bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Michael J. D. Powell. 29 July 1936—19 April 2015
Authors: Buhmann M. D. , Fletcher R. , Iserles A. , Toint P.
Published: February 2018

Michael James David Powell was a British numerical analyst who was among the pioneers of computational mathematics. During a long and distinguished career, first at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) Harwell and subsequently as the John Humphrey Plummer Professor of Applied Numerical Analysis in Cambridge, he contributed decisively towards establishing optimization theory as an effective tool of scientific enquiry, replete with highly effective methods and mathematical sophistication. He also made crucial contributions to approximation theory, in particular to the theory of spline functions and of radial basis functions. In a subject that roughly divides into practical designers of algorithms and theoreticians who seek to underpin algorithms with solid mathematical foundations, Mike Powell refused to follow this dichotomy. His achievements span the entire range from difficult and intricate convergence proofs to the design of algorithms and production of software. He was among the leaders of a subject area that is at the nexus of mathematical enquiry and applications throughout science and engineering.
Transition by head-on collision: mechanically mediated manoeuvres in cockroaches and small robots
Authors: Jayaram Kaushik , Mongeau Jean-Michel , Mohapatra Anand , Birkmeyer Paul , Fearing Ronald S. , Full Robert J.
Published: February 2018

Exceptional performance is often considered to be elegant and free of ‘errors’ or missteps. During the most extreme escape behaviours, neural control can approach or exceed its operating limits in response time and bandwidth. Here we show that small, rapid running cockroaches with robust exoskeletons select head-on collisions with obstacles to maintain the fastest escape speeds possible to transition up a vertical wall. Instead of avoidance, animals use their passive body shape and compliance to negotiate challenging environments. Cockroaches running at over 1 m or 50 body lengths per second transition from the floor to a vertical wall within 75 ms by using their head like an automobile bumper, mechanically mediating the manoeuvre. Inspired by the animal's behaviour, we demonstrate a passive, high-speed, mechanically mediated vertical transitions with a small, palm-sized legged robot. By creating a collision model for animal and human materials, we suggest a size dependence favouring mechanical mediation below 1 kg that we term the ‘Haldane limit’. Relying on the mechanical control offered by soft exoskeletons represents a paradigm shift for understanding the control of small animals and the next generation of running, climbing and flying robots where the use of the body can off-load the demand for rapid sensing and actuation.
Quantitative modelling of nutrient-limited growth of bacterial colonies in microfluidic cultivation
Authors: Hornung Raphael , Grünberger Alexander , Westerwalbesloh Christoph , Kohlheyer Dietrich , Gompper Gerhard , Elgeti Jens
Published: February 2018

Nutrient gradients and limitations play a pivotal role in the life of all microbes, both in their natural habitat as well as in artificial, microfluidic systems. Spatial concentration gradients of nutrients in densely packed cell configurations may locally affect the bacterial growth leading to heterogeneous micropopulations. A detailed understanding and quantitative modelling of cellular behaviour under nutrient limitations is thus highly desirable. We use microfluidic cultivations to investigate growth and microbial behaviour of the model organism
Corynebacterium glutamicum
under well-controlled conditions. With a reaction–diffusion-type model, parameters are extracted from steady-state experiments with a one-dimensional nutrient gradient. Subsequently, we employ particle-based simulations with these parameters to predict the dynamical growth of a colony in two dimensions. Comparing the results of those simulations with microfluidic experiments yields excellent agreement. Our modelling approach lays the foundation for a better understanding of dynamic microbial growth processes, both in nature and in applied biotechnology.
Both lipopolysaccharide and lipoteichoic acids potently induce anomalous fibrin amyloid formation: assessment with novel Amytracker™ stains
Authors: Pretorius Etheresia , Page Martin J. , Hendricks Lisa , Nkosi Nondumiso B. , Benson Sven R. , Kell Douglas B.
Published: February 2018

In recent work, we discovered that the presence of highly substoichiometric amounts (10−8molar ratio) of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria caused fibrinogen clotting to lead to the formation of an amyloid form of fibrin. We here show that the broadly equivalent lipoteichoic acids (LTAs) from two species of Gram-positive bacteria have similarly (if not more) potent effects. Using thioflavin T fluorescence to detect amyloid as before, the addition of low concentrations of free ferric ion is found to have similar effects. Luminescent conjugated oligothiophene dyes (LCOs), marketed under the trade name Amytracker™, also stain classical amyloid structures. We here show that they too give very large fluorescence enhancements when clotting is initiated in the presence of the four amyloidogens (LPS, ferric ions and two LTA types). The staining patterns differ significantly as a function of both the amyloidogens and the dyes used to assess them, indicating clearly that the nature of the clots formed is different. This is also the case when clotting is measured viscometrically using thromboelastography. Overall, the data provide further evidence for an important role of bacterial cell wall products in the various coagulopathies that are observable in chronic, inflammatory diseases. The assays may have potential in both diagnostics and therapeutics.
Stress matters: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial on the effects of a multispecies probiotic on neurocognition
Authors: S. Papalini , F. Michels , N. Kohn , J. Wegman , S. van Hemert , K. Roelofs , A. Arias-Vasquez , E. Aarts
Published: February 2018

