bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Actomyosin contractility modulates Wnt signaling through adherens junction stability
Authors: Hall Eric T. , Hoesing Elizabeth , Sinkovics Endre , Verheyen Esther M.
Published: November 2017

Mechanical forces can influence the canonical Wnt signaling pathway in processes like mesoderm differentiation and tissue stiffness during tumorigenesis, but a molecular mechanism involving both in a developing epithelium and its homeostasis is lacking. We identified that increased non-muscle myosin II activation and cellular contraction inhibited Wnt target gene transcription in developingDrosophila. Genetic interactions studies identified this effect was due to myosin-induced accumulation of cortical F-actin resulting in clustering and accumulation of E-cadherin to the adherens junctions. E-cadherin titrates any available β-catenin, the Wnt pathway transcriptional co-activator, to the adherens junctions in order to maintain cell-cell adhesion under contraction. We show that decreased levels of cytoplasmic β-catenin result in insufficient nuclear translocation for full Wnt target gene transcription. Our work elucidates a mechanism in which the dynamic activation of actomyosin contractility refines patterning of Wnt transcription during development and maintenance of epithelial tissue in organisms.
Impaired Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and calcineurin (Cn) interaction in ALS: A presumed consequence for TDP-43 and zinc aggregation in Tg SOD1G93A rodent spinal cord tissue
Authors: Kim Jolene M. , Billington Elizabeth , Reyes Ada , Notarianni Tara , Sage Jessica , Agbas Emre , Taylor Michael , Monast Ian , Stanford John A. , Agbas Abdulbaki
Published: November 2017

Impaired interactions between Calcineurin (Cn) and (Cu/Zn) superoxide dismutase (SOD1) are suspected to be responsible for the formation of hyperphosphorylated protein aggregation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Serine (Ser)-enriched TDP-43 protein aggregation appears in the spinal cord of ALS animal models, and may be linked to the reduced phosphatase activity of Cn. The mutant overexpressed SOD1G93A protein does not properly bind zinc (Zn) in animal models; hence, mutant SOD1G93A - Cn interaction weakens. Consequently, unstable Cn fails to dephosphorylate TDP-43 that yields hyperphosphorylated TDP-43 aggregates. Our previous studies had suggested that Cn and SOD1 interaction was necessary to keep Cn enzyme functional. We have observed low Cn level, increased Zn concentrations, and increased TDP-43 protein levels in cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral regions of the spinal cord tissue homogenates. This study further supports our previous published work indicating that Cn stability depends on functional Cn-SOD1 interaction because Zn metal is crucial for maintaining the Cn stability. Less active Cn did not efficiently dephosphorylate TDP-43; hence TDP-43 aggregations appeared in the spinal cord tissue.
Enterococcus faecalisstrains with compromised CRISPR-Cas defense emerge under antibiotic selection for a CRISPR-targeted plasmid
Authors: Huo Wenwen , Price Valerie J. , Sharifi Ardalan , Zhang Michael Q. , Palmer Kelli L.
Published: November 2017

Enterococcus faecalisis a Gram-positive bacterium that natively colonizes the human gastrointestinal tract and opportunistically causes life-threatening infections. Multidrug-resistant (MDR)E. faecalisstrains have emerged that are replete with mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Non-MDRE. faecalisstrains frequently possess CRISPR-Cas systems, which reduce the frequency of mobile genetic element (MGE) acquisition. We demonstrated in previous studies thatE. faecalispopulations can transiently maintain both a functional CRISPR-Cas system and a CRISPR-Cas target. In this study, we used serial passage and deep sequencing to analyze these populations. In the presence of antibiotic selection for the plasmid, mutants with compromised CRISPR-Cas defense and enhanced ability to acquire a second antibiotic resistance plasmid emerged. Conversely, in the absence of selection, the plasmid was lost from wild-typeE. faecalispopulations, but notE. faecalispopulations that lacked thecas9gene. Our results indicate thatE. faecalisCRISPR-Cas can become compromised under antibiotic selection, generating populations with enhanced abilities to undergo horizontal gene transfer.

