bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RNF152 Negatively Regulates mTOR Signalling and Blocks Cell Proliferation in the Floor Plate
Authors: Kadoya Minori , Sasai Noriaki
Published: May 2019

The neural tube is composed of a number of neural progenitors and postmitotic neurons distributed in a quantitatively and spatially precise manner. The floor plate, located in the ventral-most region of the neural tube, has a lot of unique characteristics, including a low cell proliferation rate. The mechanisms by which this region-specific proliferation rate is regulated remain elusive.

Here we show that the activity of the mTOR signalling pathway, which regulates the proliferation of the neural progenitor cells, is significantly lower in the floor plate than in other domains of the embryonic neural tube. We identified the forkhead-type transcription factor FoxA2 as a negative regulator of mTOR signalling in the floor plate. We demonstrate that FoxA2 transcriptionally induces the expression of the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF152, which together with its substrate RagA, regulates cell proliferation via the mTOR pathway. Silencing of RNF152 led to the aberrant upregulation of the mTOR signal and aberrant cell division in the floor plate. Taken together, the present findings suggest that floor plate cell number is controlled by the negative regulation of mTOR signalling through the activity of FoxA2 and its downstream effector RNF152.
Studying 3D genome evolution using genomic sequence
Authors: Mourad Raphaël
Published: May 2019

The 3D genome is essential to numerous key processes such as the regulation of gene expression and the replication-timing program. In vertebrates, chromatin looping is often mediated by CTCF, and marked by CTCF motif pairs in convergent orientation. Comparative Hi-C recently revealed that chromatin looping evolves across species. However, Hi-C experiments are complex and costly, which currently limits their use for evolutionary studies over a large number of species. Here, we propose a novel approach to study the 3D genome evolution in vertebrates using the genomic sequence only, e.g. without the need for Hi-C data. The approach is simple and relies on comparing the distances between convergent and divergent CTCF motifs (ratio R). We show that R is a powerful statistic to detect CTCF looping encoded in the human genome sequence, thus reflecting strong evolutionary constraints encoded in DNA and associated with the 3D genome. When comparing vertebrate genomes, our results reveal that R which underlies CTCF looping and TAD organization evolves over time and suggest that ancestral character reconstruction can be used to infer R in ancestral genomes.
Structural characterization of tau in fuzzy tau:tubulin complexes
Authors: Fung Ho Yee Joyce , McKibben Kristen , Ramirez Jennifer , Gupta Kushol , Rhoades Elizabeth
Published: May 2019

Tau is a neuronal microtubule (MT) associated protein of significant interest due to its association with several neurodegenerative disorders. Tau’s intrinsic disorder and the dynamic nature of its interactions with tubulin and MTs make its structural characterization challenging. Here we use an environmentally sensitive fluorophore as a site-specific probe of tau bound to soluble tubulin. Comparison of our results with recently published tau:MT cryo-EM model reveals structural similarities between tubulin- and MT-bound tau. Analysis of residues across the repeat regions reveal a hierarchy in tubulin occupancy, which may be relevant to tau’s ability to differentiate between tubulin and MTs. As binding to soluble tubulin is a critical first step in MT polymerization, our characterization of the structural features of tau in dynamic, fuzzy tau:tubulin assemblies advances our understanding of how tau functions in the cell and how function may be disrupted in disease.
Two-color nanoscopy of organelles for extended times with HIDE probes
Authors: Chu Ling , Tyson Jonathan , Shaw Juliana E. , Rivera-Molina Felix , Koleske Anthony J. , Schepartz Alanna , Toomre Derek K.
Published: May 2019

Performing multi-color nanoscopy for extended times is challenging due to the rapid photobleaching rate of most fluorophores. Here we describe a new fluorophore (Yale-595) and a bio-orthogonal labeling strategy that enables both super-resolution (STED) and 3D confocal imaging of two organelles simultaneously for extended times using high-density environmentally sensitive (HIDE) probes. Because HIDE probes are small, cell-permeant molecules, they can visualize organelle pairs (ER + mitochondria, ER + plasma membrane) in hard-to-transfect cell lines at super-resolution for up to 7 minutes. The extended time domain possible using these new tools reveal novel dynamic nanoscale targeting between organelles.
Nol9 is a Spatial Regulator for the Human ITS2 pre-rRNA Processing Complex
Authors: Gordon Jacob , Pillon Monica C. , Stanley Robin E.
Published: May 2019

