bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The genetic landscape for amyloid beta fibril nucleation accurately discriminates familial Alzheimer’s disease mutations
Authors: Seuma Mireia , Faure Andre , Badia Marta , Lehner Ben , Bolognesi Benedetta
Published: September 2020

Amyloid fibrils are associated with many human diseases but how mutations alter the propensity of proteins to form fibrils has not been comprehensively investigated and is not well understood. Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia with amyloid plaques of the amyloid beta (Aß) peptide a pathological hallmark of the disease. Mutations in Aß also cause familial forms of AD (fAD). Here we use deep mutational scanning to quantify the effects of >14,000 mutations on the aggregation of Aß. The resulting genetic landscape reveals fundamental mechanistic insights into fibril nucleation, including the importance of charge and gatekeeper residues in the disordered region outside of the amyloid core in preventing nucleation. Strikingly, unlike computational predictors and previous measurements, the in vivo nucleation scores accurately identify all known dominant fAD mutations, validating this simple cell-based assay as highly relevant to the human genetic disease and suggesting accelerated fibril nucleation is the ultimate cause of fAD. Our results provide the first comprehensive map of how mutations alter the formation of any amyloid fibril and a validated resource for the interpretation of genetic variation in Aß.

Highlights

First comprehensive map of how mutations alter the propensity of a protein to form amyloid fibrils.

Charge and gatekeeper residues in the disordered N-terminus of amyloid beta prevent fibril nucleation.

Rates of nucleation in a cell-based assay accurately identify the mutations that cause dominant familial Alzheimer’s disease.

The combination of deep mutational scanning and human genetics provides a general strategy to quantify the disease-relevance of in vitro and in vivo assays.
EVOLUTIONARY TRENDS IN SPECIES COMPLEX DIAGNOSED BY CYTOGENETIC POLYMORPHISM: THE CASE OFHypostomus ancistroides(SILURIFORMES, LORICARIIDAE)
Authors: Rocha-Reis Dinaíza Abadia , Brandão Karina de Oliveira , dos Santos Dergam Jorge Abdala , Pasa Rubens , Kavalco Karine Frehner
Published: September 2020

Hypostominae is a subfamily of Loricariidae with great variation in color characters and external morphology. The genusHypostomuspresents the largest number of species ever karyotyped, withHypostomus ancistroidescharacterized as a group of cryptic species. In the 15 natural populations ofH. ancistroidesstudied, there are 15 different karyomorphs, with variations in diploid number, sex chromosome systems, and markers, such as C-banding and location of ribosomal cistrons. The objective of this work was to present molecular and chromosomal data of four new populations ofHypostomus ancistroidesand to discuss the observed evolutionary trends for this group of a cryptic complex of species. We analyzed specimens from four sampling points in the Tietê, Mogi-Guaçu, and Grande river basins, all in the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. We performed techniques such as the detection of constitutive heterochromatin and ribosomal sites (5S and 18S), in addition to phylogenetic analyses. All specimens presented 2n=68 chromosomes without supernumerary elements or sex-related heteromorphisms. However, each population has a different karyotype with unique characteristics. The different karyomorphs are a consequence of the presence of Robertsonian rearrangements, such as centric fissions and pericentric inversions, which play an important role in the evolution of Hypostominae. Although variable in relation to the location of constitutive heterochromatin, we observed the presence of banding C in some chromosomes of all karyomorphs, which may indicate the existence of some homology. Another conservative feature is the presence of two pairs of subtelocentric or acrocentric chromosomes carrying 18S rDNA cistrons in the terminal region of the chromosomes. However, we observed the discontinuity of cytogenetic and phylogenetic data, with the formation of different groups (Araras + Indaiatuba and Botucatu + Terra Roxa in cytogenetics, in contrast to Araras + Terra Roxa and Botucatu and Indaiatuba in the phylogeny), suggesting that several derived karyomorphs may be produced from a pluripotent karyomorph as a result of the intrinsic plasticity of the species karyotype. Thus, each new arrangement would be independent in the forms analyzed, as they do not seem to be lineages from the same direct ancestor. Given the above, we believe that the genusHypostomuscontinues to be one of the most diverse among the Siluriformes, however, we began to understand a little more about the karyotypic diversity of the group by associating different approaches, such as phylogenetic analyses.
Innervated adrenomedullary microphysiological system to model prenatal nicotine and opioid exposure
Authors: Soucy Jonathan R. , Burchett Gabriel , Brady Ryan , Breault David T. , Koppes Abigail N. , Koppes Ryan A.
Published: September 2020

