bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chromosomal replication origins inCandida albicansare genetically defined irrespective of their chromosomal context
Authors: Mitra Sreyoshi
Published: October 2020

Initiation of DNA replication occurs at specialized regions along chromosomes called origins. The knowledge of replication origins is imperative to understand regulation of DNA replication. The properties of replication origins in the pathogenic budding yeastCandida albicansremain enigmatic in the absence of the knowledge of authentic chromosomal origins. Earlier, we identified centromere proximal (pCEN) chromosomal origins on chromosomes 5 and 7 ofC. albicans. Here, we identify another centromere-distal (dCEN) chromosomal origin by two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis corresponding to a previously reported autonomously replicating sequence (ARS), CARS2. We show that all the identified chromosomal origins are bound byC. albicanshomologs of conserved pre-replication complex proteins Orc2 and Mcm2. Previous reports from our lab and others have shown that there is a strong inter-relationship between centromere function and pericentric origin activity, suggesting that these origins are epigenetically regulated. However, we find that short intergenic regions corresponding to each of these origins functions as an ARS element in circular plasmids. Further, we use the novel strategy ofin vivogap repair to demonstrate that circular ARS plasmids can exist independentlyin vivoinC. albicans.Taken together, these results show that DNA sequence underlies the function of both centromere proximal and centromere distal chromosomal origins inC. albicans.
In Pursuit of a Better Broiler: Growth, Efficiency and Mortality of 16 Strains of Broiler Chickens
Authors: Torrey Stephanie , Mohammadigheisar Mohsen , dos Santos Midian Nascimento , Rothschild Daniel , Dawson Lauren , Liu Zhenzhen , Kiarie Elijah , Edwards A. Michelle , Mandell Ira , Karrow Niel , Tulpan Dan , Widowski Tina
Published: October 2020

To meet the growing consumer demand for chicken meat, the poultry industry has selected broiler chickens for increasing efficiency and breast yield. While this high productivity means affordable and consistent product, it has come at a cost to broiler welfare. There has been increasing advocacy and consumer pressure on primary breeders, producers, processors and retailers to improve the welfare of the billions of chickens processed annually. Several small-scale studies have reported better welfare outcomes for slower growing strains compared to fast growing, conventional strains. However, these studies often housed birds with range access or used strains with vastly different growth rates. Additionally, there may be traits other than growth, such as body conformation, that influence welfare. As the global poultry industries consider the implications of using slower growing strains, there was a need for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary examination of broiler chickens with a wide range of genotypes differing in growth rate and other phenotypic traits. To meet this need, our team designed a study to benchmark data on conventional and slower growing strains of broiler chickens reared in standardized laboratory conditions. Over a two-year period, we studied 7,528 broilers from 16 different genetic strains. In this paper, we compare the growth, efficiency and mortality of broilers to one of two target weights (TW): 2.1 kg (TW1) and 3.2 kg (TW2). We categorized strains by their growth rate to TW2 as conventional (CONV), fastest slow strains (FAST), moderate slow strains (MOD) and slowest slow strains (SLOW). When incubated, hatched, housed, managed and fed the same, the categories of strains differed in body weights, growth rates, feed intake and feed efficiency. At 48 days of age, strains in the CONV category were 835-1264 g heavier than strains in the other categories. By TW2, differences in body weights and feed intake resulted in a 22 to 43-point difference in feed conversion ratios. Categories of strains did not differ in their overall mortality rates.
Microbiome signatures in a fast and slow progressing gastric cancer murine model and their contribution to gastric carcinogenesis
Authors: Bali Prerna , Coker Joanna , Lozano-Pope Ivonne , Zengler Karsten , Obonyo Marygorret
Published: October 2020

