bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Caught in the act: priapulid burrowers in early Cambrian substrates
Authors: Kesidis Giannis , Slater Ben J. , Jensen Sören , Budd Graham E.
Published: January 2019

The fossilized traces of burrowing worms have taken on a considerable importance in studies of the Cambrian explosion, partly because of their use in defining the base of the Cambrian. Foremost among these are the treptichnids, a group of relatively large open probing burrows that have sometimes been assigned to the activities of priapulid scalidophoran worms. Nevertheless, most Cambrian burrows have an uncertain progenitor. Here we report a suite of exceptionally preserved trace and body fossils from sandstones of the lower Cambrian (Stage 4) File Haidar Formation of southern Sweden that can unequivocally be assigned to a scalidophoran producer. We further present the first burrow casts produced via actualistic experiments on living priapulids, and demonstrate the remarkable morphological parallels between these modern and Cambrian fossil equivalents. In addition, co-occurrence of scalidophoran-derived cuticular remains permits a unique synthesis of evidence from trace fossil, body and organic remains. Comparative analysis of these exceptionally preserved fossils supports a scalidophoran producer for treptichnids and by extension suggests a latest Ediacaran origin of the ecdysozoan clade.
Predicting evolutionarily stable strategies from functional responses of Sonoran Desert annuals to precipitation
Authors: Cuello William S. , Gremer Jennifer R. , Trimmer Pete C. , Sih Andrew , Schreiber Sebastian J.
Published: January 2019

For many decades, researchers have studied how plants use bet-hedging strategies to insure against unpredictable, unfavourable conditions. We improve upon earlier analyses by explicitly accounting for how variable precipitation affects annual plant species’ bet-hedging strategies. We consider how the survival rates of dormant seeds (in a ‘seed bank’) interact with precipitation responses to influence optimal germination strategies. Specifically, we incorporate how response to resource availability (i.e. the amount of offspring (seeds) generated per plant in response to variation in desert rainfall) influences the evolution of germination fractions. Using data from 10 Sonoran Desert annual plants, we develop models that explicitly include these responses to model fitness as a function of precipitation. For each of the species, we identify the predicted evolutionarily stable strategies (ESSs) for the fraction of seeds germinating each year and then compare our estimated ESS values to the observed germination fractions. We also explore the relative importance of seed survival and precipitation responses in shaping germination strategies by regressing ESS values and observed germination fractions against these traits. We find that germination fractions are lower for species with higher seed survival, with lower reproductive success in dry years, and with better yield responses in wet years. These results illuminate the evolution of bet-hedging strategies in an iconic system, and provide a framework for predicting how current and future environmental conditions may reshape those strategies.
BEHST: genomic set enrichment analysis enhanced through integration of chromatin long-range interactions
Authors: Chicco Davide , Bi Haixin Sarah , Reimand Jüri , Hoffman Michael M.
Published: January 2019

Transforming data from genome-scale assays into knowledge of affected molecular functions and pathways is a key challenge in biomedical research. Using vocabularies of functional terms and databases annotating genes with these terms, pathway enrichment methods can identify terms enriched in a gene list. With data that can refer to intergenic regions, however, one must first connect the regions to the terms, which are usually annotated only to genes. To make these connections, existing pathway enrichment approaches apply unwarranted assumptions such as annotating non-coding regions with the terms from adjacent genes. We developed a computational method that instead links genomic regions to annotations using data on long-range chromatin interactions. Our method, Biological Enrichment of Hidden Sequence Targets (BEHST), finds Gene Ontology (GO) terms enriched in genomic regions more precisely and accurately than existing methods. We demonstrate BEHST’s ability to retrieve more pertinent and less ambiguous GO terms associated with results ofin vivomouse enhancer screens or enhancer RNA assays for multiple tissue types. BEHST will accelerate the discovery of affected pathways mediated through long-range interactions that explain non-coding hits in genome-wide association study (GWAS) or genome editing screens. BEHST is free software with a command-line interface for Linux or macOS and a web interface (http://behst.hoffmanlab.org/).
Tumor Copy Number Deconvolution Integrating Bulk and Single-Cell Sequencing Data
Authors: Lei Haoyun , Lyu Bochuan , Gertz E. Michael , Schäffer Alejandro A. , Shi Xulian , Wu Kui , Li Guibo , Xu Liqin , Hou Yong , Dean Michael , Schwartz Russell
Published: January 2019

