bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combined structural, biochemical and cellular evidence demonstrates that both FGDF motifs in alphavirus nsP3 are required for efficient replication
Authors: Schulte Tim , Liu Lifeng , Panas Marc D. , Thaa Bastian , Dickson Nicole , Götte Benjamin , Achour Adnane , McInerney Gerald M.
Published: July 2016

Recent findings have highlighted the role of the Old World alphavirus non-structural protein 3 (nsP3) as a host defence modulator that functions by disrupting stress granules, subcellular phase-dense RNA/protein structures formed upon environmental stress. This disruption mechanism was largely explained through nsP3-mediated recruitment of the host G3BP protein via two tandem FGDF motifs. Here, we present the 1.9 Å resolution crystal structure of the NTF2-like domain of G3BP-1 in complex with a 25-residue peptide derived from Semliki Forest virus nsP3 (nsP3-25). The structure reveals a poly-complex of G3BP-1 dimers interconnected through the FGDF motifs in nsP3-25. Although
in vitro
and
in vivo
binding studies revealed a hierarchical interaction of the two FGDF motifs with G3BP-1, viral growth curves clearly demonstrated that two intact FGDF motifs are required for efficient viral replication. Chikungunya virus nsP3 also binds G3BP dimers via a hierarchical interaction, which was found to be critical for viral replication. These results highlight a conserved molecular mechanism in host cell modulation.
Movement of a finite body in channel flow
Authors: Smith Frank T. , Johnson Edward R.
Published: July 2016

A body of finite size is moving freely inside, and interacting with, a channel flow. The description of this unsteady interaction for a comparatively dense thin body moving slowly relative to flow at medium-to-high Reynolds number shows that an inviscid core problem with vorticity determines much, but not all, of the dominant response. It is found that the lift induced on a body of length comparable to the channel width leads to differences in flow direction upstream and downstream on the body scale which are smoothed out axially over a longer viscous length scale; the latter directly affects the change in flow directions. The change is such that in any symmetric incident flow the ratio of slopes is found to be

cos
⁡
(
π

/

7
)

, i.e. approximately 0.900969, independently of Reynolds number, wall shear stresses and velocity profile. The two axial scales determine the evolution of the body and the flow, always yielding instability. This unusual evolution and linear or nonlinear instability mechanism arise outside the conventional range of flow instability and are influenced substantially by the lateral positioning, length and axial velocity of the body.
Predicting the secondary dynamic mode interference phenomenon in thermoacoustic instability control
Authors: Zalluhoglu Umut , Olgac Nejat
Published: July 2016

This paper brings a novel mathematical perspective in assessing the rise of the secondary dynamic modes to prominence during the suppression of thermoacoustic instability. This phenomenon is observed by many earlier investigators; however, without a complete analytical reasoning. We consider a Rijke tube with both a passive Helmholtz resonator and an active feedback control to suppress instabilities. The core dynamics is represented as a linear time-invariant multiple time-delay system of neutral type. Parametric stability of the resulting infinite-dimensional dynamics is investigated using a recent analytical tool: cluster treatment of characteristic roots paradigm. This tool reveals the stability outlook of such systems exhaustively and non-conservatively in the parameter space of the system. First, we examine the stability with and without the Helmholtz resonator. We then select an unstable operation for the resonator-mounted Rijke tube, impose a time-delayed integral feedback control over it and reveal the stabilizing controller parameters using the cluster treatment of characteristic roots methodology. When high control gains are inappropriately selected, the new analytical procedure declares how the secondary dynamic modes of the system exhibit instability although the initially unstable mode is now stabilized. All of these stability assessments are cross-validated using experimental results from a laboratory-scale Rijke tube set-up.
Global defect topology in nematic liquid crystals
Authors: Machon Thomas , Alexander Gareth P.
Published: July 2016

We give the global homotopy classification of nematic textures for a general domain with weak anchoring boundary conditions and arbitrary defect set in terms of twisted cohomology, and give an explicit computation for the case of knotted and linked defects inR3, showing that the distinct homotopy classes have a 1–1 correspondence with the first homology group of the branched double cover, branched over the disclination loops. We show further that the subset of those classes corresponding to elements of order 2 in this group has representatives that are planar and characterize the obstruction for other classes in terms of merons. The planar textures are a feature of the global defect topology that is not reflected in any local characterization. Finally, we describe how the global classification relates to recent experiments on nematic droplets and how elements of order 4 relate to the presence ofτlines in cholesterics.
Commensal associations and benthic habitats shape macroevolution of the bivalve clade Galeommatoidea
Authors: Li Jingchun , Ó Foighil Diarmaid , Strong Ellen E.
Published: July 2016

