bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trends in the development of miRNA bioinformatics tools
Authors: Chen Liang , Heikkinen Liisa , Wang Changliang , Yang Yang , Sun Huiyan , Wong Garry
Published: June 2018

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression via recognition of cognate sequences and interference of transcriptional, translational or epigenetic processes. Bioinformatics tools developed for miRNA study include those for miRNA prediction and discovery, structure, analysis and target prediction. We manually curated 95 review papers and ∼1000 miRNA bioinformatics tools published since 2003. We classified and ranked them based on citation number or PageRank score, and then performed network analysis and text mining (TM) to study the miRNA tools development trends. Five key trends were observed: (1) miRNA identification and target prediction have been hot spots in the past decade; (2) manual curation and TM are the main methods for collecting miRNA knowledge from literature; (3) most early tools are well maintained and widely used; (4) classic machine learning methods retain their utility; however, novel ones have begun to emerge; (5) disease-associated miRNA tools are emerging. Our analysis yields significant insight into the past development and future directions of miRNA tools.
Markers of Tissue Repair and Cellular Aging Are Increased in the Liver Tissue of Patients With HIV Infection Regardless of Presence of HCV Coinfection
Authors: Naggie Susanna , Swiderska-Syn Marzena , Choi Steve , Lusk Sam , Lan Audrey , Ferrari Guido , Syn Wing-Kin , Guy Cynthia D , Diehl Anna Mae
Published: June 2018

Liver disease is a leading cause of HIV-related mortality. Hepatitis C virus (HCV)–related fibrogenesis is accelerated in the setting of HIV coinfection, yet the mechanisms underlying this aggressive pathogenesis are unclear. We identified formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded liver tissue for HIV-infected patients, HCV-infected patients, HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, and controls at Duke University Medical Center. De-identified sections were stained for markers against the wound repair Hedgehog (Hh) pathway, resident T-lymphocytes, and immune activation and cellular aging. HIV infection was independently associated with Hh activation and markers of immune dysregulation in the liver tissue.
The proteobacterial species Burkholderia pseudomallei produces ergothioneine, which enhances virulence in mammalian infection
Authors: Gamage Akshamal M. , Liao Cangsong , Cheah Irwin K. , Chen Yahua , Lim Daniel R. X. , Ku Joanne W. K. , Chee Rhonda Sin Ling , Gengenbacher Martin , Seebeck Florian P. , Halliwell Barry , Gan Yunn‐Hwen
Published: June 2018

Bacteria use various endogenous antioxidants for protection against oxidative stress associated with environmental survival or host infection. Although glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant and widely used antioxidant in Proteobacteria, ergothioneine (EGT) is another microbial antioxidant, mainly produced by fungi and Actinobacteria. The Burkholderia genus is found in diverse environmental niches. We observed that gene homologs required for the synthesis of EGT are widely distributed throughout the genus. By generating gene‐deletion mutants and monitoring production with isotope‐labeled substrates, we show that pathogenic Burkholderia pseudomallei and environmental B. thailandensis areabletosynthesize EGT de novo. Unlike most other bacterial EGT synthesis pathways described, Burkholderia spp. use cysteine rather than γ‐glutamyl cysteine as the thiol donor. Analysis of recombinant EgtB indicated that it is a proficient sulfoxide synthase, despite divergence in the active site architecture from that of mycobacteria. The absence of GSH, but not EGT, increased bacterial susceptibility to oxidative stresses in vitro. However, deletion of EGT synthesis conferred a reduced fitness to B. pseudomallei, with a delay in organ colonization and time to death during mouse infection. Therefore, despite the lack of an apparent antioxidant role in vitro, EGT is important for optimal bacterial pathogenesis in the mammalian host.—Gamage, A. M., Liao, C., Cheah, I. K., Chen, Y., Lim, D. R. X., Ku, J. W. K., Chee, R. S. L., Gengenbacher, M., Seebeck, F. P., Halliwell, B., Gan, Y.‐H. The proteobacterial species Burkholderia pseudomallei produces ergothioneine, which enhances virulence in mammalian infection. FASEB J. 32, 6395–6409 (2018). www.fasebj.org
Comprehensive longitudinal microbiome analysis of the chicken cecum reveals a shift from competitive to environmental drivers and a window of opportunity for Campylobacter
Authors: Ijaz Umer Zeeshan , Sivaloganathan Lojika , Mckenna Aaron , Richmond Anne , Kelly Carmel , Linton Mark , Stratakos Alexandros , Lavery Ursula , Elmi Abdi , Wren Brendan , Dorrell Nick , Corcionivoschi Nicolae , Gundogdu Ozan
Published: June 2018

