bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TETyper: a bioinformatic pipeline for classifying variation and genetic contexts of transposable elements from short-read whole-genome sequencing data
Authors: Sheppard Anna E. , Stoesser Nicole , German-Mesner Ian , Vegesana Kasi , Sarah Walker A. , Crook Derrick W. , Mathers Amy J.
Published: November 2018

Much of the worldwide dissemination of antibiotic resistance has been driven by resistance gene associations with mobile genetic elements (MGEs), such as plasmids and transposons. Although increasing, our understanding of resistance spread remains relatively limited, as methods for tracking mobile resistance genes through multiple species, strains and plasmids are lacking. We have developed a bioinformatic pipeline for tracking variation within, and mobility of, specific transposable elements (TEs), such as transposons carrying antibiotic-resistance genes. TETyper takes short-read whole-genome sequencing data as input and identifies single-nucleotide mutations and deletions within the TE of interest, to enable tracking of specific sequence variants, as well as the surrounding genetic context(s), to enable identification of transposition events. A major advantage of TETyper over previous methods is that it does not require a genome reference. To investigate global dissemination of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) and its associated transposon Tn4401, we applied TETyper to a collection of over 3000 publicly available Illumina datasets containing bla
KPC. This revealed surprising diversity, with over 200 distinct flanking genetic contexts for Tn4401, indicating high levels of transposition. Integration of sample metadata revealed insights into associations between geographic locations, host species, Tn4401 sequence variants and flanking genetic contexts. To demonstrate the ability of TETyper to cope with high-copy-number TEs and to track specific short-term evolutionary changes, we also applied it to the insertion sequence IS26 within a defined K. pneumoniae outbreak. TETyper is implemented in python and is freely available at https://github.com/aesheppard/TETyper.
Circuit directionality for motivation: lateral accumbens-pallidum, but not pallidum-accumbens, connections regulate motivational attraction to reward cues
Authors: Smedley Elizabeth B. , DiLeo Alyssa , Smith Kyle S.
Published: November 2018

Sign-tracking behavior, in which animals interact with a cue that predicts reward, provides an example of how incentive salience can be attributed to cues and elicit motivation. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral pallidum (VP) are two regions involved in cue-driven motivation. The VP, and subregions of the NAc including the medial shell and core, are critical for sign-tracking, and connections between the medial shell and VP are known to participate in sign-tracking and other motivated behaviors. The NAc lateral shell (NAcLSh) is a distinct and understudied subdivision of the NAc, and its contribution to the process by which reward cues acquire value remains unclear. The NAcLSh has been implicated in reward-directed behavior, and has reciprocal connections with the VP, suggesting that NAcLSh and VP interactions could be important mechanisms for incentive salience. Here, we use DREADDs (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs) and an intersectional viral delivery strategy to produce a biased inhibition of NAcLSh neurons projecting to the VP, and vice versa. We find that disruption of connections from NAcLSh to VP reduces sign-tracking behavior while not affecting consumption of food rewards. In contrast, VP to NAcLSh disruption affected neither sign-tracking nor reward consumption, but did produce a greater shift in animals’ behavior more towards the reward source when it was available. These findings indicate that the NAcLSh→VP pathway plays an important role in guiding animals towards reward cues, while VP→NAcLSh back-projections may not and may instead bias motivated behavior towards rewards.
Older adults sacrifice response speed to preserve multisensory integration performance
Authors: Jones Samuel A. , Beierholm Ulrik , Meijer David , Noppeney Uta
Published: November 2018

Ageing has been shown to impact multisensory perception, but the underlying computational mechanisms are unclear. For effective interactions with the environment, observers should integrate signals that share a common source, weighted by their reliabilities, and segregate those from separate sources. Observers are thought to accumulate evidence about the world’s causal structure over time until a decisional threshold is reached.

Combining psychophysics and Bayesian modelling, we investigated how ageing affects audiovisual perception of spatial signals. Older and younger adults were comparable in their final localisation and common-source judgement responses under both speeded and unspeeded conditions, but were disproportionately slower for audiovisually incongruent trials.

Bayesian modelling showed that ageing did not affect the ability to arbitrate between integration and segregation under either unspeeded or speeded conditions. However, modelling the within-trial dynamics of evidence accumulation under speeded conditions revealed that older observers accumulate noisier auditory representations for longer, set higher decisional thresholds, and have impaired motor speed. Older observers preserve audiovisual localisation performance, despite noisier sensory representations, by sacrificing response speed.
Temperature-Jump Solution X-ray Scattering Reveals Distinct Motions in a Dynamic Enzyme
Authors: Thompson Michael C. , Barad Benjamin A. , Wolff Alexander M. , Cho Hyun Sun , Schotte Friedrich , Schwarz Daniel M.C. , Anfinrud Philip , Fraser James S.
Published: November 2018