Gastric cancer is the third most common cancer in the world andHelicobacter spp. being one of the main factors responsible for development of cancer. AlongsideHelicobacterthe microbiota of the stomach mucosa may also play an important role in gastric cancer progression. Previously we had established that MyD88 deficient mice rapidly progressed to neoplasia when infected withH. felis. Thus, in order to assess the role of microbiota in gastric cancer progression we measured the changes in microbial diversity of the stomach in mice with different genotypic backgrounds (Wild type (WT), MyD88 deficient (MyD88−/−), mice deficient in the Toll/IL-1R (TIR) domain-containing adaptor-inducing interferon-β (TRIF,Triflps2), and MyD88 and Trif deficient (MyD88−/−and Trif−/−)double knockout (DKO) mice), both in uninfected andHelicobacterinfected mice and its correlation of these changes with gastric cancer progression. We observed that there was an overall reduction in microbial diversity post infection withH. felisacross all genotypes.Campylobacteraleswere observed in all infected mice, with marked reduction in abundance at 3 and 6 months in MyD88−/−mice. This low abundance ofH. pyloricould facilitate dominance of other organisms of microbiome likeLactobacilliales. A sharp increase inLactobacillialesin infected MyD88−/−and DKO mice at 3 and 6 months was observed as compared to Trif−/−and WT mice suggesting its possible role in gastric cancer progression. This was further reinforced upon comparison ofLactobacillusratio with histological data suggesting thatLactobacillalesis closely associated withHelicobacterinfection and gastric cancer progression. Thus, this study firstly suggests that difference in genotypes could define the stomach microbiome and make it more susceptible to development of gastric cancer uponHelicobacterinfections. Secondly the increase inLactobacillalescould contribute to faster development of gastric cancer and serve as a probable bio marker for fast progressing form of gastric cancer.
Multi-omics integration analysis identifies novel genes for alcoholism with potential link to neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Kapoor Manav , Chao Michael , Johnson Emma C. , Novikova Gloriia , Lai Dongbing , Meyers Jacquelyn , Schulman Jessica , Nurnberger John I , Porjesz Bernice , Liu Yunlong ,   COGA collaborators, Tatiana Foroud, Edenberg Howard J. , Marcora Edoardo , Agrawal Arpana , Goate Alison
Published: October 2020

Significance

Identification of causal variants and genes underlying genome-wide association study (GWAS) loci is essential to understanding the biology of alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Methods

Integration of “multi-omics” data is often necessary to nominate candidate causal variants and genes and prioritize them for follow up studies. Here, we used Mendelian randomization to integrate AUD and drinks per week (DPW) GWAS summary statistics with the gene expression and methylation quantitative trait loci (eQTLs and mQTLs) in the largest brain and myeloid datasets. We also used AUD-related single cell epigenetic data to nominate candidate causal variants and genes associated with DPW and AUD.

Results

Our multi-omics integration analyses prioritized unique as well as shared genes and pathways among AUD and DPW. The GWAS variants associated with both AUD and DPW showed significant enrichment in the promoter regions of fetal and adult brains. The integration of GWAS SNPs with mQTLs from fetal brain prioritized variants on chromosome 11 in both AUD and DPW GWASs. The co-localized variants were found to be overlapping with promoter marks forSPI1,specifically in human microglia, the myeloid cells of the brain. The co-localized SNPs were also strongly associated withSPI1mRNA expression in myeloid cells from peripheral blood. The prioritized variant at this locus is predicted to alter the binding site for a transcription factor, RXRA, a key player in the regulation of myeloid cell function. Our analysis also identifiedMAPTas a candidate causal gene specifically associated with DPW. mRNA expression ofMAPTwas also correlated with daily amounts of alcohol intake in post-mortem brains (frontal cortex) from alcoholics and controls (N = 92). Results may be queried and visualized in an online public resource of these integrative analysis (https://lcad.shinyapps.io/alc_multiomics/). These results highlight overlap between causal genes for neurodegenerative diseases, alcohol use disorder and alcohol consumption.

In conclusion

integrating GWAS summary statistics with multi-omics datasets from multiple sources identified biological similarities and differences between typical alcohol intake and disordered drinking highlighting molecular heterogeneity that might inform future targeted functional and cross-species studies. Interestingly, overlap was also observed with causal genes for neurodegenerative diseases.
The role of behavioural flexibility in primate diversification
Authors: Creighton Maria J.A. , Greenberg Dan A. , Reader Simon M. , Mooers Arne Ø.
Published: October 2020

Identifying the factors that influence species diversification is fundamental to our understanding of the evolutionary processes underlying extant biodiversity. Behavioural innovation, coupled with the social transmission of new behaviours, has been proposed to increase rates of evolutionary diversification, as novel behaviours expose populations to new selective regimes. Thus, it is believed that behavioural flexibility may play an important role in driving evolutionary diversification across animals. We test this hypothesis within the primates, a taxonomic group with considerable among-lineage variation in both species diversity and behavioural flexibility. We employ a time cut-off in our phylogeny to help account for biases associated with recent taxonomic reclassifications and compare three alternative measures of diversification rate that consider different phylogenetic depths. We find that the presence of behavioural innovation and social learning are positively correlated with diversification rates among primate genera, but not at shallower phylogenetic depths. Given that we find stronger associations when examining older rather than more recent diversification events, we suggest that extinction resistance, as opposed to speciation, may be an important mechanism linking behavioural flexibility and primate diversification. Our results contrast with work linking behavioural flexibility with diversification of birds at various phylogenetic depths. We offer a possible dispersal-mediated explanation for these conflicting patterns, such that the influence behavioural flexibility plays in dictating evolutionary trajectories differs across clades. Our results suggest that behavioural flexibility may act through several different pathways to shape the evolutionary trajectories of lineages.
Multiomics data collection, visualization, and utilization for guiding metabolic engineering
Authors: Roy Somtirtha , Radivojevic Tijana , Forrer Mark , Marti Jose Manuel , Jonnalagadda Vamshi , Backman Tyler , Morrell William , Plahar Hector , Kim Joonhoon , Hillson Nathan , Martin Hector Garcia
Published: October 2020

