bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficient flavinylation of glycosomal fumarate reductase by its own ApbE domain in Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Schenk Robin , Bachmaier Sabine , Bringaud Frederic , Boshart Michael
Published: December 2020

A subset of flavoproteins has a covalently attached flavin prosthetic group enzymatically attached via phosphoester bonding. In prokaryotes, this is catalysed by ApbE flavin transferases. ApbE-like domains are present in few eukaryotic taxa, e.g. the N-terminal domain of fumarate reductase (FRD) of Trypanosoma, a parasitic protist known as a tropical pathogen causing African sleeping sickness. We use the versatile reverse genetic tools available for Trypanosoma to investigate the flavinylation of glycosomal FRD (FRDg) in vivo in the physiological and organellar context. Using direct in-gel fluorescence detection of covalently attached flavin as proxy for activity, we show that the ApbE-like domain of FRDg has flavin transferase activity in vivo. The ApbE domain is preceded by a consensus flavinylation target motif at the extreme N-terminus of FRDg, and serine 9 in this motif is essential as flavin acceptor. The preferred mode of flavinylation in the glycosome was addressed by stoichiometric expression and comparison of native and catalytically dead ApbE domains. In addition to the trans-flavinylation activity, the ApbE domain catalyses the intramolecular cis-flavinylation with at least 5-fold higher efficiency. We discuss how the higher efficiency due to unusual fusion of the ApbE domain to its substrate protein FRD may provide a selective advantage by faster FRD biogenesis during rapid metabolic adaptation of trypanosomes. The first 37 amino acids of FRDg, including the consensus motif, are sufficient as flavinylation target upon fusion to other proteins. We propose FRDg(1-37) as 4 kDa heat-stable, detergent-resistant fluorescent protein tag and suggest its use as a new tool to study glycosomal protein import.
Restoring Glutamate receptosome dynamics at synapses rescues Autism-like deficits in Shank3-deficient mice
Authors: Moutin Enora , Sakkaki Sophie , Compan Vincent , Bouquier Nathalie , Giona Federica , Areias Julie , Goyet Elise , Hemonnot-Girard Anne-Laure , Seube Vincent , Benac Nathan , Chastagnier Yan , Raynaud Fabrice , Audinat Etienne , Groc Laurent , Maurice Tangui , Sala Carlo , Verpelli Chiara , Perroy Julie
Published: December 2020

Shank3 monogenic mutations lead to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Shank3 is part of the glutamate receptosome that physically links ionotropic NMDA receptors to metabotropic mGlu5 receptors through interactions with scaffolding proteins PSD95-GKAP-Shank3-Homer. A main physiological function of the glutamate receptosome is to control NMDA synaptic function that is required for plasticity induction. Intact glutamate receptosome supports glutamate receptors activation and plasticity induction, while glutamate receptosome disruption blocks receptors activity, preventing the induction of subsequent plasticity. Despite possible impact on metaplasticity and cognitive behaviors, scaffold interaction dynamics and their consequences are poorly defined. Here we used mGlu5-Homer interaction as a biosensor of glutamate receptosome integrity to report changes of NMDA synaptic function. Combining BRET imaging and electrophysiology, we show that a transient neuronal depolarization inducing NMDA-dependent plasticity disrupts glutamate receptosome in a long-lasting manner at synapses and induces signaling required for the expression of the initiated neuronal plasticity such as ERK and mTOR pathways. Glutamate receptosome disruption also decreases NMDA/AMPA currents ratio, freezing the sensitivity of the synapse to subsequent changes of neuronal activity. These data show the importance of a fine-tuning of protein-protein interactions within glutamate receptosome, driven by changes of neuronal activity, to control plasticity. In a mouse model of ASD, a truncated mutant form of Shank3 prevents the integrity of the glutamate receptosome. These mice display altered plasticity, anxiety-like and stereotyped behaviors. Interestingly, repairing the integrity of glutamate receptosome and its sensitivity to the neuronal activity rescued synaptic transmission, plasticity and some behavioral traits of Shank3∆C mice. Altogether, our findings characterize mechanisms by which Shank3 mutations cause ASD and highlight scaffold dynamics as new therapeutic target.
ComEB protein is dispensable for transformation but must be translated for optimal synthesis of ComEC
Authors: De Santis Micaela , Hahn Jeanette , Dubnau David
Published: December 2020