Chickens are a key food source for humans yet their microbiome contains bacteria that can be pathogenic to humans, and indeed potentially to chickens themselves. Campylobacter is present within the chicken gut and is the leading cause of bacterial foodborne gastroenteritis within humans worldwide. Infection can lead to secondary sequelae such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and stunted growth in children from low-resource areas. Despite the global health impact and economic burden of Campylobacter, how and when Campylobacter appears within chickens remains unclear. As such, there has been a motivation to decrease the number of Campylobacter within chickens and thus reduce the risk of infection to humans. The lack of day-to-day microbiome data with replicates, relevant metadata, and a lack of natural infection studies have delayed our understanding of the chicken gut microbiome and Campylobacter. Here, we performed a comprehensive day-to-day microbiome analysis of the chicken cecum from day 3 to 35 (12 replicates each day; n=396) combining metadata such as chicken weight and feed conversion rates to investigate what the driving forces are for the microbial changes within the chicken gut over time, and how this relates to Campylobacter appearance within a natural habitat setting. We found a rapidly increasing microbial diversity up to day 12 with variation observed both in terms of genera and abundance, before a stabilisation of the microbial diversity after day 20. In particular, we identified a shift from competitive to environmental drivers of microbial community from days 12 to 20 creating a window of opportunity whereby Campylobacter appears. Campylobacter was identified at day 16 which was one day after the most substantial changes in metabolic profiles observed. In addition, microbial variation over time is most likely influenced by the diet of the chickens whereby significant shifts in OTU abundances and beta dispersion of samples often corresponded with changes in feed. This study is unique in comparison to the most recent studies as neither sampling was sporadic nor Campylobacter was artificially introduced, thus the experiments were performed in a natural setting. We believe that our findings can be useful for future intervention strategies and can help elucidate the mechanism through which Campylobacter within chickens can be reduced.
Dead or Alive? Molecular life-dead distinction in human stool samples reveals significantly different composition of the microbial community
Authors: Perras Alexandra , Koskinen Kaisa , Mora Maximilian , Beck Michael , Wink Lisa , Moissl-Eichinger Christine
Published: June 2018

The gut microbiome is strongly interwoven with human health. Conventional gut microbiome analysis generally involves 16S rRNA gene targeting next generation sequencing (NGS) of stool microbial communities, and correlation of results with clinical parameters. However, some microorganisms may not be alive at the time of sampling, and thus their impact on the human health is potentially less significant. As conventional NGS methods do not differentiate between viable and dead microbial components, retrieved results provide only limited information.

Propidium monoazide (PMA) is frequently used in food safety monitoring and other disciplines to discriminate living from dead cells. PMA binds to free DNA and masks it for subsequent procedures. In this article we show the impact of PMA on the results of 16S rRNA gene-targeting NGS from human stool samples and validate the optimal applicable concentration to achieve a reliable detection of the living microbial communities.

Fresh stool samples were treated with a concentration series of zero to 300 μM PMA, and were subsequently subjected to amplicon-based NGS. The results indicate that a substantial proportion of the human microbial community is not intact at the time of sampling. PMA treatment significantly reduced the diversity and richness of the sample depending on the concentration and impacted the relative abundance of certain important microorganisms (e.g. Akkermansia, Bacteroides). Overall, we found that a concentration of 100 μM PMA was sufficient to quench signals from disrupted microbial cells.

The optimized protocol proposed here can be easily implemented in classical microbiome analyses, and helps to retrieve an improved and less blurry picture of the microbial community composition by excluding signals from background DNA.
Application of mechanistic methods to clinical trials in multiple sclerosis: the simvastatin case
Authors: Eshaghi Arman , Kievit Rogier A , Prados Ferran , Sudre Carole , Nicholas Jennifer , Cardoso M Jorge , Chan Dennis , Nicholas Richard , Ourselin Sebastien , Greenwood John , Thompson Alan J , Alexander Daniel C , Barkhof Frederik , Chataway Jeremy , Ciccarelli Olga
Published: June 2018

The analysis of clinical trials is limited to pre-specified outcomes, thereby precluding a mechanistic understanding of the treatment response. Multivariate mechanistic models can elucidate thecausalchain of events by simultaneous analysis of multimodal data that link intermediate variables to outcomes of interest. A double-blind, randomised, controlled, phase 2 clinical trial in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS-STAT,NCT00647348) demonstrated that simvastatin (80mg/day) over two years reduced the brain atrophy rate and was associated with beneficial effects on cognitive and disability outcomes. Therefore, this trial offers an opportunity to apply mechanistic models to investigate the hypothesised pathways that link simvastatin to clinical outcome measures, either directly or indirectly via changes in serum total cholesterol levels and to determine which is the more likely.
Mitotic chromosome alignment is required for proper nuclear envelope reassembly
Authors: Fonseca Cindy L. , Malaby Heidi L.H. , Sepaniac Leslie A. , Martin Whitney , Byers Candice , Czechanski Anne , Messinger Dana , Tang Mary , Ohi Ryoma , Reinholdt Laura G. , Stumpff Jason
Published: June 2018

