bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Enhanced Recovery Protocol that Facilitates Same-day Discharge for Simple Laparoscopic Appendectomies
Authors: Shafy Shabana Z. , Miller Rebecca , Uffman Joshsua C. , Tobias Joseph D. , Fetzer Mike , Nordin Andrew B. , Kenney Brian , Walia Hina , Veneziano Giorgio
Published: December 2019

Introduction:

Acute appendicitis is the most common gastrointestinal condition requiring urgent operation in the pediatric population with laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) being the current surgical technique. We describe the implementation of a standardized protocol to reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and facilitate same-day discharge after LA.

Methods:

A multidisciplinary team developed this protocol to facilitate same-day discharge after observing high rates of overnight stay due to PONV among simple appendectomies performed in 2011–2012. The protocol was implemented in November 2014 and underwent a revision in June 2016. Following the implementation of the protocol, we monitored the patients undergoing an LA at Nationwide Children’s Hospital between November 2014 and August 2017.

Results:

We identified 691 patients (255 female) who underwent a simple LA at Nationwide Children’s Hospital between November 2014 and August 2017. The patient population had a median age of 11 years (interquartile range: 9, 14). Among these patients, 514 (74%) were discharged on the day of surgery, and 387 (56%) were protocol compliant. The rate of same-day discharge was higher for compliant cases (79%) than noncompliant cases (69%, P = 0.003). Multivariable statistical analysis associated compliance with an increased likelihood of same-day discharge (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.4, P = 0.002).

Conclusions:

Implementation of the LA protocol to reduce PONV demonstrated a significant increase in the rate of same-day discharge from the hospital among compliant patients. Also, the adoption of a protocol to select patients for early discharge after LA has shown results with a 45% reduction in the need for inhospital beds.
Selmer groups in Iwasawa theory and congruences
Authors: Sujatha Ramdorai
Published: December 2019

This article outlines the behaviour of Iwasawa
μ
-invariants for Selmer groups of elliptic curves when the residual representations are equivalent.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Srinivasa Ramanujan: in celebration of the centenary of his election as FRS’.
Integral factorial ratios: irreducible examples with height larger than 1
Authors: Soundararajan K.
Published: December 2019

This paper gives over 50 new examples of two-parameter families of integral factorial ratios of height 2. These examples are also shown to be irreducible, in the sense that they do not arise by putting together two factorial ratios of height 1.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Srinivasa Ramanujan: in celebration of the centenary of his election as FRS’.
From Ramanujan graphs to Ramanujan complexes
Authors: Lubotzky Alexander , Parzanchevski Ori
Published: December 2019

Ramanujan graphs are graphs whose spectrum is bounded optimally. Such graphs have found numerous applications in combinatorics and computer science. In recent years, a high-dimensional theory has emerged. In this paper, these developments are surveyed. After explaining their connection to the Ramanujan conjecture, we will present some old and new results with an emphasis on random walks on these discrete objects and on the Euclidean spheres. The latter lead to ‘golden gates’ which are of importance in quantum computation.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Srinivasa Ramanujan: in celebration of the centenary of his election as FRS’.
Srinivasa Ramanujan and signal-processing problems
Authors: Vaidyanathan Palghat P. , Tenneti Srikanth
Published: December 2019

The Ramanujan sumcq(n) has been used by mathematicians to derive many important infinite series expansions for arithmetic-functions in number theory. Interestingly, this sum has many properties which are attractive from the point of view of digital signal processing. One of these is thatcq(n) is periodic with periodq, and another is that it is always integer-valued in spite of the presence of complex roots of unity in the definition. Engineers and physicists have in the past used the Ramanujan-sum to extract periodicity information from signals. In recent years, this idea has been developed further by introducing the concept of Ramanujan-subspaces. Based on this, Ramanujan dictionaries and filter banks have been developed, which are very useful to identify integer-valued periods in possibly complex-valued signals. This paper gives an overview of these developments from the view point of signal processing.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Srinivasa Ramanujan: in celebration of the centenary of his election as FRS’.
Asymptotics and Ramanujan's mock theta functions: then and now
Authors: Folsom Amanda
Published: December 2019

