bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zinc shapes the folding landscape of p53 and establishes a new pathway for reactivating structurally diverse p53 mutants
Authors: Blanden Adam R. , Yu Xin , Blayney Alan J. , Demas Christopher , Ha Jeung-Hoi , Liu Yue , Withers Tracy , Carpizo Darren R. , Loh Stewart N.
Published: July 2020

Missense mutations in the DNA binding domain (DBD) of the p53 tumor suppressor contribute to approximately half of new cancer cases each year worldwide. A primary goal in cancer therapy is to develop drugs that rescue the transcription function of mutant p53. Here we present a thermodynamic model that quantifies and links the major pathways by which mutations inactivate p53. The model is constructed by measuring folding free energies, zinc dissociation constants, and DNA dissociation constants of 20 of the most common DBD mutations in the p53 database. We report here that DBD possesses two unusual properties——one of the highest zinc binding affinities of any eukaryotic protein and extreme instability in the absence of zinc—which are predicted to cause p53 to be poised on the edge of folding/unfolding in the cell, with a major determinant being the concentration of available zinc. Eighty percent of the mutations examined impair either thermodynamic stability, zinc binding affinity, or both. Using a combination of biophysical experiments, cell based assays, and murine cancer models, we demonstrate for the first time that a synthetic zinc metallochaperone not only rescues mutants with decreased zinc affinities, but also mutants that destabilize DBD without impairing zinc binding. The latter is a broad class of p53 mutants of which only one member (Y220C) has been successfully targeted by small molecules. The results suggest that zinc metallochaperones have the capability to treat 120,500 patients per year in the U.S.

Restoring tumor suppressing function to mutant p53 has the capability of treating millions of new cancer patients worldwide each year. An important step toward this goal is to categorize the spectrum of mutations based on how they inactivate p53. This study finds that the majority of the most common tumorigenic mutations compromise p53’s thermodynamic stability or its interaction with zinc, and demonstrates for the first time that members of both classes can be reactivated in cells by synthetic zinc metallochaperones. These results serve to stratify patients for potential zinc metallochaperone therapy.
Brain activation lateralization in monkeys (Papio Anubis) following asymmetric motor and auditory stimulations through functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Debracque C. , Gruber T. , Lacoste R. , Grandjean D. , Meguerditchian A.
Published: July 2020

Hemispheric asymmetries have long been seen as characterizing the human brain; yet, an increasing number of reports suggest the presence of such brain asymmetries in our closest primate relatives. However, most available data in non-human primates have so far been acquired as part of neurostructural approaches such as MRI, while comparative data in humans are often dynamically acquired as part of neurofunctional studies. In the present exploratory study in baboons (Papio Anubis), we tested whether brain lateralization could be recorded non-invasively using a functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) device in two contexts: motor and auditory passive stimulations. Under light propofol anaesthesia monitoring, three adult female baboons were exposed to a series of (1) left-versusright-arm passive movement stimulations; and (2) left-versusright-earversusstereo auditory stimulations while recording fNIRS signals in the related brain areas (i.e., motor central sulcus and superior temporal cortices respectively). For the motor condition our results show that left-armversusright-arm stimulations induced typical contralateral difference in hemispheric activation asymmetries in the three subjects for all three channels. For the auditory condition, we also revealed typical human-like patterns of hemispheric asymmetries in one subject for all three channels, namely (1) typical contralateral differences in hemispheric asymmetry between left-earversusright-ear stimulations, and (2) a rightward asymmetry for stereo stimulations. Overall, our findings support the use of fNIRS to investigate brain processing in non-human primates from a functional perspective, opening the way for the development of non-invasive procedures in non-human primate brain research.
The formin Fmn2 is required for the development of an excitatory interneuron module in the zebrafish acoustic startle circuit
Authors: Nagar Dhriti , James Tomin K , Mishra Ratnakar , Guha Shrobona , Ghose Aurnab
Published: July 2020

The formin family member, Fmn2, is a neuronally enriched cytoskeletal remodelling protein conserved across vertebrates. Recent studies have implicated Fmn2 in neurodevelopmental disorders, including sensory processing dysfunction and intellectual disability in humans. Cellular characterization of Fmn2 in primary neuronal cultures has identified its function in the regulation of cell-substrate adhesion and consequently growth cone translocation. However, the role of Fmn2 in the development of neural circuitsin vivo, and its impact on associated behaviours have not been tested.

Using automated analysis of behaviour and systematic investigation of the associated circuitry, we uncover the role of Fmn2 in zebrafish neural circuit development. As reported in other vertebrates, the zebrafish ortholog of Fmn2 is also enriched in the developing zebrafish nervous system. We find that Fmn2 is required for the development of an excitatory interneuron pathway, the spiral fiber neuron, which is an essential circuit component in the regulation of the Mauthner cell-mediated acoustic startle response. Consistent with the loss of the spiral fiber neurons tracts, high-speed video recording revealed a reduction in the short latency escape events while responsiveness to the stimuli was unaffected.

