bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selective axonal translation of prenylated Cdc42 mRNA isoform supports axon growth
Authors: Lee Seung Joon , Kar Amar N. , Zdradzinski Matthew D. , Patel Priyanka , Sahoo Pabitra K. , Kawaguchi Riki , Aguilar Byron J. , Lantz Kelsey D. , McCain Caylee R. , Coppola Giovanni , Lu Qun , Twiss Jeffery L.
Published: July 2018

The small Rho-family GTPase Cdc42 has long been known to have a role in cell motility and axon growth. The eukaryotic CDC42 gene is alternatively spliced to generate mRNAs with two different 3’UTRs that encode proteins with distinct C-termini. The C-termini of these Cdc42 proteins include CAAX and CCAX motifs for post-translational prenylation and palmitoylation, respectively. Palmitoyl-Cdc42 protein was previously shown to contribute to dendrite maturation, while the prenyl-Cdc42 protein contributes to axon specification and its mRNA was detected in neurites. Here, we show that the mRNA encoding prenyl-Cdc42 isoform preferentially localizes into PNS axons and this localization selectively increases in vivo during PNS axon regeneration. Isoform specific siRNA knockdowns, rescue experiments with siRNA-resistant Cdc42 isoforms, and pharmacologically targeting Cdc42 activity indicate that prenyl-Cdc42 promotes axon growth while the palmitoyl-Cdc42 has little growth promoting activity. The growth promotion by prenyl-Cdc42 requires axonal mRNA localization with localized translation and an intact C-terminal CaaX motif for localized prenylation of the encoded protein. Together, these data show that alternative splicing of the CDC42 gene product generates an axon growth promoting locally synthesized prenyl-Cdc42 protein.

SUMMARY STATEMENT

Axon regeneration drives selective localization of alternatively spliced CDC42 isoform to PNS axons.
Reference Repulsion Is Not a Perceptual Illusion
Authors: Fritsche Matthias , de Langea Floris P.
Published: July 2018

Perceptual decisions are often influenced by contextual factors. For instance, when engaged in a visual discrimination task against a reference boundary, subjective reports about the judged stimulus feature are biased away from the boundary – a phenomenon termed reference repulsion. Until recently, this phenomenon has been thought to reflect a perceptual illusion regarding the appearance of the stimulus, but new evidence suggests that it may rather reflect a post-perceptual decision bias. To shed light on this issue, we examined whether and how orientation judgments affect perceptual appearance. In a first experiment, we confirmed that after judging a grating stimulus against a discrimination boundary, the subsequent reproduction response was indeed repelled from the boundary. To investigate the perceptual nature of this bias, in a second experiment we measured the perceived orientation of the grating stimulus more directly, in comparison to a reference stimulus visible at the same time. Although we did observe a small repulsive bias away from the boundary, this bias was explained by random trial-by-trial fluctuations in sensory representations together with classical stimulus adaptation effects and did not reflect a systematic bias due to the discrimination judgment. Overall, the current study indicates that discrimination judgments do not elicit a perceptual illusion and points towards a post-perceptual locus of reference repulsion.
ROCK1/Drp1-mediated aberrant mitochondrial fission is crucial for dopaminergic nerve cell apoptosis
Authors: Zhang Qian , Hu Changpeng , Huang Jingbin , Liu Wuyi , Lai Wenjing , Leng Faning , Tang Qin , Liu Yali , Wang Qing , Zhou Min , Sheng Fangfang , Li Guobing , Zhang Rong
Published: July 2018

Dopamine deficiency caused by apoptosis of the dopaminergic nerve cells in the midbrain substantia nigra is the main pathological basis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent research has shown that dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1)-mediated aberrant mitochondrial fission plays an important role in dopaminergic nerve cell apoptosis. However, the upstream regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Our study shows that knockdown of Drp1 blocked aberrant mitochondrial fission and dopaminergic nerve cell apoptosis. Importantly, we found that ROCK1 was activated in an MPP+-induced PD cell model and that ROCK1 knockdown and the specific ROCK1 activation inhibitor Y-27632 blocked Drp1-mediated aberrant mitochondrial fission and apoptosis of dopaminergic nerve cell through suppression of Drp1 dephosphorylation/activation. Ourin vivostudy confirmed that Y-27632 significantly improved symptoms of a PD mouse model through inhibition of Drp1-mediated aberrant mitochondrial fission and apoptosis of dopaminergic nerve cell. Collectively, Our study suggests an important molecular mechanism of PD pathogenesis involving ROCK1-regulated dopaminergic nerve cell apoptosis via activation of Drp1-induced aberrant mitochondrial fission.
Neural structure mapping in human probabilistic reward learning
Authors: Luyckx F. , Nili H. , Spitzer B. , Summerfield C.
Published: July 2018

