bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) in breast and prostate cancers: exploring the potential role of calcium receptors
Authors: Baio Gabriella , Fabbi Marina , Cilli Michele , Rosa Francesca , Boccardo Simona , Valdora Francesca , Salvi Sandra , Basso Luca , Emionite Laura , Gianolio Eliana , Aime Silvio , Neumaier Carlo Emanuele
Published: October 2019

Procedures

To assess the relationship between Manganese Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MEMRI) and the expression of calcium receptors in human prostate and breast cancer animal models.

Methods

NOD/SCID mice were inoculated with MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and prostate PC3 cancer cells to develop orthotopic or pseudometastatic cancer animal models. Mice were studied on a clinical 3T scanner by using a prototype birdcage coil before and after intravenous injection of MnCl2. Assessment of receptor’s status was carried out after the MR images acquisition by immunohistochemistry on excised tumours.

Results

Manganese contrast enhancement in breast or prostate cancer animal models well correlated with CaSR expression (p<0.01), whereas TRPV6 expression levels appeared not relevant to the Mn uptake.

Conclusion

MEMRI appears an efficient tool to characterize human breast and prostate cancer animal models in the presence of different expression level of CaSR.
Polyadenylation of Histone H3.1 mRNA Promotes Cell Transformation by Displacing H3.3 from Gene Regulatory Elements
Authors: Chen Danqi , Chen Qiao Yi , Wang Zhenjia , Zhu Yusha , Kluz Thomas , Tan Wuwei , Li Jinquan , Wu Feng , Fang Lei , Zhang Xiaoru , He Rongquan , Shen Steven , Sun Hong , Zang Chongzhi , Jin Chunyuan , Costa Max
Published: October 2019

Replication-dependent canonical histone messenger RNAs (mRNAs) do not terminate with a poly(A) tail at the 3’ end. We previously demonstrated that exposure to arsenic, an environmental carcinogen, induces polyadenylation of canonical histone H3.1 mRNA. The addition of a poly(A) tail to the H3.1 mRNA caused transformation of human cells in vitro, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here we report that polyadenylation of H3.1 mRNA increases H3.1 protein level, resulting in depletion of histone variant H3.3 at active promoters, enhancers, and insulator regions through its displacement. Cells underwent transcriptional deregulation, G2/M cell cycle arrest, chromosome aneuploidy and aberrations. Furthermore, knocking down the expression of H3.3 induced cell transformation, whereas ectopic expression of H3.3 attenuated arsenic-induced cell transformation, suggesting that H3.3 displacement might be central to tumorigenic effects of polyadenylated H3.1 mRNA. Our study provides novel insights into the importance of proper histone stoichiometry in maintaining genome integrity.

Highlights

Polyadenylation of canonical histone H3.1 mRNA promotes tumor formation in nude mice

Histone variant H3.3 is displaced from critical gene regulatory elements by overexpression of polyadenylated H3.1 mRNA

Increased polyadenylated H3.1 mRNA causes abnormal transcription, cell cycle arrest, and chromosomal instability

Arsenic induces polyadenylation of H3.1 mRNA in vivo
From stress to depression: Development of extracellular matrix-dependent cognitive impairment following social stress
Authors: Koskinen Maija-Kreetta , van Mourik Yvar , Smit August Benjamin , Riga Danai , Spijker Sabine
Published: October 2019

Stress can predispose to depressive episodes, yet the molecular mechanisms regulating the transition from the initial stress response to a persistent pathological depressive state remain poorly understood. To shed light on this stress-to-depression transition process, we profiled the development of an enduring depressive-like state in rat by assessing affective behavior and hippocampal function during the 2 months following social defeat stress. In addition, we measured remodeling of hippocampal extracellular matrix (ECM) during this period, as we recently identified ECM changes to mediate cognitive impairment during a sustained depressive-like state. We found affective disturbance and cognitive impairment to develop disparately after social stress. While affective deficits emerged gradually, spatial memory impairment was present both early after stress and during the late-emerging chronic depressive-like state. Surprisingly, these phases were separated by a period of normalized hippocampal function. Similarly, the SDPS paradigm induced a biphasic regulation of the hippocampal ECM coinciding with hippocampus-dependent memory deficits. Early after stress, synaptic ECM proteins and the number of perineuronal nets enwrapping parvalbumin-expressing interneurons were decreased. This was followed by a recovery period without ECM dysregulation, before subsequent decreased metalloproteinase activity and ECM build-up, previously shown to impair memory. This suggests that intact hippocampal function requires unaltered ECM levels. Together our data 1) reveal a dichotomy between affective and cognitive impairments similar to that observed in patients, 2) indicate different molecular processes taking place during early stress and the chronic depressive-like state, and 3) support a role of the ECM in mediating long-lasting memory-effects of social stress.
Extracellular ATP and CD39 activate cAMP-mediated mitochondrial stress response to promote cytarabine resistance in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Aroua Nesrine , Ghisi Margherita , Boet Emeline , Nicolau-Travers Marie-Laure , Saland Estelle , Gwilliam Ryan , de Toni Fabienne , Hosseini Mohsen , Mouchel Pierre-Luc , Farge Thomas , Bosc Claudie , Stuani Lucille , Sabatier Marie , Mazed Fetta , Larrue Clément , Jarrou Latifa , Gandarillas Sarah , Bardotti Massimiliano , Syrykh Charlotte , Laurent Camille , Gotanègre Mathilde , Bonnefoy Nathalie , Bellvert Floriant , Portais Jean-Charles , Nicot Nathalie , Azuale Francisco , Kaoma Tony , Tamburini Jérome , Vergez François , Récher Christian , Sarry Jean-Emmanuel
Published: October 2019