Taken together, this study provides evidence for a circuit-specific requirement of Fmn2 in eliciting an essential behaviour in zebrafish. Our findings underscore the importance of Fmn2 in neural development across vertebrate lineages and highlight zebrafish models in understanding neurodevelopmental disorders.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Fmn2 is a neuronally enriched cytoskeletal remodelling protein linked to neurodevelopment and cognitive disorders in humans. Recent reports have characterized its function in growth cone motility and chemotaxis in cultured primary neurons. However, the role of Fmn2 in the development of neural circuitsin vivoand its implications in associated behaviours remain unexplored. This study shows that Fmn2 is required for the development of neuronal processes in the acoustic startle circuit to ensure robust escape responses to aversive stimuli in zebrafish. Our study underscores the crucial role of the non-diaphanous formin, Fmn2, in establishing neuronal connectivity and related behaviour in zebrafish.
The evolution of social dominance through reinforcement learning
Authors: Leimar Olof
Published: July 2020

Groups of social animals are often organised into dominance hierarchies that are formed through pairwise interactions. There is much experimental data on hierarchies, examining such things as winner, loser, and bystander effects, as well as the linearity and replicability of hierarchies, but there is a lack evolutionary analyses of these basic observations. Here I present a game-theory model of hierarchy formation in which individuals adjust their aggressive behaviour towards other group members through reinforcement learning. Individual traits such as the tendency to generalise learning between interactions with different individuals, the rate of learning, and the initial tendency to be aggressive are genetically determined and can be tuned by evolution. I find that evolution favours individuals with high social competence, making use of individual recognition, bystander learning and, to a limited extent, generalising learned behaviour between opponents when adjusting their behaviour towards other group members. The results are in good agreement with experimental data, for instance in finding weaker winner effects compared to loser effects.
Testing the CRISPR-Cas9 andglmSribozyme systems inLeishmania tarentolae
Authors: Turra Gino L. , Schneider Luzia , Liedgens Linda , Deponte Marcel
Published: July 2020

Leishmaniaparasites include important pathogens and model organisms and are even used for the production of recombinant proteins. However, functional genomics and the characterization of essential genes are often limited inLeishmaniabecause of low-throughput technologies for gene disruption or tagging and the absence of components for RNA interference. Here, we tested the T7 RNA polymerase-dependent CRISPR-Cas9 system by Benekeet al. and theglmSribozyme-based knock-down system in the model parasiteLeishmania tarentolae. We successfully deleted two reference genes encoding the flagellar motility factor Pf16 and the salvage-pathway enzyme adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, resulting in immotile and drug-resistant parasites, respectively. In contrast, we were unable to disrupt the gene encoding the mitochondrial flavoprotein Erv. Cultivation ofL. tarentolaein standard BHI medium resulted in a constitutive down-regulation of an episomalmCherry-glmSreporter by 40 to 60%. For inducible knock-downs, we evaluated the growth ofL. tarentolaein alternative media and identified supplemented MEM, IMDM and McCoy’s 5A medium as candidates. Cultivation in supplemented MEM allowed an inducible, glucosamine concentration-dependent down-regulation of the episomalmCherry-glmSreporter by more than 70%. However, chromosomalglmS-tagging of the genes encoding Pf16, adenine phosphoribosyltransferase or Erv did not reveal a knock-down phenotype. Our data demonstrate the suitability of the CRISPR-Cas9 system for the disruption and tagging of genes inL. tarentolaeas well as the limitations of theglmSsystem, which was restricted to moderate efficiencies for episomal knock-downs and caused no detectable phenotype for chromosomal knock-downs.
Primate innate immune responses to bacterial and viral pathogens reveals an evolutionary trade-off between strength and specificity
Authors: Fahmy Hawash Mohamed Bayoumi , Sanz-Remón Joaquin , Grenier Jean-Christophe , Kohn Jordan , Yotova Vania , Johnson Zach , Lanford Robert E. , Brinkworth Jessica F. , Barreiro Luis B.
Published: July 2020