Biology has changed radically in the past two decades, growing from a purely descriptive science into also a design science. The availability of tools that enable the precise modification of cells, as well as the ability to collect large amounts of multimodal data, open the possibility of sophisticated bioengineering to produce fuels, specialty and commodity chemicals, materials, and other renewable bioproducts. However, despite new tools and exponentially increasing data volumes, synthetic biology cannot yet fulfill its true potential due to our inability to predict the behavior of biological systems. Here, we present a set of tools that, combined, provide the ability to store, visualize and leverage these data to predict the outcome of bioengineering efforts.
Structural studies onM. tuberculosisdecaprenyl phosphoryl-β-D-ribose epimerase-2 enzyme involved in cell wall biogenesis
Authors: Gangwar Shanti P. , Bandyopadhyay Arkita , Saxena Ajay K.
Published: October 2020

TheMycobacteriumDprE2 is a NADH-dependent enzyme and converts the decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-ribose (DPX) to decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-arabinofuranose (DPA). The FAD-containing oxidoreductaseMtbDprE1and NADH-dependent reductaseMtbDprE2enzymes catalyses together the epimerization reaction, which coverts DPR to DPA. Here,MtbDprE2enzyme was purified and structurally characterized using circular dichroism, molecular modelling and dynamics simulation techniques. TheMtbDprE2was purified, which eluted as oligomer from size exclusion column. The circular dichroism analysis yielded ~ 47.6% α-helix, ~ 19.8% β-sheet and ~ 32.6% random coil structures inMtbDprE2enzyme and showed highly thermostability. The molecular modelling ofMtbDprE2and its complex with NADH showed that it contains two domains (i) the large domain consists of central twisted seven β-sheets decorated by eight α-helices and (ii) a small domain contains two short α-helices connect by loop. Overall, theMtbDprE2adopts a typical short-chain dehydrogenase rossmann fold and NADH binds to Asp69, Ser147, Tyr160, Lys164 of catalytic triad and Gly16, Ser19, Glu20, Ile21 of Gly-rich motif ofMtbDprE2. 1 ns dynamics simulation was performed on apo and NADH boundMtbDprE2, which indicated the small conformational change in ligand binding site, which resulted more closed pocket than open pocket observed in apo enzyme. Small conformational changes were observed in active site residues and orientation between large and small domains ofMtbDprE2upon NADH binding. Current knowledge ofMtbDprE2structure and its NADH binding mechanism will contribute significantly in development of specific inhibitors againstM. tuberculosis.
Avoiding tensional equilibrium in cells migrating on a matrix with cell-scale stiffness-heterogeneity
Authors: Ebata Hiroyuki , Kidoaki Satoru
Published: October 2020

Intracellular stresses affect various cell functions, including proliferation, differentiation and movement, which are dynamically modulated in migrating cells through continuous cell-shaping and remodeling of the cytoskeletal architecture induced by spatiotemporal interactions with extracellular matrix stiffness. When cells migrate on a matrix with cell-scale stiffness-heterogeneity, which is a common situation in living tissues, what intracellular stress dynamics (ISD) emerge? In this study, to explore this issue, finite element method-based traction force microscopy was applied to cells migrating on microelastically patterned gels. Two model systems of microelastically patterned gels (stiff/soft stripe and stiff triangular patterns) were designed to characterize the effects of a spatial constraint on cell-shaping and of the presence of different types of cues to induce competing cellular taxis (usual and reverse durotaxis) on the ISD, respectively. As the main result, the prolonged fluctuation of traction stress on a whole-cell scale was markedly enhanced on single cell-size triangular stiff patterns compared with homogeneous gels. Such ISD enhancement was found to be derived from the interplay between the nomadic migration of cells to regions with different degrees of stiffness and domain shape-dependent traction force dynamics, which should be an essential factor for keeping cells far from tensional equilibrium.
Quantitative assessment of NCLDV–host interactions predicted by co-occurrence analyses
Authors: Meng Lingjie , Endo Hisashi , Blanc-Mathieu Romain , Chaffron Samuel , Hernández-Velázquez Rodrigo , Kaneko Hiroto , Ogata Hiroyuki
Published: October 2020

Nucleocytoplasmic DNA viruses (NCLDVs) are highly diverse and abundant in marine environments. However, knowledge of their hosts is limited because only a few NCLDVs have been isolated so far. Taking advantage of the recent large-scale marine metagenomics census,in silicohost prediction approaches are expected to fill the gap and further expand our knowledge of virus–host relationships for unknown NCLDVs. In this study, we built co-occurrence networks of NCLDVs and eukaryotic taxa to predict virus–host interactions usingTaraOceans sequencing data. Using the positive likelihood ratio to assess the performance of host prediction for NCLDVs, we benchmarked several co-occurrence approaches and demonstrated an increase in the odds ratio of predicting true positive relationships four-fold compared with random host predictions. To further refine host predictions from high-dimensional co-occurrence networks, we developed a phylogeny-informed filtering method, Taxon Interaction Mapper, and showed it further improved the prediction performance by twelve-fold. Finally, we inferred virophage – NCLDV networks to corroborate that co-occurrence approaches are effective for predicting interacting partners of NCLDVs in marine environments.