The ribosome plays a universal role in translating the cellular proteome. Defects in the ribosome assembly factor Las1L are associated with congenital lethal motor neuron disease and X-linked intellectual disability disorders, yet its role in processing precursor ribosomal RNA (pre-rRNA) is largely unclear. The Las1L endoribonuclease associates with the Nol9 polynucleotide kinase to form the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) pre-rRNA processing machinery. Together, Las1L-Nol9 catalyzes RNA cleavage and phosphorylation to mark the ITS2 for degradation. While ITS2 processing is critical for the production of functional ribosomes, the regulation of mammalian Las1L-Nol9 remains obscure. Here we characterize the human Las1L-Nol9 complex and identify critical molecular features that regulate its assembly and spatial organization. We establish that Las1L and Nol9 form a higher-order complex and identify the regions responsible for orchestrating this intricate architecture. Structural analysis by high-resolution imaging defines the intricate spatial pattern of Las1L-Nol9 within the nucleolar sub-structure linked with late pre-rRNA processing events. Furthermore, we uncover a Nol9 encoded nucleolar localization sequence that is responsible for nucleolar transport of the assembled LasL-Nol9 complex. Together, these data provide a mechanism for the assembly and nucleolar localization of the human ITS2 pre-rRNA processing complex.
Capping protein insulates Arp2/3-assembled actin patches from formins
Authors: Billault-Chaumartin Ingrid , Martin Sophie G.
Published: May 2019

How actin structures of distinct identities and functions co-exist within the same environment is a critical self-organization question. Fission yeast cells have a simple actin cytoskeleton made of four structures: Arp2/3 assembles actin patches around endocytic pits; the formins For3, Cdc12 and Fus1 assemble actin cables, the cytokinetic ring during division, and the fusion focus during sexual reproduction, respectively. The focus concentrates the delivery of hydrolases by myosin V to digest the cell wall for cell fusion. We discovered that cells lacking capping protein (CP), a heterodimer that blocks barbed-end dynamics and associates with actin patches, exhibit a delay in fusion. Consistent with CP-formin competition for barbed-end binding, Fus1, F-actin and the linear filament marker tropomyosin hyper-accumulate at the fusion focus in absence of CP. However, myosin V and exocytic cargoes are diverted to ectopic foci and reduced at the fusion focus, which underlies the fusion defect. Remarkably, ectopic foci coincide with actin patches, which now contain low levels of Fus1. During mitotic growth, actin patches lacking CP similarly display a dual identity, as they accumulate the formins For3 and Cdc12 and are co-decorated by tropomyosin and the patch marker fimbrin. Thus, CP serves to protect Arp2/3-nucleated structures from formin activity.
Cytogenetically-based biodosimetry after high doses of radiation
Authors: Pujol-Canadell M. , Perrier J.R. , Cunha L. , Shuryak I. , Harken A. , Garty G. , Brenner D.J.
Published: May 2019

Dosimetry is an important tool for triage and treatment planning following any radiation exposure accident, and biological dosimetry, which estimates exposure dose using a biological parameter, is a practical means of determining the specific dose an individual receives. The cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus assay (CBMN) is an established biodosimetric tool to measure chromosomal damage in mitogen-stimulated human lymphocytes. The CBMN method is especially valuable for biodosimetry in triage situations thanks to simplicity in scoring and adaptability to high-throughput automated sample processing systems. While this technique produces dose-response data which fit very well to a linear-quadratic model for exposures to low linear energy transfer (LET) radiation and for doses up for 5 Gy, limitations to the accuracy of this method arise at larger doses. Resolution at higher doses is limited by the number of cells reaching mitosis. Whereas it would be expected that the yield of micronuclei increases with the dose, in many experiments it has been shown to actually decrease when normalized over the total number of cells. This variation from a monotonically increasing dose response poses a limitation for retrospective dose reconstruction. In this study we modified the standard CBMN assay to increase its resolution following exposures to higher doses of photons or a mixed neutron–photon beam. The assay is modified either through inhibitions of the G2/M and spindle checkpoints with the addition of caffeine and/or ZM447439 (an Aurora kinase inhibitor), respectively to the blood cultures at select times during the assay. Our results showed that caffeine addition improved assay performance for photon up to 10 Gy. This was achieved by extending the assay time from the typical 70 h to just 74 h. Compared to micronuclei yields without inhibitors, addition of caffeine and ZM447439 resulted in improved accuracy in the detection of micronuclei yields up to 10 Gy from photons and 4 Gy of mixed neutrons-photons. When the dose-effect curves were fitted to take into account the turnover phenomenon observed at higher doses, best fitting was achieved when the combination of both inhibitors was used. These techniques permit reliable dose reconstruction after high doses of radiation with a method that can be adapted to high-throughput automated sample processing systems.
Accelerating iterative deconvolution and multiview fusion by orders of magnitude
Authors: Guo Min , Li Yue , Su Yijun , Lambert Talley , Nogare Damian Dalle , Moyle Mark W. , Duncan Leighton H. , Ikegami Richard , Santella Anthony , Rey-Suarez Ivan , Green Daniel , Chen Jiji , Vishwasrao Harshad , Ganesan Sundar , Waters Jennifer C. , Annunziata Christina M. , Hafner Markus , Mohler William A. , Chitnis Ajay B. , Upadhyaya Arpita , Usdin Ted B. , Bao Zhirong , Colón-Ramos Daniel , Riviere Patrick La , Liu Huafeng , Wu Yicong , Shroff Hari
Published: May 2019

