bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lentiviral interleukin-10 gene therapy preserves fine motor circuitry and function after a cervical spinal cord injury in male and female mice
Authors: Chen Jessica Y , Fu Emily J , Patel Paras R , Sawan Hasan A , Moss Kayla A , Hostetler Alexander J , Hocevar Sarah E , Anderson Aileen J , Chestek Cynthia A , Shea Lonnie D
Published: June 2020

In mammals, spinal cord injuries often result in muscle paralysis through the apoptosis of lower motor neurons and denervation of neuromuscular junctions. Previous research shows that the inflammatory response to a spinal cord injury can cause additional tissue damage after the initial trauma. To modulate this inflammatory response, we delivered lentiviral anti-inflammatory interleukin-10, via loading onto an implantable biomaterial scaffold, into a left-sided hemisection at the C5 vertebra in mice. We hypothesized that improved behavioral outcomes associated with anti-inflammatory treatment are due to the sparing of fine motor circuit components. We examined behavioral recovery using a ladder beam, lower motor neuron apoptosis and muscle innervation using histology, and electromyogram recordings using intraspinal optogenetic stimulation at 2 weeks post-injury. Ladder beam analysis shows interleukin-10 treatment results in significant improvement of behavioral recovery at 2 and 12 weeks post-injury when compared to mice treated with a control virus. Histology shows interleukin-10 results in greater numbers of lower motor neurons and muscle innervation at 2 weeks post-injury. Furthermore, electromyogram recordings suggest that interleukin-10-treated animals have signal-to-noise ratios and peak-to-peak amplitudes more similar to that of uninjured controls than to that of control injured animals at 2 weeks post-injury. These data show that gene therapy using anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 can significantly reduce lower motor neuron loss, muscle denervation, and subsequent motor deficits after a spinal cord injury. Together, these results suggest that early modulation of the injury response can preserve muscle function with long-lasting benefits.
C3: Connect separate Connected Components to form a succinct disease module
Authors: Wang Bingbo , Hu Jie , Zhang Chenxing , Zhou Yuanjun , Yu Liang , Guo Xingli , Gao Lin , Chen Yunru
Published: June 2020

Accurate disease module is helpful in understanding the molecular mechanism of disease causation and identifying drug target. However, for the fragmentization of disease module in incomplete human interactome, how to determine connectivity pattern and detect a full neighbourhood of disease is an open problem. In this paper, a topology-based method is developed to dissect the connectivity of intermediate nodes and edges and form a succinct disease module. By applying this Connect separate Connected Components (CCC, C3) method on a large corpus of curated diseases, we find that most Separate Connected Components (SCCs) formed by Disease-Associated Proteins (DAPs) can be connected into a well-connected component as a succinct observable module. This pattern also holds for altered genes from multi-omics data such as The Cancer Genome Atlas. Overall, C3 tool can not only inspire a deeper understanding of interconnectedness of phenotypically related genes and different omics data, but also be used to detect a well-defined neighbourhood that drives complex pathological processes.
Tocilizumab as a Therapeutic Agent for Critically Ill Patients Infected with SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Petrak Russell M. , Skorodin Nathan C. , Van Hise Nicholas W. , Fliegelman Robert M. , Pinsky Jonathan , Didwania Vishal , Anderson Michael , Diaz Melina , Shah Kairav , Chundi Vishnu V. , Hines David W. , Harting Brian P. , Sidwha Kamo , Yu Brian , Brune Paul , Owaisi Anjum , Beezhold David , Kent Joseph , Vais Dana , Han Alice , Gowda Neethi , Sahgal Nishi , Silverman Jan , Stake Jonathan , Nepomuceno Jenie , Heddurshetti Renuka
Published: June 2020

Background

Tocilizumab is an IL-6 receptor antagonist with the ability to suppress the cytokine storm in critically ill patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Methods

We evaluated patients treated with tocilizumab for a SARS-CoV-2 infection who were admitted between 3/13/20 and 4/16/20. This was a multi-center study with data collected by chart review both retrospectively and concurrently. Parameters evaluated included age, sex, race, use of mechanical ventilation (MV), usage of steroids and vasopressors, inflammatory markers, and comorbidities. Early dosing was defined as a tocilizumab dose administered prior to or within one (1) day of intubation. Late dosing was defined as a dose administered greater than one (1) day after intubation. In the absence of mechanical ventilation, the timing of the dose was related to the patient’s date of admission only.

Results

We evaluated 145 patients. The average age was 58.1 years, 64% were male, 68.3% had comorbidities, and 60% received steroid therapy. Disposition of patients was 48.3% discharged and 29.3% expired, of which 43.9% were African American. Mechanical ventilation was required in 55.9%, of which 34.5% expired. Avoidance of MV (p value = 0.002) and increased survival (p value < 0.001) was statistically associated with early dosing.