This article is in commemoration of Ramanujan's election as Fellow of The Royal Society 100 years ago, as celebrated at the October 2018 scientific meeting at the Royal Society in London. Ramanujan's last letter to Hardy, written shortly after his election, surrounds his mock theta functions. While these functions have been of great importance and interest in the decades following Ramanujan's death in 1920, it was unclear how exactly they fit into the theory of modular forms—Dyson called this ‘a challenge for the future’ at another centenary conference in Illinois in 1987, honouring the 100th anniversary of Ramanujan's birth. In the early 2000s, Zwegers finally recognized that Ramanujan had discovered glimpses of special families of non-holomorphic modular forms, which we now know to be Bruinier and Funke's harmonic Maass forms from 2004, the holomorphic parts of which are called mock modular forms. As of a few years ago, a fundamental question from Ramanujan's last letter remained, on a certain asymptotic relationship between mock theta functions and ordinary modular forms. The author, with Ono and Rhoades, revisited Ramanujan's asymptotic claim, and established a connection between mock theta functions and quantum modular forms, which were not defined until 90 years later in 2010 by Zagier. Here, we bring together past and present, and study the relationships between mock modular forms and quantum modular forms, with Ramanujan's mock theta functions as motivation. In particular, we highlight recent work of Bringmann–Rolen, Choi–Lim–Rhoades and Griffin–Ono–Rolen in our discussion. This article is largely expository, but not exclusively: we also establish a new interpretation of Ramanujan's radial asymptotic limits in the subject of topology.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Srinivasa Ramanujan: in celebration of the centenary of his election as FRS’.
A novel methodology to measure waiting times for community-based specialist care in a public healthcare system
Authors: Miron Rachel Wilf , Novikov Ilya , Ziv Arnona , Mandelbaum Avishai , Ritov Yaacov , Luxenburg Osnat
Published: December 2019

Background

Monitoring of waiting time (WT) in healthcare systems is essential, since long WT are associated with adverse health outcomes, reduced patient satisfaction and increased private financing.

Objective

To develop a methodology for routine national monitoring of WT for community-based non-urgent specialist appointments, in a public healthcare system.

Design

Observational historical study using data from computerized appointment scheduling systems of all Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) in Israel.

Data sources

Data included available appointments for community-based specialists and actual number of visits.

The first 50 available appointments from each specialist appointment book were collected throughout December 2018. Five most frequently visited specialties - orthopedics, ophthalmology, gynecology, dermatology and otolaryngology - were included.

Data collection/extraction approach

WT offered to HMO members (OWT) were calculated for two scenarios: “specific” physician and “any” physician in the clinic’s geographical region. Distribution of OWT was calculated separately for each specialty and geographical region, combined to create the nationwide distribution, and expressed as mean, standard deviation and percentiles.

Principal findings

Estimated national median OWT for “specific” physician, ranged from 6 days (ophthalmology) to 13 days (dermatology), with large variation between geographic regions. OWT for “any” physician were 28-50% shorter than for “specific” physician.

Conclusions

This novel method offers a solution for ongoing national WT measurement, using computerized scheduling systems. It integrates patient preferences for physician choice and allows identification of differences between specialties and regions, setting the ground for interventions to strengthen public healthcare systems.
The tuatara genome: insights into vertebrate evolution from the sole survivor of an ancient reptilian order
Authors: Gemmell Neil J. , Rutherford Kim , Prost Stefan , Tollis Marc , Winter David , Macey J. Robert , Adelson David L. , Suh Alexander , Bertozzi Terry , Grau José H. , Organ Chris , Gardner Paul P. , Muffato Matthieu , Patricio Mateus , Billis Konstantinos , Martin Fergal J , Flicek Paul , Petersen Bent , Kang Lin , Michalak Pawel , Buckley Thomas R. , Wilson Melissa , Cheng Yuanyuan , Miller Hilary , Schott Ryan K. , Jordan Melissa , Newcomb Richard , Arroyo José Ignacio , Valenzuela Nicole , Hore Tim A. , Renart Jaime , Peona Valentina , Peart Claire R. , Warmuth Vera M. , Zeng Lu , Kortschak R. Daniel , Raison Joy M. , Zapata Valeria Velásquez , Wu Zhiqiang , Santesmasses Didac , Mariotti Marco , Guigó Roderic , Rupp Shawn M. , Twort Victoria G. , Dussex Nicolas , Taylor Helen , Abe Hideaki , Paterson James M. , Mulcahy Daniel G. , Gonzalez Vanessa L. , Barbieri Charles G. , DeMeo Dustin P. , Pabinger Stephan , Ryder Oliver , Edwards Scott V. , Salzberg Steven L. , Mickelson Lindsay , Nelson Nicola , Stone Clive , Board Ngatiwai Trust
Published: December 2019

The tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), the only living member of the archaic reptilian order Rhynchocephalia (Sphenodontia) once widespread across Gondwana, is an iconic and enigmatic terrestrial vertebrate endemic to New Zealand. A key link to the now extinct stem reptiles from which dinosaurs, modern reptiles, birds and mammals evolved, the tuatara provides exclusive insights into the ancestral amniotes. The tuatara genome, at ∼5 Gbp, is among the largest vertebrate genomes assembled. Analysis of this genome and comparisons to other vertebrates reinforces the uniqueness of the tuatara. Phylogenetic analyses indicate tuatara diverged from the snakes and lizards ∼250 MYA. This lineage also shows moderate rates of molecular evolution, with instances of punctuated evolution. Genome sequence analysis identifies expansions of protein, non-protein-coding RNA families, and repeat elements, the latter of which show an extraordinary amalgam of reptilian and mammalian features. Sequencing of this genome provides a valuable resource for deep comparative analyses of tetrapods, as well as for tuatara biology and conservation. It also provides important insights into both the technical challenges and the cultural obligations associated with genome sequencing.
Chromosomal-level genome assembly of the scimitar-horned oryx: insights into diversity and demography of a species extinct in the wild
Authors: Humble Emily , Dobrynin Pavel , Senn Helen , Chuven Justin , Scott Alan F. , Mohr David W. , Dudchenko Olga , Omer Arina D. , Colaric Zane , Aiden Erez Lieberman , Wildt David , Oliaji Shireen , Tamazian Gaik , Pukazhenthi Budhan , Ogden Rob , Koepfli Klaus-Peter
Published: December 2019