Importance

Enterococcus faecalisis a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections and disseminator of antibiotic resistance plasmids among Gram-positive bacteria. We have previously shown thatE. faecalisstrains with an active CRISPR-Cas system can prevent plasmid acquisition and thus limit the transmission of antibiotic resistance determinants. Yet, CRISPR-Cas was not a perfect barrier. In this study, we observed populations ofE. faecaliswith transient co-existence of CRISPR-Cas and one of its plasmid targets. Our experimental data demonstrate that antibiotic selection results in compromisedE. faecalisCRISPR-Cas function, thereby facilitating the acquisition of additional resistance plasmids byE. faecalis.
Differential Representation of Articulatory Gestures and Phonemes in Motor, Premotor, and Inferior Frontal Cortices
Authors: Mugler Emily M. , Tate Matthew C. , Livescu Karen , Templer Jessica W. , Goldrick Matthew A. , Slutzky Marc W.
Published: November 2017

Speech is a critical form of human communication and is central to our daily lives. Yet, despite decades of study, an understanding of the fundamental neural control of speech production remains incomplete. Current theories model speech production as a hierarchy from sentences and phrases down to words, syllables, speech sounds (phonemes) and the movements of speech articulator muscles used to produce these sounds (articulatory gestures). Here, we investigate the cortical representation of articulatory gestures and phonemes in speech motor, premotor, and inferior frontal cortices. Our results indicate that primary motor and premotor areas represent gestures to a greater extent than phonemes, while inferior frontal cortex represents both gestures and phonemes. These findings suggest that the cortical control of speech production shares a common representation with that of other types of movement, such as arm and hand movements.
Origin and evolution of the nuclear auxin response system
Authors: Mutte Sumanth K. , Kato Hirotaka , Rothfels Carl , Melkonian Michael , Wong Gane Ka-Shu , Weijers Dolf
Published: November 2017

The small signaling molecule auxin controls numerous developmental processes in land plants, acting mostly by regulating gene expression. Auxin response proteins are represented by large families of diverse functions, but neither their origin nor their evolution is understood. Here we use a deep phylogenomics approach to reconstruct both the origin and the evolutionary trajectory of all nuclear auxin response protein families. We found that, while all subdomains are ancient, a complete auxin response mechanism is limited to land plants. Functional phylogenomics predicts defined steps in the evolution of response system properties, and comparative transcriptomics across six ancient lineages revealed how these innovations shaped a sophisticated response mechanism. Genetic analysis in a basal land plant revealed unexpected contributions of ancient non-canonical proteins in auxin response as well as auxin-unrelated function of core transcription factors. Our study provides a functional evolutionary framework for understanding diverse functions of the auxin signal.
Paternal germ line aging: DNA methylation age prediction from human sperm
Authors: Jenkins Timothy G , Aston Kenneth I , Smith Andrew , Carrell Douglas T
Published: November 2017

Background

The relationship between aging and epigenetic profiles has been highlighted in many recent studies. Models using somatic cell methylomes to predict age have been successfully constructed. However, gamete aging is quite distinct and as such age prediction using sperm methylomes is ineffective with current techniques.

Results

We have produced a model that utilizes human sperm DNA methylation signatures to predict chronological age by utilizing methylation array data from a total of 329 samples. The dataset used for model construction includes infertile patients, sperm donors, and individuals from the general population. Our model is capable of accurately predicting age with an R2 of 0.928 in our test data set. We additionally investigated the repeatability of prediction by processing the same sample on 6 different arrays and found very robust age prediction with an average standard deviation of only 0.877 years. Additionally, we found that smokers have approximately 5% increased age profiles compared to ‘never smokers.’

Conclusions

The predictive model described herein was built to offer researchers the ability to assess “germ line age” by accessing sperm DNA methylation signatures at genomic regions affected by age. Our data suggest that this model can predict an individual’s chronological age with a high degree of accuracy regardless of fertility status and with a high degree of repeatability. Additionally, our data appear to show age acceleration patterns as a result of smoking suggesting that the aging process in sperm may be impacted by environmental factors, though this effect appears to be quite subtle.
A map of constrained coding regions in the human genome
Authors: Havrilla James M. , Pedersen Brent S. , Layer Ryan M. , Quinlan Aaron R.
Published: November 2017

Deep catalogs of genetic variation collected from many thousands of humans enable the detection of intraspecies constraint by revealing coding regions with a scarcity of variation. While existing techniques summarize constraint for entire genes, single metrics cannot capture the fine-scale variability in constraint within each protein-coding gene. To provide greater resolution, we have created a detailed map of constrained coding regions (CCRs) in the human genome by leveraging coding variation observed among 123,136 humans from the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD). The most constrained coding regions in our map are enriched for both pathogenic variants in ClinVar and de novo mutations underlying developmental disorders. CCRs also reveal protein domain families under high constraint, suggest unannotated or incomplete protein domains, and facilitate the prioritization of previously unseen variation in studies of disease. Finally, a subset of CCRs with the highest constraint likely exist within genes that cause yet unobserved human phenotypes owing to strong purifying selection.
Recurrent Neural Networks with Interpretable Cells Predict and Classify Worm Behaviour
Authors: Li Kezhi , Javer Avelino , Keaveny Eric E. , Brown Andre E.X.
Published: November 2017

