bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiplexed whole animal imaging with reversibly switchable optoacoustic proteins
Authors: Mishra Kanuj , Stankevych Mariia , Fuenzalida-Werner Juan Pablo , Grassmann Simon , Gujrati Vipul , Klemm Uwe , Buchholz Veit R. , Ntziachristos Vasilis , Stiel Andre C.
Published: February 2020

We describe two photochromic proteins for cell-specificin vivooptoacoustic (OA) imaging with signal unmixing in the temporal domain. We show highly sensitive, multiplexed visualization of T lymphocytes, bacteria and tumors in the mouse body and brain. We developed machine learning-based software that allows commercial imaging systems to be used for temporal unmixed OA imaging, enabling its routine use in life sciences.
LncRNA GAS5 attenuates fibroblast activation through inhibiting Smad3 signaling
Authors: Tang Rui , Wang Yung-Chun , Mei Xiaohan , Shi Ning , Sun Chengming , Ran Ran , Zhang Gui , Li Wenjing , Staveley-O’Carroll Kevin F. , Li Guangfu , Chen Shi-You
Published: February 2020

Transforming Growth Factor β (TGF-β)-induced fibroblast activation is a key pathological event during tissue fibrosis. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is a class of versatile gene regulators participating in various cellular and molecular processes. However, the function of lncRNA in fibroblast activation is still poorly understood. In this study, we identified growth arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5) as a novel regulator for TGF-β-induced fibroblast activation. GAS5 expression was downregulated in cultured fibroblasts by TGF-β and in resident fibroblasts from bleomycin-treated skin tissues. Overexpression of GAS5 suppressed TGF-β-induced fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation. Mechanistically, GAS5 directly bound Smad3 and promoted Smad3 binding to PPM1A, a Smad3 dephosphatase, and thus accelerated Smad3 dephosphorylation in TGF-β-treated fibroblasts. In addition, GAS5 inhibited fibroblast proliferation. Importantly, local delivery of GAS5 via adenoviral vector suppressed bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis in mice. Collectively, our data revealed that GAS5 suppresses fibroblast activation and fibrogenesis through inhibiting TGF-β/Smad3 signaling, which provides a rationale for an lncRNA-based therapy to treat fibrotic diseases.
A screen forPlasmodium falciparumsporozoite surface protein binding to human hepatocyte surface receptors identifies novel host-pathogen interactions
Authors: Segireddy Rameswara Reddy , Dundas Kirsten , Knoeckel Julia , Galaway Francis , Wood Laura , Wright Gavin J , Douglas Alexander D
Published: February 2020

Sporozoite invasion of hepatocytes is a necessary step prior to development of malaria, with similarities, at the cellular level, to merozoite invasion of erythrocytes. In the case of the malaria blood-stage, efforts to identify host-pathogen protein-protein interactions have yielded important insights including vaccine candidates. In the case of sporozoite-hepatocyte invasion, the host-pathogen protein-protein interactions involved are poorly understood. Here, we performed a systematic screen to identify such interactions. We substantially extended previousPlasmodium falciparumand human surface protein ectodomain libraries, creating new libraries containing 88P. falciparumsporozoite protein coding sequences and 182 sequences encoding human hepatocyte surface proteins. Having expressed recombinant proteins from these sequences, we used a plate-based assay capable of detecting low affinity interactions between recombinant proteins, modified for enhanced throughput, to screen the proteins for interactions. We were able to test 7540 sporozoite-hepatocyte protein pairs under conditions likely to be sensitive for interaction. We report and characterise an interaction between human fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) and theP. falciparumprotein Pf34, and describe an additional interaction between human low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and theP. falciparumprotein PIESP15. Strategies to inhibit these interactions may have value in malaria prevention, and the modified interaction screening assay and protein expression libraries we report may be of wider value to the community.
Non-canonical regulation of glycogenolysis and the Warburg phenotype by soluble adenylyl cyclase
Authors: Chang Jung-Chin , Go Simei , Gilglioni Eduardo H. , Li Hang Lam , Huang Hsu-Li , Levin Lonny R. , Buck Jochen , Verhoeven Arthur J. , Oude Elferink Ronald P.J.
Published: February 2020