Despite their close genetic relatedness, apes and African and Asian monkeys (AAMs), strongly differ in their susceptibility to severe bacterial and viral infections that are important causes of human disease. Such differences between humans and other primates are thought to be a result, at least in part, of inter-species differences in immune response to infection. However, due to the lack of comparative functional data across species, it remains unclear in what ways the immune systems of humans and other primates differ. Here, we report the whole genome transcriptomic responses of ape species (human, common chimpanzee) and AAMs (rhesus macaque and olive baboon) to bacterial and viral stimulation. We find stark differences in the responsiveness of these groups, with apes mounting a markedly stronger early transcriptional response to both viral and bacterial stimulation, altering the transcription of ∼40% more genes than AAMs. Additionally, we find that genes involved in the regulation of inflammatory and interferon responses show the most divergent early transcriptional responses across primates and that this divergence is attenuated over time. Finally, we find that relative to AAMs, apes engage a much less specific immune response to different classes of pathogens during the early hours of infection, upregulating genes typical of anti-viral and anti-bacterial responses regardless of the nature of the stimulus. Overall, these findings suggest apes exhibit increased sensitivity to bacterial and viral immune stimulation, activating a broader array of defense molecules that may be beneficial for early pathogen killing at the potential cost of increased energy expenditure and tissue damage.
Cohesin mutations are synthetic lethal with stimulation of WNT signaling
Authors: Chin Chue Vin , Antony Jisha , Ketharnathan Sarada , Gimenez Gregory , Parsons Kate M. , He Jinshu , George Amee J. , Braithwaite Antony , Guilford Parry , Hannan Ross D. , Horsfield Julia A.
Published: July 2020

Mutations in genes encoding subunits of the cohesin complex are common in several cancers, but may also expose druggable vulnerabilities. We generated isogenic MCF10A cell lines with deletion mutations of genes encoding cohesin subunits SMC3, RAD21 and STAG2 and screened for synthetic lethality with 3,009 FDA-approved compounds. The screen identified several compounds that interfere with transcription, DNA damage repair and the cell cycle. Unexpectedly, one of the top ‘hits’ was a GSK3 inhibitor, an agonist of Wnt signaling. We show that sensitivity to GSK3 inhibition is likely due to stabilization of β-catenin in cohesin mutant cells, and that Wnt-responsive gene expression is highly sensitized inSTAG2-mutant CMK leukemia cells. Moreover, Wnt activity is enhanced in zebrafish mutant for cohesin subunitrad21. Our results suggest that cohesin mutations could progress oncogenesis by enhancing Wnt signaling, and that targeting the Wnt pathway may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for cohesin mutant cancers.
Distributional challenges regarding data on death and incidences during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic up to July 2020
Authors: Manz Kirsi , Mansmann Ulrich
Published: July 2020

COVID-19 is a major global crisis with unpredictable consequences. Many scientists have struggled to make forecasts about its impact. Especially, appropriate preparations for a second wave are needed not to move in a costly panic mode again. It is necessary to get ideas about worst case scenarios regarding incidences, hospitalization, or use of ICU resources. They can be described in terms of extreme quantiles (95%, 99%, 99.9%) of specific distributions that supposedly formalize the data mechanism behind future observations.

Therefore, distributional issues do matter. Cirillo and Taleb argue that a natural and empirically correct framework for assessing and managing real risk in pandemics is provided by extreme value theory dealing with extrema and not averages. We explore this idea in more detail.

In this paper we discuss the fat-tail patterns in the distribution of the global COVID-19 data by analyzing data from 66 countries worldwide. We also explore their relevance at a lower, regional scale perspective (national, federal state), which is in our opinion more relevant for planning measures against the epidemic spread. For this we analyze data from the German federal state of Bavaria.

We conclude that fat-tail patterns are seen in global data, possibly reflecting the respective heterogeneity between different countries regarding incidences and fatalities during the ongoing epidemic. However, the disease activity at regional level seems to be better described by classical Poisson based models. To bridge the gap between regional and global phenomena we refer to mixtures of slim-tail distributions that may create fat-tail features.

Especially in the beginning of a pandemic acting according to the “better safe than sorry” principle and taking extreme forecasts as the basis for the decisions might be justified. However, as the pandemic continues and control measures are partially lifted, there is a need for a careful discussion how to choose relevant distributions and their respective quantiles for future resource planning in order not to cause more harm as the pandemic itself.
Real-time tracking of the self-assembled growth of a 3D Ge quantum dot lattice in an alumina matrix
Authors: Shaji Ashin , Micetic Maja , Halahovets Yuriy , Nadazdy Peter , Matko Igor , Jergel Matej , Majkova Eva , Siffalovic Peter
Published: July 2020