We describe theoretical and practical advances in algorithm and software design, resulting in ten to several thousand-fold faster deconvolution and multiview fusion than previous methods. First, we adapt methods from medical imaging, showing that an unmatched back projector accelerates Richardson-Lucy deconvolution by at least 10-fold, in most cases requiring only a single iteration. Second, we show that improvements in 3D image-based registration with GPU processing result in speedups of 10-100-fold over CPU processing. Third, we show that deep learning can provide further accelerations, particularly for deconvolution with a spatially varying point spread function. We illustrate the power of our methods from the subcellular to millimeter spatial scale, on diverse samples including single cells, nematode and zebrafish embryos, and cleared mouse tissue. Finally, we show that our methods facilitate the use of new microscopes that improve spatial resolution, including dual-view cleared tissue light-sheet microscopy and reflective lattice light-sheet microscopy.
Integrin-alpha-6+ Stem Cells (ISCs) are responsible for whole body regeneration in an invertebrate chordate
Authors: Kassmer Susannah H. , Langenbacher Adam , De Tomaso Anthony W.
Published: May 2019

Colonial ascidians are the only chordates able to undergo whole body regeneration (WBR), during which entire new bodies can be regenerated from small fragments of blood vessels. Here, we show that during the early stages of WBR in Botrylloides diegensis, proliferation occurs only in small, blood-borne cells that express integrin-alpha-6 (IA6), pou3 and vasa. Ablation of proliferating cells using Mitomycin C (MMC) blocks WBR in vascular fragments, but can be rescued by injection of cycling cells isolated from an untreated individual. Using prospective isolation and limit dilution analyes, we found that FACS-isolated IA6+ stem cells (ISCs) could rescue WBR in MMC treated vascular fragments, even when injecting only a single cell. Lineage tracing using EdU-labeling further revealed that donor-derived ISCs directly give rise to regenerating tissues. Inhibitors of either Notch or canonical Wnt signaling block WBR and reduce proliferation of ISCs, indicating that these two pathways regulate ISC activation.
Micro- and nanostructural characteristics of rat masseter muscle entheses -Characteristics of masseter muscle entheses-
Authors: Arakawa Keitaro , Matsunaga Satoru , Nojima Kunihiko , Nakano Takayoshi , Abe Shinichi , Yoshinari Masao , Sueishi Kenji
Published: May 2019

The entheses of the masticatory muscles differ slightly from those of the trunk and limb muscles. However, the bones of the skull are subject to various functional pressures, including masticatory force, resulting in a complex relationship between bone structure and muscle function that remains to be fully elucidated. The present study aimed to clarify aspects of masseter muscle-tendon-bone morphological characteristics and local load environment through quantitative analysis of biological apatite (BAp) crystallite alignment and collagen fiber orientation together with histological examination of the entheses.

Result of histological observation, the present findings show that, in the entheses of the masseter muscle in the first molar region, tendon attaches to bone via unmineralized fibrocartilage, while some tendon collagen fibers insert directly into the bone, running parallel to the muscle fibers. Furthermore, BAp crystallites in the same region show uniaxial preferential alignment at an angle that matches the insertion angle of the tendon fibers. Conversely, in the entheses of the masseter muscle in the third molar region, the tendon attaches to the bone via a layer of thickened periosteum and chondrocytes. As in the first molar region, the results of bone quality analysis in the third molar region showed BAp crystallite alignment parallel to the orientation of the tendon fibers. This indicates that the local mechanical environment generates differences in enthesis morphology.

The present study showed a greater degree of uniaxial BAp crystallite alignment in entheses with direct insertion rather than indirect tendon-bone attachment and the direction of alignment was parallel to the orientation of tendon fibers. These findings suggest that functional pressure from the masseter muscle greatly affects bone quality as well as the morphological characteristics of the enthesis, specifically causing micro- and nanostructural anisotropy in the direction of resistance to the applied pressure.
Toxic Effects of Crude Extracts from Chinese Herbal Toothpastes on Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Authors: Xiao Qian , Hassan Babar , Luo Junzhao , Xu Yijuan
Published: May 2019

Red imported fire ant is an invasive species with the characteristics of quick dispersion, strong ferocity and aggression. For a long time, chemical control has been used as a main means of prevention and control of this pest, but the long-term use of high toxic pesticides will lead to a serious impact on the environment and non-target organisms. The toxicity of Chinese herbal toothpaste and its crude extracts against red imported fire ant was evaluated in the laboratory bioassay. The results showed that the traditional Chinese medicine toothpaste with watermelon cream has significant toxicity to red imported fire ants. The mortality reached more than 80% after 48h treatment, and the mortality was 100% after 72h treatment. Among the fractions separated from watermelon cream after the extraction of toothpaste, the ethyl acetate fraction has higher activity, and the mortality was more than 80% when the concentration was 1% after 72h. Our results suggest that Chinese herbal toothpaste is toxic to insects and have the potential for bait application in pest control.
Molecular phylogeny of wood decay fungi of hardwood and their ability to produce laccase that correlates with triphenylmethane dye decolorization
Authors: Mahawaththage Dona Maduri Piumi Sashikala , Deraniyagala Anushi Suwanethya , Wijesinghe Priyanga , Attanayake Renuka Nilmini
Published: May 2019