Characterizing intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) is crucial to understanding cancer development, but it is hampered by limits of available data sources. Bulk DNA sequencing is the most common technology to assess ITH, but mixes many genetically distinct cells in each sample, which must then be computationally deconvolved. Single-cell sequencing (SCS) is a promising alternative, but its limitations — e.g., high noise, difficulty scaling to large populations, technical artifacts, and large data sets — have so far made it impractical for studying cohorts of sufficient size to identify statistically robust features of tumor evolution. We have developed strategies for deconvolution and tumor phylogenetics combining limited amounts of bulk and single-cell data to gain some advantages of single-cell resolution with much lower cost, with specific focus on deconvolving genomic copy number data. We developed a mixed membership model for clonal deconvolution via non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) balancing deconvolution quality with similarity to single-cell samples via an associated efficient coordinate descent algorithm. We then improve on that algorithm by integrating deconvolution with clonal phylogeny inference, using a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model to incorporate a minimum evolution phylogenetic tree cost in the problem objective. We demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods on semi-simulated data of known ground truth, showing improved deconvolution accuracy relative to bulk data alone.
Quality of life and satisfaction of users of total tissue-supported and implant-supported prostheses in the municipality of Macapá, Brazil
Authors: Paraguassu Éber Coelho , de Cardenas Anneli Celis Mercedes
Published: January 2019

Despite the high number of total edentulism cases in Brazil, no studies have yet examined the characteristics of people with edentulism in Amapá. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate and compared the satisfaction and quality of life of edentulous users of total tissue-supported and total implant-supported prostheses in Macapá, Amapá, Brazil. Two hundred ninety-nine users of total tissue-supported prostheses and 48 users of total implant-supported prostheses were surveyed using two questionnaires: The Oral Health Impact Profile-14Br and a visual analog scale of satisfaction. The means and standard deviations were used to characterize the quantitative variables and absolute and relative frequencies were used to characterize the qualitative variables as well as certain quantitative variables. When evaluating users’ satisfaction according to the type of prosthesis, we found that users of implant-supported prostheses were 100% satisfied with both upper and lower prostheses. By contrast, among users of tissue-supported prostheses, 90% reported being satisfied with the upper prosthesis, while 56% demonstrated some dissatisfaction with the lower removable prosthesis. All users of implant-supported prostheses reported good quality of life; by contrast, only 5% of users of tissue-supported prostheses reported good quality of life, while 73% reported a reasonable quality of life and 22% a poor quality of life. To our knowledge, this is the first study on this topic in Amapá. The study results are clinically relevant for accurately determining the quality of life of these prosthesis users.
Mature sperm small RNA profile in the sparrow: implications for transgenerational effects of age on fitness
Authors: Matsushima Wayo , Brink Kristiana , Schroeder Julia , Miska Eric A. , Gapp Katharina
Published: January 2019

Mammalian sperm RNA has recently received a lot of interest due to its involvement in epigenetic germline inheritance. Studies of epigenetic germline inheritance have shown that environmental exposures can induce effects in the offspring without altering the DNA sequence of germ cells. Most mechanistic studies were conducted in laboratory rodents and C.elegans while observational studies confirm the phenotypic phenomenon in wild populations of humans and other species including birds. Prominently, paternal age in house sparrows affects offspring fitness, yet the mechanism is unknown. This study provides a first reference of house sparrow sperm small RNA as an attempt to uncover their role in the transmission of the effects of paternal age on the offspring. In this small scale pilot, we found no statistically significant differences between miRNA and tRNA fragments in aged and prime sparrow sperm. These results indicate a role of other epigenetic information carriers, such as distinct RNA classes, RNA modifications, DNA methylation and retained histones, and a clear necessity of future studies in wild populations.
Retapamulin-assisted ribosome profiling reveals the alternative bacterial proteome
Authors: Meydan Sezen , Marks James , Klepacki Dorota , Sharma Virag , Baranov Pavel V. , Firth Andrew E. , Margus Tōnu , Kefi Amira , Vázquez-Laslop Nora , Mankin Alexander S.
Published: January 2019

The use of alternative translation initiation sites enables production of more than one protein from a single gene, thereby expanding cellular proteome. Although several such examples have been serendipitously found in bacteria, genome-wide mapping of alternative translation start sites has been unattainable. We found that the antibiotic retapamulin specifically arrests initiating ribosomes at start codons of the genes. Retapamulin-enhanced Ribo-seq analysis (Ribo-RET) not only allowed mapping of conventional initiation sites at the beginning of the genes but, strikingly, it also revealed putative internal start sites in a number ofEscherichia coligenes. Experiments demonstrated that the internal start codons can be recognized by the ribosomes and direct translation initiation in vitro and in vivo. Proteins, whose synthesis is initiated at an internal in-frame and out-of-frame start sites, can be functionally important and contribute to the ‘alternative’ bacterial proteome. The internal start sites my also play regulatory roles in gene expression.
Biobtree: A tool to search, map and visualize bioinformatics identifiers and special keywords
Authors: Gur Tamer
Published: January 2019