Conclusions

Tocilizumab therapy was effective at decreasing mortality and should be instituted early in the management of critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Utilizing tocilizumab early in the treatment course of critically ill patients with COVID-19 resulted in significant decreases in mortality and the avoidance of mechanical ventilation.
The Role of Vitamin D in the Age of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ghasemian Roya , Shamshirian Amir , Heydari Keyvan , Malekan Mohammad , Alizadeh-Navaei Reza , Ebrahimzadeh Mohammad Ali , Jafarpour Hamed , Shahmirzadi Arash Rezaei , Khodabandeh Mehrdad , Seyfari Benyamin , Motamedzadeh Alireza , Dadgostar Ehsan , Aalinezhad Marzieh , Sedaghat Meghdad , Razzaghi Nazanin , Zarandi Bahman , Asadi Anahita , Naei Vahid Yaghoubi , Beheshti Reza , Hessami Amirhossein , Azizi Soheil , Mohseni Ali Reza , Shamshirian Danial
Published: June 2020

Background

Evidence recommends that vitamin D might be a crucial supportive agent for the immune system, mainly in cytokine response regulation against COVID-19. Hence, we carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to maximize the use of everything that exists about the role of vitamin D in the COVID-19.

Methods

A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science up to December 18, 2020. Studies focused on the role of vitamin D in confirmed COVID-19 patients were entered into the systematic review.

Results

Twenty-three studies containing 11901participants entered into the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis indicated that 41% of COVID-19 patients were suffering from vitamin D deficiency (95% CI, 29%-55%), and in 42% of patients, levels of vitamin D were insufficient (95% CI, 24%-63%). The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was 20.3 ng/mL among all COVID-19 patients (95% CI, 12.1-19.8). The odds of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 is 3.3 times higher among individuals with vitamin D deficiency (95% CI, 2.5-4.3). The chance of developing severe COVID-19 is about five times higher in patients with vitamin D deficiency (OR: 5.1, 95% CI, 2.6-10.3). There is no significant association between vitamin D status and higher mortality rates (OR: 1.6, 95% CI, 0.5-4.4).

Conclusion

This study found that most of the COVID-19 patients were suffering from vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency. Also, there is about three times higher chance of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 among vitamin D deficient individuals and about 5 times higher probability of developing the severe disease in vitamin D deficient patients. Vitamin D deficiency showed no significant association with mortality rates in this population.
Task-dependent mixed selectivity in the subiculum
Authors: Ledergerber Debora , Battistin Claudia , Blackstad Jan Sigurd , Gardner Richard J. , Witter Menno P. , Moser May-Britt , Roudi Yasser , Moser Edvard I.
Published: June 2020

CA1 and subiculum (SUB) connect the hippocampus to numerous output regions. Cells in both areas have place-specific firing fields, although they are more dispersed in SUB. Weak responses to head direction and running speed have been reported in both regions. However, how such information is encoded in CA1 and SUB, and the resulting impact on downstream targets, is poorly understood. Here we estimate the tuning of simultaneously recorded CA1 and SUB cells to position, head direction, and speed. Individual neurons respond conjunctively to these covariates in both regions but the degree of mixed representation is stronger in SUB, and more so during goal-directed spatial navigation than free foraging. Each navigational variable could be decoded with higher precision, from a similar number of neurons, in SUB than CA1. The findings point to a possible contribution of mixed-selective coding in SUB to efficient transmission of hippocampal representations to widespread brain regions.
A new pipeline to automatically segment and semi-automatically measure bone length on 3D models obtained by Computed Tomography
Authors: Diaz Santiago Beltran , Qu Xinli , Doube Michael , H’ng Chee Ho , Nguyen John Tan , de Veer Michael , Panagiotopoulou Olga , Rosello-Diez Alberto
Published: June 2020

The characterization of developmental phenotypes often relies on the accurate linear measurement of structures that are small and require laborious preparation. This is tedious and prone to errors, especially when repeated for the multiple replicates that are required for statistical analysis, or when multiple distinct structures have to be analysed. To address this issue, we have developed a pipeline for characterization of long-bone length and inter-vertebral distance using X-ray microtomography (XMT) scans. The pipeline involves semi-automated algorithms for automatic thresholding and fast interactive isolation and 3D-model generation of the main limb bones, using either the open-source ImageJ plugin BoneJ or the commercial Mimics Innovation Suite package. The tests showed the appropriate combination of scanning conditions and analysis parameters yields fast and comparable length results, highly correlated with the measurements obtained viaex vivoskeletal preparations. Moreover, since XMT is not destructive, the samples can be used afterwards for histology or other applications. Our new pipelines will help developmental biologists and evolutionary researchers to achieve fast, reproducible and non-destructive length measurement of bone samples from multiple animal species.