Though Sri Lanka belongs to one of the 34 biodiversity hotspots of the world, its microfolora specially fungi are not well studied and underrepresented in the global literature. Here we report the fungal species diversity of decaying hardwood of a Sri Lankan dry zone forest for the first time. Decaying hardwoods were collected from historically important Dimbulagala forest reserve, Sri Lanka and fungi associated with these woods were isolated. Out of 35 fungal species identified using morphological and molecular methods, 11 species were first records in Sri Lanka. All the tested isolates were able to utilize wood as the sole carbon source and produced varying degrees of laccase. Isolates of Perenniporia tephropora, Coriolopsis caperata, Gymnopilus dilepis, Fusarium solani and Vanderbylia fraxinea were among the top six laccase producers. Except Fusarium solani, the rest of the isolates showed more than 70% decolorization of the of triphenylmethane dye and there was a significant positive correlation between laccase production and dye decolorization. To the best of our knowledge laccase production and dye decolorization ability of Vanderbylia fraxinea and Gymnopilus dilepis have never been reported in the fungal kingdom before. Perenniporia tephropora was isolated from one of the strongest decay resistant hardwood species, Ebony (Diospyros ebenum) also known as dark wood and V. fraxinea was isolated from another medicinally important hardwood Neem (Azadirachta indica). Findings of this study confirms that decaying hardwood of Sri Lanka provide unexplode a unique niche for discovering fungal species with biotechnological applications such as high laccase producers and dye decolorizers.
A conservative approach for species delimitation based on multi-locus DNA sequences: a case study of the genusGiraffa(Mammalia, Cetartiodactyla)
Authors: Petzold Alice , Hassanin Alexandre
Published: May 2019

Molecular data are now commonly used in taxonomy for delimiting cryptic species. In the case of giraffes, which were treated as a single species (Giraffa camelopardalis) during half of a century, several molecular studies have suggested a splitting into four to seven species, but the criteria applied for taxonomic delimitation were not fully described.

In this study, we have analysed all multi-locus DNA sequences available for giraffes using multispecies coalescent (MSC: *BEAST, BPP and STACEY), population genetic (STRUCTURE, allelic networks, haplotype network and bootstrapping) and phylogenetic (MrBayes, PhyML, SuperTRI) methods to identify the number of species. Our results show that depending on the method chosen, different taxonomic hypotheses, recognizing from two to six species, can be considered for the genusGiraffa.Our results confirm that MSC methods can lead to taxonomic over-splitting, as they delimit geographic structure rather than species. The 3-species hypothesis, which recognizesG. camelopardalissensu strico,G. giraffa, andG. tippelskirchi, is highly supported by phylogenetic analyses and also corroborated by most population genetic and MSC analyses. The three species show high levels of nucleotide divergence in both nuclear (0.35-0.51 %) and mitochondrial sequences (3-4 %), and they are characterised by 7 to 12 exclusive synapomorphies (ES) detected in nine of the 21 nuclear introns analysed for this study. By contrast, other putative species, such asG. peralta,G.reticulata,G. thornicroftiorG. tippelskirchisensu stricto, do not exhibit any ES in nuclear genes.

A robust mito-nuclear conflict was found for the position and monophyly ofG. giraffaandG. tippelskirchi, which is explained firstly by a mitochondrial introgression from Masai giraffe to southeastern giraffe during the Pleistocene, and secondly, by gene flow mediated by male dispersal between southern populations (subspeciesG.g. giraffaandG.g. angolensis).
Comparative Tn-Seq reveals common daptomycin resistance determinants inStaphylococcus aureusdespite strain-dependent differences in essentiality of shared cell envelope genes
Authors: Coe Kathryn A. , Lee Wonsik , Komazin-Meredith Gloria , Meredith Timothy C. , Grad Yonatan H. , Walker Suzanne
Published: May 2019

Antibiotic-resistantStaphylococcus aureusremains a leading cause of antibiotic resistance-associated mortality in the United States. Given the reality of multi-drug resistant infections, it is imperative that we establish and maintain a pipeline of new compounds to replace or supplement our current antibiotics. A first step towards this goal is to prioritize targets by identifying the genes most consistently required for survival across theS. aureusphylogeny. Here we report the first direct comparison of gene essentiality across multiple strains ofS. aureusvia transposon sequencing. We show that mutant fitness varies by strain in key pathways, underscoring the importance of using more than one strain to differentiate between core and strain-dependent essential genes. Despite baseline differences in gene importance, several pathways, including the lipoteichoic acid pathway, become consistently essential under daptomycin exposure, suggesting core vulnerabilities that can be exploited to resensitize daptomycin-nonsusceptible isolates. We also demonstrate the merit of using transposons with outward-facing promoters capable of overexpressing nearby genes for identifying clinically-relevant gain-of-function resistance mechanisms. Together, the daptomycin vulnerabilities and resistance mechanisms support a mode of action with wide-ranging effects on the cell envelope and cell division. This work adds to a growing body of literature demonstrating the nuanced insights gained by comparing Tn-Seq results across multiple bacterial strains.