Humans can learn abstract concepts that describe invariances over relational patterns in data. One such concept, known as magnitude, allows stimuli to be compactly represented by a single dimension (i.e. on a mental line), for example according to their cardinality, size or value. Here, we measured representations of magnitude in humans by recording neural signals whilst they viewed symbolic numbers. During a subsequent reward-guided learning task, the neural patterns elicited by novel complex visual images reflected their pay-out probability in a way that suggested they were encoded onto the same mental number line. Our findings suggest that in humans, learning about values is accompanied by structural alignment of value representations with neural codes for the concept of magnitude.
Shared Song Detector Neurons in Drosophila Male and Female Brains Drive Sex-Specific Behaviors
Authors: Deutsch David , Clemens Jan , Thiberge Stephan Y. , Guan Georgia , Murthy Mala
Published: July 2018

Males and females often produce distinct responses to the same sensory stimuli. How such differences arise – at the level of sensory processing or in the circuits that generate behavior – remains largely unresolved across sensory modalities. We address this issue in the acoustic communication system of Drosophila. During courtship, males generate time-varying songs, and each sex responds with specific behaviors. We characterize male and female behavioral tuning for all aspects of song, and show that feature tuning is similar between sexes, suggesting sex-shared song detectors drive divergent behaviors. We then identify higher-order neurons in the Drosophila brain, called pC2, that are tuned for multiple temporal aspects of one mode of the male’s song, and drive sex-specific behaviors. We thus uncover neurons that are specifically tuned to an acoustic communication signal and that reside at the sensory-motor interface, flexibly linking auditory perception with sex-specific behavioral responses.
The autism-associated gene Scn2a plays an essential role in synaptic stability and learning
Authors: Spratt Perry WE , Ben-Shalom Roy , Keeshen Caroline M , Burke Kenneth J , Clarkson Rebecca L , Sanders Stephan J , Bender Kevin J
Published: July 2018

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is strongly associated with de novo gene mutations. One of the most commonly affected genes is SCN2A. ASD-associated SCN2A mutations impair the encoded protein NaV1.2, a sodium channel important for action potential initiation and propagation in developing excitatory cortical neurons. The link between an axonal sodium channel and ASD, a disorder typically attributed to synaptic or transcriptional dysfunction, is unclear. Here, we show NaV1.2 is unexpectedly critical for dendritic excitability and synaptic function in mature pyramidal neurons, in addition to regulating early developmental axonal excitability. NaV1.2 loss reduced action potential backpropagation into dendrites, impairing synaptic plasticity and synaptic stability, even when NaV1.2 expression was disrupted late in development. Furthermore, we identified behavioral impairments in learning and sociability, paralleling observations in children with SCN2A loss. These results reveal a novel dendritic function for NaV1.2, providing insight into cellular mechanisms likely underlying circuit and behavioral dysfunction in ASD.
Socially regulated estrogen in an eavesdropping brood parasite
Authors: Lynch Kathleen S. , Azieva Gulnoza , Pellicano Anthony
Published: July 2018

Social regulation of reproductive hormones is a means by which conspecific males and females orchestrate successful reproductive efforts. There is variation, however, in the range of social cues that will initiate a hormone response in the receiver of social signals. We investigate whether social cues modify activity within the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and the specificity of this response in a social parasite that is known to eavesdrop on the communication signals of other species: the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater). Brown-headed cowbirds are obligate brood parasites that do not build nests or care for their own young. Instead, obligate brood parasites always leave their eggs in the nest of a host species thereby receiving the benefits of parental care toward offspring without paying any of the costs. Thus, social parasites must coordinate their breeding attempts with conspecifics as well as potential heterospecific hosts and therefore, social parasites such as cowbirds rely on the communication signals of host species to help locate nests to parasitize during the breeding season. Here, we explore whether the vocal signals of potential host species can also be used as a social cue that modifies the HPG axis of female brown-headed cowbirds. Results reveal that both conspecific and heterospecific song-exposed females exhibit significantly greater circulating estradiol concentrations as compared to silence-exposed females. While conspecific song induces the greatest elevation in circulating estradiol, there is no significant difference in circulating estradiol levels in females exposed to either conspecific or heterospecific songs. This pattern suggests both song types are effective at evoking a reproductive physiological response. On the other hand, circulating progesterone concentrations did not differ among the song- and silence-exposed groups nor did the size of the female’s ovarian follicles. These results indicate that heterospecific vocal communication signals can effectively be used as a social cue that simultaneously provides necessary information regarding breeding status of hosts and modifies breeding condition of the eavesdropper.

Highlights

Brood parasites may coordinate reproductive attempts with potential hosts.

Therefore, parasites eavesdrop on other species, which helps them find nests.

Vocal signals from conspecific and heterospecifics elevate estrogen in parasites.