A laboratory in situ grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) tracking of the self-assembled growth of a regular 3D Ge quantum dot (QD) structure in an amorphous Al2O3 matrix during the ion beam sputter deposition of a periodic Ge/Al2O3 multilayer on silicon is reported. A 573 K substrate temperature proved to be necessary to achieve the self-assembly effect. Relying on a fast repeated acquisition of GISAXS patterns, the temporal evolution of the growing 3D Ge QD structure was analyzed bilayer by bilayer to determine its type, lateral and vertical correlation lengths, and inter-QD distance. The QD structure was found to have body-centered tetragonal lattice type with ABA stacking, with the lattice parameters refined by fitting the final GISAXS pattern relying on a paracrystal model. A single set of paracrystal parameters enables one to simulate the temporal evolution of the in situ GISAXS patterns throughout the deposition process, suggesting that the Ge QD self-assembly is driven from the very beginning solely by the growing surface morphology. Ex situ GISAXS and X-ray reflectivity measurements along with a cross-section high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis complete the study.
New method to measure domain-wall motion contribution to piezoelectricity: the case of PbZr0.65Ti0.35O3 ferroelectric
Authors: Gorfman Semën , Choe Hyeokmin , Zhang Guanjie , Zhang Nan , Yokota Hiroko , Glazer Anthony Michael , Xie Yujuan , Dyadkin Vadim , Chernyshov Dmitry , Ye Zuo-Guang
Published: July 2020

A new data analysis routine is introduced to reconstruct the change in lattice parameters in individual ferroelastic domains and the role of domain-wall motion in the piezoelectric effect. Using special electronics for the synchronization of a PILATUS X-ray area detector with a voltage signal generator, the X-ray diffraction intensity distribution was measured around seven split Bragg peaks as a function of external electric field. The new data analysis algorithm allows the calculation of `extrinsic' (related to domain-wall motion) and `intrinsic' (related to the change in lattice parameters) contributions to the electric-field-induced deformation. Compared with previously existing approaches, the new method benefits from the availability of a three-dimensional diffraction intensity distribution, which enables the separation of Bragg peaks diffracted from differently oriented domain sets. The new technique is applied to calculate the extrinsic and intrinsic contributions to the piezoelectricity in a single crystal of the ferroelectric PbZr1−x
Ti
x
O3 (x = 0.35). The root-mean-square value of the piezoelectric coefficient was obtained as 112 pC N−1. The contribution of the domain-wall motion is estimated as 99 pC N−1. The contribution of electric-field-induced changes to the lattice parameters averaged over all the domains is 71 pC N−1. The equivalent value corresponding to the change in lattice parameters in individual domains may reach up to 189 pC N−1.
Resolving pseudosymmetry in tetragonal ZrO2 using electron backscatter diffraction with a modified dictionary indexing approach
Authors: Pang Edward L. , Larsen Peter M. , Schuh Christopher A.
Published: July 2020

Resolving pseudosymmetry has long presented a challenge for electron backscatter diffraction and has been notoriously challenging in the case of tetragonal ZrO2 in particular. In this work, a method is proposed to resolve pseudosymmetry by building upon the dictionary indexing method and augmenting it with the application of global optimization to fit accurate pattern centers, clustering of the Hough-indexed orientations to focus the dictionary in orientation space and interpolation to improve the accuracy of the indexed solution. The proposed method is demonstrated to resolve pseudosymmetry with 100% accuracy in simulated patterns of tetragonal ZrO2, even with high degrees of binning and noise. The method is then used to index an experimental data set, which confirms its ability to efficiently and accurately resolve pseudosymmetry in these materials. The present method can be applied to resolve pseudosymmetry in a wide range of materials, possibly even some more challenging than tetragonal ZrO2. Source code for this implementation is available online.
Crystal structure, thermal properties and detonation characterization of bis(5-amino-1,2,4-triazol-4-ium-3-yl)methane dichloride
Authors: Li Hongya , Yan Biao , Ma Haixia , Ma Xiangrong , Sun Zhiyong , Ma Yajun
Published: July 2020

Bis(5-amino-1,2,4-triazol-4-ium-3-yl)methane dichloride (BATZM·Cl2 or C5H10N8
2+·2Cl−) was synthesized and crystallized, and the crystal structure was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction; it belongs to the space group C2/c (monoclinic) with Z = 4. The structure of BATZM·Cl2 can be described as a V-shaped molecule with reasonable chemical geometry and no disorder, and its one-dimensional structure can be described as a rhombic helix. The specific molar heat capacity (Cp

,m) of BATZM·Cl2 was determined using the continuous C

p
mode of a microcalorimeter and theoretical calculations, and the Cp

,m value is 276.18 J K−1 mol−1 at 298.15 K. The relative deviations between the theoretical and experimental values of Cp

,m, HT
– H
298.15K and ST
– S
298.15K of BATZM·Cl2 are almost equivalent at each temperature. The detonation velocity (D) and detonation pressure (P) of BATZM·Cl2 were estimated using the nitrogen equivalent equation according to the experimental density; BATZM·Cl2 has a higher detonation velocity (7143.60 ± 3.66 m s−1) and detonation pressure (21.49 ± 0.03 GPa) than TNT. The above results for BATZM·Cl2 are compared with those of bis(5-amino-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)methane (BATZM) and the effect of salt formation on them is discussed.
Poly[[[μ-trans-1,2-bis(pyridin-4-yl)ethene-κ2N:N′]-μ-iodido-copper(I)]–trans-1,2-bis(pyridin-4-yl)ethene (1/0.25)]
Authors: Hoffman Jessica L. , Akhigbe Jessie E. , Reinheimer Eric W. , Smucker Bradley W.
Published: July 2020