Relapses driven by chemoresistant leukemic cell populations are the main cause of mortality for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here, we show that the ectonucleotidase CD39 (ENTPD1) is upregulated in cytarabine (AraC)-resistant leukemic cells from both AML cell lines and patient samplesin vivoandin vitro. CD39 cell surface expression and activity is increased in AML patients upon chemotherapy compared to diagnosis and enrichment in CD39-expressing blasts is a marker of adverse prognosis in the clinics. High CD39 activity promotes AraC resistance by enhancing mitochondrial activity and biogenesis through activation of a cAMP-mediated response. Finally, genetic and pharmacological inhibition of CD39 eATPase activity blocks the mitochondrial reprogramming triggered by AraC treatment and markedly enhances its cytotoxicity in AML cellsin vitroandin vivo. Together, these results reveal CD39 as a new prognostic marker and a promising therapeutic target to improve chemotherapy response in AML.

SIGNIFICANCE

Extracellular ATP and CD39-cAMP-OxPHOS axis are key regulators of cytarabine resistance, offering a new promising therapeutic strategy in AML.
The BSGatlas: An enhanced annotation of genes and transcripts for theBacillus subtilisgenome with improved information access
Authors: Geissler Adrian Sven , Anthon Christian , González-Tortuero Enrique , Poulsen Line Dahl , Kallehauge Thomas Beuchert , Seemann Stefan Ernst , Vinther Jeppe , Gorodkin Jan
Published: October 2019

The genome ofBacillus subtiliscontinues to provide exiting genomic insights. However, the growing collective genomic knowledge about this micro-organism is spread across multiple annotation resources. Thus, the full annotation is not directly accessible neither for specific genes nor for large-scale high-throughput analyses. Furthermore, access to annotation of non-coding RNA genes (ncRNAs) and polycistronic mRNAs is difficult. To address these challenges we introduce theBacillus subtilisgenome atlas, BSGatlas, in which we integrate and unify multiple existing annotation resources. Our integration provides twice as many ncRNAs than the individual resources, improves the positional annotation for 70% of the combined ncRNAs, and makes it possible to infer specific ncRNA types. Moreover, we unify known transcription start sites, termination, and transcriptional units (TUs) as a comprehensive transcript map. This transcript map implies 815 new TUs and 6, 164 untranslated regions (UTRs), which is a five-fold increase over existing resources. We furthermore, find 2, 309 operons covering the transcriptional annotation for 93% of all genes, corresponding to an improvement by 11%. The BSGatlas is available in multiple formats. A user can either download the entire annotation in the standardized GFF3 format, which is compatible with most bioinformatics tools for omics and high-throughput studies, or view the annotation in an online browser athttp://rth.dk/resources/bsgatlas.

Importance

TheBacillus subtilisgenome has been studied in numerous context and consequently multiple efforts have been made in providing a complete annotation. Unfortunately, a number of resources are no longer maintained, and (i) the collective annotation knowledge is dispersed over multiple resources, of which each has a different focus of what type of annotation information they provide. (ii) Thus, it is difficult to easily and at a large scale obtain information for a genomic region or genes of interest. (iii) Furthermore, all resources are essentially incomplete when it comes to annotating non-coding and structured RNA, and transcripts in general. Here, we address all three problems by first collecting existing annotations of genes and transcripts start and termination sites; afterwards resolving discrepancies in annotations and combining them, which doubled the number of ncRNAs; inferring full transcripts and 2,309 operons from the combined knowledge of known transcript boundaries and meta-information; and critically providing it all in a standardized UCSC browser. That interface and its powerful set of functionalities allow users to access all the information in a single resource as well as enables them to include own data on top the full annotation.
PATTIE: Publication access through tiered interaction & exploration
Authors: Ortiz Michael Segundo , Wang Mengqian , Seki Kazuhiro , Kim Heejun , Mostafa Javed
Published: October 2019