Probiotics are microorganisms that can provide health benefits when consumed. Recent animal studies have demonstrated that probiotics can reverse gut microbiome-related alterations in anxiety and depression-like symptoms, in hormonal responses to stress, and in cognition. However, in humans, the effects of probiotics on neurocognition remain poorly understood and a causal understanding of the gut-brain link in emotion and cognition is lacking. We aimed to fill this gap by studying the effects of a probiotics intervention versus placebo on neurocognition in healthy human volunteers.

We set out to investigate the effects of a multispecies probiotic (Ecologic®Barrier) on specific neurocognitive measures of emotion reactivity, emotion regulation, and cognitive control using fMRI. Critically, we also tested whether the use of probiotics can buffer against the detrimental effects of acute stress on working memory. In a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, between-subjects intervention study, 58 healthy participants were tested twice, once before and once after 28 days of intervention with probiotics or placebo.

Probiotics versus placebo did not affect emotion reactivity, emotion regulation, and cognitive control processes at brain or behavioral level, neither related self-report measures. However, relative to the placebo group, the probiotics group did show a significant stress-related increase in working memory performance after versus before supplementation (digit span backward, p=0.039, ηp2=.07). Interestingly, this change was associated with intervention-related neural changes in frontal cortex during cognitive control in the probiotics group, but not in the placebo group. Overall, our results show that neurocognitive effects of supplementation with a multispecies probiotic in healthy women become visible under challenging (stress) situations. Probiotics buffered against the detrimental effects of stress in terms of cognition, especially in those individuals with probiotics-induced changes in frontal brain regions during cognitive control.

Highlights

We ran a randomized placebo-controlled fMRI study with a multispecies probiotic

Probiotics did not affect neurocognitive measures of emotion and cognitive control

Probiotics did affect stress-related working memory and neural correlates

Probiotics in healthy individuals can support cognition under stress
Genotyping-by-sequencing supports a genetic basis for alpine wing-reduction in a New Zealand stonefly
Authors: Veale Andrew J. , Foster Brodie J. , Dearden Peter K. , Waters Jonathan M.
Published: February 2018

Wing polymorphism is a prominent feature of numerous insect groups, but the genomic basis for this diversity remains poorly understood. Wing reduction is a commonly observed trait in many species of stoneflies, particularly in cold or alpine environments. The widespread New Zealand stoneflyZelandoperla fenestrataspecies group (Z. fenestrata, Z. tillyardi, Z. pennulata) contains populations ranging from long-winged (macropterous) to vestigial-winged (micropterous), with the latter phenotype typically associated with high altitudes. The presence of flightless forms on numerous mountain ranges, separated by lowland fully winged populations, suggests wing reduction has occurred multiple times. We use Genotyping by Sequencing (GBS) to test for genetic differentiation between fully winged (n=62) and vestigial-winged (n=34) individuals, sampled from a sympatric population of distinct wing morphotypes, to test for a genetic basis for wing morphology. We found no population genetic differentiation between these two morphotypes across 6,843 SNP loci, however we did detect several outlier loci that strongly differentiated morphotypes across independent tests. This indicates small regions of the genome are likely to be highly differentiated between morphotypes, indicating a genetic basis for morphotype differentiation. These results provide a clear basis for ongoing genomic analysis to elucidate critical regulatory pathways for wing development in Pterygota.
HLA-B*39:06 Efficiently Mediates Type 1 Diabetes in a Mouse Model Incorporating Reduced Thymic Insulin Expression1
Authors: Schloss Jennifer , Ali Riyasat , Racine Jeremy J. , Chapman Harold D. , Serreze David V. , DiLorenzo Teresa P.
Published: February 2018

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized by T cell-mediated destruction of the insulin-producing βcells of the pancreatic islets. Among the loci associated with T1D risk, those most predisposing are found in the MHC region. HLA-B*39:06 is the most predisposing class I MHC allele and is associated with an early age of onset. To establish an NOD mouse model for the study of HLA-B*39:06, we expressed it in the absence of murine class I MHC. HLA-B*39:06 was able to mediate the development of CD8 T cells, support lymphocytic infiltration of the islets, and confer T1D susceptibility. Because reduced thymic insulin expression is associated with increased T1D risk in patients, we incorporated this in our model as well, finding that HLA-B*39:06-transgenic NOD mice with reduced thymic insulin expression have an earlier age of disease onset and a higher overall prevalence as compared to littermates with typical thymic insulin expression. This was despite virtually indistinguishable blood insulin levels, T cell subset percentages, and TCR Vβ family usage, indicating that reduced thymic insulin expression does not impact T cell development on a global scale. Rather, we propose that it allows the thymic escape of insulin-reactive HLA-B*39:06-restricted T cells which participate in β cell destruction. We also found that in mice expressing either HLA-B*39:06 or HLA-A*02:01 in the absence of murine class I MHC, HLA transgene identity alters TCR Vβ usage, which may contribute to varying diabetogenic CD8 T cell repertoires in the presence of different HLA class I alleles.
Reducing fluctuations in species composition facilitates artificial selection of microbial community function
Authors: Xie Li , Shou Wenying
Published: February 2018