The transition to extrauterine life results in a critical surge of catecholamines necessary for increased cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic activity. The mechanisms mediating adrenomedullary catecholamine release are poorly understood, given the sympathetic adrenomedullary control systems’ functional immaturity. Important mechanistic insight is provided by newborns delivered by cesarean section or subjected to prenatal nicotine or opioid exposure, demonstrating the impaired release of adrenomedullary catecholamines. To investigate mechanisms regulating adrenomedullary innervation, we developed compartmentalized 3D microphysiological systems (MPS) by exploiting the meniscus pinning effect via GelPins, capillary pressure barriers between cell-laden hydrogels. The MPS comprises discrete 3D cultures of adrenal chromaffin cells and preganglionic sympathetic neurons within a contiguous bioengineered microtissue. Using this model, we demonstrate that adrenal chromaffin innervation plays a critical role in hypoxia-medicated catecholamine release. Furthermore, opioids and nicotine were shown to affect adrenal chromaffin cell response to a reduced oxygen environment, but neurogenic control mechanisms remained intact. GelPin containing MPS represent an inexpensive and highly adaptable approach to study innervated organ systems and improve drug screening platforms by providing innervated microenvironments.
A synergistic core for human brain evolution and cognition
Authors: Luppi Andrea I. , Mediano Pedro A.M. , Rosas Fernando E. , Holland Negin , Fryer Tim D. , O’Brien John T. , Rowe James B. , Menon David K. , Bor Daniel , Stamatakis Emmanuel A.
Published: September 2020

A fundamental question in neuroscience is how brain organisation gives rise to humans’ unique cognitive abilities. Although complex cognition is widely assumed to rely on frontal and parietal brain regions, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive: current approaches are unable to disentangle different forms of information processing in the brain. Here, we introduce a powerful framework to identify synergistic and redundant contributions to neural information processing and cognition. Leveraging multimodal data including functional MRI, PET, cytoarchitectonics and genetics, we reveal that synergistic interactions are the fundamental drivers of complex human cognition. Whereas redundant information dominates sensorimotor areas, synergistic activity is closely associated with the brain’s prefrontal-parietal and default networks; furthermore, meta-analytic results demonstrate a close relationship between high-level cognitive tasks and synergistic information. From an evolutionary perspective, the human brain exhibits higher prevalence of synergistic information than non-human primates. At the macroscale, we demonstrate that high-synergy regions underwent the highest degree of evolutionary cortical expansion. At the microscale, human-accelerated genes promote synergistic interactions by enhancing synaptic transmission. These convergent results provide critical insights that synergistic neural interactions underlie the evolution and functioning of humans’ sophisticated cognitive abilities, and demonstrate the power of our widely applicable information decomposition framework.
INTEGRINS MEDIATE PLACENTAL EXTRACELLULAR VESICLE TRAFFICKING TO LUNG AND LIVER IN VIVO
Authors: Nguyen Sean L. , Ahn Soo Hyun , Greenberg Jacob W. , Collaer Benjamin W. , Agnew Dalen W. , Arora Ripla , Petroff Margaret G.
Published: September 2020

Membrane-bound extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate intercellular communication in all organisms, and those produced by placental mammals have become increasingly recognized as significant mediators of fetal-maternal communication. Here, we aimed to identify maternal cells targeted by placental EVs and elucidate the mechanisms by which they traffic to these cells. Exogenously administered pregnancy-associated EVs traffic specifically to the lung; further, placental EVs associate with lung interstitial macrophages and liver Kupffer cells in an integrin-dependent manner. Localization of EV to maternal lungs was confirmed in unmanipulated pregnancy using a transgenic reporter mouse model, which also provided in situ and in vitro evidence that fetally-derived EVs, rarely, may cause genetic alteration of maternal cells. These results provide for the first time direct in vivo evidence for targeting of placental EVs to maternal immune cells, and further, evidence that EVs can alter cellular phenotype.
DNA nanoswitch barcodes for multiplexed biomarker profiling
Authors: Chandrasekaran Arun Richard , MacIsaac Molly , Vilcapoma Javier , Hansen Clinton H. , Yang Darren , Wong Wesley P. , Halvorsen Ken
Published: September 2020

The detection of molecular biomarkers plays a key role in the clinic, aiding in diagnostics and prognostics, and in the research laboratory, contributing to our basic understanding of diseases. The ability to detect multiple and diverse molecular biomarkers within a single accessible assay would have great utility, providing a more comprehensive picture for clinical evaluation and research, but is a challenge with standard methods. One promising approach is the use of dynamic DNA nanostructures that can respond to molecular biomarkers, which have recently been used in a variety of biosensing strategies. In this work, we report the use of programmable DNA nanoswitches for the multiplexed detection of up to 6 biomarkers within a single pot through the use of a barcoded gel-based readout. We demonstrate the barcoding capability using gene fragments that correspond to 6 different diseases, with each fragment or combination of fragments producing a unique barcode signature. As a defining feature of our method, we show “mixed multiplexing” for simultaneous barcoded detection of different types of biomolecules – DNA, RNA, antibody and protein in a single assay. To demonstrate clinical potential, we show multiplexed detection of a prostate cancer biomarker panel in serum that includes two microRNA sequences and prostate specific antigen (PSA). This strategy holds promise in clinical diagnostics for profiling complex and diverse biomarker panels.
Mechanical Work Accounts for Most of the Energetic Cost in Human Running
Authors: Riddick RC , Kuo AD
Published: September 2020