We show that the ComEB protein is not required for transformation inBacillus subtilis,despite its expression from within thecomEoperon under competence control. We show further that the synthesis of the putative channel protein ComEC is translationally coupled to the upstreamcomEBopen reading frame, so that translation ofcomEBand a suboptimal ribosomal binding site embedded in its sequence are needed for propercomECexpression. Translational coupling appears to be a common mechanism in three major competence operons for the adjustment of protein amounts independent of transcriptional control, probably ensuring the correct stoichiometries for assembly of the transformation machinery.comEBandcomFCrespectively encode cytidine deaminase and a protein resembling type 1 phosphoribosyl transferases and we speculate that nucleotide scavenging proteins are produced under competence control for efficient reutilization of the products of degradation of the non-transforming strand during DNA uptake.
Dynamic Community Composition Unravels Allosteric Communication in PDZ3
Authors: Guclu Tandac F. , Atilgan Ali Rana , Atilgan Canan
Published: December 2020

The third domain of PSD-95 (PDZ3) is a model for investigating allosteric communication in protein and ligand interactions. While motifs contributing to its binding specificity have been scrutinized, a conformational dynamical basis is yet to be established. Despite the miniscule structural changes due to point mutants, the observed significant binding affinity differences have previously been assessed with a focus on two α-helices located at the binding groove (α2) and the C-terminus (α3). Here, we employ a new computational approach to develop a generalized view on the molecular basis of PDZ3 binding selectivity and interaction communication for a set of point mutants of the protein (G330T, H372A, G330T-H372A) and its ligand (CRIPT named L1and its T-2F variant L2) along with the wild type (WT). To analyze the dynamical aspects hidden in the conformations that are produced by molecular dynamics simulations, we utilize variations in community composition calculated based on the betweenness centrality measure from graph theory. We find that the highly charged N-terminus which is located far from the ligand has the propensity to share the same community with the ligand in the biologically functional complexes, indicating a distal segment might mediate the binding dynamics. N- and C-termini of PDZ3 share communities, and α3acts as a hub for the whole protein by sustaining the communication with all structural segments, albeit being a trait not unique to the functional complexes. Moreover, α2which lines the binding cavity frequently parts communities with the ligand and is not a controller of the binding but is rather a slave to the overall dynamics coordinated by the N-terminus. Thus, ligand binding fate in PDZ3 is traced to the population of community compositions extracted from dynamics despite the lack of significant conformational changes.
Protein Docking Model Evaluation by Graph Neural Networks
Authors: Wang Xiao , Flannery Sean T , Kihara Daisuke
Published: December 2020

Physical interactions of proteins play key roles in many important cellular processes. Therefore, it is crucial to determine the structure of protein complexes to understand molecular mechanisms of interactions. To complement experimental approaches, which usually take a considerable amount of time and resources, various computational methods have been developed to predict the structures of protein complexes. In computational modeling, one of the challenges is to identify near-native structures from a large pool of generated models. Here, we developed a deep learning-based approach named Graph Neural Network-based DOcking decoy eValuation scorE (GNN-DOVE). To evaluate a protein docking model, GNN-DOVE extracts the interface area and represents it as a graph. The chemical properties of atoms and the inter-atom distances are used as features of nodes and edges in the graph. GNN-DOVE was trained and validated on docking models in the Dockground database. GNN-DOVE performed better than existing methods including DOVE, which is our previous development that uses convolutional neural network on voxelized structure models.
Screening a library of FDA-approved and bioactive compounds for antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Biering Scott B. , Van Dis Erik , Wehri Eddie , Yamashiro Livia H. , Nguyenla Xammy , Dugast-Darzacq Claire , Graham Thomas G.W. , Stroumza Julien R. , Golovkine Guillaume R. , Roberts Allison W. , Fines Daniel M. , Spradlin Jessica N. , Ward Carl C. , Bajaj Teena , Dovala Dustin , Gahmen Ursula Schulze , Bajaj Ruchika , Fox Douglas M. , Ott Melanie , Murthy Niren , Nomura Daniel K. , Schaletzky Julia , Stanley Sarah A.
Published: December 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has emerged as a major global health threat. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in over 80 million cases and 1.7 million deaths to date while the number of cases continues to rise. With limited therapeutic options, the identification of safe and effective therapeutics is urgently needed. The repurposing of known clinical compounds holds the potential for rapid identification of drugs effective against SARS-CoV-2. Here we utilized a library of FDA-approved and well-studied preclinical and clinical compounds to screen for antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 in human pulmonary epithelial cells. We identified 13 compounds that exhibit potent antiviral activity across multiple orthogonal assays. Hits include known antivirals, compounds with anti-inflammatory activity, and compounds targeting host pathways such as kinases and proteases critical for SARS-CoV-2 replication. We identified seven compounds not previously reported to have activity against SARS-CoV-2, including B02, a human RAD51 inhibitor. We further demonstrated that B02 exhibits synergy with remdesivir, the only antiviral approved by the FDA to treat COVID-19, highlighting the potential for combination therapy. Taken together, our comparative compound screening strategy highlights the potential of drug repurposing screens to identify novel starting points for development of effective antiviral mono- or combination therapies to treat COVID-19.
One step forward, two steps back: transcriptional advancements and fermentation phenomena inActinobacillus succinogenes130Z
Authors: Long Dianna S. , Immethun Cheryl M. , Vallecilla-Yepez Lisbeth , Wilkins Mark R. , Saha Rajib
Published: December 2020