Due to their nature, bioinformatics datasets are often closely related to each other. For this reason, search, mapping and visualization of these relations are often performed manual or programmatically via identifiers or special keywords such as gene symbols. Although various tools exist for these situations, the growing volume of bioinformatics datasets, emerging new software tools and approaches motivates new solutions. To provide a new tool for these current cases, I present the Biobtree bioinformatics tool. Biobtree effectively fetches and indexes identifiers and special keywords with their related identifiers from supported datasets, optionally with user pre-defined datasets and provides a web interface, web services and direct B+ tree data structure–based single uniform database output. Biobtree can handle billions of identifiers and runs via a single executable file with no installation and dependency required. It also aims to provide a relatively small codebase for easy maintenance, addition of new features and extension to larger datasets. Biobtree is available to download at https://www.github.com/tamerh/biobtree.
Dean flow assisted single cell and bead encapsulation for high performance single cell expression profiling
Authors: Li Luoquan , Wu Ping , Luo Zhaofeng , Wang Lei , Ding Weiping , Wu Tao , Chen Jinyu , He Jinlong , He Yi , Wang Heran , Chen Ying , Li Guibo , Li Zida , He Liqun
Published: January 2019

Single-cell RNA sequencing examines the transcriptome of individual cells and reveals the inter-cell transcription heterogeneity, playing a critical role in both scientific research and clinical applications. Recently, droplet microfluidics-based platform for expression profiling has been shown as a powerful tool to capture of the transcriptional information on single cell level. Despite the breakthrough this platform brought about, it required the simultaneous encapsulation of single cell and single barcoded bead, the incidence of which was very low. Suboptimal capturing efficiency limited the throughput of the Drop-seq platform. In this work, we leveraged the advance in inertial microfluidics-based cell sorting and designed a microfluidic chip for high efficiency cell-bead co-encapsulation, increasing the capturing rate by more than four folds. Specifically, we adopted spiral and serpentine channels and ordered cells/beads before the encapsulation region. We characterized the effect of cell concentration on the capturing rate and achieved a cell-bead co-capturing rate up to 3%. We tested this platform by co-encapsulating barcoded beads and human-mouse cell mixtures. The sequencing data distinguished the majority of human and mice expressions, with the doublet rate being as low as 5.8%, indicating that the simultaneous capturing of two or more cells in one droplet was minimal even when using high cell concentration. This chip design showed great potential in improving the efficiency for future single cell expression profiling.
TheDrosophilaERG channelseizureplays a role in the neuronal homeostatic stress response
Authors: Hill Alexis S. , Jain Poorva , Ben-Shahar Yehuda
Published: January 2019

Neuronal physiology is particularly sensitive to acute stressors that affect excitability, many of which can trigger seizures and epilepsies. Although intrinsic neuronal homeostasis plays an important role in maintaining overall nervous system robustness and its resistance to stressors, the specific genetic and molecular mechanisms that underlie these processes are not well understood. Here we used a reverse genetic approach inDrosophilato test the hypothesis that specific voltage-gated ion channels contribute to neuronal homeostasis, robustness, and stress resistance. We found that the activity of the voltage-gated potassium channelseizure (sei), an ortholog of the mammalian ERG channel family, is essential for protecting flies from acute heat-induced seizures. Althoughseiis broadly expressed in the nervous system, our data indicate that its impact on the organismal robustness to acute environmental stress is primarily mediated via its action in excitatory neurons, the octopaminergic system, as well as glia. Furthermore, our studies suggest that human mutations in the human ERG channel (hERG), which have been primarily implicated in the cardiac Long QT Syndrome (LQTS), may also contribute to the high incidence of seizures in LQTS patients via a cardiovascular-independent neurogenic pathway.

Author Summary

Neurons are extremely sensitive to diverse environmental stressors, including rapid changes in the ambient temperature. To buffer stress, all animals have evolved diverse physiological mechanisms to protect neuronal activity from acute and chronic stressors, and failures of these safeguards often lead to hyperexcitability, episodic seizures, and chronic epilepsy. Although seizures and related syndromes are common, their underlying molecular and genetic factors, and their interactions with environmental triggers, remain mostly unknown. Here, we show that in the fruit fly, mutations in the ERG voltage-gated potassium channelseizure (sei), an ortholog of the human hERG channel that has been previously implicated in the cardiac Long-QT syndrome, could also increase seizure susceptibility. We demonstrate that in addition to its cardiac expression, theseichannel is broadly expressed in the nervous system, specifically localized to axonal projections, and is specifically required in excitatory and modulatory neurons, as well as non-neuronal glia for maintaining organismal resistance to heat-induced seizures. Thus, our work suggests that the previously reported increase in seizure susceptibility in individuals with mutations in hERG are likely directly related to its neuronal action, independent of its cardiac function.
High-quality genome assembly and high-density genetic map of asparagus bean
Authors: Xia Qiuju , Zhang Ru , Ni Xuemei , Pan Lei , Wang Yangzi , Dong Xiao , Gao Yun , Zhang Zhe , Kui Ling , Li Yong , Wang Wen , Yang Huanming , Chen Chanyou , Miao Jianhua , Chen Wei , Dong Yang
Published: January 2019