Chromosome alignment at the equator of the mitotic spindle is a highly conserved step during cell division, however, its importance to genomic stability and cellular fitness are not understood. Normal mammalian somatic cells lacking Kif18A function complete cell division without aligning chromosomes. These alignment-deficient cells display normal chromosome copy numbers in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that chromosome alignment is largely dispensable for maintenance of euploidy. However, we find that loss of chromosome alignment leads to interchromosomal compaction defects during anaphase, abnormal organization of chromosomes into a single nucleus at mitotic exit, and the formation of micronuclei in vitro and in vivo. These defects slow cell proliferation and reduce postnatal growth and survival with variable penetrance in mice. Our studies support a model in which the alignment of mitotic chromosomes promotes proper nuclear envelope reassembly and continued proliferation by ensuring that chromosomes segregate as a compact mass during anaphase.
The systemic activin response to pancreatic cancer: Implications for effective cancer cachexia therapy
Authors: Zhong Xiaoling , Pons Marianne , Poirier Christophe , Jiang Yanlin , Liu Jianguo , Sandusky George E. , Liu Yunlong , Jiang Guanglong , Couch Marion , Koniaris Leonidas G. , Zimmers Teresa A.
Published: June 2018

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a particularly lethal malignancy with high rates of cachexia. Serum activin correlates with PDAC cachexia and mortality, while activin administration causes cachexia in mice. We studied activin in human tumors and in mice with orthotopic or genetic PDAC. Cachexia severity correlated with activin expression in tumor lines. Activins were expressed in both cancer and tumor stromal cells, but also in organs in murine PDAC cachexia. Tumor cells expressed activin-βA, orInhba, while organs expressed both activin-βA and activin-βB, orInhbb. PDAC elicits activin expression; PDAC conditioned medium induced activin and atrophy of myotubes. Treatment with the activin trap, ACVR2B/Fc, reduced cachexia and prolonged survival in mice with activin-low tumors, and reduced cachexia in activin-high tumors, without affecting activin expression in organs. Mice expressing dominant negative ACVR2B in muscle were protected for weight loss but not survival. Overall our results indicate that PDAC induces a systemic activin response, leading to cachexia, and that activin targets might include organs beyond muscle. Targeting of both tumor-derived and host-derived activins could improve cachexia therapy.
Liberating links between datasets using lightweight data publishing: an example using plant names and the taxonomic literature
Authors: Page Roderic D. M.
Published: June 2018

Constructing a biodiversity knowledge graph will require making millions of cross links between diversity entities in different datasets. Researchers trying to bootstrap the growth of the biodiversity knowledge graph by constructing databases of links between these entities lack obvious ways to publish these sets of links. One appealing and lightweight approach is to create a “datasette”, a database that is wrapped together with a simple web server that enables users to query the data. Datasettes can be packaged into Docker containers and hosted online with minimal effort. This approach is illustrated using a dataset of links between globally unique identifiers for plant taxonomic names, and identifiers for the taxonomic articles that published those names.
Wolbachiaboth aids and hampers the performance of spider mites on different host plants
Authors: Zélé Flore , Santos Joaquim L. , Godinho Diogo Prino , Magalhães Sara
Published: June 2018

In the last decades, many studies had revealed the potential role of arthropod bacterial endosymbionts in shaping the host range of generalist herbivores and their performance on different host plants, which, in turn, might affect endosymbiont distribution in herbivores populations. We tested this by measuring the prevalence of endosymbionts in natural populations of the generalist spider miteTetranychus urticaeon different host plants. Focusing onWolbachia, we then analysed how symbionts affected mite life-history traits on the same host-plants in the laboratory. Overall, the prevalences ofCardiniumandRickettsiawere low, whereas that ofWolbachiawas high, with the highest values on bean and eggplant and the lowest on purple, tomato and zuchini. Although most mite life-history traits were affected by the plant species only,Wolbachiainfection was detrimental for egg hatching rate on purple and zucchini, and led to a more female-biased sex ratio on purple and eggplant. These results suggest that endosymbionts may affect the host range of polyphagous herbivores, both by aiding and hampering their performance, depending on the host plant and on the life-history trait that affects performance the most. Conversely, endosymbiont spread may be facilitated or hindered by the plants on which infected herbivores occur.
Integrated computational and Drosophila cancer model platform captures previously unappreciated chemicals perturbing a kinase network
Authors: Ung Peter Man-Un , Sonoshita Masahiro , Scopton Alex P. , Dar Arvin C. , Cagan Ross L. , Schlessinger Avner
Published: June 2018

Drosophila provides an inexpensive and quantitative platform for measuring whole animal drug response. A complementary approach is virtual screening, where chemical libraries can be efficiently screened against protein target(s). Here, we present a unique discovery platform integrating structure-based modeling with Drosophila biology and organic synthesis. We demonstrate this platform by developing chemicals targeting a Drosophila model of Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC) with disease-promoting kinase network activated by mutant dRetM955T. Structural models for kinases relevant to MTC were generated for virtually screening to identify initial hits that were dissimilar to known kinase inhibitors yet suppressed dRetM955T-induced oncogenicity. We then combined features from the hits and known inhibitors to create a ‘hybrid’ molecule with improved dRetM955T phenotypic outcome. Our platform provides a framework to efficiently explore novel chemical spaces, develop compounds outside of the current inhibitor chemical space, and ‘correct’ cancer-causing signaling networks to improve disease prognosis while minimizing whole body toxicity.