Within the field of bioproduction, non-model organisms offer promise as bio-platform candidates. Non-model organisms can possess natural abilities to consume complex feedstocks, produce industrially useful chemicals, and withstand extreme environments that can be ideal for product extraction. However, non-model organisms also come with unique challenges due to lack of characterization. As a consequence, developing synthetic biology tools, predicting growth behavior, and building computational models can be difficult. There have been many advancements that have improved work with non-model organisms to address broad limitations, however each organism can come with unique surprises. Here we share our work in the non-model bacteriumActinobacillus succinognes130Z, which includes both advancements in synthetic biology toolkit development and pitfalls in unpredictable fermentation behaviors. To develop a synthetic biology “tool kit” forA. succinogenes, information gleaned from a growth study and antibiotic screening was used to characterize 22 promoters which demonstrated a 260-fold range of fluorescence protein expression. The strongest of the promoters was incorporated into an inducible system for tunable gene control inA. succinogenesusing the promoter for thelacoperon as a template. This system flaunted a 481-fold range of expression and no significant basal expression. These findings were accompanied by unexpected changes in fermentation products characterized by a loss of succinic acid and increase in lactic acid after approximately 10 months in the lab. Contamination and mutation were ruled out as causes and further testing is needed to elucidate the driving factors. The significance of this work is to share tools developed inA. succinogeneswhile simultaneously serving as a cautionary tale. In sharing our findings, we seek to provide necessary information for further development ofA. succinogenesas a platform for bioproduction of succinic acid. Additionally, we hope to illustrate the importance of diligent and long-term observation when working with non-model bacteria.
Impacts of using wide bandgap transistors on electronics and motors
Authors: Gerber Mathieu , Callerant Guillaume , Espanet Christophe , Meibody-Tabar Farid , Takorabet Noureddine
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the high-frequency impacts of fast switching wide-bandgap transistors on electronic and motor designs. The high-frequency power converters, dedicated to driving high-speed motors, require specific models to design predictively electronic and motors.

Design/methodology/approach

From magnetic and electric models, the high-frequency parasitic elements for both electronics and motor are determined. Then, high-frequency circuit models accounting for of parasitic element extractions are built to study the wide bandgap transistors commutations and their impacts on motor windings.

Findings

The results of the models, for electronics and motors, are promising. The high-frequency commutation cell study is used to optimize the layouts and to improve the commutation behaviours and performances. The impact of the switching speed is highlighted on the winding voltage susceptibility. Then, the switching frequency and commutation rapidity can be both optimized to increase the performance of motor and electronics. The electronic model is validated by experimentations.

Research limitations/implications

The method can be only applied to the existing motor and electronic designs. It is not taken into account in an automized global high-frequency optimizer.

Originality/value

Helped by magnetic and electric FEA calculations where the parasitic element extractions are performed. The switching frequency and commutation rapidity can be both optimized to increase the performance of motor and electronics.
Adjoint-based topology optimization to reduce the energy consumption of a Hall effect thruster
Authors: Youness Rtimi , Messine Frederic
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The presented study aims to minimize the energy consumed by a Hall effect thruster (HET) under a constraint which makes it possible to generate a specified magnetic field in a target region of the thruster.

Design/methodology/approach

Herein topology optimization (TO) is used to reduce the energy consumption of an HET while keeping its performance unchanged. The design variables are the current densities in the coils and the distribution of materials in the polar pieces of the thruster. Intermediate values of material distribution are penalized using the solid isotropic material with penalization method to favor binary solutions. By means of the adjoint method, this paper provides the derivatives of the objective and constraint functions with respect to material distribution and current density variables.

Findings

The TO-based design methodology is developed and validated on a design example involving 2,051 variables. The approach shows its interest and its effectiveness of on a large scale two-criteria problem.