An important goal in behaviour analytics is to connect disease state or genome variation with observable differences in behaviour. Despite advances in sensor technology and imaging, informative behaviour quantification remains challenging. The nematode worm C. elegans provides a unique opportunity to test analysis approaches because of its small size, compact nervous system, and the availability of large databases of videos of freely behaving animals with known genetic differences. Despite its relative simplicity, there are still no reports of generative models that can capture essential differences between even well-described mutant strains. Here we show that a multilayer recurrent neural network (RNN) can produce diverse behaviours that are difficult to distinguish from real worms’ behaviour and that some of the artificial neurons in the RNN are interpretable and correlate with observable features such as body curvature, speed, and reversals. Although the RNN is not trained to perform classification, we find that artificial neuron responses provide features that perform well in worm strain classification.
Leveraging polygenic functional enrichment to improve GWAS power
Authors: Kichaev Gleb , Bhatia Gaurav , Loh Po-Ru , Gazal Steven , Burch Kathryn , Freund Malika , Schoech Armin , Pasaniuc Bogdan , Price Alkes L
Published: November 2017

Functional genomics data has the potential to increase GWAS power by identifying SNPs that have a higher prior probability of association. Here, we introduce a method that leverages polygenic functional enrichment to incorporate coding, conserved, regulatory and LD-related genomic annotations into association analyses. We show via simulations with real genotypes that the method, Functionally Informed Novel Discovery Of Risk loci (FINDOR), correctly controls the false-positive rate at null loci and attains a 9–38% increase in the number of independent associations detected at causal loci, depending on trait polygenicity and sample size. We applied FINDOR to 27 independent complex traits and diseases from the interim UK Biobank release (average N=130K). Averaged across traits, we attained a 13% increase in genome-wide significant loci detected (including a 20% increase for disease traits) compared to un-weighted raw p-values that do not use functional data. We replicated the novel loci in independent UK Biobank and non-UK Biobank data, yielding a highly statistically significant replication slope (0.66–0.69) in each case. Finally, we applied FINDOR to the full UK Biobank release (average N=416K), attaining smaller relative improvements (consistent with simulations) but larger absolute improvements, detecting an additional 583 GWAS loci. In conclusion, leveraging functional enrichment using our method robustly increases GWAS power.
Decoding of neural data using cohomological learning
Authors: Rybakken Erik , Baas Nils , Dunn Benjamin
Published: November 2017

We introduce a novel data-driven approach to discover and decode features in the neural code coming from large population neural recordings with minimal assumptions, using cohomological learning. We apply our approach to neural recordings of mice moving freely in a box, where we find a circular feature. We then observe that the decoded value corresponds well to the head direction of the mouse. Thus we capture head direction cells and decode the head direction from the neural population activity without having to process the behaviour of the mouse. Interestingly, the decoded values convey more information about the neural activity than the tracked head direction does, with differences that have some spatial organization. Finally, we note that the residual population activity, after the head direction has been accounted for, retains some low-dimensional structure which is correlated with the speed of the mouse.
Recurrently Mutated Genes Differ between Leptomeningeal and Solid Lung Cancer Brain Metastases
Authors: Li Yingmei , Liu Boxiang , Connollyt Ian David , Kakusa Bina Wasunga , Pan Wenying , Nagpal Seema , Montgomery Stephen B. , Gephart Melanie Hayden
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) engraft and grow either within the brain (solid) or diffusely on its surface (leptomeningeal disease; LMD). Routine clinical diagnostics have low sensitivity and provide no information about the underlying mutations. A recurrent mutation analysis of LMD and a comparison between solid and LMD NSCLC brain metastases have yet to be explored.

Experimental Design

We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) on eight cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from NSCLC LMD patients. We compared our LMD sequencing data with a published data set of 26 NSCLC solid brain metastases to determine the relative mutation frequency. We then performed a retrospective chart review of an additional set of 44 NSCLC LMD patients to further evaluate LMD mutations and clinical prognosis.

Results

Six (75%) LMD cases had mutations inEGFR, while none hadKRASmutations. Retrospective chart review revealed only 4 LMD cases (7.7%) withKRASmutations, but 33 cases (63.5%) withEGFRmutations.TP53was mutated in 4/8 LMD (50%) cases and 13/26 of solid metastasis (50%). The median interval for developing LMD from NSCLC was shorter in EGFR-mutant (16.3 mo) than wild-type (23.9 mo) patients (p = 0.017).

Conclusions

EGFRandTP53mutations were frequent in LMD exomes (combined frequency 87.5%), suggesting that PCR-based mutation detection assays towards these two genes could be a useful complement to current diagnostics. Correlations ofEGFRin LMD andKRASin solid metastases suggest molecular distinctions or systemic treatment pressure underpinning differences in growth patterns within the brain.