Hearing potential host songs may enhance reproductive hormones in brood parasites.
IMPACT: Genomic annotation of cell-state-specific regulatory elements inferred from the epigenome of bound transcription factors
Authors: Amariuta Tiffany , Luo Yang , Gazal Steven , Davenport Emma E. , van de Geijn Bryce , Westra Harm-Jan , Teslovich Nikola , Okada Yukinori , Yamamoto Kazuhiko ,   RACI consortium,   GARNET consortium, Price Alkes , Raychaudhuri Soumya
Published: July 2018

Despite significant progress in annotating the genome with experimental methods, much of the regulatory noncoding genome remains poorly defined. Here we assert that regulatory elements may be characterized by leveraging local epigenomic signatures at sites where specific transcription factors (TFs) are bound. To link these two identifying features, we introduce IMPACT, a genome annotation strategy which identifies regulatory elements defined by cell-state-specific TF binding profiles, learned from 515 chromatin and sequence annotations. We validate IMPACT using multiple compelling applications. First, IMPACT predicts TF motif binding with high accuracy (average AUC 0.92, s.e. 0.03; across 8 TFs), a significant improvement (all p<6.9e-15) over intersecting motifs with open chromatin (average AUC 0.66, s.e. 0.11). Second, an IMPACT annotation trained on RNA polymerase II is more enriched for peripheral blood cis-eQTL variation (N=3,754) than sequence based annotations, such as promoters and regions around the TSS, (permutation p<1e-3, 25% average increase in enrichment). Third, integration with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) summary statistics from European (N=38,242) and East Asian (N=22,515) populations revealed that the top 5% of CD4+ Treg IMPACT regulatory elements capture 85.7% (s.e. 19.4%) of RA h2 (p<1.6e-5) and that the top 9.8% of Treg IMPACT regulatory elements, consisting of all SNPs with a non-zero annotation value, capture 97.3% (s.e. 18.2%) of RA h2 (p<7.6e-7), the most comprehensive explanation for RA h2 to date. In comparison, the average RA h2 captured by compared CD4+ T histone marks is 42.3% and by CD4+ T specifically expressed gene sets is 36.4%. Finally, integration with RA fine-mapping data (N=27,345) revealed a significant enrichment (2.87, p<8.6e-3) of putatively causal variants across 20 RA associated loci in the top 1% of CD4+ Treg IMPACT regulatory regions. Overall, we find that IMPACT generalizes well to other cell types in identifying complex trait associated regulatory elements.
Crystal structure of a seven-coordinate manganese(II) complex with tris(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amine (TMPA)
Authors: Frey Steven T. , Ramirez Hillary A. , Kaur Manpreet , Jasinski Jerry P.
Published: July 2018

Structural analysis of (acetato-κ2
O,O′)(methanol-κO)[tris(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amine-κ4
N,N′,N′′,N′′′]manganese(II) tetraphenylborate, [Mn(C2H3O2)(C18H18N4)(CH3OH)](C24H20B) or [Mn(TMPA)(Ac)(CH3OH)]BPh4 [TMPA = tris(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amine, Ac = acetate, BPh4 = tetraphenylborate] by single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals a complex cation with tetradentate coordination of the tripodal TMPA ligand, bidentate coordination of the Ac ligand and monodentate coordination of the methanol ligand to a single MnII center, balanced in charge by the presence of a tetraphenylborate anion. The MnII complex has a distorted pentagonal–bipyramidal geometry, in which the central amine nitrogen and two pyridyl N atoms of the TMPA ligand, and two oxygen atoms of the acetate ligand occupy positions in the pentagonal plane, while the third pyridyl nitrogen of TMPA and the oxygen from the methanol ligand occupy the axial positions. Within the complex, the acetate O atoms participate in weak C—H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions with neighboring pyridyl moieties. In the crystal, complexes form dimers by pairs of O—H...O hydrogen bonds between the coordinated methanol of one complex and an acetate oxygen of the other, and weak π-stacking interactions between pyridine rings. Separate dimers then undergo additional π-stacking interactions between the pyridine rings of one moiety and either the pyridine or phenyl rings of another moiety that further stabilize the crystal.
Empathy, closeness, and distance in non-profit accountability
Authors: Costa Ericka , Pesci Caterina , Andreaus Michele , Taufer Emanuele
Published: July 2018

Purpose

Drawing on the phenomenological concepts of “empathy” and “communal emotions” developed by Edith Stein (1917, 1922), the purpose of this paper is to discuss the co-existence both of the legitimacy and accountability perspectives in voluntarily delivered social and environmental reporting (SER), based on different “levels of empathy” towards different stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts an interpretive research design, drawn from Stein’s concept of empathy by using a mixed-method approach. A manual content analysis was performed on 393 cooperative banks’ (CB) social and environmental reports from 2005 to 2013 in Italy, and 14 semi-structured interviews.