Research limitations/implications

In this paper, TO is presented as a tool that has allowed to explore new and innovative designs. However, although the design presented is original, its fabrication is not feasible. Despite this, the designs found give a good idea of the starting points for shape and parametric optimization tools.

Practical implications

Through the HET design problem, TO shows the ability to explore more original design possibilities of a complex magnetostatic design problem and to discover designs that make a HET more efficient with respect to several criteria at the same time.

Originality/value

A new way to reduce the energy consumption of a HET is presented. To achieve this, an adjoint-based TO method is developed and then implemented in a simple way. This approach shows that, for efficiency purposes, TO is a key tool for extending the state of the art of HET designs.
The role of work orientation and gender on feelings toward pay
Authors: Ikävalko Heini , Kohvakka Roosa
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the moderating effect of employees’ work orientation and gender on their feelings toward pay, that is, the relationship between perceived fairness of a pay system and pay level satisfaction. The perceived fairness of pay system is investigated with two pay system procedures, namely, job evaluation and performance evaluation, both determining the level of base pay.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from three public sector organizations in Finland (N= 526). Linear regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between pay satisfaction, pay system fairness, work orientation and gender.

Findings

The results show that employees’ work orientation significantly and negatively relates to pay satisfaction. The interaction analyses suggest significant gender differences in the relationship between work orientation and pay satisfaction, as work orientation is negatively associated with pay satisfaction for women. They also show that work orientation and job evaluation fairness have a positive, joint effect on pay satisfaction.

Practical implications

This study has implications for the implementation of fair pay practices in organizations. The role of work orientation in the relationship between job evaluation fairness and pay satisfaction highlights the importance of pay system fairness especially among work-oriented employees. Special attention should be paid on work-oriented women: With equal perception of pay system fairness, work-oriented women feel unsatisfied with their pay.

Originality/value

This paper is the first study to highlight the role of work orientation and gender in reactions related to pay.
Populism, pestilence and plague in the time of coronavirus
Authors: Mannion Russell , Speed Ewen
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to explore right wing populist government responses to the coronavirus pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a narrative overview of right-wing populist policies and strategies, which is loosely structured around fascistic themes set out in Albert Camus’ allegorical novel, The Plague.

Findings

Although individual responses to the coronavirus pandemic among right-wing populists differ, they appear to coalesce around four central themes: initial denial and then mismanagement of the pandemic; the disease being framed as primarily an economic rather than a public health crisis; a contempt for scientific and professional expertise; and the “othering” of marginal groups for political ends. Populist responses to the pandemic have given rise to increased levels of xenophobia, the violation of human rights and the denigration of scientific expertise.

Research limitations/implications

This is a narrative overview from a personal viewpoint.

Originality/value

Drawing on themes in Camus' novel The Plague, this is a personal perspective on right wing populist government responses to the coronavirus pandemic. Populist responses to the pandemic have given rise to increased levels of intolerance and xenophobia and the violation of human rights and civil liberties.
Factors affecting health care utilization of immigrants living in North of Turkey
Authors: Korkmaz Mehmet , Avci Ilknur Aydın
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to determine factors affecting health-care utilization of immigrants living in North of Turkey and make a case assessment about this factors and general health status of immigrants.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted in accordance with the principles of descriptive research. The data of the study were collected by using questionnaire consisting of 33 questions that include socio-demographic specifications, use of health services and health perception level.

Findings

This study was conducted with 360 immigrants. Participants, of which 61.9% were female. Immigrants who are young, female, married, have low education, have chronic illnesses, and have been in hospital before, have a better use of health services.

Originality/value

Immigration experiences of immigrants and their lack of equal opportunities to access health services in the community lead them to use health services at a low level.
Critical analysis of engineering education focused on sustainability in supply chain management: an overview of Brazilian higher education institutions
Authors: Tominaga Leonardo Keiti de Godoy , Martins Vitor William Batista , Rampasso Izabela Simon , Anholon Rosley , Silva Dirceu , Pinto Jefferson Souza , Leal Filho Walter , Lima Junior Francisco Rodrigues
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to critically analyze the engineering education focused on sustainability in supply chain management, in courses offered by Brazilian higher education institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

Topics related to sustainable supply chain management were listed from the literature and used as a framework to gather professors’ opinions on how well these topics are covered in engineering courses offered in Brazil. Data analysis was performed via frequency analysis and comparative ordering using the Fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution technique.

Findings

It was possible to evidence that most of the topics are superficially presented within other subjects and that there are few associated practical activities that enable greater learning. Comparatively, issues related to ISO standards (related to quality and environmental management systems) and compliance with environmental laws, regulations and standards were highlighted. Additionally, it was possible to verify that there is a need for further study on issues related to energy efficiency, worker training and corporate governance.