Translational Relevance

Leptomeningeal disease is a diffuse, malignant, and incurable metastatic brain tumor that accounts for 5-10% of brain metastases. Patients with LMD do not undergo biopsy and their overall prognosis is poor (median survival 3 to 27 months), making it difficult to collect sufficient samples for recurrent mutation analysis. Standard diagnostic procedures (MRI and cytology) for LMD provide no genetic information. To understand the mutation landscape of LMD, we performed whole-exome sequencing on eight lung-derived LMD cases. We showed that mutations inEGFRoccurred more frequently in LMD than solid brain metastases, butKRASmutations were not present in LMD. Further, mutations in recurrent genes such asEGFRandTP53could be reliably detected in CSF via droplet digital PCR. Targeted analysis of recurrent mutations thus presents a useful complement to the existing diagnostic toolkit, and differences in mutations between LMD and solid brain metastases suggest distinct molecular mechanisms for growth.
Integrated analysis of single-cell embryo data yields a unified transcriptome signature for the human preimplantation epiblast
Authors: Stirparo Giuliano G , Boroviak Thorsten , Guo Ge , Nichols Jennifer , Smith Austin , Bertone Paul
Published: November 2017

Single-cell profiling techniques create opportunities to delineate cell fate progression in mammalian development. Recent studies provide transcriptome data from human preimplantation embryos, in total comprising nearly 2000 individual cells. Interpretation of these data is confounded by biological factors such as variable embryo staging and cell-type ambiguity, as well as technical challenges in the collective analysis of datasets produced with different sample preparation and sequencing protocols. Here we address these issues to assemble a complete gene expression time course spanning human preimplantation embryogenesis. We identify key transcriptional features over developmental time and elucidate lineage-specific regulatory networks. We resolve post hoc cell-type assignment in the blastocyst, and define robust transcriptional prototypes that capture epiblast and primitive endoderm lineages. Examination of human pluripotent stem cell transcriptomes in this framework identifies culture conditions that sustain a naïve state pertaining to the inner cell mass. Our approach thus clarifies understanding both of lineage segregation in the early human embryo and of in vitro stem cell identity, and provides an analytical resource for comparative molecular embryology.
De novo variants in EBF3 are associated with hypotonia, developmental delay, intellectual disability, and autism
Authors: Tanaka Akemi J. , Cho Megan T. , Willaert Rebecca , Retterer Kyle , Zarate Yuri A. , Bosanko Katie , Stefans Vikki , Oishi Kimihiko , Williamson Amy , Wilson Golder N. , Basinger Alice , Barbaro-Dieber Tina , Ortega Lucia , Sorrentino Susanna , Gabriel Melissa K. , Anderson Ilse J. , Sacoto Maria J. Guillen , Schnur Rhonda E. , Chung Wendy K.
Published: November 2017

Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified seven unrelated individuals with global developmental delay, hypotonia, dysmorphic facial features, and an increased frequency of short stature, ataxia, and autism with de novo heterozygous frameshift, nonsense, splice, and missense variants in the Early B-cell Transcription Factor Family Member 3 (EBF3) gene. EBF3 is a member of the collier/olfactory-1/early B-cell factor (COE) family of proteins, which are required for central nervous system (CNS) development. COE proteins are highly evolutionarily conserved and regulate neuronal specification, migration, axon guidance, and dendritogenesis during development and are essential for maintaining neuronal identity in adult neurons. Haploinsufficiency of EBF3 may affect brain development and function, resulting in developmental delay, intellectual disability, and behavioral differences observed in individuals with a deleterious variant in EBF3.
The impact of hereditary cancer gene panels on clinical care and lessons learned
Authors: Okur Volkan , Chung Wendy K.
Published: November 2017

Mutations in hereditary cancer syndromes account for a modest fraction of all cancers; however, identifying patients with these germline mutations offers tremendous health benefits to both patients and their family members. There are about 60 genes that confer a high lifetime risk of specific cancers, and this information can be used to tailor prevention, surveillance, and treatment. With advances in next-generation sequencing technologies and the elimination of gene patents for evaluating genetic information, we are now able to analyze multiple genes simultaneously, leading to the widespread clinical use of gene panels for germline cancer testing. Over the last 4 years since these panels were introduced, we have learned about the diagnostic yield of testing, the expanded phenotypes of the patients with mutations, and the clinical utility of genetic testing in patients with cancer and/or without cancer but with a family history of cancer. We have also experienced challenges including the large number of variants of unknown significance (VUSs), identification of somatic mutations and need to differentiate these from germline mutations, technical issues with particular genes and mutations, insurance coverage and reimbursement issues, lack of access to data, and lack of clinical management guidelines for newer and, especially, moderate and low-penetrance genes. The lessons learned from cancer genetic testing panels are applicable to other clinical areas as well and highlight the problems to be solved as we advance genomic medicine.
Crystal structure of the second fibronectin type III (FN3) domain from human collagen α1 type XX
Authors: Zhao Jingfeng , Ren Jixia , Wang Nan , Cheng Zhong , Yang Runmei , Lin Gen , Guo Yi , Cai Dayong , Xie Yong , Zhao Xiaohong
Published: November 2017