Multi-species microbial communities often display functions - biochemical activities unattainable by member species alone, such as fighting pathogens. To improve community function, we can artificially select communities by growing “Newborn” communities over “maturation time” into “Adult” communities, and selecting highest-functioning Adults to “reproduce” by diluting each into multiple Newborns of the next cycle. Community selection has been attempted a few times on complex communities, often generating mixed results that are difficult to interpret. Here, we ask how costly community function may be improved via mutations and community selection. We simulate selection of two-species communities where Helpers digest Waste and generate Byproduct essential to Manufacturers; Manufacturers divert a fraction of their growth to make Product. Community function, the total Product in an “Adult”, is sub-optimal even when both species have been pre-optimized as monocultures. If we dilute an Adult into Newborns by pipetting (a common experimental procedure), stochastic fluctuations in Newborn composition prevents community function from improving. Reducing fluctuations via cell sorting allows selection to work. Our conclusions hold regardless of whether H and M are commensal or mutualistic, or variations in model assumptions.
Evidence for an Integrated Gene Repression Mechanism Based on mRNA Isoform Toggling in Human Cells
Authors: Hollerer Ina , Barker Juliet C. , Jorgensen Victoria , Tresenrider Amy , Dugast-Darzacq Claire , Chan Leon Y. , Darzacq Xavier , Tjian Robert , Ünal Elçin , Brar Gloria A.
Published: February 2018

We recently described an unconventional mode of gene regulation in budding yeast by which transcriptional and translational interference were used in an integrated manner to down-regulate protein expression. Developmentally timed transcriptional interference inhibited production of a well translated mRNA isoform and resulted in the production of an mRNA isoform containing inhibitory upstream open reading frames (uORFs) that blocked translation of the ORF. Transcriptional interference and uORF-based translational repression are established mechanisms outside of yeast, but whether this type of integrated regulation was conserved was unknown. Here we find that, indeed, a similar type of regulation occurs at the locus for the human oncogene MDM2. We observe evidence of transcriptional interference between the two MDM2 promoters, which produce a poorly translated distal promoter-derived uORF-containing mRNA isoform and a well-translated proximal promoter-derived transcript. Down-regulation of distal promoter activity markedly up-regulates proximal promoter-driven expression and results in local reduction of histone H3K36 trimethylation. Moreover, we observe that this transcript toggling between the two MDM2 isoforms naturally occurs during human embryonic stem cell differentiation programs.
The universally-conserved transcription factor RfaH is recruited to a hairpin structure of the non-template DNA strand
Authors: Zuber Philipp K. , Artsimovitch Irina , NandyMazumdar Monali , Liu Zhaokun , Nedialkov Yuri , Schweimer Kristian , Rösch Paul , Knauer Stefan H.
Published: February 2018

RfaH, a transcription regulator of the universally conserved NusG/Spt5 family, utilizes a unique mode of recruitment to elongating RNA polymerase to activate virulence genes. RfaH function depends critically on an ops sequence, an exemplar of a consensus pause, in the non-template DNA strand of the transcription bubble. We used structural and functional analyses to elucidate the role of ops in RfaH recruitment. Our results demonstrate that ops induces pausing to facilitate RfaH binding and establishes direct contacts with RfaH. Strikingly, the non-template DNA forms a hairpin in the RfaH: ops complex structure, flipping out a conserved T residue that is specifically recognized by RfaH. Molecular modeling and genetic evidence support the notion that ops hairpin is required for RfaH recruitment. We argue that both the sequence and the structure of the non-template strand are read out by transcription factors, expanding the repertoire of transcriptional regulators in all domains of life.
Mef-2 and p300 interact to regulate expression of the homeostatic regulator Pumilio inDrosophila
Authors: Lin Wei-Hsiang , Baines Richard A.
Published: February 2018

Abstract (174 words)