Originality/value

No similar study was found in the literature. The findings presented in this paper can contribute to the improvement of engineering education in Brazil and other countries.
Turnaround project risk assessment using hybrid fuzzy SWARA and EDAS method: case of upstream oil process industries in Iran
Authors: Moniri Mohammad Reza , Alem Tabriz Akbar , Ayough Ashkan , Zandieh Mostafa
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new framework for assessing the risks of turnaround projects in upstream oil process plants.

Design/methodology/approach

This study represents a new hybrid framework for turnaround project risk assessment. First, according to experts’ opinions, the project risks were identified using interviews and brainstorming. The most important risks selected by experts and a hybrid multiple-attribute decision-making (MADM) method used to assess and prioritize them. The proposed MADM method uses fuzzy step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) and fuzzy evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS) methods based on trapezoidal fuzzy numbers.

Findings

In this research, 28 usual risks of turnaround projects are identified and 10 risks are then selected as the most important ones. The findings show, that among the risks of upstream oil industry turnaround projects from the perspective of experts, the risk of timely financing by the employer, with an appraisal score of 0.83, has the highest rank among the risks and the risk of machine and equipment failure during operation, with an appraisal score of 0.04, has the lowest rank.

Research limitations/implications

The risk analysis based on inputs collected from the experts in the Iranian upstream oil industry, and so the generalization of the results is limited to the context of developing countries, especially oil producer ones. However, the proposed risk analysis methodology and key insights developed can be useful for researchers and practitioners in any other process industry everywhere.

Originality/value

A novel framework for risk assessment is introduced for turnaround projects in the oil industry using MADM methods. There is no literature on using MADM methods for turnaround project risk analysis in the oil and gas industries. Furthermore, this paper presents a hybrid fuzzy method based on SWARA and EDAS.
An analysis of Airbnb online reviews: user experience in 16 U.S. cities
Authors: Thomsen Chuhan (Renee) , Jeong Miyoung
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the complex nature of Airbnb user experience by analyzing the pattern and sentiment of online reviews and assessing the relationships among review scores.

Design/methodology/approach

Big data analysis is conducted using Airbnb users’ online reviews of 16 US cities; correlation is run on review scores.

Findings

The key themes of Airbnb users’ online reviews are “clean,” “location,” “stay,” “home,” “place,” “host,” “neighborhood” and “recommend” and users have positive Airbnb experiences in general. The score of “cleanliness” significantly affects the “overall review” score.

Research limitations/implications

This study is exploratory in nature; mixed methods should be used in the future to measure the relationship between user experience and extracted themes. As the context is in the USA in the current study, comparisons of review patterns across different countries and regions are necessary for later studies. Furthermore, future studies should consider Airbnb users’ demographics, personality and lodging preferences.

Practical implications

It is important for Airbnb hosts to maintain a clean and accessible property. Both Airbnb hosts and hoteliers should enhance the attributes that generate positive customer reviews. Each city should develop different strategies based on the performance of “cleanliness” and “overall review.”

Originality/value

This study supplements the existing literature in Airbnb user experience by analyzing online reviews in 16 US cities via Leximancer 4.0.
The current practices of food and beverage photography and styling in food business
Authors: Cankul Duran , Ari Ozlem Peksen , Okumus Bendegul
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the current practices of food and beverage (F&B) photography and styling through the eyes of professionals involved in the food business.

Design/methodology/approach

A phenomenological research approach was used and empirical data were collected via a series of semi-structured interviews with professional food photographers. Purposive and snowballing sampling methods were used and the participants of this study consisted of 26 F&B photographers and stylists who were actively and professionally working in this field. Content analysis was applied to the empirical data.

Findings

The research findings reveal several key themes in F&B photography and styling: emotional appeal, key trends, career opportunities, required skills and abilities and interventions and ethical considerations. Three specific roles were identified in F&B photography and styling: food and beverage photographer, food and beverage stylist and prop stylist.

Research limitations/implications

This study offers discussions on the pros and cons of F&B photography beginners and professionals and the food business.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to offer empirical findings and discussions on the concept of F&B photography and styling.
Achieving sustainable governance of horizontal integration of care services: progress and democratic accountability of strategic coordination bodies for older people
Authors: Szücs Stefan , Kjellberg Inger
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose is to analyse the relationship between democratic accountability and how sustainable governance is achieved by horizontally integrating care services for older people through collaboration in a coordination body of key leaders from across the health and social care system.