The title compound, {[CuI(bpe)]·0.25(bpe)}n, was synthesized similarly to (CuI)2(bpe) [Nealet al.(2019).IUCrData,4, x190122] with red crystals grown from acetonitrile solutions of CuI and the bpe ligand [bpe = 1,2-bis(pyridin-4-yl)ethene, C12H10N2]. The structure of the title compound is a type 1 complex in the Graham nomenclature [Grahamet al.(2000).Inorg. Chem.39, 5121–5132], having rhombic dimers of Cu2I2that are bridged by two bpe ligands, to form oligomeric ribbons arranged as stairsteps. The step height is 2.8072 (11) Å, which is the Cu—Iidistance of the dimer [symmetry code (i): 1 − x, 2 − y, 1 − z]. The resulting polymer displays a two-dimensional honeycomb framework along the (01\overline1) plane, and disordered free bpe molecules fill the voids in the crystal.
Experiential marketing, brand image and brand loyalty: a case study of Starbucks
Authors: Chang Wen-Jung
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Due to the internationalization that has occurred during the past few decades, the living conditions of people around the island of Taiwan have gradually changed, especially their eating habits. Among them, the growth of the coffee market has been very significant. To date, many studies have been devoted to exploring the application of experiential marketing (EM) in a variety of industries. Many experimental results have proven that a positive brand image (BI) will lead to brand loyalty (BL). In services, the best at the practice of EM is Starbucks. Therefore, this paper aims to assess the role of BI in EM and BL for Taiwan’s most popular brand, Starbucks.

Design/methodology/approach

In the formal test stage, 225 questionnaires were given to respondents in Starbucks located in four districts (Da-An, Zhong-Zheng, Nei-Hu and Xi-Yin), which have many more stores than the other districts in Taipei City. Two hundred valid samples were obtained. This study used structural equation modelling (SEM) to validate the relationships among EM, BI and BL.

Findings

The findings show that EM cannot directly impact BL as expected, as it needs BI to do so. In other words, BI acts a complete mediator in the relationship between EM and BL.

Practical implications

In this study, BI acts a complete mediator. This means that if Starbucks expects to improve consumers’ loyalty to the brand, it only needs to rely on the good overall image of the brand. Facing such business style homogeneity, people need some available information to help them to execute their following purchase decisions. Though Starbucks can bring me to its locations, meaning that Starbucks has made its first move in comparison with other competitors, I still decide to leave without any impressive image of this brand. Accordingly, we can refer to BI as a powerful endorsement of a qualified relationship between EM and BL.

Originality/value

Compared to past studies on Taiwan’s/Taipei’s Starbucks, this paper simultaneously inputs EM, BI and BL into the model. Though Starbucks has achieved great EM success, this study finds that EM is no longer exclusive to BL, and BI is a powerful endorsement of a qualified relationship between EM and BL. For Starbucks, it must strengthen consumer perceptions of its BI to create customer loyalty.
Prioritizing resilient capability factors of dealing with supply chain disruptions: an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) application in the textile industry
Authors: Piprani Arsalan Zahid , Jaafar Noor Ismawati , Mohezar Ali Suhana
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to determine and prioritize the resilient capability factors at different stages of supply chain disruptions in Pakistan's textile industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a two-stage methodology. In the first stage, the extant literature was reviewed, and based on that, experts' panel consultations were conducted to identify the resilient capability factors at the different stages of supply chain. In the second stage, analytical hierarchy process (AHP) methodology was used to rank the resilient capability factors needed in Pakistan's textile industry.

Findings

The results show that building an integrated supply chain ranking is one of the most critical practices in bolstering supply chain resilience. The results also reveal that firms should focus on the readiness phase of resilience as it is categorized as the most important phase.

Practical implications

The findings of the study provide supply chain professionals with a clear consideration of the critical factors that are needed to build supply chain resilience. From an industry-specific perspective, the study offers guidelines on what resilient capability factors should be regarded as critical when implementing resilient capabilities in order to reduce the negative impacts of disruptions.

Originality/value

The study is among the first studies in prioritizing the resilient capability factors at different phases of supply chain disruptions. The study would provide further opportunities for future researchers in using other multicriteria decision-making tools.
Experimental and numerical investigations of dynamic strain ageing behaviour in solid solution treated Inconel 718 superalloy
Authors: Song Run-Hua , Qin Hai-Long , Bi Zhong-Nan , Zhang Ji , Chi Hai , Busso Esteban P , Li Dong-Feng
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to systematically investigate the dynamic strain aging (DSA) effect in solid solution treated IN718 at different temperatures through experiments and simulations to gain an understanding of the inelastic deformation mechanisms.