Author summary

Antibiotic-resistantStaphylococcus aureuskills thousands of people every year in the United States alone. To stay ahead of the looming threat of multidrug-resistant infections, we must continue to develop new antibiotics and find ways of making our current repertoire of antibiotics more effective, including by finding pairs of compounds that perform best when administered together. In the age of next-generation sequencing, we can now use transposon sequencing to find potential targets for new antibiotics on a genome-wide scale, identified as either essential genes or genes that become essential in the presence of an antibiotic. In this work, we created a compendium of genes that are essential across a range ofS. aureusstrains, as well as those that are essential in the presence of the antibiotic daptomycin. The results will be a resource for researchers working to develop the next generation of antibiotic therapies.
Dangerous liaisons: interplay between SWI/SNF, NuRD, and Polycomb in chromatin regulation and cancer
Authors: Bracken Adrian P. , Brien Gerard L. , Verrijzer C. Peter
Published: May 2019

Changes in chromatin structure mediated by ATP-dependent nucleosome remodelers and histone modifying enzymes are integral to the process of gene regulation. Here, we review the roles of the SWI/SNF (switch/sucrose nonfermenting) and NuRD (nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase) and the Polycomb system in chromatin regulation and cancer. First, we discuss the basic molecular mechanism of nucleosome remodeling, and how this controls gene transcription. Next, we provide an overview of the functional organization and biochemical activities of SWI/SNF, NuRD, and Polycomb complexes. We describe how, in metazoans, the balance of these activities is central to the proper regulation of gene expression and cellular identity during development. Whereas SWI/SNF counteracts Polycomb, NuRD facilitates Polycomb repression on chromatin. Finally, we discuss how disruptions of this regulatory equilibrium contribute to oncogenesis, and how new insights into the biological functions of remodelers and Polycombs are opening avenues for therapeutic interventions on a broad range of cancer types.
Thermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) coordination polymer with the generation of singlet oxygen
Authors: Ren Xiu-Hui , Li Gang-Yuan , Du Hua , Ma Jian-Ping , Geng Yan , Dong Yu-bin
Published: May 2019

4,4′-{9,9′-Spirobi[10H-acridine]-10,10′-diyl}dibenzoic acid (L, C29H26N2O4) was designed and synthesized as a new donor–acceptor motif molecule. Due to the large dihedral angle between the planes of the carboxyphenyl group and the spiroacridine moiety, L possess thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). By applying L as a ligand and using Cd as a metal connector, we synthesized the coordination polymer catena-poly[hemi-μ-aqua-aqua(μ3-4,4′-{9,9′-spirobi[10H-acridine]-10,10′-diyl}dibenzoato)cadmium(II)], [Cd(C29H24N2O4)(H2O)1.5]
n
, (I). X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed that this coordination polymer exhibits one-dimensional chains constructed from molecular twist-ring moieties, with Cd2O11 clusters as the connection nodes. The stacking pattern of the two-dimensional network was formed by C—H...π interactions in the solid state. Similar to L, (I) presents a sky-blue TADF emission, together with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 40%. It is worth noting that the photocatalytic activity toward the generation of singlet oxygen of this coordination polymer is confirmed.
Investigation of the effect of the N-oxidation process on the interaction of selected pyridine compounds with biomacromolecules: structural, spectral, theoretical and docking studies
Authors: Hakimi Mohammad , Sadeghi Fereshteh , Feizi Nourollah , Moeini Keyvan , Kučeráková Monika , Dušek Michal
Published: May 2019

