphocholine lipids is described, based on the easily prepared TMS-alkyne-BODIPY labeling reagent (1). Lipid labeling is carried out by one-pot Ag(I)-catalyzed deprotection of 1 followed by in situ Cu(I)-mediated cycloaddition of the alkyne-dye to the azide-phospholipid counterpart, under mild hydroalcoholic conditions with high yields. Since the reaction is compatible with the phosphocholine headgroup it was exemplified here by the synthesis of a fluorescent analog of n-hexadecylphosphocholine, a leishmanicidal drug (miltefosine). In addition, the preparation of a novel, strongly fluorescent 2-acyl BODIPY dye (6) by the unprecedented one-pot Ag(I)-catalyzed TMS-cleavage/alkyne-hydration of 1, is reported; this compound may also be a convenient labeling reagent for amino-containing biomolecules.

Progressing physical geography

Now and then certain commentators – usually established ones – venture opinion on the current health and prospects for physical geography (either in its own right, in relation to human geography, or relative to some other field of research). In this editorial I want to consider the way that normative arguments about the future of the field are phrased, seen within wider discussions about geography as a whole (its present challenges and future goals). The education of students, I suggest, has been marginalized in published debate despite providing perhaps the most viable of several possible means by which physical geography might amount to more than the sum of its otherwise vibrant parts. At base I ask: ‘What counts as ‘‘progress’’ in physical geography?’ and ‘By what means might it be achieved?’. The second question can only be answered in light of the first, so I will come to it presently. I write as someone who, while not a physical geographer, is strongly committed to the idea that its component areas – and those comprising human geography – have value in themselves but also (importantly) when taken together. To my first question, then. Interpreted one way, this journal’s title (like that of its twin, Progress in Human Geography) is more a profession of hope than a statement of fact. Even supposing we could all agree on what ‘progress’ might mean, the object in question is elusive. ‘Physical geography’, as readers well know, is a label of convenience. It describes an archipelago of specialisms whose diverse practitioners exist in departments of geography, but also cognate locations too (in schools of ecology, earth science departments, environmental science schools, geoscience departments, and so on). These specialisms (though internally diverse) have far more integrity than the putative physical geographic ‘whole’ they are said to comprise – hence the scare quotes. This is not to suggest that they exist in splendid isolation from each other; far from it. But a lot of good science, and excellent degree teaching, is done within the existing heterodox arrangements. We thus have lots of physical geographers but, many would argue, little ‘physical geography’. Should physical geography continue to progress thus, as what one commentator calls ‘a residual category, convenient for lumping together all of the various different sciencytypes populating our Geography departments’ (Demeritt, 2009: 5)? Some would say not. Writing 14 years ago, Olav Slaymaker and Tom Spencer (1998: 18) insisted that ‘If physical geography is to survive as a recognizable entity, a focus on interconnections is long overdue’. More recently, this journal’s managing editor has detected opportunities for a less fragmented physical geography as its constituent parts rise to the challenges presented by a range of planetary-scale environmental threats and opportunities (Clifford,

Triple Signal Amplification of Graphene Film, Polybead Carried Gold Nanoparticles as Tracing Tag and Silver Deposition for Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Immunosensing

A triple signal amplification strategy was designed for ultrasensitive immunosensing of cancer biomarker. This strategy was achieved using graphene to modify immunosensor surface for accelerating electron transfer, poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) microbead (PSA) carried gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as tracing tag to label signal antibody (Ab(2)) and AuNPs induced silver deposition for anodic stripping analysis. The immunosensor was constructed by covalently immobilizing capture antibody on chitosan/electrochemically reduced graphene oxide film modified glass carbon electrode. The in situ synthesis of AuNPs led to the loading of numerous AuNPs on PSA surface and convenient labeling of the tag to Ab(2). With a sandwich-type immunoreaction, the AuNPs/PSA labeled Ab(2) was captured on the surface of an immunosensor to further induce a silver deposition process. The electrochemical stripping signal of the deposited silver nanoparticles in KCl was used to monitor the immunoreaction. The triple signal amplification greatly enhanced the sensitivity for biomarker detection. The proposed method could detect carcinoembryonic antigen with a linear range of 0.5 pg mL(-1) to 0.5 ng mL(-1) and a detection limit down to 0.12 pg mL(-1). The immunosensor exhibited good stability and acceptable reproducibility and accuracy, indicating potential applications in clinical diagnostics.