Summary statement

Beltran Diaz et al. present a semi-automated pipeline for fast and versatile characterization of bone length from micro-CT images of mouse developmental samples.
Expression and T cell Regulatory Action of the PD-1 Immune Checkpoint in the Ovary and Fallopian Tube
Authors: Johnson Joshua , Sam Peter Ka , Asokan Rengasamy , Cari Evelyn Llerena , Bales Elise S. , Luu Thanh-Ha , Perez Lauren , Kallen Amanda N. , Nel-Themaat Liesl , Polotsky Alex J. , Post Miriam D. , Orlicky David J. , Jordan Kimberly R. , Bitler Benjamin G.
Published: June 2020

TheProgrammed CellDeath Protein-1 (PD-1/PDCD-1/CD279) checkpoint has powerful immunomodulatory action, including in the context of cancer. PD-1 receptor activation by its ligands (PD-L1/2) is associated with downregulated immune response, and tumor cells can avoid surveillanceviaPD-1 and/or ligand expression. While receptor expression is largely limited to lymphoid, myeloid, and tumor cells, we show that membrane bound and soluble variants of PD-1 and ligands are also expressed by permanent constituent cell types of the human ovary and fallopian tube, including granulosa cells and oocytes. PD-1 and soluble ligands were highly enriched in exosome fractions in human follicular fluid at bioactive levels that can control T cell PD-1 activation. PD-1 checkpoint signaling may be involved in physiological ovarian functions including follicle, and ultimately, germline and embryo immune-privilege.
Rapid inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 with Deep-UV LED irradiation
Authors: Inagaki Hiroko , Saito Akatsuki , Sugiyama Hironobu , Okabayashi Tamaki , Fujimoto Shouichi
Published: June 2020

The spread of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections worldwide has raised concerns about the prevention and control of SARS-CoV-2. Devices that rapidly inactivate viruses can reduce the chance of infection through aerosols and contact transmission. Thisin vitrostudy demonstrated that irradiation with a deep ultraviolet light-emitting diode (DUV-LED) of 280 ±5 nm wavelength rapidly inactivates SARS-CoV-2 obtained from a COVID-19 patient. Development of devices equipped with DUV-LED is expected to prevent virus invasion through the air and after touching contaminated objects.
Hawkes process modeling of COVID-19 with mobility leading indicators and spatial covariates
Authors: Chiang Wen-Hao , Liu Xueying , Mohler George
Published: June 2020

Hawkes processes are used in machine learning for event clustering and causal inference, while they also can be viewed as stochastic versions of popular compartmental models used in epidemiology. Here we show how to develop accurate models of COVID-19 transmission using Hawkes processes with spatial-temporal covariates. We model the conditional intensity of new COVID-19 cases and deaths in the U.S. at the county level, estimating the dynamic reproduction number of the virus within an EM algorithm through a regression on Google mobility indices and demographic covariates in the maximization step. We validate the approach on short-term forecasting tasks, showing that the Hawkes process outperforms several benchmark models currently used to track the pandemic, including an ensemble approach and a SEIR-variant. We also investigate which covariates and mobility indices are most important for building forecasts of COVID-19 in the U.S.
A Machine Learning Explanation of Incidence Inequalities of SARS-CoV-2 Across 88 Days in 157 Countries
Authors: Luellen Eric
Published: June 2020

Because the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic viral outbreaks will likely continue until effective vaccines are widely administered, (1) new capabilities to accurately predict incidence rates by location and time to know in advance the disease burden and specific needs for any given population are valuable to minimize morbidity and mortality. In this study, a random forest of 9,250 regression trees was applied to 6,941 observations of 13 statistically significant predictor variables targeting SARS-CoV-2 incidence rates per 100,000 across 88 days in 157 countries. One key finding is an algorithm that can predict the incidence rate per day of a SARS-CoV-2 epidemic cycle with a pseudo-R2 accuracy of 98.5% and explain 97.4% of the variances. Another key finding is the relative importance of 13 demographic, economic, environmental, and public health modulators to the SARS-CoV-2 incidence rate. Four factors proposed in earlier research as potential modulators have no statistically significant relationship with incidence rates (2)(3). These findings give leaders new capabilities for improved capacity planning and targeting stay-at-home interventions and prioritizing programming by knowing the atypical social determinants that are the root causes of SARS-CoV-2 incidence variance. This work also proves that machine learning can accurately and quickly explain disease dynamics for zoonoses with pandemic potential.
Elucidating the diversity and potential function of nonribosomal peptide and polyketide biosynthetic gene clusters in the root microbiome
Authors: Dror Barak , Wang Zongqiang , Brady Sean F. , Jurkevitch Edouard , Cytryn Eddie
Published: June 2020