Cyclic AMP is produced in cells by two very different types of adenylyl cyclases: the canonical transmembrane adenylyl cyclases (tmACs,ADCY1∼9) and the evolutionarily more conserved soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC,ADCY10). While the role and regulation of tmACs is well documented, much less is known of sAC in cellular metabolism. We demonstrate here that sAC is an acute regulator of glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation and glycogen metabolism, tuning their relative bioenergetic contributions. Suppression of sAC activity leads to aerobic glycolysis, enhanced glycogenolysis, decreased oxidative phosphorylation, and an elevated cytosolic NADH/NAD+ratio, resembling the Warburg phenotype. Importantly, we found that glycogen metabolism is regulated in opposite directions by cAMP depending on its location of synthesis and downstream effectors. While the canonical tmAC-cAMP-PKA axis promotes glycogenolysis, we identify a novel sAC-cAMP-Epac1 axis that suppresses glycogenolysis. These data suggest that sAC is an autonomous bioenergetic sensor that suppresses aerobic glycolysis and glycogenolysis when ATP levels suffice. When the ATP level falls, diminished sAC activity induces glycogenolysis and aerobic glycolysis to maintain energy homeostasis.
SICD6mA: Identifying 6mA Sites using Deep Memory Network
Authors: Liu Wenzhong , Li Hualan
Published: February 2020

Background

DNA N6-methyladenine (6mA) is a kind of epigenetic modification in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, which involves multiple biological processes, such as gene regulation and tumorigenesis. Identifying 6mA contributes to understand its regulatory role. Therefore, to satisfy the needs of large-scale preliminary screening, it is necessary to develop the high-quality computational models for the rapid identification of 6mA sites. However, the existing calculation approaches are mostly specific to rice, and they have not been extensively applied to human genome.

Results

This study proposed a classification method of deep learning based on the memory mechanism named SICD6mA. In addition, the large benchmark datasets were constructed for human and rice, respectively, which integrated the recently reported 6mA sites. According to the evaluation results, SICD6mA displayed favorable robustness during cross-validations, which achieved the area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.9824 and 0.9903 for Human and Rice’s genomes in independent test evaluations, separately.

Conclusions

The successful prediction rate of 6mA sites on cross-species genomes exhibited higher accuracy than that of the state-of-the-art methods. For the convenience of experimental scientists, the user-friendly tool SICD6mA was developed to predict the cross-species 6mA sites, thereby accelerating and facilitating future cross-species genome research.
Ancient MAPK ERK7 is regulated by an unusual inhibitory scaffold required for Toxoplasma apical complex biogenesis
Authors: Back Peter S. , O’Shaughnessy William J. , Moon Andy S. , Dewangan Pravin S. , Hu Xiaoyu , Sha Jihui , Wohlschlegel James A. , Bradley Peter J. , Reese Michael L.
Published: February 2020

Apicomplexan parasites use a specialized cilium structure called the apical complex to organize their secretory organelles and invasion machinery. The apical complex is integrally associated with both the parasite plasma membrane and an intermediate filament cytoskeleton called the inner membrane complex (IMC). While the apical complex is essential to the parasitic lifestyle, little is known about the regulation of apical complex biogenesis. Here, we identify AC9 (apical cap protein 9), a largely intrinsically disordered component of theToxoplasma gondiiIMC, as essential for apical complex development, and therefore for host cell invasion and egress. Parasites lacking AC9 fail to successfully assemble the tubulin-rich core of their apical complex, called the conoid. We use proximity biotinylation to identify the AC9 interaction network, which includes the kinase ERK7. Like AC9, ERK7 is required for apical complex biogenesis. We demonstrate that AC9 directly binds ERK7 through a conserved C-terminal motif and that this interaction is essential for ERK7 localization and function at the apical cap. The crystal structure of the ERK7:AC9 complex reveals that AC9 is not only a scaffold, but also inhibits ERK7 through an unusual set of contacts that displaces nucleotide from the kinase active site. ERK7 is an ancient and auto-activating member of the mitogen-activated kinase family and we have identified its first regulator in any organism. We propose that AC9 dually regulates ERK7 by scaffolding and concentrating it at its site of action while maintaining it in an “off” state until the specific binding of a true substrate.

Significance Statement

Apicomplexan parasites include the organisms that cause widespread and devastating human diseases such as malaria, cryptosporidiosis, and toxoplasmosis. These parasites are named for a structure, called the “apical complex,” that organizes their invasion and secretory machinery. We found that two proteins, apical cap protein 9 (AC9) and an enzyme called ERK7 work together to facilitate apical complex assembly. Intriguingly, ERK7 is an ancient molecule that is found throughout Eukaryota, though its regulation and function are poorly understood. AC9 is a scaffold that concentrates ERK7 at the base of the developing apical complex. In addition, AC9 binding likely confers substrate selectivity upon ERK7. This simple competitive regulatory model may be a powerful but largely overlooked mechanism throughout biology.
Applying whole-genome sequencing in relation to phenotype and outcomes in siblings with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Wilk Melissa A. , Braun Andrew T. , Farrell Philip M. , Laxova Anita , Brown Donna M. , Holt James M. , Birch Camille L. , Sosonkina Nadiya , Wilk Brandon M. , Worthey Elizabeth A.
Published: February 2020