AUTHOR SUMMARY

Effective and safe treatment of multigenic diseases often involves drugs that modulate whole systems by interacting with multiple nodes in pathways and networks, i.e., polypharmacology. Polypharmacology is increasingly appreciated as a potential desirable property of kinase drugs; however, most known drugs that interact with multiple targets have been identified as such by chance, and most polypharmacological compounds are not chemically unique resembling to structures of known kinase inhibitors. The fruit fly Drosophila has been established as a robust screening platform that provides an inexpensive, rapid, and quantitative measure of whole animal drug response, complementing computational approaches. We present a chemical genetics approach that efficiently combines Drosophila with structural prediction and virtual screening, creating a unique discovery platform. We demonstrate the utility of our approach by developing useful small molecules targeting a kinase network in a Drosophila model of Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC) driven by the active mutant dRetM955T.
Tryptophan recovers sensitivity to cell membrane stress inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Schroeder Lea , Lazarevskiy Pauletta , Ikui Amy E.
Published: June 2018

Sodium dodecyl sulfate is a detergent that disrupts cell membranes, activates cell wall integrity signaling and restricts cell growth inSaccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the underlying mechanism of how sodium dodecyl sulfate inhibits cell growth is not fully understood. Because deletion of theMCK1gene leads to sensitivity to sodium dodecyl sulfate, we implemented a suppressor gene screening revealing that theTAT2tryptophan permease rescues cell growth to sodium dodecyl sulfate-treatedΔmck1cells. Therefore, we questioned the involvement of tryptophan in the response to sodium dodecyl sulfate treatment. In this work, we show thatΔtrp1cells have a disadvantage in the response to sodium dodecyl sulfate compared to auxotrophy for adenine, histidine, leucine or uracil. While also critical in the response to tea tree oil,TRP1does not avert growth inhibition due to other cell wall/membrane perturbations that activate cell wall integrity signaling such as calcofluor white, Congo Red or heat stress. This implicates a distinction from the cell wall integrity pathway and suggests specificity to membrane stress as opposed to cell wall stress. We discover that tyrosine biosynthesis is also essential upon sodium dodecyl sulfate perturbation whereas phenylalanine biosynthesis appears dispensable. Finally, we observe enhanced tryptophan import within minutes upon exposure to sodium dodecyl sulfate indicating that these cells are not starved for tryptophan. In summary, our results expose a functional link between internal tryptophan levels and tryptophan biosynthesis in the response to plasma membrane damage.
Functions of farmers’ preferred tree species and their potential carbon stocks in southern Burkina Faso: implications for biocarbon initiatives
Authors: Dimobe Kangbéni , Tondoh Jérôme E. , Weber John C. , Bayala Jules , Greenough Karen , Kalinganire Antoine
Published: June 2018

The success of terrestrial carbon sequestration projects for rural development in sub-Saharan Africa lies in the (i) involvement of local populations in the selection of woody species, which represent the biological assets they use to meet their daily needs, and (ii) information about the potential of these species to store carbon. Although the latter is a key prerequisite, there is very little information available. To help fill this gap, the present study was undertaken in four pilot villages (Kou, Dao, Vrassan and Cassou) in Ziro Province, south-central Burkina Faso. The objective was to determine carbon storage potential for top-priority woody species preferred by local smallholders. We used (i) participatory rural appraisal consisting of group discussions and key informant interviews to identify priority species and functions, and (ii) landscape assessment of carbon stocks in the preferred woody species. Results revealed over 79 priority tree and shrub species grouped into six functions, of which medicine, food and income emerge as the most important ones for the communities. For these functions, smallholders overwhelmingly listed Vitellaria paradoxa, Parkia biglobosa, Afzelia africana, Adansonia digitata, Detarium microcarpum, and Lannea microcarpa among the most important tree species. Among the preferred woody species in Cassou and Kou, the highest quantity of carbon was stored by V. paradoxa (1,460.6 ±271.0 kg C ha−1 to 2,798.1±521.0 kg C ha−1) and the lowest by Grewia bicolor (1.6±1.3 kg C ha−1). The potential carbon stored by the preferred tree communities was estimated at 5,766.2 Mg C ha−1 (95% CI: 5,258.2; 6,274.2 Mg C ha−1) in Kou and 6,664.0 Mg C ha−1 (95% CI: 5,810.2; 7,517.8 Mg C ha−1) in Cassou. The findings of this study will help design data-based development of biocarbon projects, which are rare in the West African Sahel despite being considered as one of the most impactful climate change resilient strategies.
Analysis of seven putative Na+/H+antiporters ofArthrospira platensisNIES-39 using transcription profiling andIn-silicostudies: an indication towards alkaline pH acclimation
Authors: Jangir Monika M. , Vani B. , Chowdhury Shibasish
Published: June 2018