Polyketides (PKs) and nonribosomal peptides (NRPs) are two microbial secondary metabolite (SM) families known for their variety of functions, including antimicrobials, siderophores and others. Despite their involvement in bacteria-bacteria and bacteria-plant interactions, root-associated SMs are largely unexplored due to the limited cultivability of bacteria. Here, we analyzed the diversity and expression of SM-encoding biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in root microbiomes by culture-independent amplicon sequencing, shotgun metagenomics and metatranscriptomics. Roots (tomato and lettuce) harbored distinct compositions of nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) and polyketide synthases (PKSs) relative to the adjacent bulk soil, and specific BGC markers were both enriched and highly expressed in the root microbiomes. While several of the highly abundant and expressed sequences were remotely associated with known BGCs, the low similarity to characterized genes suggests their potential novelty. Low similarity genes were screened against a large set of soil-derived cosmid libraries, from which five whole BGCs of unknown function were retrieved. Three clusters were taxonomically affiliated with Actinobacteria, while the remaining were not associated with known bacteria. One Streptomyces-derived BGC was predicted to encode for a polyene with potential antifungal activity, while the others were too novel to predict chemical structure. Screening against a suite of metagenomic datasets revealed a higher abundance of retrieved clusters in roots and soil samples. In contrast, they were almost completely absent in aquatic and gut environments, supporting the notion that they might play an important role in root ecosystems. Overall, our results indicate that root microbiomes harbor a specific assemblage of undiscovered SMs.

Importance

We identified distinct secondary metabolite (polyketide and nonribosomal peptide) encoding genes that are enriched (relative to adjacent bulk soil) and expressed in root ecosystems, yet almost completely absent in human gut and aquatic environments. Several of the genes were distantly related to genes encoding for antimicrobials and siderophores, and their high sequence variability relative to known sequences suggests that they may encode for novel metabolites and may have unique ecological functions. This study demonstrates that plant roots harbor a diverse array of unique secondary metabolite encoding genes that are highly enriched and expressed in the root ecosystem. The secondary metabolites encoded by these genes might assist the bacteria that produce them in colonization and persistence in the root environment. To explore this hypothesis, future investigations should assess their potential role in inter-bacterial and bacterial-plant interactions.
Unliganded and CMP-Neu5Ac bound structures of human α-2,6-sialyltransferase ST6Gal I at high resolution
Authors: Harrus Deborah , Harduin-Lepers Anne , Glumoff Tuomo
Published: June 2020

Sialic acid residues found as terminal monosaccharides in various types of glycan chains in cell surface glycoproteins and glycolipids have been identified as important contributors of cell-cell interactions in normal vs. abnormal cellular behavior and are pivotal in diseases such as cancers. In vertebrates, sialic acids are attached to glycan chains by a conserved subset of sialyltransferases with different enzymatic and substrate specificities. ST6Gal I is a sialyltransferase using activated CMP-sialic acids as donor substrates to catalyze the formation of a α2,6-glycosidic bond between the sialic acid residue and the acceptor disaccharide LacNAc. Understanding sialyltransferases at the molecular and structural level shed light into the function. We present here two human ST6Gal I structures, which show for the first time the enzyme in the unliganded state and with the full donor substrate CMP-Neu5Ac bound. Comparison of these structures reveal flexibility of the catalytic loop, since in the unliganded structure Tyr354 adopts a conformation seen also as an alternate conformation in the substrate bound structure. CMP-Neu5Ac is bound with the side chain at C-5 of the sugar residue directed towards empty space at the surface of the protein. Furthermore, the exact binding mode of the sialic acid moiety of the substrate directly involves sialylmotifs L, S and III and positions the sialylmotif VS in the immediate vicinity.

PROTEIN DATA BANK ACCESSION CODES

Atomic coordinates and structure factors of the human wild-type unliganded and CMP-Neu5Ac bound ST6Gal I have been deposited with the PDB with accession codes 6QVS and 6QVT, respectively.
Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of antiviral responses and viral antagonism in Chikungunya virus-infected synovial fibroblasts
Authors: Pott Fabian , Postmus Dylan , Brown Richard J. P. , Wyler Emanuel , Neumann Elena , Landthaler Markus , Goffinet Christine
Published: June 2020