Captive populations provide a valuable insurance against extinctions in the wild. However, they are also vulnerable to the negative impacts of inbreeding, selection and drift. Genetic information is therefore considered a critical aspect of conservation management planning. Recent developments in sequencing technologies have the potential to improve the outcomes of management programmes however, the transfer of these approaches to applied conservation has been slow. The scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah)is a North African antelope that has been extinct in the wild since the early 1980s and is the focus of a long-term reintroduction project. To enable the selection of suitable founder individuals, facilitate post-release monitoring and improve captive breeding management, comprehensive genomic resources are required. Here, we used 10X Chromium sequencing together with Hi-C contact mapping to develop a chromosomal-level genome assembly for the species. The resulting assembly contained 29 chromosomes with a scaffold N50 of 100.4 Mb, and displayed strong chromosomal synteny with the cattle genome. Using resequencing data from six additional individuals, we demonstrated relatively high genetic diversity in the scimitar-horned oryx compared to other mammals, despite it having experienced a strong founding event in captivity. Additionally, the level of diversity across populations varied according to management strategy. Finally, we uncovered a dynamic demographic history that coincided with periods of climate variation during the Pleistocene. Overall, our study provides a clear example of how genomic data can uncover valuable insights into captive populations and contributes important resources to guide future management decisions of an endangered species.
Akt1-associated actomyosin remodelling is required for nuclear lamina dispersal and nuclear shrinkage in epidermal terminal differentiation
Authors: Rogerson Clare , Wotherspoon Duncan , O’Shaughnessy Ryan F L
Published: December 2019

Keratinocyte cornification and epidermal barrier formation are tightly controlled processes, which require complete degradation of intracellular organelles, including removal of keratinocyte nuclei. Keratinocyte nuclear destruction requires Akt1-dependent phosphorylation and degradation of the nuclear lamina protein, Lamin A/C, essential for nuclear integrity. However, the molecular mechanisms that result in complete nuclear removal and their regulation are not well defined. Post-confluent cultures of rat epidermal keratinocytes (REKs) undergo spontaneous and complete differentiation, allowing visualisation and perturbation of the differentiation process in vitro. We demonstrate that there is dispersal of phosphorylated Lamin A/C to structures throughout the cytoplasm in differentiating keratinocytes. We show that the dispersal of phosphorylated Lamin A/C is Akt1-dependent and these structures are specific for the removal of Lamin A/C from the nuclear lamina; nuclear contents and Lamin B were not present in these structures. Immunoprecipitation identified a group of functionally related Akt1 target proteins involved in Lamin A/C dispersal, including actin, which forms cytoskeletal microfilaments, Arp3, required for actin filament nucleation, and Myh9, a component of myosin IIa, a molecular motor that can translocate along actin filaments. Disruption of actin filament polymerisation, nucleation or myosin IIa activity prevented formation and dispersal of cytoplasmic Lamin A/C structures. Live imaging of keratinocytes expressing fluorescently tagged nuclear proteins showed a nuclear volume reduction step taking less than 40 minutes precedes final nuclear destruction. Preventing Akt1-dependent Lamin A/C phosphorylation and disrupting cytoskeletal Akt1-associated proteins prevented nuclear volume reduction. Single cell RNA sequencing of differentiating keratinocytes identified gene changes correlated with lamin dispersal, which we propose are due to changes in lamina-associated domains upon Lamin A/C dispersal. We propose keratinocyte nuclear destruction and differentiation requires myosin II activity and the actin cytoskeleton for two intermediate processes: Lamin A/C dispersal and rapid nuclear volume reduction.
PPARγ is a tumor suppressor in basal bladder tumors offering new potential therapeutic opportunities
Authors: Coutos-Thévenot Laure , Beji Syrine , Neyret-Kahn Hélène , Pippo Quentin , Fontugne Jacqueline , Osz Judith , Krucker Clémentine , Groeneveld Clarice Dos Santos , Dufour Florent , Kamoun Aurélie , Ley Marie , Chapeaublanc Elodie , Reynies Aurélien de , Lebret Thierry , Allory Yves , Cianférani Sarah , Radvanyi François , Rochel Natacha , Bernard-Pierrot Isabelle
Published: December 2019