The metabolic cost of human running is challenging to explain, in part because direct measurements of muscles are limited in availability. Active muscle work costs substantial energy, but series elastic tissues such as tendon may also perform work while muscles contract isometrically at a lower cost. While it is unclear to what extent muscle vs. series elastic work occurs, there are indirect data that can help resolve their relative contributions to the cost of running. We therefore developed a simple cost estimate for muscle work in humans running (N = 8) at moderate speeds based on measured joint energetics. We found that even if 50% of the work observed at the joints is performed passively, active muscle work still accounts for 76% of the net energetic cost. Up to 24% of this cost due is required to compensate for dissipation from soft tissue deformations. The cost of active work may be further adjusted based on assumptions of multi-articular energy transfer and passive elasticity, but even the most conservative assumptions yield active work costs of at least 60%. Passive elasticity can greatly reduce the active work of running, but muscle work still explains most of the overall energetic cost.
SSMD: A semi-supervised approach for a robust cell type identification and deconvolution of mouse transcriptomics data
Authors: Lu Xiaoyu , Tu Szu-Wei , Chang Wennan , Wan Changlin , Wang Jiashi , Zang Yong , Ramdas Baskar , Kapur Reuben , Lu Xiongbin , Cao Sha , Zhang Chi
Published: September 2020

Deconvolution of mouse transcriptomic data is challenged by the fact that mouse models carry various genetic and physiological perturbations, making it questionable to assume fixed cell types and cell type marker genes for different dataset scenarios. We developed aSemi-SupervisedMouse dataDeconvolution (SSMD) method to study the mouse tissue microenvironment (TME). SSMD is featured by (i) a novel non-parametric method to discover data set specific cell type signature genes; (ii) a community detection approach for fixing cell types and their marker genes; (iii) a constrained matrix decomposition method to solve cell type relative proportions that is robust to diverse experimental platforms. In summary, SSMD addressed several key challenges in the deconvolution of mouse tissue data, including: (1) varied cell types and marker genes caused by highly divergent genotypic and phenotypic conditions of mouse experiment, (2) diverse experimental platforms of mouse transcriptomics data, (3) small sample size and limited training data source, and (4) capable to estimate the proportion of 35 cell types in blood, inflammatory, central nervous or hematopoietic systems. In silico and experimental validation of SSMD demonstrated its high sensitivity and accuracy in identifying (sub) cell types and predicting cell proportions comparing to state-of-the-arts methods. A user-friendly R package and a web server of SSMD are released viahttps://github.com/xiaoyulu95/SSMD.

Key points

We provide a novel tissue deconvolution method, namely SSMD, which is specifically designed for mouse data to handle the variations caused by different mouse strain, genetic and phenotypic background, and experimental platforms.

SSMD is capable to detect data set and tissue microenvironment specific cell markers for more than 30 cell types in mouse blood, inflammatory tissue, cancer, and central nervous system.

SSMD achieve much improved performance in estimating relative proportion of the cell types compared with state-of-the-art methods.

The semi-supervised setting enables the application of SSMD on transcriptomics, DNA methylation and ATAC-seq data.

A user friendly R package and a R shiny of SSMD based webserver are also developed.
Outer membrane lipoprotein DolP interacts with the BAM complex and promotes fitness during envelope stress response
Authors: Ranava David , Yang Yiying , Orenday-Tapia Luis , Rousset François , Turlan Catherine , Cui Lun , Morales Violette , Moulin Cyril , Munoz Gladys , Rech Jérôme , Caumont-Sarcos Anne , Albenne Cécile , Bikard David , Ieva Raffaele
Published: September 2020