Core or Periphery? Digital Humanities from an Archaeological Perspective

The relationship between Digital Humanities and individual humanities disciplines is difficult to define given the uncertainties surrounding the definition of Digital Humanities itself. An examination of coverage within Digital Humanities journals narrows the range but at the same time emphasises that, while the focus of Digital Humanities might be textual, not all textually-oriented disciplines are equally represented. Trending terms also seem to suggest that Digital Humanities is more of a label of convenience, even for those disciplines most closely associated with Digital Humanities. From an archaeological perspective, a relationship between Digital Archaeology and Digital Humanities is largely absent and the evidence suggests that each is peripheral with respect to the other. Reasons for this situation are discussed, and the spatial expertise of Digital Archaeology is reviewed in relation to Digital Humanities concerns regarding the use of GIS. The conclusion is that a closer relationship is possible, and indeed desirable, but that a direct conversation between Digital Humanities, Digital Archaeology and humanities geographers needs to be established.

The Socratic dialogue in asynchronous online discussions: is constructivism redundant?

PurposeThis paper aims to examine Socratic dialogue in asynchronous online discussions in relation to constructivism. The links between theory and practice in teaching are to be discussed whilst tracing the origins of Socratic dialogue and recent trends and use of seminar in research based institutions.Design/methodology/approachMany online degree courses employ asynchronous discussions where the teacher, acting as a moderator, is seen as the guide on the side rather than the sage on the stage. Such an approach, employing collaborative learning, is often described as constructivist. Practitioners may see the term constructivist as simply a convenient label to describe a range of effective teaching practices. Even when it is said that knowledge is constructed, this may be viewed as little more than a metaphor. There are however, behind these labels, epistemological theories such as radical constructivism and social constructivism which pose serious challenges to traditional views that perception is guided by contact with an independent reality and that science involves a search for objective truth. Many significant philosophical objections can be raised against these theories. The links between the theory and teaching practices of proven value are tenuous. There is an alternative explanation of the origins of teaching practices associated with asynchronous discussions.FindingsAsynchronous discussion makes it possible for all students to make an initial written contribution based on both research and industry experience, as well as an extensive participation in a written debate. The relative ease of assessing contributions to a written debate helps overcome the problem of the seminar where only one person may get credit for his or her contribution. Contributions can to a great extent be made when it is convenient for both moderator and students.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study has considered the case of one institution; it will be useful to examine it for many.Practical implicationsAsynchronous online discussion is one of the highest forms of Socratic dialogue.Originality/valueThis is a different approach to the traditional belief and new ideas for consideration are presented. The Socratic dialogue has been developed as both an oral and written tradition from the works of authors like Plato, through to the development of the medieval university with its disputations and oral examinations, the introduction of seminars in research based universities inspired by Humboldt, the development of scholarly journals, and on to the asynchronous online discussions in the era of the Web.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light: Lyndall Urwick's scientific management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse and critique Lyndall Urwick's long‐term advocacy of scientific management and its influence upon management thought.Design/methodology/approachAn analysis and critique of Urwick's published writings across 60 years, on the subject of scientific management and organizations, particularly linking his work and arguments to the influence of Frederick Taylor, also positioning him relative to the thinking of leading thinkers such as Henri Fayol.FindingsThis paper argues that the key to understanding his legacy lies in his unique and changing definition of “scientific management”. This was broader than the definition applied by most of his contemporaries and inspired his integrationist project of assimilating Taylorist scientific management into a raft of developing schools of management thought.Research limitations/implicationsUrwick's legacy included a lifetime campaign to reconcile scientific management with succeeding schools of thought, today's management literature stereotyping of some of his contemporary thinkers, and a contribution to management literature's predilection for the labelling of theories and principles.Practical implicationsThe paper argues for returning to original sources to accurately understand the intentions and arguments of early founders of many aspects of today's management practice. It also alerts us to the proclivity of management theory and practice to opt for convenient labels that may represent a variety of historical and contemporary meanings.Originality/valueThe paper offers a critical reflection and assessment of the longest standing advocate of scientific management in the management literature.