bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimating the proportion of disease heritability mediated by gene expression levels
Authors: O’Connor Luke J. , Gusev Alexander , Liu Xuanyao , Loh Po-Ru , Finucane Hilary K. , Price Alkes L.
Published: March 2017

Disease risk variants identified by GWAS are predominantly noncoding, suggesting that gene regulation plays an important role. eQTL studies in unaffected individuals are often used to link disease-associated variants with the genes they regulate, relying on the hypothesis that noncoding regulatory effects are mediated by steady-state expression levels. To test this hypothesis, we developed a method to estimate the proportion of disease heritability mediated by the cis-genetic component of assayed gene expression levels. The method, gene expression co-score regression (GECS regression), relies on the idea that, for a gene whose expression level affects a phenotype, SNPs with similar effects on the expression of that gene will have similar phenotypic effects. In order to distinguish directional effects mediated by gene expression from non-directional pleiotropic or tagging effects, GECS regression operates on pairs of cis SNPs in linkage equilibrium, regressing pairwise products of disease effect sizes on products of cis-eQTL effect sizes. We verified that GECS regression produces robust estimates of mediated effects in simulations. We applied the method to eQTL data in 44 tissues from the GTEx consortium (average NeQTL = 158 samples) in conjunction with GWAS summary statistics for 30 diseases and complex traits (average NGWAS = 88K) with low pairwise genetic correlation, estimating the proportion of SNP-heritability mediated by the cis-genetic component of assayed gene expression in the union of the 44 tissues. The mean estimate was 0.21 (s.e. = 0.01) across 30 traits, with a significantly positive estimate (p < 0.001) for every trait. Thus, assayed gene expression in bulk tissues mediates a statistically significant but modest proportion of disease heritability, motivating the development of additional assays to capture regulatory effects and the use of our method to estimate how much disease heritability they mediate.
Molecular diagnosis of orthopaedic device infection direct from sonication fluid by metagenomic sequencing
Authors: Street Teresa L. , Sanderson Nicholas D. , Atkins Bridget L. , Brent Andrew J. , Cole Kevin , Foster Dona , McNally Martin A. , Oakley Sarah , Peto Leon , Taylor Adrian , Peto Tim E.A. , Crook Derrick W. , Eyre David W.
Published: March 2017

Culture of multiple periprosthetic tissue samples is the current gold-standard for microbiological diagnosis of prosthetic joint infections (PJI). Additional diagnostic information may be obtained through sonication fluid culture of explants. However, current techniques can have relatively low sensitivity, with prior antimicrobial therapy and infection by fastidious organisms influencing results. We assessed if metagenomic sequencing of complete bacterial DNA extracts obtained direct from sonication fluid can provide an alternative rapid and sensitive tool for diagnosis of PJI.

We compared metagenomic sequencing with standard aerobic and anaerobic culture in 97 sonication fluid samples from prosthetic joint and other orthopaedic device infections. Reads from Illumina MiSeq sequencing were taxonomically classified using Kraken. Using 50 samples (derivation set), we determined optimal thresholds for the number and proportion of bacterial reads required to identify an infection and validated our findings in 47 independent samples.

Compared to sonication fluid culture, the species-level sensitivity of metagenomic sequencing was 61/69(88%,95%CI 77-94%) (derivation samples 35/38[92%,79-98%]; validation 26/31[84%,66-95%]), and genus-level sensitivity was 64/69(93%,84-98%). Species-level specificity, adjusting for plausible fastidious causes of infection, species found in concurrently obtained tissue samples, and prior antibiotics, was 85/97(88%,79-93%) (derivation 43/50[86%,73-94%], validation 42/47[89%,77-96%]). High levels of human DNA contamination were seen despite use of laboratory methods to remove it. Rigorous laboratory good practice was required to prevent bacterial DNA contamination.

We demonstrate metagenomic sequencing can provide accurate diagnostic information in PJI. Our findings combined with increasing availability of portable, random-access sequencing technology offers the potential to translate metagenomic sequencing into a rapid diagnostic tool in PJI.
Identification, Isolation, and Characterization of Human LGR5-positive Colon Adenoma Cells
Authors: Dame Michael K. , Attili Durga , McClintock Shannon D. , Dedhia Priya H. , Ouilette Peter , Hardt Olaf , Chin Alana M , Xue Xiang , Laliberte Julie , Katz Erica L , Newsome Gina M. , Hill David R. , Miller Alyssa J. , Tsai Yu-Hwai , Agorku David , Altheim Christopher H , Bosio Andreas , Simon Becky , Samuelson Linda C , Stoerker Jay A , Appelman Henry D , Varani James , Wicha Max S. , Brenner Dean E. , Shah Yatrik M. , Spence Jason R , Colacino Justin A.
Published: March 2017

