bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The core planar cell polarity gene,Vangl2, directs adult corneal epithelial cell alignment and migration
Authors: Findlay Amy S. , Panzica D. Alessio , Walczysko Petr , Holt Amy B. , Henderson Deborah J. , West John D. , Rajnicek Ann M. , Collinson J. Martin
Published: October 2016

This study shows that the core planar cell polarity (PCP) genes direct the aligned cell migration in the adult corneal epithelium, a stratified squamous epithelium on the outer surface of the vertebrate eye. Expression of multiple core PCP genes was demonstrated in the adult corneal epithelium. PCP components were manipulated genetically and pharmacologically in human and mouse corneal epithelial cellsin vivoandin vitro. Knockdown ofVANGL2reduced the directional component of migration of human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells without affecting speed. It was shown that signalling through PCP mediators, dishevelled, dishevelled-associated activator of morphogenesis and Rho-associated protein kinase directs the alignment of HCE cells by affecting cytoskeletal reorganization. Cells in whichVANGL2was disrupted tended to misalign on grooved surfaces and migrate across, rather than parallel to the grooves. Adult corneal epithelial cells in whichVangl2had been conditionally deleted showed a reduced rate of wound-healing migration. Conditional deletion ofVangl2in the mouse corneal epithelium ablated the normal highly stereotyped patterns of centripetal cell migrationin vivofrom the periphery (limbus) to the centre of the cornea. Corneal opacity owing to chronic wounding is a major cause of degenerative blindness across the world, and this study shows that Vangl2 activity is required for directional corneal epithelial migration.
Spatial evolutionary epidemiology of spreading epidemics
Authors: Lion S. , Gandon S.
Published: October 2016

Most spatial models of host–parasite interactions either neglect the possibility of pathogen evolution or consider that this process is slow enough for epidemiological dynamics to reach an equilibrium on a fast timescale. Here, we propose a novel approach to jointly model the epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics of spatially structured host and pathogen populations. Starting from a multi-strain epidemiological model, we use a combination of spatial moment equations and quantitative genetics to analyse the dynamics of mean transmission and virulence in the population. A key insight of our approach is that, even in the absence of long-term evolutionary consequences, spatial structure can affect the short-term evolution of pathogens because of the build-up of spatial differentiation in mean virulence. We show that spatial differentiation is driven by a balance between epidemiological and genetic effects, and this quantity is related to the effect of kin competition discussed in previous studies of parasite evolution in spatially structured host populations. Our analysis can be used to understand and predict the transient evolutionary dynamics of pathogens and the emergence of spatial patterns of phenotypic variation.
Sexual conflict and the evolution of asexuality at low population densities
Authors: Gerber Nina , Kokko Hanna
Published: October 2016

Theories for the evolution of sex rarely include facultatively sexual reproduction. Sexual harassment by males is an underappreciated factor: it should at first sight increase the relative advantage of asexual reproduction by increasing the cost of sex. However, if the same females can perform either sexual or asexual life cycles, then females trying to reproduce asexually may not escape harassment. If resisting male harassment is costly, it might be beneficial for a female to accept a mating and undertake a sexual life cycle rather than ‘insist’ on an asexual one. We investigate the effects of sexual harassment on the maintenance of sex under different population densities. Our model shows that resisting matings pays off at low population densities, which leads to the complete extinction of males, and thus to the evolution of completely asexual populations. Facultative sex persists in a narrow range of slightly higher densities. At high densities, selection favours giving up resisting male mating attempts and thus sexual reproduction takes over. These interactions between the outcomes of sexual conflict and population density suggest an explanation for the rarity of facultative sex and also patterns of geographical parthenogenesis, where marginal environments with potentially low densities are associated with asexuality.
Hi-C-constrained physical models of human chromosomes recover functionally-related properties of genome organization
Authors: Stefano Marco Di , Paulsen Jonas , Lien Tonje G. , Hovig Eivind , Micheletti Cristian
Published: October 2016

Combining genome-wide structural models with phenomenological data is at the forefront of efforts to understand the organizational principles regulating the human genome. Here, we use chromosome-chromosome contact data as knowledge- based constraints for large-scale three-dimensional models of the human diploid genome. The resulting models remain minimally entangled and acquire several functional features that are observedin vivoand that were never used as input for the model. We find, for instance, that gene-rich, active regions are drawn towards the nuclear center, while gene poor and lamina-associated domains are pushed to the periphery. These and other properties persist upon adding local contact constraints, suggesting their compatibility with non-local constraints for the genome organization. The results show that suitable combinations of data analysis and physical modelling can expose the unexpectedly rich functionally-related properties implicit in chromosome-chromosome contact data. Specific directions are suggested for further developments based on combining experimental data analysis and genomic structural modelling.
Development of a Reference Spatiotemporal Gait Data Set for Indian Subjects: A Pilot Study
Authors: Ramnani Raj , Mukul Pooja , Jain Siddhant , Tripathi Abhishek
Published: October 2016

1.