Importance

NCLDVs can infect a wide range of eukaryotes although their life cycle is less dependent on hosts compared with other viruses. However, our understanding of NCLDV– host systems is highly limited because few of these viruses have been isolated so far. Co-occurrence information has been assumed to be useful to predict virus–host interactions. In this study, we quantitatively show the effectiveness of co-occurrence inference for NCLDV host prediction. We also improve the prediction performance with a phylogeny-guided method, which leads to a concise list of candidate host lineages for three NCLDV families. Our results underpin the usage of co-occurrence approach for metagenomic exploration of the ecology of this diverse group of viruses.
α-Synuclein strains influence multiple system atrophy via central and peripheral mechanisms
Authors: Torre Murazabal T. , Van der Perren A. , Coens A. , Barber Janer A. , Camacho-Garcia S. , Stefanova N. , Melki R. , Baekelandt V. , Peelaerts W.
Published: October 2020

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with prominent autonomic and motor features. Different disease subtypes are distinguished by their predominant parkinsonian or cerebellar signs. The pathognomonic feature of MSA is the presence of α-synuclein (αSyn) protein deposits in glial cells of the central and peripheral nervous system. It is unclear why MSA, that invariably presents with αSyn pathology, is clinically so heterogeneous, why it progresses at varying rates and how neuroinflammation affects disease progression. Recently, it was shown that different strains of αSyn can assemble in unique disease environments but also that a variety of strains might exist in the brain of MSA patients. We therefore investigated if different αSyn strains might influence MSA disease progression. To this aim, we injected two recombinant strains of αSyn in MSA transgenic mice and found that they significantly impact MSA disease progression in a strain-dependent way via oligodendroglial, neurotoxic and immune-related mechanisms. Neurodegeneration and brain atrophy were accompanied by unique microglial and astroglial responses and the recruitment of central and peripheral immune cells. The differential activation of microglial cells correlated with the structural features of αSyn strains bothin vitroandin vivo. By injecting αSyn strains in MSA mice we could more closely mimic a comprehensive MSA phenotype in an experimental setting. This study therefore shows that i) MSA phenotype is governed by both the αSyn strain nature and the host environment and ii) αSyn strains can directly trigger a detrimental immune response related to disease progression in MSA.
Hard X-ray ptychography for optics characterization using a partially coherent synchrotron source
Authors: Moxham Thomas E. J. , Parsons Aaron , Zhou Tunhe , Alianelli Lucia , Wang Hongchang , Laundy David , Dhamgaye Vishal , Fox Oliver J. L. , Sawhney Kawal , Korsunsky Alexander M.
Published: October 2020

Ptychography is a scanning coherent diffraction imaging technique which provides high resolution imaging and complete spatial information of the complex electric field probe and sample transmission function. Its ability to accurately determine the illumination probe has led to its use at modern synchrotrons and free-electron lasers as a wavefront-sensing technique for optics alignment, monitoring and correction. Recent developments in the ptychography reconstruction process now incorporate a modal decomposition of the illuminating probe and relax the restriction of using sources with high spatial coherence. In this article a practical implementation of hard X-ray ptychography from a partially coherent X-ray source with a large number of modes is demonstrated experimentally. A strongly diffracting Siemens star test sample is imaged using the focused beam produced by either a Fresnel zone plate or beryllium compound refractive lens. The recovered probe from each optic is back propagated in order to plot the beam caustic and determine the precise focal size and position. The power distribution of the reconstructed probe modes also allows the quantification of the beams coherence and is compared with the values predicted by a Gaussian–Schell model and the optics exit intensity.
Structure of a GH51 α-L-arabinofuranosidase from Meripilus giganteus: conserved substrate recognition from bacteria to fungi
Authors: McGregor Nicholas G. S. , Turkenburg Johan P. , Mørkeberg Krogh Kristian B. R. , Nielsen Jens Erik , Artola Marta , Stubbs Keith A. , Overkleeft Herman S. , Davies Gideon J.
Published: October 2020