Na+/H+antiporters mediated pH regulation is one of the known mechanism(s), which advocates a possible role of the antiporters in the alkaline pH tolerance ofArthrospira platensisNIES-39 too. Seven putative Na+/H+antiporters have been reported inA. platensis. We have characterized these seven antiporters, where A1, Q2, L2 and L6 belong to the CPA1 family whereas C5, D5 and O6 belong to CPA2 family through variousIn-silicoanalysis. Conserved domain analysis of these seven putative antiporters indicate the presence of nine different kinds of domains. Out of these nine domains, six domains function as monovalent cation-proton antiporters and two as the universal stress protein (Usp) category. Transcription profile of these seven antiporters was also generated at three different pH and time frames which showed a significant difference in the m-RNA levels at pH 7, 9 and at 11 along with a temporal pattern of the expression profile. TheInsilicoand the real time PCR analysis, put together, suggest the active participation of these seven putative Na+/H+antiporters in alkaline pH homeostasis of this cyanobacterial strain where CPA1 subfamily antiporters play a major role.
Isolating the value-relevant part of advertising spending
Authors: Guenther Peter , Guenther Miriam
Published: June 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how much importance the financial market attaches to advertising spending’s short-term productivity vis-à-vis its investment component and the impact of important contextual factors (investor mix and analyst coverage) on this trade-off.

Design/methodology/approach

A stochastic frontier estimation (SFE) approach is used to help disentangle advertising spending. Using a panel internal instruments model and 10,017 firm-year observations from publicly listed US companies over a 13-year period, this study relates aggregated advertising spending and disentangled advertising spending, together with important contextual factors, to Tobin’s q.

Findings

The results do not indicate an effect of aggregated advertising spending on Tobin’s q. However, after advertising spending is disentangled, results show the component with an efficient immediate revenue response to have a positive effect on Tobin’s q, whereas the effect of the remaining investment component is negative. Contextual factors moderate investors’ valuation of the components.

Research limitations/implications

Findings are limited to US publicly listed firms, and are based on secondary, non-experimental data. The results imply that investors reward firms only for short-term advertising productivity, casting doubt on investors’ understanding of the long-term value of marketing.

Practical implications

The results confirm managers’ belief that not all money spent on advertising creates shareholder value. Managers should use the outlined SFE to benchmark their firms’ short-term advertising productivity against that of industry peer firms.

Originality/value

This study advances a new perspective, suggesting that advertising spending can be decomposed into two distinct parts by considering how financial market investors evaluate advertising spending. Important contextual effects on this evaluation from firms’ investor mix and analyst coverage are also shown for the first time. The findings help in reconciling conflicting prior results, and shed new light on how the financial market evaluates marketing expenditures.
Creative tourism: catalysing artisan entrepreneur networks in rural Portugal
Authors: Bakas Fiona Eva , Duxbury Nancy , Vinagre de Castro Tiago
Published: June 2018

Purpose

Given limited research about how artisans become integrated into tourism, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the emergence of artisan entrepreneur–mediators who link artisans to tourism in rural areas and small cities in Portugal. Using social embeddedness as a conceptual framework, this paper views artisan entrepreneur–mediators as existing within an entrepreneurial ecosystem. The paper investigates their role within this ecosystem and how social networks influence the artisan entrepreneur–mediators’ roles in connecting artisans to creative tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on new (2017 and 2018) empirical evidence developed through two rounds of semi-structured interviews of five artisan entrepreneur–mediators.

Findings

This paper finds that artisan entrepreneur–mediators in rural areas or small cities take on multiple roles as networking agents who organize and offer creative tourism experiences, providing the missing link between artisans and tourists. An analysis of the nuances of the operations of these artisan entrepreneur–mediators suggests that high levels of social embeddedness within local rural communities are important in order for these neo-rural entrepreneurs to attain their goals.

Originality/value

Originality lies in the identification of a gap in artisan entrepreneurship literature in a rural context. It is the first time that a critical analysis of artisan entrepreneur–mediators who facilitate the link between artisans and tourism is carried out in terms of social embeddedness, their roles and connections to creative tourism, and types of community engagement.
Obtaining depth map from 2D non stereo images using deep neural networks
Authors: Mikhalchenko Daniil Igorevich , Ivin Arseniy , Malov Dmitrii
Published: June 2018

Purpose

Single image depth prediction allows to extract depth information from a usual 2D image without usage of special sensors such as laser sensors, stereo cameras, etc. The purpose of this paper is to solve the problem of obtaining depth information from 2D image by applying deep neural networks (DNNs).