The great diversity of marine life has been shaped by the interplay between abiotic and biotic factors. Among different biotic interactions, symbiosis is an important yet less studied phenomenon. Here, we tested how symbiotic associations affected marine diversification, using the bivalve superfamily Galeommatoidea as a study system. This superfamily contains large numbers of obligate commensal as well as free-living species and is therefore amenable to comparative approaches. We constructed a global molecular phylogeny of Galeommatoidea and compared macroevolutionary patterns between free-living and commensal lineages. Our analyses inferred that commensalism/sediment-dwelling is likely to be the ancestral condition of Galeommatoidea and that secondary invasions of hard-bottom habitats linked to the loss of commensalism. One major clade containing most of the free-living species exhibits a 2–4 times higher diversification rate than that of the commensals, likely driven by frequent niche partitioning in highly heterogeneous hard-bottom habitats. However, commensal clades show much higher within-clade morphological disparity, likely promoted by their intimate associations with diverse hosts. Our study highlights the importance of interactions between different ecological factors in shaping marine macroevolution and that biotic factors cannot be ignored if we wish to fully understand processes that generate marine biodiversity.
Live Cell Partial Wave Spectroscopic microscopy: Label-free Imaging of the Native, Living Cellular Nano-architecture
Authors: Almassalha L. M. , Bauer G. M. , Chandler J. , Gladstein S. , Cherkezya L. , Stypula-Cyrus Y. , Weinberg S. , Zhang D. , Thusgaard Ruhoff P. , Roy H. , Subramanian H. , Chandel N. , Szleifer I. , Backman V.
Published: July 2016

The organization of chromatin is a regulator of molecular processes including transcription, replication, and DNA repair. The structures within chromatin that regulate these processes span from the nucleosomal (10nm) to the chromosomal (>200nm) levels, with little known about the dynamics of chromatin structure between these scales due to a lack of quantitative imaging technique in live cells. Previous work using Partial Wave Spectroscopic (PWS) microscopy, a quantitative imaging technique with sensitivity to macromolecular organization between 20-200nm, has shown that transformation of chromatin at these length scales is a fundamental event during carcinogenesis. As the dynamics of chromatin likely play a critical regulatory role in cellular function, it is critical to develop live-cell imaging techniques that can probe the real-time temporal behavior of the chromatin nano-architecture. Therefore, we developed a live cell PWS technique which allows high-throughput, label-free study of the causal relationship between nanoscale organization and molecular function in real-time. In this work, we employ live cell PWS to study the change in chromatin structure due to DNA damage and expand on the link between metabolic function and the structure of higher-order chromatin. In particular, we studied the temporal changes to chromatin during UV light exposure, show that live cell DNA binding dyes induce damage to chromatin within seconds, and demonstrate a direct link between higher-order chromatin structure and mitochondrial membrane potential. Since biological function is tightly paired with structure, live cell PWS is a powerful tool to study the nanoscale structure-function relationship in live cells.

Significance Statement

Chromatin is one of the most critical structures within the cell because it houses most genetic information. Its structure is well understood at the nucleosomal (<20nm) and chromosomal (>200nm) levels, however, due to the lack of quantitative imaging modalities to study this organization, little is known about the higher-order structure between these length scales in live cells. We present a label-free technique, live cell Partial Wave Spectroscopic (PWS) microscopy with sensitivity to structures between 20-200nm that can quantify the nano-architecture in live cells. With this technique, we can detect DNA fragmentation and expand on the link between metabolic function and higher-order chromatin structure. Live cell PWS allows high-throughput, label-free study of the causal relationship between nanoscale organization and molecular function in live cells.
Hearing scenes: A neuromagnetic signature of perceived auditory spatial extent
Authors: Teng Santani , Sommer Verena , Pantazis Dimitrios , Oliva Aude
Published: July 2016

Perceiving the geometry of surrounding space is a multisensory process, crucial to contextualizing object perception and guiding navigation behavior. Auditory cues are informative about the shape and extent of large-scale environments: humans can make judgments about surrounding spaces from reverberation cues. However, how the scale of auditory space is represented neurally is unknown. Here, by orthogonally varying the spatial extent and sound source content of auditory scenes during magnetoencephalography (MEG) recording, we report a neural signature of auditory space size perception, starting ~145 ms after stimulus onset. Importantly, this neuromagnetic response is readily dissociable in form and time into representations of the source and its reverberant enclosing space: while the source exhibits an early and transient response, the neural signature of space is sustained and independent of the original source that produced it. Further, the space size response is robust to variations in sound source, and vice versa. The MEG decoding signal was distributed primarily across bilateral temporal sensor locations, significantly correlated with behavioral responses in a separate experiment. Together, our results provide the first neuromagnetic evidence for a robust auditory space size representation in the human brain, sensitive to reverberant decay, and reveal the temporal dynamics of how such a code emerges over time from the transformation of complex naturalistic auditory signals.
Ecosystem Composition Controls the Early Fate of Rare Earth Elements during Incipient Soil Genesis
Authors: Zaharescu Dragos G , Burghelea Carmen I , Dontsova Katerina , Presler Jennifer K , Maier Raina M , Huxman Travis , Domanik Kenneth J , Hunt Edward A , Amistadi Mary K , Gaddis Emily E , Palacios- Menendez Maria A , Vaquera-Ibarra Maria. O , Chorover Jonathan
Published: July 2016