Design/methodology/approach

The data and measures come from two surveys with coordination body members in Sweden (politicians, administrators, professionals) from a sample of 73 bodies in 2015 (n = 549) and the same/corresponding 59 bodies in 2019 (n = 389).

Findings

The governance of integrating care scale and the accountability scales repeatedly show consistency among individual members. Systematic progress is found among large coordination bodies: the greater the average perception of governance of horizontally integrating care in 2015, the greater it was in 2019 – and regardless of the period, the stronger the internal administrative or political monitoring and reviewing of the coordination body, the greater its governance (while the relationship to the external monitoring and reviewing is weak). However, the growing importance of external accountability is indirect, shown by stronger correlations between the internal political and external monitoring and reviewing, regardless of size.

Research limitations/implications

The scales are based on self-reported perceptions that cannot be objectively verified, but they can be linked to changes in outcomes and user experiences in the later stages of the research.

Originality/value

Repeatedly verified scales of internal and external accountability for analysing and evaluating governance of integrating care services horizontally, which is useful for improving strategic coordination of integrated care.
Theoretical and practical influences of Habermas’s global academic best seller: structural transformation of the public sphere in the United States
Authors: Hofmann Michael
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the reception and impact of Jürgen Habermas’s global academic best seller in the USA between 1974 and 2018. It specifically addresses the consequences of the long delay in the publication of the English translation of Habermas’s 1962 public sphere concept until 1989 in the context of Habermas’s paradigm shift from the Kantian ideal of a participatory democracy to a systems-theoretical interpretation of deliberative democracy, which informs Between Facts and Norms (1992/1996).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper can be classified as a “conceptual paper” that draws on empirical research, namely, Adrian Rauchfleisch’s (2017) bibliometric co-citation analysis of two decades of public sphere research, which features a multi-dimensional scaling of these research communities based on the distance matrix of the co-citation network.

Findings

As the 22,000 scholarly citations for structural transformation as of April 2018 already indicate, this paper confirms in detail that Habermas’s original public sphere concept attracts significantly more academic interest on an interdisciplinary basis than Between Facts and Norms, which no longer pursues a critical theory of contemporary democracy. Instead, this shift toward a uniquely sophisticated theory construction in the realm of normativity produces a work in Rechtstheorie (Thomas McCarthy) that is by definition removed from political practice. The paper demonstrates that only the criteria developed in structural transformation can be applied to the analysis of constitutional crises in the USA.

Originality/value

This paper was researched and written solely by the author. All sources are clearly identified.
OpenRank – a novel approach to rank universities using objective and publicly verifiable data sources
Authors: Qureshi Muhammad Sajid , Daud Ali , Hayat Malik Khizar , Afzal Muhammad Tanvir
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Academic rankings are facing various issues, including the use of data sources that are not publicly verifiable, subjective parameters, a narrow focus on research productivity and regional biases and so forth. This research work is intended to enhance creditability of the ranking process by using the objective indicators based on publicly verifiable data sources.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed ranking methodology – OpenRank – drives the objective indicators from two well-known publicly verifiable data repositories: the ArnetMiner and DBpedia.

Findings

The resultant academic ranking reflects common tendencies of the international academic rankings published by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy (SRC), Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and Times Higher Education (THE). Evaluation of the proposed methodology advocates its effectiveness and quick reproducibility with low cost of data collection.

Research limitations/implications

Implementation of the OpenRank methodology faced the issue of availability of the quality data. In future, accuracy of the academic rankings can be improved further by employing more relevant public data sources like the Microsoft Academic Graph, millions of graduate's profiles available in the LinkedIn repositories and the bibliographic data maintained by Association for Computing Machinery and Scopus and so forth.

Practical implications

The suggested use of open data sources would offer new dimensions to evaluate academic performance of the higher education institutions (HEIs) and having comprehensive understanding of the catalyst factors in the higher education.

Social implications

The research work highlighted the need of a purposely built, publicly verifiable electronic data source for performance evaluation of the global HEIs. Availability of such a global database would help in better academic planning, monitoring and analysis. Definitely, more transparent, reliable and less controversial academic rankings can be generated by employing the aspired data source.

Originality/value

We suggested a satisfying solution for improvement of the HEIs' ranking process by making the following contributions: (1) enhancing creditability of the ranking results by merely employing the objective performance indicators extracted from the publicly verifiable data sources, (2) developing an academic ranking methodology based on the objective indicators using two well-known data repositories, the DBpedia and ArnetMiner and (3) demonstrating effectiveness of the proposed ranking methodology on the real data sources.
Comparing the effects of academy training models on recruit competence: does curriculum instruction type matter?
Authors: Donohue Richard H. , Kruis Nathan E.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine if a police academy using adult learning techniques instills higher levels of perceived competence in recruits than an academy using traditional pedagogical methods.