Correlated motions of proteins and their bound solvent molecules are critical to function, but these features are difficult to resolve using traditional structure determination techniques. Time-resolved methods hold promise for addressing this challenge but have relied on the exploitation of exotic protein photoactivity, and are therefore not generalizable. Temperature-jumps (T-jumps), through thermal excitation of the solvent, have been implemented to study protein dynamics using spectroscopic techniques, but their implementation in X-ray scattering experiments has been limited. Here, we perform T-jump small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) measurements on a dynamic enzyme, cyclophilin A (CypA), demonstrating that these experiments are able to capture functional intramolecular protein dynamics. We show that CypA displays rich dynamics following a T-jump, and use the resulting time-resolved signal to assess the kinetics of conformational changes in the enzyme. Two relaxation processes are resolved, which can be characterized by Arrhenius behavior. We also used mutations that have distinct functional effects to disentangle the relationship of the observed relaxation processes. A fast process is related to surface loop motions important for substrate specificity, whereas a slower process is related to motions in the core of the protein that are critical for catalytic turnover. These results demonstrate the power of time-resolved X-ray scattering experiments for characterizing protein and solvent dynamics on the μs-ms timescale. We expect the T-jump methodology presented here will be useful for understanding kinetic correlations between local conformational changes of proteins and their bound solvent molecules, which are poorly explained by the results of traditional, static measurements of molecular structure.
Ignoring stratigraphic age uncertainty leads to erroneous estimates of species divergence times under the fossilized birth-death process
Authors: Barido-Sottani Joëlle , Aguirre-Fernández Gabriel , Hopkins Melanie , Stadler Tanja , Warnock Rachel
Published: November 2018

Fossil information is essential for estimating species divergence times, and can be integrated into Bayesian phylogenetic inference using the fossilized birth-death (FBD) process. An important aspect of palaeontological data is the uncertainty surrounding specimen ages, which can be handled in different ways during inference. The most common approach is to fix fossil ages to a point estimate within the known age interval. Alternatively, age uncertainty can be incorporated by using priors, and fossil ages are then directly sampled as part of the inference. This study presents a comparison of alternative approaches for handling fossil age uncertainty in analysis using the FBD process. Based on simulations, we find that fixing fossil ages to the midpoint or a random point drawn from within the stratigraphic age range leads to biases in divergence time estimates, while sampling fossil ages leads to estimates that are similar to inferences that employ the correct ages of fossils. Second, we show a comparison using an empirical dataset of extant and fossil cetaceans, which confirms that different methods of handling fossil age uncertainty lead to large differences in estimated node ages. Stratigraphic age uncertainty should thus not be ignored in divergence time estimation and instead should be incorporated explicitly.
Crystal structure of the layered arsenide Rb3Cu3As2
Authors: Ovchinnikov Alexander , He Hua , Bobev Svilen
Published: November 2018

The crystal structure of a new arsenide, Rb3Cu3As2 (trirubidium tricopper diarsenide), has been established from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. This compound crystallizes in the K3Cu3P2 type, with layers of interlinked CuAs2 units. The partitioning of the available valence electrons yields the charge-balanced composition (Rb+)3(Cu+)3(As3–)2, placing this phase in a broad field of transition-metal-containing Zintl phases. First-principles calculations confirm a semiconducting ground state, in accordance with electron-counting considerations. Chemical bonding analysis reveals strong covalent Cu—As bonds and ionic Rb...As interactions. In addition, a weak attraction is found between the Cu atoms, possibly pointing toward cuprophilic interactions.
Two- and three-dimensional coordination polymers based on zinc(II) and furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid: structure variation due to metal-to-linker ratio
Authors: Mao Yimin , Zavalij Peter Y.
Published: November 2018

Two ZnII-based coordination polymers (CPs) were synthesized by the hydrothermal method, using Zn(NO3)2·6H2O and furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) in dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent, at 95 °C. Poly[tetrakis(dimethylazanium) [tetrakis(μ2-furan-2,5-dicarboxylato-κ2
O
2:O
5)dizinc(II)]], {(C2H8N)4[Zn2(C6H2O5)4]}
n
or {[DMA]4[ZnII
2(FDC)4]}
n
(DMA = dimethylazanium and FDC = furan-2,5-dicarboxylate), (1), was obtained with a 1:1 molar ratio of ZnII and FDCA. It crystallized in the monoclinic space group C2/c. Coordinated by ZnII ions, FDC2− ligands form 21 double-stranded helices propagating along the b axis. The helices are interconnected and extend laterally in the a direction, forming a two-dimensional (2D) sheet-like network. The 2D sheets are stacked along the c direction without interconnections. DMA cations are cocrystallized in (1) and are hydrogen bonded with carboxylate O atoms of the FDC2− ligands. The hydrogen-bonding pattern consists of R
2
2(4) and R
2
2(10) motifs alternating in a chain. Poly[bis(dimethylazanium) [bis(μ4-furan-2,5-dicarboxylato-κO
2:κO
2′:κO
5:κO
5)bis(μ3-furan-2,5-dicarboxylato-κO
2:κO
2′:κO
5)dizinc(II)] dimethylformamide 3.08-solvate], {(C2H8N)2[Zn2(C6H2O5)4]·3.08C3H7NO}
n
or {[DMA]2[ZnII
3(FDC)4]·3.08DMF}
n
, (2), was obtained with a 1:2 molar ratio of ZnII and FDCA. It crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/c, forming a three-dimensional network. The pores are filled with DMA cations and DMF solvent molecules.
A new co-crystal dinuclear/trinuclear ZnII–ZnII/ZnII–SmIII–ZnII complex with a salen-type Schiff base ligand
Authors: Sarr Mamour , Diop Mayoro , Thiam Elhadj Ibrahima , Gaye Mohamed , Barry Aliou Hamady , Orton James B. , Coles Simon J
Published: November 2018