Pumilio (Pum) is a key component of neuron firing-rate homeostasis that maintains stability of neural circuit activity. Whilst Pum is ubiquitously expressed, we understand little about how synaptic excitation regulates its expression. Here, we characterised theDrosophila dpumpromoter and identified multiple Myocyte enhancer factor-2 (Mef2)-binding elements. To understand the transactivation capability of dMef2, we cloned 12dmef2splice variants and used a luciferase-based assay to monitordpumpromoter activity. Whilst all 12 dMef2 splice variants enhancedpumpromoter activity, exon 10-containing variants induce greater transactivation. Previous work shows dPum expression increases with synaptic excitation. However, we observe no change indmef2transcript in CNS exposed to picrotoxin (PTX). The lack of activity-dependence is indicative of additional regulation. We identified p300 as a likely candidate. We show that by binding to dMef2, p300 repressesdpumtransactivation. Significantly,p300transcript is down-regulated by enhanced synaptic excitation (PTX) which, in turn, increases transcription ofdpumthrough derepression of dMef2. These results suggest the activity-dependent expression ofdpumis regulated by an interaction between p300 and dMef2.
The impact on authors and editors of introducing Data Availability Statements at Nature journals
Authors: Grant Rebecca , Hrynaszkiewicz Iain
Published: February 2018

This paper describes the adoption of a standard policy for the inclusion of data availability statements in all research articles published at the Nature family of journals, and the subsequent research which assessed the impacts that these policies had on authors, editors, and the availability of datasets. The key findings of this research project include the determination of average and median times required to add a data availability statement to an article; and a correlation between the way researchers make their data available, and the time required to add a data availability statement. This paper will be presented at the International Digital Curation Conference 2018, and has been submitted to the International Journal of Digital curation.
MethCP: Differentially Methylated Region Detection with Change Point Models
Authors: Gong Boying , Purdom Elizabeth
Published: February 2018

Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) provides a precise measure of methylation across the genome, yet presents a challenge in identifying regions that are differentially methylated (DMRs) between different conditions. A number of methods have been proposed which mainly focusing on the setting of two-group comparison. We develop a DMR detecting method MethCP for WGBS data, which is applicable for a wide range of experimental designs beyond the two-group comparisons, such as time-course data. MethCP identifies DMRs based on change point detection, which naturally segments the genome and provides region-level differential analysis. For simple two-group comparison, we show that our method outperforms developed methods in accurately detecting the complete DM region on a simulated dataset and an Arabidopsis dataset. Moreover, we show that MethCP is capable of detecting wide regions with small effect sizes, which can be common in some settings but existing techniques are poor in detecting such DMRs. We also demonstrate the use of MethCP for time-course data on another dataset following methylation throughout seed germination in Arabidopsis.
Dispersal limitation and thermodynamic constraints govern spatial structure of permafrost microbial communities
Authors: Bottos Eric M. , Kennedy David W. , Romero Elvira B. , Fansler Sarah J. , Brown Joseph M. , Bramer Lisa M. , Chu Rosalie K. , Tfaily Malak M. , Jansson Janet K. , Stegen James C.
Published: February 2018

Understanding drivers of permafrost microbial community composition is critical for understanding permafrost microbiology and predicting ecosystem responses to thaw, however studies describing ecological controls on these communities are lacking. We hypothesize that permafrost communities are uniquely shaped by constraints imposed by prolonged freezing, and decoupled from factors that influence non-permafrost soil communities. To test this hypothesis, we characterized patterns of environmental variation and microbial community composition in permafrost across an Alaskan boreal forest landscape. We used null modeling to estimate the relative importance of selective and neutral assembly processes on community composition, and identified environmental factors influencing ecological selection through regression and structural equation modeling (SEM). Proportionally, the strongest process influencing community composition was dispersal limitation (0.36), exceeding the influence of homogenous selection (0.21), variable selection (0.16), and homogenizing dispersal (0.05). Fe(II) content was the most important factor explaining variable selection, and was significantly associated with total selection by univariate regression (R2=0.14, p=0.003). SEM supported a model in which Fe(II) content mediated influences of the Gibbs free energy of the organic matter pool and organic acid concentration on total selection. These findings reveal that the processes shaping microbial communities in permafrost are distinct from those in non-permafrost soils, as the stability of the permafrost environment imposes dispersal and thermodynamic constraints on permafrost communities. Models of permafrost community composition will need to account for these unique drivers in order to predict community characteristics across permafrost landscapes, and in efforts to understand how pre-thaw conditions will influence post-thaw ecological and biogeochemical processes.
Layer-specific integration of locomotion and concurrent wall touching in mouse barrel cortex
Authors: Ayaz Asli , Stäuble Andreas , Saleem Aman B , Helmchen Fritjof
Published: February 2018

During navigation rodents continually sample the environment with their whiskers. How locomotion modulates neuronal activity in somatosensory cortex and how self-motion is integrated with whisker touch remains unclear. Here, we used calcium imaging in mice running in a tactile virtual reality to investigate modulation of neurons in layer 2/3 (L2/3) and L5 of barrel cortex. About a third of neurons in both layers increased activity during running and concomitant whisking, in the absence of touch. Fewer neurons were modulated by whisking alone (<10%). Whereas L5 neurons responded transiently to wall-touching during running, L2/3 neurons showed sustained activity after touch onset. Consistently, neurons encoding running-with-touch were more abundant in L2/3 compared to L5. Few neurons across layers were also sensitive to abrupt perturbations of tactile flow. We propose that L5 neurons mainly report changes in touch conditions whereas L2/3 neurons continually monitor ongoing tactile stimuli during running.
Transcriptional Activation of Elephant Shark Mineralocorticoid Receptor by Corticosteroids, Progesterone and Spironolactone
Authors: Katsu Yoshinao , Kohno Satomi , Oka Kaori , Lin Xiaozhi , Otake Sumika , Pillai Nisha E. , Takagi Wataru , Hyodo Susumu , Venkatesh Byrappa , Baker Michael E.
Published: February 2018