The intestine is maintained by stem cells located at the base of crypts and distinguished by the expression of LGR5. Genetically engineered mouse models have provided a wealth of information about intestinal stem cells, while less is known about human intestinal stem cells due to difficulty detecting and isolating these cells. We established an organoid repository from patient-derived adenomas, adenocarcinomas, and normal colon, which we analyzed for variants in 71 colorectal cancer (CRC) associated genes. Normal and neoplastic colon tissue organoids were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and fluorescent-activated cell sorting for LGR5. LGR5-positive cells were isolated from 4 adenoma organoid lines and were subjected to RNA-sequencing. We found that LGR5 expression in the epithelium and stroma was associated with tumor stage, and by integrating functional experiments with LGR5-sorted cell RNA-seq data from adenoma and normal organoids, we found correlations between LGR5 and CRC- specific genes, including DKK4 (dickkopf WNT signaling pathway inhibitor 4) and SMOC2 (SPARC related modular calcium binding 2). Collectively, this work provides resources, methods and new markers to isolate and study stem cells in human tissue homeostasis and carcinogenesis.
Electrically Conductive Pili from Pilin Genes of Phylogenetically Diverse Microorganisms
Authors: Walker David J.F. , Adhikari Ramesh Y. , Holmes Dawn E. , Ward Joy E. , Woodard Trevor L. , Nevin Kelly P. , Lovley Derek R.
Published: March 2017

The possibility that bacteria other thanGeobacterspecies might contain genes for electrically conductive pili (e-pili) was investigated by heterologously expressing pilin genes of interest inGeobacter sulfurreducens. Strains ofG. sulfurreducensproducing high current densities, which are only possible with e-pili, were obtained with pilin genes fromFlexistipes sinusarabici, Calditerrivibrio nitroreducens, andDesulfurivibrio alkaliphilus. The conductance of pili from these strains was comparable to nativeG. sulfurreducense-pili. The e-pili derived fromC. nitroreducens,andD. alkaliphiluspilin genes are the first examples of relatively long (> 100 amino acids) pilin monomers assembling into e-pili. The pilin gene fromDesulfofervidus auxiliidid not yield e-pili, suggesting that the hypothesis that this sulfate reducer wires itself to ANME-1 microbes with e-pili to promote anaerobic methane oxidation should be reevaluated. A high density of aromatic amino acids and a lack of substantial aromatic-free gaps along the length of long pilins may be important characteristics leading to e-pili. This study demonstrates a simple method to screen pilin genes from difficult-to-culture microorganisms for their potential to yield e-pili; reveals new potential sources for biologically based electronic materials; and suggests that a wide phylogenetic diversity of microorganisms may employ e-pili for extracellular electron exchange.
A Genome-wide Survey of Mutations in the Jurkat Cell Line
Authors: Gioia Louis , Siddique Azeem , Head Steven R. , Salomon Daniel R. , Su Andrew I.
Published: March 2017

The Jurkat cell line has an extensive history as a model of T cell signaling. But at the turn of the 21st century, some irregularities were observed in Jurkat’s expression of central regulators of T cell receptor signaling, which raised doubts about how closely the cell line paralleled normal human T cells. While numerous expression deficiencies have been described in Jurkat, genetic explanations have only been provided for a handful of defects. Here, we report a comprehensive catolog of genomic variation in the Jurkat cell line based on whole-genome sequencing. With this list of all detectable, non-reference sequences, we prioritize potentially damaging mutations by mining public databases for functional effects. We confirm the majority of documented mutations in Jurkat and propose links from detrimental gene variants to observed expression abnormalities in the cell line. This work ties together decades of molecular experiments and serves as a resource that will streamline both the interpretation of past research and the design of future Jurkat studies.
Lysinibacillus fusiformisM5 induces increased complexity inBacillus subtilis168 colony biofilms via hypoxanthine
Authors: Gallegos-Monterrosa Ramses , Kankel Stefanie , Götze Sebastian , Barnett Robert , Stallforth Pierre , Kovács Ákos T.
Published: March 2017

In recent years, biofilms have become a central subject of research in the fields of microbiology, medicine, agriculture, or systems biology amongst others. The sociomicrobiology of multispecies biofilms, however, is still poorly understood. Here, we report a screening system that allowed us to identify soil bacteria, which induce architectural changes in biofilm colonies when cocultured withB. subtilis. We identified the soil bacteriumLysinibacillus fusiformisM5 as inducer of wrinkle-formation inB. subtiliscolonies mediated by a diffusible signaling molecule. This compound was isolated by bioassay-guided chromatographic fractionation. The elicitor was identified to be the purine hypoxanthine using mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We show that the induction of wrinkle formation by hypoxanthine is not dependent on signal recognition by the histidine kinases KinA, KinB, KinC, and KinD, which are generally involved in phosphorylation of the master regulator Spo0A. Likewise, we show that hypoxanthine signaling does not induce the expression of biofilm-matrix related operonsepsA-OandtasA-sipW-tapA. Finally, we demonstrate that the purine permease PbuO, but not PbuG, is necessary for hypoxanthine to induce an increase in wrinkle formation ofB. subtilisbiofilm colonies. Our results suggest that hypoxanthine-stimulated wrinkle development is not due to a direct induction of biofilm-related gene expression, but rather caused by the excess of hypoxanthine withinB. subtiliscells, which may lead to cell stress and death.