In the pentanuclear title complex, [SmZn2(C22H18N2O4)2(NCS)2(C3H7NO)2][Zn2(C22H18N2O4)(NCS)3]·C3H7NO·0.32H2O, namely bis{μ2-6,6′-dimethoxy-2,2′-[phenylene-1,2-diylbis(nitrilomethanylylidene)]diphenolato}-1κ4
O,N,N′,O′:2κ3
O,O′,O
6;2κ3
O,O′,O
6:3κ4
O,N,N′,O′-bis(dimethylformamide-2κO)dithiocyanato-1κN,3κN-2-samarium(III)-1,3-dizinc(II) {μ2-6,6′-dimethoxy-2,2′-[phenylene-1,2-diylbis(nitrilomethanylylidene)]diphenolato-1κ4
O,N,N′,O′:2κ2
O,O′}trithiocyanato-1κN;2κ2
N,N-dizinc(II) dimethylformamide monosolvate 1.32-hydrate, a dinuclear unit and a trinuclear unit co-exist. One of the ZnII centers in the dinuclear unit as well as the two ZnII centers in the trinuclear unit are located in the inner N2O2 cavity of the ligand and are coordinated to the nitrogen atom of one thiocyanate moiety, giving rise to a square-pyramidal geometry. The second ZnII center in the dinuclear unit is coordinated to the two phenolate oxygen atoms of the ligand and to two thiocyanate groups via the nitrogen atom in a tetrahedral geometry. The SmIII ion is eight-coordinated by four phenolate O atoms from the two ligand molecules, two methoxy O atoms from the two ligand molecules and two O atoms from the DFM solvent molecule. In the dinuclear unit, the two methoxy oxygen atoms remain uncoordinated while in the trinuclear unit, for each ligand one methoxy oxygen is coordinated and the other one remains uncoordinated. In the crystal, the trinuclear cationic units and dinuclear anionic units are assembled into infinite layers. These layers are held together via electrostatic interactions, forming a three-dimensional structure. In the dinuclear unit, the C and S atoms of one of the thiocyanate groups are disordered over two sets of sites in a 0.680 (4)(4):0.320 (4) ratio.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of 2,4,6,11-tetrakis(4-fluorophenyl)-9-oxa-1,5-diazatricyclo[5.3.1.03.8]undecane
Authors: Vengatesh G. , Sundaravadivelu M. , Swinton Darious Robert
Published: November 2018

The title compound, C32H26F4N2O, crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n with four molecules in the unit cell. The compound was prepared by the NaBH4 reduction of 4,8,9,10-tetrakis(4-fluorophenyl)-1,3-diazaadamantan-6-one in chloroform and ethanol as solvent. The piperidine rings exhibit chair and boat conformations, and all four fluorophenyl groups are oriented in the equatorial direction. The crystal structure features C—H...F hydrogen bonds, C—H...π, N—H...π and π–π interactions. Hirshfeld surface and two-dimensional fingerprint analysis show that van der Waals interactions constitute a major contribution to the intermolecular interactions, with H...H contacts accounting for 37.9% of the surface.
A one-dimensional iodido-bridged PtII/PtIV mixed-valence complex cation with a hydrogen sulfate counter-anion
Authors: Matsushita Nobuyuki
Published: November 2018