Findings

The results show that CBs voluntarily disclose information in different ways to different stakeholders. According to Stein, the phenomenological concept of empathy, and its understanding within institutions, allows us to interpret these multiple perspectives within a single social and environmental report. Therefore, when the process of acquiring knowledge in the CB–stakeholder relationship is complete and mentalised (level 3, re-enactive empathy), the SER holds high informative power, consistent with the accountability perspective; on the contrary, when this process is peripheral and perceptional (level 1, basic empathy), the SER tends to provide more self-assessment information, attempting to portray the bank in a positive light, which is consistent with the legitimacy perspective.

Originality/value

The concept of empathy introduced in this paper can assist in interpreting the interactions between an organisation and different stakeholders within the same social and environmental report. Moreover, the approach adopted in this paper considers different stakeholders simultaneously, thus responding to previous concerns regarding the lack of focus on multiple stakeholders.
Does FDI moderate the role of public R&D in accelerating agricultural production in Africa?
Authors: Adom Philip Kofi , Djahini-Afawoubo Dosse Mawussi , Mustapha Saidi Atanda , Fankem Stephane Gandjon , Rifkatu Nghargbu
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The agriculture sector in Africa is a major employer, but production levels have fallen short of demand. To match future demand, public investment in research and development (R&D) is required. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how foreign direct investments (FDIs) moderate the effects of public R&D on Africa’s agricultural production.

Design/methodology/approach

This study estimates an unbalanced panel fixed effect model that consists of 28 African countries covering the period 1980–2014.

Findings

Public R&D increases production in the agriculture sector, however, the effects reverse after ten years. Though FDIs have direct positive effects on production, indirectly, it reduces the productivity potential of public R&D due to the possible dependency syndrome associated with FDIs. Traditional inputs like land, capital, and labour and good political institutions positively drive production, but adverse changes in the weather reduce production.

Practical implications

There should be a frequent update of R&D and improvement in maintenance culture. FDIs should be seen as complementary efforts, and not as substitute efforts to domestic investment efforts in R&D.

Originality/value

Insufficient domestic investment has increased the dependence on FDIs. In this regard, FDIs effect on production could be tricky since it increases the volatility in agricultural R&D. This paper contributes to the literature by examining how FDIs moderate the effects of public R&D on output.
Examining the impact of organizational culture on trust and career satisfaction in the UAE public sector
Authors: Jabeen Fauzia , Isakovic Adrienne A.
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of organizational culture on trust in top management and career satisfaction. The concept of culture was split into four types: “clan,” “adhocracy,” “hierarchy” and “market.”

Design/methodology/approach

A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 128 mid-level managers in ten public sector organizations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The questionnaire included demographic questions and three established scales to measure culture type, trust in top management and career satisfaction. Correlation and regression analysis were used to examine relationships between variables.

Findings

Respondents from “clan” and “adhocracy”-type organizations tended to have more trust in top managers than those from other culture types. Respondents from “clan”-type organizations also had greater career satisfaction. Only a clan-type organizational culture significantly predicted career satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on a small number of mid-level managers working in ten public sector organizations. This limits the generalizability of the results. Future studies should examine both public and private sector organizations operating in various industries across the UAE, to increase the generalizability of the findings. The study results will assist organizational policy makers who wish to transform their organizational culture to one that will increase the career satisfaction of managerial staff and their trust in senior managers.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature on organizational culture, particularly on the relationship between trust and career satisfaction in the public sector in the UAE.
Preparation, mechanical and anti-friction properties of Al/Si/serpentine composites
Authors: Wu Junwei , Wang Xiao , Zhou Luhai , Wei Xicheng , Wang Wurong
Published: July 2018

Purpose

Serpentine is usually added into the lubricant oil to form a self-repairing protective layer on worn ferrous surface. But few works have paid close attention to the preparation of composites with the addition of serpentine. In this work, serpentine reinforced Al matrix composites were successfully prepared to be industrial lubrication components. And its fabricating parameters, compressive strength and tribological properties were analyzed.

Design/methodology/approach

An MM-W1 three-pin-on-disk apparatus was used to investigate the tribological properties. The worn surface, microstructure and cross-sectional morphologies were characterized by scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy. The compression test was carried out on a universal testing machine. An X-ray diffractometer was used to investigate the phase constitutions. The decomposition temperature of serpentine powders was investigated by a thermal analyzer, which allows simultaneous differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry. With the help of finite element method model, a diagrammatic model of the self-repairing surface layer was developed to analyze the anti-friction mechanism.

Findings

Through evaluating density and Brinell hardness, sintering at 560°C for 3 h are the appropriate parameters for fabricating the composites. Compressive strength was increased by the addition of serpentine. A self-repairing surface layer was formed, reducing the friction coefficient. And a diagrammatic model of the self-repairing surface layer was developed to analyze the anti-friction mechanism.