In this work we present Publication Access Through Tiered Interaction & Exploration (PATTIE) – an information foraging, sense-making, and exploratory spatial-semantic information retrieval (IR) system (http://pattie.unc.edu/plos). Non-spatial, spatial IR systems, and some recent studies focused on their principal functions are discussed and compared. To interactively work through a use-case from the biomedical domain, instructions are provided for readers to conduct exploratory searches directly on the PLOS archive based on the software embedded in the online version of this paper (http://vzlib.unc.edu/software/). To carefully evaluate some of the critical parameters of the PATTIE algorithm, and the core functions of the implemented system, a set of experiments were conducted. Along with details on the experimental methods and their rationale, key findings from the experiments are analyzed and presented. Finally, with an eye toward the future of software-embedded scientific papers, their potential benefits for supporting direct engagement with scientific content, replication, and validation are discussed.
Atypical Structural Tendencies Among Low-Complexity Domains in the Protein Data Bank Proteome
Authors: Cascarina Sean M. , Elder Mikaela R. , Ross Eric D.
Published: October 2019

A variety of studies have suggested that low-complexity domains (LCDs) tend to be intrinsically disordered and are relatively rare within structured proteins in the protein data bank (PDB). Although LCDs are often treated as a single class, we previously found that LCDs enriched in different amino acids can exhibit substantial differences in protein metabolism and function. Therefore, we wondered whether the structural conformations of LCDs are likewise dependent on which specific amino acids are enriched within each LCD. Here, we directly examined relationships between enrichment of individual amino acids and secondary structure preferences across the entire PDB proteome. Secondary structure preferences varied as a function of the identity of the amino acid enriched and its degree of enrichment. Furthermore, divergence in secondary structure profiles often occurred for LCDs enriched in physicochemically similar amino acids (e.g. valine vs. leucine), indicating that LCDs composed of related amino acids can have distinct secondary structure preferences. Comparison of LCD secondary structure preferences with numerous pre-existing secondary structure propensity scales resulted in relatively poor correlations for certain types of LCDs, indicating that these scales may not capture secondary structure preferences as sequence complexity decreases. Collectively, these observations provide a highly resolved view of structural preferences among LCDs parsed by the nature and magnitude of single amino acid enrichment.

Author Summary

The structures that proteins adopt are directly related to their amino acid sequences. Low-complexity domains (LCDs) in protein sequences are unusual regions made up of only a few different types of amino acids. Although this is the key feature that classifies sequences as LCDs, the physical properties of LCDs will differ based on the types of amino acids that are found in each domain. For example, the sequences “AAAAAAAAAA”, “EEEEEEEEEE”, and “EEKRKEEEKE” will have very different properties, even though they would all be classified as LCDs by traditional methods. In a previous study, we developed a new method to further divide LCDs into categories that more closely reflect the differences in their physical properties. In this study, we apply that approach to examine the structures of LCDs when sorted into different categories based on their amino acids. This allowed us to define relationships between the types of amino acids in the LCDs and their corresponding structures. Since protein structure is closely related to protein function, this has important implications for understanding the basic functions and properties of LCDs in a variety of proteins.
Representation of Distance and Direction of Nearby Boundaries in Retrosplenial Cortex
Authors: Wijngaarden Joeri B.G. van , Babl Susanne S. , Ito Hiroshi T.
Published: October 2019

Borders and edges are salient and behaviourally relevant features for navigating the environment. The brain forms dedicated neural representations of environmental boundaries, which are assumed to serve as a reference for spatial coding. Here we expand this border coding network to include the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) in which we identified neurons that increase their firing near all boundaries of an arena. RSC border cells specifically encode walls, but not objects, and maintain their tuning in the absence of direct sensory detection. Unlike border cells in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC), RSC border cells are sensitive to the animal’s direction to nearby walls located contralateral to the recorded hemisphere. Pharmacogenetic inactivation of MEC led to a disruption of RSC border coding, but not vice versa, indicating network directionality. Together these data shed light on how information about distance and direction of boundaries is generated in the brain for guiding navigation behaviour.
Structural analysis of mycobacterial homoserine transacetylases central to methionine biosynthesis reveals druggable active site
Authors: Chaton Catherine T. , Rodriguez Emily S. , Reed Robert W. , Li Jian , Kenner Cameron W. , Korotkov Konstantin V.
Published: October 2019

