bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Long Timescale Stimulus History Effect in the Primary Visual Cortex
Authors: Kim Hyewon , Homann Jan , Tank David W. , Berry Michael J.
Published: March 2019

Responses of neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) are often understood as encoding the current visual stimulus. Yet, some studies indicate that temporal contingency effects exist in the responses of neurons in early sensory areas. We explored if the recent stimulus history would alter the response of V1 layer 2/3 pyramidal cells in head-fixed awake mice during presentation of sequences of complex images. The activity of individual neurons was sparse, such that either one or none of the images in the sequence typically yielded a strong response. We then substituted an image preceding this primary image in order to determine if responses to the primary image were affected. We found that the amplitude of the neuron’s response could be significantly altered by substitutions up to five images back from the primary image, even when the substituted image elicited virtually no response by itself. This stimulus history effect was heterogeneous across the population, with some cells showing facilitation and others suppression. For individual cells, the history effect was robust and reproducible across days. Our data show that responses of V1 neurons not only reflect the current stimulus but also encode, through their response amplitude, information about multiple images previously presented as far as 1000 msec in the past. This might enable V1 to retain information about the extended trajectory of past stimuli and perform complex temporal computations that are as of yet not appreciated.
Human Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4-α encodes isoforms with distinct transcriptional functions
Authors: Lambert Élie , Babeu Jean-Philippe , Simoneau Joël , Lévesque Dominique , Jolibois Émilie , Scott Michelle , Boudreau François , Boisvert François-Michel
Published: March 2019

HNF4α is a nuclear receptor produced as 12 isoforms from two promoters by alternative splicing. In order to characterize the transcriptional capacities of all 12 HNF4α isoforms, stable lines expressing each isoform were generated. The entire transcriptome associated with each isoform was analyzed as well as their respective interacting proteome. Major differences were noted in the transcriptional function of these isoforms. The α1 and α2 isoforms were the most potent regulators of gene expression while the α3 isoform exhibited significantly reduced activity. The α4, α5 and α6 isoforms, which use an alternative first exon, were characterized for the first time, and showed a greatly reduced transcriptional potential with an inability to recognize the consensus response element of HNF4α. Several transcription factors and coregulators were identified as potential specific partners for certain HNF4α isoforms. An analysis integrating the vast amount of omics data enabled the identification of transcriptional regulatory mechanisms specific to certain HNF4α isoforms, hence demonstrating the importance of considering all isoforms given their seemingly diverse functions.
Syncrip/hnRNPQ is required for activity-induced Msp300/Nesprin-1 expression and new synapse formation
Authors: Titlow Josh , Robertson Francesca , Järvelin Aino , Ish-Horowicz David , Smith Carlas , Gratton Enrico , Davis Ilan
Published: March 2019

Memory and learning involve activity-driven expression of proteins and cytoskeletal reorganisation at new synapses, often requiring post-transcriptional regulation a long distance from corresponding nuclei. A key factor expressed early in synapse formation is Msp300/Nesprin-1, which organises actin filaments around the new synapse. How Msp300 expression is regulated during synaptic plasticity is not yet known. Here, we show that the local translation of msp300 is promoted during activity-dependent plasticity by the conserved RNA binding protein Syncrip/hnRNP Q, which binds to msp300 transcripts and is essential for plasticity. Single molecule imaging shows that Syncrip is associated in vivo with msp300 mRNA in ribosome-rich particles. Elevated neural activity alters the dynamics of Syncrip RNP granules at the synapse, suggesting a change in particle composition or binding that facilitates translation. These results introduce Syncrip as an important early-acting activity-dependent translational regulator of a plasticity gene that is strongly associated with human ataxias.