In recent years, (re-)emerging arboviruses including Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Mayaro virus (MAYV) have caused growing concern due to expansion of insect vector ranges. No protective vaccine or specific antiviral strategies are currently available. Long-term morbidity after CHIKV infection includes debilitating chronic joint pain, which has associated health and economic impact. Here, we analyzed the early cell-intrinsic response to CHIKV and MAYV infection in primary human synovial fibroblasts. This interferon-competent cell type represents a potential source of polyarthralgia induced by CHIKV infection. Synovial fibroblasts from healthy and osteoarthritic donors were similarly permissive to CHIKV and MAYV infectionex vivo. Using RNA-seq, we defined a CHIKV infection-induced transcriptional profile with several hundred interferon-stimulated and arthralgia-mediating genes upregulated. Type I interferon was both secreted by infected fibroblasts and protective when administered exogenously. IL-6 secretion, which mediates chronic synovitis, however, was not boosted by infection. Single-cell RNA-seq and flow cytometric analyses uncovered an inverse correlation of activation of innate immunity and productive infection at the level of individual cells. In summary, primary human synovial fibroblasts serve as bona-fideex vivoprimary cell model of CHIKV infection and provide a valuable platform for studies of joint tissue-associated aspects of CHIKV immunopathogenesis.
Relationship Between Blood Group and Risk of Infection and Death in COVID-19: a live Meta-Analysis
Authors: Pourali Fateme , Afshari Mahdi , Alizadeh-Navaei Reza , Javidnia Javad , Moosazadeh Mahmood , Hessami Amirhossein
Published: June 2020

Introduction

The relationship between ABO blood group and the incidence of COVID-19 infection and death has been investigated in several studies. The reported results were controversial, so the objective of the present study is to assess the relationship between different blood groups and the onset and mortality of COVID-19 infection using meta-analysis method.

Methods

We searched the databases using appropriate MeSH terms. We screened articles on the basis of titles, abstracts, and full texts and the articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected. Quality assessment was done with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale checklist. The estimated frequency of COVID-19 infection and death in terms of ABO blood group and the overall estimate of the odd ratio between blood group with COVID-19 infection and death was done with 95% confidence interval.

Results

The pooled frequency of blood groups A, B, O, and AB among COVID-19 infected individuals was estimated as 36.22%, 24.99%, 29.67%, and 9.29% respectively. The frequency of blood groups A, B, O, and AB among the dead cases due to COVID-19 infection was estimated as 40%, 23%, 29%, and 8% respectively. The odd ratio of COVID-19 infection for blood group A versus the other blood groups was estimated 1.16 (CI 95%: 1.02-1.33). The corresponding figures for blood groups O and AB versus other blood groups were estimated as 0.73 (CI 95%: 0.60-0.88) and 1.25(CI 95%: 0.84-1.86) respectively.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis showed that individuals with blood group A are at higher risk for COVID-19 infection while those with blood group O are at lower risk. Although the odds ratio of death for AB blood group was non-significant, it was considerable.
Exploration role of volunteerism on the digitisation project: case of the office of the premier in Mpumalanga province, South Africa
Authors: Netshakhuma Nkholedzeni Sidney
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the role of volunteerism during the digitisation project by the Office of the Premier in Mpumalanga with a view recommending the best practice.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical data was collected through the semi-structured qualitative interviews with the records manager and ten volunteer archivists employed by the Office of the Premier.

Findings

Local pupils within the Mpumalanga province were recruited to participate in the digitisation project as a form of youth empowerment. The Mpumalanga Provincial Archives was not involved in the digitisation project to ensure that all digitisation specification was in line with the requirement of the provincial archives. Furthermore, a lack of resources to implement the digitisation project was cited as the main stamping block for the successful implementation of the project.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is limited to the Office of the premier, in the Mpumalanga province.

Practical implications

Archivists interested in recruiting volunteers on a digitisation project can use this paper to understand the benefits and cost of volunteer labor before putting volunteer projects into practice.

Social implications

The success of a digitisation project depends on the involvement of the Mpumalanga Provincial archives.

Originality/value

This paper presents a unique case study in South Africa of a digitisation project staffed with volunteers in the office of the Premier.
How project management practices lead to infrastructure sustainable success: an empirical study based on goal-setting theory
Authors: Liu Bingsheng , Xue Bin , Meng Junna , Chen Xingbin , Sun Ting
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The sustainable success of infrastructures is becoming a driving force for advancing urbanization globally. However, to achieve infrastructure sustainable success (ISS), how project management practices (PMPs) play their role remains unexplored in current literature. To this end, an empirical study on whether PMPs play significant impacts on the accomplishment of ISS was conducted.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on an empirical survey of domestic and overseas infrastructure projects managed by Chinese companies. 162 data samples were collected and further analyzed deploying structural equation modeling (SEM) on the basis of goal-setting theory. PMP factors derived from the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) ideology, i.e. culture, strategy, implementation and reflection were hypothesized and validated to have direct and indirect relationships with ISS.

Findings

The results of this study indicate that both culture and reflection can directly drive the PMPs toward ISS. Furthermore, it is revealed that by affecting mediator factors of strategy, implementation and reflection, culture is found to present an indirect influence on ISS; by affecting mediator factors of implementation and reflection, Strategy is found to present an indirect influence on ISS and by affecting the mediator factor of reflection, implementation is found to present an indirect influence on ISS.