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the cause of the world’s most deadly infectious disease. Efforts are underway to target the methionine biosynthesis pathway, as it is not part of the host metabolism. The homoserine transacetylase MetX converts L-homoserine to O-acetyl-L-homoserine at the committed step of this pathway. In order to facilitate structure-based drug design, we determined the high-resolution crystal structures of three MetX proteins, including M. tuberculosis (MtMetX), Mycolicibacterium abscessus (MaMetX), and Mycolicibacterium hassiacum (MhMetX). A comparison of homoserine transacetylases from other bacterial and fungal species reveals a high degree of structural conservation amongst the enzymes. Utilizing homologous structures with bound cofactors, we analyzed the potential ligandability of MetX. The deep active-site tunnel surrounding the catalytic serine yielded many consensus clusters during mapping, suggesting that MtMetX is highly druggable.
An activity-guided map of electrophile-cysteine interactions in primary human immune cells
Authors: Vinogradova Ekaterina V. , Lazar Daniel C. , Suciu Radu M. , Wang Yujia , Bianco Giulia , Yamashita Yu , Crowley Vincent M. , Remillard Dave , Lum Kenneth M. , Simon Gabriel M. , Kemper Esther K. , Lazear Michael R. , Yin Sifei , Blewett Megan M. , Dix Melissa M. , Nguyen Nhan , Shokhirev Maxim N. , Chin Emily , Lairson Luke , Forli Stefano , Teijaro John R. , Cravatt Benjamin F.
Published: October 2019

Electrophilic compounds originating from nature or chemical synthesis have profound effects on immune cells. These compounds are thought to act by cysteine modification to alter the functions of immune-relevant proteins; however, our understanding of electrophile-sensitive cysteines in the human immune proteome remains limited. Here, we present a global map of cysteines in primary human T cells that are susceptible to covalent modification by electrophilic small molecules. More than 3000 covalently liganded cysteines were found on functionally and structurally diverse proteins, including many that play fundamental roles in immunology. We further show that electrophilic compounds can impair T cell activation by distinct mechanisms involving direct functional perturbation and/or ligand-induced degradation of proteins. Our findings reveal a rich content of ligandable cysteines in human T cells, underscoring the potential of electrophilic small molecules as a fertile source for chemical probes and ultimately therapeutics that modulate immunological processes and their associated disorders.
A functional corona around extracellular vesicles enhances angiogenesis during skin regeneration and signals in immune cells
Authors: Wolf Martin , Poupardin Rodolphe W , Ebner-Peking Patricia , Andrade André Cronemberger , Blöchl Constantin , Obermayer Astrid , Gomes Fausto Gueths , Vari Balazs , Eminger Essi , Binder Heide-Marie , Raninger Anna M , Hochmann Sarah , Brachtl Gabriele , Spittler Andreas , Heuser Thomas , Ofir Racheli , Huber Christian G , Aberman Zami , Schallmoser Katharina , Volk Hans-Dieter , Strunk Dirk
Published: October 2019

Nanoparticles can acquire a protein corona defining their biological identity. Corona functions were not yet considered for cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). Here we demonstrate that nanosized EVs from therapy-grade human placental-expanded (PLX) stromal cells are surrounded by an imageable and functional protein corona when enriched with permissive technology. Scalable EV separation from cell-secreted soluble factors via tangential flow-filtration and subtractive tandem mass-tag proteomics revealed significant enrichment of predominantly immunomodulatory and proangiogenic proteins. Western blot, calcein-based flow cytometry, super-resolution and electron microscopy verified EV identity. PLX-EVs protected corona proteins from protease digestion. EVs significantly ameliorated human skin regeneration and angiogenesis in vivo, induced differential signaling in immune cells, and dose-dependently inhibited T cell proliferation in vitro. Corona removal by size-exclusion or ultracentrifugation abrogated angiogenesis. Re-establishing an artificial corona by cloaking EVs with defined proangiogenic proteins served as a proof-of-concept. Understanding EV corona formation will improve rational EV-inspired nanotherapy design.
PSX, Protein–Solvent Exchange: software for calculation of deuterium-exchange effects in small-angle neutron scattering measurements from protein coordinates
Authors: Pedersen Martin Cramer , Wang Yong , Tidemand Frederik Grønbæk , Martel Anne , Lindorff-Larsen Kresten , Arleth Lise
Published: October 2019

Recent developments in neutron scattering instrumentation and sample handling have enabled studies of more complex biological samples and measurements at shorter exposure times. The experiments are typically conducted in D2O-based buffers to emphasize or diminish scattering from a particular component or to minimize background noise in the experiment. To extract most information from such experiments it is thus desirable to determine accurate estimates of how and when closely bound hydrogen atoms from the biomolecule exchange with the deuterium in the solvent. This article introduces and documents software, PSX, for exploring the effect of hydrogen–deuterium exchange for proteins solubilized in D2O as well as the underlying bioinformatical models. The software aims to be generally applicable for any atomistic structure of a protein and its surrounding environment, and thus captures effects of both heterogenous exchange rates throughout the protein structure and varying the experimental conditions such as pH and temperature. The paper concludes with examples of applications and estimates of the effect in typical scenarios emerging in small-angle neutron scattering on biological macromolecules in solution. The analysis presented here suggests that the common assumption of 90% exchange is in many cases an overestimate with the rapid sample handling systems currently available, which leads to fitting and calibration issues when analysing the data. Source code for the presented software is available from an online repository in which it is published under version 3 of the GNU publishing licence.
Local atomic structure analysis of GaN surfaces via X-ray absorption spectroscopy by detecting Auger electrons with low energies
Authors: Isomura Noritake , Kikuta Daigo , Takahashi Naoko , Kosaka Satoru , Kataoka Keita
Published: October 2019