Syncrip regulates synaptic plasticity via msp300

Titlow et al. find that Syncrip (hnRNPQ RNA binding protein) acts directly on msp300 to modulate activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. In vivo biophysical experiments reveal activity-dependent changes in RNP complex sizes compatible with an increase in translation at the synapse.
Optimal Individualized Combination Immunotherapy/Oncolytic Virotherapy Determined ThroughIn SilicoClinical Trials Improves Late Stage Melanoma Patient Outcomes
Authors: Cassidy Tyler , Craig Morgan
Published: March 2019

Oncolytic virothcrapics, including the modified herpes simplex virus talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC), have shown great promise as potent instigators of anti-tumour immune effects. The OPTiM trial in particular demonstrated the superior anti-cancer effects of T-VEC as compared to more traditional immunotherapy treatment using exogenous administration of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Theoretically, a combined approach leveraging immunotherapies: like exogenous cytokine administration and oncolytic virotherapv would elicit an even greater immune response and improve patient outcomes, but given that their efficacy and safety must be tested in large clinical trials, combination therapeutic regimens have yet to be established. By adopting computational biology andin silicoclinical trial approaches, here we show significantly improved patient outcomes for individuals with late-stage melanoma by personalizing and optimizing combination oncolytic, virotherapv and GM-CSF therapy. Our results serve as a proof-of-concept, for interdisciplinary approaches to determining combination therapy, and suggest promising avenues of investigation towards tailored combination immunotherapy/oncolytic virotherapy.
The genomic diversification of clonally propagated grapevines
Authors: Vondras Amanda M. , Minio Andrea , Blanco-Ulate Barbara , Figueroa-Balderas Rosa , Penn Michael A. , Zhou Yongfeng , Seymour Danelle , Zhou Ye , Liang Dingren , Espinoza Lucero K. , Anderson Michael M. , Walker M. Andrew , Gaut Brandon , Cantu Dario
Published: March 2019

Vegetatively propagated clones accumulate somatic mutations. The purpose of this study was to better understand the consequences of clonal propagation and involved defining the nature of somatic mutations throughout the genome. Fifteen Zinfandel winegrape clone genomes were sequenced and compared to one another using a highly contiguous genome reference produced from one of the clones, Zinfandel 03.

Though most heterozygous variants were shared, somatic mutations accumulated in individual and subsets of clones. Overall, heterozygous mutations were most frequent in intergenic space and more frequent in introns than exons. A significantly larger percentage of CpG, CHG, and CHH sites in repetitive intergenic space experienced transition mutations than genic and non-repetitive intergenic spaces, likely because of higher levels of methylation in the region and the increased likelihood of methylated cytosines to spontaneously deaminate. Of the minority of mutations that occurred in exons, larger proportions of these were putatively deleterious when they occurred in relatively few clones.

These data support three major conclusions. First, repetitive intergenic space is a major driver of clone genome diversification. Second, clonal propagation is associated with the accumulation of putatively deleterious mutations. Third, the data suggest selection against deleterious variants in coding regions such that mutations are less frequent in coding than noncoding regions of the genome.
Indirect Readout of DNA Controls Filamentation and Activation of a Sequence-Specific Endonuclease
Authors: Polley Smarajit , Lyumkis Dmitry , Horton N. C.
Published: March 2019

Filament or run-on oligomer formation by enzymes is increasingly recognized as an important phenomenon with potentially unique regulatory properties and biological roles. SgrAI is an allosterically regulated type II restriction endonuclease that forms run-on oligomeric (ROO) filaments with enhanced DNA cleavage activity and altered sequence specificity. Here, we present the 3.5 Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of the ROO filament of SgrAI bound to a mimic of cleaved primary site DNA and Mg2+. Large conformational changes stabilize a second metal ion cofactor binding site within the catalytic pocket and facilitate assembling a higher-order enzyme form that is competent for rapid DNA cleavage. The structural changes illuminate the mechanistic origin of hyper-accelerated DNA cleavage activity within the filamentous SgrAI form. An analysis of the protein-DNA interface and the stacking of individual nucleotides reveals how indirect DNA readout within filamentous SgrAI enables recognition of substantially more nucleotide sequences than its low-activity form, thereby expanding DNA sequence specificity. Together, substrate DNA binding, indirect readout, and filamentation simultaneously enhance SgrAI’s catalytic activity and modulate substrate preference. This unusual enzyme mechanism may have evolved to perform the specialized functions of bacterial innate immunity in rapid defense against invading phage DNA without causing damage to the host DNA.
Stratification and prediction of drug synergy based on target functional similarity
Authors: Yang Mi , Menden Michael P. , Jaaks Patricia , Dry Jonathan , Garnett Mathew , Saez-Rodriguez Julio
Published: March 2019