Two new N-oxide compounds, namely glycinium 2-carboxy-1-(λ1-oxidaneyl)-1λ4-pyridine-6-carboxylate–glycine–water (1/1/1), C2H6NO2
+·C7H4NO5
−·C2H5NO2·H2O or [(2,6-HpydcO)(HGLY)(GLY)(H2O)], 1, and methyl 6-carboxy-1-(λ1-oxidaneyl)-1λ4-pyridine-2-carboxylate, C8H7NO5 or 2,6-HMepydcO, 2, were prepared and identified by elemental analysis, FT–IR, Raman spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The X-ray analysis of 1 revealed an ionic compound containing a 2,6-HpydcO− anion, a glycinium cation, a neutral glycine molecule and a water molecule. Compound 2 is a neutral compound with two independent units in its crystal structure. In addition to the hydrogen bonds, the crystal network is stabilized by π–π stacking interactions of the types pyridine–carboxylate and carboxylate–carboxylate. The thermodynamic stability and charge-distribution patterns for isolated molecules of 2,6-H2pydcO and 2,6-HMepydcO, and their two similar derivatives, pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (2,6-H2pydc) and dimethyl 1-(λ1-oxidaneyl)-1λ4-pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate (2,6-Me2pydcO), were studied by density functional theory (DFT) and natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, respectively. The ability of these compounds and their analogues to interact with nine selected biomacromolecules (BRAF kinase, CatB, DNA gyrase, HDAC7, rHA, RNR, TrxR, TS and Top II) was investigated using docking calculations.
Qualitative comparative analysis in corporate governance research: a systematic literature review of applications
Authors: Cucari Nicola
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide comprehensive mapping of qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) applications in business and management research and to examine the sub-fields of corporate governance research in this context.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a systematic literature review of 22 articles, the paper describes and analyses how QCA is used in the corporate governance field, what can be learned from the methodology’s implementation in corporate governance studies and why authors justify its use.

Findings

The findings highlight that QCA in corporate governance is still at an early stage of development. The paper encourages governance scholars to use this method to transform QCA from a niche into a mainstream method because it is appropriate for understanding both complex phenomena of social reality and issues of corporate governance that require an approach able to capture configurations of conditions, asymmetric patterns and equifinal explanations.

Originality/value

This is the first complete overview of the existing literature concerning QCA’s application in corporate governance research and reveals implications for its future use. In this way, it extends the previous work on QCA’s benefits to management researchers and other critical reviews of applications in QCA. This study encourages scholars to renew their understanding of corporate governance issues through a new analysis method that can help to discover conceptual and empirical relations among case-oriented and variable-oriented analyses in terms of interrelations to examine corporate governance practices holistically.
Corporate social responsibility perceptions and employee engagement: role of psychological meaningfulness, safety and availability
Authors: Chaudhary Richa
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The primary research question addressed through this paper is whether and how corporate social responsibility (CSR) can create business value for organizations as measured through employee attitudes and behaviours. Specifically, this study aims to examine the impact of CSR on employee engagement through its influence on psychological meaningfulness, safety and availability.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 187 business professionals working for a wide variety of organizations in India constituted the study sample. Regression analysis was used to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

CSR positively predicted employee engagement. Psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability fully mediated the relationship of CSR with employee engagement.

Practical implications

The study establishes CSR as an important talent management tool in the hands of management to cultivate an engaged workforce. The results provide corporate managers with the necessary evidence to justify their investment in CSR initiatives.

Originality/value

The study by establishing CSR as a determinant of employee engagement addresses the need for micro-level CSR research, and, hence, bridges the macro-micro gap in the CSR literature. In addition, the application of micro-level theories helped to establish the psychological processes defining CSR and employee engagement relationship. In doing so, the study empirically tests Khan’s theory of engagement and the underlying mechanisms of engagement.
The role of nomination committees in diversifying boards in an emerging market context
Authors: Mans-Kemp Nadia , Viviers Suzette
Published: May 2019

Purpose

Several mechanisms exist to address the low levels of gender and race diversity in boardrooms, including mandatory quotas, voluntary targets and investor activism. Based on the similarity-attraction theory, the authors investigated whether nomination committees of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) could serve as an internal change mechanism to promote board gender and race diversity.

Design/methodology/approach

Panel data on the gender and race diversity of the nomination committees and boards of the 40 largest listed companies (the JSE Top 40) were analysed over the period 2011- 2016. Panel regressions were conducted to investigate four hypothesised associations.

Findings

More diverse boards had significantly more diverse nomination committees in terms of both gender and race. A significant positive association was furthermore reported between the race diversity of nomination committees and the appointment of new directors of colour. The latter finding could partly be attributed to legislation to enhance black representation in all spheres of the South African economy.

Originality/value

South Africa offers a unique socio-political setting in which to conduct board diversity research. In line with the similarity-attraction theory, it is shown that diverse nomination committees have an essential role in setting and achieving board gender and race diversity targets.
Emerging developments in organizational risk
Authors: Engemann Kurt J.
Published: May 2019

Purpose

Unforeseen crises can result in significant losses for unprepared organizations. A paradigm for risk management discloses that threats can lead to crisis events which can have immense negative consequences. Analyzing risks and making appropriate decisions regarding them is very challenging but crucial. Emerging developments in organizational risk reveal similar characteristics among evolving threats. Effective risk management requires insightful leadership and is essential for an organization to achieve security. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors explore some emerging developments in organizational risk, by highlighting evolving concerns and identifying their common characteristics. The authors then discuss key resources and recommend approaches in managing organizational risk.