GaN is a promising material for power semiconductor devices used in next-generation vehicles. Its electrical properties such as carrier mobility and threshold voltage are affected by the interface between the oxide and the semiconductor, and identifying the interface states is important to improve these properties. A surface-sensitive measurement of Ga K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) by detecting Ga LMM Auger electrons that originate from Ga K-shell absorption is proposed for GaN. LMM Auger electrons with low energies were detected and the EXAFS oscillation was confirmed, providing information on the Ga atoms at the surface. Investigation of thermally oxidized GaN with an oxide film of defined thickness showed that the analysis depth was less than 10 nm, which is consistent with the inelastic mean free path of 2.3 nm estimated for LMM Auger electrons in GaN.
The impact of national culture on the adoption of environmental management standards
Authors: Orcos Raquel , Palomas Sergio
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how national cultures contribute to explain the uneven diffusion of ISO 14001 across countries. The paper focuses on two of the cultural dimensions developed by the global leadership and organizational behavior effectiveness (GLOBE) project, namely, performance orientation and institutional collectivism.

Design/methodology/approach

A database containing information about the diffusion of ISO 14001 in 52 countries during the period 1999–2016 was built to carry out this research. The countries considered in this study represent about 90 percent of worldwide ISO 14001 certifications. The information was gathered from publicly available data sources: the ISO Survey, published every year by the International Organization for Standardization, the world development indicators of the World Bank, the cultural dimensions of the GLOBE project and the Index of Economic Freedom provided by The Heritage Foundation.

Findings

This research finds that both performance orientation and institutional collectivism influence the diffusion of ISO 14001. Whereas performance orientation slows down the diffusion of ISO 14001, institutional collectivism speeds it up. Additionally, this research shows that the slowing effect of performance orientation decreases in strength over time, while the accelerating effect of institutional collectivism becomes stronger.

Originality/value

The study adds to the understanding of the influence of national culture on the diffusion of environmental management standards, with an emphasis on ISO 14001. A key contribution of this research is that it explores how the influence of cultural dimensions change over time as a result of the development and maturation of ISO 14001.
A technology management system for the development of single-task construction robots
Authors: Linner Thomas , Pan Wen , Hu Rongbo , Zhao Charlie , Iturralde Kepa , Taghavi Meysam , Trummer Julian , Schlandt Marcel , Bock Thomas
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Because of the sharply growing interest worldwide of “hard” physical-mechanical robot systems for the execution of on-site construction tasks [i.e. single-task construction robots (STCRs)], the purpose of this study is to equip development projects with a systematic design-management system model that allows to integrate the different needs and aims of stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a STCR-technology management system (STCR-TMS) for the complete development cycle of STCR designs. The STCR-TMS is based on established principles from systems engineering and management and STCR-specific activities developed and tested by the authors as standalone elements in previous research work.

Findings

The application of the STCR-TMS revealed the practicability of the method and the underlying concepts to provide practical guidance for the development process. Additional findings indicate that the method is sufficiently generic and flexible for application to different types of robots and indifferent world regions. This research has also shown that key activities need to be addressed to increase the practicability of the STCR-TMS.

Originality/value

A unique characteristic of this method is the evolution with each utilization cycle. In addition, individual elements are interchangeable and can be adapted based on external circumstances. These properties allow the TMS to be applied to other fields in construction robotics. With the progression of the verification and validation of the method, know-how and certain elements can be fed into standardization activities (e.g. establishing a management system standard).
Numerical simulation and experiments to improve throwing power for practical PCB through-holes plating
Authors: Xiang Jing , Wang Chong , Chen Yuanming , Xia Feng , He Wei , Miao Hua , Zhou Jinqun , Chen Qingguo , Jin Xiaofeng
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the synergism of convection, current density distribution and additives by numerical simulation and electrochemical experiments for good throwing power (TP) of copper electro-deposition in printed circuit board (PCB) manufacture.

Design/methodology/approach

The flow field of THs and current density distribution on various AR of THs are calculated and analyzed. Meanwhile, corresponding simulation is used to study the performance of plating electrolytes on TP. Two electrochemical parameters, overpotential (η) and potential difference (△η), are chosen to evaluate the electrochemical properties of different plating solutions by galvanostatic measurement and potentiodynamic cathode polarization at different rotating speeds.