The rare earth elements (REE) are of increasing importance in a variety of science and economic fields, including (bio)geosciences, paleoecology, astrobiology, and mining. Despite their great promise, REE fractionation in early plant-microbe-rock systems has largely remained elusive. We tested the hypothesis that REE mass-partitioning during the incipient weathering of basalt, rhyolite, granite and schist depends on the activity of microbes, plant, and arbuscular mycorrhiza. Pore-water element abundances reflected a rapid transition from abiotic to biotic weathering, the latter associated with lower aqueous loss and higher uptake. Abiotic dissolution contributed 38.6+/-19% to total denudation. Microbes incremented denudation, particularly in rhyolite, this effect associating with decreased bioavailable solid fractions in this rock. Total mobilization (aqueous+uptake) was ten times greater in planted treatments compared to abiotic control, REE masses in plant generally exceeding those in water. Plants of larger biomass further increased solid fractions, consistent with soil genesis. Mycorrhiza had a generally positive effect on total mobilization. The incipient REE weathering was dominated by inorganic dissolution enhanced by biotic respiration, the patterns of denudation largely dictated by mineralogy. A consistent biotic signature was observed in La:phosphate, mobilization:solid fraction in all rocks, as well as in the general pattern of denudation and uptake.
Cis/transgene optimization: systematic discovery of some key gene expression elements integrating bioinformatics and computational biology
Authors: Kadkhodaei Saeid , Golestan Hashemi Farahnaz S. , Akhavan Rezaei Morvarid , Abbasiliasi Sahar , Joo Shun Tan , Rajabi Memari Hamid R. , Moradpour Mahdi , Ariff Arbakariya B.
Published: July 2016

In recombinant protein production, quantity and quality are the major challenges particularly for large scale and high-throughput production systems. The present study mainly focused on computational analysis and in silico systematic discovery of some key functional gene expression elements in microalgae Dunaliella salina as a case study which there is no or poor information in this regard. Among the key factors, we took a shot at matrix attachment regions (MARs), translation initiation sites (TIS), signal peptide (SP) sequences, gene optimization and transformation system. Computational analysis of MARs sequences provided enough information about the structure of these sequences and led us to design an artificial MAR sequence considering the essential motifs and underlain rules. As the consensus TIS, we revealed that A-3, G-6C-5C-4 and G+1C+2G+3 arrange the specific context in this microalgae which help in locating the ribosome at the correct reading frame. Bioinformatics studies unveiled the sequence of MASTRAPLLALLALLCAGSARA with the highest signal score as the specific SP for secretion systems. A multi-criteria optimization procedure was performed to redesign the coding sequence of the BAR selectable marker gene. The optimized version of the gene mainly covered the host codon preference, the less structured mRNA and exposure of TIS. As the intragenic factors, we selected an efficient promoter, a 5ˈ-UTR and an intron from the closely related species (Chlamydomonas Sp.) to construct the specific expression vectors. The expression cassettes containing optimized genetic elements could be delivered into the microalgae cells and conferred the resistance to the transformants for at least 90 generations. The findings indicated that the MARs flanking the expression cassette along with the optimized expression elements particularly codon adaptation could potentially improve transformation efficiency and stability. The findings can be efficiently deployed as an empirical model for systematic discovery of the key expression elements and optimization of the cis/transgenes.
Immunoecology of species with alternative reproductive tactics and strategies
Authors: Lozano George A. , Ros Albert F. H.
Published: July 2016