The title compound, catena-poly[[[bis(ethylenediamine-κ2
N,N′)platinum(II)]-μ-iodido-[bis(ethylenediamine-κ2
N,N′)platinum(IV)]-μ-iodido] tetra(hydrogen sulfate) dihydrate], {[PtII(C2H8N2)2][PtIVI2(C2H8N2)2](HSO4)4·2H2O}
n
, has a linear chain structure comprising alternating platinum cations with mixed-valent oxidation states of +II/IV. Square-planar [Pt(en)2]2+ cations and elongated octahedral trans-[PtI2(en)2]2+ cations (en is ethylenediamine) are stacked alternately parallel to the b axis, and are bridged by the I ligands. The Pt site of the [PtII/IV(en)2] units is located on a twofold rotation axis. The I site, which is located on the same twofold rotation axis, is equally disordered over two positions. The Pt and I sites form a straight ...I—PtIV—I...PtII... chain, with PtIV—I bond lengths of 2.7202 (6) and 2.6917 (6) Å, and PtII...I contacts of 3.2249 (6) and 3.2534 (6) Å. The mixed-valence state of the Pt site is expressed by the structural parameter δ = (PtIV–I)/(PtII...I), with values of 0.843 and 0.827 for the two independent I atoms. In the crystal structure, the cationic columnar structure is stabilized by hydrogen bonds of the type N—H...O between the amine groups of the Pt complex chains and the disordered hydrogen sulfate counter anions, and between the amine groups and water molecules of crystallization. In addition, O—H...O hydrogen bonds between the hydrogen sulfate anions and water molecules of crystallization and between the hydrogen sulfate anions themselves consolidate the crystal packing.
Crystal structure of 4-[(3-methoxy-2-oxidobenzylidene)azaniumyl]benzoic acid methanol monosolvate
Authors: Kamaal Saima , Faizi Md. Serajul Haque , Ali Akram , Ahmad Musheer , Iskenderov Turganbay
Published: November 2018

In the crystal of the title compound, C15H13NO4·CH3OH, the Schiff base molecule exists in the zwitterionic form; an intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond stabilizes the molecular structure. The benzene rings are nearly co-planar, subtending a dihedral angle of 5.34 (2)°. In the crystal, classical O—H...O and weak C—H...O hydrogen bonds link the Schiff base molecules and methanol solvent molecules into a three-dimensional supramolecular architecture. The crystal studied was refined as an inversion twin.
Simulation the effects of cross-flow injection on the slip velocity and temperature domain of a nanofluid flow inside a microchannel
Authors: Jalali Esmaeil , Karimipour Arash
Published: November 2018

Purpose

In this paper, the forced convection heat transfer of the nanofluid composed of water and AL2O3 nanoparticles is simulated in a two-dimensional horizontal microchannel by injecting the lower wall. The upper wall of the microchannel is 303 K at temperature TH. On the lower wall of the microchannel, there are three holes for flow injection. Other parts of the wall are insulated. In this paper, the effect of parameters such as Reynolds number, slip coefficient and volume fraction of nanoparticles is investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

The boundary condition of the slip velocity is considered on the upper and lower walls of the microchannel. In this work, the flow of nanofluid in the microchannel is considered to be slow, permanent and Newtonian. In the present study, the effect of injection through the microchannel wall on the slip velocity is examined for the first time.

Findings

The results are also presented as velocity profiles and Nusselt number diagrams. It was found that the Nusselt number increases with increasing the amount of slip coefficient of velocity and the weight percentage of solid nanoparticles. The rate of this increase is higher in the high values of the Reynolds number.

Originality/value

A novel paper concerned the simulation of cross-flow injection effects on the slip velocity and temperature domain of a nanofluid flow inside a microchannel.
Ontology-based information security compliance determination and control selection on the example of ISO 27002
Authors: Fenz Stefan , Neubauer Thomas
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a method to formalize information security control descriptions and a decision support system increasing the automation level and, therefore, the cost efficiency of the information security compliance checking process. The authors advanced the state-of-the-art by developing and applying the method to ISO 27002 information security controls and by developing a semantic decision support system.

Design/methodology/approach

The research has been conducted under design science principles. The formalized information security controls were used in a compliance/risk management decision support system which has been evaluated with experts and end-users in real-world environments.

Findings

There are different ways of obtaining compliance to information security standards. For example, by implementing countermeasures of different quality depending on the protection needs of the organization. The authors developed decision support mechanisms which use the formal control descriptions as input to support the decision-maker at identifying the most appropriate countermeasure strategy based on cost and risk reduction potential.

Originality/value

Formalizing and mapping the ISO 27002 controls to the security ontology enabled the authors to automatically determine the compliance status and organization-wide risk-level based on the formal control descriptions and the modelled environment, including organizational structures, IT infrastructure, available countermeasures, etc. Furthermore, it allowed them to automatically determine which countermeasures are missing to ensure compliance and to decrease the risk to an acceptable level.
Big data and its strategic path to value in international firms
Authors: Gnizy Itzhak
Published: November 2018

Purpose

One of the major trends in today’s businesses is big data (BD). While research on various aspects of BD is flourishing, little is empirically known about its impact on firms’ strategies. Furthermore, research on the use of BD and its effects in international firms is in its embryonic stage. The purpose of this paper is to explore the BD and international intelligence use relatedness and examine the impact of BD usage on firms’ strategic orientations en route its implications on business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study proposes BD usage as a key driver of strategic orientations and accounts for a mediated relationship of BD usage with international performance through orientations. Based on data from international firms, a conceptual framework is tested using regressions, path analyses, and additional robustness checks.

Findings

BD appears as having a decidedly strategic focus, and its usage enhances international performance through strategic orientations. The influence of BD is stronger than the influence of any subset of studied orientations. Notably, this influence is strongest when the orientations are treated individually.