Originality/value

These findings contribute to the body of knowledge in measuring sustainability success of project management performances by clarifying critical relationships of how PMPs lead to ISS. Prospectively, the outputs of this research will generate informative insights for practitioners to improve their PMPs in the process of pursuing ISS in future infrastructure management practices.
Linking practices to results: an analysis toward Lean Six Sigma deployment in the public sector
Authors: Juliani Fernando , de Oliveira Otávio José
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present relationship between operation and management practices analyzing the results achieved by both public organizations prone to deploy Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and public organizations that have already implemented the method. The goal is to support the start of method deployment by public managers and the creation of more efficient and effective processes in public organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

An analysis of synergies between findings in the multiple case study carried out in Brazilian public organizations from health and education sectors and successful implementations found in the LSS literature is made.

Findings

The fact that this research comprised organizations from different segments allowed good practices and difficulties to be identified in a unique way, adding more value to the research carried out and increasing the potential of support to the public manager. In addition, it was possible to map the most mentioned benefits of LSS deployment in both health and education sectors and link them to systematized LSS practices.

Research limitations/implications

The presenting research should initiate a scientific discussion on public sector areas more prone to LSS and guide researchers in the development of case studies aimed at the application of this method in public organizations in general.

Practical implications

This paper can assist public managers to become aware of the potential of the organization they manage in the adoption of LSS principles and practices enabling a better quality of services provided to citizens.

Originality/value

The finding that public health organizations are more likely to implement LSS principles and practices when compared to public organizations from other segments can guide more in-depth studies that justify why some organizations would be better able to implement the LSS method and others would face more difficulties in a hypothetical deployment.
Impacts of media richness on network features and community commitment in online games
Authors: Liao Gen-Yih , Huang Tzu-Ling , Cheng T. C. E. , Teng Ching-I
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Online gamers form communities and offer game makers various revenue sources. Gamers' continual revenue contributions should depend on their commitment to gaming communities (CGC), where they rely heavily on communication media that carry rich information or provide enhanced media richness. However, no study has yet examined how to use the four elements of media richness to fuel gamers' CGC, revealing a research gap. Seeking to fill this gap, this study constructs a research framework and formulates hypotheses based on media richness theory (MRT).

Design/methodology/approach

This study obtained responses from 1,971 online gamers and applied structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses.

Findings

This study finds that the four media richness elements have selective impacts on network convergence and interdependence that result in CGC. Moreover, compared with interdependence, network convergence has a stronger impact on CGC.

Originality/value

The findings offer online game makers insights that will enable them to design the communication functions in games to support the formation of strongly connected gamer communities. Moreover, the findings advance MRT by showing its ability to explain the formation of online gaming communities.
How to inspire customers via social media
Authors: Sheng Hong , Yang Pianpian , Feng Yuanyue
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Social media has emerged as a new marketing channel and an important source for customer inspiration. Understanding the sources and consequences of customer inspiration via social media is important for both researchers and marketers. However, little has been done to empirically examine customer inspiration in the social media context. Specifically, the process through which customers become inspired and motivated by social media to purchase the advertised products remains elusive. Therefore, this study extends the conceptualisation of customer inspiration into the social media context, and explores the antecedents of customer inspiration from three perspectives: informational, social and personal. This study also examines the impact of customer inspiration on customers' behavioral intention.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey methodology was used and data from 679 respondents were collected in China. To examine the hypothesized relationships, partial least squares (PLS) was used to analyse the data and Smart PLS 3.0 was used for data analysis.

Findings

The study findings demonstrated that the vividness of ads, social influence and promotion focus had positive impacts on the “inspired-by state”, and subsequently the “inspired-to state”, which in turn positively influenced customers' purchasing intentions. However, media richness has a negative impact on the “inspired-by state”.

Originality/value

This study provides the first evidence of customer inspiration via social media and examines its antecedents and consequences. Practically, this study offers useful guidelines and suggestions for firms on how to inspire customers using social media.
BPM perspectives to support ICSs: Exploiting the integration of formal verifications into investment service provision processes
Authors: Raucci Domenico , Santone Antonella , Mercaldo Francesco , Dyczkowski Tomasz
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This paper investigates the criteria for a selective integration, in the multidisciplinary business process management (BPM) areas, between information technologies tools and the company's internal control systems (ICSs) aimed at directing organizational behaviours. Adopting a process-based perspective, the authors propose a formal methodology to increase ICSs aims, related to the segregation of duties (SoDs) models, efficiently and effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors examine the applicability of formal verifications to validate a banking process of providing investment services, which is mapped through the workflow management system. To mitigate the state explosion problem of formal methods, the authors propose an efficient methodology that has been proved on the SoDs models in the bank ICSs, as a case study.