Alternative reproductive tactics and strategies (ARTS) refer to polymorphic reproductive behaviours in which in addition to the usual two sexes, there are one or more alternative morphs, usually male, that have evolved the ability to circumvent direct intra-sexual competition. Each morph has its own morphological, ecological, developmental, behavioural, life-history, and physiological profile that shifts the balance between reproduction and self-maintenance, one aspect being immunity. Immunoecological work on species with ARTS, which is the topic of this review, is particularly interesting because the alternative morphs make it possible to separate the effects of sex,per se, from other factors that in other species are inextricably linked with sex. We first summarize the evolution, development and maintenance of ARTS. We then review immunoecological hypotheses relevant to species with ARTS, dividing them into physiological, life-history, and ecological hypotheses. In context of these hypotheses, we critically review in detail all immunoecological studies we could find on species with ARTS. Several interesting patterns emerge. Oddly, there is a paucity of studies on insects, despite the many benefits that arise from working with insects: larger sample sizes, simple immune systems, and countless forms of alternative reproductive strategies and tactics. Of all the hypotheses considered, the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis has generated the greatest amount of work, but not necessarily the greatest level of understanding. Unfortunately, it is often used as a general guiding principle rather than a source of explicitly articulated predictions. Other hypotheses are usually considereda posteriori, but it is perhaps time that they take centre stage. Whereas blanket concepts such as “immunocompetence” and “androgens” might useful to develop a rationale, predictions need to be far more explicitly articulated. Integration so far has been a one-way street, with ecologists delving deeper into physiology, seemingly at the cost of ignoring their organisms’ evolutionary history and ecology. One possible useful framework is to divide ecological and evolutionary factors affecting immunity into those that stimulate the immune system, and those that depress it. Finally, the contributions of genomics to ecology are being increasingly recognized, including in species with ARTS, but we must ensure that evolutionary and ecological hypotheses drive the effort, as there is no grandeur in the strict reductionist view of life.
HINGE: Long-Read Assembly Achieves Optimal Repeat Resolution
Authors: Kamath Govinda M. , Shomorony Ilan , Xia Fei , Courtade Thomas A. , Tse David N.
Published: July 2016

Long-read sequencing technologies have the potential to produce gold-standard de novo genome assemblies, but fully exploiting error-prone reads to resolve repeats remains a challenge. Aggressive approaches to repeat resolution often produce mis-assemblies, and conservative approaches lead to unnecessary fragmentation. We present HINGE, an assembler that seeks to achieve optimal repeat resolution by distinguishing repeats that can be resolved given the data from those that cannot. This is accomplished by adding "hinges" to reads for constructing an overlap graph where only unresolvable repeats are merged. As a result, HINGE combines the error resilience of overlap-based assemblers with repeat-resolution capabilities of de Bruijn graph assemblers. HINGE was evaluated on the long-read bacterial datasets from the NCTC project. HINGE produces more finished assemblies than Miniasm and the manual pipeline of NCTC based on the HGAP assembler and Circlator. HINGE also allows us to identify 40 datasets where unresolvable repeats prevent the reliable construction of a unique finished assembly. In these cases, HINGE outputs a visually interpretable assembly graph that encodes all possible finished assemblies consistent with the reads, while other approaches such as the NCTC pipeline and FALCON either fragment the assembly or resolve the ambiguity arbitrarily.
MINOTAUR: A platform for the analysis and visualization of multivariate results from genome scans with R Shiny
Authors: Verity Robert , Collins Caitlin , Card Daren C. , Schaal Sara M. , Wang Liuyang , Lotterhos Katie E.
Published: July 2016

Genome scans are widely used to identify “outliers” in genomic data: loci with different patterns compared with the rest of the genome due to the action of selection or other non-adaptive forces of evolution. These genomic datasets are often high-dimensional, with complex correlation structures among variables, making it a challenge to identify outliers in a robust way. The Mahalanobis distance has been widely used for this purpose, but has the major limitation of assuming that data follow a simple parametric distribution. Here we develop three new metrics that can be used to identify outliers in multivariate space, while making no strong assumptions about the distribution of the data. These metrics are implemented in the R package MINOTAUR, which also includes an interactive web-based application for visualizing outliers in high-dimensional datasets. We illustrate how these metrics can be used to identify outliers from simulated genetic data, and discuss some of the limitations they may face in application.
iDamIDseq and iDEAR: An improved method and a computational pipeline to profile chromatin-binding proteins of developing organisms
Authors: Gutierrez-Triana Jose Arturo , Mateo Juan L. , Ibberson David , Wittbrodt Joachim
Published: July 2016

DNA adenine methyltransferase identification (DamID) has emerged as an alternative for profiling protein-DNA interactions, however critical issues in the method limit its applicability. Here we present iDamlDseq, a protocol that improves specificity and robustness making its use compatible with developing organisms. In addition, we present the analysis tool iDEAR (iDamlDseq Enrichment Analysis with R) to determine protein-DNA interactions genome wide. The combination of both allows establishing highly reliable transcription factor profiles, even in transient assays. For tissue specific expression we improved the Dam coding sequence to overcome predominant aberrant splicing of Dam fusions we discovered with the commonly used sequence.
Constrained release of lamina-associated enhancers and genes from the nuclear envelope during T-cell activation facilitates their association in chromosome compartments
Authors: Robson Michael I. , de las Heras Jose I. , Czapiewski Rafal , Sivakumar Aishwarya , Kerr Alastair R. W. , Schirmer Eric C.
Published: July 2016