IMPORTANCE

Biofilms are a bacterial lifestyle with high relevance regarding diverse human activities. Biofilms can be favorable, for instance in crop protection. In nature, biofilms are commonly found as multispecies communities displaying complex social behaviors and characteristics. The study of interspecies interactions will thus lead to a better understanding and use of biofilms as they occur outside laboratory conditions. Here, we present a screening method suitable for the identification of multispecies interactions, and showcaseL. fusiformisas a soil bacterium that is able to live alongsideB. subtilisand modify the architecture of its biofilms.
Synthesis and modification of a mesoporous material type MCM-41 by an amine for the adsorption of organic pollutants: anionic and cationic dyes
Authors: Nassima Benyoub , Abdallah Benhamou , Abdelkader Debab
Published: March 2017

The main objective of this work was to synthesize the MCM-41 material from optimized protocols. In the second step, the pore size and the specific surface area of the parent material was increased by the incorporation of swelling agents (long chain carbon amines N-N, Dimethyl-dodecylamine « DMDDA ») in post-synthesis. Then the selective extraction of the amine and the calcination allowed us to obtain materials with pore sizes and even larger surfaces than those of the starting materials (parent materials). The adsorbents, identified as MCM-41 (P), DMDDA-41 (A), DMDDA-41 (B), DMDDA-41 (C) and MCM-41 (P/C), were characterized regarding their texture, mesoscopic ordering and chemical surface and finally their adsorption capacity was evaluated using two diffrent dyes (anionic: Orange II sodium and cationic: Janus Green B). The results obtained during the adsorption study show the efficiency of these materials, in particular the "amine and calcined" materials for decolorizing aqueous media contaminated with organic dyes. The kinetic studies and the adsorption isotherms were carried out to clarify the method of fixing each of the two dyes on the two materials tested. The experiments showed that the amine material had a maximum capacity for fixing Orange II (221.06 mg / g) (anionic dye), whereas for a maximum adsorption capacity (455.23 mg / g) Of the Janus GB (cationic dye), the calcined material is more efficient.
The genomic footprint of climate adaptation inChironomus riparius
Authors: Waldvogel Ann-Marie , Wieser Andreas , Schell Tilman , Patel Simit , Schmidt Hanno , Hankeln Thomas , Feldmeyer Barbara , Pfenninger Markus
Published: March 2017

The gradual heterogeneity of climatic factors pose varying selection pressures across geographic distances that leave signatures of clinal variation in the genome. Separating signatures of clinal adaptation from signatures of other evolutionary forces, such as demographic processes, genetic drift, and adaptation to non-clinal conditions of the immediate local environment is a major challenge. Here, we examine climate adaptation in five natural populations of the harlequin flyChironomus ripariussampled along a climatic gradient across Europe. Our study integrates experimental data, individual genome resequencing, Pool-Seq data, and population genetic modelling. Common-garden experiments revealed a positive correlation of population growth rates corresponding to the population origin along the climate gradient, suggesting thermal adaptation on the phenotypic level. Based on a population genomic analysis, we derived empirical estimates of historical demography and migration. We used an FSToutlier approach to infer positive selection across the climate gradient, in combination with an environmental association analysis. In total we identified 162 candidate genes as genomic basis of climate adaptation. Enriched functions among these candidate genes involved the apoptotic process and molecular response to heat, as well as functions identified in other studies of climate adaptation in other insects. Our results show that local climate conditions impose strong selection pressures and lead to genomic adaptation despite strong gene flow. Moreover, these results imply that selection to different climatic conditions seems to converge on a functional level, at least between different insect species.
A library of structurally homogeneous humanN-glycans synthesized from microbial oligosaccharide precursors
Authors: Hamilton Brian S. , Wilson Joshua D. , Shumakovich Marina A. , Fisher Adam C. , Brooks James C. , Pontes Alyssa , Naran Radnaa , Heiss Christian , Gao Chao , Kardish Robert , Heimburg-Molinaro Jamie , Azadi Parastoo , Cummings Richard D. , Merritt Judith H. , DeLisa Matthew P.
Published: March 2017