Asparagus bean (Vigna. unguiculata ssp. sesquipedialis), known for its very long and tender green pods, is an important vegetable crop broadly grown in the developing countries. Despite its agricultural and economic values, asparagus bean does not have a high-quality genome assembly for breeding novel agronomic traits. In this study, we reported a high-quality 632.8 Mb assembly of asparagus bean based on the whole genome shotgun sequencing strategy. We also generated a high-density linkage map for asparagus bean, which helped anchor 94.42% of the scaffolds into 11 pseudo-chromosomes. A total of 42,609 protein-coding genes and 3,579 non-protein-coding genes were predicted from the assembly. Taken together, these genomic resources of asparagus bean will facilitate the investigation of economically valuable traits in a variety of legume species, so that the cultivation of these plants would help combat the protein and energy malnutrition in the developing world.
The organization of leukotriene biosynthesis on the nuclear envelope revealed by single molecule localization microscopy and computational analyses
Authors: Schmider Angela B. , Vaught Melissa , Bauer Nicholas C. , Elliott Hunter L. , Godin Matthew D. , Ellis Giorgianna E. , Nigrovic Peter , Soberman Roy J.
Published: January 2019

The initial steps in the synthesis of leukotrienes are the translocation of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) to the nuclear envelope and its subsequent association with its scaffold protein 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP). A major gap in our understanding of this process is the knowledge of how the organization of 5-LO and FLAP on the nuclear envelope regulates leukotriene synthesis. We combined single molecule localization microscopy with Clus-DoC cluster analysis, and also a novel unbiased cluster analysis to analyze changes in the relationships between 5-LO and FLAP in response to activation of RBL-2H3 cells to generate leukotriene C4. We identified the time-dependent reorganization of both 5-LO and FLAP into higher-order assemblies or clusters in response to cell activation via the IgE receptor. Clus-DoC analysis identified a subset of these clusters with a high degree of interaction between 5-LO and FLAP that specifically correlates with the time course of LTC4synthesis, strongly suggesting their role in the initiation of leukotriene biosynthesis.
Probabilistic cell type assignment of single-cell transcriptomic data reveals spatiotemporal microenvironment dynamics in human cancers
Authors: Zhang Allen W , O'Flanagan Ciara , Chavez Elizabeth , Lim Jamie LP , McPherson Andrew , Wiens Matt , Walters Pascale , Chan Tim , Hewitson Brittany , Lai Daniel , Mottok Anja , Sarkozy Clementine , Chong Lauren , Aoki Tomohiro , Wang Xuehai , Weng Andrew P , McAlpine Jessica N , Aparicio Samuel , Steidl Christian , Campbell Kieran R , Shah Sohrab P
Published: January 2019

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has transformed biomedical research, enabling decomposition of complex tissues into disaggregated, functionally distinct cell types. For many applications, investigators wish to identify cell types with known marker genes. Typically, such cell type assignments are performed through unsupervised clustering followed by manual annotation based on these marker genes, or via "mapping" procedures to existing data. However, the manual interpretation required in the former case scales poorly to large datasets, which are also often prone to batch effects, while existing data for purified cell types must be available for the latter. Furthermore, unsupervised clustering can be error-prone, leading to under- and over- clustering of the cell types of interest. To overcome these issues we present CellAssign, a probabilistic model that leverages prior knowledge of cell type marker genes to annotate scRNA-seq data into pre-defined and de novo cell types. CellAssign automates the process of assigning cells in a highly scalable manner across large datasets while simultaneously controlling for batch and patient effects. We demonstrate the analytical advantages of CellAssign through extensive simulations and exemplify real-world utility to profile the spatial dynamics of high-grade serous ovarian cancer and the temporal dynamics of follicular lymphoma. Our analysis reveals subclonal malignant phenotypes and points towards an evolutionary interplay between immune and cancer cell populations with cancer cells escaping immune recognition.
KASP-Hedgehog: Efficient and routine tool for allele specific primer design using multidisciplinary data types
Authors: Alsamman M.A , Abdelsattar M , Ibrahim S.D. , Aladdin Hamwieh
Published: January 2019