Interpretation of pathological gait has, for decades, offered insight into amputee anomalies and diseases such as cerebral palsy. Gait analysis has been actively used at the Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahatya Samiti for such purposes. The normative gait data used to compare data obtained from amputees, however, has been collected from laboratories under dissimilar conditions, skewing interpretation. Spatiotemporal gait parameters were extractedfrom 43 male Indian subjects using a 7.5m walkway and theBTS Bioengineering GAITLABsetup. Working under the hypothesis that a lack of cross-cultural validity was somewhat responsible for variations in normative gait, we attempted to develop a region-specific data set for use at the headquarters of the Jaipur Foot Organization Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahatya Samiti (BMVSS). Stratified random sampling was used to recruit subjects and measures were taken to ensure minimal effects of extraneous variables. Statistical analysis was performed on obtained data using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to gauge the effect age and ethnicity had on normative values of the parameters investigated. We found statistically significant p-values for a few spatiotemporal parameters in the analysis of variance for both age and ethnicity. While the results were much less significant than initially hypothesized, the study proved an efficient way to create a normative gait data set exclusively for use at the gait laboratory of the Jaipur Foot Organization, thereby eliminating potential erroneous interpretation of pathological gait when comparing said gait to normative gait data obtained in laboratories under dissimilar conditions.
A Probabilistic Approach To The Diagnosis Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Ramnani Raj , Tripathi Anshul
Published: October 2016

In a novel approach to diagnose Obstructive Sleep Apnea, electronic components including an Arduino Mega, a Bluetooth Transceiver, an accelerometer, and a air-quality sensor, were put together to create a wearable that would detect the frequency of apnea events, diagnose the disorder, and sound an alarm when necessary. A primary consideration was to make the mechanism accessible and affordable, and in doing so, lower the number of cases of Obstructive Sleep Apnea that go undiagnosed due to the cost and inconvenience associated with the traditional diagnosis method—a Polysomnogram. Bluetooth capability was an additional consideration so that the device would transmit data directly to an android smartphone, eliminating the need for an additional output mechanism. The total cost of the device, quite surprisingly, did not exceed $30, and therein rendered the device an accessible, affordable mechanism for diagnosis. Tests of the device on diagnosed patients yielded data consistent with the diagnosis, with a few false positives as a result of the excessive sensitivity of the sensors.
Reconstructing cell cycle and disease progression using deep learning
Authors: Eulenberg Philipp , Köhler Niklas , Blasi Thomas , Filby Andrew , Carpenter Anne E. , Rees Paul , Theis Fabian J. , Wolf F. Alexander
Published: October 2016

We show that deep convolutional neural networks combined with non-linear dimension reduction enable reconstructing biological processes based on raw image data. We demonstrate this by recon-structing the cell cycle of Jurkat cells and disease progression in diabetic retinopathy. In further analysis of Jurkat cells, we detect and separate a subpopulation of dead cells in an unsupervised manner and, in classifying discrete cell cycle stages, we reach a 6-fold reduction in error rate compared to a recent approach based on boosting on image features. In contrast to previous methods, deep learning based predictions are fast enough for on-the-fly analysis in an imaging flow cytometer.
FIDDLE: An integrative deep learning framework for functional genomic data inference
Authors: Eser Umet , Churchman L. Stirling
Published: October 2016

Numerous advances in sequencing technologies have revolutionized genomics through generating many types of genomic functional data. Statistical tools have been developed to analyze individual data types, but there lack strategies to integrate disparate datasets under a unified framework. Moreover, most analysis techniques heavily rely on feature selection and data preprocessing which increase the difficulty of addressing biological questions through the integration of multiple datasets. Here, we introduce FIDDLE (Flexible Integration of Data with Deep LEarning) an open source data-agnostic flexible integrative framework that learns a unified representation from multiple data types to infer another data type. As a case study, we use multipleSaccharomyces cerevisiaegenomic datasets to predict global transcription start sites (TSS) through the simulation of TSS-seq data. We demonstrate that a type of data can be inferred from other sources of data types without manually specifying the relevant features and preprocessing. We show that models built from multiple genome-wide datasets perform profoundly better than models built from individual datasets. Thus FIDDLE learns the complex synergistic relationship within individual datasets and, importantly, across datasets.
Refinement of intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobarbital for euthanasia in laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus)
Authors: Zatroch K , Knight CG , Reimer JN , Pang DSJ
Published: October 2016

Background

The Canadian Council on Animal Care and American Veterinary Medical Association classify intraperitoneal (IP) pentobarbital as an acceptable euthanasia method in rats. However, federal guidelines do not exist for a recommended dose or volume and IP euthanasia has been described as unreliable, with misinjections leading to variable success in ensuring a timely death. The aims of this study were to assess and improve efficacy and consistency of IP euthanasia.