Design/methodology/approach

In the present work, uniaxial tensile tests have been carried out in conjunction with finite element (FE) simulations to investigate the behaviour of the solid solution treated Inconel 718 superalloy at different temperatures and strain rates. Dynamic strain aging (DSA) effects, which manifested during the tests in the form of a negative strain rate sensitivity and stress serrations, are investigated. The most significant DSA effect occurs at 500°C and at a strain rate of 10–4 s-1. In a newly proposed rate-dependent constitutive formulation, the DSA model, proposed by McCormick, Kubin and Estrin, was introduced into slip-assisted solute hardening, and an activation energy-dependent exponential flow rule was adopted.

Findings

The observed negative strain rate sensitivity and stress serrations are well predicted by a 3 D FE. The FE results indicate that the equivalent plastic strain rate distribution in the specimen gauge length is as highly inhomogeneous as in the other materials exhibiting DSA effects such as aluminium and titanium alloy. During inelastic deformation, propagating high strain rate bands can be closely correlated to the stress serrations.

Originality/value

For the DSA effect in solid solution treated IN718, the existing researching mainly focuses on the mechanical properties experiment and microstructure observation. In this study, a constitutive formulation, combined with the DSA model, has been proposed, and the mechanical behaviors, including the DSA effect, have been well predicted by a finite element model.
Performance management on the shop floor – an investigation of KPI perception among managers and employees
Authors: Ohlig Jasmin , Hellebrandt Thomas , Metzmacher Amelie I. , Pötters Patrick , Heine Ina , Schmitt Robert H. , Leyendecker Bert
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the application of key performance indicators (KPIs) on shop floor level in German small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The paper focuses on the examination of perception differences between shop floor employees and managers with regard to collection, calculation and consolidation of KPIs as well as visualization and motivational aspects.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the hypothesis on differing perceptions regarding KPIs, 27 qualitative interviews with shop floor employees and production managers within 6 SMEs from the German machinery and equipment industry were conducted on basis of a semi-structured guideline.

Findings

The findings show that shop floor employees self-assess a lack of relevant knowledge when it comes to understanding KPIs. Moreover, the results show that shop floor employees perceive the visualization of shop floor KPIs as insufficient and non-motivational. This goes along with the finding that managers are aware of the lacking benefit of KPIs resulting from the rather negative perception of shop floor employees. The interviewed managers recognize a strong potential for improvement of their KPI systems.

Originality/value

The interview results confirm the need to design a performance management system on the shop floor that considers and aligns both management and operations, is directed to the shop floor level, considers explicitly the perspective of employees and integrates motivational elements.
IoT sensors management system using Agile-Kanban and its application for weather measurement and electric wheelchair management
Authors: Matsuo Keita , Barolli Leonard
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Recently, Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors are rapidly increasing in the word. They are connecting to the internet and are generating vast packets in the network. Thus, the networks could be congested, and the performance will degrade. For this reason, it is important to decrease the number of transmitted packets. Agile is a technique to develop the software and manage the work efficiently. Kanban is a method to support Agile development. The purpose of this paper is to propose an IoT sensors management system considering Agile–Kanban and show its application for weather measurement and electric wheelchair management.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors present the design and implementation of two systems and show the measurement device, data communication failure and experimental results.

Findings

The proposed Agile–Kanban system can manage a large amount of IoT sensors and can decrease the IoT sensor’s consumption power thus increasing the IoT sensor lifetime.

Originality/value

By experimental results, the authors have shown that the proposed systems have good performance and can control the IoT devices efficiently.
Evaluation of critical operations capabilities for competitive manufacturing in a high-cost environment
Authors: Sansone Cinzia , Hilletofth Per , Eriksson David
Published: July 2020

Purpose

To survive in a competitive landscape, companies are required to identify, develop and continuously improve upon the operations capabilities that have the greatest impact on the overall competitiveness. This paper aims to evaluate critical operations capabilities for competitive manufacturing in a high-cost environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Critical operations capabilities for competitive manufacturing were extracted in a literature review and then evaluated from the perspective of a high-cost environment in a focus group study. The focus group included a quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (discussion) evaluation of the extracted critical operations capabilities.

Findings

The empirical findings revealed that all the capabilities identified in the literature review are considered critical in a high-cost environment, albeit with varying emphasis. Companies located in a high-cost environment tend to emphasize a broad set of capabilities related to quality, cost, time, flexibility and innovation rather than only cost-related capabilities.