Variations in disease onset and/or severity have often been observed in siblings with cystic fibrosis (CF), despite the sameCFTRgenotype and environment. We postulated that genomic variation (modifier and/or pharmacogenomic variants) might explain these clinical discordances. From a cohort of patients included in the Wisconsin randomized clinical trial (RCT) of newborn screening (NBS) for CF, we identified two brothers who showed discordant lung disease courses as children, with one milder and the other more severe than average, and a third, eldest brother, who also has severe lung disease. Leukocytes were harvested as the source of DNA, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed. Variants were identified and analyzed using in-house-developed informatics tools. Lung disease onset and severity were quantitatively different between brothers during childhood. The youngest, less severely affected brother is homozygous forHFEp.H63D. He also has a very rarePLGp.D238N variant that may influence host–pathogen interaction during chronic lung infection. Other variants of interest were found differentially between the siblings. Pharmacogenomics findings were consistent with the middle, most severely affected brother having poor outcomes to common CF treatments. We conclude that genomic variation between siblings with CF is expected. Variable lung disease severity may be associated with differences acting as genetic modifiers and/or pharmacogenomic factors, but large cohort studies are needed to assess this hypothesis.
Clinical report: one year of treatment of Proteus syndrome with miransertib (ARQ 092)
Authors: Biesecker Leslie G. , Edwards Matthew , O'Donnell Sheridan , Doherty Paula , MacDougall Thomas , Tith Kate , Kazakin Julia , Schwartz Brian
Published: February 2020

A 20-yr-old man with Proteus syndrome (PS) and somatic mosaicism of the AKT1 c.49G > A p.(E17K) variant had asymmetric overgrowth of the right frontal and facial bones, asymmetric spinal overgrowth with thoracolumbar scoliosis, dilatation of the inferior vena cava, testicular cystadenoma, bilateral knee deformities, macrodactyly, and apparent intellectual disability. Miransertib (ARQ 092) is an oral, allosteric, selective pan-AKT inhibitor initially developed for cancer therapeutics, now being evaluated for the treatment of PS. After baseline evaluation, the patient started unblinded treatment of 10 mg oral miransertib daily (∼5 mg/m2/day), escalated to 30 mg daily (∼15 mg/m2/day), and then to 50 mg daily (∼25 mg/m2/day) after 3 mo of treatment. Adverse events included dry mouth, one episode of gingivostomatitis, and loose, painful dentition due to preexisting periodontal disease, all of which resolved spontaneously. After 11 mo of treatment, the patient reported improved general well-being, increased mobility of the ankle, spine, and hands, a subjective decrease in size of the right facial bone overgrowth, and reduced areas of cerebriform connective tissue nevi on the soles. Whole-body MRI findings were stable without apparent disease progression. We conclude that 1 yr of treatment with miransertib was beneficial in this case.
Production of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Viruses (rAAVs) by Transient Transfection
Authors: Su Qin , Sena-Esteves Miguel , Gao Guangping
Published: February 2020

The most commonly used method for production of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAVs) in research laboratories is by transient triple transfection of 293 cells with AAV cis and trans plasmids and an adenovirus helper plasmid. This protocol describes the processes required to prepare the transfected cell suspension for virus purification.
The thermodynamic profile and molecular interactions of a C(9)-cytisine derivative-binding acetylcholine-binding protein from Aplysia californica
Authors: Davis Samuel , Rego Campello Hugo , Gallagher Timothy , Hunter William N.
Published: February 2020

