bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PIWIL1 Promotes Gastric Cancer via a piRNA-Independent Mechanism
Authors: Shi Shuo , Yang Zhen-Zhen , Liu Sanhong , Yang Fan , Lin Haifan
Published: May 2020

Targeted cancer therapy aims to achieve specific elimination of cancerous but not normal cells. Recently, PIWI proteins, a subfamily of the PAZ-PIWI Domain (PPD) protein family, have emerged as promising candidates for targeted cancer therapy. PPD proteins are essential for small non-coding RNA pathways. The Argonaute subfamily partners with microRNA and small interfering RNA, whereas the PIWI subfamily partners with PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA). Both PIWI proteins and piRNA are mostly expressed in the germline and best known for their function in transposon silencing, with no detectable function in mammalian somatic tissues. However, PIWI proteins become aberrantly expressed in multiple types of somatic cancers, thus gaining interest in targeted therapy. Despite this, little is known about the regulatory mechanism of PIWI proteins in cancer. Here we report that one of the four PIWI proteins in humans, PIWIL1, is highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines. Knocking out PIWIL1 expression (PIWIL1-KO) drastically reduces gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration, metastasis, and tumorigenesis. RNA deep sequencing of gastric cancer cell line SNU-1 reveals that PIWIL1-KO significantly changes the transcriptome, causing the up-regulation of most of its associated transcripts. Surprisingly, fewbona fidepiRNAs exist in gastric cancer cells. Furthermore, abolishing the piRNA-binding activity of PIWIL1 does not affect its oncogenic function. Thus, PIWIL1 function in gastric cancer cells is independent of piRNA. This piRNA-independent regulation involves interaction with the UPF1-mediated nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) mechanism. Altogether, our findings reveal a novel and piRNA-independent function of PIWIL1 in promoting gastric cancer.

SIGNIFICANCE

Precision medicine aims to cure cancer without affecting normal tissues. PIWI proteins provide a promising opportunity for precision medicine because they are normally expressed only in the testis for male fertility but gain expression in diverse types of cancers. Thus, inhibitingPIWIexpression may stop cancer development (and spermatogenesis) without affecting normal body function. To establish causality between PIWI and cancer, we show here that the expression of PIWIL1, a human PIWI protein, promotes gastric cancer. Surprisingly, this oncogenic function does not require piRNA, the expected partner of PIWI proteins, but involves the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay mechanism. These findings reveal a new function and action mechanism of PIWI proteins in oncogenesis, guiding the identification of PIWI inhibitors to cure cancer.
High-throughput 3D tracking reveals the importance of near wall swimming and initial attachment behaviors of P. aeruginosa for biofilm formation on a vertical wall
Authors: Khong Nicole Zi-Jia , Zeng Yukai , Lai Soak-Kuan , Koh Cheng-Gee , Liang Zhao-Xun , Chiam Keng-Hwee , Li Hoi-Yeung
Published: May 2020

Studying the swimming behaviour of bacteria in 3 dimensions (3D) allows us to understand critical biological processes, such as biofilm formation. It is still unclear how near wall swimming behaviour may regulate the initial attachment and biofilm formation. It is challenging to address this as visualizing the movement of bacteria with reasonable spatial and temporal resolution in a high-throughput manner is technically difficult. Here, we compared the near wall (vertical) swimming behaviour ofP. aeruginosa(PAO1) and its mutants ΔdipA(reduced in swarming motility and increased in biofilm formation) and ΔfimX(deficient in twitching motility and reduced in biofilm formation) using our new imaging technique based on light sheet microscopy. We found thatP. aeruginosa(PAO1) increases its speed and changes its swimming angle drastically when it gets closer to a wall. In contrast, ΔdipAmutant moves toward the wall with steady speed without changing of swimming angle. The near wall behavior of ΔdipAallows it to be more effective to interact with the wall or wall-attached cells, thus leading to more capture events and a larger biofilm volume during initial attachment when compared with PAO1. Furthermore, we found that ΔfimXhas a similar near wall swimming behavior as PAO1, however, it has a higher dispersal frequency and smaller biofilm formation when compared with PAO1 which can be explained by its poor twitching motility. Together, we propose that near wall swimming behavior ofP. aeruginosaplays an important role in the regulation of initial attachment and biofilm formation.