Findings

Evolving concerns in organizational risk include: infrastructure risk, enterprise risk, information security risk, supply chain risk and new technologies risk. The most troubling threats to an organization tend to have some risk characteristics in common. These attributes are useful in identifying further threats.

Originality/value

Managing risk is an enormous challenge that all organizations encounter. Understanding the common characteristics of evolving risks that are currently under scrutiny can provide insight into identifying further threats to organizations. With these common characteristics understood, the primary resources of solid leadership, risk analytics and professional business continuity management can aid in the recognition of additional obscured but growing risks and be beneficial in providing security for an organization.
Career challenges at Media Inc.
Authors: Barnardo Claire , Ronnie Linda
Published: May 2019

Learning outcomes

The learning objectives to be drawn from the case are as follows: to explore the violation of the psychological contract; to understand the notion of the boundaryless career; to assess the advantages and disadvantages of leaving an employer; to explore the factors to be considered when contemplating a career move; and to identify career management strategies in the digital age.

Case overview/synopsis

Management practices at Media Inc. have resulted in a growing sense of dissatisfaction for Palesa Khume who had been hired to head up the management team of a new glossy women’s magazine, Mirror Me. This project was exciting and exhilarating for Khume. The shifting of agreed-upon objectives causes increased stress to Media Inc. employees and comes to a head with the reneging of the agreed-upon year-end bonus to Khume. She is now faced with the decision whether she should stay or leave the organisation.

Complexity academic level

Postgraduate Business students, especially MBA students.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 6: Human Resource Management
Exploring trends, implications and challenges for logistics information systems in omni-channels
Authors: Kembro Joakim , Norrman Andreas
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the current trends, implications and challenges of information systems (IS) related to omni-channel logistics.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory survey study is conducted with 23 Swedish retail companies transforming to omni-channel logistics. The study investigates the retailers’ current situations regarding logistics IS as well as their perceptions of the future development.

Findings

From the perspective of leading Swedish retailers, omni-channel requirements drive the implementation of new IS to support effective and efficient material handling across the network and in the respective nodes. The shifting roles and increase in the number of handlings nodes will require flexible IS platforms that can support multiple flows and integrated inventory. The major increase in the implementation of new, critical functionalities is related to real-time, multi-criteria decision making on order allocation to different handling nodes. More advanced IS functionality is also required in material-handling nodes to support the increased degree of automation and continuous improvements with the aim to shorten order-to-delivery lead times. A number of challenges are identified that must be addressed during the transformation to omni-channel logistics, especially related to the growing complexity and decentralization of networks, tougher lead-time requirements and larger product assortments.

Research limitations/implications

To support further theory development, 11 propositions related to trends and a schematic framework conceptualizing implications and challenges are submitted for testing in future research.

Practical implications

The study highlights several aspects related to logistics IS that are important for practitioners to consider as they undergo the transition to omni-channels. It provides insights into IS functionalities that are likely to grow in use and criticality for supporting material handling and inventory management in increasingly complex and decentralized networks. In particular, the authors stress the need to implement functionality that works across previously separated handling nodes and decision areas. Managers can also use the propositions to reflect on what the near future holds and as input for their own scenario analyses.

Originality/value

Previous research has primarily focused on technology that supports the front-end customer experience. This study is original in that it explores the trends, implications and challenges for logistics IS in omni-channels – an area that has not been explored in detail previously. It also studies both perceived and expected changes over time related to the transformation toward omni-channel logistics.
Costs and benefits of using cross-docking in the retail supply chain
Authors: Benrqya Yassine
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the costs/benefits of implementing the cross-docking strategy in a retail supply chain context using a cost model. In particular, the effects of using different typologies of cross-docking compared to traditional warehousing are investigated, taking into consideration an actual case study of a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company and a major French retailer.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based on a case study of an FMCG company and a major French retailer. The case study is used to develop a cost model and to identify the main cost parameters impacted by implementing the cross-docking strategy. Based on the cost model, a comparison of the main cost factors characterizing four different configurations is made. The configurations studied are, the traditional warehousing strategy (AS-IS configuration, the reference configuration for comparison), where both retailers and suppliers keep inventory in their warehouses; the cross-docking pick-by-line strategy, where inventory is removed from the retailer warehouse and the allocation and sorting are performed at the retailer distribution centre (DC) level (TO-BE1 configuration); the cross-docking pick-by-store strategy, where the allocation and sorting are done at the supplier DC level (TO-BE2 configuration); and finally a combination of cross-docking pick-by-line strategy and traditional warehousing strategy (TO-BE3 configuration).

Findings

The case study provides three main observations. First, compared to traditional warehousing, cross-docking with sorting and allocation done at the supplier level increases the entire supply chain cost by 5.3 per cent. Second, cross-docking with allocation and sorting of the products done at the retailer level is more economical than traditional warehousing: a 1 per cent reduction of the cost. Third, combining cross-docking and traditional warehousing reduces the supply chain cost by 6.4 per cent.