Collagen α1 type XX, which contains fibronectin type III (FN3) repeats involving six FN3 domains (referred to as the FN#1–FN#6 domains), is an unusual member of the fibril-associated collagens with interrupted triple helices (FACIT) subfamily of collagens. The results of standard protein BLAST suggest that the FN3 repeats might contribute to collagen α1 type XX acting as a cytokine receptor. To date, solution NMR structures of the FN#3, FN#4 and FN#6 domains have been determined. To obtain further structural evidence to understand the relationship between the structure and function of the FN3 repeats from collagen α1 type XX, the crystal structure of the FN#2 domain from human collagen α1 type XX (residues Pro386–Pro466; referred to as FN2-HCXX) was solved at 2.5 Å resolution. The crystal structure of FN2-HCXX shows an immunoglobulin-like fold containing a β-sandwich structure, which is formed by a three-stranded β-sheet (β1, β2 and β5) packed onto a four-stranded β-sheet (β3, β4, β6 and β7). Two consensus domains, tencon and fibcon, are structural analogues of FN2-HCXX. Fn8, an FN3 domain from human oncofoetal fibronectin, is the closest structural analogue of FN2-HCXX derived from a naturally occurring sequence. Based solely on the structural similarity of FN2-HCXX to other FN3 domains, the detailed functions of FN2-HCXX and the FN3 repeats in collagen α1 type XX cannot be identified.
DNA-binding domain of myelin-gene regulatory factor: purification, crystallization and X-ray analysis. Corrigendum
Authors: Wu WenYu , Zhen Xiangkai , Shi Ning
Published: November 2017

An extra affiliation is added for the authors of the article by Wu et al. [(2017), Acta Cryst. F73, 393–397].
Crystal structure of poly[[μ3-(S)-2-amino-3-hydroxypropanoato]-cis-di-μ-chlorido-caesiumpalladium(II)]
Authors: Bhadbhade Mohan Madhav , Charlson Alexander J.
Published: November 2017

The structure of the title compound, [CsPd(C3H6NO3)Cl2]n, previously shown to have anticancer activity in rodent test systems and recently found to have antifungal activity, has been determined. The Pd centre is in a square-planar coordination environment with two chlorine atoms incispositions and the remaining two coordination sites being coordinated by N and O atoms from deprotonated L-serine. Each of the Cs cations shows ninefold coordination with six chlorine and three O atoms resulting in a coordination environment that is similar to the well known Cs2SO4structure. X-ray crystal structures of only three dichloridopalladium(II)–amino acid complexes have been determined so far and the present paper describes one of those.
Evaluation and comparison the effect of heat treatment on mechanical properties of NiCrBSi thermally sprayed coatings
Authors: Shabanlo Mohsen , Amini Najafabadi Reza , Meysami Amirhossein
Published: November 2017

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effect of post heat treatment on mechanical properties of NiCrBSi coatings, which were applied on 316L stainless steel using high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) and flame spray techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

The properties of coatings were investigated by metallographic characterizations as well as wear, micro-hardness and adhesion tests.

Findings

The micro-hardness results showed that the coatings considerably increased the sub-layer hardness. In addition, regarding the wear test results, it can be seen that heat treatment increased wear resistance of the coatings. These thermal sprayed coatings are usually re-melted by post heat treatment, leading to improvement in tribological properties. The results obtained revealed that re-melting procedure improved the metallurgical bonding in the substrate\coating interface.

Originality/value

Microstructure defects resulting from thermal spraying such as pores and unmelted particles can be eliminated by post heat treatment. This process can considerably improve the corrosion and wear resistances of the thermal sprayed coatings.
Consumers’ wine preferences in a changing scenario
Authors: Escobar Cristina , Kallas Zein , Gil José M.
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Important socioeconomic changes have been undergone due to the international economic crisis. In Catalonia (Spain), political changes towards independentism also occurred within the same period. The purpose of this paper is to explore the consumers’ wine preferences in Catalonia in two different scenarios. In particular, the authors have focussed the interest in those preferences regarding the regional origin of the wine.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were elicited from two identical discrete choice experiments performed in two times: before (2008) and during the economic crisis (2010) in Catalonia, Spain.