Methods

In a randomized, blinded study, 51 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats (170-495 g) received one of four treatments: low-dose low-volume (LL) IP pentobarbital (n = 13, 200 mg/kg pentobarbital), low-dose high-volume (LH) IP pentobarbital (n = 14, 200 mg/kg diluted 1:3 with phosphate buffered saline), high-dose high-volume (HH, n = 14, 800 mg/kg pentobarbital), or saline. Times to loss of righting reflex (LORR) and cessation of heartbeat (CHB) were recorded. To identify misinjections, necropsy examinations were performed on all rats. Video recordings of LL and HH groups were analyzed for pain-associated behaviors. Between-group comparisons were performed with 1-way ANOVA and Games-Howell post hoc tests. Variability for CHB was assessed by coefficient of variation (CV) calculation.

Results

The fastest euthanasia method (CHB) was HH (283.7 ± 38 s), compared with LL (485.8 ± 140.7 s, p = 0.002) and LH (347.7 ± 72.0 s, p = 0.039). Values for CV were: HH, 13.4%; LH, 20.7%; LL, 29.0%. LORR time was longest in LL (139.5 ± 29.6 s), compared with HH (111.6 ± 19.7 s, p = 0.046) and LH (104.2 ± 19.3 s, p = 0.01). Misinjections occurred in 15.7% (8/51) of euthanasia attempts. Pain-associated behavior incidence ranged from 36% (LL) to 46% (HH).

Conclusion

These data illustrate refinement of this euthanasia technique. Both dose and volume contribute to speed of death with IP pentobarbital and an increase in volume alone does not significantly reduce variability. The proportion of misinjections was similar to that of previous studies.

Abbreviations

LL

low-dose low-volume

LH

low-dose high-volume

HH

high-dose high-volume

LORR

loss of righting reflex

CHB

cessation of heartbeat

GIT

gastrointestinal tract

CV

coefficient of variation
FISH-ing for captured contacts: towards reconciling FISH and 3C
Authors: Fudenberg Geoff , Imakaev Maxim
Published: October 2016

Deciphering how the one-dimensional information encoded in a genomic sequence is read out in three-dimensions is a pressing contemporary challenge. Chromosome conformation capture (3C) and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) are two popular technologies that provide important links between genomic sequence and 3D chromosome organization. However, how to integrate views from 3C, or genome-wide Hi-C, and FISH is far from solved. We first discuss what each of these methods measure by reconsidering available matched experimental data for Hi-C and FISH. Using polymer simulations, we then demonstrate that contact frequency is distinct from average spatial distance. We show this distinction can create a seemingly-paradoxical relationship between 3C and FISH. Finally, we consider how the measurement of specific interactions between chromosomal loci might be differentially affected by the two technologies. Together, our results have implications for future attempts to cross-validate and integrate 3C and FISH, as well as for developing models of chromosomes.
The Divisive-Normalization Model of V1 Neurons: A Comprehensive Comparison of Physiological Data and Model Predictions
Authors: Sawada Tadamasa , Petrov Alexander A.
Published: October 2016

The physiological responses of simple and complex cells in the primary visual cortex (V1) have been studied extensively and modeled at different levels. At the functional level, the divisive normalization model (DNM, Heeger, 1992) has accounted for a wide range of single-cell recordings in terms of a combination of linear filtering, nonlinear rectification, and divisive normalization. We propose standardizing the formulation of the DNM and implementing it in software that takes static grayscale images as inputs and produces firing-rate responses as outputs. We also review a comprehensive suite of 30 empirical phenomena and report a series of simulation experiments that qualitatively replicate dozens of key experiments with a standard parameter set consistent with physiological measurements. This systematic approach identifies novel falsifiable predictions of the DNM. We show how the model simultaneously satisfies the conflicting desiderata of flexibility and falsifiability. Our key idea is that, while adjustable parameters are needed to accommodate the diversity across neurons, they must be fixed for a given individual neuron. This requirement introduces falsifiable constraints when this single neuron is probed with multiple stimuli. We also present mathematical analyses and simulation experiments that explicate some of these constraints.
Asexual but not clonal: evolutionary processes in populations with automictic reproduction
Authors: Engelstädter Jan
Published: October 2016