PPARγ activation is a critical event in luminal muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) tumorigenesis, favoring both tumor cell growth and microenvironment modulation toward tumor immune escape. Conversely, the down-regulation of PPARγ activity in basal MIBC suggests tumor suppressive effects in this subgroup. Here, we report genetic, epigenetic and functional evidence to support the tumor suppressor role for PPARγ in basal bladder tumors. We identified hemizygous deletions, DNA hyper-methylation and loss-of-function mutations of PPARγ in basal MIBC, associated with PPARγ under-expression and its decreased activity. Re-expression of PPARγ in basal tumor cells resulted in the activation of PPARγ -dependent transcription program that modulated fatty acid metabolism and cell differentiation and decreased cell growth, which could partly rely on EGFR down-regulation. Structure-function studies of two PPARγ mutant revealed a destabilization of a region important for coactivator recruitment and should help develop potent molecules to activate PPARγ as a therapeutic strategy for basal MIBC. The identification of this subtype-dependent dual role of PPARγ in MIBC strengthens the critical role of PPARγ in bladder tumorigenesis and reinforces the interest in stratified medicine based on tumor molecular subtyping.

One sentence summary

Genetic, epigenetic and functional evidence of a tumor suppressor role for PPARγ in basal bladder tumors offer new therapeutic opportunities for this subgroup.
In situ SAXS of protein deposits in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Solvas Biel Roig , Hyman Bradley T. , Makowski Lee
Published: December 2019

Deposits of Aβ peptides (plaques) and tau protein (neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs)) are ubiquitous features of brain tissue in Alzheimer’s disease. Their contribution to disease etiology remains controversial. The molecular-to-nano-scale organization of fibrillar species in these protein aggregates remains uncertain, but may contain clues as to the contributions of these structures to disease. Whether or not all plaques are the same structure, and all tangles are the same, has implications for current hypotheses about polymorphic templated misfolding of their constituent proteins, Aβ and tau. Here we use x-ray microdiffraction in the small-angle regime (SAXS) to probe the molecular organization of these deposits. Using unstained histological sections of human brain tissue, we demonstrate that SAXS can characterize Aβ fibrils and tau filaments in situ. Aβ fibrils have a cross-sectional radius of gyration (Rxc) of ~45 Å, and larger (Rxc >150 Å) aggregates appear to represent Aβ fibrils that have coalesced side-to-side with one another to create fibrillar bundles or macrofibrillar aggregates. Tau fibrils exhibit an Rxc of ~55 Å with little sign of coalescence into larger structure. The in situ mapping of these structures revealed subtle variation in Aβ structure across different brain areas and different cases.
The dynamic transmission of positional information in stau- mutants during Drosophila embryogenesis
Authors: Yang Zhe , Zhu Hongcun , Kong KaKit , Chen Jiayi , Wu Xiaxuan , Li Peiyao , Jiang Jialong , Zhao Jingchao , Liu Feng
Published: December 2019

Intriguingly, the developmental patterning during Drosophila embryogenesis is highly accurate and robust despite its dynamic changes and constant fluctuations. It has been suggested that Staufen (Stau) is key in controlling the boundary variability of the gap protein Hunchback (Hb). However, its underlying mechanism is still elusive. Here, we have developed methods to quantify the dynamic 3D expression of segmentation genes in Drosophila embryos. With improved control of measurement errors, our results reveal that the posterior boundary of the Hb anterior domain (xHb) of stau- mutants shows comparable variability to that of the wild type (WT) and shifts posteriorly by nearly 12% of the embryo length (EL) to the WT position in the nuclear cycle (nc) 14. This observed large shift might contribute significantly to the apparent large variability of xHb in previous studies. Moreover, for stau- mutants, the upstream Bicoid (Bcd) gradients show equivalent gradient noise to that of the WT in nc12-nc14, and the downstream Even-skipped (Eve) and cephalic furrow (CF) show the same positional errors as the WT. Our results indicate that threshold-dependent activation and self-organized filtering are not mutually exclusive but could both be implemented in early Drosophila embryogenesis.
Toxicity, transfer and depuration of anatoxin-a (cyanobacterial neurotoxin) in medaka fish exposed by single-dose gavage
Authors: Colas Simon , Duval Charlotte , Marie Benjamin
Published: December 2019

The proliferations of cyanobacteria are increasingly prevalent in warm and nutrient-enriched waters and occur in many rivers and water bodies due especially to eutrophication. The aim of this work is to study in female medaka fish the toxicity, the transfer and the depuration of the anatoxin-a, a neurotoxin produced by benthic cyanobacterial biofilms. This work will provide answers regarding acute toxicity induced by single gavage by anatoxin-a and to the risks of exposure by ingestion of contaminated fish flesh, considering that data on these aspects remain particularly limited.

The oral LD50 of a single dose of (±)-anatoxin-a was determined at 11.50 µg.g−1. First of all, lethal dose (100% from 20 µg.g−1) provokes rapid respiratory paralysis (in 1-2 min) of the fish inducing the death by asphyxia. Noticeably, no death nor apparent neurotoxicologic effect occurred during the experimentation period for the 45 fish exposed to a single sub-acute dose of (±)-anatoxin-a corresponding to the no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL = 6.67 µg.g−1). Subsequently, the toxico-kinetics of the (±)-anatoxin-a was observed in the guts, the livers and the muscles of female medaka fish for 10 days.