In Gram-negative bacteria, coordinated remodelling of the outer membrane (OM) and the peptidoglycan is crucial for envelope integrity. Envelope stress caused by unfolded OM proteins (OMPs) activates sigmaE (σE) in Enterobacteria. σEupregulates OMP biogenesis factors, including the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) that catalyzes OMP-folding. Elevated σEactivity, however, can be detrimental for OM integrity. Here we report that DolP (YraP), a σE-upregulated OM lipoprotein important for envelope integrity, is a novel interactor of BAM and we demonstrate that OM-assembled BamA is a critical determinant of the BAM-DolP complex. Mid-cell recruitment of DolP had been previously associated to activation of septal peptidoglycan remodelling during cell division, but its role during envelope stress was unknown. We now show that DolP promotes cell fitness upon stress-induced activation of σEand opposes a detrimental effect caused by the overaccumulation of BAM in the OM. During envelope stress, DolP loses its association with the mid-cell, thus suggesting a possible link between envelope stress caused by impaired OMP biogenesis and the regulation of a late step of cell division.
Predicting species and community responses to global change in Australian mountain ecosystems using structured expert judgement
Authors: Camac James S. , Umbers Kate D.L. , Morgan John W. , Geange Sonya R. , Hanea Anca , Slatyer Rachel A. , McDougall Keith L. , Venn Susanna E. , Vesk Peter A. , Hoffmann Ary A. , Nicotra Adrienne B.
Published: September 2020

Conservation managers are under increasing pressure to make decisions about the allocation of finite resources to protect biodiversity under a changing climate. However, the impacts of climate and global change drivers on species are outpacing our capacity to collect the empirical data necessary to inform these decisions. This is particularly the case in the Australian Alps which has already undergone recent changes in climate and experienced more frequent large-scale bushfires. In lieu of empirical data, we used a structured expert elicitation method (the IDEA protocol) to estimate the abundance and distribution of nine vegetation groups and 89 Australian alpine and subalpine species by the year 2050. Experts predicted that most alpine vegetation communities would decline in extent by 2050; only woodlands and heathlands were predicted to increase in extent. Predicted species-level responses for alpine plants and animals were highly variable and uncertain. In general, alpine plants spanned the range of possible responses, with some expected to increase, decrease or not change in cover. By contrast, almost all animal species were predicted to decline or not change in abundance or elevation range; more species with water-centric life-cycles were expected to decline in abundance than other species. In the face of rapid change and a paucity of data, the method and outcomes outlined here provide a pragmatic and coherent basis upon which to start informing conservation policy and management, although this approach does not diminish the importance of collecting long-term ecological data.

Article Impact Statement

Expert knowledge is used to quantify the adaptive capacity and thus, the risk posed by global change, to Australian mountain flora and fauna.
Mechano-chemical feedback leads to competition for BMP signalling during pattern formation
Authors: Toddie-Moore Daniel J. , Montanari Martti P. , Tran Ngan Vi , Brik Evgeniy M. , Antson Hanna , Salazar-Ciudad Isaac , Shimmi Osamu
Published: September 2020

Developmental patterning is thought to be regulated by conserved signalling pathways. Initial patterns are often broad before refining to only those cells that commit to a particular fate. However, the mechanisms by which pattern refinement takes place remain to be addressed. Using the posterior crossvein (PCV) of theDrosophilapupal wing as a model, into which bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) ligand is extracellularly transported to instruct vein patterning, we investigate how pattern refinement is regulated. We found that BMP signalling induces apical enrichment of Myosin II in developing crossvein cells to regulate apical constriction. Live imaging of cellular behaviour indicates that changes in cell shape are dynamic and transient, only being maintained in those cells that retain vein fate after refinement. Disrupting cell shape changes throughout the PCV inhibits pattern refinement. In contrast, disrupting cell shape in only a subset of vein cells can result in a loss of BMP signalling. In addition, we observed that expressing the constitutively active form of the BMP type I receptor in clones caused apical constriction autonomously and often induced BMP signalling loss in the PCV region in a non-autonomous manner. We propose that the cell shape changes of future PCV cells allow them to compete more efficiently for the basally localised BMP signal by forming a mechano-chemical feedback loop. This study highlights a new form of competition among the cells: competing for a signal that induces cell fate.
Distinct contributions of DNA methylation and histone acetylation to the genomic occupancy of transcription factors
Authors: Cusack Martin , King Hamish W. , Spingardi Paolo , Kessler Benedikt M. , Klose Robert J. , Kriaucionis Skirmantas
Published: September 2020