Research limitations/implications

The research is based on a focus group that was limited to 14 representatives from five Swedish manufacturing companies. This can reveal some limitations with regard to the generalizability of the conclusions drawn. Hence, this research should be considered as an initial step in gaining a more in-depth and complete understanding of the research topic under investigation.

Practical implications

The research outcome enables managers to design their operations strategy more systematically and effectively, to be consistent with their targeted capabilities. The operations capabilities are important for both the company’s competitiveness and its future direction.

Originality/value

The paper presents an updated understanding of how companies achieved a competitive advantage in a specific manufacturing environment such as a high-cost context. It additionally provides an overview of what capabilities are developed for implementing successful operations strategies.
Awareness, attitude and practises of biomedical waste management amongst public health-care staff in Karnataka, India
Authors: Golandaj Javeed Ahamed , Kallihal Karabasappa Gadigeppa
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Enormous amount of biomedical wastes (BMW) produced everyday across the world. Management of BMW depends on adherence to protocol. BMW management at generation point, definitely, depends upon the awareness, attitudes and practises of health-care staff, the purpose of this study will assess the awareness, attitude and practise regarding different aspects of BMW.

Design/methodology/approach

An observational with appropriate checklists, and a cross-sectional study, involving questionnaires, was conducted during 7-24 January 2016. The existing system of BMW management, funds, resources, etc., knowledge, attitude and practises about BMW were assessed amongst 273 health-care workers in selected public health-care institutes of Karnataka.

Findings

Of 273 study participants, majority (54%) of them have not received any training pertaining to BMW. The results showed a poor level of knowledge and awareness of BMW management amongst health-care personnel. Merely, 43% of the participants correctly knew the categorization of BMW and its disposal in proper colour-coded bins/bags. Awareness is very poor amongst the lower age group, male participants, lab-technicians/pharmacists and supporting staff. Doctors were good at theoretical knowledge such as rules, legislation and public-health importance of BMW management than the practical aspects such as categorization and colour-coding. Further, the attitude of health-care staff is favourable about BMW. Immunization for hepatitis-B was very poor amongst waste handlers (43%).

Originality/value

As the awareness and practise regarding BMW management were poor across different health-care staff there is a need to conduct periodic training and regular monitoring with special focus on the proper use of personal protective equipment. Further, precautionary immunization should be provided, especially waste handlers and sanitary workers.
Will this search end up with booking? Modeling airline booking conversion of anonymous visitors
Authors: Lee Misuk
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Over the past two decades, online booking has become a predominant distribution channel of tourism products. As online sales have become more important, understanding booking conversion behavior remains a critical topic in the tourism industry. The purpose of this study is to model airline search and booking activities of anonymous visitors.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes a stochastic approach to explicitly model dynamics of airline customers’ search, revisit and booking activities. A Markov chain model simultaneously captures transition probabilities and the timing of search, revisit and booking decisions. The suggested model is demonstrated on clickstream data from an airline booking website.

Findings

Empirical results show that low prices (captured as discount rates) lead to not only booking propensities but also overall stickiness to a website, increasing search and revisit probabilities. From the decision timing of search and revisit activities, the author observes customers’ learning effect on browsing time and heterogeneous intentions of website visits.

Originality/value

This study presents both theoretical and managerial implications of online search and booking behavior for airline and tourism marketing. The dynamic Markov chain model provides a systematic framework to predict online search, revisit and booking conversion and the time of the online activities.
Leader knowledge sharing behavior and follower creativity: the role of follower acquired knowledge and prosocial motivation
Authors: Thuan Le Cong , Thanh Bui Thi
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Although leaders play a vital role in motivating the creative performance of followers, a paucity of research has examined specific behaviors of leaders. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of leader knowledge sharing behavior on followers’ creative performance.

Design/methodology/approach

To decrease the potential of the common method bias, this research conducted a time-lagged study to gather data from 319 employees working at information technology companies in Vietnam. This study used the hierarchical regression analysis to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results showed that leader knowledge sharing behavior had a positive impact on follower creativity. Moreover, follower-acquired knowledge partially mediated this relationship. Furthermore, follower prosocial motivation positively moderated the effects of leader knowledge sharing behavior and follower-acquired knowledge on followers’ creative performance.

Originality/value

The findings contribute to the creativity literature by providing evidence that leader knowledge sharing behavior could stimulate follower creativity directly and indirectly through follower-acquired knowledge. This research also confirmed the moderating role of prosocial motivation in reinforcing the influence of leader behaviors and employee ability on employee creativity.
Factors of higher education quality service: the case of a Peruvian university
Authors: Arrieta María del Carmen , Avolio Beatrice
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that impact the quality of the education service in a Peruvian private university, based on the perception of students and graduates.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consisted of 29 students and 20 graduates from the Administration and Finance Program of a Peruvian private university. The data was collected through focus groups and in-depth interviews based on the students’ and graduates’ perspectives of their experiences. The collected data was subjected to content analysis.