In parallel, a protocol for extraction of anatoxin-a has been optimized beforehand by testing 3 different solvents on several matrices, the extraction with 75% methanol + 0.1% formic acid appearing to be the most efficient. Anatoxin-a was quantified by high-resolution qTOF mass spectrometry coupled upstream to a UHPLC chromatographic chain. The toxin could not be detected in the liver after 12 h, and in the gut and muscle after 3 days. The mean clearance rates of (±)-anatoxin-a calculated after 12 h are above 58%, 100% and 90% for the guts, the livers and the muscles, respectively. Non-targeted metabolomics investigations performed on the fish liver indicates that the single sub-acute exposure by gavage induces noticeable metabolome dysregulations, including important phospholipid decreases, with an organism recovery period of above 12-24h. Overall, the medaka fish do not appear to accumulate (±)-anatoxin-a and to largely recover after 24h following a single sub-acute oral liquid exposure at the NOAEL.
Evaluating the consequences of common assumptions in run reconstructions on Pacific-salmon biological status assessments
Authors: Peacock Stephanie J. , Hertz Eric , Holt Carrie A. , Connors Brendan , Freshwater Cameron , Connors Katrina
Published: December 2019

Information on biological status is essential for designing, implementing, and evaluating management strategies and recovery plans for threatened or exploited species. However, the data required to quantify status are often limited, and it is important to understand how assessments of status may be biased by assumptions in data analysis. For Pacific salmon, biological status assessments based on spawner abundances and spawner-recruitment (SR) analyses often involve “run reconstructions” that impute missing spawner data, expand observed spawner abundance to account for unmonitored streams, assign catch to individual stocks, and quantify age-at-return. Using a stochastic simulation approach, we quantified how common assumptions in run reconstructions biased assessments of biological status based on spawner abundance. We found that status assessments were robust to most common assumptions in run reconstructions, even in the face of declining monitoring coverage, but that overestimating catch tended to increase rates of status misclassification. Our results lend confidence to biological status assessments based on spawner abundances and SR analyses, even in the face of incomplete data.
Cryo-EM Structure of the Human Mitochondrial Translocase TIM22 Complex
Authors: Qi Liangbo , Wang Qiang , Guan Zeyuan , Wu Yan , Cao Jianbo , Zhang Xing , Yan Chuangye , Yin Ping
Published: December 2019

Mitochondria play vital functions in cellular metabolism, homeostasis, and apoptosis1-3. Most of the mitochondrial proteins are synthesized as precursors in the cytosol and imported into mitochondria for folding or maturation4,5. The translocase TIM22 complex is responsible for the import of multiple hydrophobic carrier proteins that are then folded in the inner membrane of mitochondria6-8. In mammalian cells, the TIM22 complex consists of at least six components, Tim22, Tim29, AGK, and three Tim chaperones (Tim9, Tim10a and Tim10b)9-14. Here, we report the cryo-EM structure of the human translocase TIM22 complex at an overall resolution of 3.7 angstrom. The core subunit, Tim22, contains four transmembrane helices, forming a partial pore that is open to the lipid bilayer. Tim29 is a single transmembrane protein that provides an N-terminal helix to stabilize Tim22 and a C-terminal intermembrane space (IMS) domain to connect AGK and two TIM chaperone hexamers to maintain complex integrity. One TIM hexamer comprises Tim9 and Tim10a in a 3:3 molar ratio, and the other consists of two Tim9 units, three Tim10a units, and one Tim10b unit. The latter hexamer faces the intramembrane region of Tim22, likely providing the dock to load the precursors to the partial pore of Tim22. Our structure serves as a molecular basis for the mechanistic understanding of TIM22 complex function.
SEMA3F-deficient colorectal cancer cells Promote lymphangiogenesis: fatty acid metabolism replace glycolysis for energy supply during lymphatic endothelial cells proliferation in tumor hypoxia microenvironment
Authors: Fu Xiaoyuan , Tao Miaomiao , Ma Hongbo , Wang Cancan , Li Yanyan , Hu Xiaoqiao , Qin Xiurong , Lv Renming , Zhou Gengdou , Wang Jun , Zhou Meiyu , Xu Guofa , Wang Zexin , Chen Min , Zhou Qi
Published: December 2019