The 3D organization of the genome changes concomitantly with expression changes during hematopoiesis and immune activation. However, studies of this phenomenon have focused either on lamina-associated domains (LADs) or on topologically-associated domains (TADs), defined by preferential local chromatin interactions, and chromosome compartments, defined as higher-order interactions between TADs in functionally similar states. However, few studies have investigated how these affect one another. To address this, we mapped LADs using Lamin B1-DamID during Jurkat T-cell activation, finding significant genome re-organization at the nuclear periphery dominated by release of loci frequently important for T-cell function. To assess how these changes at the nuclear periphery influence wider genome organization, our DamID datasets were contrasted with TAD contact domains and compartments identified with high resolution in the GM12878 lymphoblastoid cell line. Features of specific repositioning events were then tested by fluorescencein situhybridization. First, considerable overlap between TAD contact domains and LADs was observed and we found that the TAD repositioned as a unit during T-cell activation. Second, sub-compartments of the A compartment, termed A1 and A2, are segregated in 3D space through differences in proximity to LADs along chromosomes. Third, genes and a putative enhancer that occurred in LADs that were released from the periphery during T-cell activation tended to become associated particularly with A2 sub-compartments and were thus constrained to the relative proximity of the lamina. Thus, lamina-associations clearly influence internal nuclear organization while changes in LADs during T-cell activation may provide an important additional mode of gene regulation.
Host genetic variation in mucosal immunity pathways influences the upper airway microbiome
Authors: Igartua Catherine , Davenport Emily R , Gilad Yoav , Nicolae Dan , Pinto Jayant , Ober Carole
Published: July 2016

The degree to which host genetic variation can modulate microbial communities in humans remains an open question. Here we performed a genetic mapping study of the microbiome in two accessible upper airway sites, the nasopharynx and the nasal vestibule, during two seasons in 144 adult members of a founder population of European decent. We estimated the relative abundances (RAs) of genus level bacteria from 16S rRNA gene sequences and examined associations with 148,653 genetic variants (linkage disequilibrium [LD] r2< 0.5) selected from among all common variants discovered in genome sequences in this population. We identified 37 microbiome quantitative trait loci (mbQTLs) that showed evidence of association with the RAs of 22 genera (q < 0.05), and were enriched for genes in mucosal immunity pathways. The most significant association was between the RA ofDermacoccus(phylum Actinobacteria) and a variant 8kb upstream ofTINCR(rs117042385; p = 1.61⨯10−8; q = 0.002), a long non-coding RNA that binds to peptidoglycan recognition protein 3 (PGLYRP3) mRNA, a gene encoding a known antimicrobial protein. A second association was between a missense variant inPGLYRP4(rs3006458) and the RA of an unclassified genus of family Micrococcaceae (phylum Actinobacteria) (p = 5.10⨯10−7; q = 0.032). Our findings provide evidence of host genetic influences on upper airway microbial composition in humans, and implicate mucosal immunity genes in this relationship.
A comprehensive analysis of 3′ end sequencing data sets reveals novel polyadenylation signals and the repressive role of heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein C on cleavage and polyadenylation
Authors: Gruber Andreas J. , Schmidt Ralf , Gruber Andreas R. , Martin Georges , Ghosh Souvik , Belmadani Manuel , Keller Walter , Zavolan Mihaela
Published: July 2016

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a general mechanism of transcript diversification in mammals, which has been recently linked to proliferative states and cancer. Different 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) isoforms interact with different RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), which modify the stability, translation, and subcellular localization of the corresponding transcripts. Although the heterogeneity of pre-mRNA 3′ end processing has been established with high-throughput approaches, the mechanisms that underlie systematic changes in 3′ UTR lengths remain to be characterized. Through a uniform analysis of a large number of 3′ end sequencing data sets, we have uncovered 18 signals, six of which are novel, whose positioning with respect to pre-mRNA cleavage sites indicates a role in pre-mRNA 3′ end processing in both mouse and human. With 3′ end sequencing we have demonstrated that the heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein C (HNRNPC), which binds the poly(U) motif whose frequency also peaks in the vicinity of polyadenylation (poly(A)) sites, has a genome-wide effect on poly(A) site usage. HNRNPC-regulated 3′ UTRs are enriched in ELAV-like RBP 1 (ELAVL1) binding sites and include those of the CD47 gene, which participate in the recently discovered mechanism of 3′ UTR–dependent protein localization (UDPL). Our study thus establishes an up-to-date, high-confidence catalog of 3′ end processing sites and poly(A) signals, and it uncovers an important role of HNRNPC in regulating 3′ end processing. It further suggests that U-rich elements mediate interactions with multiple RBPs that regulate different stages in a transcript's life cycle.
Rotation of X-ray polarization in the glitches of a silicon crystal monochromator
Authors: Sutter John P. , Boada Roberto , Bowron Daniel T. , Stepanov Sergey A. , Díaz-Moreno Sofía
Published: July 2016