Importance

Bacterial biofilm is a community of bacteria on surfaces which leads to serious problems in medical devices, food industry, and aquaculture. The initial attachment and subsequent microcolony formation play critical roles in bacterial biofilm formation. However, it is unclear how the initial attachment is regulated, in particular, on a vertical surface. To study this, we have developed a novel imaging technique based on light sheet microscopy, which overcame the limitations of other imaging techniques, to understand how 3D bacterial motility near a wall may regulate initial attachment during biofilm formation. Using our technique, we discovered that near wall swimming behavior of the bacteria,P. aeruginosa, plays an important role in the regulation of biofilm formation during initial attachment.
Regeneration in spongeSycon ciliatummimics postlarval development
Authors: Soubigou Anael , Ross Ethan G , Touhami Yousef , Chrismas Nathan , Modepalli Vengamanaidu
Published: May 2020

Somatic cells dissociated from an adult sponge can re-organize and develop into a functional juvenile. However, the extent to which regeneration recapitulates embryonic developmental signaling pathways has remained enigmatic for more than a century. To this end, we have standardized and established a spongeSycon ciliatumregeneration protocol to achieve consistent regeneration in cell culture. From the morphological analysis, we demonstrated that dissociated sponge cells follow a series of morphological events resembling embryonic and postlarval development. Hence, we propose that sponge regeneration represents somatic development. To support our hypothesis, we performed high-throughput sequencing on regenerating samples and compared the data with regular embryonic and postlarval development ofSycon ciliatum. Our comparative transcriptomic analysis illuminates that sponge regeneration is equally as dynamic as embryogenesis. We find that sponge regeneration is orchestrated by complex regulatory mechanisms by recruiting signaling pathways like those utilized in embryonic development to organize into a functional juvenile. In the current study, we lay down the basic framework to studySycon ciliatumregeneration. Since sponges are likely to be the first branch of extant multicellular animal and the sister lineage to nearly all animals, we suggest that this system can be explored to study the genetic features underlying the evolution of multicellularity and regeneration.
Hallmarks of basidiomycete soft- and white-rot in wood-decay -omics data ofArmillaria
Authors: Sahu Neha , Merényi Zsolt , Bálint Balázs , Kiss Brigitta , Sipos György , Owens Rebecca , Nagy László G.
Published: May 2020

The genusArmillariaspp. (Fungi, Basidiomycota) includes devastating pathogens of temperate forests and saprotrophs that decay wood. Pathogenic and saprotrophicArmillariaspecies can efficiently colonize and decay woody substrates, however, mechanisms of wood penetration and colonization are poorly known. We assayed the colonization and decay of autoclaved spruce roots using the conifer-specialistsArmillaria ostoyaeandA. cepistipesusing transcriptomic and proteomic data. Transcript and protein levels were altered more extensively in the saprotrophicA. cepistipesthan in the pathogenicA. ostoyaeand in invasive mycelia of both species compared to their rhizomorphs. Diverse suites of carbohydrate-active enzyme genes (CAZymes), in particular pectinolytic ones and expansins, were upregulated in both species, whereas ligninolytic genes were mostly downregulated. Our gene expression data, together with previous comparative genomic and decay-chemistry analyses suggest that wood decay byArmillariadiffers from that of typical white-rot fungi and shows features resembling soft rot. We propose thatArmillariaspecies have modified the ancestral white-rot machinery so that it allows for selective ligninolysis based on environmental conditions and/or host types.
Genoppi: an open-source software for robust and standardized integration of proteomic and genetic data
Authors: Pintacuda Greta , Lassen Frederik H. , Hsu Yu-Han H. , Kim April , Martín Jacqueline M. , Malolepsza Edyta , Lim Justin K. , Fornelos Nadine , Eggan Kevin C. , Lage Kasper
Published: May 2020

Combining genetic and cell-type-specific proteomic datasets can lead to new biological insights and therapeutic hypotheses, but a technical and statistical framework for such analyses is lacking. Here, we present an open-source computational tool called Genoppi that enables robust, standardized, and intuitive integration of quantitative proteomic results with genetic data. We used Genoppi to analyze sixteen cell-type-specific protein interaction datasets of four proteins (TDP-43, MDM2, PTEN, and BCL2) involved in cancer and neurological disease. Through systematic quality control of the data and integration with published protein interactions, we show a general pattern of both cell-type-independent and cell-type-specific interactions across three cancer and one human iPSC-derived neuronal type. Furthermore, through the integration of proteomic and genetic datasets in Genoppi, our results suggest that the neuron-specific interactions of these proteins are mediating their genetic involvement in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Importantly, our analyses indicate that human iPSC-derived neurons are a relevant model system for studying the involvement of TDP-43 and BCL2 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Bioengineered human skeletal muscle with a Pax7+ satellite cell niche capable of functional regeneration
Authors: Fleming J.W. , Capel A.J. , Rimington R.P. , Wheeler P. , Davies O.G. , Lewis M.P.
Published: May 2020