Many parthenogenetically reproducing animals produce offspring not clonally but through different mechanisms collectively referred to as automixis. Here, meiosis proceeds normally but is followed by the fusion of meiotic products that restores diploidy. This mechanism typically leads to a reduction in heterozygosity among the offspring compared to the mother. Following a derivation of the rate at which heterozygosity is lost at one and two loci, depending on the number of crossovers between loci and centromere, a number of models are developed to gain a better understanding of basic evolutionary processes in automictic populations. Analytical results are obtained for the expected equilibrium neutral genetic diversity, mutation-selection balance, selection with overdominance, the rate of spread of beneficial mutations, and selection on crossover rates. These results are complemented by numerical investigations elucidating how associative overdominance (two off-phase deleterious mutations at linked loci behaving like an overdominant locus) can in some cases maintain heterozygosity for prolonged times, and how clonal interference affects adaptation in automictic populations. These results suggest that although automictic populations are expected to suffer from the lack of gene shuffling with other individuals, they are nevertheless in some respects superior to both clonal and outbreeding sexual populations in the way they respond to beneficial and deleterious mutations. Implications for related genetic systems such as intratetrad mating, clonal reproduction, selfing as well as different forms of mixed sexual and automictic reproduction are discussed.
Rapid evolution of female-biased genes among four species ofAnophelesmalaria mosquitoes
Authors: Papa Francesco , Windbichler Nikolai , Waterhouse Robert M. , Cagnetti Alessia , D’Amato Rocco , Presampieri Tania , Lawniczak Mara K. N. , Nolan Tony , Papathanos Philippos Aris
Published: October 2016

Understanding how phenotypic differences between males and females arise from the sex-biased expression of nearly identical genomes can often reveal important insights into the biology and evolution of a species. AmongAnophelesmosquito species, these phenotypic differences include vectorial capacity, as it is only females that blood feed and thus transmit human malaria. Here, we use RNA-seq data from multiple tissues of four vectors spanning theAnophelesphylogeny to explore the genomic and evolutionary properties of sex-biased genes. We find that in these mosquitoes, in contrast to what has been found in many other organisms, female-biased genes are more rapidly evolving in sequence, expression, and genic turnover, than male-biased genes. Our results suggests that this atypical pattern may be due to the combination of sex-specific life history challenges encountered by females, such as blood feeding. Furthermore, female propensity to only mate once in nature in male swarms likely diminishes sexual selection of post-reproductive traits related to sperm competition among males. We also develop a comparative framework to systematically explore tissue- and sex-specific splicing, to document its conservation throughout the genus and identify a set of candidate genes for future functional analyses of sex-specific isoform usage. Finally, our data reveals that the deficit of male-biased genes on the X chromosomes inAnophelesis a conserved feature in this genus and can be directly attributed to chromosome-wide transcriptional regulation that demasculinizes the X in male reproductive tissues.
Flexibility and design: conformational heterogeneity along the evolutionary trajectory of a redesigned ubiquitin
Authors: Biel Justin T. , Thompson Michael C. , Cunningham Christian N. , Corn Jacob E. , Fraser James S.
Published: October 2016

Although protein design has been used to introduce new functions, designed variants generally only function as well as natural proteins after rounds of laboratory evolution. One possibility for this pattern is that designed mutants frequently sample nonfunctional conformations. To test this idea, we exploited advances in multiconformer modeling of room temperature X-ray data collection on redesigned ubiquitin variants selected for increasing binding affinity to the deubiquitinase USP7. Initial core mutations disrupt natural packing and lead to increased flexibility. Additional, experimentally selected mutations quenched conformational heterogeneity through new stabilizing interactions. Stabilizing interactions, such as cation-pi stacking and ordered waters, which are not included in standard protein design energy functions, can create specific interactions that have long range effects on flexibility across the protein. Our results suggest that increasing flexibility may be a useful strategy to escape local minima during initial directed evolution and protein design steps when creating new functions.
Improving power for rare variant tests by integrating external controls
Authors: Lee Seunggeun , Kim Sehee , Fuchsberger Christian
Published: October 2016