Cytisine, a natural product with high affinity for clinically relevant nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), is used as a smoking-cessation agent. The compound displays an excellent clinical profile and hence there is an interest in derivatives that may be further improved or find use in the treatment of other conditions. Here, the binding of a cytisine derivative modified by the addition of a 3-(hydroxypropyl) moiety (ligand 4) to Aplysia californica acetylcholine-binding protein (AcAChBP), a surrogate for nAChR orthosteric binding sites, was investigated. Isothermal titration calorimetry revealed that the favorable binding of cytisine and its derivative to AcAChBP is driven by the enthalpic contribution, which dominates an unfavorable entropic component. Although ligand 4 had a less unfavorable entropic contribution compared with cytisine, the affinity for AcAChBP was significantly diminished owing to the magnitude of the reduction in the enthalpic component. The high-resolution crystal structure of the AcAChBP–4 complex indicated close similarities in the protein–ligand interactions involving the parts of 4 common to cytisine. The point of difference, the 3-(hydroxypropyl) substituent, appears to influence the conformation of the Met133 side chain and helps to form an ordered solvent structure at the edge of the orthosteric binding site.
Identity as career capital: enhancing employability in the creative industries and beyond
Authors: Mao Jina , Shen Yan
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to broaden the conversation about the link between identity and employability by investigating how identity can function as a type of career capital. Drawing on Bourdieu’s (1990) theory of practice and Côté’s (2016) identity capital model, the authors introduce the concept of identity capitalization and elaborate on the career practices people engage in to convert identity into career capital based on studies of careers in the creative industries.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual development is based on an examination of studies of careers in the creative industries. The authors move beyond a single idiosyncratic occupational setting and offer insights about how individuals acquire, accumulate and deploy identity capital in response to varying occupational demands and institutional norms.

Findings

The authors identify three patterns of work – display work, authenticity work and personation work – that creative professionals use to harness identity as career capital to enhance their employability. The authors find that both the demand for authenticity and the existence of social inequalities in the creative industries present challenges for the acquisition, accumulation and deployment of identity capital.

Originality/value

The ability to harness one’s identity for career capital has become increasingly important for career actors in the face of a challenging labor market. This paper provides a conceptual understanding of the process of identity capitalization and presents concrete career practices in real-world settings. It also offers practical advice for individuals wishing to capitalize on their identity to maximize career opportunities.
Aspect-based sentiment analysis of reviews in the domain of higher education
Authors: Nikolić Nikola , Grljević Olivera , Kovačević Aleksandar
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Student recruitment and retention are important issues for all higher education institutions. Constant monitoring of student satisfaction levels is therefore crucial. Traditionally, students voice their opinions through official surveys organized by the universities. In addition to that, nowadays, social media and review websites such as “Rate my professors” are rich sources of opinions that should not be ignored. Automated mining of students’ opinions can be realized via aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA). ABSA s is a sub-discipline of natural language processing (NLP) that focusses on the identification of sentiments (negative, neutral, positive) and aspects (sentiment targets) in a sentence. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a system for ABSA of free text reviews expressed in student opinion surveys in the Serbian language. Sentiment analysis was carried out at the finest level of text granularity – the level of sentence segment (phrase and clause).

Design/methodology/approach

The presented system relies on NLP techniques, machine learning models, rules and dictionaries. The corpora collected and annotated for system development and evaluation comprise students’ reviews of teaching staff at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia, and a corpus of publicly available reviews from the Serbian equivalent of the “Rate my professors” website.

Findings

The research results indicate that positive sentiment can successfully be identified with the F-measure of 0.83, while negative sentiment can be detected with the F-measure of 0.94. While the F-measure for the aspect’s range is between 0.49 and 0.89, depending on their frequency in the corpus. Furthermore, the authors have concluded that the quality of ABSA depends on the source of the reviews (official students’ surveys vs review websites).

Practical implications

The system for ABSA presented in this paper could improve the quality of service provided by the Serbian higher education institutions through a more effective search and summary of students’ opinions. For example, a particular educational institution could very easily find out which aspects of their service the students are not satisfied with and to which aspects of their service more attention should be directed.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of ABSA carried out at the level of sentence segment for the Serbian language. The methodology and findings presented in this paper provide a much-needed bases for further work on sentiment analysis for the Serbian language that is well under-resourced and under-researched in this area.
Facility managers’ responses to user post-occupancy feedback: a conceptual framework
Authors: Abisuga Abiodun Olatunji , Wang Cynthia Changxin , Sunindijo Riza Yosia
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explore the various approaches used in the general customer service industry to develop a conceptual framework for evaluating the responses of facility managers to user post-occupancy feedback.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses conceptual analysis based on a comprehensive review of relevant literature.

Findings

The results of the study established 24 propositions which are categorised under organisational response dimensions specific to facilities management (FM): timeliness, facilitation, redress, apology, credibility of explanation, attentiveness, effort and their relationships with overall satisfaction and post-feedback behaviour, such as word of mouth and acceptance to continue using the facilities.

Research limitations/implications

The established propositions are derived from existing theories using a deductive approach. The framework can be further enhanced to suit various applications in FM services.