Skeletal muscle (SkM) regenerates following injury, replacing damaged tissue with high fidelity. However, in serious injuries non-regenerative defects leave patients with loss of function, increased re-injury risk and often chronic pain. Progress in treating these non-regenerative defects has been slow, with advances only occurring where a comprehensive understanding of regeneration has been gained. Tissue engineering has allowed the development of bioengineered models of SkM which regenerate following injury to support research in regenerative physiology. To date however, no studies have utilised human myogenic precursor cells (hMPCs) to closely mimic human physiology due to difficulties generating sufficient cell numbers and the relatively low myogenic potential of hMPCs. Here we address problems associated with cell number and hMPC mitogenicity using magnetic association cell sorting (MACS), for the marker CD56, and media supplementation with fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) and B-27 supplement. Cell sorting allowed extended expansion of myogenic cells and supplementation was shown to improve myogenesis within engineered tissues and force generation at maturity. In addition, these engineered human SkM contained a Pax7+ niche and regenerated following Barium Chloride (BaCl2) injury. Following injury, reductions in function (87.5%) and myotube number (33.3%) were observed, followed by a proliferative phase with increased MyoD+ cells and a subsequent recovery of function and myotube number. An expansion of the Pax7+ cell population was observed across recovery suggesting an ability to generate Pax7+ cells within the tissue, similar to the self-renewal of satellite cells seenin vivo.This work outlines an engineered human SkM capable of functional regeneration following injury, built upon an open source system adding to the pre-clinical testing toolbox to improve the understanding of basic regenerative physiology.
Thermal fluctuations assist mechanical signal propagation in coiled-coil proteins
Authors: Clopés Judit , Shin Jaeoh , Jahnel Marcus , Grill Stephan W. , Zaburdaev Vasily
Published: May 2020

Recently it has been shown that the long coiled-coil membrane tether protein Early Endosome Antigen 1 (EEA1) switches from a rigid to a flexible conformation upon binding of a signaling protein to its free end. This flexibility switch represents a novel motor-like activity, allowing EEA1 to generate a force that moves vesicles closer to the membrane they will fuse with. To elucidate how binding of a single signaling protein can globally change the stiffness of a 200 nm long chain, we propose a simplified description of the coiled-coil as a one-dimensional Frenkel-Kontorova chain. Using numerical simulations, we find that an initial perturbation of the chain can propagate along its whole length in the presence of thermal fluctuations, changing the configuration of the entire molecule and thereby affecting its stiffness. Our work sheds light onto intramolecular communication and force generation in long coiled-coil proteins.
Malignant Schwann cell precursors mediate intratumoral plasticity in human neuroblastoma
Authors: Olsen Thale K. , Otte Jörg , Mei Shenglin , Kameneva Polina , Björklund Åsa , Kryukov Emil , Hou Ziyi , Johansson Anna , Sundström Erik , Martinsson Tommy , Fransson Susanne , Johnsen John Inge , Kogner Per , Adameyko Igor , Kharchenko Peter V. , Baryawno Ninib
Published: May 2020

Neuroblastoma is a heterogeneous embryonal malignancy and the most deadly tumor of childhood, although a minor subset may show spontaneous differentiation. It arises from the multipotent neural crest lineage during development. Some of this multipotency is retained in neuroblastoma, which can give rise to both adrenergic and mesenchymal tumor cells. The mechanisms enabling such dual fates are unknown, but likely help neuroblastoma to evade existing therapies. To understand neuroblastoma plasticity, we analyzed patient tumors using single-cell transcriptomics. In addition to the heterogeneous adrenergic and mesenchymal populations, we identify a subpopulation of malignant cells resembling Schwann cell precursors (SCPs). This SCP-like population connects the adrenergic and mesenchymal compartments through transitions structurally reminiscent of the SCP cell-fate decision fork that occurs during normal development. While the directionality of such transitions in neuroblastoma remains to be established, this finding expands the potential reservoirs of malignant cells, and suggests intratumoral plasticity mechanisms relevant for therapeutic resistance and relapse.
PARP12-catalyzed mono-ADP-ribosylation of Golgin-97 controls the transport of E-cadherin
Authors: Grimaldi Giovanna , Schembri Laura , Monte Matteo Lo , Spano Daniela , Di Martino Rosaria , Beccari Andrea R , Valente Carmen , Corda Daniela
Published: May 2020

ADP-ribosylation is a post-translational modification involved in physiological and pathological events catalyzed by Poly-ADP-Ribosyl-Polymerase (PARP) enzymes. Substrates of this reaction have been identified by mass-spectrometry, but the definition of PARPs-regulated cellular functions remains scarce. Here, we have analyzed the control of intracellular membrane traffic by the mono-ADP-ribosyl-transferase PARP12, motivated by its localization at thetrans-Golgi network. By using bioinformatics, mutagenesis and cell biology approaches we identified Golgin-97, a protein regulating exocytosis, as a PARP12-specific substrate. Mono-ADP-ribosylation of Golgin-97 residues E558-E559-E565 is required for supporting traffic from thetrans-Golgi network to the plasma membrane. This step is halted when PARP12 is deleted or when the Golgin-97 ADP-ribosylation-defective mutant is expressed. Under these conditions E-cadherin, whose transport is controlled by Golgin-97, does not reach the plasma membrane but accumulates in atrans-Golgi proximal compartment. Thus, we demonstrate that the ADP-ribosylation of Golgin-97 is required for E-cadherin exocytosis and thus this event may regulate the sorting of exocytic carriers as well as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
Automatic deep learning driven label-free image guided patch clamp system for human and rodent in vitro slice physiology
Authors: Koos Krisztian , Oláh Gáspár , Balassa Tamas , Mihut Norbert , Rózsa Márton , Ozsvár Attila , Tasnadi Ervin , Barzó Pál , Faragó Nóra , Puskás László , Molnár Gábor , Molnár József , Tamás Gábor , Horvath Peter
Published: May 2020