Synthesis of homogenous glycans in quantitative yields represents a major bottleneck to the production of molecular tools for glycoscience, such as glycan microarrays, affinity resins, and reference standards. Here, we describe a combined biological/enzymatic method termed bioenzymatic synthesis that is capable of efficiently converting microbially-derived precursor oligosaccharides into structurally uniform human-type N-glycans. Unlike starting material obtained by chemical synthesis or direct isolation from natural sources, which can be time consuming and costly to generate, bioenzymatic synthesis involves precursors derived from renewable sources including wild-typeSaccharomyces cerevisiaeglycoproteins and lipid-linked oligosaccharides from glycoengineeredEscherichia coli.Following deglycosylation of these biosynthetic precursors, the resulting microbial oligosaccharides are subjected to a greatly simplified purification scheme followed by structural remodeling using commercially available and recombinantly produced glycosyltransferases including keyN-acetylglucosaminyltransferases (e.g., GnTI, GnTII, and GnTIV) involved in early remodeling of glycans in the mammalian glycosylation pathway. Using this approach, preparative quantities of hybrid and complex-typeN-glycans including asymmetric multi-antennary structures were generated all without the need of a specialized skillset. Collectively, our results reveal bioenzymatic synthesis to be a user-friendly methodology for rapidly supplying homogeneous oligosaccharide structures that can be used to understand the human glycome and probe the biological roles of glycans in health and disease.
Bacterial glycoengineering as a biosynthetic route to customized glycomolecules
Authors: Yates Laura E. , Mills Dominic C. , DeLisa Matthew P.
Published: March 2017

Bacteria have garnered increased interest in recent years as a platform for the biosynthesis of a variety of glycomolecules such as soluble oligosaccharides, surface-exposed carbohydrates and glycoproteins. The ability to flexibly engineer commonly used laboratory species such asEscherichia colito efficiently synthesize non-native sugar structures by recombinant expression of enzymes from various carbohydrate biosynthesis pathways has allowed for the facile generation of important products such as conjugate vaccines, glycosylated outer membrane vesicles, and a variety of other research reagents for studying and understanding the role of glycans in living systems. This chapter highlights some of the key discoveries and technologies for equipping bacteria with the requisite biosynthetic machinery to generate such products. As the bacterial glyco-toolbox continues to grow, these technologies are expected to expand the range of glycomolecules produced recombinantly in bacterial systems, thereby opening up this platform to an even larger number of applications.
Analysis of sea star larval regeneration reveals conserved processes of whole-body regeneration across the metazoa
Authors: Cary Gregory , Wolff Andrew , Olga  , Pattinato Joseph , Hinman Veronica
Published: March 2017

Background

Metazoan lineages exhibit a wide range of regenerative capabilities that vary among developmental stage and tissue type. The most robust regenerative abilities are apparent in the phyla Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, and Echinodermata, whose members are capable of whole-body regeneration (WBR). This phenomenon has been well-characterized in planarian and hydra models, but the molecular details of WBR are less established within echinoderms, or any other deuterostome system. Thus, it is not clear to what degree aspects of this regenerative ability are due to deeply conserved mechanisms.

Results

We characterize regeneration in the larval stage of the Bat Star (Patiria miniata). Following bisection along the anterior-posterior axis, larvae progress through phases of wound healing and re-proportioning of larval tissues. The overall number of proliferating cells is reduced following bisection and we find evidence for a re-deployment of genes with known roles in embryonic axial patterning. Following axial re-specification, we observe a significant localization of proliferating cells to the wound region. Analyses of transcriptome data highlight the molecular signatures of functions that are common to regeneration, including specific signaling pathways and cell cycle controls. Notably, we find evidence for temporal conservation among orthologous genes involved in regeneration from published Platyhelminth and Cnidarian regeneration datasets.

Conclusions

These analyses show that sea star larval regeneration includes phases of wound response, axis respecification, and wound proximal proliferation. Commonalities of the overall process of regeneration, as well as gene usage between this deuterostome and other species with divergent evolutionary origins suggest a deep conservation of whole-body regeneration among the metazoa.
Nondestructive X-ray diffraction measurement of warpage in silicon dies embedded in integrated circuit packages
Authors: Tanner B. K. , Danilewsky A. N. , Vijayaraghavan R. K. , Cowley A. , McNally P. J.
Published: March 2017

Transmission X-ray diffraction imaging in both monochromatic and white beam section mode has been used to measure quantitatively the displacement and warpage stress in encapsulated silicon devices. The displacement dependence with position on the die was found to agree well with that predicted from a simple model of warpage stress. For uQFN microcontrollers, glued only at the corners, the measured misorientation contours are consistent with those predicted using finite element analysis. The absolute displacement, measured along a line through the die centre, was comparable to that reported independently by high-resolution X-ray diffraction and optical interferometry of similar samples. It is demonstrated that the precision is greater than the spread of values found in randomly selected batches of commercial devices, making the techniques viable for industrial inspection purposes.
The microstructure of Si surface layers after plasma-immersion He+ion implantation and subsequent thermal annealing
Authors: Lomov Andrey , Shcherbachev Kirill , Chesnokov Yurii , Kiselev Dmitry
Published: March 2017