lymphangiogenesis as a process is colorectal cancer first metastasis via lymphatic vessels to proximal lymph nodes. The fuel metabolism in mitochondrial and support proliferation of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) remain elusive during lymphangiogenesis in tumor hypoxic microenvironment. Recent studies report that loss of SEMA3F critically contributes to lymphangiogenesis of the CRCs. Here, we silenced SEMA3F expression of CRCs and co-culture with hLECs, the tubulogenesis capacity and hLECs migration were escalated in the hypoxia, the hLECs mainly relied on fatty acid metabolism not aerobic glycolysis during lymphangiogenesis. SEMA3F-deficient CRCs up-regulated PMAKP expression and phosphorylation of hLECs, and activated its peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARs) and Peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1a) facilitated their switched toward fatty acids (FA) catabolism. Furthermore, we observed that activation of the PGCI-PPAR lipid oxidation signaling pathway in hLECs was caused by the secretion of interleukin-6 by tumor cells.Taken together, this study indicates that CRCs with SEMA3F expression depletion significantly promotes lymphangiogenesis in hypoxia and faciliates the secretion of IL-6 in tumor cell, and activates mitochondria fatty acids oxidation (FAO) reaction in the hLECs by PGCI-PPAR signaling pathways to support its growth.
4D Bridge Information Modelling for management of bridge projects: a case study from India
Authors: Vilventhan Aneetha , Rajadurai R.
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The rapid development of the construction industry requires effective ways to monitor and control the project, and the use of 4D BIM is found to be very efficient. The purpose of this paper is to consider development, application and evaluation of 4D Bridge Information Modelling (BrIM) models for an ongoing bridge project.

Design/methodology/approach

An ethnographic action-based case study research methodology is adopted in this study. An ongoing bridge construction project in India is chosen and the 4D BrIM application is evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively using planned percentage complete (PPC) measurements and semi-structured interviews, respectively.

Findings

The evaluation of the case study shows an increase in PPC values from 26.5 to 56.4 per cent after implementation of 4D BrIM in the project. The application of 4D BrIM in the construction phase benefits the project team in material delivery planning, project monitoring and control, construction schedule improvement, documentation and coordination.

Practical implications

The developed models are practically applied to the ongoing project and the positive benefits are observed. It is shown that 4D BrIM has the potential to improve the construction of bridge projects.

Originality/value

Studies have contributed towards the development and implementation of 3D BrIM models for bridge projects. Limited efforts have been taken to analyse how 4D BrIM models help in the overall management of bridge projects. This study adds value to the existing literature through development, implementation and systematic qualitative and quantitative evaluation of 4D BrIM models.
Shivani Carriers Pvt Ltd: Managing Employee Motivation at the Bottom of the Pyramid
Authors: Sharda Kirti
Published: December 2019

The case, “Shivani Carriers Pvt. Ltd.: Managing Employee Motivation at the Bottom of the Pyramid”, has been designed to teach students about the basic principles of employee motivation. The case is also a representative example of the problems faced by small and medium-sized businesses in employee acquisition, motivation, and retention, especially at junior levels i.e. entry-level operational and front-line roles. The case documents the history and evolution of the driver management system (DMS) instituted by Vandana and Hemant Laddha at Shivani Carriers Pvt. Ltd. (SCPL). It looks at the constraints faced by the company and the challenges that emerged during the implementation of the new system. After initial success, Vandana Laddha faced a dilemma around the future direction of the DMS. The original incentive scheme had been a success: driver productivity and motivation had improved significantly. Given that the scheme had achieved its desired objectives, the firm had decided to modify it to further improve efficiency. However, employee discontent was brewing since the scheme had been modified. Vandana Laddha had to decide if she should she bring back the original incentive management scheme to quell employee discontent or should she introduce alternate initiatives to manage driver motivation? If she chose to introduce new initiatives, what could these be? What mechanisms would she need to put in place to support the new initiatives? What about the complaints of the drivers? What should she do to address the complaints of the drivers? The case provides students with an opportunity to understand the principles of employee motivation with the help of extant and contemporary research on motivation. It also sheds light on the link between initiatives aimed at increasing motivation and other managerial activities and mechanisms. Importantly, it helps students arrive at an integrated framework that links various aspects of employee motivation such as needs, cognitions, work design factors, organizational support and actions, organizational culture and industry context.
Hedging with Target Redemption Forward
Authors: Varma Jayanth R
Published: December 2019

This case deals with hedging and risk management in companies. Surya Textiles had significant export revenues in euros and was looking for innovative ways of hedging foreign exchange risk to make their treasury a profit centre. Target Redemption Forward which hedged the euros into dollars was an attractive option which their Chief Financial Officer wanted to try. This instrument was designed to be a net-zero-premium hedging strategy that could provide Surya with monthly hedging rates that were better than market rates. The case analyses the pros and cons of this instrument.
A Training Delivery Faux Paus: Daily Diary of a Trainer
Authors: Sinha Anamika , Varkkey Biju
Published: December 2019

The case focusses on training conducted by a young professional in the capacity of an external trainer. The client organization, a mobile handset manufacturer, had multiple channels of sales. As a result, sales executives faced channel conflict and cannibalization from their own channel partners. Added to this was the aggressive competition from Android phone manufacturers. There were mixed signals at the organization and strategy levels, whereas the training was designed to focus on skill development. The trainer, without having carried out the TNA, agreed to deliver her training merely based on some discussions and mandates passed on to her. The outcome was a challenging situation: A mismatch between training content and participant demand.
Friends with benefits
Authors: Wiese Melanie , Akareem Husain Salilul
Published: December 2019

Purpose

This two-country comparative study’s purpose is to investigate antecedents to, and the consequences of a sense of belonging to a firm’s Facebook community.