Findings

The results imply that the external common circumstances may have had a homogenising influence in consumer choices by decreasing the level of randomness of consumers’ selection. Consumers’ preferences for a Catalan origin were enhanced during the crisis, while price became the most important attribute.

Research limitations/implications

Ideally, the participants involved in both experiments would have been the same. Unfortunately, this was not possible to maintain and it is one of the limitations of this study. The authors are also aware that other non-controlled variables may have also played a role and the conclusions that are driven should be taken carefully.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature of the discrete choice modelling using the recently developed Generalized Multinomial Logit Model. To the knowledge this is the first application in the literature of wine preferences to measure the impact of the contextual changes (economic and political) in Catalonia (Spain).
Expanding the theory of planned behaviour to predict Chinese Muslims halal meat purchase intention
Authors: Ali Adnan , Ali Afzaal , Xiaoling Guo , Sherwani Mehkar , Hussain Sikander
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of halal meat consumption within the population of Chinese Muslims in China using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as a conceptual framework. The role of self-identity as a Muslim, dietary acculturation in the host culture, moral obligation to purchase halal meat and trust on the authenticity of halal meat are explored.

Design/methodology/approach

Cross-sectional data were collected through a survey with 378 Chinese Muslims, currently living in Beijing and Xian cities. Data were analysed by means of correlations and stepwise multiple regressions to test the model and the moderating effects of self-identity, dietary acculturation, moral obligation and trust on behavioural intention.

Findings

A positive personal attitude towards the consumption of halal meat, personal conviction, motivation to comply, perceived control over consuming halal meat and perceived availability of halal meat predict the intention to eat halal meat among Chinese Muslims.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include the focus on only four individual characteristics related to religious food consumption, namely, self-identity, dietary acculturation, moral obligation and trust. Additional individual characteristics such as individualism-collectivism and involvement or values could improve the predictive power of the model.

Practical implications

Practical implications extend to food marketers and food policy decision-makers who might pursue identity, acculturation, trustworthiness and moral obligation-related strategies in their distribution and communication efforts targeted at the growing halal food market segments across China and worldwide.

Originality/value

The current study addresses the important limitation of previous studies regarding the inclusion of additional possible individual characteristics such as moral obligation and trust in the TPB model to investigate the determinants of halal meat consumption within a food-religion context.
Literature review on service quality in hospitality and tourism (1984-2014)
Authors: Lai Ivan K.W. , Hitchcock Michael , Yang Ting , Lu Tun-Wei
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the development of service quality research in hospitality and tourism from 1984 to 2014, to identify research gaps and to suggest directions for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

This review comprised three steps with the first being the generation of a structural map by using the online pathfinder network (PFNET) to identify potential research themes. The second research step involved an online literature search covering 2,211 academic journal articles to obtain basic information for planning an additional content investigation concerning the research themes. The final step was to investigate the content of the articles published in top-tier journals or frequently cited ones in three different stages (1984-1993, 1994-2003 and 2004-2014) to explore potential research topics.

Findings

The study identifies 17 research themes that comprise two main research themes, seven sub-stems, six outer-leaves and two little-leaves. The developments of service quality research in each theme are explored. The role of each theme in service quality study is revealed. Finally, this study identifies research opportunities for service quality research within each theme.

Practical implications

This study demonstrates how to use PFNET to effectively perform a systematic literature review. By referring to previous publications reviewed in this study, researchers can contribute by extending existing theories in their further research on the seventeen themes.

Originality/value

This study contributes a systematic literature review method by applying an online PFNET approach, provides a well-researched list of references for researchers conducting service quality research and highlights research gaps for researchers who plan to pursue service quality research.
The impact of using a virtual employee engagement platform (VEEP) on employee engagement and intention to stay
Authors: Kim Jungsun (Sunny) , Ausar Kweisi
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the perceived ease of use and the usefulness of a virtual employee engagement platform (VEEP) positively influence employees’ intentions to use the VEEP and, in turn, actual use of VEEP. This study further examined how using the VEEP influences employee engagement as well as two organizational outcomes (i.e. employee participation and intention to stay).

Design/methodology/approach

The survey items for this study were developed based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and motivation theory. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed relationships in a sample of 373 employees of a hospitality organization in the USA.

Findings

The results indicate that employees’ perceived ease of use and usefulness of a hospitality company’s VEEP positively influence employees’ intentions to use the VEEP. The study also found employees with greater intentions to use their company’s VEEP tend to use the VEEP more frequently, which in turn positively influenced their engagement. Eventually, the more-engaged employees showed a higher level of participation, as well as intention to stay.