Research limitations/implications

This study furthers contemporary understanding of the international intelligence use system. Notably, it challenges traditional management perceptions that suggest a chosen strategy determines the selection of data, and instead provides evidence that modern firms have altered this approach by embracing opportunities for new strategic value creation presented by BD. Managers should emphasize BD usage throughout strategic orientations.

Originality/value

The study is the first to provide theoretical and practical reflections on the use of BD in firms’ strategies. Its contributions face up established literature of the causal direction of strategy choices and data applicability in international settings.
Global consumer culture: epistemology and ontology
Authors: Cleveland Mark , Bartsch Fabian
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework that highlights the reinforcing nature of global consumer culture (GCC). In doing so, this paper highlights a dialectic process in which consumers trade-off, appropriate, indigenize and creolize consumption into multiple GCCs.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is conceptual with illustrative examples.

Findings

GCC is a reinforcing process shaped by global culture flows, acculturation, deterritorialization, and cultural and geographic specific entities. This process allows consumers to indigenize GCC, and GCC to contemporaneously appropriate aspects from myriad localized cultures, producing creolized cultures.

Research limitations/implications

Marketing research and practices need to shift away from the dichotomous view of global and local consumption fueled by a misleading view of segmentation. Instead, marketers should focus on identifying the permutations of emerging GCCs, how these operate according to the context and accordingly position their marketing mix to accommodate them.

Originality/value

The proposed model reviews and integrates existing literature to highlight fundamental research directions that present a comprehensive overview of GCCs, its shortcomings and future directions.
Contractors’ opportunism: construction professionals’ awareness of influencing factors
Authors: Ikuabe Matthew Osivue , Oke Ayodeji Emmanuel
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Construction contractors serve as economic partners to owners of construction projects, but often times, they could depict opportunistic tendencies which are to the detriment of the client. This study aims to focus on the awareness of construction professionals with respect to influencing factors of construction contractors’ opportunism.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was adopted in eliciting responses from construction professionals, namely, architects, quantity surveyors, builders and engineers. In total, 337 questionnaires were distributed, of which 264 were retrieved and deemed fit for analysis. Methods of data analysis used are mean item score, factor analysis, analysis of variance, Kruskal–Wallis and Student Newman Kaul post hoc test.

Findings

The study revealed that the level of construction professionals’ awareness of contractors’ susceptibility of opportunism is very high. Equally, the most ranked factor is “No sanction for not reporting inconsistency of drawings.” The postulated hypothesis was subjected to a test, and the result showed that there is a significant difference in professionals’ perceived level of awareness of factors responsible for contractors’ opportunistic behaviors.

Originality/value

The study brings to the fore professionals’ knowledge of the awareness of influencing factors to contractors’ opportunism. The established level of its awareness portends a dangerous trend and has a large negative impact on the construction industry as this opens a vista to discouraging prospective investors, developers and owners, taking into cognizance the effect this would have on the economy.
Creating sustainable health care systems
Authors: Littlejohns Peter , Kieslich Katharina , Weale Albert , Tumilty Emma , Richardson Georgina , Stokes Tim , Gauld Robin , Scuffham Paul
Published: November 2018

Purpose

In order to create sustainable health systems, many countries are introducing ways to prioritise health services underpinned by a process of health technology assessment. While this approach requires technical judgements of clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness, these are embedded in a wider set of social (societal) value judgements, including fairness, responsiveness to need, non-discrimination and obligations of accountability and transparency. Implementing controversial decisions faces legal, political and public challenge. To help generate acceptance for the need for health prioritisation and the resulting decisions, the purpose of this paper is to develop a novel way of encouraging key stakeholders, especially patients and the public, to become involved in the prioritisation process.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a multidisciplinary collaboration involving a series of international workshops, ethical and political theory (including accountability for reasonableness) have been applied to develop a practical way forward through the creation of a values framework. The authors have tested this framework in England and in New Zealand using a mixed-methods approach.

Findings

A social values framework that consists of content and process values has been developed and converted into an online decision-making audit tool.

Research limitations/implications

The authors have developed an easy to use method to help stakeholders (including the public) to understand the need for prioritisation of health services and to encourage their involvement. It provides a pragmatic way of harmonising different perspectives aimed at maximising health experience.

Practical implications

All health care systems are facing increasing demands within finite resources. Although many countries are introducing ways to prioritise health services, the decisions often face legal, political, commercial and ethical challenge. The research will help health systems to respond to these challenges.

Social implications

This study helps in increasing public involvement in complex health challenges.

Originality/value

No other groups have used this combination of approaches to address this issue.
Impact of organisational change for leaders in mental health
Authors: Frawley Timmy , Meehan Annabel , De Brún Aoife
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of organisational and structural change on the evolution of quality and safety in health organisations, specifically in mental health services.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. In total, 25 executive management team members in both public and private mental health services were interviewed and data were analysed using Burnard’s framework.