Originality/value

Serpentine was added in fabricating the Al matrix composites for the first time. Sintering parameters were optimized to make better Al/Si/serpentine composites. Compressive strength was increased by the addition of serpentine. A self-repairing surface layer was formed, reducing the friction coefficient under the dry sliding condition. And a diagrammatic model of the self-repairing surface layer was developed to analyze the anti-friction mechanism. It is hoped to be helpful in further confirming the factors for the formation of the self-repairing surface layer, and in designing a new industrial anti-friction composite used for dry sliding conditions.
Agent-based modeling and simulation of the decision behaviors of e-retailers
Authors: Jiang Guoyin , Liu Shan , Liu Wenping , Xu Yan
Published: July 2018

Purpose

Social media facilitates consumer exchanges on product opinions and provides comprehensive knowledge of online products. The interaction between consumers and e-retailers evolves into a collective set of dynamics within a complex system. Agent-based modeling is well suited to stimulate such complex systems. The purpose of this paper is to integrate agent-based model and technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to simulate decision behaviors of e-retailers in competitive online markets.

Design/methodology/approach

An agent-based network model using the TOPSIS driven by actual price data is developed. The authors ran an experimental model to simulate interactions between online consumers and e-retailers and to record simulation data. A nonparametric test is used to conduct data analysis and evaluate the sensibility of parameters.

Findings

Simulation results showed that different profits could be obtained for various brands under different social network structures. E-retailers could achieve more profits through cross-selling than single-selling; however, the highest profits can be achieved when some adopt cross-selling, whereas others use single-selling. From a game perspective, the equilibrium for price-adjustment frequency can be determined from the simulation data. Thus, price adjustment differences significantly affect e-retailer profit.

Originality/value

This study provides new insights into the evolutionary dynamics of online markets. This work also indicates how to build an integrated simulation model with an agent-based model and TOPSIS and how to use an integrated simulation model and interpret its results.
Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
Authors: Plianbangchang Samlee
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The WHO Health for All goal of the year 2000 was unreachable due to a number of irreconcilable factors. However, governments agree that a resolution must be found to effectively cope with increasing health care costs. Furthermore, national health insurance schemes must be properly refined to suit local situations. Workable health policies and strategies for caring and treating sick people through reduced or cost effective methods must be developed as part of a Universal Health Coverage scheme. A review of progress made toward achieving the WHO goal of health for all. The purpose of this paper is to explore the government’s role and responsibilities to educate and support society to achieve optimum health.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a commentary piece.

Findings

Participation and involvement of all people of all walks of life in the development and management of their nation’s health care programs is an important requisite of good health for all. This should include financial participation and co-payment into the national health insurance scheme. Furthermore, national health care systems should involve or include the traditional/local and alternative systems of medicine in the most appropriate manner. Health care has to encompass the total range of comprehensive health interventions, inclusive of at least preventive, curative and rehabilitative care.

Originality/value

This paper provides a review of the current health system constraints and assesses the effectiveness of available options by way of ensuring that a country-specific UHC system may be successfully implemented.
Printing spare parts through additive manufacturing: legal and digital business challenges
Authors: Ballardini Rosa Maria , Flores Ituarte Iñigo , Pei Eujin
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the technology, business and intellectual property issues surrounding the production of spare parts through additive manufacturing (AM) from a digital source. It aims to identify challenges to the growth of the AM spares market and propose suitable solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins with a systematic literature review and theoretical analysis. This is followed by case study research through semi-structured interviews, forming the basis of a triangulated, cross-case analysis of empirical data.

Findings

The paper identifies several obstacles to the development of the AM-produced digital spares market. The manufacturing industry will soon be forced to re-think AM as a real manufacturing alternative. Short-term, AM technology has implications for the production of components for legacy systems for which tooling facilities no longer exist. Long-term, AM will be used to produce a wide range of components especially when product and/or service functionality can be increased. To enable companies to navigate current uncertainties in the patent framework (especially the “repair vs make” doctrine), new intellectual property rights strategies could be developed around patenting both complex devices and their individual components, and seeking patent protection for CAD files. Further harmonization of the EU legal framework, the interpretation of claims and the scope of protection offered in the context of spare parts, will also be important.

Originality/value

This study pinpoints key issues that need to be addressed within the European AM business environment and the patent system and proposes recommendations for business and legal frameworks to promote the growth of a stable European digital spare parts market.
Changing academic work places: the introduction of open-plan offices in universities
Authors: Van Marrewijk Alfons , Van den Ende Leonore
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relation between the spatial intervention of open-plan offices in a university, the consequential change in work practices of faculty members and how these practices appropriate the designed space.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors executed a two-year longitudinal ethnographic study following the case of the science faculty, which moved from a traditional office setting to open-plan offices. The authors studied the space and interviewed staff before, during and after the introduction of open-plan offices.

Findings

Findings show that the new spatial setting triggered staff members to attribute certain meanings and practices of adaptation which were, partly, unintended by the design of the open-plan offices.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contributes empirically grounded insights into the (un)intended consequences of a spatial intervention in terms of how staff members, far from being passive, attribute meaning and alter their work practices leading to unprecedented organizational changes.