Findings

By combining both the results of simulation and practical plating, these two electrochemical properties of electrolytes exhibit significant impact to the system at varied conditions. Especially, the electrolyte with higher polarizingηand △ηvalues lead to the elevated TP for AR of more than 2:1.

Originality/value

The harring cell model is built as a bridge between the theoretical and experimental study for control of uniformity of plating THs in PCB manufacturing. This dual-parameter evaluation is validated to be a promising decisive method to guide the THs plating with particular AR in industry.
Value co-creation processes at sustainable music festivals: a grounded theory approach
Authors: Werner Kim , Griese Kai-Michael , Faatz Andreas
Published: October 2019

Purpose

One of the most significant shifts in contemporary business thinking in the tourism and event industry is co-creation and the framework for adopting this collaborative approach is integral for achieving the fundamental goal of value creation. The purpose of this paper is to enhance the understanding of sustainable events by analysing value co-creation processes from the attendees’ perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodical framework comprises two steps. First, the study analyses the literature related to festivals and value co-creation, with a focus on sustainable festivals. Second, data rooted research based on grounded theory is conducted, using 12 semi-structured interviews with music festival attendees.

Findings

Three distinct festival attendee categories were identified: the sustainable co-creation type, the calculating type and the experience type. Within each category, attendees have different attitudes, personal values and experiences as well as individual assessments of what exactly constitutes value and value creation. These three categories are regarded as key factors in describing different kinds of value co-creation processes in the festival context.

Research limitations/implications

Considering these three types and addressing their personal values, beliefs and value perceptions will allow festival organisers to better manage the development of sustainable festivals and their role as value co-creators.

Originality/value

This paper addresses the need to better understand how value is created in a festival context. The application of grounded theory also considers scholarly calls for a deeper search into the meaning and essence of value for festival attendees.
The Phygital experience in the smart tourism destination
Authors: Ballina Francisco Javier , Valdes Luis , Del Valle Eduardo
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Information communication technologies (ICTs) of destination are not a mere mechanism of technical interaction; they are, above all, new mixed realities that integrate physical and digital resources. Using the utility of technology indicator, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate a new experiential model.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 377 tourists that stayed at hotels was conducted. It dealt with three different issues: the value of digital technologies when creating experiences, the different appeal of the digital device applications, and the measurement of the level of satisfaction with the destination, stay and expenditure.

Findings

ICTs are the main tool for building the value of the tourist experience and technological utilities increase the competitiveness of the destination. Furthermore, two types of ICT utility were identified: individual and social experience.

Research limitations/implications

These include the problems of a sampling procedure, operating with a database of tourists’ opinions, and also the specificities of each destination in particular.

Practical implications

Smart tourism destination should be considered a part of the tourist service. They are not merely information feedback but facilitate the generation of experiences built on the new digital realities.

Social implications

The Phygital phenomenon represents a radical change in the personal and social behaviour of tourists, incorporating technological matters as a direct component in their decisions and actions.

Originality/value

Phygital experience is a radical change for co-creation in tourism. Tourists are not demanding improvements but rather a new experiential model.
Eco-design requirements in heavyweight vehicle development – a case study of the impact of the Euro 5 emissions standard on the Brazilian industry
Authors: Scur Gabriela , de Mello Adriana Marotti , Schreiner Lilian , José das Neves Fernando
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how technology-forcing regulations affect the product development process in the supply chain of heavyweight vehicles.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a case study, this paper seeks to understand how one of the leading companies in heavyweight vehicles manufacturing industry and its engine supplier in Brazil introduce eco-design practices into its engine development process.

Findings

Through case studies conducted in a heavyweight vehicle producer and its engine supplier, this study shows that, in addition to meeting the standards and legislation, the automaker uses ecodesign practices during the product development cycle such as a design that eliminates harmful and hazardous materials and a project that allows recycling, the reuse of parts and energy efficiency, thereby reducing the environmental impact. However, without the mandatory requirements imposed by federal legislation, products with lower environmental impacts would rarely be developed, as environmental performance is not demanded by customers, who are mainly cost driven. Technology-forcing regulations play an important role in enhancing the adoption of ecodesign practices, but market and competitive conditions also play an important role.

Originality/value

Several studies on the impacts of public policies and development for the automobile sector have been conducted, but there is a lack of studies in the area of commercial vehicles, especially in Brazil. Therefore, this research is justified by new demands of society, in addition to the necessity of complying with legal requirements and the adoption of good practices related to eco-design.
The impacts of customer involvement on the relationship between relationship quality and performance
Authors: Li Yi , Zhang Ying , Xu Jinpeng , Feng Taiwen
Published: October 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to determine whether relationship quality should be measured as a disaggregated or as a composite construct, and investigate the causal relationship between relationship quality and customer involvement. The authors also explore the role of customer involvement in relationship quality-performance linkage in B2B settings.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on 214 Chinese manufacturers and uses the structural equation model to examine this conceptual model and hypotheses.