Targeted mono-therapies in cancer are hampered by the ability of tumor cells to escape inhibition through rewiring or alternative pathways. Drug combination approaches can provide a means to overcome these resistance mechanisms. Effective use of combinations requires strategies to select combinations from the enormous space of combinations, and to stratify patients according to their likelihood to respond. We here introduce two complementary workflows: One prioritising experiments in high-throughput screens for drug synergy enrichment, and a consecutive workflow to predict hypothesis-driven synergy stratification. Both approaches only need data of efficacy of single drugs. They rely on the notion of target functional similarity between two target proteins. This notion reflects how similarly effective drugs are on different cancer cells as a function of cancer signaling pathways’ activities on those cells. Our synergy prediction workflow revealed that two drugs targeting either the same or functionally opposite pathways are more likely to be synergistic. This enables experimental prioritisation in high-throughput screens and supports the notion that synergy can be achieved by either redundant pathway inhibition or targeting independent compensatory mechanisms. We tested the synergy stratification workflow on seven target protein pairs (AKT/EGFR, AKT/MTOR, BCL2/MTOR, EGFR/MTOR, AKT/BCL2, AKT/ALK and AKT/PARP1, representing 29 combinations and predicted their synergies in 33 breast cancer cell lines (Pearson’s correlation r=0.27). Additionally, we experimentally validated predicted synergy of the BRAF/Insulin Receptor combination (Dabrafenib/BMS−754807) in 48 colorectal cancer cell lines (r=0.5). In conclusion, our synergy prediction workflow can support compound prioritization in large scale drug screenings, and our synergy stratification workflow can select where the efficacy of drugs already known for inducing synergy is higher.
A multi-omics digital research object for the genetics of sleep regulation
Authors: Jan Maxime , Gobet Nastassia , Diessler Shanaz , Franken Paul , Xenarios Ioannis
Published: March 2019

More and more researchers make use of multi-omics approaches to tackle complex cellular and organismal systems. It has become apparent that the potential for re-use and integrate data generated by different labs can enhance knowledge. However, a meaningful and efficient re-use of data generated by others is difficult to achieve without in depth understanding of how these datasets were assembled. We therefore designed and describe in detail a digital research object embedding data, documentation and analytics on mouse sleep regulation. The aim of this study was to bring together electrophysiological recordings, sleep-wake behavior, metabolomics, genetics, and gene regulatory data in a systems genetics model to investigate sleep regulation in the BXD panel of recombinant inbred lines. We here showcase both the advantages and limitations of providing such multi-modal data and analytics. The reproducibility of the results was tested by a bioinformatician not implicated in the original project and the robustness of results was assessed by re-annotating genetic and transcriptome data from the mm9 to the mm10 mouse genome assembly.
Effects of short-term resistance training and tapering on maximal strength, peak power, throwing ball velocity, and sprint performance in handball players
Authors: Hermassi Souhail , Ghaith Aloui , Schwesig René , Shephard Roy J. , Chelly Mohamed Souhaiel
Published: March 2019

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of short-term resistance training and two weeks of tapering on physical performances in handball players. Following a ten-week progressive resistance training program, subjects were divided between an experimental (n = 10) and a control group (n = 10). The experimental group completed a resistance training program, followed by a two-week period when the training intensity was tapered by 60%, while the control group maintained their typical pattern of training. Muscle power (force–velocity test and squat and counter-movement jump tests), sprinting ability (10m and 30m), ability to change direction (T-half test) and throwing velocity (a 3-step throw with a run, and a jump throw) were evaluated before training, at the end of training and after tapering. The experimental group showed significantly larger interaction effects for the 10-week training period (12/15, 80%), than for the following 2 weeks of tapering (10/15, 67%), with the largest gains being in 15 m sprint times (d=3.78) and maximal muscular strength in the snatch (d=3.48). Although the performance of the experimental group generally continued to increase over tapering, the mean effect size for the training period was markedly higher (d=1.92, range: 0.95-3.78) than that seen during tapering (d=1.02, range:−0.17-2.09). Nevertheless the ten weeks of progressive resistance training followed by two weeks of tapering was an effective overall tactic to increase muscle power, sprint performance and ball throwing velocity in handball players.
Genetic admixture patterns in Argentinian Patagonia
Authors: Parolin María Laura , Toscanini Ulises F , Velázquez Irina F , Llull Cintia , Berardi Gabriela L , Holley Alfredo , Tamburrini Camila , Avena Sergio , Carnese Francisco R , Lanata José L , Sánchez Carnero Noela , Arce Lucas F , Basso Néstor G , Pereira Rui , Gusmão Leonor
Published: March 2019