Practical implications

For change consultants, facility managers and university managers the outcomes of this paper are highly relevant.

Social implications

Large budgets are spent on new office concepts at universities but the authors do know little about the relation between spatial (re)design and organizational change.

Originality/value

The introduction of new office concepts, spatial redesign and co-location is for many academics highly emotional.
Critical success factors for open innovation implementation
Authors: Subtil de Oliveira Lindomar , Echeveste Márcia Elisa , Cortimiglia Marcelo Nogueira
Published: July 2018

Purpose

A comprehensive understanding about open innovation implementation is still lacking. In particular, a compilation of drivers and barriers for OI implementation is absent from the literature. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to identify critical success factors (CSFs) for OI implementation at the firm level.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review was conducted in order to identify CSFs for OI implementation in previously published literature. A total of 2,894 papers were identified, 156 of which were subjected to full independent analysis by the three authors. The following aspects were considered: research strategy, approach (empirical or theoretical) and objectives; theoretical background; methodological procedures; main results; and contributions to the literature. If the paper reported empirical research that included a description of actual OI implementation, additional aspects were analyzed: industry or sector of application; firm characteristics; success of OI implementation and OI tools and techniques reported.

Findings

A synthetizing framework with six thematic categories of CSFs was proposed: leadership, internal innovation capability, network and relationships, strategy, technology management, and culture. A total of 22 CSFs for OI implementation were identified within these categories.

Originality/value

The proposed framework is an attempt to systematically generate a comprehensive list of factors that impact OI implementation. As such, it can support the theoretical development of OI-related capabilities, and serve as basis for future research that investigates operationalization and measurement of such capabilities.
Expert problem solving practice in commercial property valuation: an exploratory study
Authors: Amidu Abdul-Rasheed , Boyd David
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the core dimensions of problem solving of experts in commercial valuation in order to provide a rich stimulus for managing current practice and enabling future development.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a cognitive position but emphasised understanding the everyday commercial property valuation practice in a naturalistic context and from the participants’ perspectives. Given this, a grounded theory approach was employed as a research strategy to guide the data collection and surface theoretical interpretations. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews with practicing valuers working in private real estate firms within metropolitan Birmingham, UK.

Findings

The interviews uncover four dimensions of experts’ problem-solving practice in commercial valuation: multidimensional, domain-specific knowledge base; cognitive process that is centred on analysis and reflection; collaborative problem-solving venture with colleagues; and professional practice issues awareness. A conceptual model is proposed which integrates these dimensions enabling a clearer understanding of the nature of valuation work.

Research limitations/implications

This study was designed to be descriptive and theory generating, thus, the findings cannot be generalised as the sample was confined to one city and consists of a small number of senior practicing valuers. Therefore, the findings may not be fully applicable to other practicing valuers, other geographical locations or more widely to other types of property valuation. Nevertheless, the findings provide an important cognitive framework which can be verified by other researchers seeking to examine the practice of expert valuers.

Practical implications

The identification of the core dimensions of expert problem solving in commercial property valuation is shown to have implications for valuation practice, education and continued research. The valuation practice environments need to develop mechanisms to provide time that would enable these multi-dimensions of professional competence to be developed. Further work is needed to expand and refine the model across expert practice in other specialty areas of valuation practice.

Originality/value

This study expands the current understanding of valuation process to areas of expertise that have received less coverage in behavioural valuation literature, that is, the central role of knowledge and cognition and how these are integrated for effective valuation problem solving and decision making.
Research and technology development in Southeast Asian economies are drifting away from agriculture and farmers’ needs
Authors: Lakitan Benyamin
Published: July 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to raise awareness on current shifting of R&D activities from agricultural-based Agriculture and agriculture-related Natural Sciences (ANS) to industrial-based Engineering, Computer, and Industry-related Sciences (ECI) in Southeast Asian (SEA) economies. This trend might cause stiffer challenges on effort to sustain food security in the region.

Design/methodology/approach

Five SEA countries were selected, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. R&D data were collected over the years 2001-2014. Collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics and correlation.

Findings

Malaysia has been in the process of shifting from ANS to ECI cluster, whereas Vietnam and Indonesia followed the trend but about a decade behind; meanwhile, the Philippines and Thailand kept their focus on ANS clusters. Within the ANS cluster, Malaysia and Thailand leaned towards Modern Biosciences and Modelling (MBM) sub-clusters. The Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia were more focused on Agriculture and Conventional Biosciences (ACB) sub-cluster. ACB is more relevant and affordable to smallholder farmers. Shifting of R&D priority correlated with GDP per capita of SEA countries. Within ANS cluster, R&D activity in MBM increased but ACB decreased as GDP per capita increased.

Research limitations/implications

Data used in this study were limited to accessible 2001-2014 data in five selected SEA economies. Therefore, there is an open possibility for future research on extended timeline using more sophisticated data analysis.