Practical implications

This study addresses the call by researchers to demonstrate how a VEEP can positively influence employee engagement and to present new insights into how employee engagement can contribute to improving organizational outcomes in a hospitality setting.

Originality/value

This study is the first empirical study involving the emergent field of engagement platforms and employee engagement in a hospitality setting. Moreover, this research provides support for increased adoption and investment in the VEEP by hospitality companies.
Total quality management: a critical literature review using Pareto analysis
Authors: Bajaj Shweta , Garg Ruchi , Sethi Monika
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Due to its impact on business performance total quality management (TQM) has gained a lot of importance by businessmen, managers, practitioners, and research scholars over the last 20 years. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to critically assess the literature on TQM and find out the areas where future research is required.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve this purpose the articles published in the last 20 years were studied in a systematic way and a snapshot of the same was prepared in the tabular format with points such as year and journal of publication, application and country, statistical method used, and findings of the study such as practices and impact of TQM. After identifying the practices and impact of TQM a quality tool “Pareto Analysis” was applied on them for development of the model.

Findings

The findings provide the practices of TQM and its impact on the performance of a business. The gaps from the literature have been identified and areas for future research have been suggested. On the basis of the findings a generalized framework of TQM has been suggested which can be applicable irrespective of the sector.

Practical implications

The research will help academicians and future researchers to have a clear understanding of TQM in different rosters.

Originality/value

Ample literature is available on TQM but in the best knowledge of authors no study has taken place to integrate the reviews and findings of 102 research papers of the last two decades.
EEUI: a new measure to monitor and manage energy efficiency in data centers
Authors: Abaunza Felipe , Hameri Ari-Pekka , Niemi Tapio
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Data centers (DCs) are similar to traditional factories in many aspects like response time constraints, limited capacity, and utilization levels. Several indicators have been developed to monitor and compare productivity in manufacturing. However, in DCs most used indicators focus on technical aspects of infrastructure, not efficiency of operations. The purpose of this paper is to rely on operations management to define a commensurate and proportionate DC performance indicator: the energy-efficient utilization indicator (EEUI). EEUI makes objective and comparative assessment of efficiency possible independently of the operating environment and its constraints.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors followed a design science approach, which follows the practitioner’s initial steps for finding solutions to business relevant problems prior to theory building. Therefore, this approach fits well with this research, as it is primarily motivated by business and management needs. EEUI combines both the amount of energy consumed by different components and their current energy efficiency (EE). It reaches its highest value when all server components are optimally loaded in EE sense. The authors tested EEUI by collecting data from three scientific DCs and performing controlled laboratory tests.

Findings

The results indicate that the optimization of EEUI makes it possible to run computing resources more efficiently. This leads to a higher EE and throughput of the DC while reducing the carbon footprint associated to DC operations. Both energy-related costs and the total cost of ownership are consequently reduced, since the amount of both energy and hardware resources needed decrease, while improving DC sustainability.

Practical implications

In comparison with current DC operations, the results imply that using the EEUI could help increase the EE of DCs. In order to optimize the proposed EEUIs, DC managers and operators should use resource management policies that increase the resource usage variation of the jobs being processed in the same computing resources (e.g. servers).

Originality/value

The paper provides a novel approach to monitor the EE at which computing resources are used. The proposed indicator not only considers the utilization levels at which server components are used but also takes into account their EE and energy proportionality.
Determination of the warranty service method switch time of old generation products after new generation products launched
Authors: Li Yanrong , Zhao Qingqing , He Shuguang
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to build a warranty cost model for consumer electronics with short lifecycle and frequently upgraded process in generations. Meanwhile, a new warranty service method of replacing the failed old generation (OG) products by new generation (NG) products is proposed to cease the service capability for the OG products from manufacturers’ viewpoint.

Design/methodology/approach

A model is built to find an optimal time to switch to the new warranty service method to minimize the warranty cost of the OG products. The inventory cost of spare parts of OG products for warranty, repair cost and manufacturing cost of NG products are taken into account. Meanwhile, a mixed strategy is studied by providing options to customers for replacing their failed OG products with NG products by paying a discounted price of the OG products. Moreover, numerical experiments are conducted to test the effects of different parameters on the optimal solutions.

Findings

Solutions to the proposed model are discussed with analytic method and it is proved that the optimal solution exists in the considered situations. The mixed strategy considering the willingness of customers can result in the reduction of the warranty cost.