As for other Latin American populations, Argentinians are the result of the admixture amongst different continental groups, mainly from America and Europe, and to a lesser extent from Sub-Saharan Africa. However, it is known that the admixture processes did not occur homogeneously throughout the country. Therefore, considering the importance for anthropological, medical and forensic researches, this study aimed to investigate the population genetic structure of the Argentinian Patagonia, through the analysis of 46 ancestry informative markers, in 433 individuals from five different localities. Overall, in the Patagonian sample, the average individual ancestry was estimated as 35.8% Native American (95% CI: 32.2-39.4%), 62.1% European (58.5-65.7%) and 2.1% African (1.7-2.4%). Comparing the five localities studied, statistically significant differences were observed for the Native American and European contributions, but not for the African ancestry. The admixture results combined with the genealogical information revealed intra-regional variations that are consistent with the different geographic origin of the participants and their ancestors. As expected, a high European ancestry was observed for donors with four grandparents born in Europe (96.8%) or in the Central region of Argentina (85%). In contrast, the Native American ancestry increased when the four grandparents were born in the North (71%) or in the South (61.9%) regions of the country, or even in Chile (60.5%). In summary, our results showed that differences on continental ancestry contribution have different origins in each region in Patagonia, and even in each locality, highlighting the importance of knowing the origin of the participants and their ancestors for the correct interpretation and contextualization of the genetic information.
Disparate effects of antibiotic-induced microbiome change and enhanced fitness inDaphnia magna
Authors: Motiei Asa , Brindefalk Björn , Ogonowski Martin , El-Shehawy Rehab , Pastuszek Paulina , Ek Karin , Liewenborg Birgitta , Udekwu Klas , Gorokhova Elena
Published: March 2019

It is a common view that an organism’s microbiota has a profound influence on host fitness; however, supporting evidence is lacking in many organisms. We manipulated the gut microbiome ofDaphnia magnaby chronic exposure to different concentrations of the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin (0.01 – 1 mg L−1), and evaluated whether this affected the animals’ fitness and antioxidant capacity. In line with our expectations, antibiotic exposure altered the microbiome in a concentration-dependent manner. However, contrary to these expectations, the reduced diversity of gut bacteria was not associated with any fitness detriment. Moreover, the growth-related parameters correlated negatively with diversity indices; and, in the daphnids exposed to the lowest ciprofloxacin concentrations, the antioxidant capacity, growth, and fecundity were even higher than in control animals. These findings suggest that ciprofloxacin exerts direct stimulatory effects on growth and reproduction inDaphnia, while microbiome-mediated effects are of lesser importance. Thus, although microbiome profiling of Daphnia may be a sensitive tool to identify early effects of antibiotic exposure, disentangling direct and microbiome-mediated effects on host fitness is not straightforward.
Deliver on Your Own: Disrespectful Maternity Care in rural Kenya
Authors: Lusambili Adelaide M , Naanyu Violet , Wade Terrance J. , Mossman Lindsay , Mantel Michaela , Pell Rachel , Ngetich Angela , Mulama Kennedy , Nyaga Lucy , Obure Jerim , Temmerman Marleen
Published: March 2019

Background

Under the Free Maternity Policy (FMP), Kenya has witnessed an increase health facility deliveries rather than home deliveries with Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) resulting in improved maternal and neonatal outcomes. Despite these gains, maternal and infant mortality and morbidity rates in Kenya remain unacceptably high indicating that more work needs to be done.