Design/methodology/approach

The study took advantage of a timeframe when two academy models using different approaches to learning were employed in Massachusetts. Recruits (N = 97) were surveyed before entering the academy and just prior to graduation to assess their levels of perceived competence across three domains of training topics (i.e. “Policing in Massachusetts,” “Investigations” and “Patrol Procedures”).

Findings

Results were mixed in terms of the academy model's effects on recruit competence levels. In terms of investigations, participants experienced a greater level of growth in an adult-learning setting. Regarding general topics grouped into the “Policing in Massachusetts” category, such as constitutional law, recruits taught with traditional pedagogy experienced more growth. For patrol procedures, taught using similar hands-on methods, results showed comparable levels of growth for all recruits over time. Overall, recruits in both the traditional and adult-learning-based academy experienced similar growth trajectories in self-perceived levels of competence. Findings suggest that a mixed approach to training may provide optimal results for police recruits.

Originality/value

Prior research on academy curricula has been limited to cross-sectional analyses. Further, little effort has been made to analyze the impacts of academy training from an andrological and/or “adult learning” theoretical lens. This study evaluated the effects of a new, overhauled recruit academy curriculum over time to expand the literature in both of these areas.
Social desirability, stress and health in police officers: preliminary results
Authors: Habersaat Stephanie , Abdellaoui Sid Hamed , Wolf Jutta M.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is (1) to confirm the relationship between the two dimensions of social desirability (pretending and denying), self-reported stress and health reports in police officers and (2) to assess whether dysfunctions in basal cortisol profiles are related to social desirability.

Design/methodology/approach

Social desirability is known to influence how individuals respond to sensitive topics, such as questions concerning health in the workplace, and has usually been defined according to two dimensions: pretending and denying. However, it is not known whether social desirability is only a bias in responding to health surveys or a more general attitude of denying problems and pretending to be stronger than one is in the everyday life. If the latter is true, social desirability may have important health implications, and underlying mechanisms must be described. In total, 77 police officers completed questionnaires measuring social desirability (denying and pretending), perceived stress as well as mental and somatic health symptoms. They were further instructed to collect saliva samples for cortisol concentrations assays.

Findings

These preliminary results showed that denying was negatively related to the report of stress and health symptoms. Furthermore, police officers higher in pretending showed a flatter diurnal cortisol slope.

Research limitations/implications

The correlation between dysregulation of the hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, as expressed by a flatter cortisol slope, and a higher score in the pretending subscale suggests that looking for social approval by inflating one's capacities is related to chronic work-related stress, making the individual more vulnerable to stress-related disease.

Originality/value

To study the potential health-relevant consequences and underlying mechanisms of social desirability bias related to police culture by including stress biomarkers.
Responsiveness to quality assurance implementation: an institutional theory perspective
Authors: Khalil Manale
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of institutional pressures on the decision to implement (or not) quality assurance in the private higher education sector, specifically private business schools which do not receive any type of public funding.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology for this study is qualitative. The data collection method consisted of a semi-structured interview conducted with the Deans of nine business schools that were purposively selected. Content analysis using Nvivo11 is used to extract themes and draw conclusions.

Findings

The findings show that the implementation of quality assurance is driven by mimetic and normative pressures while coercive pressure seems to have a minor effect. “Decoupling”, the ceremonial practice of quality assurance, was also detected.

Research limitations/implications

The research was conducted in the Lebanese context which holds unique political and sectarian issues.

Practical implications

The results of the study may be a source of information for policymakers and other stakeholders to understand the factors behind the delay or the complete non-responsiveness to the implementation of quality assurance.

Originality/value

The study provides a theoretical and empirical contribution to the existing literature on responsiveness to quality assurance implementation in a higher education institutional context. It offers practical recommendations on increasing responsiveness in other words reducing non-responsiveness on the part of business schools.
Combining sources of information to increase survey response rates
Authors: Guinalíu Miguel , Díaz de Rada Vidal
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show that mixed methods applied sequentially provide sufficient knowledge of topics under study.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper conducted an analysis of a real case using descriptive statistical and regression techniques.

Findings

The present study proposes the use of the so-called “sequential mixed-modes” in survey-based market research. This technique is based on the successive application of different information collection techniques (face-to-face, telephone and internet-based surveys); it offers four fundamental advantages: increased coverage rate; higher response rate; lower costs; and greater cooperation.