The Integration of known nucleotide variations in breeding programs and medical assessments demands the ability to scan and validate thousands of gene-affected SNPs. Designing PCR primers targeting these SNPs require computational tools could generate accurate and target-specific primers using multidisciplinary data types with high accuracy. KASP-Hedgehog is a local-installation, simple and routine tool for allele-specific PCR primer design. KASP-Hedgehog gives user the ability to design KASP primer from a variety of genomic data, extract bi-allelic SNPs for genomic sequences with unknown nucleotide variations and select SNPs with potential effect depending on gene annotation. This tool can use user-provided or self-produced SNPs database to create allele-specific primers with degenerate structure in order to enhance PCR assay selectivity and increase amplification reaction. Additionally, it run an in silico PCR test for designed primers against provided FASTA sequences in order to increase primers selectivity and provide user more information. Moreover, it has interactive and user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) in addition to a command-line package could be integrated in different bioinformatics pipelines.
LRRK2 modifies α-syn pathology and spread in mouse models and human neurons
Authors: Bieri Gregor , Brahic Michel , Bousset Luc , Couthouis Julien , Kramer Nicholas , Ma Rosanna , Nakayama Lisa , Monbureau Marie , Defensor Erwin , Schuele Birgitt , Shamloo Mehrdad , Melki Ronald , Gitler Aaron D.
Published: January 2019

Progressive aggregation of the protein alpha-synuclein (α-syn) and loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) are key histopathological hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Accruing evidence suggests that α-syn pathology can propagate through neuronal circuits in the brain, contributing to the progressive nature of the disease. Thus, it is therapeutically pertinent to identify modifiers of α-syn transmission and aggregation as potential targets to slow down disease progression. A growing number of genetic mutations and risk factors have been identified in studies of familial and sporadic forms of PD. However, how these genes affect α-syn aggregation and pathological transmission, and whether they can be targeted for therapeutic interventions, remains unclear. We performed a targeted genetic screen of risk genes associated with PD and parkinsonism for modifiers of α-syn aggregation, using an α-syn preformed-fibril (PFF) induction assay. We found that decreased expression of Lrrk2 and Gba modulated α-syn aggregation in mouse primary neurons. Conversely, α-syn aggregation increased in primary neurons from mice expressing the PD-linked LRRK2 G2019S mutation. In vivo, using LRRK2 G2019S transgenic mice, we observed acceleration of α-syn aggregation and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the SNpc, exacerbated degeneration-associated neuroinflammation and behavioral deficits. To validate our findings in a human context, we established a novel human α-syn transmission model using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS)-derived neurons (iNs), where human α-syn PFFs triggered aggregation of endogenous α-syn in a time-dependent manner. In PD subject-derived iNs, the G2019S mutation enhanced α-syn aggregation, whereas loss of LRRK2 decreased aggregation. Collectively, these findings establish a strong interaction between the PD risk gene LRRK2 and α-syn transmission across mouse and human models. Since clinical trials of LRRK2 inhibitors in PD are currently underway, our findings raise the possibility that these may be effective in PD broadly, beyond cases caused by LRRK2 mutations.
Business relatedness in international diversification
Authors: Pehrsson Anders
Published: January 2019

Purpose

Business relatedness is important in international diversification because it enables a firm’s transfer of resources to business units operating in foreign markets. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model based on a review of the major contributions of studies regarding the relatedness of subsidiaries, joint ventures or any other foreign unit.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines theory bases, the relatedness construct, data issues and the key achievements of previous studies. Drawing on organizational learning, transaction costs economics and industrial organization, a conceptual model and propositions are developed that intend to close important research gaps.

Findings

The model includes competitive strategy as a mediator of the effects of relatedness on foreign unit performance, type of foreign unit – that is, a wholly owned unit or joint venture – as a moderator; and competition barriers as a moderator.

Research limitations/implications

In future research, the propositions need to be transformed into testable hypotheses. It is recommended to treat relatedness as a multidimensional concept.

Practical implications

A firm is primarily advised to evaluate how its relatedness with foreign units enables knowledge transfer. A foreign cost leadership strategy benefits from product relatedness, while a differentiation strategy calls for resource relatedness.

Originality/value

The proposed model is unique as it includes an actionable component that mediates the effects of relatedness on international performance, i.e. competitive strategy, and concerns both wholly owned foreign units and international joint ventures.
The changing dynamics of manager-subordinate relationships in organizations
Authors: Pandita Deepika , Singh Manju , Chaudhari Sushama
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish the key determinants of the effectiveness of the manager–subordinate relationships and identify the different factors contributing to the effectiveness of this relationship in an Indian context. A model analyzing personal and professional need fulfillment of the subordinates has been presented.

Design/methodology/approach

The effectiveness of the manager–subordinate relationship was empirically analyzed using impact message inventory- circumplex (IMI-C).Close-ended self-administered survey was used to measure the variables associated with the effectiveness of the manager–subordinate relationship. Total 324 questionnaires were distributed online among employees of mid-sized IT service organizations operating in India, and 138 valid responses were collected.