Practical implications

Agricultural technology development should be relevant to needs of and affordable to smallholder farmers, as they are the primary food producers in developing economies.

Social implications

If the R&D activities continue to drift away from farmer’s needs, there will be a possible drawback of widening gap between developed agricultural technologies and absorptive capacity of smallholder farmers. Government institutions should revisit their R&D priority as the current trend could cause a serious obstacle in maintaining food security in the SEA region.

Originality/value

This frontier study provides an early warning for government in SEA economies and other developing countries for balancing between R&D for supporting smallholder farmers in food production and for enhancing national economic growth.
End-customer value restructuring the financial service supply chain
Authors: Komulainen Hanna , Saraniemi Saila , Ulkuniemi Pauliina , Ylilehto Marianne
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the customer value experience conveys the restructuring of the service network in the banking industry. The banking sector has often been one of the early adopters of IT in terms of connecting their services and customers. While developing digital services, however, banks are also concerned that they are losing contact with their customers. At the same time, fast developing technologies enable new companies to enter the industry to offer their services. As a result, the service supply chains in the banking industry appear to be restructured.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical data were collected by using a qualitative method of focus groups and interviews with end-users of banking services.

Findings

According to findings, customers value a holistic approach to the services, and such a holistic value cannot necessarily be provided by a single banking service provider because the ecosystem around such services is becoming more complex.

Practical implications

Service supply chains need to be restructured based on the end-customer value experience.

Originality/value

This study contributes to value research and especially to the discussion in service experiences by addressing some of the disruptions happening at the industry level. The paper shows that the focus should be on customer value because banks should understand that their services are not enough for the customers—they are only seen as banks, not as providers of the holistic value that is required from the customer’s point of view.
Logistic service quality as a mediator between logistics capabilities and customer satisfaction
Authors: Fernandes Daniel Winter , Moori Roberto Giro , Filho Valdir Antonio Vitorino
Published: July 2018

Purpose

A way that companies have found to respond to the challenges of customer satisfaction (CS) is the development logistics services quality. In this sense, the purpose of this paper is to estimate the quality of logistical service as a mediator factor in the relationship between logistics capabilities (LC) and CS. For this, an exploratory survey of the descriptive type was carried out with 117 companies in the Brazilian market of lubricant oil. The collected data, modeled in structural equations, have shown evidence that the quality of logistics services totally mediates the relation between the LC and the satisfaction of clients.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to respond to the research problem and to meet the stated objective, a study was carried out in two phases. The first used an exploratory qualitative design, and involved recorded in-depth interviews with five clients and five managers of a lubricant oil producer located in the municipality of Umuarama and nearby areas in Paraná state, Brazil. The second used an exploratory survey of the descriptive type was carried out with 117 companies in the Brazilian market of lubricant oil.

Findings

The collected data, modeled in structural equations, have shown evidence that the quality of logistics services totally mediates the relation between the LC and the satisfaction of clients.

Research limitations/implications

It is suggested that new studies be conducted in order to increase the size of the sample, since the number of responses obtained (117 respondents), for the number of initial variables (34 measures).

Practical implications

In the pursuit of CS, the managers of lubricant oil producers should make major investments in LC, to enable the company to be active in the search for logistics solutions, integration and provision of reliable information to its customers.

Social implications

The studies should also be carried out in other market segments, in order to compare the results obtained in the lubricating oil segment of Brazil and corroborate knowledge about the influence of logistical capabilities on the relation between logistics service quality and CS.

Originality/value

The logistics services quality perceived by the customers is derived from the service capacity of the producer’s employees and the quality of information provided to the customers.
The emergence of Agile people management
Authors: Denning Stephen
Published: July 2018

Purpose

As senior executives increasingly explore Agile management in their operations they are discovering that their practices in managing people also require transformation.

Design/methodology/approach

The article, with an attached case, explores how some leading companies are radically changing their HR practices to prioritize fostering talent that adds customer value and champion the work experience of their talent. The article explains why transformation will involve, not merely HR process improvements, but a fundamentally different kind of management. It offers a case to illustrate new approaches.

Findings

At a time when talent is in such high demand, you must allow—and even encourage—people to have their say if you hope to attract the very best in your field. So, the successful deployment of talent is now largely a matter of creating an environment where the interests, ambitions and innovations of people constantly shape the strategy and future of the company.

Practical implications

Instead of strategy gurus telling talent what to do, now talent needs to play a central role in strategy formulation. Imagine a company divided into some two hundred customer-facing units, each with its own pay scale and work methods, each so talent-driven that employees are given the right to fire their unit leader?