Findings

The authors’ investigations suggest that in the BPM domain, the banking ICSs aims can benefit from the aforesaid methodologies, originating from the formal methods area, to increase the reliability and correctness in the design, modelling and implementation of the SoDs models.

Originality/value

The proposed methodology is quite general and can be efficiently applied to large-scale systems in different business contexts or areas of the BPM. Its application to the bank's SoD prevents or detects significant weaknesses, operational risks, excessive risk appetite and other undesirable behaviours in the investment services provision processes. This guarantees that the investment ordered/offered is “suitable and appropriate” with the client's risk profile, especially non-professional, required by the MiFID II Directive.
The use of eye-tracking technology to identify visualisers and verbalisers: accuracy and contributing factors
Authors: Luo Zhanni , O'Steen Billy , Brown Cheryl
Published: June 2020

Purpose

To build adaptive learning systems for a better learning experience, designers need to identify users’ behaviour patterns and provide adaptive learning materials accordingly. This study involved a quasi-experiment and also this paper aims to investigate the accuracy of eye-tracking technology in identifying visualisers and verbalisers and the contributing factors to diverse levels of accuracy, which lays the foundation for the establishment of adaptive learning systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors prepared eight documents with different image-text combinations with the intention of triggering participants’ natural reading habits. By analysing the eye-movement data, this author categorised the 22 participants as visualisers or verbalisers. The results were compared for accuracy measure with participants’ self-reports in response to the index of learning style questionnaire.

Findings

The results showed that visualisers and verbalisers presented significantly different eye-movement patterns, which was confirmed by the fixation data from the Tobii eye-tracker with the detection accuracy ranged from 38% to 77%. Various factors contributed to a range of levels of accuracy, including highlighted elements, learning context, complex background, low relevance of images and texts, learner differences, awareness of experimental settings, self-conception and prior knowledge.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper investigating the feasibility of eye-tracking technology to identify visualisers and verbalisers for the development of adaptive learning systems.
Improving the satisfaction and loyalty of BPJS healthcare in Indonesia: a Sharia perspective
Authors: Ratnawati Alifah , Mislan Cokrohadisumarto Widiyanto bin , Kholis Noor
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze how to improve the satisfaction and loyalty of Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial Kesehatan (BPJS) health patients in Indonesia based on services in Islamic hospitals, where the service quality was analyzed from a Sharīʿah perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample for this study was 470 Muslim patients from BPJS health, 248 from large Islamic hospitals and 232 from small Islamic hospitals in Central Java, Indonesia. Overall, the respondents were from five large hospitals and five small hospitals. The study used eight service quality variables that were modified from the SERVQUAL, PAKSERV and CARTER models. All the variables used indicators of Sharīʿah principles and tested their effects on satisfaction and loyalty.

Findings

The results of the study showed that the insurance system has been proven to significantly increase the satisfaction and loyalty of BPJS health patients. This means that the efforts of the Indonesian Government to improve the level of health by establishing BPJS can benefit the community. Satisfaction can also be increased through the variables of reliability, empathy and responsiveness, while the loyalty of BPJS Health patients is strongly influenced by satisfaction. The sincerity variable can increase the satisfaction and loyalty of BPJS health patients in small hospitals, but not in large hospitals. On the other hand, the variable of compliance can increase the satisfaction and loyalty of BPJS health patients in large hospitals, but not in small hospitals.

Originality/value

The insurance system implemented in Indonesia can influence the improvement of satisfaction and loyalty. Also, hospitals that are fair in serving patients and that apply amanah (trust), tabligh (responsiveness) and are fast in handling BPJS health patients’ complaints are important indicators that need attention from BPJS health and hospitals. These indicators can form variables that can increase satisfaction and loyalty.
At the boundaries: school networks in divided societies
Authors: Robinson Gareth , Gallagher Tony , Duffy Gavin , McAneney Helen
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to demonstrate the transformative potential of school networks in divided societies, where separate schools often mirror wider ethnic divisions. It describes Shared Education in Northern Ireland, where networks are being utilised to change how Catholic and Protestant schools engage with one another. The concept of boundary crossing is used to frame how staff members build relationships and bridge distinct knowledge communities shaped by socio-cultural practices and identities.

Design/Methodology/Approach

A mixed-methods design was employed. Evidence is presented based on a social network analysis of teacher interactions within a Shared Education partnership of five primary schools in Northern Ireland.

Findings

The findings suggest that school networking can overcome systemic separation in divided societies and provide the infrastructure necessary to establish an alternative model for collegial engagement. The structural characteristics of the observed school network are discussed, including comments on its sustainability, the role of boundary-crossing relationships, the professional value for those involved and its transformative potential for society.