Findings

As a reflective second-order construct, relationship quality not only has positive effects on performance but also positively affects customer involvement. More importantly, customer involvement partially mediates the relationship between relationship quality and performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study only focuses on customer relationship, but neglects the supplier relationship.

Practical implications

When assessing the relationship quality with customers, suppliers must consider trust, commitment and investment dimensions simultaneously. In addition, to increase performance, suppliers must involve customers who are trusted and invested in training and logistics facility and then cooperate with them in new product design.

Originality/value

These findings contribute to this understanding on the relationship quality in B2B settings and provide theoretical contributions and managerial insights for both academics and practitioners.
A review: microstructure and properties of tin-silver-copper lead-free solder series for the applications of electronics
Authors: Aamir Muhammad , Muhammad Riaz , Tolouei-Rad Majid , Giasin Khaled , Silberschmidt Vadim V.
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The research on lead-free solder alloys has increased in past decades due to awareness of the environmental impact of lead contents in soldering alloys. This has led to the introduction and development of different grades of lead-free solder alloys in the global market. Tin-silver-copper is a lead-free alloy which has been acknowledged by different consortia as a good alternative to conventional tin-lead alloy. The purpose of this paper is to provide comprehensive knowledge about the tin-silver-copper series.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach of this study reviews the microstructure and some other properties of tin-silver-copper series after the addition of indium, titanium, iron, zinc, zirconium, bismuth, nickel, antimony, gallium, aluminium, cerium, lanthanum, yttrium, erbium, praseodymium, neodymium, ytterbium, nanoparticles of nickel, cobalt, silicon carbide, aluminium oxide, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, cerium oxide, zirconium oxide and titanium diboride, as well as carbon nanotubes, nickel-coated carbon nanotubes, single-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene-nano-sheets.

Findings

The current paper presents a comprehensive review of the tin-silver-copper solder series with possible solutions for improving their microstructure, melting point, mechanical properties and wettability through the addition of different elements/nanoparticles and other materials.

Originality/value

This paper summarises the useful findings of the tin-silver-copper series comprehensively. This information will assist in future work for the design and development of novel lead-free solder alloys.
Interpersonal trust and employee knowledge sharing behavior
Authors: Mohammed Neethu , Kamalanabhan T.J.
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of benevolence-based, competence-based and integrity-based trust in peers on the employees’ voluntary knowledge contribution and knowledge seeking with them. In addition, this study aims to explore how engaging in knowledge-contribution and knowledge-seeking behavior with peers influences an individual’s creative performance at work.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire-based survey was used and data were collected from 401 professionals working in information technology companies. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Benevolence-based trust and competence-based trust positively influence the extent to which individuals voluntarily engage in knowledge contribution and knowledge seeking with peers. Contrary to expectations, integrity-based trust has a negative effect on knowledge-seeking behavior at workplace. The results also provide evidence for a significant positive relationship between both types of knowledge sharing behavior and employees’ creative performance.

Originality/value

The present study differs from existing studies by offering a theoretical model that integrates different types of knowledge sharing, its antecedents and the differential impact on employee creativity. The model incorporates the knowledge-seeking dimension of individual knowledge sharing behavior, which has received relatively less attention in extant literature, and provides a conceptual comparison of different behavioral contexts in a single study. While prior studies have predominantly explored the antecedents of knowledge sharing, this study is among the few that have simultaneously looked into the outcomes of knowledge sharing at individual level.
The return of the trophic chain: Fundamental vs. realized interactions in a simple arthropod food web
Authors: Torres‐Campos Inmaculada , Magalhães Sara , Moya‐Laraño Jordi , Montserrat Marta
Published: October 2019

The mathematical theory describing small assemblages of interacting species (community modules or motifs) has significantly improved our understanding of the emergent properties of ecological communities. It is not clear whether all interactions accounted for in such models will be realized in real communities.

Here, we use community modules to experimentally explore whether the number of trophic links among species scales with community complexity (i.e. by adding species known to feed on each other from pairwise trials) in a simple mite community present in avocado orchards (Persea americana). By varying the presence of each of two predators (Euseius stipulatus and Neoseiulus californicus), one herbivore as shared prey (Oligonychus perseae) and pollen of Carpobrotus edulis as an alternative food resource, we mimicked communities with simple trophic chains, intraguild predation and/or apparent competition. We then assessed predation rates and the conversion of food into offspring in those communities.

We found that increasing the number of potential interactions did not result in more complex realized community modules. Instead, all species effectively fed upon a single food item, hence all community modules actually corresponded to one or two linear trophic chains.