We report the analysis of activation of full-length mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) from elephant shark, a cartilaginous fish belonging to the oldest group of jawed vertebrates by corticosteroids and progesterone. Based on their measured activities, aldosterone, cortisol, 11-deoxycorticosterone, corticosterone, 11-deoxcortisol, progesterone and 19-norprogesterone are potential physiological mineralocorticoids. However, aldosterone, the physiological mineralocorticoid in humans and other terrestrial vertebrates, is not found in cartilaginous or ray-finned fishes. Although progesterone activates ray-finned fish MRs, progesterone does not activate human, amphibian or alligator MRs, suggesting that during the transition to terrestrial vertebrates, progesterone lost the ability to activate the MR. Both elephant shark MR and human MR are expressed in the brain, heart, ovary, testis and other non-epithelial tissues, indicating that MR expression in diverse tissues evolved in the common ancestor of jawed vertebrates. Our data suggest that progesterone-activated MR may have unappreciated functions in elephant shark ovary and testis.
Widespread and precise reprogramming of yeast protein–genome interactions in response to heat shock
Authors: Vinayachandran Vinesh , Reja Rohit , Rossi Matthew J. , Park Bongsoo , Rieber Lila , Mittal Chitvan , Mahony Shaun , Pugh B. Franklin
Published: February 2018

Gene expression is controlled by a variety of proteins that interact with the genome. Their precise organization and mechanism of action at every promoter remains to be worked out. To better understand the physical interplay among genome-interacting proteins, we examined the temporal binding of a functionally diverse subset of these proteins: nucleosomes (H3), H2AZ (Htz1), SWR (Swr1), RSC (Rsc1, Rsc3, Rsc58, Rsc6, Rsc9, Sth1), SAGA (Spt3, Spt7, Ubp8, Sgf11), Hsf1, TFIID (Spt15/TBP and Taf1), TFIIB (Sua7), TFIIH (Ssl2), FACT (Spt16), Pol II (Rpb3), and Pol II carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) phosphorylation at serines 2, 5, and 7. They were examined under normal and acute heat shock conditions, using the ultrahigh resolution genome-wide ChIP-exo assay in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Our findings reveal a precise positional organization of proteins bound at most genes, some of which rapidly reorganize within minutes of heat shock. This includes more precise positional transitions of Pol II CTD phosphorylation along the 5′ ends of genes than previously seen. Reorganization upon heat shock includes colocalization of SAGA with promoter-bound Hsf1, a change in RSC subunit enrichment from gene bodies to promoters, and Pol II accumulation within promoter/+1 nucleosome regions. Most of these events are widespread and not necessarily coupled to changes in gene expression. Together, these findings reveal protein–genome interactions that are robustly reprogrammed in precise and uniform ways far beyond what is elicited by changes in gene expression.
Microbubbles containing gadolinium as contrast agents for both phase contrast and magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Tang Rongbiao , Yan Fuhua , Yang Guo-Yuan , Chen Ke-Min
Published: February 2018

Portal vein imaging is an important method for investigating portal venous disorders. However, the diagnostic requirements are not usually satisfied when using single imaging techniques. Diagnostic accuracy can be improved by combining different imaging techniques. Contrast agents that can be used for combined imaging modalities are needed. In this study, the feasibility of using microbubbles containing gadolinium (MCG) as contrast agents for both phase contrast imaging (PCI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are investigated. MCG were made by encapsulating sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas with gadolinium and lyophilized powder. Absorption contrast imaging (ACI) and PCI of MCG were performed and comparedin vitro. MCG were injected into the main portal trunk of living rats. PCI and MRI were performed at 2 min and 10 min after MCG injection, respectively. PCI exploited the differences in the refractive index and visibly showed the MCG, which were not detectable by ACI. PCI could facilitate clear revelation of the MCG-infused portal veins. The diameter of the portal veins could be determined by the largest MCG in the same portal vein. The minimum diameter of clearly detected portal veins was about 300 µm by MRI. These results indicate that MCG could enhance both PCI and MRI for imaging portal veins. The detection sensitivity of PCI and MRI could compensate for each other when using MCG contrast agents for animals.
Exploring the construct of task performance of academics in an Asian context
Authors: Kiyani Asif Ayub , Ayupp Kartinah , Rasool Shahid
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the latent factorial structure of task performance and to establish its construct validity among academics working at private universities in Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a cross-sectional research design, purposive sampling and quota sampling were used to allocate a sample of 347 academics from 21 private universities in the Punjab/Islamabad Capital Territory of Pakistan. SPSS 20 and SmartPLS 2.0 software were used to perform exploratory factor and partial least squares analyses on the data.