Design/methodology/approach

The model was grounded in the theory of sense of community and tested through structural equation modelling. Consumer panels were used via online surveys.

Findings

Of the three antecedents hypothesised to influence an individual’s sense of belonging, enjoyment is a very strong predictor in both countries; while the credibility of posts was also a significant predictor for Australia, but not for South Africa. The findings also show no direct relationship between a sense of belonging and continuing behaviour. However, for both countries, there is a strong relationship between a sense of belonging and the involvement with firm offerings in Facebook; and that involvement is significant for the intention to continue engaging with firms through this social media environment.

Research limitations/implications

The findings support the framing of the study, in the sense of community theory and enhance researchers’ understanding of the role of a sense of belonging in moving visitors from simply clicking “like” to a deeper sense of engagement with the firm’s social media community and the flow-on effect to managerial relevant outcomes.

Originality/value

The model is developed from the theory of sense of belonging, thus providing a fresh perspective to this research context. Additionally, there is limited research into the psycho-social antecedents and the outcomes of consumers’ sense of belonging to a firm’s Facebook community.
Using latent commitment profile analysis to segment bank customers
Authors: Fullerton Gordon
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Allen and Meyer’s (1990) three component model of organizational commitment is now well accepted in the study of consumer–service provider relationships (Keiningham et al., 2015). Commitment profiling is a “person-centered approach” to commitment (Meyer et al., 2012) which examines groups of individuals who share similar commitment mindsets. The purpose of this paper is to apply commitment profile methodology to the analysis of customer–firm relationships in the context of financial services.

Design/methodology/approach

This method was applied with customer data collected as part of a nation-wide panel study of consumer financial service relationships in Canada. In total, 428 banking customers participated in this study.

Findings

This study identified five distinct bank customer commitment profiles (fully committed, affective commitment dominant, continuance commitment dominant, moderately committed and uncommitted) that varied in both size and behaviors and intentions.

Research limitations/implications

This is an exploration of commitment profiling as a technique to understand the ways in which consumers differ in terms of their commitment mindsets and behavior. It has application to a wide range of service relationships beyond financial services.

Practical implications

This has applications for market segmentation on the basis of customer commitment mindsets in many service sectors, but banking in particular. Since financial institutions have adopted various techniques to measure customer lifetime value (CLV), it would be appropriate to understand how various commitment profiles (segments) are linked to CLV.

Originality/value

While commitment profiling is a well-developed approach in understanding the nature of the firm–employee employment relationships, this is an early and exploratory attempt at applying this method in the context of a customer–financial service provider marketing relationship. This is a novel way of understanding bank customer segments in terms of their felt commitment to the financial institution with which they do business.
George Mortimer Pullman, nineteenth century marketer
Authors: Botterill Jacqueline
Published: December 2019

Purpose

George Mortimer Pullman (1831-1897), nineteenth century US luxury rail car entrepreneur, divides opinion. Some commemorate Pullman as a brilliant industrialist, innovator and self-made man. Others view him as a loathsome robber baron, union buster, racist and affront to democracy. This paper aims to demonstrate Pullman’s significant contribution to marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

Historical accounts of Pullman are re-examined to highlight his company’s unique adaptation of numerous marketing techniques (consumer research, brand strategy, public relations, product launch, fashion cycle, advertising, product placement and customer service marketing).

Findings

Pullman’s distinct flair for understanding his market enabled him to develop marketing strategies intertwined with broader cultural changes in ideals and practices. Pullman’s construction of destination tourism met an expanding white middle class desire for recreation and escape from the economic and racial inequality of the city. Pullman’s creed that beauty acted as a civilizing agent spoke to the social norms of leisure class femininity. Constant release of ever-grander rail cars shaped a fashion cycle around which wealthy men’s status competition turned. Pullman pioneered the leasing of luxury to control his best asset: the service of black Porters’.

Originality/value

First, this paper provides a new perspective on George Pullman, a significant figure in US history. Second, it addresses a common bias in nineteenth century historical accounts that privilege the contribution of men, industrial labor and production and shadow the role of consumption, women and leisure. Third, it challenges the idea of a clean divide between industrial and post-industrial economies by tracing contemporary consumer culture practices to their nineteenth century roots (marketing, destination tourism, brand stories, democratization of fashion, tipping and service with a smile).
African American women leadership across contexts
Authors: Sales Shannon , Galloway Burke Monica , Cannonier Colin
Published: December 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to examine women leaders from diverse career backgrounds and ethnicities to discover their perspectives of their leadership roles and empowerment to determine similarities and differences among them, focusing on the perspectives of African American women.

Design/methodology/approach

The review process began with a comprehensive review of African American women in history in the context of leadership and empowerment. Next, a Q-sort methodology was used as a semi-qualitative approach for women leaders to rank words of empowerment and facilitate discussions among these women. The Q methodology is known for exploring issues that are correlated with individuals who are influenced with personal feelings and opinions.