Due to the drop in sequencing cost, the number of sequenced genomes is increasing rapidly. To improve power of rare variant tests, these sequenced samples could be used as external control samples in addition to control samples from the study itself. However, when using external controls, possible batch effects due to the use of different sequencing platforms or genotype calling pipelines can dramatically increase type I error rates. To address this, we propose novel summary statistics-based single and gene- or region-based rare-variant tests that allow the integration of external controls while controlling for type I error. Our approach is based on the insight that batch effects on a given variant can be assessed by comparing odds ratio estimates using internal controls only vs. using combined control samples of internal and external controls. From simulation experiments and the analysis of data from age related macular degeneration and type 2 diabetes studies, we demonstrate that our method can substantially improve power while controlling for type I error rate.
Challenging the Raunkiaeran shortfall and the consequences of using imputed databases
Authors: Jardim Lucas , Bini Luis Mauricio , Felizola Diniz-Filho José Alexandre , Villalobos Fabricio
Published: October 2016

Given the prevalence of missing data on species’ traits – Raunkiaeran shorfall — and its importance for theoretical and empirical investigations, several methods have been proposed to fill sparse databases. Despite its advantages, imputation of missing data can introduce biases. Here, we evaluate the bias in descriptive statistics, model parameters, and phylogenetic signal estimation from imputed databases under different missing and imputing scenarios.

We simulated coalescent phylogenies and traits under Brownian Motion and different Ornstein-Uhlenbeck evolutionary models. Missing values were created using three scenarios: missing completely at random, missing at random but phylogenetically structured and missing at random but correlated with some other variable. We considered four methods for handling missing data: delete missing values, imputation based on observed mean trait value, Phylogenetic Eigenvectors Maps and Multiple Imputation by Chained Equations. Finally, we assessed estimation errors of descriptive statistics (mean, variance), regression coefficient, Moran’s correlogram and Blomberg’s K of imputed traits.

We found that percentage of missing data, missing mechanisms, Ornstein-Uhlenbeck strength and handling methods were important to define estimation errors. When data were missing completely at random, descriptive statistics were well estimated but Moran’s correlogram and Blomberg’s K were not well estimated, depending on handling methods. We also found that handling methods performed worse when data were missing at random, but phylogenetically structured. In this case adding phylogenetic information provided better estimates. Although the error caused by imputation was correlated with estimation errors, we found that such relationship is not linear with estimation errors getting larger as the imputation error increases.

Imputed trait databases could bias ecological and evolutionary analyses. We advise researchers to share their raw data along with their imputed database, flagging imputed data and providing information on the imputation process. Thus, users can and should consider the pattern of missing data and then look for the best method to overcome this problem. In addition, we suggest the development of phylogenetic methods that consider imputation uncertainty, phylogenetic autocorrelation and preserve the level of phylogenetic signal of the original data.
Modeling duration of FSA operating and farm ownership loan guarantees
Authors: Long Deng , Ahrendsen Bruce L. , L. Dixon Bruce , B. Dodson Charles
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify determinants of feasible outcome events (expired with no loss, settled for loss, still performing) and time to event of Farm Service Agency (FSA) operating and farm ownership (FO) loan guarantees.

Design/methodology/approach

Data on 19,126 FSA guaranteed loans, which were made by various lenders to farmers who have limited ability to obtain loans from normal sources without the Federal guarantee, were collected. Cox proportional hazards models for operating loans (OLs) and FO loans are estimated to identify borrower characteristics, loan characteristics, lender types, and farm and macroeconomic environment factors that influence guarantee outcomes.

Findings

Loans with different characteristics (loan amount, loan term, lender type, region originated) and assistance programs (Beginning Farmer, Interest Assistance) have differing guarantee outcomes. Contemporaneous variables, in particular delinquency status, have a significant impact on guarantee outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

All loans were originated in calendar years 2004 and 2005. Since FO loans may have as long as 40 year terms, results are not as robust for FO loans as for OLs.

Practical implications

Different loan characteristics and macroeconomic conditions significantly influence the occurrence of possible guarantee outcomes and time to the outcomes.

Originality/value

Guaranteed loans are the primary method of government credit assistance to US farm operators. Data on individual borrowers have been difficult to obtain for much of the life of the guaranteed program because loan applications are held privately. This study provides insight on how various factors drive guarantee performance which is useful to policy makers trying to increase guaranteed loan program efficiency.
Does credit market inefficiency affect technology adoption? Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Abdallah Abdul-Hanan
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors affecting the adoption of agricultural technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically the role of credit market inefficiency in adoption of agricultural technologies in the region.

Design/methodology/approach

Most importantly, the paper applies a 2SLS model on a unique data set on nine agrarian countries from Sub-Saharan Africa’s intensification of food crops agriculture (Afrint) to provide evidence on how credit market inefficiency affects adoption of technologies in the sub region.