Patch clamp recording of neurons is a labor-intensive and time-consuming procedure. We have developed a tool that fully automatically performs electrophysiological recordings in label-free tissue slices. The automation covers the detection of cells in label-free images, calibration of the micropipette movement, approach to the cell with the pipette, formation of the whole-cell configuration, and recording. The cell detection is based on deep learning. The model was trained on a new image database of neurons in unlabeled brain tissue slices. The pipette tip detection and approaching phase use image analysis techniques for precise movements. High-quality measurements were performed on hundreds of human and rodent neurons. We also demonstrate that further molecular and anatomical analysis can be performed on the recorded cells. The software has a diary module that automatically logs patch clamp events. Our tool can multiply the number of daily measurements to help brain research.

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY

Novel deep learning and image analysis algorithms for automated patch clamp systems to reliably measure neurons in human and rodent brain slices.
Mental development is associated with cortical connectivity of the ventral and nonspecific thalamus of preterm newborns
Authors: Jakab András , Natalucci Giancarlo , Koller Brigitte , Tuura Ruth , Rüegger Christoph , Hagmann Cornelia
Published: May 2020

The thalamus is a key hub for regulating cortical connectivity. Dysmaturation of thalamocortical networks that accompany white matter injury have been hypothesized as neuroanatomical correlate of late life neurocognitive impairment following preterm birth. Our objective was to find a link between thalamocortical connectivity measures at term equivalent age and two year neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants. Diffusion tensor MRI of 58 infants (postmenstrual age at birth, mean (SD), 29.71 (1.47) weeks) was used to trace connections between the cortex and thalami. We found strong correlation between mental developmental index and two complementary measures of thalamocortical networks: connectivity strength projected to a cortical skeleton and pathway length emerging from thalamic voxels (partial correlation, R=0.552 and R=0.535, respectively, threshold-free cluster enhancement, corrected p-value<0.05), while psychomotor development was not associated with thalamocortical connectivity. Post hoc stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that parental socioeconomic scale, postmenstrual age and the duration of mechanical ventilation at the intensive care unit contribute to the variability of outcome. Our findings independently validated previous observations in preterm infants, providing additional evidence injury or dysmaturation of tracts emerging from ventral specific and various non-specific thalamus projecting to late-maturing cortical regions are predictive of mental, but not psychomotor developmental outcomes.
Chloroplast genome analysis of Angiosperms and phylogenetic relationships among Lamiaceae members with particular reference to teak (Tectona grandisL.f)
Authors: Maheswari P. , Kunhikannan C. , Yasodha R.
Published: May 2020

Availability of comprehensive phylogenetic tree for flowering plants which includes many of the economically important crops and trees is one of the essential requirements of plant biologists for diverse applications. It is the first study on the use of chloroplast genome of 3265 Angiosperm taxa to identify evolutionary relationships among the plant species. Sixty genes from chloroplast genome was concatenated and utilized to generate the phylogenetic tree. Overall the phylogeny was in correspondence with Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) IV classification with very few taxa occupying incongruous position either due to ambiguous taxonomy or incorrect identification. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified from almost all the taxa indicating the possibility of their use in various genetic analyses. Large proportion (95.6%) of A/T mononucleotide was recorded while the di, tri, tetra, penta and hexanucleotide amounted to less than 5%. Ambiguity of the taxonomic status ofTectona grandisL.f was assessed by comparing the chloroplast genome with closely related Lamiaceae members through nucleotide diversity and contraction an expansion of inverted repeat regions. Although the gene content was highly conserved, structural changes in the genome was evident. Phylogenetic analysis suggested thatTectonacould qualify for a subfamily Tectonoideae. Nucleotide diversity in intergenic and genic sequences revealed prominent hyper-variable regions such as,rps16-trnQ,atpH-atpI,psc4-psbJ,ndhF,rpl32andycf1which have high potential in DNA barcoding applications.
Synthesis and crystal structure of (1,10-phenanthroline-κ2
N,N′)[2-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)phenyl-κ2
N
2,C
1]iridium(III) hexafluoridophosphate with an unknown number of solvent molecules
Authors: Zeng Juxiang , Tang Guodong , Qian Jun
Published: May 2020