Findings

Three overarching themes emerged: organisational characteristics, leadership and accountability; sustaining collaboration and engagement with stakeholders; and challenges to and facilitators of quality and safety. Taken together, the findings speak to the disruptive and disorienting impact of on-going organisational change and restructuring on leaders’ ability to focus on, and advance, the quality and safety agenda.

Research limitations/implications

Typical with qualitative research of this nature, the potentially limited generalisability of the findings must be acknowledged.

Practical implications

There is a need for strategies to implement change that are informed by evidence and theory and informed by decades of research on this topic, rather than introduced ad hoc. Change agents must pair effective change management and implementation science strategies to specific contexts, depending on what is being implemented and ensure appropriate evaluation of organisational change to bolster the evidence base around quality and safety and inform future decision-making.

Originality/value

The study explores an identified gap in the literature on the impact of on-going organisational re-structuring and transformation on the evolution of quality and safety in mental health services.
Young consumer’s influence: a study of Gulf region
Authors: Chaudhary Monica , Durrah Omar , Ghouse Suhail M.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The emergence of children as a distinct consumer class has led to a stronger influence on the parents and their participation in the family buying process. This paper aims to investigate the different socializing agents of children across different product categories leading to their enhanced pester power.

Design/methodology/approach

With the help of a bilingual questionnaire (English and Arabic language), a survey was conducted in Dhofar, Oman. Purposive sampling was used to collect the data from the parents of young children (8-12) years. The collected data was then tabulated in MS Excel and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS 24 Statistical software.

Findings

The study found that parents are the strongest consumer socialization agents for young Arab children, followed by friends and internet, and the weakest agent is TV. Arab children use persuasion strategy more often and use aggressive strategy least often to pester their parents.

Practical implications

The study has been very perspicacious in understanding child’s role in the otherwise reserved Arab families. Marketers can make use of this finding and can develop marketing communications with more appropriate content.

Originality/value

The growth of Gulf markets offers marketers a great opportunity to renew their marketing practices and techniques. Still not much has been found in literature to study this region. With this in mind, the current study aimed at analyzing the consumer socialization and influence strategies of the Arab children.
Determinants of green procurement implementation and its impact on firm performance
Authors: Ghosh Manimay
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to identify the determinants that influence adoption of green procurement (GP) practices in Indian firms; and second, to investigate the impact of adoption of GP practices on various parameters of firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the extant literature on green supply chain management practices, an online field survey questionnaire was developed. The primary intent of the survey was to identify and examine the factors behind adoption of GP initiatives and also to study the impact of its adoption on firm performance. The web-survey was sent to several hundred Indian manufacturing firms. The usable responses were then analyzed using multivariate analysis approach.

Findings

The results indicate that internal environmental concern, supplier collaboration, customer pressure, competitive pressure and management support had positive influence on GP. The second finding was that GP adoption had positive relationships with all selected parameters of firm performance.

Research limitations/implications

The study was primarily aimed at manufacturing sector and not on the non-manufacturing sector, and therefore, some valuable insights may have been lost.

Originality/value

This paper examines the relationship between the drivers of GP practices and degree of GP; a relatively unexplored area in the developing economy. It further investigates the impact of GP implementation on various dimensions of firm performance, which has also received limited attention in extant literature. Finally, it also adds value to the nascent literature on GP practices in India.
Reviewing challenges and gaps in European and global dementia policy
Authors: Wright Toni , O’Connor Stephen
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to scope out European and global policy documents focused on dementia with the purpose of providing a synthesis of the challenges the phenomenon poses and the gaps evident.

Design/methodology/approach

An adapted PESTEL framework as a data extraction tool resulted in an analysis of the political, economic, social, technological, environmental, organisational, educational and research aspects of dementia policy.

Findings

Policy documents showed variability of dementia strategy, plan and programme development. All documents recognised rapidly growing ageing populations, and increasing numbers of people living with dementia. Dementia as a public health priority is inconsistent in growth. Global policy documents stress the impact of dementia will be felt most by low- and middle-income countries. Main themes were: a need to raise awareness of dementia and action to reduce stigma around it, the need for early diagnosis and preventative person-centred approaches with integrated care, fiscal investment, further research, training and education for workforces, increased involvement of and support for people living with dementia and care and support close to home.

Practical implications

By identifying current dementia challenges and policy gap implications this analysis urges engagement with broader frames of reference as potential for enabling bolder and radically better dementia care models.

Originality/value

This paper offers a review of present global and European dementia policy, outlining the potential implications for the most marginalised in society if it fails to be critical of its own underpinning assumptions.
How and when does grit influence leaders’ behavior?
Authors: Caza Arran , Posner Barry Z.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of grit, which is the tendency to pursue long-term goals with perseverance and continuing passion, on leaders’ self-reported behavior in terms of role modeling and innovating, as well as inspiring, empowering and supporting followers.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from an international sample of 3,702 leaders in work and non-work contexts. They reported their level of grit and how frequently they engaged in five leadership practices. Moderation analysis was used to test the influence of grit on leadership behaviors across contexts.