The structural changes in the surface layer of p-type Cz-Si(001) samples after high-dose low-energy (2 keV) He+plasma-immersion ion implantation and subsequent thermal annealing were studied using a set of complementary methods: high-resolution X-ray reflectometry, high-resolution X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The formation of a three-layer structure was observed (an amorphous a-SiOxlayer at the surface, an amorphous a-Si layer and a heavily damaged tensile-strained crystalline c-Si layer), which remained after annealing. Helium-filled bubbles were observed in the as-implanted sample. The influence of annealing on the evolution of the three-layer structure and the bubbles is considered. The bubbles are shown to grow after annealing. Their characteristic size is determined to be in the range of 5–20 nm. Large helium-filled bubbles are located in the amorphous a-Si layer. Small bubbles form inside the damaged crystalline Si layer. These bubbles are a major source of tensile strain in the c-Si layer.
Effect of screw threading dislocations and inverse domain boundaries in GaN on the shape of reciprocal-space maps
Authors: Barchuk Mykhailo , Motylenko Mykhaylo , Lukin Gleb , Pätzold Olf , Rafaja David
Published: March 2017

The microstructure of polar GaN layers, grown by upgraded high-temperature vapour phase epitaxy on [001]-oriented sapphire substrates, was studied by means of high-resolution X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Systematic differences between reciprocal-space maps measured by X-ray diffraction and those which were simulated for different densities of threading dislocations revealed that threading dislocations are not the only microstructure defect in these GaN layers. Conventional dark-field transmission electron microscopy and convergent-beam electron diffraction detected vertical inversion domains as an additional microstructure feature. On a series of polar GaN layers with different proportions of threading dislocations and inversion domain boundaries, this contribution illustrates the capability and limitations of coplanar reciprocal-space mapping by X-ray diffraction to distinguish between these microstructure features.
Coordination and responsiveness issues in SME supply chains: a review
Authors: Kumar Ravinder , Kumar Singh Rajesh
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Globalization and liberalization of the world economy have leveled the field for all competitors across the globe. To face global competition successfully, SMEs have to break their isolation in the value chain. To overcome the dynamic challenges of the market, supply chain management can be an important tool for SMEs. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize different issues related to the coordination and responsiveness of supply chain management in SMEs, through a review of the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

In all, 116 research papers, mainly from referred international journals, are reviewed to identify the thrust areas of research. On the basis of the review, gaps are identified and a research agenda is proposed.

Findings

It is observed from the review that SMEs have not been very proactive in implementing supply chain management. These organizations face a lot of problems in coordinating their operations with other members of the supply chain. They are localized in functioning. On export fronts SMEs face many constraints due to lack of resources and poor innovative capabilities. To face the challenges of open global market, SMEs have to manage their problems and supply chain risks effectively. Research gaps are identified in different areas of the supply chain such as coordination and responsiveness issues, service quality issues, and performance benchmarking for future directions of research.

Originality/value

This paper explores the major areas for research on coordination and responsiveness of SME supply chains. The findings of the paper will be highly useful for the researchers to decide the direction of their research.
Conquering in emerging markets: critical success factors to enhance supply chain performance
Authors: Kumar Vimal , Verma Pratima , Sharma R.R.K. , Khan Ahmad Faraz
Published: March 2017

Purpose

In the context of emerging economies, the purpose of this paper is to seek the critical success factors (CSFs) of supply chain and identify their relationships to enhance the supply chain performance (SCP) in a sample of Indian manufacturing firms.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basis of a comprehensive literature review, the authors conducted this study and proposed a new model of antecedent and outcomes for SCP in emerging markets. The empirical data for this study were drawn from a survey of 227 Indian firms, resulting in a response rate of 52 percent. The method of confirmatory factor analysis was applied to refine the CSFs and SCP scale for empirical analysis. The data were analyzed by employing the structural equation modeling technique.

Findings

The results reveal that all the identified CSFs, namely, agility, flexibility, flexible innovation, information and communication technology, collaboration among conglomerate divisions, process structure, and training and leadership programs, are positively associated with SCP. The empirical study of 227 Indian firms lent good support to the hypotheses and validates it by the data analysis. Consequently, these findings highlight the prominence of these factors of supply chain for gaining a sustainable competitive advantage in emerging market scenario.

Research limitations/implications

The study emphasizes on CSFs in emerging markets that will help to boost the organization’s SCP through agility and flexibility in supply chain. This study is applicable for growing markets in which there is ample amount of resources.