Design/methodology/approach

Several experiments and topologies are presented: DNN that uses three inputs—sequence of 2D images from videostream and DNN that uses only one input. However, there is no data set, that contains videostream and corresponding depth maps for every frame. So technique of creating data sets using the Blender software is presented in this work.

Findings

Despite the problem of an insufficient amount of available data sets, the problem of overfitting was encountered. Although created models work on the data sets, they are still overfitted and cannot predict correct depth map for the random images, that were included into the data sets.

Originality/value

Existing techniques of depth images creation are tested, using DNN.
Orientations and capabilities of born global firms from emerging markets
Authors: Falahat Mohammad , Knight Gary , Alon Ilan
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of entrepreneurial orientation and networking capabilities of born global firms in an emerging market on marketing strategy and foreign market performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data from 1,001 internationalized firms in an emerging market and to test seven hypotheses regarding the development of marketing strategy and foreign market performance.

Findings

Marketing strategy was found to mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and networking capability and foreign market performance, while foreign market performance is affected by entrepreneurial orientation and marketing strategy.

Research limitations/implications

Research on emerging market multinationals can be merged with that of born globals to augment our understanding of how early internationalizers from emerging markets perform in foreign markets.

Originality/value

This study is among the few focusing on born globals in emerging markets, which face the difficulties of newness and limited resources, as well as characteristics of emerging markets, such as institutional voids.
Mitigating microfinance marketing channels inefficiencies with customerization of mobile technology
Authors: Elliot Esi Abbam , Ngugi Benjamin , Malgwi Charles A.
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how technological innovations mitigate inefficiencies in marketing channels in the context of microfinance markets in emerging markets. By examining in detail, specific market inefficiencies that inhibit the efforts of micro and small enterprises to access microfinance in emerging markets and the use of technology to alleviate these failures, the authors bridge the literatures on marketing channel inefficiencies and technological innovation relevant to emerging markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a qualitative method in the form of phenomenological interviews and participant observation in Ghana, West Africa, to investigate the research question.

Findings

The three themes that arise from the findings are: channel structure and structure selection; power-dependence relationships and relational outcomes; and conflict mechanisms and control behaviors. Customerization of technology is observed to mitigate inefficiencies in mobile marketing channels by facilitating data sharing, reminders, peer referencing and other marketing strategies of awareness, affordability, access and scalability.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of this study are the fact that the context of the study is only one emerging market country – Ghana. This market is however experiencing dynamic changes in mobile technology innovations that is revolutionizing the microfinance industry.

Practical implications

Mobile money innovations have advanced the scope of marketing channels to the point that an updated perspective of the role of mobile technology in mitigating marketing channels inefficiency is both appropriate and timely.

Originality/value

The authors make the contribution of customerization as an aspect of mobile technology that is a key enabler in microfinance marketing channels, serving to mitigate microfinance market inefficiencies. Additionally, the study augments theories on the marketing channels framework by contributing perspectives on mobile technology.
A flexible self-adaptive underactuated hand with series passive joints
Authors: Luo Chao , Zhang Wenzeng
Published: June 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a novel hand to bridge the gap between the traditional rigid robot hands and the soft hands to obtain a better grasping performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed hand consists of three fingers. Each finger has 15 degrees of freedom and three phalanxes, which can bend in one direction when load is applied, but they are rigid toward the opposite direction at the initial position. The grasping process and simulations of the fingers are discussed in this paper. Both kinematic and dynamics analyses are performed to predict the performance of the hand. Subsequently, a prototype of the hand is developed for experiments.

Findings

Both kinematics and dynamics analyses indicate good grasping performance of the hand. Simulations and experiments confirm the feasibility of the finger design. The hand can execute hybrid grasping modes with more uniform force distribution and a larger workspace than traditional rigid fingers. The proposed hand has much potential in the industrial sector.

Originality/value

A new method to obtain better grasping performance and to bridge the gap between the rigid finger and the soft finger has been presented and verified. The hand combines the advantages of both the rigid phalanxes and the soft fingers. Compared with some traditional rigid fingers, the proposed design has a more uniform force distribution and a bigger workspace.
Limits to psychological ownership in the family business
Authors: Broekaert Wouter , Henssen Bart , Lambrecht Johan , Debackere Koenraad , Andries Petra
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the sense of control, psychological ownership and motivation of both family owners and non-family managers in family firms are interrelated. This paper analyzes the limits set by family owners when delegating control to their non-family managers and the resulting potential for conflict and demotivation of the non-family managers.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on the existing literature, first, an overview of the literature on psychological ownership and control is presented. Second, the paper analyzes the insights gained from interviews with 15 family owners and non-family managers in five family firms.