Findings

Results show that managerial relationship effectiveness is influenced by the manager’s affiliation scores, previous work experience and ability to address the personal and professional needs of employees. Further effectiveness of manager–subordinate relationship is enhanced in a friendly workplace where managers are adequately empowered to acknowledge employee needs.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is empirical in nature and provides a future direction for more research in the area of manager–subordinate relationship in a workplace by exploring more variables.

Practical implications

Derived from an extensive study of current and impending manager – subordinate relationship, the findings may aid many organization and policymakers to develop and refine their people practices to engage human capital with the ulterior aim of having a conducive relationship between the manager and subordinate in the organization.

Originality/value

The present research emphasizes the importance of a healthy relationship between the manager and the subordinate in a digitalized workplace. This study is unique, as it provides insights into the manager–subordinate relationship and the factors influencing the association. The study gives a better understanding of the factors that make the manager–subordinate relationship more effective and fulfilling.
Will personalized e-Learning increase deep learning in higher education?
Authors: Sáiz-Manzanares María Consuelo , García Osorio César Ignacio , Díez-Pastor José Francisco , Martín Antón Luis Jorge
Published: January 2019

Purpose

Recent research in higher education has pointed out that personalized e-learning through the use of learning management systems, such as Moodle, improves the academic results of students and facilitates the detection of at-risk students.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 124 students following the Degree in Health Sciences at the University of Burgos participated in this study. The objectives were as follows: to verify whether the use of a Moodle-based personalized e-learning system will predict the learning outcomes of students and the use of effective learning behaviour patterns and to study whether it will increase student satisfaction with teaching practice.

Findings

The use of a Moodle-based personalized e-learning system that included problem-based learning (PBL) methodology predicted the learning outcomes by 42.3 per cent, especially with regard to the results of the quizzes. In addition, it predicted effective behavioural patterns by 74.2 per cent. Increased student satisfaction levels were also identified through the conceptual feedback provided by the teacher, arguably because it facilitated a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this work should be treated with caution, because of the sample size and the specificity of the branch of knowledge of the students, as well as the design type. Future studies will be directed at increasing the size of the sample and the diversity of the qualifications.

Originality/value

Learning methodology in the twenty-first century has to be guided towards carefully structured work from the pedagogic point of view in the learning management systems allowing for process-oriented feedback and PBL both included in personalized e-learning systems.
Does working to pay for higher education really harm French academic results?
Authors: Bonnal Liliane , Favard Pascal , Sorho-Body Kady Marie-Danielle
Published: January 2019

Purpose

This paper is the first of its kind to look at first-year undergraduates in France. The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of holding down a job on the probability of students dropping out of higher education or passing their first year.

Design/methodology/approach

Given the existence of relevant unobserved explanatory variables, probit models with two simultaneous equations have been estimated. The first equation will enable us to explain paid employment or working hours, and the second academic outcomes that allow for dropout.

Findings

The results show that being employed means students are more likely to drop out during their first year and less likely to pass. The latter finding is comparable with results for subsequent academic years although the impact is greater for first-year undergraduates. The more intensive the work, the greater the adverse effects of employment.

Originality/value

By refining the research, this negative impact of employment is not verified for all the student profiles. For some of them, e.g., those with honours at the secondary bachelor, employment does not harm their academic results.
Is there a correlation between cognition and the ability to remember how to use assistive devices?
Authors: Mc Carroll Gerard , Cooke Mary
Published: January 2019

Purpose

This study aims to establish a correlation between a patient’s mini mental state examination (MMSE) score and their ability to remember how to use common assistive dressing devices.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was a prospective, cross-sectional and correlational study. A final sample of 63 patients formed the study. Patients’ cognition was measured using the MMSE, and a new assessment tool was developed to assess patients’ ability to use three assistive devices and piloted on 15 patients to address normality, reliability, validity and clinical usefulness. Pearson’s rank correlation coefficient was used to establish direct correlations between the MMSE score and the assessment tool score. Eta squared was used to calculate the effect size to achieve an indication of the difference between the groups. Ethical approval had been granted by the regional ethics committee. The null hypothesis states that patients with an MMSE score of 22 or less show no difference in their ability to safely and appropriately use assistive devices provided and demonstrated by an occupational therapist than patients with an MMSE score of 23 or higher.

Findings

The null hypothesis was rejected and patients with an MMSE score of 22 or less showed a significant difficulty in their ability to use the three devices. Correlation coefficients showed significant positive correlations between MMSE scores and assistive devices scoring tool results for all three devices: Helping hand (r= 6.677,n= 60,p= 0.01), shoe horn (r= 0.649,n= 54,p= 0.01) and sock aid (r= 0.877,n= 54,p= 0.01).