Findings

The presence of two new constructs – student development performance and knowledge development performance – in the task performance of academics was confirmed in the private higher education industry in Pakistan.

Research limitations/implications

This research has extended the theory of task performance of academics conceptually based on the articulated and validated emergence of student development performance and knowledge development performance as two separate constructs.

Practical implications

This research extends the theory of academics’ task performance conceptually, based on the articulation and validation of student development performance and knowledge development performance as two separate constructs. Moreover, the emergence of these two distinct constructs has practical implications in the education industry among Asian and western managers and employees.

Social implications

A two-factor solution that best fits the data has emerged from the researchers’ observations. This contributes to the taxonomy of research in the domain of academics’ task performance in the private higher education industry in Pakistan.

Originality/value

This study seeks to systematically and practically explore, for the first time, task performance within the context of Pakistan’s private higher education industry. From the data analysis, the researchers were able to identify, establish and label two new latent constructs in academics’ task performance.
Fertility, female labor participation and income in East Asia
Authors: Nakagaki Yoko
Published: February 2018

Purpose

This study aims to apply two recently discovered relationships that describe fertility recovery in developed countries to East Asia: the U-shaped relationship between fertility and FLP (female labor participation) and the inverse-J-shaped relationship between fertility and income.

Design/methodology/approach

It uses a panel data set of 176 countries including 13 East Asian countries from 1990 to 2014. Pooled ordinary least squares, fixed-effects and random-effects models are tested.

Findings

The main findings are the following points concerning East Asia: The U-shape and the inverse-J-shape are confirmed, suggesting that fertility recovery could be realized if both FLP and income are high enough and increasing; in the region, the U-shape is peculiar. Lower-income countries’ data move from the upper-right to the bottom, whereas higher-income countries’ data move from the upper-left to the bottom; no country in the region has reached the stage where both FLP and income are high enough.

Originality/value

This is the first paper on East Asia to show the U-shape and the inverse-J-shape concerning fertility recovery and the peculiarity of the U-shape in East Asia. It explains the background of low fertility using the relationship between fertility, FLP and income.
Assistive technologies for aged care
Authors: Vichitvanichphong Suchada , Talaei-Khoei Amir , Kerr Don , Ghapanchi Amir Hossein
Published: February 2018

Purpose

One may categorize assistive technologies for aged care into two types, namely, supportive (helping the elderly with their everyday activities) and empowering (obtaining physical or educational training to help seniors to maintain their capabilities). This paper looks at the impact of this perspective in the adoption of technologies that are used to aid already declined functions in comparison with technologies that are used to empower an elderly person’s capabilities. The purpose of this paper is to extract the factors that influence adoption of assistive technologies among seniors and the theories used in this context.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review was conducted on relevant peer reviewed papers. A preliminary exploratory search was conducted to identify keywords and online databases for the search. A total of 104 papers published since 2000 were analyzed after title, abstract and full text filtering.

Findings

The study summarizes and categorizes the factors impacting the adoption of assistive technologies among seniors. The paper analyses the theoretical support utilized by literature and maps the empirical evidence for supportive and empowering technologies.

Research limitations/implications

This research like any other literature review is limited to the search keys. However, the keys have brought to this work from a preliminary search.

Practical implications

The work informs nursing professionals on the process to adopt technologies among seniors. The paper also helps technology developers to design technological products that are easier to adopt for older adults.

Originality/value

It was found that existing adoption theories are able to handle supportive technology adoption mainly because of the direct link between usage and improved functionalities. However due to the indirect effect of empowering technologies, elderlies lag in benefit realization for empowering technologies. This opens avenues of research and requires future work and utilization of new theoretical approaches in this area. The paper indicates propositions, claims and suggested questions for future research in both supportive and empowering technologies.
A tour of India in one workplace: investigating complex and gendered relations in IT
Authors: Dhar-Bhattacharjee Sunrita , Richardson Helen
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the situation of women working as information technology (IT) professionals in different regions of India within multi-national enterprises (MNEs). The research is part of a cross-national study that compared gendered relations in the UK and Indian IT sectors. The complex roles that region, class and caste and gendered values and norms have in shaping women’s work and lives in India are discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

The cross-national research assumed common themes as part of a programme of in-depth interviewing and observations during site visits. The “safari method” was adopted with research conducted by a sole fieldworker with intimate knowledge of the languages and cultures of both India and the UK. The research considered intersectionality and difference and aimed to understand material structures and cultural meanings evident from the research process.