The cationic complex in the title compound, [Ir(C9H7N2)2(C12H8N2)]PF6, comprises two phenylpyrazole (ppz) cyclometallating ligands and one 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) ancillary ligand. The asymmetric unit consists of one [Ir(ppz)2(phen)]+ cation and one [PF6]− counter-ion. The central IrIII ion is six-coordinated by two N atoms and two C atoms from the two ppz ligands as well as by two N atoms from the phen ligand within a distorted octahedral C2N4 coordination set. In the crystal structure, the [Ir(ppz)2(phen)]+ cations and PF6
− counter-ions are connected with each other through weak intermolecular C—H...F hydrogen bonds. Additional C—H...π interactions between the rings of neighbouring cations consolidate the three-dimensional network. Electron density associated with additional disordered solvent molecules inside cavities of the structure was removed with the SQUEEZE procedure in PLATON [Spek (2015). Acta Cryst. C71, 9–18]. The given chemical formula and other crystal data do not take into account the unknown solvent molecule(s). The title compound has a different space-group symmetry (C2/c) from its solvatomorph (P21/c) comprising 1.5CH2Cl2 solvent molecules per ion pair.
Manufacturing and value-added dynamics in global value chains: the case of Italy
Authors: Burlina Chiara , Di Maria Eleonora
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a snapshot of various countries’ contributions to value produced along global value chains (GVCs). It focusses on manufacturing activities and their evolution over time, in the context of GVC regionalisation.

Design/methodology/approach

The Trade in Value Added (TiVA) and World Integrated Trade Solution databases for the period of 2005-2015 were used to explore the case of Italy and its industries’ specialisations (Made in Italy): fashion, furniture, automotive and machinery traditionally organised into clusters. Various analyses were used to show the dynamics of gross import–export and imported–exported value-added. Moreover, the revealed comparative advantage index was computed to test whether the Made in Italy sector remains a source of competitive advantage for Italy within GVCs.

Findings

The results highlight how the geography of value-added is changing over time, with growing importance placed on the countries close to Italy and with a different pace according to each considered GVC.

Originality/value

The paper applied new methods to compare trade and analyse value-added dynamics through a recent database released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development within the TiVA initiative that is useful for scholars and policymakers.
Linking project complexity to project success: a hybrid SEM–FCM method
Authors: Luo Lan , Zhang Limao , He Qinghua
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop a novel hybrid approach that incorporates the structural equation model (SEM) and fuzzy cognitive map (FCM) to investigate the impacts of the variation in project complexity on project success.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts SEM to identify and validate a correlation between project complexity variables and PS. Standardized causal coefficients estimated in SEM are used to construct an FCM model to illustrate the effect of complexity on PS with linkage direction and weights. Predictive and diagnostic analyses are performed to dynamically model the variation in project complexity on the evolution of PS.

Findings

Results indicate that (1) the hybrid SEM–FCM approach is capable of modeling the dynamic interactions between project complexity and PS; (2) information, goal and environmental complexities are negatively correlated with PS, and technological, task and organizational complexities are positively correlated with PS and (3) the recommendations of complexity management for construction projects are put forward under the guideline of success monitoring.

Originality/value

This research contributes to (1) the state of knowledge by proposing a hybrid methodology that can model the dynamic interactions between project complexity and PS and (2) the state of practice by providing a new perspective of PS evaluation to enhance the probability of success in complex construction projects.
A dual simplex method for grey linear programming problems based on duality results
Authors: Darvishi Salookolaei Davood , Nasseri Seyed Hadi
Published: May 2020

Purpose

For extending the common definitions and concepts of grey system theory to the optimization subject, a dual problem is proposed for the primal grey linear programming problem.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors discuss the solution concepts of primal and dual of grey linear programming problems without converting them to classical linear programming problems. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the theory developed.

Findings

By using arithmetic operations between interval grey numbers, the authors prove the complementary slackness theorem for grey linear programming problem and the associated dual problem.

Originality/value

Complementary slackness theorem for grey linear programming is first presented and proven. After that, a dual simplex method in grey environment is introduced and then some useful concepts are presented.
Life is better in flip flops. Digital nomads and their transformational travels to Thailand
Authors: Orel Marko
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The metamorphosis within the Thai segment of the hospitality industry has influenced the global outlook for hospitality services, shifting the focus from leisure to a hybrid approach of providing all-inclusive work-leisure offerings. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to outline the hybridisation of the hospitality industry in Thailand that is frequented by digital nomads, and to discuss the adaptation of local infrastructure to accommodate this trend.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking the form of a research note, this paper assesses the impact that digital nomads are having upon the hospitality industry in Thailand, and describes how different localities have begun to respond to the challenges and opportunities this trend presents. Additionally, the paper proposes an empirical study that would evaluate the success of various types of work–leisure hubs in adapting to the needs of digital nomads, and the alignment of their offerings with the expectations of these travellers.