EXAFS studies on dilute samples are usually carried out by collecting the fluorescence yield using a large-area multi-element detector. This method is susceptible to the `glitches' produced by all single-crystal monochromators. Glitches are sharp dips or spikes in the diffracted intensity at specific crystal orientations. If incorrectly compensated, they degrade the spectroscopic data. Normalization of the fluorescence signal by the incident flux alone is sometimes insufficient to compensate for the glitches. Measurements performed at the state-of-the-art wiggler beamline I20-scanning at Diamond Light Source have shown that the glitches alter the spatial distribution of the sample's quasi-elastic X-ray scattering. Because glitches result from additional Bragg reflections, multiple-beam dynamical diffraction theory is necessary to understand their effects. Here, the glitches of the Si(111) four-bounce monochromator of I20-scanning just above the Ni Kedge are associated with their Bragg reflections. A fitting procedure that treats coherent and Compton scattering is developed and applied to a sample of an extremely dilute (100 micromolal) aqueous solution of Ni(NO3)2. The depolarization of the wiggler X-ray beam out of the electron orbit is modeled. The fits achieve good agreement with the sample's quasi-elastic scattering with just a few parameters. The X-ray polarization is rotated up to ±4.3° within the glitches, as predicted by dynamical diffraction. These results will help users normalize EXAFS data at glitches.
Intra-organisational injustice in the construction industry
Authors: Loosemore Martin , Lim Benson Teck-Heng
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– Increasing workforce casualisation, under representation of women and other minority groups, racial discrimination, corruption and poor safety are just some of the documented examples of intra-organisational injustice in the industry. Typically these issues are problematised separately using different theoretical frameworks, yet at the most fundamental behavioural level they have a common cause which lies in the “unjust” treatment of one person by another. The purpose of this paper is to integrate the conceptual understanding of these hitherto separated but conceptually linked problems.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey 135 consultants, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers from across the Australian construction supply chain.

Findings

– Surprisingly despite widespread academic concerns about injustice in the construction industry, there are not significant concerns within the industry community. Contrary to much research about the poor culture of the construction industry, the results indicate that the relatively low levels of perceived injustice are institutional rather than cultural. The research also highlights the plight of middle management, which appear to consistently suffer the highest levels of injustice across all its theoretical categories.

Research limitations/implications

– Sample size and Australian focus.

Practical implications

– Informs organisational policies to reduce injustice in the construction industry.

Social implications

– By reducing injustice, this research will improve the fairness of business practices in the construction industry.

Originality/value

– Application of justice theories to conceptualise unfair construction practices.
Implementing sustainability in small and medium-sized construction firms
Authors: Upstill-Goddard James , Glass Jacqui , Dainty Andrew , Nicholson Ian
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– Construction organisations are becoming increasingly aware of the impacts of their operations, from both an environmental and, more recently, a social viewpoint. Sustainability standards can enable an organisation to evidence a benchmarked level of performance against a particular issue. To date, research on standards has largely focused on the operational and administrative aspects of their enactment, rather than how they might affect – and be appropriated by – organisational actors. The purpose of this paper is to examine how capacity for learning can affect the success of implementing standards within two construction SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

– Taking an organisational learning and absorptive capacity (ACAP) perspective, this research uses the case study approach and abductive logic to understand what role learning plays with regard to sustainability standard implementation.

Findings

– The results reveal that strong communication channels and commitment to training programmes increase the capacity for implementing standards, but that SMEs tend only to approach standards if they see immediate financial benefits stemming from their implementation.

Practical implications

– SMEs provide a challenging context for the implementation of sustainability standards unless there are significant external levers and extrinsic motivation for them to be embraced. Care should be taken in incorporating these aspects into the future design of standards that are more aligned with SME needs.

Social implications

– Stakeholders should seek to apply pressure to firms to positively influence engagement with sustainability standards.

Originality/value

– The role and importance of ACAP is an underdeveloped debate in the certification field. This study is the first that links the process of implementing a standard with the ACAP of an organisation.
Bilateral learning model in construction claim negotiations
Authors: Lu Wenxue , Zhang Lihan , Bai Fan
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– The learning ability on critical bargaining information contributes to accelerating construction claim negotiations in the win-win situation. The purpose of this paper is to study how to apply Zeuthen strategy and Bayesian learning to simulate the dynamic bargaining process of claim negotiations with the consideration of discount factor and risk attitude.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors first adopted certainty equivalent method and curve fitting to build a party’s own curve utility function. Taking the opponent’s bottom line as the learning goal, the authors introduced Bayesian learning to refine former predicted linear utility function of the opponent according to every new counteroffer. Both parties’ utility functions were revised by taking discount factors into consideration. Accordingly, the authors developed a bilateral learning model in construction claim negotiations based on Zeuthen strategy.

Findings

– The consistency of Zeuthen strategy and the Nash bargaining solution model guarantees the effectiveness of the bilateral learning model. Moreover, the illustrative example verifies the feasibility of this model.

Research limitations/implications

– As the authors developed the bilateral learning model by mathematical deduction, scholars are expected to collect empirical cases and compare actual solutions and model solutions in order to modify the model in future studies.