Originality/value

As economic growth stagnates in developed economies, emerging markets grow at near double-digit rates. Somehow, this study is pioneer in terms of enhance SCP in emerging market scenario. Moreover, the outcome of the study could provide empirical evidence of the effects of CSFs on SCPs.
A hybrid grey based artificial neural network and C&R tree for project portfolio selection
Authors: Faezy Razi Farshad , Hooman Shariat Seyed
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: the selection of project portfolios through hybrid artificial neural network algorithms, feature selection based on grey relational analysis, decision tree and regression; and the identification of the features affecting project portfolio selection using the artificial neural network algorithm, decision tree and regression. The authors also aim to classify the available options using the decision tree algorithm.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to achieve the research goals, a project-oriented organization was selected and studied. In all, 49 project management indicators were chosen from A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), and the most important indicators were identified using a feature selection algorithm and decision tree. After the extraction of rules, decision rule-based multi-criteria decision making matrices were produced. Each matrix was ranked through grey relational analysis, similarity to ideal solution method and multi-criteria optimization. Finally, a model for choosing the best ranking method was designed and implemented using the genetic algorithm. To analyze the responses, stability of the classes was investigated.

Findings

The results showed that projects ranked based on neural network weights by the grey relational analysis method prove to be better options for the selection of a project portfolio. The process of identification of the features affecting project portfolio selection resulted in the following factors: scope management, project charter, project management plan, stakeholders and risk.

Originality/value

This study presents the most effective features affecting project portfolio selection which is highly impressive in organizational decision making and must be considered seriously. Deploying sensitivity analysis, which is an innovation in such studies, played a constructive role in examining the accuracy and reliability of the proposed models, and it can be firmly argued that the results have had an important role in validating the findings of this study.
The excellence quest: a study of business excellence award-winning organizations in UAE
Authors: Lasrado Flevy , Uzbeck Christopher
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Organizations worldwide use national quality awards for improving organizational excellence. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched its business excellence awards for the private and public sectors almost two decades ago. Within the past dozen years, UAE companies have made considerable progress in introducing and developing their quality management systems. The purpose of this paper is to report the advance of UAE organizations in business excellence initiatives and highlight the contributions of the award-winning organizations in adopting business excellence approach.

Design/methodology/approach

This research used a qualitative approach to study award-winning organizations. Initially, secondary data were gathered from the Office of Department of Economic Development which is responsible for the administration of the Dubai Quality Award (DQA). Data were entered and categorized according to the description of organizational practice, company name, industrial sector and DQA criteria. The data were then analyzed using NVivo 10.0 software.

Findings

The DQA fosters and guides the excellence journey of aspiring organizations not only to win a quality award, but to strengthen their quality initiative through an informative assessment report. The DQA model was perceived by all organizations as a useful approach to quality improvement. Winning organizations have exhibited unique programs developed to embrace the DQA factors. Recommendations for aspiring organizations are discussed.

Originality/value

This paper should help managers to plan their journey toward business excellence and to create greater awareness of excellence frameworks and their usefulness when embarking on the path of excellence. This paper adds to the knowledge of the UAE’s excellence awards scheme and to the knowledge of business excellence best practices deep rooted in multi-cultural organizational environments. It highlights future research avenues for excellence frameworks.
Managing social responsibility in Chinese agriculture supply chains through the “a company + farmers” model
Authors: Fu Shaoling , Zhan Yuanzhu , Tan Kim Hua
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has received a large amount of attention in research and in practice. As a response to the growing awareness of and concern about social and environmental issues, an increasing number of companies are integrating their supply chains and building an alliance of “a company + farmers”. The overall research question of this study is derived from the literature, and this paper aims to identify factors that influence the integration of the agriculture supply chain and to explore the relationship between these factors and quality performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is based on questionnaire survey data collected from 462 Chinese farmers under the organization pattern of “a company + farmers”. A structural equation model is applied in the empirical analysis of the relations among trust, relationship commitments of different types (normative and instrumental), supply chain integration and quality performance.

Findings

An understanding of the various influences on supply chain integration and quality performance is important in relation to CSR in Chinese agriculture. The results show that supply chain integration has positive effects on quality performance. Moreover, farmers’ normative relationship commitment to the company is positively related to supply chain integration. However, farmers’ instrumental relationship commitment to the company does not significantly affect the degree of integration between farmers and companies. Furthermore, trust has positive influences on the two types of relationship commitment and on supply chain integration.

Research limitations/implications

The findings provide a theoretical basis and practice guidelines for agricultural enterprises to manage CSR under the pattern of “a company + farmers”. The results help enterprises to acquire detailed information about the entire process of agricultural production, improve the quality and safety of primary agricultural products and enhance the competitiveness of Chinese agricultural products in the market.