Originality/value

The study is in an Irish context and demonstrated primary, objective evidence of the impact of impaired cognition on functional ability. Patients with cognitive deficits pose a larger safety challenge but still should be afforded an opportunity to use and benefit from assistive devices. The assessment tool is a new and unique instrument and although requires further development, may conceivably act not just as an assessment instrument but also an effective treatment tool.
The influence of corporate brand perceptions on consumer satisfaction and loyalty via controlled and uncontrolled communications: a multiple mediation analysis
Authors: Anisimova Tatiana , Weiss Jan , Mavondo Felix
Published: January 2019

Purpose

Drawing on the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) model, the purpose of this study is to investigate mediating effects of controlled and uncontrolled communications of corporate brand perceptions on consumer satisfaction and loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses on a sample of 271 Australian automobile consumers.

Findings

The authors find that while consumer satisfaction is indirectly influenced by corporate-level attributes via controlled and uncontrolled communication, the authors did not find an indirect effect between consumer benefits on consumer satisfaction via controlled and uncontrolled communication. By contrast, the authors find highly significant indirect effects – via controlled and uncontrolled communication as well as consumer satisfaction – for the relationship between, on the one hand, corporate-level attributes and consumer benefits and consumer brand loyalty on the other. Uncontrolled communication was significantly associated with consumer loyalty, a relevant finding that indicates an importance of tracking media coverage and maintaining favorable relationships with the media.

Research limitations/implications

The cross-sectional method limits data collection to one point in time.

Practical implications

This study adds to a better understanding of how to leverage corporate brand through communications in ways that it positively resonates with consumers. A fine-grained analysis of corporate brand attributes and consumer-perceived benefits can aid managers in developing specific and more effective marketing strategies.

Originality/value

The overall thrust of this empirical study, which is to investigate how corporate brand perceptions influence short term (satisfaction) and long term (loyalty) via controlled and uncontrolled communications is original. This study comprehensively conceptualizes and operationalizes the corporate brand as a multidimensional construct consisting of corporate-level attributes and brand-level attributes such as perceived consumer benefits. To examine the hypothesized relationships between and among our constructs, the authors go beyond the commonly studied single mediator model and test a multiple mediator model instead.
Emotional labor of customer service employees in China
Authors: Zhang Yuyan , Luong Alexandra
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The current study aims to examine the antecedents and outcomes of emotional labor strategies (i.e. surface acting and deep acting) among service employees in China. The study proposed employees’ perceived closeness with customers and customers’ socioeconomic status will predict deep acting and surface acting, respectively. It further examined the mediating role of emotional labor between perceived customer attributes and employee well-being (i.e. burnout and job satisfaction).

Design/methodology/approach

One hundred and one employees at a jewelry store in China completed a survey regarding their perceptions of customers, use of emotional labor and well-being (e.g. job satisfaction and burnout). Correlational and regression analyses were conducted to examine the predictors and outcomes of different emotional labor strategies.

Findings

Perceived closeness with the customer group predicted employees’ use of deep acting, whereas perceived customer socioeconomic status did not predict the use of surface acting. Deep acting was negatively related with burnout, whereas surface acting did not predict burnout. Deep acting mediated the relationship between perceived closeness with customers and burnout.

Practical implications

To maintain employee well-being, organizations can promote a service climate to enhance employees’ perceived relationship with customers.

Originality/value

The study specifies the interpersonal context in which employees use different emotional labor strategies; the perceived closeness with customers predicts less burnout via the use of more deep acting. This study also supplements the existing research on emotional labor based on a Chinese sample; deep acting predicts employee well-being.
Exploration of reference models in a public university system
Authors: Alexander Stephanie , Wakimoto Diana K.
Published: January 2019

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the reference and public service models used at academic libraries in the California State University system.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory study used a qualitative mixed methods design with an online survey and follow-up interviews with public services librarians.

Findings

The majority of the libraries in this study continue to use a traditional reference model with a physical desk staffed by librarians. Some libraries have moved to tiered or on-call reference using students and staff to triage patron questions. The majority of libraries’ public service points also follow a traditional configuration with separate service points for reference and other library public services.

Research limitations/implications

As this research is limited to one public university system, the results may not be generalizable to all academic libraries. Replicating this research in other systems would increase the generalizability of the results and allow for the generation of potential best practices for reference models and public service point configurations.

Practical implications

Librarians who are considering changes to their reference models and service point layouts can use the results as a starting point for conversations about the benefits and challenges of various models as well provide support to create an environment where changes to the models can be successfully implemented.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few to investigate multiple academic libraries’ approaches to reference and public services in the research literature. As such, it addresses a gap in the literature that case studies alone cannot fill.
Managerial challenges to realizing IT shared services in a public university
Authors: Olsen Timothy , Welke Richard
Published: January 2019

Purpose

Many governments and public organizations are turning to shared service arrangements to decrease costs while increasing service levels. This paper aims to elucidate the fine-grained challenges managers face as they adjust to working under a shared service arrangement.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-year longitudinal ethnographic field study followed the IT shared service transformation process at a large public university. Meeting observations, emails, documents and interviews were used in the qualitative analysis.