Findings

The study identified ten factors or the underlying dimensions that drive the quality of the education service provided by a Peruvian private university. The factors are professors, lecturers, curriculum, extracurricular activities, position and recognition of the university, infrastructure, library, admission, adequate communication mechanisms with faculty and authorities and services. The main quality indicators of the education service were the professors and curriculum planning. As the students were using the education service, they were more focused on “how” they received the service, rather than “what” services they received, i.e. they evaluated the quality of the process. In contrast, graduates gave more importance to functional service quality. They evaluated the quality of “what they received,” i.e. the result.

Research limitations/implications

The study has several limitations. First, the qualitative approach does not allow generalizing data. The sample size was relatively small and only involved one Peruvian private university. The study was based on the respondent’s perceptions, which were considered accurate.

Practical implications

Based on the study findings, the authors made recommendations to meet the needs of the students and graduates. These findings can help universities to develop strategies that improve educational quality and to allocate resources more effectively. Further research could focus on factors that impact service quality in higher education at different stages of the student lifecycle, namely, applicants (service expectations), students (quality of the process) and graduates (results). The authors suggest validating these results quantitatively.

Originality/value

The study proposes a framework of the higher education service quality based on the experiences of students and graduates that can be used by higher education institutions to continue improving educational quality. The originality of the study lies in the perspective on service quality according to the experiences of students and graduates. Also, this study provides empirical evidence on service quality research in Latin American higher education institutions.
A DEMATEL-MABAC-based approach for grading and evaluation of jute fibers
Authors: Agarwal Subham , Chakraborty Santonab , Chakraborty Shankar
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Due to several unique characteristics, such as high tensile strength, low extensibility, high frictional resistance, biodegradability, eco-friendliness and cheapness, Jute ranks second just after cotton with respect to its worldwide consumption and production. To overcome the difficulties of the existing Jute grading procedure, this paper aims to focus on the application of decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and multi-attributive border approximation area comparison (MABAC) methods for evaluation of 10 Tossa Jute fiber lots based on strength, defects, root content, color, fineness and bulk density properties.

Design/methodology/approach

The DEMATEL method divides all the six physical properties of Jute fiber into cause and effect groups. The most influencing property is also identified. On the other hand, the considered Jute fiber lots are ranked using MABAC method along with the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of each of them.

Findings

This combined approach would provide a more scientific and realistic way of Jute grading and evaluation based on various properties of the considered Jute fiber lots. The positions of the superior and the inferior Jute lots perfectly match with those as identified by the earlier researchers.

Originality/value

It is concluded that the adopted combined decision-making tool can be effectively applied for grading and evaluation of other natural fibers with diverse heterogeneous physical properties.
Collateral benefits of targeted supplementary feeding on demography and growth rate of a threatened population
Authors: Fenn Sarah R. , Bignal Eric M. , Trask Amanda E. , McCracken Davy I. , Monaghan Pat , Reid Jane M.
Published: July 2020

Effective evidence‐based conservation requires full quantification of the impacts of targeted management interventions on focal populations. Such impacts may extend beyond target individuals to also affect demographic rates of non‐target conspecifics (e.g. different age classes). However, such collateral (i.e. unplanned) impacts are rarely evaluated despite their potential to substantially alter conservation outcomes. Subsequent management decisions may then be poorly informed or erroneous.

We used 15 years of individual‐based demographic data in a ‘before‐after control‐impact’ (BACI) analysis to quantify collateral demographic impacts of a targeted multi‐year supplementary feeding programme designed to increase sub‐adult survival and hence viability of a small, threatened red‐billed chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax population. Specifically, we assessed whether the intervention also affected adult survival and reproductive success, and whether such collateral effects were themselves sufficient to stabilize population size and hence achieve short‐term conservation aims.

The probabilities of adult survival and successful reproduction increased substantially between the ‘before‐feeding’ and ‘during‐feeding’ periods in those choughs associated with supplementary feeding, but not otherwise. Overall breeding success (i.e. number of chicks fledged per occupied territory) also tended to increase, even though brood sizes did not increase. These relationships, which were detectible only through BACI analyses, suggest that supplementary feeding targeted at sub‐adults had unplanned positive impacts on adult demographic rates.

Deterministic matrix models designed to project population growth demonstrate that these estimated collateral effects were sufficient to make a substantial contribution to increasing population growth rate and achieving short‐term population stability.

Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate substantial positive collateral impacts of a targeted supplementary feeding intervention on population viability, despite no a priori expectation that the non‐target adults were food‐limited. This casestudy illustrates how thorough assessment of collateral impacts of targeted interventions can affect assessment of short‐term efficacy and reveal new opportunities for future interventions, thereby informing subsequent management decisions.