Findings

This study finds that motivating non-family managers is not merely a matter of promoting a sense of psychological ownership throughout the company. A strong sense of psychological ownership may facilitate but also hinder the cooperation between family and non-family. Family owners are often only willing to delegate operational control, while non-family managers also feel entitled to participate in strategic decision making. This leads to the proposition that non-family managers’ psychological ownership in family firms’ conflicts with family owners’ desire to maintain control.

Originality/value

This study answers the calls to seek additional insight in how non-family managers function within family firms. By shedding light on the complex relationship between control, psychological ownership and motivation in family firms, the study responds to the calls for more empirical validation of the psychological ownership framework and for more research into the potential negative effects of psychological ownership in the family business.
The effect of revenue diversification and form of government on public spending
Authors: Park Ji Hyung , Park Sungho
Published: June 2018

Purpose

Revenue diversification interacting with form of government that has different management behaviors may produce a variation in the level of public spending. The purpose of this paper is to understand how revenue diversification interacts with form of government in determining the level of public spending.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional research design with the analysis of interaction effects was employed in order to achieve this research objective. Drawing from the economic and financial management perspectives on revenue diversification, this study proposes the following hypotheses: in the council-manager form, greater revenue diversification leads to less spending; in the mayor-council form, greater revenue diversification leads to more spending; and mayor-council governments with diversified revenues spend more than council-manager governments.

Findings

The regression results support the second and third hypotheses, but not the first hypothesis.

Originality/value

This study offers a robust link between revenue diversification and form of government by examining how their interaction produces a variation in the level of public spending.
Beyond new roads and bridges
Authors: O’Connell Lenahan , (Wie) Yusuf Juita-Elena , Anuar Khairul Azfi
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare public preferences for investment and spending on non-automobile infrastructures (mass transit and bicycling) to preferences for new roads and the repair of current highways. The study explores the factors that explain preferences for non-automobile infrastructure using a three-factor model including self-interest (personal transportation benefits), concern for community-wide benefits (political beliefs), and concern for the economic impact. The study uses a case study of the urban context of the Hampton Roads region of Southeastern Virginia (USA).

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis uses data from a 2013 telephone survey of urban residents in the Hampton Roads area. Survey respondents were asked to identify their two investment priorities from four options: repairing existing roads, bridges, and tunnels; constructing new or expanding roads, bridges, and tunnels; expanding mass transit; and expanding bicycle routes and improving bike safety.

Findings

Repairing existing highway infrastructure is the most popular spending priority (66 percent of residents). There is as much support (46 percent) for investing in non-automobile infrastructure as for investing in new roads, bridges, and tunnels. Significant predictors of support for non-automobile infrastructure, using the three-factor model, are: length of commute time, self-identification as liberal, use of light rail, and a belief that light rail contributes to economic development.

Originality/value

The study examines public preferences for both non-traditional and traditional transportation infrastructure investments. It highlights the factors that contribute to public support for different transportation spending options.
Telling your library story: tableau public for data visualization
Authors: Datig Ilka , Whiting Paul
Published: June 2018

Purpose

Data visualization, the technique of presenting data in a visual context to increase reader understanding, is a method that has been growing in influence for decades. Many libraries are facing increasing pressure (both internal and external) to showcase the statistics in high-impact and visually appealing ways. Tableau Public is a free tool that libraries can use to visualize their data.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper gives an overview of Tableau Public and discusses best practices for using it in library services.

Findings

Tableau Public is a free-to-use downloadable software that enables librarians with no data science expertise to build beautiful and interactive data visualizations, which can be shared with staff, administration and other stakeholders.

Originality/value

This paper should be of use to any librarians interested in finding new and effective ways of communicating their library statistics. Tableau Public can be used to visualize data from a variety of library departments, including circulation, reference, instruction and collection management.
Politics, culture and M&As’ transaction completion
Authors: Li Shi , Huang Shizhong
Published: June 2018

Purpose

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) dominated by Chinese enterprises have become increasingly conspicuous and prevalent in recent years. However, many of them were obstructed by foreign governments on the ground of “Threating National Security”. Overseas acquisition is a crucial step of Chinese Government’s “Going-Out” strategy, so analyzing the attribution of its success and failure is very important.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts empirical study method to analyze the factors from political and cultural perspectives based on a sample of 327 cross-border M&A transactions made by all listed companies in China from 1997 to 2010.

Findings

The result shows higher failure rate for those acquisition targets which could be classified as political sensitive assets; meanwhile, positive diplomatic relations and higher bilateral trust between China and the host country will facilitate the M&A transaction.

Originality/value

This paper offers a new research angle on cross-border M&As, which is the impact of culture factors, as well as diplomatic relationship, bilateral trust and war history between China and the host country on M&A transactions. This paper also constructs several ways of measuring the diplomatic relationship between countries.
An interlocking and interdependent ecology
Authors: Kuglitsch Rebecca Zuege
Published: June 2018

Purpose

This study aims to explore the potential areas of overlap and reinforcement between critical science literacy and information literacy. As an awareness of the limitations of traditional definitions of scientific literacy and traditional science instruction has grown, there is an opportunity to apply a critical lens to science and IL.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the literature of critical scientific literacy and connects it to information literacy practices.