Findings

There are significant differences in organisational culture even within MNEs sharing common legislative and policy environments. The IT sector in India offers opportunities for middle- and upper-class women professionals and the cultural – including identity – barriers to working in technical areas often experienced in western countries are not replicated in India. Nevertheless, this has not meant any significant improvements in gendered relations at work and in the Indian society. There are also particular influences of regional, class and caste differences manifested in IT workplaces, contributing to inequality.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the understanding of the situation of women in IT sector including within MNEs giving insights into the workings of global capitalist enterprises. The research offers appreciation of the complexity of social differences and whether opening up opportunities for women professionals in India can contribute to the inclusive growth or will maintain the current patterns of inequality.
Environmental management practices, operational competitiveness and environmental performance
Authors: Famiyeh Samuel , Adaku Ebenezer , Amoako-Gyampah Kwasi , Asante-Darko Disraeli , Amoatey Charles Teye
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between environmental management practices (EMP) and competitive operational performance with respect to reduced cost, improved quality, improved flexibility and improved delivery as well as overall environmental performance, of firms, using data from a developing country.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a survey approach with responses from 164 informants from different industries and used partial least squares structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between EMP and competitive operational performance and their overall impact on the environmental performance of firms.

Findings

The results indicate that EMP by firms have a significant positive effect on firms’ competitive operational performance. Again, firms’ competitive operational performance has a partial positive effect on the overall environmental performance. It was also realized that the EMP initiated by a firm have a direct positive impact on the overall environmental performance of the firm.

Research limitations/implications

There is the need for organizations to take steps to plan and implement EMP since it is likely to enhance their competitive operational performance as well as their overall environmental performance.

Practical implications

The findings demonstrate the impact of EMP on competitive operational performance as well as on the overall environmental performance of firms. This is important as firms struggle with balancing investments in those practices against the perceived benefits that might be obtained from the practices.

Originality/value

The work provides insights and adds to the literature in the area of EMP and firm performance by providing evidence from a developing country environment. This study is among the few that have investigated the impact of EMP on firm performance in developing country environments.
Resistance to change: an empirical investigation of its antecedents
Authors: Amarantou Vasiliki , Kazakopoulou Stergiani , Chatzoudes Dimitrios , Chatzoglou Prodromos
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Resistance to change (RtC) is widely recognized as the main reason of failure, when it comes to change initiatives. Despite its importance, there is still a rather limited knowledge concerning the factors that trigger this behavior at the workplace. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors affecting RtC in healthcare organizations (namely, hospitals) and specifically, in emergency departments (EDs).

Design/methodology/approach

An original conceptual framework (research model) has been developed and empirically tested using primary data collected from EDs of six Greek hospitals. In total, the actual sample incorporates the responses of 158 ED health professionals who completed a structured questionnaire.

Findings

The findings verified the initial assumption that “disposition towards change (DtC),” “anticipated impact of change (AIC)” and “attitude towards change (AtC)” mediate the impact of various personal and behavioral characteristics on “RtC.” The results suggested that “RtC” is (indirectly) influenced by four main factors (“employee-management relationship,” “personality traits,” “employee participation in the decision-making process” and “job security”).

Originality/value

This study investigates how several factors affect, both directly or indirectly, employee reactions toward “RtC.” It also examines the mediating effect of three factors (“DtC,” “AtC,” “AIC”) that capture three different dimensions of individual evaluation toward change, something that goes beyond previous work. In addition, the present study examines a wide range of antecedents of RtC, including both personality-related and job-related factors.
Organizational learning capability and open innovation
Authors: Peris-Ortiz Marta , Devece-Carañana Carlos Alberto , Navarro-Garcia Antonio
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between open innovation (OI) and radical and incremental innovation success in knowledge-based companies. The company’s human resources and organizational learning capability are considered as the fundamental nexus of this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

At the conceptual level, the paper analyzes the relationships between dynamic capabilities and OI and between OI and innovation success. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was used to study how innovation is implemented in 29 companies.

Findings

FsQCA identifies combinations of factors that facilitate incremental innovations. These combinations reveal the path to implementing company policies that enable incremental innovation and foster radical innovation.

Research limitations/implications

The nature of the study sample means that the findings should be generalized with precaution. The most valuable implication is the identification of combinations of factors that help companies manage innovation.

Originality/value

Scarce literature links organizational learning factors and OI to different types of innovation. The use of fsQCA to analyze the cases also marks a breakthrough in the innovation literature.
Reflection multi‐scale envelope inversion
Authors: Chen Guo‐Xin , Wu Ru‐Shan , Chen Sheng‐Chang
Published: February 2018