Findings

High grit leaders reported more frequent role modeling and innovating behaviors, but less inspiring behavior. Grit’s effect on empowering behaviors depended on the context; grit caused leaders to empower followers more in non-work contexts, but not in work-related ones.

Research limitations/implications

That grit is an important predictor of leadership behavior yields both practical and theoretical implications. For practice, the results suggest that grit is a desirable trait in managers, corresponding with their greater use of various leadership behaviors. For theory, the results suggest that part of the effect of traits in leadership arises from influencing the frequency with which leaders engage in particular behaviors.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine grit’s role in leadership, and it has practical and theoretical implications. For practice, the results suggest that grit is a desirable trait in leaders, but one which requires unique supports from the leader’s environment. For theory, the results begin to fill an important gap. It is well-established that personality influences leadership outcomes, but it remains uncertain how and when. The current study suggests how, since traits influence the frequency with which leaders engage in particular behaviors, and begins to define when, highlighting differences between work and non-work contexts.
Revealing potential of energy-saving behind emission reduction
Authors: Zhang Douqing , Li Mingjun , Ji Xiang , Wu Jie , Dong Yilun
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to generate quantitative managerial insights for the improvement of the energy-saving potential and the coordinated development between economic growth and environmental protection.

Design/methodology/approach

A novel data envelopment analysis (DEA) model, based on the classical DEA theory, is developed from the perspective of emission reduction.

Findings

The empirical results indicate that China’s overall environmental efficiency is low and that there is huge improvement space for energy saving. Under the concerns of emission reduction, the energy-saving potential of the central region exceeds that of both the eastern and western regions. With regard to water, electricity and gas consumption, the electricity-saving potential exceeds the potential for both water saving and gas saving.

Originality/value

Previous studies rarely focused on the energy-saving potential, while considering environmental pollution. This paper applies a novel DEA method to evaluate the energy-saving potential of 30 Chinese provinces for 2015 with a focus on emission reduction concerns. Furthermore, both regional differences and energy type differences of the saving potential were analyzed.
The role of group-level perceived organizational support and collective affective commitment in the relationship between leaders’ directive and supportive behaviors and group-level helping behaviors
Authors: Tremblay Michel , Gaudet Marie-Claude , Vandenberghe Christian
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine a model linking directive and supportive leadership to group-level helping behaviors via group-level perceived organizational support (GPOS) and collective affective commitment (CAC).

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from 115 business units of an international retailer, the authors tested and compared the theoretical model against more parsimonious solutions usingχ² difference tests. The hypotheses were examined within a structural model.

Findings

The results show that GPOS acts as a mediator in the relationship between leadership behaviors and CAC and between directive leadership and group-level helping behaviors. Supportive leadership is directly related to CAC and group-level helping behaviors.

Research limitations/implications

Implications of these findings for research on supportive and directive leadership are discussed.

Originality/value

This paper proposed a model that examined intermediate linkages between directive and supportive leadership and group-level helping behaviors. In doing so, the authors provide a preliminary response to recent calls for examination of mediators of task-oriented and relations-oriented leadership effects (Judgeet al., 2004).
Language development and intelligence in midlife
Authors: Flensborg‐Madsen Trine , Mortensen Erik Lykke
Published: November 2018

Individual differences in early language skills have been found to be associated with other cognitive outcomes in childhood and adolescence. However, research is limited on whether these associations persist into adulthood. In this study, we examined potential associations of the timing of early language milestones with cognitive ability in a prospective cohort study of 938 singletons from the Copenhagen Perinatal Cohort (CPC), who participated in a 50‐year follow‐up examination in 2009–2011. Later attainment of a number of milestones was associated with lower midlife IQ with the strongest associations found for ‘Naming objects/animals in pictures’, ‘Forming a sentence’, and ‘Sharing experiences’. Milestones related to language explained 6.7% of the variance in midlife IQ, while milestones related to social interaction explained 3.1%. The study provides evidence that individual differences in language development during the first years of life are associated with intelligence in midlife.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Differences in early language skills are associated with other cognitive skills in childhood and adolescence.

No study has examined this association from childhood through midlife in a large community‐based sample.

What does this study add?

Early language development is associated with intelligence in midlife.

A total of 6.7% of the variance in midlife IQ is explained by milestones related to language.

Adjustment for potentially confounding factors did not change the associations.
CTLA‐4 polymorphism rs231775: Influence on relapse and survival after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in childhood
Authors: Hammrich Judith , Wittig Susan , Ernst Thomas , Gruhn Bernd
Published: November 2018

Objective

Relapse following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is still linked to a poor prognosis. Mainly, donor`s T‐cells mediate the graft‐versus‐leukemia effect. Cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte antigen‐4 (CTLA‐4) is an inhibitory molecule which down‐regulates T‐cell activation. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in CTLA‐4 may have an effect on immune response.