α-L-Arabinofuranosidases from glycoside hydrolase family 51 use a stereochemically retaining hydrolytic mechanism to liberate nonreducing terminal α-L-arabinofuranose residues from plant polysaccharides such as arabinoxylan and arabinan. To date, more than ten fungal GH51 α-L-arabinofuranosidases have been functionally characterized, yet no structure of a fungal GH51 enzyme has been solved. In contrast, seven bacterial GH51 enzyme structures, with low sequence similarity to the fungal GH51 enzymes, have been determined. Here, the crystallization and structural characterization of MgGH51, an industrially relevant GH51 α-L-arabinofuranosidase cloned from Meripilus giganteus, are reported. Three crystal forms were grown in different crystallization conditions. The unliganded structure was solved using sulfur SAD data collected from a single crystal using the I23 in vacuo diffraction beamline at Diamond Light Source. Crystal soaks with arabinose, 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-L-arabinitol and two cyclophellitol-derived arabinose mimics reveal a conserved catalytic site and conformational itinerary between fungal and bacterial GH51 α-L-arabinofuranosidases.
Pre-clustering data sets using cluster4x improves the signal-to-noise ratio of high-throughput crystallography drug-screening analysis
Authors: Ginn Helen M.
Published: October 2020

Drug and fragment screening at X-ray crystallography beamlines has been a huge success. However, it is inevitable that more high-profile biological drug targets will be identified for which high-quality, highly homogenous crystal systems cannot be found. With increasing heterogeneity in crystal systems, the application of current multi-data-set methods becomes ever less sensitive to bound ligands. In order to ease the bottleneck of finding a well behaved crystal system, pre-clustering of data sets can be carried out using cluster4x after data collection to separate data sets into smaller partitions in order to restore the sensitivity of multi-data-set methods. Here, the software cluster4x is introduced for this purpose and validated against published data sets using PanDDA, showing an improved total signal from existing ligands and identifying new hits in both highly heterogenous and less heterogenous multi-data sets. cluster4x provides the researcher with an interactive graphical user interface with which to explore multi-data set experiments.
Similarity-based information fusion grey model for remaining useful life prediction of aircraft engines
Authors: Yang Xiaoyu , Fang Zhigeng , Li Xiaochuan , Yang Yingjie , Mba David
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Online health monitoring of large complex equipment has become a trend in the field of equipment diagnostics and prognostics due to the rapid development of sensing and computing technologies. The purpose of this paper is to construct a more accurate and stable grey model based on similar information fusion to predict the real-time remaining useful life (RUL) of aircraft engines.

Design/methodology/approach

First, a referential database is created by applying multiple linear regressions on historical samples. Then similarity matching is conducted between the monitored engine and historical samples. After that, an information fusion grey model is applied to predict the future degradation trajectory of the monitored engine considering the latest trend of monitored sensory data and long-term trends of several similar referential samples, and the real-time RUL is obtained correspondingly.

Findings

The results of comparative analysis reveal that the proposed model, which is called similarity-based information fusion grey model (SIFGM), could provide better RUL prediction from the early degradation stage. Furthermore, SIFGM is still able to predict system failures relatively accurately when only partial information of the referential samples is available, making the method a viable choice when the historical whole life cycle data are scarce.

Research limitations/implications

The prediction of SIFGM method is based on a single monotonically changing health indicator (HI) synthesized from monitoring sensory signals, which is assumed to be highly relevant to the degradation processes of the engine.

Practical implications

The SIFGM can be used to predict the degradation trajectories and RULs of those online condition monitoring systems with similar irreversible degradation behaviors before failure occurs, such as aircraft engines and centrifugal pumps.

Originality/value

This paper introduces the similarity information into traditional GM(1,1) model to make it more suitable for long-term RUL prediction and also provide a solution of similarity-based RUL prediction with limited historical whole life cycle data.
Pedagogical strategies and challenges of multigrade schoolteachers in Albay, Philippines
Authors: Bongala Judy Vargas , Bobis Vanessa Baraero , Castillo John Paul Ramos , Marasigan Arlyne Canales
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the pedagogical strategies and challenges of selected multigrade (MG) schoolteachers in Albay, Philippines.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilized a case study design using a validated semi-structured instrument with in-depth interviews to ten MG teachers, observation and document analysis. Qualitative data analyses such as content and thematic analyses were used in analyzing the data.

Findings

The results show that MG teachers use a variety of overlapping and supplementary instructional strategies such as (1) teaching one topic to all grades and at varying levels of difficulty using differentiated activity, (2) “jump-jump strategy”/teaching one grade while others work independently and (3) peer teaching or tutoring. However, there are several pedagogical challenges that MG teachers are faced with: (1) conflict between the medium of instructions and grade grouping, (2) problems with lesson planning, (3) unfocused instruction, (4) insufficient learners' materials, (5) absence of training prior to MG teaching and (6) the negative perception of the effectiveness of MG instructions.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited within the context of the participants and focuses on the pedagogical strategies and challenges in the implementation of MG teaching.