Originality/value

The shift from a strategy-led company to a talent-first company requires fundamental changes in the way CEOs understand the very concept of management—it’s the beginning of a new age.
Intranasal ovalbumin immunotherapy with mycobacterial adjuvant promotes regulatory T cell accumulation in lung tissues
Authors: Akkoç Tunç , Genç Deniz , Zibandeh Noushin , Akkoç Tolga
Published: July 2018

Allergen‐specific immunotherapy to induce T regulatory cells in the periphery has been used to treat allergic diseases. Mycobacteria can be used as an adjuvant for inducing T regulatory cells. However, it is unclear whether intranasal immunotherapy in combination with Mycobacteria adjuvant induces regulatory T cell differentiation and attenuates allergic responses in vivo. To investigate the role of intranasal ovalbumin (OVA) treatment alone and in combination with Mycobacteria vaccae, proportions of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells and anti‐inflammatory responses were evaluated in a murine model of asthma that was established in three groups of bicistronic Foxp3EGFP reporter BALB/c mice. Before establishment of the asthma model, two groups of mice received intranasal OVA immunotherapy and one also received simultaneous s.c. M. vaccae. Expression of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+EGFP+ T cells in the lung and spleen was analyzed by flow cytometry and the cytokine profiles of allergen‐stimulated lung and spleen lymphocytes assessed. The intranasal OVA immunotherapy group showed greater expression of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+EGFP+ T cells in the spleen whereas in the group that also received M. vaccae such greater expression was demonstrated in the lung. Additionally, the proportion of IL‐10 and IFN‐γ‐secreting splenocytes was greater in the intranasal OVA + M. vaccae group. CD25 neutralization decreased CD4+Foxp3+ cells more than other groups. In parallel with this finding, production of IL‐10 and IFN‐γ was down‐regulated. Mucosal administration of OVA antigen results in a greater proportion of CD4+Foxp3+ T cells in the spleen. IL‐10 and IFN‐γ induced by intranasal OVA immunotherapy and M. vaccae administration is down‐regulated after CD25 neutralization.
Asparaginase‐like protein 1 expression in curettage independently predicts lymph node metastasis in endometrial carcinoma: a multicentre study
Authors: Fonnes T , Trovik J , Edqvist P‐HD , Fasmer KE , Marcickiewicz J , Tingulstad S , Staff AC , Bjørge L , Amant F , Haldorsen IS , Werner HMJ , Akslen LA , Tangen IL , Krakstad C
Published: July 2018

Objective

Correct preoperative identification of high‐risk patients is important to optimise surgical treatment and improve survival. We wanted to explore if asparaginase‐like protein 1 (ASRGL1) expression in curettage could predict lymph node metastases and poor outcome, potentially improving preoperative risk stratification.

Design

Multicentre study.

Setting

Ten hospitals in Norway, Sweden and Belgium.

Population

Women diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma.

Methods

ASRGL1 expression in curettage specimens from 1144 women was determined by immunohistochemistry.

Main outcome measures

ASRGL1 status related to disease‐specific survival, lymph node status, preoperative imaging parameters and clinicopathological data.

Results

ASRGL1 expression had independent prognostic value in multivariate survival analyses, both in the whole patient population (hazard ratio (HR) 1.63, 95% CI 1.11–2.37, P = 0.012) and in the low‐risk curettage histology subgroup (HR 2.54, 95% CI 1.44–4.47, P = 0.001). Lymph node metastases were more frequent in women with low expression of ASRGL1 compared with women with high ASRGL1 levels (23% versus 10%, P < 0.001), and low ASRGL1 level was found to independently predict lymph node metastases (odds ratio 2.07, 95% CI 1.27–3.38, P = 0.003).

Conclusions

Low expression of ASRGL1 in curettage independently predicts lymph node metastases and poor disease‐specific survival.

Tweetable abstract

Low ASRGL1 expression in curettage predicts lymph node metastasis and poor survival in endometrial carcinoma.
Detection of Tooth‐Colored Restorative Materials for Forensic Purposes Based on Their Optical Properties: An In Vitro Comparative Study
Authors: Kiran Ramya , Chapman James , Tennant Marc , Forrest Alexander , Walsh Laurence J.
Published: July 2018

Victim identification using dental records involves antemortem and postmortem comparison of dental charts. Since dental restorations may be part of such records, identifying them accurately is critical. The objective of this study was to compare the diagnostic reliability and validity of two optical methods for identifying tooth‐colored restorations (digital imaging fiber optic transillumination (DiFOTI) using near infrared light, and fluorescence‐aided identification of restorations (FAIR)) with conventional diagnostic methods. Four examiners identified and charted tooth‐colored restorations in three sets of typodonts on the bench using conventional visual and tactile examination, DiFOTI (DIAGNOcam™) and FAIR. All examinations were repeated after 4 weeks. Both the sensitivity (95%) and specificity (97%) of the FAIR method were significantly higher than those for DiFOTI (82% and 82%) and for conventional inspection (71% and 82%). In conclusion, FAIR method performed better than conventional examination and DiFOTI, and was more reliable for identifying tooth‐colored restorations.