Epigenetic modifications on chromatin play important roles in regulating gene expression. Although chromatin states are often governed by multilayered structure, how individual pathways contribute to gene expression remains poorly understood. For example, DNA methylation is known to regulate transcription factor binding but also to recruit methyl-CpG binding proteins that affect chromatin structure through the activity of histone deacetylase complexes (HDACs). Both of these mechanisms can potentially affect gene expression, but the importance of each, and whether these activities are integrated to achieve appropriate gene regulation, remains largely unknown. To address this important question, we measured gene expression, chromatin accessibility, and transcription factor occupancy in wild-type or DNA methylation-deficient mouse embryonic stem cells following HDAC inhibition. We observe widespread increases in chromatin accessibility at retrotransposons when HDACs are inhibited, and this is magnified when cells also lack DNA methylation. A subset of these elements has elevated binding of the YY1 and GABPA transcription factors and increased expression. The pronounced additive effect of HDAC inhibition in DNA methylation–deficient cells demonstrates that DNA methylation and histone deacetylation act largely independently to suppress transcription factor binding and gene expression.
Pan-cancer multi-omics analysis and orthogonal experimental assessment of epigenetic driver genes
Authors: Halaburkova Andrea , Cahais Vincent , Novoloaca Alexei , Araujo Mariana Gomes da Silva , Khoueiry Rita , Ghantous Akram , Herceg Zdenko
Published: September 2020

The recent identification of recurrently mutated epigenetic regulator genes (ERGs) supports their critical role in tumorigenesis. We conducted a pan-cancer analysis integrating (epi)genome, transcriptome, and DNA methylome alterations in a curated list of 426 ERGs across 33 cancer types, comprising 10,845 tumor and 730 normal tissues. We found that, in addition to mutations, copy number alterations in ERGs were more frequent than previously anticipated and tightly linked to expression aberrations. Novel bioinformatics approaches, integrating the strengths of various driver prediction and multi-omics algorithms, and an orthogonal in vitro screen (CRISPR-Cas9) targeting all ERGs revealed genes with driver roles within and across malignancies and shared driver mechanisms operating across multiple cancer types and hallmarks. This is the largest and most comprehensive analysis thus far; it is also the first experimental effort to specifically identify ERG drivers (epidrivers) and characterize their deregulation and functional impact in oncogenic processes.
A modified boosted support vector machine to rate banks
Authors: Viswanathan Hari Hara Krishna Kumar , Murugesan Punniyamoorthy , Rengasamy Sundar , Vilvanathan Lavanya
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to compare the classification learning ability of our algorithm based on boosted support vector machine (B-SVM), against other classification techniques in predicting the credit ratings of banks. The key feature of this study is the usage of an imbalanced dataset (in the response variable/rating) with a smaller number of observations (number of banks).

Design/methodology/approach

In general, datasets in banking sector are small and imbalanced too. In this study, 23 Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) have been chosen (in India), and their corresponding corporate ratings have been collated from the Indian subsidiary of reputed global rating agency. The top management of the rating agency provided 12 input (quantitative) variables that are considered essential for rating a bank within India. In order to overcome the challenge of dataset being imbalanced and having small number of observations, this study uses an algorithm, namely “Modified Boosted Support Vector Machines” (MBSVMs) proposed by Punniyamoorthy Murugesan and Sundar Rengasamy. This study also compares the classification ability of the aforementioned algorithm against other classification techniques such as multi-class SVM, back propagation neural networks, multi-class linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and k-nearest neighbors (k-NN) classification, on the basis of geometric mean (GM).

Findings

The performances of each algorithm have been compared based on one metric—the geometric mean, also known as GMean (GM). This metric typically indicates the class-wise sensitivity by using the values of products. The findings of the study prove that the proposed MBSVM technique outperforms the other techniques.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides an algorithm to predict ratings of banks where the dataset is small and imbalanced. One of the limitations of this research study is that subjective factors have not been included in our model; the sole focus is on the results generated by the models (driven by quantitative parameters). In future, studies may be conducted which may include subjective parameters (proxied by relevant and quantifiable variables).

Practical implications

Various stakeholders such as investors, regulators and central banks can predict the credit ratings of banks by themselves, by inputting appropriate data to the model.

Originality/value

In the process of rating banks, the usage of an imbalanced dataset can lessen the performance of the soft-computing techniques. In order to overcome this, the authors have come up with a novel classification approach based on “MBSVMs”, which can be used as a yardstick for such imbalanced datasets. For this purpose, through primary research, 12 features have been identified that are considered essential by the credit rating agencies.
The role of social media advertising in hospitality, tourism and travel: a literature review and research agenda
Authors: Chu Shu-Chuan , Deng Tao , Cheng Hong
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This study aims to provide an assessment of the existing literature on the role of social media advertising in hospitality, tourism and travel (HTT) as well as an agenda for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

Covering a 15-year time span (2004–2019), this study is focused on journal papers archived in two academic databases in social sciences: Business Source Complete and Communication and Mass Media Complete. Each of the 192 papers collected was coded for 8 major variables: journal, year of publication, research topic, country studied, type of social media investigated, method, theoretical underpinning and key findings.

Findings

Three major topic areas are identified in this study: use of social media from consumer’s perspective, use of social media from organization’s perspective and effects of social media.