Findings

The study finds that the relationship between credit and technology adoption is one-way causal relation (i.e. credit access leads to technology adoption) as opposed to a two-way relation (i.e. mutual dependent relation). Further, the results indicate that credit market inefficiency can be a major barrier to the adoption of yield enhancing technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Further, the study showed mixed results for household variables. The results give credence to studies that highlight the importance of infrastructure and risk control in the adoption of new technologies.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to only nine countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, the findings and interpretations should be considered as such. Further, there is the need for further research that considers all the region so as to establish whether or not there is a relationship between credit market inefficiencies and technology adoption in the region.

Practical implications

The policy implication is that microfinance institutions should consider scaling up their credit services to ensure that more households benefit from it, and in so doing technology adoption will be enhanced.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the study lies in its use of a unique data set from Sub-Saharan Africa’s intensification of food crops agriculture (Afrint) to investigation relationship between credit market inefficiency and technology adoption.
A process model framework for Participants area of AACSB standards
Authors: Kundu Goutam Kumar , Bairi Jayachandra
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a process model, focusing on the detailed analysis of the requirement of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) standards related to Participants area, for implementation in a business school setting.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents an articulated procedure for the development of the process model. The study adopted a three-step approach for developing the process model.

Findings

The process model has provided a systemic approach to process design and implementation of AACSB accreditation standards related to Participants area in a business school environment. The process model was developed and applied over the course of systematic reviews in a business school setting.

Research limitations/implications

The present study has developed the process model catering to the requirements of the AACSB standards related to Participants area only. In the near future, the authors intend to develop processes for the remaining areas of AACSB standards.

Originality/value

The present work attempts to develop a process model to meet the requirements of the standards related to Participants area. Academic institutions can benefit from the process model whether they are planning to implement AACSB standards for accreditation or are interested in changing their current processes following AACSB standards.
Succeeding in process standardization
Authors: Rahimi Fatemeh , Møller Charles , Hvam Lars
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the fit between process standardization and international management strategy of multinational corporations (MNCs) by assessing the compatibility between process standardization and corporate structural characteristics in terms of asset configuration and headquarters-subsidiary relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

First, after a literature review on MNCs’ strategy and process standardization, the study suggests two propositions on the fit between corporate international management strategy and process standardization. Second, to empirically examine the propositions, the study investigates the outcome of process standardization in three cases with different strategic and structural contexts. Third, using the propositions and empirical findings, the study proposes a framework for aligning process standardization with MNCs’ structural characteristics.

Findings

Process standardization has a higher degree of fit in MNCs pursuing global integration where process standardization parallels the need for coordinating interdependencies in the functional structure, and is consistent with the headquarters’ operational control over the subsidiaries. Process standardization has a lower degree of fit in MNCs seeking local responsiveness as process standardization disturbs the financial control relationship between the headquarters and subsidiaries and is less crucial for coordination as the subsidiaries contain the necessary coordination mechanisms.

Originality/value

The study provides in-depth understanding of how the international management strategy and consequent structural characteristics of MNCs affects process standardization in the course of a global enterprise resource planning implementation. The study proposes conditions of fit for aligning process standardization with asset configuration and headquarters-subsidiary relationships of an MNC.
Rural household income mobility in the people’s commune period
Authors: Huang Yingwei , Li Jun , Gu Zheng
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the long-term differences in household income and their causes in the people’s commune through a panel of micro-data.

Design/methodology/approach

The income mobility method (including static Gini mobility and dynamic income transition matrix) as well as the multinomial logit model) are employed in this paper.

Findings

Empirical results indicate that differences in household income were relatively low during the people’s commune period. In addition, both Gini mobility and income transition matrix analyses show that income mobility in the long term was faster than that in the short term, suggesting income mobility was beneficial for low-income earners in the long term, i.e., there was an pro-poorness. The major factor influencing household income was the structure of family population, not the quantity of labor input.

Originality/value

This paper is the first using income mobility method to study farmers’ income disparity and conducting factor decomposition on it in the people’s commune period. The micro-data on production team level applied in the paper is of high value, and the paper is helpful to understand the low efficiency of the people’s commune.
Career competencies and job crafting
Authors: Plomp Judith , Tims Maria , Akkermans Jos , Khapova Svetlana N. , Jansen Paul G.W. , Bakker Arnold B.
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to bring together job design and career theory in the examination of how proactive employees optimize their well-being (i.e. job satisfaction and perceived health) through job crafting and career competencies. This study offers an integrated account of the pathway from proactive personality to well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected by a cross-sectional self-report survey study among 574 employees working in various organizations.