Research limitations/implications

A quantitative case study may not be highly generalisable; however, the findings form a foundation for further understanding of the reconfiguration of a retail supply chain.

Originality/value

This paper fills a gap by proposing a cost analysis based on a real case study and by investigating the costs and benefits of implementing different configurations in the retail supply chain context. Furthermore, the cost model may be used to help managers choose the right distribution strategy for their supply chain.
Exploring the retail industry environment using nonlinear analysis
Authors: Moretta Tartaglione Andrea , Bruni Roberto , Bozic Maja
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the dynamics of the relationships between sales and internal and external environmental drivers in a retail company using a systems perspective in order to support retail management decisions with nonlinear methods.

Design/methodology/approach

The research and results are presented in two parts: the collection and explorative analysis of the data; and discussion of the managerial implications following a systems perspective. The exploratory analysis is conducted using a statistical comparison of linear and nonlinear models of sales data from a retail company. The data, which comprise two data sets, come from 45 retail stores located in different regions of the USA.

Findings

Specifically, nonlinear models provided a better explanation of variation in retail activity (R2=46 per cent) than linear models (R2=16 per cent). In such a situation, the nonlinear analysis captures the influence of internal and external environmental drivers on retail sales.

Research limitations/implications

With a limited variety of external and internal drivers, the exploratory analysis aims to describe a general situation in which retailers are managing activities in complex environments as opposed to reflect on a particular retail chain.

Practical implications

The systems perspective is used to interpret the managerial implications of the nonlinear analysis fits, particularly in cases where retail decision-makers are adapting, transforming and restructuring sources of competitive advantage in complex environments.

Originality/value

The paper provides an alternative perspective (the systemic one) of how retailers could interpret the relationships between internal and external variables in the dynamic environment of the retail chains with nonlinear models.
Analysis of enablers for vertical integration to enhance rural employability
Authors: Priyadarshi Rahul , Routroy Srikanta , Kant Girish
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to identify, analyze and select the enablers for vertical integration of Aloe vera supply chain (AVSC) so that rural employability will be enhanced in the context of Rajasthan, India.

Design/methodology/approach

Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) was proposed to develop a structural model to identify the right enablers for enhancing the rural employability and business prospects. Also, fuzzy-matrix cross-reference multiplication applied to classification (F-MICMAC) was applied to segregate the enablers into four clusters on the basis of their driving and dependence power. Finally, the significant enablers were selected.

Findings

Out of identified 13 enablers, three enablers (i.e. institute for training and research, transportation infrastructure and government incentives for value addition) were appearing at the bottom of the ISM structural model and also in the driving quadrant of driver-dependent diagram. Therefore, they are the significant enablers for vertical integration of AVSC to enhance the rural employability in the context of Rajasthan, India.

Research limitations/implications

The interactions among enablers are not statistically validated. However, the empirical analysis and total interpretive structural modeling may be used for this purpose.

Practical implications

The outcomes of the study will provide the guidelines for implementation of vertical integration at the village level to enhance rural employability in the context of Rajasthan, India in specific.

Originality/value

Although a few studies have been reported in the literature related to value-addition process (vertical integration), but the modeling of enablers to segregate and identify the appropriate enablers for vertical integration of AVSC for enhancing employability at the rural areas is unique.
Cultural policy and participatory art practices in Flanders
Authors: Rutten Kris , Calleeuw Helena , Roets Griet , Van Gorp Angelo
Published: May 2019

Purpose

In Flanders, the subventions in the cultural sector are mainly divided and decided upon within the framework of the Arts Decree. Within this policy framework, art organizations may choose in their funding applications for “participation” as one of the five possible functions to describe their artistic and cultural practices. However, questions need to be raised about the different interpretations of the notion of participation within this policy framework. The growing trend of evidence-based policy-making implies that participation risks to become a “target” that needs to be achieved instrumentally, which paradoxically ignores the fact that participatory practices within culture and the arts are very often diverse, multi-layered and context-specific practices. Starting from this paradox, the purpose of this paper is to explore how the current policy framework is translated into different “participatory” art practices by art organizations and specifically how cultural practitioners themselves conceptualize it.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors discuss the results of a qualitative research based on semi-structured interviews with cultural practitioners about how they grapple with the notion of participation within their organizations and practices.

Findings

The results clearly show that practitioners use micro-politics of resistance to deal with different, and often conflicting, conceptualizations of participation in relation to this cultural policy framework.

Research limitations/implications

The implications of the findings are vital for the discussion about cultural policy. These micro-politics of resistance do not only have an impact on the development of individual participatory art practices but also on the broader participatory arts landscape and on how the function of participation is perceived within the renewed policy framework.

Originality/value

The original contribution of this paper is to explore the perspective of practitioners in cultural organizations about the function of participation in the Arts Decree in Flanders and specifically how the notion of participation is operationalized in their practices in relation to this cultural policy framework.