Findings

A preliminary review of available resources reveals that there are a variety of work–leisure spaces catering to the needs of digital nomads. These spaces tend to combine lodging accommodations with a shared office environment, incorporating design elements and social activities that are likely to foster interpersonal relationships between guests. Be that as it may, the exact nature of the work–leisure space models behind these environments is unclear.

Originality/value

The paper envisions a study that will enhance scholarly understanding of the transformation which the Thai hospitality industry is currently undergoing in response to the influx of digital nomads. These insights will enable industry experts to assess both the feasibility and profitability of diverse work-leisure models, and assist policymakers in different jurisdictions.
Gender differences in retirement in Chile and Uruguay
Authors: Biehl Andres , Canales Andrea , Salinas Viviana , Wormald Guillermo
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This study compares retirement in Chile and Uruguay, and focuses on current individuals legally entitled to retire, particularly women. The article analyses how labour market and family resources shape the access of women and men to social insurance by investigating the likelihood of retirement after reaching the legal age of retirement.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the Longitudinal Social Protection Survey (LSPS), a biannual or triennial longitudinal survey carried out in six Latin American countries. To study gender differences in the chance of being retired, the study conducts a series of logit regression models to model retirement as a function of labour market and life course conditions as well as providing descriptive and contextual information.

Findings

Main findings support labour market explanations of gender differences in retirement. Work experience, human capital and contribution densities largely explain the chances of retirement and economic autonomy among elderly women. Further analysis reveal that they are both less likely than men to retire but also to work in old age, limiting their economic autonomy.

Research limitations/implications

Data for Uruguay are recent. To maximize comparison between countries, the paper selects the more recent waves with complete administrative information. As a result, the article uses cross-sectional data that might not capture the accumulation of family resources and could fail to provide a complete gendered life course explanation of current disadvantages faced by women.

Originality/value

The article uses novel data in order to place two Latin American countries within mainstream sociological theories of retirement, thus complementing literature that mainly focuses on European and North-American societies. The paper also documents gender gaps in retirement in two different Latin American societies, one with a traditionally generous public pension system (Uruguay) and one with a largely privately-run contributory system (Chile).
Returns and volatility spillover between food prices and exchange rate in Nigeria
Authors: Akanni Lateef Olawale
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Empirical studies have documented the linkage between exchange rate movement and food prices. However, the purpose of this study is to investigate the degree and direction of returns and volatility spillover transmission between exchange rate and domestic food prices in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses weekly data from January 2010 to January 2019. Also, the study adopts the improved Diebold and Yilmaz (2012) approach to evaluate the return and volatility spillover between food price and naira to dollar exchange rate. The study also account for 2016 exchange rate crash in the interconnectedness between food prices and naira to dollar exchange rate.

Findings

The paper finds evidence of directional interdependence among the considered food prices and exchange rate based on the obtained spillover indexes. In addition, exchange rate returns and volatility transmission to food prices is more than it receives, particularly after the exchange rate crash.

Research limitations/implications

The high consumption of staple foods requires policies on price stabilisation such as massive investment in local production and reduction in import dependence, in order to cushion the effects of exchange rate depreciation on domestic prices of food.

Originality/value

This study is the first empirical study to investigate the interconnectedness between exchange rate and domestic food prices for a food import–dependent developing country using the Diebold and Yilmaz approach.
Insurable and non-insurable risks in complex project deals: case of the Ghanaian construction industry
Authors: Owusu-Manu De-Graft , Ghansah Frank Ato , Darko Amos , Asiedu Richard Ohene , Edwards David John
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the insurable risks that impacted the operations on complex construction projects in developing countries using Ghana as a case study.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, structured questionnaires were used to collect relevant information from the top management of construction and insurance firms in Ghana, comprising 50 industry professionals. The study adopted theχ2and independent samples’ttest to interpret the responses from participants.

Findings

The study revealed the major risks that severely impacted the operations on complex construction projects, including strikes and labour disputes, long waiting time for approval of test samples, damages to property during construction, delay in payment to contractor for work done, poor construction method, pressure to deliver project on an accelerated schedule, labour shortage, permits delayed or take longer than expected, inaccurate materials estimating, change in weather pattern, low productivity of subcontractors and inadequate contractor experience.

Practical implications

The study is expected to contribute to increase in the awareness of the insurable risks and policies that project participants are exposed to, which will serve as a decision-making tool for contract formation.