Findings

There is considerable room for librarians to foster and support critical scientific literacy in parallel with information literacy. Both literacies align significantly.

Practical implications

IL for students in the sciences can and should take a more critical approach to instruction to support scientific literacy as well as ILI.

Originality/value

Traditional science literacy has had relatively limited impact perhaps, but critical science literacy offers a way to construct science literacy as a meaningful engagement; combining it with critical approaches to information literacy offers the opportunity to reinforce both skills.
The Extraction and Recovery Efficiency of Pure DNA for Different Types of Swabs
Authors: Bruijns Brigitte B. , Tiggelaar Roald M. , Gardeniers Han
Published: June 2018

The extraction and recovery efficiency of swabs used to collect evidence at crime scenes is relatively low (typically <50%) for bacterial spores and body fluids. Cell‐free deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is an interesting alternative compared to whole cells as a source for forensic analysis, but extraction and recovery from swabs has not been tested before using pure DNA. In this study cotton, foam, nylon flocked, polyester and rayon swabs are investigated in order to collect pure DNA isolated from saliva samples. The morphology and absorption capacity of swabs is studied. Extraction and recovery efficiencies are determined and compared to the maximum theoretical efficiency. The results indicate that a substantial part of DNA is not extracted from the swab and some types of swab seem to bind effectively with DNA. The efficiency of the different types of swab never exceeds 50%. The nylon flocked 4N6FLOQSwab used for buccal sampling performs the best.
Juvenile hormone signaling – a mini review
Authors: Li Kang , Jia Qiang‐Qiang , Li Sheng
Published: June 2018

Since it was first postulated by Wigglesworth in 1934, juvenile hormone (JH) is considered a status quo hormone in insects because it prevents metamorphosis that is initiated by the molting hormone 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E). During the last decade, significant advances have been made regarding JH signaling. First, the bHLH‐PAS transcription factor Met/Gce was identified as the JH intracellular receptor. In the presence of JH, with the assistance of Hsp83, and through physical association with a bHLH‐PAS transcriptional co‐activator, Met/Gce enters the nucleus and binds to E‐box‐like motifs in promoter regions of JH primary‐response genes for inducing gene expression. Second, the zinc finger transcription factor Kr‐h1 was identified as the anti‐metamorphic factor which transduces JH signaling. Via Kr‐h1 binding sites, Kr‐h1 represses expression of 20E primary‐response genes (i.e. Br, E93 and E75) to prevent 20E‐induced metamorphosis. Third, through the intracellular signaling, JH promotes different aspects of female reproduction. Nevertheless, this action varies greatly from species to species. Last, a hypothetical JH membrane receptor has been predicted to be either a GPCR or a tyrosine kinase receptor. In future, it will be a great challenge to understand how the JH intracellular receptor Met/Gce and the yet unidentified JH membrane receptor coordinate to regulate metamorphosis and reproduction in insects.
Late development of hepatocellular carcinoma after viral clearance in patients with chronic hepatitis C: A need for continual surveillance
Authors: Tong Myron J , Theodoro Carmem F , Salvo Rebecca T
Published: June 2018

OBJECTIVE

Eradication of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection decreases the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but a risk remains. We aimed to investigate HCC development‐associated factors in CHC patients with sustained virological response (SVR) after antiviral therapies.

METHODS

We compared CHC patients achieving SVR from 1996–2016 who did and did not develop HCC. Their median follow‐up period was 8.01 years.

RESULTS

Compared with 164 non‐HCC SVR patients, 22 who developed HCC were older at SVR (P = 0.032), had a higher incidence of diabetes (P = 0.013) and higher pre‐antiviral treatment alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) levels (P = 0.016), more had fibrosis stage 3 and cirrhosis (P = 0.0009) and hepatitis B core antibody (anti‐HBc) positivity (P = 0.006). Eight and seven of 22 patients, respectively, developed HCC at 4–10 years and 10 years after SVR. The longest duration from SVR to HCC was 18.7 years. Independent factors associated with HCC development were anti‐HBc positivity (hazard ratio [HR] 5.57, P = 0.012), age at SVR (HR 1.08, P = 0.014), higher pre‐antiviral treatment AFP levels (HR 1.01, P = 0.01) and Hispanic ethnicity (HR 12.9, P = 0.002). HCC risk was significantly less in genotype 2 patients (HR 0.2, P = 0.02) or in those with higher pre‐antiviral treatment albumin levels (HR 0.33, P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

The risk for HCC exists in a subset of CHC patients after SVR and may occur up to 18 years after viral clearance. Indefinite HCC surveillance is necessary in SVR patients with other risk factors.