Originality/value

The e-book shows that enterprises working within Chinese agriculture supply chains have a long tradition of working with CSR and supports cooperation between the European Union and China on food and agriculture.
Marriage versus career: a dilemma for professional women
Authors: Choudhry Misbah , Uqaili Hina
Published: March 2017

Subject area

Gender Roles, Human Resource Management.

Study level/applicability

HRM-related courses at undergraduate and MBA level. Can be used in executive training.

Case overview

Nida Akhtar, a 29-year-old factory unit supervisor and a labor union leader of one of the biggest private textile manufacturing companies of Pakistan, faces a crucial decision regarding her personal and professional life. She is getting married in a few months and may need to move to another city. She has been working at Shanza Textile Limited (STL) for the past nine years. In spite of several social pressures and sometimes unfavorable circumstances, she has continued working because of her determination and endurance. She has earned appreciation and respect from her organization as well as from her family and friends. She has an option of moving to STL’s female hostel if she wants to continue working. However, she will have to gain her husband’s consent to do this. Alternatively, she can look for another job in the new city, but in this way, she will not be able to enjoy the same rank and position which she currently enjoys. She is exploring possibilities, and she knows that this decision will not only affect her own future life but will also have a significant impact on her married life and on her future generation.

Expected learning outcomes

Introducing students to an important aspect of labor economics: determinants and demographics of female labor force participation rates, in the context of an emerging market like Pakistan. Enabling students and other participants to engage in a meaningful unbiased discussion regarding gender roles in workplaces of emerging markets. To make students familiar with related characteristics, issues and challenges faced by working women in developing and emerging economies. To devise and present policy suggestions for making work environment more conducive for the female workers.

Supplementary materials

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

Subject code

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.
Examining the determinants of long-term debt in the US restaurant industry
Authors: Seo Kwanglim , Kim Ellen Eun Kyoo , Sharma Amit
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to find alternative explanations for the use of long-term debt in the US restaurant industry from a behavioral perspective. The three-fold purpose of the present study is to examine the impact of CEO overconfidence on the use of long-term debt; explore how CEO overconfidence moderates the relationship between growth opportunities and long-term debt; and analyze the moderating role of CEO overconfidence based on cash flow levels in the context of the restaurant industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of publicly traded US restaurant firms between 1992 and 2015, this study used generalized methods of moments with instrumental variable technique to analyze the panel data.

Findings

The findings of this study highlight the importance of considering behavioral traits of CEOs, such as overconfidence to better understand the US restaurant firms’ financing behaviors. This study found that overconfident CEOs tend to use more long-term debt when firms have greater growth opportunities and low cash flow.

Practical implications

Given that psychological and behavioral features of CEOs are critical in understanding the variations in corporate financing decisions and capital structure, shareholders and boards of directors of growth-seeking restaurant firms should incorporate the behavioral aspects of overconfident CEOs in the design of long-term debt contracts to mitigate liquidation risk while developing compensation practices that encourage overconfident CEOs to finance growth.

Originality/value

Despite its heavy reliance on long-term debt in the US hospitality industry, prior studies provided mixed findings for the determinants of long-term debt. This study makes a contribution to the literature by offering alternative approaches to examining long-term debt decisions among US restaurant firms.
The impact of green experience on customer satisfaction: evidence from TripAdvisor
Authors: Yu Yixiu , Li Xu , Jai Tun-Min (Catherine)
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine guests’ experiences at green hotels and the impact of green experience on customer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 727 green reviews (reviews on green experiences) of the top ten green hotels in the USA were downloaded from TripAdvisor for content analysis. Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regressions were then used.

Findings

Guests have both positive and negative experiences at green hotels. “Energy”, “purchasing” and “education and innovation” are the most frequently discussed green practices. Some guests’ green experiences, such as “guest training”, “energy”, “water”, “purchasing” and “education and innovation”, significantly influence their overall satisfaction with hotels. Compared with basic green practices, advanced green practices tend to have greater impacts on customer satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides insight into guests’ green experiences at hotels and their impact on customer satisfaction. More importantly, this study examines the contribution of different types of green practices to customer satisfaction. As the green hotels examined in this study were not randomly selected, the results should be interpreted with caution.

Practical implications

Different practices impact customer satisfaction in different ways, so hoteliers should refine their green strategies when they implement these green practices.

Originality/value

Very few studies have examined the relationship between green practices and customer satisfaction. A gap still exists in specifically what types of green practices affect customer satisfaction and whether different levels of green practices have different impacts on customer satisfaction. This study investigates guests’ actual experiences and fills the above research gap.
The meaning of hospitality: do employees understand?
Authors: Golubovskaya Maria , Robinson Richard N.S. , Solnet David
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper explores how hospitality frontline employees understand, interpret and practice “hospitality” in a hotel industry context.