Practical implications

The results of this study can serve as a reference on how to support and strengthen MG instruction.

Originality/value

This study provides a research-based overview of MG schools from the grassroots level and adds to the limited studies of MG education in the Philippines.
Learning from the ambiguous past with project reviews
Authors: Christiansen John K. , Mouritsen Jan
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Knowledge is supposedly a good ally of the future. Postproject reviews aim to create knowledge and improvements based on the past, but what happens when those observations are ambiguous? Based on intriguing observations on developing structured postproject reviews, implications of the ambiguities of the past are analyzed and discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

The present research departed from an interactive clinical action research approach (Schein, 1987), employing several rounds of interaction over 11 months. The studied company had a clear objective to improve its project evaluations and learn from three past projects to improve future ones by developing a framework to facilitate project evaluation.

Findings

Despite top management support and a benevolent organizational climate, the development process encountered problems. The list of issues to consider grew ever more extensive, and the expected data refinement and accompanying insights did not happen. Participants debated what to observe, and there was uncertainty about how to link the elements and confusion and disagreement about what was learned.

Research limitations/implications

Learning from past projects was more problematic and difficult than predicted based on the postproject review literature. The past did purvey multiple interpretations.

Practical implications

Learning from the past is not effective if the goal is generating causal knowledge, scoring forms and checklists for future use. Postproject reviews provide an opportunity to decide what the past should be about rather than identifying what it was about.

Originality/value

The past might appear stable, but, when examined, ambiguity emerges. Research on knowledge generation from postproject reviews assumes that a project’s past is more or less stable and agreed upon. However, this study addresses the critical role of ambiguity about the past and the challenges when organizations try to learn from history through project reviews and evaluation processes.
Corporate social responsibility awareness and performance: the case of Chinese airports
Authors: Ngo Thanh , Tian Qixia
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This study examines the corporate social responsibility (CSR) awareness of major Chinese airports during the 2013–2017 period as well as its influence on the airports' performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors first used a content analysis to quantify CSR awareness of the examined airports reflecting their annual and CSR reports. Alongside other characteristics such as location and size, CSR awareness’ influence on the airports' performance (measured by data envelopment analysis [DEA]) was consequently examined.

Findings

The CSR awareness varies among airport and over time; however, an increasing concern about this issue is found in the Chinese airport industry. Particularly, Chinese airports tend to focus more on customers and the society and that increase of CSR awareness could improve the airports' performance.

Research limitations/implications

The authors analyzed only four Chinese airports, and the data may be influenced by other factors such as politics, culture, business behaviors or management. Studies with larger sample (e.g. more airports from China and/or other countries) or with more CSR aspects and indicators will contribute to this matter.

Originality/value

This is the first study to combine the content analysis and the DEA into a single framework to examine the relationship between CSR awareness and performance, especially for Chinese airports. It can therefore provide important practical implications to Chinese aviation managers.
An integrated framework to prioritize blockchain-based supply chain success factors
Authors: Shoaib Muhammad , Lim Ming K. , Wang Chao
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify and prioritize the factors that can positively influence the implementation of a blockchain-based supply chain via an integrated framework. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no previous study has focused on prioritizing these factors.

Design/methodology/approach

First, this study conducts a multivocal literature review, and a total of 48 success factors (SFs) are identified and mapped into 11 categories. Second, the identified success factors and their categories are further validated by industry practitioners using a questionnaire survey approach. Finally, this study applies an analytical hierarchy process to prioritize the identified SFs and their categories and to assess their importance for successful blockchain implementation in the supply chain management process.

Findings

The “Accessibility” category has the highest importance, and the “Overall efficiency” category has the second highest rank. As far as the success factors are concerned, “Trackability” and “Traceability” are considered to be the prime success factors of a blockchain-based supply chain. The taxonomy of the categories and their success factors provide an outline for supply chain organizations to establish a strategy to implement blockchain technology.

Practical implications

This technology can be practically applied in a sustainable supply chain. Another vital application of this blockchain technology is in banking and finance because of the blockchain's immutable data recording property.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, there is no previous study focused on building a taxonomic model that allows supply chain organizations to compare this paper's model with existing models and outline the necessary actions to improve supply chain activities. The questionnaire-based survey developed to validate the success factors in real-world practices and the factors' prioritization can help academic researchers and industrial practitioners to set their strategic goals accordingly.
Media system dependency and user attachment in social Q&A communities: do active users and lurkers differ?
Authors: Zheng Xiabing , Shi Xiao , Yang Feng
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This study aims at exploring users' motives to form attachments within the social Q&A community context and identifying the differences between active users and lurkers when building emotional attachments. By utilizing the media system dependency (MSD) theory, this study investigates into the driving factors of dependency relations (understanding, orientation and play) to user attachments (i.e. attachment to the social Q&A community, attachment to content creators).