Practical implications

– Negotiators could refer to this model to make offers dynamically, which is favorable for the parties to reach an agreement quickly and to avoid the escalation of claims into disputes.

Originality/value

– The proposed model provides a supplement to the existing studies on dynamic construction claim negotiations.
Competency-based measures for designing out construction waste: task and contextual attributes
Authors: Ajayi Saheed O , Oyedele Lukumon O. , Kadiri Kabir O , Akinade Olugbenga O , Bilal Muhammad , Owolabi Hakeem A , Alaka Hafiz A
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– Competency-based measure is increasingly evident as an effective approach to tailoring training and development for organisational change and development. With design stage widely reckoned as being decisive for construction waste minimisation, the purpose of this paper is to identify designers’ competencies for designing out waste.

Design/methodology/approach

– Due to paucity of research into competency for construction waste mitigation, this study corroborates verbal protocol analyses (VPA) with phenomenological research.

Findings

– Combining findings from the two methodological approaches, competencies for designing out waste are grouped into five categories, three of which are largely task related and two being contextual competencies. The study suggests that design task proficiency, low waste design skills and construction-related knowledge are indispensable task competencies, while behavioural competence and inter-professional collaborative abilities are requisite contextual competencies for designing out waste. In concurrence with task-contextual theory of job performance, personality variables and cognitive abilities are found to influence one another. This suggests that both task and contextual competencies are not only important, they are less mutually exclusive with respect to designing out waste.

Practical implications

– This study implies that apart from commitment and dedication of designers to waste minimisation, design and firm practices are expected to be adapted to the industry’s standard.

Originality/value

– Basis for training needs of design professionals as well as redeployment criterion are further elaborated in the paper. By enhancing competencies identified in this study, construction waste would not only be significantly designed out, adequate cost saving could be made as a result of waste reduction.
Implicit assumptions in high potentials recruitment
Authors: Posthumus Jan , Bozer Gil , Santora Joseph C.
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Professionals of human resources (HR) use different criteria in practice than they verbalize. Thus, the aim of this research was to identify the implicit criteria used for the selection of high-potential employees in recruitment and development settings in the pharmaceutical industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A semi-structured interview guide was developed and used to collect data from 15 European and US recruiters in the pharmaceutical sector. The interview guide included an embedded association test to identify potential differences between implicit assumptions about high potentials and verbalized criteria among participants.

Findings

These include differences and similarities between the criteria to define high potentials and the implicit assumptions HR professionals use in their initial selection of employees who are selected for further assessment and development programmes.

Research limitations/implications

Size of the sample is a limitation. Therefore, the conclusions drawn from this study should be treated with a degree of caution.

Practical implications

Learning how HR professionals use implicit assumptions about potential recruits should inform practitioners about selection, promotion and training strategies. Given the increasing application of automated search algorithms to identify and select high potentials for recruitment, development and promotion purposes, future studies should account for the differences between used and verbalized criteria underlying the development of these systems.

Originality/value

This study shows how the used implicit assumptions of HR professionals about high potentials differ from verbalized statements and guidelines.
Critical review on power in organization: empowerment in human resource development
Authors: Jo Sung Jun , Park Sunyoung
Published: July 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze current practices, discuss empowerment from the theoretical perspectives on power in organizations and suggest an empowerment model based on the type of organizational culture and the role of human resource development (HRD).

Design/methodology/approach

By reviewing the classic viewpoint of power, Lukes’ three-dimensional power and Foucault’s disciplinary power, we discuss power and empowerment in organizational contexts.

Findings

Power in organizations can be conceptualized based on the classic view, Foucault and critical view and Lukes’ three-dimensional power. We found that true employee empowerment is related to the third dimension of power. The role of HRD for empowerment can be categorized into enhancing motivation and commitment in terms of psychological empowerment and bringing real power to employees. The proposed empowerment model assumes that organizational culture influences the dimensions of empowerment and the role of HRD for supporting empowerment.

Practical implications

HRD needs to critically assess the meaning of power in particular contexts (Morrell and Wilkinson, 2002) before planning and implementing specific training and development interventions for performance improvement and/or organization development interventions for innovation.

Originality/value

This study attempts to review, analyze and discuss issues regarding employee empowerment from HRD perspectives. Implications for the roles of HRD and the empowerment model are proposed.
Workplace bullying and workplace deviance
Authors: Peng Yen-Chun , Chen Liang-Ju , Chang Chen-Chieh , Zhuang Wen-Long
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between workplace bullying and workplace deviance. This study also examined the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion and the moderating effect of core self-evaluations (CSE) in the relationship between workplace bullying and workplace deviance.

Design/methodology/approach

– Convenience sampling was used in this study; 262 caregivers at a long-term care institution in Taiwan participated in the study.