Findings

The paper concludes that perceptions of leadership roles differ among the African American women leaders when compared to other ethnicities. The results support the idea that women from diverse ethnic backgrounds have different experiences in the workplace, and these experiences influence how they identify factors they perceive as beneficial to them in terms of their perspectives on leadership and empowerment. Several themes emerged for African American women leaders including being overlooked, marginalized, undervalued and unappreciated in their professions as leaders due to their dual minority status. As it is now as it was in the past, such barriers can deter or stop progression for African American women leaders.

Originality/value

The history of African American women in leadership roles is scantily recognized or not recognized at all. This paper highlights leadership roles and barriers for African American women currently in leadership roles in contrast to other women. The issues they face are still similar to those faced by African American women in earlier decades in spite of increased career mobility. A relatively understudied topic in leadership and management history in general, this paper provides a unique lens from which to build awareness about the leadership roles and empowerment of African American women and to effect needed change.
How do government policies influence the governance paradigm of Australian public universities?
Authors: Christopher Joe , Ukwatte Sarath , Yapa Prem
Published: December 2019

Purpose

This study aims to examine how government policies have influenced the governance paradigm of Australian public universities from a historical perspective. In doing so, it addresses current uncertainty on government-governance connectivity.

Design/methodology/approach

The study draws on Foucault’s concept of governmentality and governance and uses a developed framework of three constituents of governance to explore government–governance connectivity through a critical discourse analysis.

Findings

The findings reveal that government policies have influenced the three constituents of governance differently since 1823, resulting in three distinct governance discourses. In the third governance discourse, the findings reveal a deviation from policy directions towards corporate managerialism, resulting in a hybrid governance control environment. This scenario has arisen due to internal stakeholders continuing to be oriented towards the previous management cultures. Other factors include structural and legalistic obstacles to the implementation of corporate managerialism, validity of the underlying theory informing the policy directions towards corporate managerialism and doubts on the achievability of the market based reforms associated with corporate managerialism. The totality of these factors suggests a theory practice gap to be confirmed through further empirical research. There are also policy implications for policymakers to recognize the hybrid control environment and ascertain the risk the hybrid control environment poses towards the expected outcomes of corporate managerialism.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are limited to a critical discourse analysis of data from specific policies and journal publications on higher education and a developed framework of constituents of governance.

Originality/value

The study is the first to examine government–governance connectivity in Australian public universities and also the first to introduce a three-constituent governance framework as a conduit to explore such studies. The findings contribute to the literature in identifying a theory-practice gap and offer opportunities for further research to confirm them.
Challenging racialized institutions
Authors: Stott Neil , Fava Michelle
Published: December 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to review the history of black and minority ethnic housing associations in England since the arrival of Commonwealth migrants.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the theoretical framework of Lawrence and Buchanan (2017), the authors examine the interplay of institutional control, agency and resistance, in a highly racialized context.

Findings

The authors identify five phases in the development of grassroots organizers into housing associations, describing the different types of “institutional work” involved in challenging racialized institutions and establishing new institutions. The exercise of episodic power to achieve institutional agency created resistance from powerful actors seeking to maintain systemic power. The growing movement for black and minority ethnic housing fought to establish organizational legitimacy. Achieving this not only enabled them to serve and represent their communities but also entailed compromising more radical political agendas.

Originality/value

Racialized aspects are largely lacking from institutional theory, as are the actions of racialized individuals and organizations. In looking at a highly racialized context, the authors hope to contribute to understanding the institutional work done by such groups and the challenges they face as their efforts develop and become legitimated.
Divestiture of prior acquisitions: competing explanations of performance
Authors: Amiri Sina , King David , DeMarie Samuel
Published: December 2019

Purpose

There are multiple perspectives of divestiture and its performance that require reconciliation. While research finds a positive market response to divestment announcement, divestiture of prior acquisitions are generally viewed negatively. The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test different explanations for the divestment of prior acquisitions.

Design/methodology/approach

This research employs event study to capture market reaction at acquisition announcement and subsequent divestments in a sample of 69 public US high-technology acquisitions between 2003 and 2008 that were divested by 2015. Only initial acquisitions involving public firms were included from the Thomson One Banker SDC database. Public press releases and companies’ SEC filings were reviewed to track divestitures back to prior acquisitions. Ordinary least squared regression was used to estimate coefficients.

Findings

Results indicate a positive relation between acquisition and divestiture performance around announcement dates. This finding rejects the correction of mistake explanation, suggesting that a negative stigma surrounding divestments is largely unwarranted and that investors reward capable acquirer’s divestiture decisions.

Practical implications

Investors do not treat all information signals at divestiture equally. For example, acquisitions made by larger and more profitable firms, or acquisitions paid for with stock, are associated with lower return upon divestiture announcement.

Originality/value

This study finds that investors view divestiture as a proactive strategy, suggesting firms can improve performance by actively managing acquisitions and divestments to optimize their portfolio of businesses.