Practical implications

This conceptual framework is a generic model, appropriate to many FM scenarios. The framework can be used to develop standard policies and procedures to foster and encourage collaborative relationships between users and facility managers. It reinforces transparency and trust between facility managers and users during the operation and management of the facilities, and improves FM effectiveness, facility performance and user post-occupancy experience.

Originality/value

In the FM area, no systematic approach has been previously established to evaluate and improve the response process to the users’ feedback. The proposed framework is a pioneer contribution in this area.
Students’ perceptions of librarians as teachers of information literacy at a large African university
Authors: Bangani Siviwe , Mashiyane Dina Mokgadi , Moyo Mathew , Masilo Boitumelo , Makate Glenda
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the students’ perceptions of librarians as teachers of information literacy at the North-West University in South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a survey research method in which online questionnaires were used to gather data from students who would have attended information literacy classes.

Findings

Students found librarians to be effective teachers of information literacy, and they found the subject to be very useful. However, some of the surveyed students felt that a lot of the subject was presented in a short period, which could easily result in exhaustion and information overload. The use of local or vernacular languages was also indicated as an area requiring the librarians’ attention for the teachers to be more effective.

Practical implications

The results of this study support the assessment of librarians as teachers by students to assist them (librarians) to refine their teaching methods and to make the conduct of information literacy worthwhile for the students.

Social implications

The outcomes of this study may be used to advocate for more information literacy (IL) contact time with the students by librarians when negotiating with faculty. Further, these results may be used to showcase the value placed by students to IL.

Originality/value

This study is a welcome addition to the scant literature on the quality of teaching delivered by the librarians and the assessment mechanisms used to provide feedback on students’ learning of IL. This study is a first of its kind comparing the perceptions of librarians’ teaching abilities by postgraduate and undergraduate students.
Effects of interdisciplinary courses on future engineers' competency
Authors: Rhee Hyunjung , Han Jinyoung , Lee Minha , Choi Young-Wan
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This study explores the effects of interdisciplinary education on engineering students by observing students' competencies before and after the programme.

Design/methodology/approach

The effects of interdisciplinary education were studied over three years through the use of a survey to test the social competencies of organisational life and the interdisciplinary competencies of college students. A total of 5,185 responses were collected from engineering students who took part in interdisciplinary education programmes. The survey was conducted during weeks 3 and 14 of each semester, and a comparison test was used to reveal any changes.

Findings

Among the 12 competencies developed or adapted, leadership significantly improved during all six semesters. Analytical thinking, interpersonal competency, professional attitude, global-mindedness, and creative attitudes also improved in some of the semesters.

Research limitations/implications

It was not possible to control for the effect of classes that students were attending in addition to the targeted interdisciplinary class. However, this study was able to examine empirically the improvement of competencies for future engineers, and its findings provide a basis for future researchers to elaborate on other competencies as well.

Originality/value

The study recommends competencies needed by engineers working in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, examining the effects of interdisciplinary education on competency development. It contributes to strengthening the current trend in universities that seek to reform interdisciplinary education by empirically verifying its effectiveness.
Cognitive needs and use of social media: a comparative study of gratifications sought and gratification obtained
Authors: Hussain Ashfaq , Shabir Ghulam , Taimoor-Ul-Hassan
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to compare the gratification sought and gratification obtained for cognitive needs from social media among information professionals in the limelight of uses and gratification theory. Cognitive needs are related to knowledge, acquiring information, comprehension etc., and gratification sought and gratification obtained are two distinct components of the uses and gratification theory.

Design/methodology/approach

For this quantitative research study, a self-administered survey questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants of the study. Sample of this study was 700 information professionals who are necessarily users of social media.

Findings

Finding of this study depicted that gratification obtained and gratification sought from social media for cognitive needs are different from each other, and information professionals need to revisit their social media use for cognitive needs.

Research limitations/implications

The present study is limited to gratification sought and gratification obtained for cognitive needs among information professionals.

Practical implications

This study has determined that information professionals need to revisit their social media use for cognitive needs, as the obtained gratifications are different from gratification sought from social media.

Social implications

Social media provides versatility of information in different forms and large numbers of information professionals are the users of social media around globe. Perceived use of social media for cognitive needs has been resulted into destructed gratifications. This study has brought the actual outcome of the use of social media to the audience so that they may rectify their social media use.