Research limitations/implications

Although a few prior papers have provided a literature review of social media in tourism and hospitality, no review-based papers have ever examined social media as an advertising vehicle in the context of HTT. Most reviews to date have been limited to general social media studies, without much advancement of theory building in advertising research.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper represents the first theoretical review of academic research on social media advertising in HTT. The review concludes by suggesting a theoretical framework for studying social media advertising in HTT and offering an agenda for future research.
Artificial intelligence in the workplace – A double-edged sword
Authors: Wilkens Uta
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to outline how artificial intelligence (AI) can augment learning process in the workplace and where there are limitations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a theoretical-based outline with reference to individual and organizational learning theory, which are related to machine learning methods as they are currently in use in the workplace. Based on these theoretical insights, the paper presents a qualitative evaluation of the augmentation potential of AI to assist individual and organizational learning in the workplace.

Findings

The core outcome is that there is an augmentation potential of AI to enhance individual learning and development in the workplace, which however should not be overestimated. AI has a complementarity to individual intelligence, which can lead to an advancement, especially in quality, accuracy and precision. Moreover, AI has a potential to support individual competence development and organizational learning processes. However, a further outcome is that AI in the workplace is a double-edged sword, as it easily shows reinforcement effects in individual and organizational learning, which have a backside of unintended effects.

Research limitations/implications

The conceptual outline makes use of examples for illustrating phenomenon but needs further empirical analysis. The research focus on the meso level of the workplace does not fully refer to macro level outcomes.

Practical implications

The practical implication is that it is a matter of socio-technical job design to integrate AI in the workplace in a valuable manner. There is a need to keep the human-in-the-loop and to complement AI-based learning approaches with non-AI counterparts to reach augmentation.

Originality/value

The paper faces workplace learning from an interdisciplinary perspective and bridges insights from learning theory with methods from the machine learning community. It directs the social science discourse on AI, which is often on macro level to the meso level of the workplace and related issues for job design and therefore provides a complementary perspective.
Construction employment mortality among Mexican immigrants in the South Eastern United States, 2003-2013
Authors: Welton Michael , Shen Ye , Ebell Mark , DeJoy David , Robb Sara Wagner
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate occupational and non-occupational mortality among Mexican immigrants in the South Eastern United States. The construction industry has the highest burden of occupational fatalities in the USA of all industries, and foreign-born Hispanic workers are disproportionately affected.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained from 3,093 death certificates maintained by the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta, Georgia. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were used to compare occupational-related deaths among construction industry occupations, and logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between manners of death not related to occupation and employment in the construction industry.

Findings

The proportion of Mexican immigrants who died from occupational injuries is higher among all construction workers (SMR = 1.31), roofers (SMR = 2.32) and carpenters (SMR = 2.25) than other workers. Among the population in this analysis suicide [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.63] and death from natural causes (aOR = 0.70) were inversely related to work in the construction industry.

Research limitations/implications

Interventions to reduce occupational fatalities among Mexican migrant construction workers should target roofers and carpenters. Future research should further investigate the industry’s association with suicide and natural death.

Originality/value

This is one of the first analyzes that investigated associations between construction industry employment and non-occupational fatalities among immigrants. The analysis provides evidence that a large portion of the Mexican immigrant population is used in the construction industry (38%) and face elevated risks for occupational fatalities and the results of this investigation should encourage greater surveillance of occupational illness and injury among foreign-born immigrants who work in construction, as well as other high-risk industries.
Does Karen wear a mask? The gendering of COVID-19 masking rhetoric
Authors: Bhasin Tavishi , Butcher Charity , Gordon Elizabeth , Hallward Maia , LeFebvre Rebecca
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This paper asks how values and beliefs around gender influence social norms regarding masking. Specifically, the paper explores how the gendered meme “Karen” fits into social media discussions on support for and opposition to the wearing of masks to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyze tweets containing the hashtags #Masks4All and #NoMasks over a three-week period, using adjacent hashtag analysis to determine the terms most associated with Karen in the pro and anti-mask communities associated with these hashtags.

Findings

Anti-maskers reference Karen more often than pro-maskers, although she is presented in negative terms with gendered overtones by those on both sides of the masking debate.

Originality/value

The paper highlights how hypermasculinity rhetoric impedes social change that normalizes mask wearing.
Successful implementation of value-based selling: a value co-creation and dynamic capabilities perspective
Authors: Liu Yanzhe , Zhao Xiaoyu
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the new connotations, key antecedents, outcomes and contingency factors of value-based selling (VBS) in the context of business to business (B2B) industrial marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

This study develops a comprehensive conceptual framework of VBS by analyzing and synthesizing the existing literature on VBS and associated solutions.

Findings

The paper describes the research streams of VBS; proposes a comprehensive conceptual framework consisting of the factors influencing VBS at the organizational, individual, customer and environmental levels, together with 12 research propositions; and provides an agenda for future research.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is conceptual; empirical studies are required for examining the suggested propositions and agenda.