Design/methodology/approach

The research model is empirically validated by an online questionnaire among users of a social Q&A community. Deriving from the actual behavioral data, the authors divide 262 valid responses into 157 active users and 105 lurkers according to whether they post or not. The partial least squares (PLS) method is exploited to analyze the relationships in the model. In addition, the PLS-based multi-group analysis is conducted for comparing active users and lurkers.

Findings

The empirical results confirm that dependency relations (understanding, orientation and play) significantly influence user attachments. Multi-group analysis suggests that the effect of understanding dependency relations on attachment to content creators is stronger for active users than for lurkers. However, the effect of orientation dependency relations on user attachment is significant for lurkers but not significant for active users.

Originality/value

This study enriches the knowledge of the MSD theory by extending it to the social Q&A community setting. Based on the MSD theory, the relationships between three sides of dependency relations and two types of user attachments are hypothesized in the research model. Besides, the impact of user heterogeneity in building user emotional attachment still lacks consideration. This study is one of the first in the field of comparison studies to compare active users and lurkers in such context, providing a novel contribution in understanding the motivations and emotional responses of different users.
Exploring customer loyalty following service recovery: a replication study in the Ghanaian hotel industry
Authors: Ampong George Oppong Appiagyei , Abubakari Aidatu , Mohammed Majeed , Appaw-Agbola Esther Theresa , Addae John Agyekum , Ofori Kwame Simpe
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The study sought to assess the nexus between components of perceived justice and satisfaction, trust and loyalty with service recovery.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were gathered from a sample of 300 clients from 8 midscale hotels in Ghana. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

Perceived distributive justice has no effect on customer satisfaction with service recovery. Interactional justice had the greatest effect on customer satisfaction with service recovery. No significant relationship was found between procedural justice and trust. Also, trust had a significant effect on loyalty post-service recovery.

Research limitations/implications

Empirical data were taken from one service industry; thus, it is reflective of only that service industry, generalizations should be mindful of our context bounded results.

Practical implications

The study offers suggestions for managers to leverage the dimensions of perceived justice in order to build trust and loyalty post-service failure. Hotels should treat customers with fairness and respect at every point of contact during the service recovery process. Reward based compensation should be offered to customers to build trust.

Originality/value

The study is among a few to assess service recovery and its link with loyalty from a developing economy context. The study revealed that perceptions of justice with service recovery influences customer loyalty and satisfaction post-service recovery and extend the understanding of service recovery in the Ghanaian hotel sector.
Dimensionality of frontline employee friendliness in service encounters
Authors: Boninsegni Melanie F. , Furrer Olivier , Mattila Anna S.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This article explores four dimensions of frontline employee (FLE) friendliness (humorous, informal, conversational, and approachable) to propose a relevant measurement instrument of the influence of FLE friendliness on relationship quality and perceived value, as well as its indirect influence on repatronage intentions. Recent studies suggest FLE friendliness, defined as a tendency to convey an affective customer–employee social interaction, is a critical determinant of relationship marketing, but few scholars agree on its dimensionality. This study seeks a deeper understanding of FLE friendliness by investigating its different dimensions in various service contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

The mixed-method design, including both qualitative and quantitative research, offers a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of FLE friendliness.

Findings

The content analysis suggests FLE friendliness is multidimensional and composed of humorous, informal, conversational, and approachable behaviors. The results of a quantitative survey, conducted across four service contexts, validate this four-factor model. A second quantitative survey across two service contexts reveals the weights and relative importance of the dimensions, and then a third quantitative survey across three service contexts confirms that FLE friendliness is a significant driver of relationship quality, perceived value, and repatronage intentions (indirectly).

Originality/value

This study contributes to relationship marketing literature by strengthening the conceptual foundations of FLE friendliness, clarifying the dimensionality of the construct, developing a comprehensive measurement instrument, and extending previous research on the customer–employee interactions.
Regulatory focus, persistence and new venture performance
Authors: Adomako Samuel
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to examine the joint effects of regulatory focus, entrepreneurial persistence and institutional support on new venture performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a random survey approach to sample 204 new ventures from Ghana. The moderated mediation method was used to analyse the survey data.

Findings

The findings from this paper show that entrepreneurs' promotion focus positively relates to persistence while prevent focus negatively influences persistence. In addition, persistence mediates the link between regulatory focus (promotion and prevention focus) and new venture performance. These relationships are positively moderated by perceived institutional support.

Research limitations/implications

Using data from only the manufacturing sector in Ghana limits the generalisability of this paper. In addition, persistence is not observed or measured directly in this paper but is only used as self-reporting variable that captures an individual's tendency to persist.