Findings

The results of structural equation modeling analyses supported the proposed double mediation model: job crafting and career competencies both mediated the positive relationship between proactive personality and well-being. The findings suggest that proactive employees can enhance their well-being both through proactive job redesign and the development of career-related skills and abilities.

Research limitations/implications

This study precludes causal explanations. Future research should further investigate the role of employee proactivity related to contemporary work topics, including temporary contracts and self-employment.

Practical implications

Managers and HR practitioners can optimize employee well-being by focusing on HR policies related to job redesign, as well as investing in training and development of career competencies.

Originality/value

This paper integrates two research domains by exploring how proactive employees take a proactive stance toward their job as well as their career, and investigates how this proactive approach contributes to their well-being. In addition, the authors demonstrated a link between the development of career competencies and employee health.
Adoption and diffusion of environmental and social standards
Authors: Castka Pavel , Corbett Charles
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The increased focus on sustainability has led firms to incorporate a range of sustainability practices in their products, processes and supply chains. Because these practices are typically difficult to observe, firms often seek an independent verification and adopt voluntary environmental and social standards and eco-labels such as ISO 14000, FSC, USDA Organic or Fairtrade. The purpose of this paper is to study several factors linked to their adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on existing theory, the authors hypothesize that environmental and social standards will be more widely adopted if they are better-governed, less stringent and more favorably covered in the media. The authors collect data on 41 eco-labels from multiple data sources.

Findings

The authors find that the better-governed labels are more widely adopted, but that more stringent labels within the sample are not less widely adopted. More favorable media coverage is not associated with wider adoption.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses on the diffusion of a sample of well-established eco-labels. To establish causal links, longitudinal data on governance, stringency, adoption and media coverage would be needed.

Practical implications

Managers deciding which eco-label to adopt need not be concerned that a more stringent label will inevitably yield less business value due to the label being less widely adopted. However, they should care whether a label is seen to be well-governed. Managers cannot use the way a label is portrayed in the media as a predictor for adoption.

Originality/value

Past research has often ignored how characteristics of environmental and social standards impact their diffusion. The work contributes to the growing literature on diffusion of voluntary standards and eco-labels by adding a quantitative and multi-sectoral perspective.
An on-line compensation method of a metrology-integrated robot system for high-precision assembly
Authors: Jiang Yifan , Huang Xiang , Li Shuanggao
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose an on-line iterative compensation method combining with a feed-forward compensation method to enhance the assembly accuracy of a metrology-integrated robot system (MIRS).

Design/methodology/approach

By the integration of a six degrees of freedom (6DoF) measurement system (T-Mac), the robot’ movement can be tracked with real-time measurement. With the on-line measured data, the proposed iterative compensation for absolute positioning and the feed-forward compensation for relative linear motion are integrated into the assembly process to improve the assembly accuracy.

Findings

It is found that the MIRS exhibits good performance in both accuracy and efficiency with the application of the proposed compensation method. With the proposed assembly process, a component can be automatically aligned to the target in seconds, and the assembly error can be decreased to 0.021 mm for position and 0.008° for orientation on average.

Originality/value

This paper presents a 6DoF MIRS for high-precision assembly. Based on the system, a novel on-line compensation method is proposed to enhance the assembly accuracy. In this paper, the assembly accuracy and the corresponding distance parameter are given by a series of experiments as reference for assembly applications.
Analysis and verification of a miniature dolphin-like underwater glider
Authors: Wu Zhengxing , Yu Junzhi , Yuan Jun , Tan Min
Published: October 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a novel design concept for a biomimetic dolphin-like underwater glider, which can offer the advantages of both robotic dolphins and underwater gliders to achieve high-maneuverability, high-speed and long-distance motions.

Design/methodology/approach

To testify the gliding capability of dolphin-like robot without traditional internal movable masses, the authors first developed a skilled and simple dolphin-like prototype with only gliding capability. The hydrodynamic coefficients, including lift, drag and pitching moment, are obtained through computational fluid dynamics method, and the hydrodynamic analysis in the steady gliding motion is also executed.

Findings

Experimental results have shown that the dolphin-like glider could successfully glide depending on the pitching torques only from buoyancy-driven system and controllable fins without traditional internal moveable masses.