Originality/value

This study assists in managing construction and insurance firms to note the major risk in managing a complex construction project. In addition to knowing the major risks identified, the study investigates the insurable risk by managing both construction and insurance firms.
Financial literacy and behavioural biases of individual investors: empirical evidence of Pakistan stock exchange
Authors: Rasool Nosheen , Ullah Safi
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Financial literacy is a crucial element of financial decision-making, exerting significant influence on the behaviour of individual investors, while making budgetary, house financing, stock investing and retirement planning decisions. So, the purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between financial literacy and behavioural biases of individual investors in Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research paper, a sample of 300 observations was obtained through questionnaires from individual investors residing in Lahore and invested in Pakistan Stock Exchange. The data obtained, was passed through Cronbach’s Alpha and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The hypothesis developed for the research was tested by Pearson’s Chi-square and Ordinal Regression Analysis.

Findings

The hypothesis testing of the research concluded that there is a negative association between financial literacy and behavioural biases of individual investors. So, it means; with an increase in level of financial literacy, the likelihood of investor facing behavioural biases reduces. It also appeared that male respondents have more financial literacy than female respondents

Originality/value

Previous studies in the field of finance, identified different factors causing the financial behaviour of individual investor of Pakistan, and also focused on level of financial literacy in Pakistan, but these studies have not emphasized the crucial relationship between financial literacy and behavioural biases of individual investors. Thus, the unique empirical analysis developed in this paper has accentuated the financial literacy as a factor that mitigates behavioural biases of individual investor.
Operational definition for doubtful activities (Shubuhat) based on Islamic finance perspective
Authors: Ahmed Essia Ries , Yahya Sofri Bin , Haron Harashid , Mohamed Djafar Henni
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to give another perspective on the definition of doubtful activities (Shubuhat) in the context of Islamic finance activities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used qualitative approach from interviews with experts in Islamic finance and religious scholars.

Findings

This study highlights the synthesized Shubuhat definition from the previous studies and the contemporary religious experts. Therefore, the definition of Shubuhat has been conceptualized to Islamic finance in this study. This proposes a novel operational definition of Shubuhat from the Islamic finance perspective.

Originality/value

This study would enlighten the Ummah and contribute to knowledge to provide clarification on the Shubuhat fundamentals for further investigations and with more detailed description of the Shubuhat. Also, this study introduces a value chain of Sharīʿah-compliance by adding the elements of Shubuhat to the general understanding of Sharīʿah-compliance which has been generally understood as having the elements of halal and haram.
More than a feeling? Toward a theory of customer delight
Authors: Parasuraman A. , Ball Joan , Aksoy Lerzan , Keiningham Timothy Lee , Zaki Mohamed
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Responding to an increasing call for a more comprehensive conceptualization of customer delight, the purpose of this paper is to expand the theory of customer delight and to examine the implications of such an expanded view for service theory and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents the results of three qualitative studies. The first study explores customer delight through self-reported consumption experiences in customer-selected contexts, followed by one-on-one in-depth interviews. The second involves focus groups and the third examines self-reported incidents of delightful customer experiences.

Findings

This research finds that customer delight goes beyond extreme satisfaction and joy and surprise to include six properties that—individually or in combination—characterize customer delight. An expanded conceptualization of how customer delight can be defined is proposed in which customer delight is associated with various combinations of six properties – the customer experiencing positive emotions, interacting with others, successful problem-solving, engaging customer’s senses, timing of the events and sense of control that characterizes the customer's encounter.

Research limitations/implications

It is clear from the findings of this research that there is no single property that is associated with delight. Through the facilitation of multiple properties, managers have the potential to create a multitude of routes to delight. It is recommended that future research (1) identify and explicate these alternative routes for engendering delight using the six properties identified, and (2) develop a general typology based on service context and characteristics, customer segment, etc. that further stimulates scholarship on delight, and offers more industry-specific insights for managers.

Practical implications

Insights from this investigation will encourage managers and service designers to think more broadly and creatively about delight. Doing so will open up new opportunities for achieving customer delight, beyond merely focusing on extreme satisfaction or surprise and joy strategies currently dominating discussions of customer delight.

Originality/value

This paper makes several contributions to the service literature. First, it extends current conceptualizations of customer delight and offers an expanded definition. Next, it demonstrates how this new understanding extends the existing literature on delight. Finally, it proposes an agenda for future delight research and discusses managerial implications, opening up new opportunities for firms to design delightful customer experiences.
Understanding the elderly and their next of kin’s usage of mobile personal safety service
Authors: Säynätmäki Olli , Zhang Yixin
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This study aims to understand elderly people and their family members’ perceptions and usage of a mobile personal safety service.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts both interviews and analysis of actual usage data to cross-validate the findings. Four family groups and 11 subjects participated in the study.

Findings

Elderly people are willing to learn to use the mobile safety service, and some elderly people explore more features than their younger family members. Family support facilitates their learning. Elderly people feel psychologically secure when using the mobile safety service. Privacy concerns are mitigated because they consider location sharing is necessary for the service.