Sufficient low‐frequency information is essential for full‐waveform inversion to get the global optimal solution. Multi‐scale envelope inversion was proposed using a new Fréchet derivative to invert the long‐wavelength component of the model by directly using the low‐frequency components contained in an envelope of seismic data. Although the new method can recover the main structure of the model, the inversion quality of the model bottom still needs to be improved. Reflection waveform inversion reduces the dependence of inversion on low‐frequency and long‐offset data by using travel‐time information in reflected waves. However, when the underground medium contains strong contrast or the initial model is far away from the true model, it is hard to get reliable reference reflectors for the generation of reflected waves. Here, we propose a combination inversion algorithm, i.e., reflection multi‐scale envelope inversion, to overcome the limitations of multi‐scale envelope inversion and reflection waveform inversion. First, wavefield decomposition was introduced into the multi‐scale envelope inversion to improve the inversion quality of the long‐wavelength components of the model. Then, after the initial model had been established to be accurate enough, migration and de‐migration were introduced to achieve multi‐scale reflection waveform inversion. The numerical results of the salt‐layer model and the SEG/EAGE salt model verified the validity of the proposed approach and its potential.
Competition and Privatisation Policies in a Differentiated Mixed Oligopoly: The Pay‐off‐interdependence Approach
Authors: Nakamura Yasuhiko
Published: February 2018

I revisit the relationship between competition and privatisation policies in a mixed oligopoly with differentiated goods, following the pay‐off‐interdependence approach in the fashion of Matsumura and Okamura. We find that although the intensity of market competition increases with the degree of importance of each firm's relative performance, the optimal degree of privatisation can decrease in a differentiated goods mixed oligopoly in both the increasing marginal costs case and the constant marginal costs case. Further, given the degree of importance of each firm's relative performance and the number of private firms, we find that the optimal degree of privatisation can decrease as the degree of product differentiation declines. Finally, by considering an alternative‐pay‐off model in both cases, we compare the optimal degree of privatisation of the public firm.
Cumulative live birth rates and perinatal outcomes with the use of time‐lapse imaging incubators for embryo culture: a retrospective cohort study of 1882 ART cycles
Authors: Mascarenhas M , Fox SJ , Thompson K , Balen AH
Published: February 2018

Objective

Comparison of live birth rates and the perinatal outcomes after fresh and frozen embryo transfer between time‐lapse imaging (TLI) and standard culture (SC) incubators.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

A single tertiary level IVF unit.

Population

Women undergoing IVF between January 2014 and October 2015.

Methods

Comparison was done between 1064 IVF cycles using TLI (TLI cycles) and 818 IVF cycles using SC (SC cycles).

Main outcome measures

Cumulative live birth rate per oocyte retrieval and perinatal outcomes including birthweight, gestational age, preterm birth (PTB) (<37 weeks), early preterm birth (PTB; <32 weeks), low birthweight (LBW; <2500 g), very LBW (<1500 g) and macrosomia (>4500 g).

Results

The fresh embryo transfer live birth rate was noted to be higher for TLI cycles [TLI 36.8 versus SC 33.9%, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.28, 95% CI 1.05–1.57], but the frozen embryo transfer live birth rates were not significantly different. The mean birthweight was higher in the TLI group after both fresh [adjusted mean difference (aMD) 174.78 g, 95% CI 64.80–284.77] and frozen embryo transfers (aMD 175.91 g, 95% CI 16.98–334.84). After a fresh embryo transfer, there was a lower risk of early PTB and very LBW in the TLI group. Among frozen embryo transfers, there was a lower risk of early PTB and LBW in the TLI group.

Conclusions

TLI incubators are associated with improved perinatal outcomes and higher mean birthweight after fresh and frozen embryo transfer.

Tweetable abstract

Time‐lapse imaging incubators in IVF improve perinatal outcomes after both fresh and frozen embryo transfers.
Genome‐wide analysis of odorant‐binding proteins and chemosensory proteins in the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci
Authors: Zeng Yang , Yang Yu‐Ting , Wu Qing‐Jun , Wang Shao‐Li , Xie Wen , Zhang You‐Jun
Published: February 2018

Odorant‐binding proteins (OBPs) and chemosensory proteins (CSPs) of insects are thought to play roles in olfactory recognition affecting host choice, copulation, reproduction and other behaviors. Previous descriptions of OBPs and CSPs in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci often provided no or incomplete genetic information. In this study, we present a genome‐wide and transcriptome‐wide investigation of the OBPs and CSPs in B. tabaci MEAM1 (Middle East‐Asia Minor1 species). Eight OBP and 19 CSP genes were identified that covered all previous sequences. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the CSP genes had a lineage‐specific expansion (BtabBCSP1, BtabBCSP3, BtabBCSP13, BtabBCSP17, BtabBCSP18 and BtabBCSP19). Expression profiling of OBPs and CSPs by transcriptome sequencing and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) revealed that expression patterns differed among developmental stages of B. tabaci MEAM1. Five OBP genes and 11 CSP genes significantly differed between males and females; four of the 19 CSP genes were highly expressed in adults, while two were highly expressed in nymphs. The expression profiles of the OBP and CSP genes in different tissues of B. tabaci MEAM1 adults were analyzed by qPCR. Four OBP genes found in B. tabaci MEAM1 were highly expressed in the head. Conversely, only two CSPs were enriched in the head, while the other six CSPs were specifically expressed in other tissues. Our results provide a foundation for future research on OBPs and CSPs in B. tabaci.