Practical implications

VBS is a process-oriented sales approach that involves multiple value creation and plays a crucial role in industrial solution selling. The successful implementation of VBS depends on the micro-foundations of an organization’s dynamic capabilities and considers the influence of individual, customer and environmental factors.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to introduce value co-creation and dynamic capability theory into VBS research in the context of industrial marketing. It discusses the antecedents, outcomes and contingency factors of VBS in detail in the form of a comprehensive research framework and proposes a future research agenda. These discussions expand the theoretical research on VBS and provide useful implications for B2B marketing practice.
Investors’ attention: does it impact the Nigerian stock market activities?
Authors: Osabuohien-Irabor Osarumwense
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The author investigates whether investors’ online information demand measured by Google search query and the changes in the numbers of Wikipedia page view can explain and predict stock return, trading volume and volatility dynamics of companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Design/methodology/approach

The multiple regression model which encompasses both the univariate and multivariate regression framework was employed as the research methodology. As part of our pre-analysis, we test for multicollinearity and applied the Wu/Hausman specification test to detect whether endogeneity exist in the regression model.

Findings

We provide novel and robust evidence that Google searches neither explain the contemporaneous nor predict stock return, trading volume and volatility dynamics. Similarly, results also indicate that trading volume and volatility dynamics have no relationship with changes in the numbers of Wikipedia pages view related to stock activities.

Originality/value

This study opens new strand of empirical literature of “investors' attention” in the context of African stock markets as empirical evidence. No evidence from previous studies on investors' attention exist, whether in Google search query or Wikipedia page view, with respect to African stock markets, particularly the Nigerian stock market. This study seeks to bridge these knowledge gaps by examining these relations.
Intensity of foreign investment promotion and development levels in Central–Eastern European regions
Authors: Capik Paweł
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Investment promotion is gaining in popularity, yet its relationship with regional development remains unclear and under-investigated. The purpose of this paper is to combine place marketing and regional development concepts to explore investment promotion in the Czech, Polish and Slovak regions. It identifies elements of best practice and investigates to what extent these are used in foreign direct investment promotion conducted by regional authorities. Organisation- and implementation-related elements are studied. The discussion aims to answer the question of how systematic Central–Eastern European regional investment promotion is, and what are the factors determining regions’ involvement in, and the extent of, promotion activities.

Design/methodology/approach

Discussion is based on an original survey of Central–Eastern European (CEE) regional authorities' investment promotion. The paper develops a measurement of regional authorities’ engagement in investment promotion – an investment promotion index (IPI) and using non-parametric, two-tailed Spearmans correlation test investigates the relationship between IPI and socio-economic conditions in the regions. Kruskal-Wallis, a non-parametric test of difference is used to investigate statistical significance of differences in mean values between the three countries.

Findings

The analysis provides early insights into the relationship between regional development and investment attraction – the main theoretical contribution of the paper. Diverse levels of engagement in promotion are not influenced by the staple competitiveness factors of gross domestic product growth rates or foreign direct investment stock. Instead, it is conditioned by labour market situation in the countries studied.

Originality/value

Investment promotion relationship to regional development remains under-explored. The main focus of the analysis offered is the varying levels of CEE regional authorities’ involvement in investment promotion and its relationship to the socio-economic conditions prevailing in the regions. Exploring this relationship, the paper provides original contribution in the following two aspects: it establishes a systematic way of measuring regional authorities’ engagement with investment promotion; and it links the level of investment promotion to wider development of the regions.
Editorial: bringing socially unacceptable services into services marketing
Authors: Rosenbaum Mark Scott , Russell-Bennett Rebekah
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to define the term “socially unacceptable services” and call for novel research in these under-researched service industries.

Design/methodology/approach

Personal reflections.

Findings

Service offerings exist that, despite their ability to create value for customers, clients or partners, many in society at large deem to be offensive, inappropriate or harmful for a variety of reasons. Service researchers have ignored the existence and impact of socially unacceptable services on consumers and society for too long.

Research limitations/implications

Given the expanding role of the transformative service research (TSR) paradigm in the services marketing domain, especially given its emphasis on exchanges that influence consumer and societal well-being and the reality that many socially unacceptable services profoundly influence consumer and societal welfare in both positive and negative manners, the time is opportune for service researchers to begin exploring socially unacceptable services from a TSR perspective.

Practical implications

Given that buyers and sellers who enter socially unacceptable exchanges often seem satisfied by doing so, the authors encourage researchers to unearth how consumers obtain value from these exchanges and to explore whether consumers enter these exchanges with full information to make informed decisions.