Research limitations/implications

The current sample is small, as it involves collection of both interview data and actual usage data. Considering the emergency of the mobile personal safety service, the study is exploratory.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that elderly people are willing to learn and use technology such as the mobile safety service, which is relevant to their daily lives. Designers may think about how to highlight the relevancy aspect of technologies in elderly peoples’ lives.

Originality/value

This study is one of the earliest studies about elderly people’s usage of mobile safety service. This study reveals that elderly people are willing to learn to use the mobile safety service and explore its features. Technical support from family members and relevancy of the service in their daily lives may encourage them to use the technology.
Benchmarking of cleaner production in sand mould casting companies
Authors: da Silva Henrique Guilherme , Ferreira João Carlos Espíndola , Kumar Vikas , Garza-Reyes Jose Arturo
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to develop new sustainability indicators consistent with the sand mould casting industry, through benchmarking of cleaner production (CP), in order to identify the levels of practice and performance of companies of the casting sector. In addition, a lean manufacturing checklist was specified in order to verify the presence of lean manufacturing techniques employed to eliminate waste towards CP. No previous work was found in the literature that attempts to assess practices and performance of companies performing sand mould casting (a significantly polluting manufacturing process) in the context of CP and lean manufacturing.

Design/methodology/approach

For the application of this benchmarking, nine companies from the sand mould casting sector were studied, where the profile of each company was analysed through eight variables and 47 indicators. Data was obtained through face-to-face visits and questionnaire application in the companies, and the data was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Findings

The results obtained were the diagnosis of companies' practices and performance resulting from their position in the benchmarking charts, as well as the identification of the areas in which companies should implement improvements aiming at achieving CP.

Research limitations/implications

This research was developed specifically for sand mould casting companies, and each process has its own characteristics

Practical implications

14 companies were invited to participate in this survey, but nine companies agreed to participate. Unfortunately, there were companies that declined to participate in the survey.

Originality/value

It is important to diagnose casting companies regarding CP practices, performance and deployment potential. Thus, important negative issues in the company can be identified, and with this information, they can develop actions focussed on cases that need more attention. In addition, this work contributes to evaluate the relationship and efficiency of improvement actions developed by companies in the context of both lean manufacturing and CP, aiming to reduce or eliminate the environmental impact. The improvement of practices and performance of a company regarding CP is considered to be beneficial to supply chain management in the context of sustainability, as the other participating companies are likely to seek ways to reduce environmental impact, and the diagnostics provided by this work may also be used by those companies.
Record linking in the EHRI portal
Authors: Arie Erez Sigal , Blanke Tobias , Bryant Mike , Rodriguez Kepa , Speck Reto , Vanden Daelen Veerle
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to describe the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI) project's ongoing efforts to virtually integrate trans-national archival sources via the reconstruction of collection provenance as it relates to copy collections (material copied from one archive to another) and the co-referencing of subject and authority terms across material held by distinct institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a case study of approximately 6,000 words length. The authors describe the scope of the problem of archival fragmentation from both cultural and technical perspectives, with particular focus on Holocaust-related material, and describe, with graph-based visualisations, two ways in which EHRI seeks to better integrate information about fragmented material.

Findings

As a case study, the principal contributions of this paper include reports on our experience with extracting provenance-based connections between archival descriptions from encoded finding aids and the challenges of co-referencing access points in the absence of domain-specific controlled vocabularies.

Originality/value

Record linking in general is an important technique in computational approaches to humanities research and one that has rightly received significant attention from scholars. In the context of historical archives, however, the material itself is in most cases not digitised, meaning that computational attempts at linking must rely on finding aids which constitute much fewer rich data sources. The EHRI project’s work in this area is therefore quite pioneering and has implications for archival integration on a larger scale, where the disruptive potential of Linked Open Data is most obvious.
Adopting Six Sigma DMAIC for environmental considerations in process industry environment
Authors: Prashar Anupama
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The aim of the study is to develop and apply a continuous improvement (CI) framework by introducing environmental considerations into the Six Sigma DMAIC (define–measure–analyze–improve–control) cycle for a continuous identification, evaluation and implementation of promising opportunities of enhancing environmental sustainability of process-based industries.

Design/methodology/approach

Action research approach within the research design of a single case study was used for illustrating the application of the proposed DMAIC framework for improving operational and environmental performance in the process-industry environment of a pharmaceutical manufacturing company.

Findings

The case study illustrated the implementation of DMAIC cycle for optimizing the energy consumption of pharmaceutical plants producing bulk drugs for medication. After improving the energy distribution in the cooling tower (CTW), chilled brine (CHB) and chilled water (CHW) system, the pharmaceutical plant was able to achieve an annual economic benefit of US$97,047 and environmental benefits of mitigating CO2 emissions of 807.44 t (CO2) by reducing the electricity and furnace oil consumption.

Originality/value

The framework may be adopted for environmental considerations specific to process-based industry such as chemical plant, fertilizer units, thermal power plant and food processing industry.