Aim

Using data from the Access to Quality Care through Extending and Strengthening Health Systems (AQCESS) project’s qualitative gender assessment, this paper examines and describes women’s experience of disrespectful care during pregnancy, labour and delivery. The goal is to promote improved understanding of actual care conditions in order to develop interventions that can lift the standard of care, increase maternity facility use, and improve health outcomes for both women and newborns.

Methodology

We conducted sixteen focus group discussions (FGDs) with female adolescents, women, men and community health committee members. Twenty four key informants interviews (KII) including religious leaders, local government representatives, Ministry of Health (MOH) and local women’s organizations were conducted. Data were captured through audio recordings and reflective field notes.

Research site

Kisii and Kilifi Counties in Kenya.

Findings

Findings show Nursing and medical care was sometimes disrespectful, humiliatings, uncompassionate, and neglectful. In both sites, male health workers were the most preferred by women as they were friendly and sensitive. Young women were more likely to be abused and women with disabled children were stigmatized.

Conclusions

Kenya needs to enforce the implementation of the quality of care guidelines for pregnancy and delivery, including respectful maternity care of pregnant women. To make sure these procedures are enforced, measurable benchmarks for maternity care need to be established, and hospitals need to be regularly monitored to make sure they are achieved. Quality of care and compassionate and caring staff may lead to successful and sustainable use of facility care.
Exploring concomitant/conformational dimorphism in a difluoro-substituted phosphoramidate derivative
Authors: Hasija Avantika , Chopra Deepak
Published: March 2019

The concomitant occurrence of dimorphs of diphenyl (3,4-difluorophenyl)phosphoramidate, C18H14F2NO3P, was observedviaa solution-mediated crystallization process with variation in the symmetry-free molecules (Z′). The existence of two forms,i.e.Form I (block,Z′ = 1) and Form II (needle,Z′ = 2), was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, a quantitative analysis of the energetics of the different intermolecular interactions was carried outviathe energy decomposition method (PIXEL), which corroborates with inputs from the energy framework and looks at the topology of the various intermolecular interactions present in both forms. The unequivocally distinguished contribution of strong N—H...O hydrogen bonds along with other interactions, such as C—H...O, C—H...F, π–π and C—H...π, mapped on the Hirshfeld surface is depicted by two-dimensional fingerprint plots. Apart from the major electrostatic contribution from N—H...O hydrogen bonds, the crystal structures are stabilized by contributions from the dispersion energy. The closely related melting points and opposite trends in the calculated lattice energies are interesting to investigate with respect to the thermodynamic stability of the observed dimorphs. The significant variation in the torsion angles in both forms helps in classifying them in the category ofconformational polymorphs.
The effect of the coordination orientation of N atoms on polymeric structures: synthesis and characterization of one- and two-dimensional CuII coordination polymers based on 4-amino-3-(pyridin-2-yl)-5-[(pyridin-3-ylmethyl)sulfanyl]-1,2,4-triazole
Authors: Zhu Guiying , Lu Yang , Jin Guoxia , Ji Xuan , Ma Jianping
Published: March 2019