Originality/value

This viewpoint is one of the first to provide authors with an impetus to begin research program in socially unacceptable services and offers researchers a list of potential research topics in this new area. The authors believe that socially unacceptable service research may emerge as a separate research paradigm.
The indirect experience of nature: biomorphic design forms in servicescapes
Authors: Kumar Deepak S. , Purani Keyoor , Viswanathan Shyam A.
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce the concept of biomorphism (i.e. indirect experience of nature) in servicescape designs and validates its impact on consumer responses. Using the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework, this study explores the relationship between biomorphic servicescape designs and the servicescape preference. Further, it explains how biomorphic designs can help users to get better connected with the servicescapes by introducing the mediating role of attention restoration and place identity (emotional and cognitive), as explained by attention restoration theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Two empirical studies were carried out to test the hypothesised relationships: an exploratory pre-experimental design with one-shot treatment using 200 images as stimuli and 3,680 responses; and a 3 × 2 factorial design with three-dimensional images with about 654 responses for three service contexts chosen a priori: fashion retail, restaurant and hospital lobby.

Findings

This study conceptualises the role of biomorphism – elements that mimic natural forms – in servicescape designs and establishes that, akin to natural elements, the indirect experience of nature in servicescapes also has a positive influence on attention restoration, perceived place identity and servicescape preference of the consumers. This implies that the effects similar to that of a biophilic servicescape can be achieved through servicescape elements that mimic natural forms.

Originality/value

Extending the idea of biophilia, this research adopts the concept of biomorphism from architecture and environmental psychology domains and introduces biomorphic servicescape designs, which could be more practical at times compared to biophilic servicescapes. It establishes the influences of biomorphic servicescape designs on consumer preferences. Grounded in the S-O-R model, it further explains this relationship through mediating effects of attention restoration and place identity. Being new to marketing and management domains, this research may trigger a series of research studies on biomorphic service environment designs, with desirable implications for services marketing and services operations functions.
An investigation on function of current type on solder joint degradation in electronic packages
Authors: Cai Wenhui , Huang Fei , Liu Kai , Alaazim Mohammed
Published: September 2020

Purpose

As in real applications several alternating current (AC) currents may be injected to the electronic devices, this study aims to analyze their effects on the lifetime of the solder joints and, consequently, shed the light on these effects at the design phase for other researchers to consider.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors investigated on current waveform shapes on the performance and reliability of the solder joints in electronic package. Three common and extensively used current shapes in several simulations and experiments were selected to study their effects on the solder joint performance.

Findings

The results demonstrate a sever thermal swing and stress fluctuation in the solder joint induced in the case of triangle current type because the critical states lack any relaxation time. In fact, the stress intensification in the solder under application of the triangle current type has been shown to contribute to increasing brittle intermetallic compounds. An accelerated increase of on-state voltage of power semiconductor was also observed in under application of the triangle current type.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper is confirmed.
Effect of Graphene nanoparticles on microstructural and mechanical properties of aluminum based nanocomposites fabricated by stir casting
Authors: Srivastava Ashish Kumar , Sharma Brijesh , Saju Bismin R. , Shukla Arpit , Saxena Ambuj , Maurya Nagendra Kumar
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The development of a new class of engineering materials is the current demand for aircraft and automobile companies. In this context metal, composite materials have a widespread application in different areas of manufacturing sectors.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, an attempt is made to develop the aluminium-based nano metal matrix composite reinforced with graphene nanoparticles (GNP) by using the stir casting method. Different weight percentage (0.4%, 0.8% and 1.2% by weight) of GNPs are used to fabricate metal matrix composites (MMCs). The developed nanocomposites were further validated by density calculation and optical microstructures to discuss the distribution of GNPs. The tensile test was conducted to determine the strength of the developed MMCs and also supported by fractographic analysis. In addition to it, the Rockwell hardness test and impact test (toughness) with fracture analysis were also conducted to strengthen the present work.

Findings

The results reveal the uniform distribution of GNPs into the matrix material. The yield strength and ultimate tensile strength obtained a maximum value of 155.67 MPa and 170.28 MPa, respectively. The hardness value (HRB) is significantly increased and 84 HRB was obtained for the sample with AA1100/0.4% GNP, while maximum hardness value (94 HRB) was obtained for the sample AA1100/1.2% GNP. The maximum value of toughness 14.3 Jules/cm2 is recorded for base alloy AA1100 while increasing the reinforcement percentage, it decreases up to 9.7 Jules/cm2 for AA1100/1.2% GNP.

Originality/value

Graphene nanoparticles are used to develop nanocomposites, which is one of the suitable alternatives for heavy engineering materials such as steels and cast irons. It has improved microstructural and mechanical properties which makes it preferable for many engineering and structural applications.