Findings

The research identifies 11 challenges faced by management undergoing a transition to shared services. The authors use a taxonomy of management challenges based on the organizational perspectives literature (Knol et al., 2014) to organize the challenges and relate them to prior literature.

Research limitations/implications

The novel findings include the importance of changing organizational culture, balancing dual interests of cost and customer focus, establishing a sense of urgency and achieving process standardization through practicing when adopting a shared service arrangement. The results from a single case study may not by generalizable to other organizations.

Originality/value

This study provides a nuanced and fine-grained understanding of the managerial challenges of adopting IT-shared services. This unique longitudinal data set describes in nuanced detail the challenges faced by frontline managers.
Questionnaire survey on patient awareness of invasive rebiopsy in advanced non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Fukui Tomoya , Ishihara Mikiko , Kasajima Masashi , Hiyoshi Yasuhiro , Nakahara Yoshiro , Otani Sakiko , Igawa Satoshi , Yokoba Masanori , Mitsufuji Hisashi , Kubota Masaru , Katagiri Masato , Sasaki Jiichiro , Naoki Katsuhiko
Published: January 2019

Background

Treatment strategies for patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) depend on various factors including physical condition, complications, tumor histology, and molecular profiling. Even if initial chemotherapy is efficacious, almost all patients develop treatment resistance. Invasive rebiopsy from sites of recurrence might provide insight into resistance mechanisms and aid in the selection of suitable sequential antitumor drugs. However, invasive rebiopsy might be challenging because of limited tissue availability and patient burden. Therefore, this study aimed to assess awareness of invasive rebiopsy among non‐small cell lung cancer patients.

Methods

This prospective questionnaire survey was performed between June 2015 and March 2016 in patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer. The survey was carried out at two time points: before starting first‐line chemotherapy (cohort 1), and at the time of disease progression after initial chemotherapy, but before second‐line chemotherapy (cohort 2).

Results

In this study, 50 and 30 patients were enrolled in cohorts 1 and 2, respectively. In cohort 1, 37 (74%) patients agreed to rebiopsy, if disease progression occurred, whereas 18 (60%) patients in cohort 2 agreed to invasive rebiopsy at disease progression. The primary reasons for rebiopsy rejection were poor physical condition and patient burden related to the initial biopsy. Seven patients answered the survey questions during the treatment course, and the acceptance rate was lower among patients who agreed to rebiopsy at disease progression than before treatment.

Conclusions

Invasive rebiopsy can lead to distress in some patients. To improve the consent rate for tissue rebiopsy, treatment strategies including rebiopsy should be discussed with patients during the early treatment phase.
Inference for Case-Control Studies With Incident and Prevalent cases
Authors: Maziarz Marlena , Liu Yukun , Qin Jing , Pfeiffer Ruth M.
Published: January 2019

We propose and study a fully efficient method to estimate associations of an exposure with disease incidence when both, incident cases and prevalent cases, i.e., individuals who were diagnosed with the disease at some prior time point and are alive at the time of sampling, are included in a case-control study. We extend the exponential tilting model for the relationship between exposure and case status to accommodate two case groups, and correct for the survival bias in the prevalent cases through a tilting term that depends on the parametric distribution of the backward time, i.e., the time from disease diagnosis to study enrollment. We construct an empirical likelihood that also incorporates the observed backward times for prevalent cases, obtain efficient estimates of odds ratio parameters that relate exposure to disease incidence and propose a likelihood ratio test for model parameters that has a standard chi-squared distribution. We quantify the changes in efficiency of association parameters when incident cases are supplemented with, or replaced by, prevalent cases in simulations. We illustrate our methods by estimating associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with breast cancer incidence in a sample of controls, incident and prevalent cases from the U.S. Radiologic Technologists Health Study.
Model Confidence Bounds for Variable Selection
Authors: Li Yang , Luo Yuetian , Ferrari Davide , Hu Xiaonan , Qin Yichen
Published: January 2019

In this article, we introduce the concept of model confidence bounds (MCB) for variable selection in the context of nested models. Similarly to the endpoints in the familiar confidence interval for parameter estimation, the MCB identifies two nested models (upper and lower confidence bound models) containing the true model at a given level of confidence. Instead of trusting a single selected model obtained from a given model selection method, the MCB proposes a group of nested models as candidates and the MCB's width and composition enable the practitioner to assess the overall model selection uncertainty. A new graphical tool—the model uncertainty curve (MUC)—is introduced to visualize the variability of model selection and to compare different model selection procedures. The MCB methodology is implemented by a fast bootstrap algorithm that is shown to yield the correct asymptotic coverage under rather general conditions. Our Monte Carlo simulations and real data examples confirm the validity and illustrate the advantages of the proposed method.