Three new one- (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) CuII coordination polymers, namely poly[[bis{μ2-4-amino-3-(pyridin-2-yl)-5-[(pyridin-3-ylmethyl)sulfanyl]-1,2,4-triazole}copper(II)] bis(methanesulfonate) tetrahydrate], {[Cu(C13H12N5S)2](CH3SO3)2·4H2O}
n
(1), catena-poly[[copper(II)-bis{μ2-4-amino-3-(pyridin-2-yl)-5-[(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)sulfanyl]-1,2,4-triazole}] dinitrate methanol disolvate], {[Cu(C13H12N5S)2](NO3)2·2CH3OH}
n
(2), and catena-poly[[copper(II)-bis{μ2-4-amino-3-(pyridin-2-yl)-5-[(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)sulfanyl]-1,2,4-triazole}] bis(perchlorate) monohydrate], {[Cu(C13H12N5S)2](ClO4)2·H2O}
n
(3), were obtained from 4-amino-3-(pyridin-2-yl)-5-[(pyridin-3-ylmethyl)sulfanyl]-1,2,4-triazole with pyridin-3-yl terminal groups and from 4-amino-3-(pyridin-2-yl)-5-[(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)sulfanyl]-1,2,4-triazole with pyridin-4-yl terminal groups. Compound 1 displays a 2D net-like structure. The 2D layers are further linked through hydrogen bonds between methanesulfonate anions and amino groups on the framework and guest H2O molecules in the lattice to form a three-dimensional (3D) structure. Compound 2 and 3 exhibit 1D chain structures, in which the complicated hydrogen-bonding interactions play an important role in the formation of the 3D network. These experimental results indicate that the coordination orientation of the heteroatoms on the ligands has a great influence on the polymeric structures. Moreover, the selection of different counter-anions, together with the inclusion of different guest solvent molecules, would also have a great effect on the hydrogen-bonding systems in the crystal structures.
Influence of plasma spraying parameters on microstructure and corrosion resistance of Cr3C2-25NiCr cermet carbide coating
Authors: Nguyen Van Tuan , Nguyen Tuan Anh , Le Thu Quy , Pham Thi Ha
Published: March 2019

Purpose

In this work, Cr3C2-25NiCr coatings were deposited on 410 stainless steel substrate by using the atmospheric plasma spray technique, at varying spaying parameters. The porosity and microhardness, adhesion strength and corrosion behaviour of coatings were examined in relation to these spraying parameters.

Design/methodology/approach

The microstructure of prepared coatings was examined by using scanning electron microscopy. The coating compositional analysis was performed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The corrosion resistance of coated steel was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization. Results indicate that optimal factors for minimalizing the porosity were as follows: 10 g/min feed rate, 600 A plasma current and 100 mm spraying distance. The spraying factors influencing corrosion resistance of coating were also evaluated.

Findings

Under this optimal condition, the porosity of coating reached its minimal value of 3.1 per cent. The microhardness and adhesion of coatings also reached their maximum values of 64.8 Rockwell Hardness scale C and 60 MPa, respectively. XRD results indicated the transformation of Cr3C2originating from Cr3C2-25NiCr source powder into Cr7C3and Cr23C6crystalline phases, due to the high temperature during spraying process. The undetectable Cr3C2peaks indicating that this phase was remained in coating at very low concentrations. The potentiodynamic polarization and salt spray tests confirmed the highest corrosion resistance for the coating prepared by optimal spraying parameters.

Originality/value

The application of Cr3C2-NiCr cermet carbit coating for protection of steel from corrosion-erosion is very promising.
Voting behavior in the South Korean presidential election – exploring the regional voting pattern
Authors: Kim Tae Wan
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine regional voting patterns in South Korea using the results from six presidential elections since the 1990s.

Design/methodology/approach

A χ2 test was used to determine the municipalities where a regional voting pattern emerged, and λ correlation coefficients were calculated to examine changes in the regional voting patterns.

Findings

The analyses lead to three key findings. First, voting patterns differ in Yeongnam and Honam: regional voting in Yeongnam is getting weaker, it remains strong in Honam. Second, the tendency to vote along regional lines decreased significantly in the election in which the Honam party fielded a candidate with a Yeongnam appeared identity. Third, regional voting patterns declined but then stabilized at a constant level, regardless of the candidates’ local identity, which was confirmed in “Bu-Ul-Gyeong.”

Originality/value

This paper can empirically verify the manifestation of regional voting pattern and confirm the trend. It is possible to derive a condition for suppressing the regional voting pattern.
An integrated design approach for class-based block stacked warehouse
Authors: Venkitasubramony Rakesh , Adil Gajendra Kumar
Published: March 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to develop an approach to design a warehouse that uses class-based storage policy in a way that minimizes both space cost and material handling cost.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors argue for and develop an optimization model for joint determination of lane depth, lateral width and product partitions for minimizing the sum of handling and space costs. In doing so, the assumption of perfect sharing is also relaxed. Using computational experiments, the authors characterize the operating conditions based on pick density and cost ratio. The authors further outline an approach to decide the conditions under which it is advantageous to implement multiple classes.