Research limitations/implications

In addition to the normal limitations associated with conclusions derived from case studies, the data collection was carried out in only one autonomous community (Spain) and focussed only on one theme.

Practical implications

Firstly, it was found that data collection through mixed sequential modes substantially increases response rates in online surveys. This is particularly important as, in recent years, data collection through the internet has become almost standard market research practice. Secondly, the sample that resulted from the joint use of the three data collection modes more accurately reflected the distinctive features of the universe under study. A third recommendation is that the use of internet-based self-administered surveys is especially promising with individuals with a higher level of education and among students.

Originality/value

The decrease in the response rate is one of the greatest challenges of survey-based market research, given its impact on sample representativeness. This paper addresses this problem and exposes the advantages of the sequential use of mixed modes in the collection of information.
Inter-organizational learning within an organization? Mainstreaming gender policies in the Swedish ministry of foreign affairs
Authors: Solheim Marte C.W. , Moss Sigrun Marie
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain how theories of inter-organizational learning can create new insights and nuances to how processes of intra-organizational learning come about in a single, complex and multi-sited organization.

Design/methodology/approach

A constructivist thematic analysis of the “Handbook of Feminist Foreign Policy” produced by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SMFA) is completed, exploring the organization’s own presentation of the complex learning processes that took place when implementing the new policy in 2014.

Findings

The literature on inter-organizational learning has a so far unexplored explanatory potential to understand learning processes that take place in complex, multi-sited organizations. This case demonstrates why and how this potential is relevant to exploit. Five themes are constructed from the analysis; four pointing out how gender mainstreaming is spread throughout the different parts of the organization and one detailing how the learning process has provided the SMFA knowledge exportable to other organizations.

Originality/value

Due to the complexity in large, multi-sited organizations today, this paper argues what is classically understood as solely inter-organizational processes could also apply to a single organization, as the learning processes this engages in, transitions intra- and inter-organizational learning. The study advances current understandings through exploring mechanisms of gender mainstreaming.
Tourist gaze and beyond: state of the art
Authors: Samarathunga W.H.M.S. , Cheng Li
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The tourist gaze remains a key concept in tourism research. The purpose of this paper is to comprehend the theoretical and empirical development of the tourist gaze notion and its contributions to tourism knowledge, identifying potential research directions by reviewing and analyzing articles that have defined, refined and applied the concept of the tourist gaze.

Design/methodology/approach

The study identified 109 relevant research papers primarily through the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Google Scholar, ResearchGate.net and Academia.edu were used to capturing additional work not indexed in the key databases. Qualitative content analysis was used to map the evolution of the concept, distinguish between different perspectives and identify gaps in the tourist gaze literature.

Findings

This “state of the art” paper on tourist gaze outlines Foucault’s original work on gaze and power, which underpins subsequent theorization within tourism. The study identifies how the tourist gaze operates in different contexts and circumstances allowing the development of gaze theory. Importantly, the evolution of the gaze theory is presented after analyzing the knowledge gaps, the contexts in which it was used, the methodologies with which it was applied. Based on the findings, the study proposes future works of gaze with the use of technology, science, nature and social media.

Originality/value

This paper is among one of the first states of the art papers in tourism literature that comprehensively analyzes the works on the tourist gaze, tracing its evolution and identifying future research directions to address gaps in existing knowledge.
What is the anatomical basis of labiaplasty? A review of normative datasets for female genital anatomy
Authors: Hayes Jennifer A. , Temple‐Smith Meredith J.
Published: December 2020

Background

Despite increasing numbers of labiaplasties being performed, there is little quantitative information on normal labial diversity to guide medical education, patient education and surgical treatment.

Aim

This scoping review will determine what is known in the published literature about the anatomical basis of normal for labia and female genital cosmetic surgery (FCGS).

Materials and methods

The scoping review identified ten population‐based studies that recorded labial dimensions by searching three electronic databases utilising a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses search strategy. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied and then reference lists were scrutinised until no further articles that met the criteria were located.

Results

These studies showed significant variation in labial length (range 5–100 mm) and width (range 1–60 mm). Labia minora were wider in pre‐menopausal women than in post‐menopausal women, protruding labia minora were more common than not, and asymmetry between right and left labia was common. Variation in recruitment, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and measurement did not allow for summation of the data sets.

Conclusion

This information could usefully be added to medical textbooks and teaching to ensure that medical graduates are sufficiently informed about normal variation in female genital anatomy to assess and advise women seeking FGCS.