Originality/value

This study is a significant contribution for information professionals to review the gratifications sought and obtained from social media for cognitive needs. It has been established in this study that gratifications sought are significantly different from gratifications obtained from social media among information professionals.
Facebook fake profile identification: technical and ethical considerations
Authors: Pourghomi Pardis , Dordevic Milan , Safieddine Fadi
Published: February 2020

Purpose

In March 2019, Facebook updated its security procedures requesting ID verification for people who wish to advertise or promote political posts of adverts. The announcement received little media coverage even though it is an interesting development in the battle against fake news. This paper aims to review the current literature on different approaches in the battle against the spread of fake news, including the use of computer algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) and introduction of ID checks.

Design/methodology/approach

Critical to the evaluation is consideration into ID checks as a means to combat the spread of fake news. To understand the process and how it works, the team undertook a social experiment combined with reflective analysis to better understand the impact of ID check policies when combined with other standards policies of a typical platform.

Findings

The analysis identifies grave concerns. In a wider context, standardising such policy will leave political activists in countries vulnerable to reprisal from authoritarian regimes. Other victims of the impacts include people who use fake names to protect the identity of adopted children or to protect anonymity from abusive partners.

Originality/value

The analysis also points to the fact that troll armies could bypass these checks rendering the use of ID checks less effective in the battle to combat fake news.
Integrating sustainability into project-based undergraduate design courses
Authors: Küçüksayraç Elif , Arıburun Kırca Layıka Ney Ece
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Although the methods and approaches of sustainable design have been developing for more than 20 years, their application in design education and the design process is still under-examined. This study aims to investigate how to integrate sustainability into project-based undergraduate courses in industrial design education, where sustainability has recently been introduced into the curriculum.

Design/methodology/approach

Two workshops were carried out as pilot studies within two different elective courses. The scope of the study included sustainable design approaches at both the product and product-service system innovation levels.

Findings

The findings show that choosing between the two levels and the sustainable design approach is the most important challenge that students face during the design process. Moreover, the project brief influences the choice of the approach.

Originality/value

Following the findings, a sustainable design process model for the project-based undergraduate design courses was proposed. Finally, a new course curriculum on sustainable design was developed based on the findings from the study.
How “accessible” is open data?
Authors: Gebre Engida H. , Morales Esteban
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the nature and sufficiency of descriptive information included in open datasets and the nature of comments and questions users write in relation to specific datasets. Open datasets are provided to facilitate civic engagement and government transparency. However, making the data available does not guarantee usage. This paper examined the nature of context-related information provided together with the datasets and identified the challenges users encounter while using the resources.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors extracted descriptive text provided together with (often at the top of) datasets (N = 216) and the nature of questions and comments users post in relation to the dataset. They then segmented text descriptions and user comments into “idea units” and applied open-coding with constant comparison method. This allowed them to come up with thematic issues that descriptions focus on and the challenges users encounter.

Findings

Results of the analysis revealed that context-related descriptions are limited and normative. Users are expected to figure out how to use the data. Analysis of user comments/questions revealed four areas of challenge they encounter: organization and accessibility of the data, clarity and completeness, usefulness and accuracy and language (spelling and grammar). Data providers can do more to address these issues.

Research limitations/implications

The purpose of the study is to understand the nature of open data provision and suggest ways of making open data more accessible to “non expert users”. As such, it is not focused on generalizing about open data provision in various countries as such provision may be different based on jurisdiction.

Practical implications

The study provides insight about ways of organizing open dataset that the resource can be accessible by the general public. It also provides suggestions about how open data providers could consider users' perspectives including providing continuous support.

Originality/value

Research on open data often focuses on technological, policy and political perspectives. Arguably, this is the first study on analysis of context-related information in open-datasets. Datasets do not “speak for themselves” because they require context for analysis and interpretation. Understanding the nature of context-related information in open dataset is original idea.
Practical application of a safe human-robot interaction software
Authors: Bingol Mustafa Can , Aydogmus Omur
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Because of the increased use of robots in the industry, it has become inevitable for humans and robots to be able to work together. Therefore, human security has become the primary noncompromising factor of joint human and robot operations. For this reason, the purpose of this study was to develop a safe human-robot interaction software based on vision and touch.

Design/methodology/approach

The software consists of three modules. Firstly, the vision module has two tasks: to determine whether there is a human presence and to measure the distance between the robot and the human within the robot’s working space using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and depth sensors. Secondly, the touch detection module perceives whether or not a human physically touches the robot within the same work environment using robot axis torques, wavelet packet decomposition algorithm and CNN. Lastly, the robot’s operating speed is adjusted according to hazard levels came from vision and touch module using the robot’s control module.

Findings

The developed software was tested with an industrial robot manipulator and successful results were obtained with minimal error.

Practical implications

The success of the developed algorithm was demonstrated in the current study and the algorithm can be used in other industrial robots for safety.