Findings

More classes are preferred when both the pick density and cost ratio are higher and vice versa. Factors such as demand skewness, lane depth and stacking height affect the space-sharing dynamics.

Practical implications

The paper gives the practical insights on when the conditions under which it is advisable to partition a warehouse into a certain number of classes instead of maintaining and when to maintain as a single-class block. It also gives a method to estimate the space-sharing factor, given a combination of operating parameters.

Originality/value

Very few studies have seen class-based storage policy in the context of block stacked warehouse layout. Further, block stacking designs have mostly been approached with the objective of minimizing just the space cost. This study contributes to the literature by developing an integrated model, which has the practical utility.
Interventions to reduce sickness absence among healthcare workers: a systematic review
Authors: Simmons Laura , Jones Arwel W. , Siriwardena Niro , Bridle Christopher
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Sickness absence is a major concern for healthcare services and their employees with healthcare workers having higher sickness absence rates compared to the general population. The purpose of this paper is to systematically review randomised control trials (RCTs) that aimed to reduce sickness absence among healthcare workers.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic review was conducted that aimed to include RCTs with study participants who were employed in any part of the healthcare sector. This review included any type of intervention with the primary outcome measure being sickness absence.

Findings

Seven studies were included in the review and consisted of one exercise-only intervention, three multicomponent intervention programmes, two influenza vaccination interventions and one process consultation. Three studies (exercise-only, one multicomponent intervention programme and one influenza vaccination intervention) were able to demonstrate a reduction in sickness absence compared to control.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the lack of high-quality evidence, this review identified that there are currently no interventions that healthcare organisations are able to use to effectively reduce sickness absence among their employees. This review also highlights the importance of a standardised measure of sickness absence for healthcare staff, such as shifts.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first systematic review to synthesise such evidence among healthcare workers.
Prioritising project management competences across the software project life cycle
Authors: Cha Jonghyuk , Maytorena-Sanchez Eunice
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relative importance of project management (PM) competences across the different stages of a software project life cycle to identify competence development gaps and opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

A deductive and quantitative approach was adopted to address the research questions with a web-based survey for data collection.

Findings

After reviewing the context of competences and PM competences, the importance of the PM competences overall and for specific stages in the project life cycle was analysed. The result highlights that functional and meta-competences are perceived to be the most important competence dimensions for software project practitioners.

Originality/value

This study makes three contributions. First, it consolidates PM competences into a set of 20 within four competence dimensions. Second, it prioritises these competences across the software project life cycle. Third, it identifies the significance of the inter-relationship between PM competences and project life cycle to reveal PM competence development gaps and opportunities.
The influence of age on the job resources-engagement relationship
Authors: Ning Wei , Alikaj Albi
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating role of employee age in the relationship between work engagement and several job resources.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used questionnaire-based surveys completed by 804 employees from firms located in West China. The data were then analyzed by conducting latent moderated structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results of the study show that certain job resources (autonomy, recognition, colleague support, participation, job security and flexible work arrangements) are more effective for older employees in promoting work engagement, while other resources (job feedback, opportunities for development, skill variety and internal promotion) are more tailored toward younger employees.

Research limitations/implications

The results suggest that job resources are not equally effective in affecting employee work engagement. Therefore, future studies should adopt a dynamic lifespan perspective when studying the relationship between job resources and work engagement.

Practical implications

The current study indicates that to increase younger employees’ work engagement, organizations need to rely more on development-oriented job resources, and to increase older employees’ work engagement, they need to focus more on maintenance-oriented resources.

Originality/value

The literature on work engagement has assumed that the strength of the relationship between job resources and work engagement is uniform among employees at all ages. This study refers to two life-span theories from the development psychology literature to explain that there are age-related differences in the effect of job resources on employee work engagement.
Joint optimisation of operation and maintenance policies in an urban ropeway transport systems context
Authors: Martinod R.M. , Bistorin Olivier , Castañeda Leonel , Rezg Nidhal
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a stochastic optimisation model for integrating service and maintenance policies in order to solve the queuing problem and the cost of maintenance activities for public transport services, with a particular focus on urban ropeway system.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopt the following approaches: a discrete-event model that uses a set of interrelated queues for the formulation of the service problem using a cost-based expression; and a maintenance model consisting of preventive and corrective maintenance actions, which considers two different maintenance policies (periodic block-type and age-based).