Methods

Eighty‐eight children with acute leukemia and their donors were genotyped of CTLA‐4 gene for rs231775. We searched for an association of CTLA‐4 SNP with relapse and survival after allogeneic HSCT.

Results

We identified a significantly reduced relapse rate in children who received a transplant from a donor with the CTLA‐4 genotypes AG or GG in comparison with genotype AA of rs231775 (19% vs 40%, P = 0.026). In addition, we observed a significant difference in event‐free survival (EFS) depending on the donor´s genotype. The EFS was 70% or 46% if the patient was transplanted from a donor with CTLA‐4 genotype AG/GG or AA, respectively (P = 0.025). In multivariate analysis, CTLA‐4 genotype was an independent risk factor for relapse rate (P = 0.028).

Conclusion

This study suggests that CTLA‐4 polymorphism rs231775 is relevant for relapse and survival after allogeneic HSCT in childhood and should be further investigated in clinical trials.
Cracking the combination: Gut hormones for the treatment of obesity and diabetes
Authors: Alexiadou Kleopatra , Anyiam Oluwaseun , Tan Tricia
Published: November 2018

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are a veritable global pandemic. There is an imperative to develop new therapies for these conditions that can be delivered at scale to patients, which deliver effective and titratable weight loss, amelioration of diabetes, prevention of diabetic complications and improvements in cardiovascular health. Although agents based on glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) are now in routine use for diabetes and obesity, the limited efficacy of such drugs means that newer agents are required. By combining the effects of GLP‐1 with other gut and metabolic hormones such as glucagon (GCG), oxyntomodulin, glucose‐dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) and peptide YY (PYY), we may obtain improved weight loss, increased energy expenditure and improved metabolic profiles. Drugs based on dual agonism of GLP1R/GCGR and GLP1R/GIPR are being actively developed in clinical trials. Triple agonism, for example with GLPR1/GCGR/GIPR unimolecular agonists or using GLP‐1/oxyntomodulin/PYY, is also being explored. Multi‐agonist drugs seem set to deliver the next generation of therapies for diabetes and obesity soon.
Replication fork collapse at a protein‐DNA roadblock leads to fork reversal, promoted by the RecQ helicase
Authors: Weaver Georgia M. , Mettrick Karla A. , Corocher Tayla‐Ann , Graham Adam , Grainge Ian
Published: November 2018

Proteins that bind DNA are the cause of the majority of impediments to replication fork progression and can lead to subsequent collapse of the replication fork. Failure to deal with fork collapse efficiently leads to mutation or cell death. Several models have been proposed for how a cell processes a stalled or collapsed replication fork; eukaryotes and bacteria are not dissimilar in terms of the general pathways undertaken to deal with these events. This study shows that replication fork regression, the combination of replication fork reversal leading to formation of a Holliday Junction along with exonuclease digestion, is the preferred pathway for dealing with a collapsed fork in Escherichia coli. Direct endo‐nuclease activity at the replication fork was not observed. The protein that had the greatest effect on these fork processing events was the RecQ helicase, while RecG and RuvABC, which have previously been implicated in this process, were found to play a lesser role. Eukaryotic RecQ homologues, BLM and WRN, have also been implicated in processing events following replication fork collapse and may reflect a conserved mechanism. Finally, the SOS response was not induced by the protein‐DNA roadblock under these conditions, so did not affect fork processing.
Fisheries Policy for Sustainable Development: Coastal Models and Limitations Derived from Participation and Power Organisation in Atlantic FLAGs in Spain and Portugal
Authors: Piñeiro‐Antelo María de los Ángeles , Felicidades‐García Jesús , Lois‐González Rubén C.
Published: November 2018

The incorporation of territorial development into the Common Fisheries Policy has allowed for the decentralised and participatory management of part of its funds. In fact, the criteria for sustainable development in fishing zones follow the guidelines of Community‐Led Local Development. This work critically examines the implementation process of Axis 4 of the European Fisheries Fund in two areas of the Iberian Peninsula’s Atlantic coast as case studies, looking into the creation of Fishery Local Action Groups and the analysis of the planning and execution phases of the funds. The results show, on the one hand, the limited development of this approach and the doubts about the effectiveness of area‐based partnerships as tools for local development, and on the other, the benefits for the revitalisation of the fishing sector, especially in the long term.
New records of bark beetle-associated mites of the genus Pleuronectocelaeno Vitzthum (Mesostigmata: Celaenopsidae) in Asian Russia with first description of male of Pleuronectocelaeno japonica Kinn
Authors: Trach Viacheslav A. , Khaustov Alexander A.
Published: November 2018

Three mite species of the genus Pleuronectocelaeno, P. barbara Athias-Henriot, P. japonica Kinn, and P. kinni Khaustov, were recorded in association with bark beetles in Asian Russia. The first description of male of P. japonica is provided. Pleuronectocelaeno kinni and P. barbara are recorded for the first time from Russia and the Far East of Russia, respectively. A key to the adults of Pleuronectocelaeno is presented.