Originality/value

In this study, a new and practical safety algorithm is proposed and the health of people working with industrial robots is guaranteed.
The role of local communities in peacebuilding in post-ethnic conflict in a multi-cultural society
Authors: Hartoyo Hartoyo , Sindung Haryanto , Teuku Fahmi , Sunarto Sunarto
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effects of socio-demographic factors on ethnic tolerance (ET) and religious tolerance (RT) as well as the participation of the local community in peacebuilding in post-ethnic violent conflicts in a multi-cultural society.

Design/methodology/approach

This research was conducted in the rural areas of Indonesia, on the basis of an empirical study that was performed in Lampung, a province at the southern tip of Sumatra. Data were collected through a survey of 500 respondents from five districts susceptible to ethnic conflicts. From each district, two villages that experienced ethnic conflicts were chosen and from each village, 50 respondents were randomly selected. To strengthen the explanation of quantitative data, in-depth interviews were also conducted with another 50 residents, five informants from each of ten villages. Informants comprised community leaders or traditional leaders, local police officers, local military officers and district government officials.

Findings

First, the degree of tolerance is not specifically concentrated in the socio-demographic characteristics. Second, ET affects RT. Third, local community participation in peacebuilding in post-ethnic violent conflicts is not influenced by the socio-demographic characteristics but is influenced by ET and RT. The socio-cultural approach is the main strategy for peacebuilding in post-ethnic (and religious) conflicts in multi-cultural societies. The weakness of inter-ethnic relations soon improves in the post-peace period through the reconstruction of social and cultural factors to strengthen social cohesion and social capital at the local community level by involving various stakeholders

Originality/value

This paper is a valuable source of information regarding current research on the role of local communities in strengthening and building peace in post-ethnic violent conflicts in multi-cultural societies.
A strategic framework for the survival of the quantity surveying profession
Authors: Ramdav Tashmika , Harinarain Nishani
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyse the survival of the quantity surveying profession using a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis in an attempt to define the key strengths and weaknesses of the quantity surveying profession based on professional consultants’ experience and to determine the key opportunities and threats which are perceived to impact the quantity surveying profession significantly.

Design/methodology/approach

The positivist paradigm was used for this study. The researchers chose quantitative research in the form of questionnaires. A probability sampling method was used. The desired method that was used was the random sampling method. The data were analysed with SPSS using factor analysis and descriptive analysis. A sample of 58 quantity surveyors was randomly selected from the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS) for this study.

Findings

Four categories of strengths exist, namely, the ability to plan and solve problems, core quantity surveying measuring skills, project viability and interpersonal skills. Three categories of weaknesses exist, namely, technical inadequacies of quantity surveyors, resistance to change and lack of knowledge of and about the profession. Three categories of opportunities exist, namely, greater demand for quantity surveyors, the need for quantity surveyors and new and existing roles in and out of the profession. Three categories of threats exist, namely, lack of the quantity surveying profession to market itself where new roles require an advancement of core quantity surveying services, external factors that hinder the performance of the profession and the lack of quantity surveying skills in the new generation.

Research limitations/implications

Only members of the ASAQS were included in this research.

Originality/value

The quantity surveying profession requires a strategic framework that will overcome their threats and weaknesses and embrace the strengths and opportunities of the profession to ensure they survive and remain relevant in the ever-changing construction industry. This study aided the quantity surveying profession by identifying the strengths and opportunities and determining the weaknesses and threats faced by the profession.
Internet of things in construction industry revolution 4.0
Authors: Gamil Yaser , A. Abdullah Majid , Abd Rahman Ismail , Asad Muhammad Mujtaba
Published: February 2020

Purpose

In this advanced era of Industrial Revolution 4.0, as an element of cyber physical systems, the Internet of Things (IoT) has been applied in many different industries; however, its adoption in the construction industry is still limited to a few applications. This study uncovers, identifies and assesses the challenges of adopting IOT in construction projects. The challenges have been identified through the briefed literature review and a survey instrument from construction industries in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the quantitative research approach has been used and data have been collected through a questionnaire survey for construction practitioners. Whereas, respondents to the questionnaire are practitioners from the Malaysian construction industry. The method of sampling implied is random sampling technique whereby the final sample size is 132 participants. Moreover, the gathered data has been analysed using univariate approach via standard deviation and average index in SPSS Software 22.0.