Findings

– The results of this study showed that workplace bullying positively and significantly influenced workplace deviance; emotional exhaustion fully mediated the relationship between workplace bullying and deviance; and CSE significantly moderated the relationship between workplace bullying and deviance.

Research limitations/implications

– The self-reporting method and cross-sectional research design adopted in this study might have resulted in common method variance and limited the ability to make causal inferences. This study suggest future studies to obtain measures of predictor and criterion variables from different sources or ensure a temporal, proximal, or psychological separation between predictor and criterion in the collection of data to avoid the common method bias.

Practical implications

– Businesses should establish a friendly work environment and prevent employees from encountering workplace bullying. Next, an unbiased process for internal complaints should be established. Finally, this study suggests recruiting employees with high CSE.

Originality/value

– This study was the first to simultaneously consider the effect of emotional exhaustion (a mediator) and CSE (a moderator) on the relationship between workplace bullying and workplace deviance.
Lasting footprints of the employer brand: can sustainable HRM lead to brand commitment?
Authors: App Stefanie , Büttgen Marion
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether both perceived sustainable organizational and supervisor support, which represent a sustainable human resource management (HRM) approach, can induce commitment to the employer brand.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study includes a diverse sample of 3,016 employees drawn from various German organizations. To test the developed hypotheses, a structural model that included all the hypothesized effects was built, using Mplus 7.

Findings

– Perceived sustainable supervisor support (PSSS) has a direct effect on brand commitment, whereas perceived sustainable organizational support (PSOS) only generates brand commitment indirectly, mediated by brand prestige, brand distinctiveness, and brand trust. The findings further underline that, compared with PSOS, PSSS has a stronger impact on trust in respect of the employer brand.

Originality/value

– By considering current employees and their commitment to the employer brand, this study takes an insider view and sheds new light on how an employer brand based on sustainable HRM can achieve commitment, as well as how several mediators affect this link.
Understanding family firm innovation heterogeneity
Authors: Li Zonghui , Daspit Joshua J.
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– In family business studies, inconsistent findings exist regarding the relationship between family involvement and firm innovation. The purpose of this paper is to understand the heterogeneity of family firm innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors draw on governance literature and the socioemotional wealth (SEW) perspective to examine how the extent of family governance and the type of SEW objectives jointly influence innovation strategies in family firms.

Findings

– The authors develop a typology of family firm innovation strategies, positing that the family firm’s risk orientation, innovation goal, and knowledge diversity vary depending on the degree of family involvement in governance and the type of SEW objective. The authors propose that four family firm innovation strategies (e.g. Limited Innovators, Intended Innovators, Potential Innovators, and Active Innovators) emerge when family involvement in the dominant coalition (high or low) is contrasted with the SEW objective (restricted or extended) pursued by the family.

Practical implications

– Understanding how governance and SEW goals work together to influence the firm’s innovation strategies is potentially valuable for managers of family firms. The authors offer practical suggestions for how to strategically reposition the firm to pursue innovation strategies more in line with those of the Active Innovator.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the family business literature by using a multi-dimensional approach to examine family firm heterogeneity. In addition, by articulating various family firm innovation strategies, the authors offer insight into the previously inconsistent findings concerning firm innovation behavior and outcomes in family business studies.
Chemical Composition and Bioactivities of Two Common Chaenomeles Fruits in China: Chaenomeles speciosa and Chaenomeles sinensis
Authors: Miao Jing , Zhao Chengcheng , Li Xia , Chen Xuetao , Mao Xinhui , Huang Hanhan , Wang Tingting , Gao Wenyuan
Published: July 2016

Contents of total flavonoids, total phenolics, total triterpenes, total condensed tannin and total saponins in peels, flesh and endocarps of Chaenomeles speciosa (CSP) and Chaenomeles sinensis (CSS) were determined by colorimetric method, while 5 phenolics (vanillic, gallic, chlorogenic, ferulic and p‐coumaric acids), 2 triterpenes (oleanolic and ursolic acids), and 3 flavonoids (rutin, catechin and epicatechin) were identified and quantified by high‐performance liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (HPLC‐MS) and HPLC, and antioxidant and α‐glucosidase inhibitory activities of them also were evaluated as well as their digestive characteristics. In the correlation analysis, total phenolics, vanillic acid, catechin, ursolic acid and oleanolic acid all contribute to DPPH· scavenge capacity, gallic acid contributes to total ferric reducing antioxidant power, while total triterpenes, total saponins, chlorogenic acid and ferullic acid contribute to α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity. In the principal component analysis, endocarps of CSP and CSS both show better quality than their peels and flesh, respectively. In vitro digestion can increase contents of total flavonoids, total condensed tannin and total saponins, while contents of total phenolics and total triterpenes decreased greatly. Our study would contribute to the full use of discarded parts of the 2 Chaenomeles and be helpful to establish a good foundation for further research of CSP and CSS.