Originality/value

A hybrid underwater glider scheme that combines robotic dolphin and glider is firstly proposed, shedding light on the creation of innovation gliders with maneuverability and durability.
A scan matching simultaneous localization and mapping algorithm based on particle filter
Authors: Xiong Hui , Chen Youping , Li Xiaoping , Chen Bing , Zhang Jun
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a scan matching simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm based on particle filter to generate the grid map online. It mainly focuses on reducing the memory consumption and alleviating the loop closure problem.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed method alleviates the loop closure problem by improving the accuracy of the robot’s pose. First, two improvements were applied to enhance the accuracy of the hill climbing scan matching. Second, a particle filter was used to maintain the diversity of the robot’s pose and then to supply potential seeds to the hill climbing scan matching to ensure that the best match point was the global optimum. The proposed method reduces the memory consumption by maintaining only a single grid map.

Findings

Simulation and experimental results have proved that this method can build a consistent map of a complex environment. Meanwhile, it reduced the memory consumption and alleviates the loop closure problem.

Originality/value

In this paper, a new SLAM algorithm has been proposed. It can reduce the memory consumption and alleviate the loop closure problem without lowering the accuracy of the generated grid map.
Growth in e-commerce boosts innovation in the warehouse robot market
Authors: Bogue Robert
Published: October 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to illustrate how the growth in e-commerce has catalysed innovative developments in robots for use in warehouses.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a brief introduction to e-commerce and warehouse robots, this first paper discusses Amazon’s involvement with robotic technology. It then considers the community of recently founded companies manufacturing warehouse robots, together with details of their products. The paper concludes with a short discussion.

Findings

Amazon pioneered the use of robotics in its e-commerce warehouses with Kiva robots. It acquired the company in 2012, renaming it Amazon Robotics, and withdrew the products from open sale, triggering a boom in development activity to fill the gap in the market. Many companies in the USA, Europe and Asia have since been set up to exploit this opportunity and now manufacture robots for use in fulfilment centres around the world. While several products resemble the Kiva robots, others are more sophisticated and feature capabilities such as shelf picking and autonomous navigation. In the longer term, it is anticipated that functions such as product packing will also be conducted by robots, leading to fully automated fulfilment centres.

Originality/value

This paper discusses the recent and dramatic upsurge in the development of robots for use in warehouses, particularly those serving the rapidly growing e-commerce sector.
Socially responsible global supply chains
Authors: Hemphill Thomas A. , Kelley Keith J.
Published: October 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to address the viability of two recent initiatives proposed to address the important human rights issue of employee and building safety among manufacturers in the global supply chain: the recently proposed “Shared Responsibility Paradigm” now being considered by concerned stakeholders as a new approach to understanding human rights issues across global supply chains and the proposed International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 45001 comprehensive framework for management systems addressing occupational health and safety.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the paper establishes a theoretical foundation for these two initiatives as practical and implementable solutions for this human rights issue and includes a section addressing the results of recent academic research on social responsibility in global supply chains. The paper then provides a detailed description of the shared responsibility paradigm and the ISO 45001 health and safety standard, respectively, followed by a discussion of their viability, policy implications and directions for future research.

Findings

Recent developments pertaining to the implementation of the ISO 45001 standard and the unveiling of the World Economic Forum’s shared responsibility model offer aspirational hope for a multi-stakeholder solution to successfully addressing serious human rights issues related to employee safety in Bangladesh and other least developed countries.

Originality/value

This paper offers an early viability assessment of the two recent initiatives proposed to address the important human rights issue of employee and building safety among manufacturers in the global supply chain: the “Shared Responsibility Paradigm” and the proposed ISO 45001 standard for worker health and safety.
The effect of organizational justice delivery on organizational commitment
Authors: Mensah Henry Kofi , Asiamah Nestor , Mireku Kwame
Published: October 2016

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of organizational justice (OJ) delivery on organizational commitment (OC) while controlling variables that potentially confound this effect. These confound variable includes gender, education and tenure.

Design/methodology/approach

A causal quantitative field research and a cross-sectional research approach are used. A structured questionnaire is used to collect data from 463 randomly sampled employees of 13 commercial banks in Koforidua, Ghana. Structural equation modelling is used to analyze the data.

Findings

The study establishes that a statistically significant effect is made by OJ delivery on OC (p < 0.0001), even after controlling for the effects of gender, education and tenure. The model used also fits the data collected considerably (i.e. χ2 = 0.258; p-value = 0.611). Thus, the relationship between OJ and OC is not confounded by how long the employee has served on the job or by the highest educational level of employees. However, this relationship was significantly confounded by gender on the basis of sharing significant covariance with them.

Originality/value

Even though studies exist generally on OJ and OC, the focus on Ghana and banks in particular have been skeletal and have ended in testing just the relationship without highlighting the role of confounding variables as done in this study. Apart from adding to extant literature, findings will also inform decision-making on strategies and policies to improve OJ and ultimately the employee commitment that comes with.