Design/methodology/approach

Framed by interpretivist and phenomenological approaches a dual-stage semi-structured interview study design was conducted. A sample was drawn from hotel employees in Australia.

Findings

Findings support the proposition that the hospitality workforce tends to favor service management and service processes as the guiding paradigm. The essence of what it means to be hospitable, and the host-guest model, appears to be largely absent in practice.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contributes to a scarcity of literature exploring the understanding of hospitality, and how this understanding can translate into hospitable behavior, from the employee perspective. Our main implication is that service management terminology colonizes hospitality within a commercial context, while the essence of hospitality and the “hospitality” lexicon is concomitantly diminishing. The authors advocate for developing an inter-paradigmatic view of hospitality management.

Practical implications

While the study revealed that the majority of frontline hotel employees struggle with grasping and verbalizing their understandings and perceptions of the hospitality construct, although some acknowledged the importance of hospitality as being an integral component to service delivery. We identified consistent organizational practices and intrinsic employee traits that either enabled or obstructed hospitable behavior in hotel settings.

Originality/value

The study reveals tensions between the hospitality and service paradigms in hospitality literature and practice. We uncover hotel management practices that may help to conserve and foster the essence of hospitality in hospitality organizations.
Exploring jaycustomer behavior and handling approach in casinos
Authors: Fong Lawrence Hoc Nang , So Amy Siu Ian , Law Rob
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to uncover various types of jaycustomer behaviors, causes of the behaviors and employees’ handling approaches in casinos, which is an underresearched sector in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

Using critical incident technique (CIT), the researchers prompted 52 casino employees in Macao to recall critical incidents about jaycustomer behavior that they had encountered. The informants, then, described the circumstances that led up to the situation, the responses of customers and how they and their colleagues handled the situation. Content analysis was used to develop the categories.

Findings

The findings of this study report 9 categories of jaycustomer behaviors, 9 causes of the behaviors and 12 handling approaches. Different from previous findings, breaking a promise and instigation are identified for the first time. Such causes as a losing experience and superstition are specific to the casino industry. Strict handling approaches are rarely adopted to handle jaycustomers, especially the premium customers.

Practical implications

Casino operators are recommended to ensure that employees are well-trained and provide clear guidelines on handling jaycustomers. Conniving approaches should be re-evaluated. Seeking support from other personnel has to be tactical. Moreover, customers should be educated to reduce their misunderstanding of gaming and transaction procedures.

Originality/value

There has been increasing scholarly focus on jaycustomer behaviors. However, very less is known regarding such behaviors, their causes and employees’ handling approaches in casino, a sector which is different from other hospitality sectors. The current study unveiled jaycustomer behaviors which have not been found in previous studies and causes which are specific to the casino sector.
The role of network relationships in small wineries’ internationalization
Authors: Vissak Tiia , Francioni Barbara , Musso Fabio
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the role of tourist-generated and other network relationships in small Italian wineries’ internationalization.

Design/methodology/approach

It is based on 14 cases of which four are discussed in detail. All 14 cases are summarized in two tables and analyzed in the Discussion section.

Findings

Most firms did not pre-plan their foreign activities. International wine tourism was a major source for creating the contacts necessary for their internationalization: they created relationships/networks in tourists’ home markets and, as a result, expanded there either through selling directly to tourists or to the importers they recommended. In addition, they relied on contacts created at trade fairs or by friends/relatives. Some internationalization attempts failed, as the firms were passive and lacked long-term strategic plans. Thus, these producers have not fully realized the potential of wine tourists’ contacts and other network relationships in their internationalization.

Originality/value

It shows how wineries benefited from tourists’ networks and other co-operative relationships and how, as a result, they started exporting, but also which problems they faced. These topics have not received considerable research attention yet.
Customer concentration, relationship, and debt contracting
Authors: Yang Ziyun
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of a firm’s customer base concentration on its loan contract terms and how this effect varies with the strength of its customer relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is an archival research based on a sample of US public firms that have loan contract data between 1990 and 2008. Major customer sales data are used to construct customer concentration and customer relationship measures. A debt contract model is employed to relate loan spread and other contract terms to customer concentration and relationship.

Findings

This study finds that firms with more concentrated customer bases have higher loan spread and shorter loan maturity and are more likely to issue secured loans. These negative effects disappear when the supplier firm maintains strong relationship with its customers.

Research limitations/implications

Additional forward-looking measure of customer relationship could benefit future research.

Practical implications

A firm’s customer base characteristics can have significant impacts on the terms of its loan contracts. Findings from this study support the notion that customer relationship is an important intangible asset that is informative to stakeholders of the firm.

Originality/value

This study proposes a new measure of customer relationship based on the past repeated relationships between a firm and its major customers. It shows that customer characteristics may affect firms’ contracts with creditors: customer base concentration increases credit risk whereas strong customer relationship improves credit quality.