Findings

The results of this study indicated the most dominant challenges are lack of safety and security, lack of documented standards, lack of benefit awareness, improper introduction of IOT and lack of robustness in connectivity. This study also examined that the awareness of construction practitioners toward the understanding of IOT and its possibility to be applied and extended in construction projects and determined that construction practitioners are aware of IOT benefits to improve the efficiency of construction projects.

Practical implications

The study presents a better understanding of IOT in the construction industry and their potential challenges, which helps the construction policymakers to avoid encounters related to challenges and provide education-based campaigns to educate construction practitioners on the concept and importance of using IOT in the construction sector.

Originality/value

This is a unique study because of its nature in this advance era of industry 4.0. Furthermore, it is specifying the latest trend associated with IOT in the construction industry and addressing the challenges of implementation, which is crucial to exploit and take advantage of the full potential of IoT benefits.
Comparative analysis of drivers to BIM adoption among AEC firms in developing countries
Authors: Babatunde Solomon Olusola , Ekundayo Damilola , Adekunle Adedayo Opeyemi , Bello Wasiu
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Building information modelling (BIM) adoption is vital to the productivity and competitive nature of the construction sector. However, BIM adoptions have not been generally embraced by many architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms, particularly in developing countries. Moreover, studies that investigate the important drivers to BIM adoptions among construction professionals through quantitative approach are limited. The purpose of this study is to address the aforementioned gap.

Design/methodology/approach

This study involves a literature review, a pilot study and a questionnaire survey. The primary data were carried out using structured questionnaires distributed to four different BIM adopter AEC firms. These comprised architectural firms, facility management firms, quantity surveying firms and structural engineering firms in Lagos, Nigeria. Data obtained were analysed using mean score, standard deviation, Kruskal–Wallis test and factor analysis.

Findings

The study identified 23 drivers to BIM adoption, and the relative importance of the identified drivers was gauged from each selected BIM adopter AEC firm category. The result of the Kruskal–Wallis test showed that there is no statistically significant difference in the perceptions of the four selected AEC firms in the mean ranking of the identified 23 drivers to BIM adoption. The findings from factor analysis categorized the identified drivers into two major factors to include cost and time savings, improved communication, and BIM awareness and government supports.

Practical implications

The study empirically identifies important drivers to BIM adoption that will be useful for construction stakeholders to formulate strategies to adopt the full implementation of BIM in the AEC firms of Nigeria and other developing countries. Also, this study is important as it identifies, analyses and compares the drivers to BIM adoptions from four different AEC firms, thereby providing robust and more reliable findings.

Originality/value

The study findings will provide information to policymakers and construction stakeholders to make policy recommendations that are capable of positively influencing the widespread adoption of BIM in AEC firms in particular and the construction industry at large. This study is important because the studies that comparatively and empirically analyzed BIM drivers in AEC firms are rare, particularly in developing countries. Hence, this study could be used to benchmark future studies in developing countries.
Factors influencing the implementation of off-site manufacturing in commercial projects in Western Australia
Authors: Correia Jordan Mark , Sutrisna Monty , Zaman Atiq U.
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Off-site manufacturing (OSM) application in vertically higher and spatially larger projects within Western Australian (WA) commercial sector has demonstrated the potential of benefitting from such a construction technique, but introducing a new methodology to a traditional sector such as commercial sector is not always straightforward. The acceptance of the new methodology, level of awareness of the stakeholders involved and the readiness of the supply chain to deliver, for instance, may influence the success of its implementation. Given the infancy of such methodology in the WA construction industry, this research project aims to analyse factors influencing the implementation of OSM construction method in WA.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a thorough literature review, an existing research agenda in OSM was used to inform the direction of this research, i.e. focussing on external macro aspects of the decision making to implement OSM. Three projects in WA were studied, and the data collection was facilitated through archival study and semi-structured interviews with construction practitioners who were the stakeholders of the three projects. Data analysis was conducted through content analysis to draw the findings and conclusion of this research.

Findings

The analysis of the studied cases revealed relevant economic/financial, technological and regulatory factors, as well as social factors influencing the implementation of OSM, particularly in WA commercial projects. These findings were then used to develop an overall understanding of the external macro factors influencing decision making in implementing OSM that forms a formal research agenda aimed at enabling successful implementation of OSM in WA construction industry, particularly in its commercial sector.

Originality/value

The research findings presented in this paper identified factors that significantly influence the implementation of such alternative technology in a traditional sector. These factors were then structured to form the subsequent research agenda to continuously pursue the implementation of OSM in the sector. While the research agenda takes into account the unique characteristics of the WA construction industry, it contributes to the global and the Australian national research agenda, and the research methodology reported in this paper can be used to develop similar research agenda elsewhere.