Originality/value

The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, this paper contributes to regulatory focus literature by enhancing our knowledge on how self-regulation could help explain entrepreneurial decision-making. Second, this paper broadens self-regulation literature by adding institutional context as a moderating variable. Third, this paper helps clarify the potential role of persistence in entrepreneurship.
Grand corruption scandals in the Philippines
Authors: Batalla Eric Vincent C.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to analyse the weaknesses of governance institutions in constraining grand corruption arising from the government procurement of large foreign-funded infrastructure projects in the Philippines. The weaknesses are revealed in the description and analysis of two major scandals, namely, the construction of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant during the Marcos era and the National Broadband Network project of the Arroyo presidency.

Design/methodology/approach

This research employs a historical and comparative case approach to explore patterns of grand corruption and their resolution. Primary and secondary data sources including court decisions, congressional records, journal articles and newspaper reports are used to construct the narratives for each case.

Findings

Top-level executive agreements that do not require competitive public bidding provide an opportunity for grand corruption. Such agreements encourage the formation of corrupt rent-seeking relationships involving the selling firm, brokers, politicians and top-level government executives. Closure of cases of grand corruption is a serious problem that involves an incoherent and politically vulnerable prosecutorial and justice system.

Originality/value

This paper aims to contribute to research on grand corruption involving the executive branch in the Philippines, particularly in the procurement of large, foreign-funded government projects. It examines allegations of improprieties in government project contracting and the politics of resolving corruption scandals through the justice system.
Communication-based approaches to library reference services: anxiety-uncertainty management as a model for communication breakdowns
Authors: Lund Brady
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to present an overview of the history of communication research and theory in reference services literature and to discuss the potential of one relatively recent-emerging theory of communication (anxiety-uncertainty management theory) to describe and mitigate breakdowns in reference communication.

Design/methodology/approach

An overview and discussion of existing literature and communication-based theories of library reference services is presented.

Findings

This paper identifies and describes anxiety-uncertainty management theory as a lens through which to view communication breakdowns during library reference transactions. The concepts behind the theory and articulated as well as its insights for reference librarians.

Originality/value

This is the first article to discuss the anxiety-uncertainty management theory to examine communication breakdowns in library reference transactions.
Drivers and challenges of tacit knowledge sharing in automotive workshop employees
Authors: Alam Muhammad Zubair , Kousar Shazia , Shafqat Nyla , Shabbir Aiza
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the way tacit knowledge (TK) sharing occurred among automotive workshop (AW) employees. Challenges and drivers of TK sharing (TKS), including stakes of experienced employees that hinder the smooth transfer of TK, have been explored.

Design/methodology/approach

In-depth interviews have been conducted with experienced technicians using open-ended questions to gain deep insights on the issue of TKS. Data coding has been done for thematic analysis to extract themes.

Findings

This study explains the way TK is shared and transferred among employees in the AW sector. Various drivers and challenges in the smooth transfer of TK have been found. Various stakes of employees in the sharing of TK have been explored.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that explored stakes of experienced employees in TKS by exploring challenges in the TKS process among employees. Automotive repair is a complicated technical job that integrates various trade persons for the successful execution of jobs for customer satisfaction. TK is a core value and a sensitive issue among employees, which makes the job of researchers challenging, resulting scarcity of literature on this vital issue.
Cooperative activation of the human herpesvirus 6B U79/80 early gene promoter by immediate‐early proteins IE1B and IE2B
Authors: Shimada Kazuya , Kobayashi Nobuyuki , Oka Naomi , Takahashi Mayumi , Kondo Kazuhiro
Published: October 2020

The human herpesvirus 6B (HHV‐6B) U79/80 gene belongs to the early gene class and appears as early as 3 hr postinfection. It is one of the most abundantly expressed transcripts and a useful diagnostic marker for viral reactivation. However, the expression mechanisms of the U79/80 gene remain unclear. To identify the viral factor(s) that activates the U79/80 promoter along with other HHV‐6B core early gene promoters, p41, DNA polymerase, and U41, we examined the activities of U79/80 and other early gene promoters. In HHV‐6B‐infected MT‐4 cells, U79/80 promoter activity was the highest among early gene promoters. In addition, we identified that HHV‐6B immediate‐early (IE)2B protein is one of the viral proteins involved in the activation of the U79/80 and other early gene promoters. Although the IE2B could independently activate these early gene promoters, the presence of IE1B significantly augmented the activities of early gene promoters. We also found that IE2B bound three human cytomegalovirus IE2‐binding consensus, cis repression signal (CRS), within the U79/80 promoter. Moreover, the U79/80 promoter was activated by cellular factors, which are highly expressed in MT‐4 cells, instead of HeLa cells because it was upregulated by mock infection and in the absence of IE2B. These results suggested that the activation mechanism of the U79/80 gene differs from other HHV‐6B core early genes, apparently supporting its rapid and abundant expression. Therefore, the U79/80 early gene is an actually suitable biomarker of HHV‐6B reactivation.