Originality/value

This paper analyzes the situation that more than one generations of products are in the marketplace simultaneously. Furthermore, this work makes a useful contribution for manufacturers to decrease their warranty cost by changing the service method, and provides the optimal warranty strategy for manufacturers considering the willingness of customers.
Employment security and workers’ moonlighting behavior in Ghana
Authors: Nunoo Jacob , Darfor Kwabena Nkansah , Koomson Isaac , Arthur Abigail
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the effect of employment security on moonlighting in Ghana as a means to inform policy on enforcing issues of employment security.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper followed the work of Shishko and Rostker (1976) by applying their approach to the sixth round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey data. The paper created an employment index from four variables and used the ordered logit as the main estimation technique.

Findings

The findings indicated that, as a person with a single job becomes more secured in employment, the likelihood of moonlighting is decreased by 0.03, while for those with two and three or more jobs, the likelihood of moonlighting increased by 0.0297 and 0.0008, respectively, with increasing employment security. This implies that, workers can be made to stick to single jobs by providing them with higher levels of employment security, but once they take on two or more jobs, providing them with employment security will engender the tendency to increase their moonlighting behavior the more.

Originality/value

With the current harsh economic conditions in the country and the urgent need for multiple jobs (moonlighting) as a risk coping mechanism, little has been done on the role employment security plays as a catalyst or otherwise. This paper fills the gap by employing a comprehensive index on employment security in the case of Ghana.
Social organization and its impact on economic growth in China
Authors: Chen Yidan , Sun Lanying
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the direct and indirect impacts of social organization in promoting Chinese economic growth. It adopts empirical research to test the correlated hypotheses, and tries to put forward some policy suggestions.

Design/methodology/approach

Social organizations are measured by four indicators in this paper. It proposes five hypotheses about the impact of social organization on economic growth and builds an economic growth model including social organization. The ordinary least squares and stepwise regression methods are conducted to estimate the economic growth model with the data from 1999 to 2015.

Findings

Through the empirical analysis, it finds that the added value of social organization, human capital, investment and government budget expenditure affect economic growth significantly. The number of social organization at the end of each year has a positive significant effect on entrepreneurship, while the added value and growth rate of it have a negative effect on it. The numbers of social organization and full-time employee have significant effect on number to workers in the labor force. Only the number of social organization has positive significant effect on public education.

Originality/value

This paper conducts an empirical study on the impact of social organization on economic growth in China and fills a gap of the role of social organization on the economy in developing countries. The results provide referenced information for public policy-making.
Disaggregate energy efficiency of regions in Taiwan
Authors: Hu Jin-Li , Chang Ming-Chung , Tsay Hui-Wen
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore Taiwan’s regional energy efficiency trend and complement the work of the total-factor energy efficiency (TFEE) index proposed by Hu and Wang (2006). It further extends panel data stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) modeling for estimating disaggregate energy efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper applies the panel data stochastic production frontier to estimate the TFEE scores for 20 administrative regions in Taiwan over the period 2004-2015. The SFA models include five inputs (employed population, amount of productive electricity power consumed, amount of electricity consumed for household and non-household electric lighting, amount of gasoline sales, and amount of diesel sales) and one output (total real income in the base year of 2011).

Findings

This research concludes with three main findings: the inefficient administrative regions of Taiwan include mostly large industrial parks and the petrochemical industry cluster; the top five administrative regions with inefficient diesel use are mostly metropolitan areas that the concern of air pollution caused by diesel system arouses the awareness to use less diesel fuel; and the average TFEE score on household and non-household electric lighting is higher than the usage efficiency of productive electricity power, gasoline, and diesel, but there is still room for efficiency improvement.

Originality/value

Most administrative regions in Taiwan are not efficient in almost all kinds of energy use. The results show that the efficiencies of using productive electricity power, gasoline, and diesel need to be improved a lot more.
Assessing venture capital industry growth in Korea
Authors: Chung Hae Jin , Kang Moon Young
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the venture capital industry evolves in Korea. The paper also compares the venture capital industry growth of Korea with that of the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper forecasts the growth of the Korean venture capital industry using the Bass Model. The authors apply the Bass Model to both Korean and US data to compare the model estimates of Korean and US data, and to make use of the US case by taking the “guess by similarity” approach to analyze Korean venture capital industry growth.

Findings

The authors find that the innovative fund inflows in Korea are stronger than those in the USA, while inertial reinvestments are weak. The study forecasts that new investments in Korea grow at a 5-7 percent rate each year for the next five years, and the growth rate slows down over time. Peak investment is predicted around the year 2030.

Practical implications

Based on the forecasted venture capital investment schedule each year, this study derives the fundraising schedule and the implications for Korea fund-of-funds management to match the investment schedule.

Originality/value

The model estimates provide a guideline for forecasting venture capital industry development in countries with brief histories of venture capital, which lack data. The analysis can also be applied to cases when developing countries and emerging financial markets assess the impact of government interventions on venture capital industry growth, especially when they provide fund-of-funds.