Originality/value

This paper provides a unique perspective on the application and utility of school networks for supporting the development of professional communities in challenging circumstances. It also presents valuable social network data on the structure and management of school networks.
Real-time location estimation for indoor navigation using a visual-inertial sensor
Authors: Wang Zhe , Li Xisheng , Zhang Xiaojuan , Bai Yanru , Zheng Chengcai
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to use visual and inertial sensors to achieve real-time location. How to provide an accurate location has become a popular research topic in the field of indoor navigation. Although the complementarity of vision and inertia has been widely applied in indoor navigation, many problems remain, such as inertial sensor deviation calibration, unsynchronized visual and inertial data acquisition and large amount of stored data.

Design/methodology/approach

First, this study demonstrates that the vanishing point (VP) evaluation function improves the precision of extraction, and the nearest ground corner point (NGCP) of the adjacent frame is estimated by pre-integrating the inertial sensor. The Sequential Similarity Detection Algorithm (SSDA) and Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) algorithms are adopted to accurately match the adjacent NGCP in the estimated region of interest. Second, the model of visual pose is established by using the parameters of the camera itself, VP and NGCP. The model of inertial pose is established by pre-integrating. Third, location is calculated by fusing the model of vision and inertia.

Findings

In this paper, a novel method is proposed to fuse visual and inertial sensor to locate indoor environment. The authors describe the building of an embedded hardware platform to the best of their knowledge and compare the result with a mature method and POSAV310.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a VP evaluation function that is used to extract the most advantages in the intersection of a plurality of parallel lines. To improve the extraction speed of adjacent frame, the authors first proposed fusing the NGCP of the current frame and the calibrated pre-integration to estimate the NGCP of the next frame. The visual pose model was established using extinction VP and NGCP, calibration of inertial sensor. This theory offers the linear processing equation of gyroscope and accelerometer by the model of visual and inertial pose.
Edutainment in childhood obesity prevention: a complex topic
Authors: Sintra Diana , Agante Luísa
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to see if edutainment containing only healthy food can change children’s preferences and food choices toward healthy eating, especially in overweight or obese children, and if the children’s self-regulation, emotional overeating and parents that use food as a reward would influence those changes. This is important because childhood obesity is one of the biggest public health problems of the 21st century.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a study in two public schools (total 189 children) with a between-subjects experimental design (control vs experimental group), where children in experimental group watched an episode of Nutri Ventures series without unhealthy foods.

Findings

The results showed no differences in both children’s preferences and children’s food choices between the control and experimental group, with exception of older children, and contrary to our expectations. Older children in the experimental group chose more unhealthy food than children in the control group. The authors also saw differences in food choices between “emotional overeating” groups, where the children in “high” group tended to choose less healthy food items, especially in the experimental group of children. This leads the authors to believe that isolated edutainment may not be enough to change preferences and food choices; instead it might even have an opposite effect.

Originality/value

This study aimed to identify if edutainment containing only healthy food could be more effective in childhood obesity prevention but instead it showed how complex the whole topic can be.
Can Euler deconvolution outline three‐dimensional magnetic sources?
Authors: Amaral Mota Elizangela S. , Medeiros Walter E. , Oliveira Roberto G.
Published: June 2020

Severe limitations of the standard Euler deconvolution to outline source shapes have been pointed out. However, Euler deconvolution has been widely employed on field data to outline interfaces, as faults and thrust zones. We investigate the limitations of the 3D Euler deconvolution–derived estimates of source dip and volume with the use of reduced‐to‐the‐pole synthetic and field anomalies. The synthetic anomalies are generated by two types of source bodies: (1) uniformly magnetized prisms, presenting either smooth or rough interfaces, and (2) bodies presenting smooth delimiting interfaces but strong internal variation of magnetization intensity. The dip of the first type of body might be estimated from the Euler deconvolution solution cluster if the ratio between the depth to the top and vertical extent is relatively high (>1/4). For the second type of body, besides dip, the source volume can be approximately delimited from the solution cluster envelope, regardless of the referred ratio. We apply Euler deconvolution to two field anomalies which are caused by a curved‐shape thrust zone and by a banded iron formation. These anomalies are chosen because they share characteristics with the two types of synthetic bodies. For the thrust zone, the obtained Euler deconvolution solutions show spatial distribution allowing to estimate a source dip that is consistent with the surface geology data, even if the above‐mentioned ratio is much less than 1/4. Thus, there are other factors, such as a heterogeneous magnetization, which might be controlling the vertical spreading of the Euler deconvolution solutions in the thrust zone. On the other hand, for the iron‐ore formation, the solution cluster spreads out occupying a volume, in accordance with the results obtained with the synthetic sources having internal variation of magnetization intensity. As conclusion, although Euler deconvolution–derived solutions cannot offer accurate estimates of source shapes, they might provide a sufficient degree of reliability in the initial estimates of the source dip and volume, which may be useful in a later phase of more accurate modelling.