Therefore, trophic links assumed to occur when species are assembled in pairs do not necessarily occur when other components of the community are present. Consequently, food web structure may be much less complex than predicted by theory.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Explaining Heterogeneity in the Effect of the Exchange Rate and Exchange Rate Volatility on Foreign Direct Investment: A Meta‐Analysis Approach
Authors: Moraghen Warren , Seetanah Boopen , Sookia Noor
Published: October 2019

This study examines the effect of exchange rate and exchange rate volatility on foreign direct investment (FDI) by using a meta‐analysis. We filter out publication bias within the 1,329 estimates, pooled from 101 studies and employ Bayesian Model Averaging to reduce model uncertainty and explain the existing heterogeneity. The results reveal that the exchange rate system, estimation characteristics, and the modeling approach have an important and noticeable influence on the statistical significance and direction of the estimates. On one hand, the impact of exchange rate volatility is relatively lower in countries with higher trade openness, human capital and better protection of intellectual property rights. On the other hand, greater geographical distance and technology gap between the host and the home economy are associated with greater uncertainty and thus accentuate the negative causality between exchange rate volatility and FDI. Such sensitivities suggest that greater emphasis should be placed on reporting estimates of the impact of the exchange rate and its volatility on FDI across a variety of methodological characteristics and specification and estimation choices.
Banking Sector Development and Energy Consumption in Nigeria: Exploring the Causal Relationship and its Implications
Authors: Agbanike Tobechi F. , Nwani Chinazaekpere , Uwazie Uwazie I. , Anochiwa Lasbrey I. , Enyoghasim Michael O.
Published: October 2019

This study examines the causal relationship between banking sector development and energy consumption in Nigeria over the period 1971–2013 incorporating crude oil price and indicators of economic performance. An autoregressive distributed lag bounds testing approach to cointegration provides evidence of long‐run relationship among the variables. The long‐run and short‐run estimates suggest that a non‐linear inverted U‐shaped relationship exists between banking sector development and energy consumption in Nigeria, indicating that initially, energy consumption increases as the banking sector develops and then declines as the banking sector matures to generate efficiency in energy consumption. In addition, this study explores the direction of causality between the variables using the Toda–Yamamoto Granger causality test procedure. The results suggest that a unidirectional causality runs from crude oil price to banking sector development, from banking sector development to energy consumption and from energy consumption to economic growth. It may therefore be necessary for policy makers in Nigeria to incorporate banking sector development in the energy and sustainable economic policies.
Drought‐tolerant rice, weather index insurance, and comprehensive risk management for smallholders: evidence from a multi‐year field experiment in India
Authors: Ward Patrick S. , Makhija Simrin , Spielman David J.
Published: October 2019

In rainfed production systems throughout India, agricultural activities are dependent upon the summer monsoon, and any aberration in monsoon rainfall patterns can have severe consequences for rice production. There is considerable policy interest in designing programs to lower small‐scale farmers’ exposure to these types of risk given the regularity with which adverse monsoon events occur. This paper introduces a field experiment conducted with two risk management options in the state of Odisha: a drought‐tolerant rice cultivar; and a weather index insurance product designed to complement the performance of the cultivar. Uptake rates for the cultivar itself and for the joint product are compared across two years alongside an analysis of factors that predict uptake. Results indicate high levels of demand for both the products, albeit with a significant degree of price sensitivity. But this sensitivity is agnostic to the nature of price reductions, suggesting that public investments that lower the costs of risk management may be sufficient to encourage broad uptake, without necessarily relying upon distortionary subsidies as is so often done. Sustained demand between years one and two is primarily explained where individuals were indemnified in year one and had a large number of peers also purchasing the product.
Framework for a Single Global Repository of Child Abuse Materials
Authors: Açar Kemal Veli
Published: October 2019

Against the tide of a huge amount of data, law enforcement agencies barely manage to focus on undiscovered child abuse materials (CAMs) to identify victims, abusers, and crime scenes. Currently, to alleviate this burden to some extent, there are international and national repositories of CAMs in place, such as Interpol's International Child Sexual Exploitation Database (ICSE DB), NCMEC's Child Recognition and Identification System (CRIS), and the UK's Child Abuse Image Database (CAID). This article introduced these global, regional, and national repositories and other related transnational initiatives comprehensively and also critiques the current trend of setting up more repositories and additional initiatives at local and regional levels. Later, the author elaborates on a plan for a single global repository governed by an international organization. Despite a significant decrease in the costs for a country to be actively involved in the fight against online child sexual abuse and emergence of new possibilities for more effective prevention strategies and investigational methods, such an idea of global centralization might face insurmountable opposition from current stakeholders, particularly because of organizational concerns and technological challenges.