Findings

The work shows that neither periodic block-type maintenance nor an age-based maintenance is necessarily the best maintenance strategy over a long system lifecycle; the optimal strategy must consider both policies.

Practical implications

The maintenance policies are then evaluated for their impact on the service and operation of the transport system. The authors conclude by applying the proposed optimisation model using an example concerning ropeway systems.

Originality/value

This is the first study to simultaneously consider maintenance policy and operational policy in an urban aerial ropeway system, taking up the problem of queuing with particular attention to the unique requirements public transport services.
An assessment of advertising effectiveness of Indian banks using Koyck model
Authors: Mulchandani Ketan , Mulchandani Kalyani , Attri Rekha
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The problem of differentiation and creating a unique selling proposition is higher in the banking sector, as, any new service or product introduced is very quickly imitated by the competitors. The benefits of advertising have been seen to have long-term effects on the firm’s performance and debate is still on whether the expenses of advertising should be amortized or expensed immediately has been the area of concern for many years. The purpose of this paper is to carry out a comparative analysis of advertising effectiveness on private and public sector banks in India.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has included 33 listed commercial banks out of 41 listed on S&P BSE 500. Out of 33 banks, 14 banks belong to private sector and 19 banks are public sector banks. Data are extracted for a period of 14 years from 2004 to 2017 from Ace Equity. In total, there are 462 firm-year observations. Interest income, operating income and return on assets are the accounting measures considered in this paper. All the variables are deflated by total assets at the beginning of the period. To assess the effect of advertising on financial measures, distributed lag model is used.

Findings

The results of Koyck model suggest that it takes lesser time for private sector banks to see a significant change in interest income and return on assets with a change in advertising expenses whereas in case of operating income, the results achieved are opposite.

Originality/value

This study may be useful from accounting point of view to find out whether advertising creates long-term or short-term impact on financial measures. The study would help in determining the number of years for which advertising expenses can be amortized. With the help of these results, it can be said that advertisement expenses can be capitalized and then expensed over coming years. This means, to some extent advertisement has some long-run impact on financial measures considered in the study. In order to achieve more robust results, this study can be performed on different sectors.
Social responsibility by Australian football clubs in the 1890s
Authors: Halabi Abdel
Published: March 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the social responsibility (SR) by Australian football clubs during the late nineteenth century. While there has been some contemporary research linking SR with sporting clubs, there is a dearth of such studies in the historical context.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a qualitative approach and in the absence of annual reports, relies on The Suburban newspaper narratives of club annual general meetings (AGMs). The National Library of Australia’s newspaper digitisation programme was used which is a unique archive in management research.

Findings

Even though it was well-known that football provided a social outlet for watching games, this paper found clubs also engaged in a number of SR-related activities that benefited many stakeholders and the surrounding communities.

Originality/value

Deficient in much of the history of Australian football is the SR that clubs displayed to their stakeholders. This paper lengthens the historical SR literature for sporting clubs, and provides rich and detailed evidence of SR. While Australian football club histories continue to highlight winning teams, premierships and major personalities, their SR contribution is also significant and extends to the foundation of the game.
Whirling in between the personal and the impersonal
Authors: Petrosyan Armen E.
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The paper aims to present a systematic conceptual analysis of the problem of organizational goal and to reduce the insights into it provided by the main conceptions taken in their development from one to another, to break out of the ruling paradigm and outline a new solution.

Design/methodology/approach

The study has been carried out from the historical and critical perspective.

Findings

The paper discovers the logic of the evolution the approaches to organizational goals have undergone and portrays it in a matrix form in the heart of which is the “zigzag effect”: each posterior stage returns to the essential elements rejected by those preceding it, and the last stage, being diametrically opposite to the first, is, at that, as well as the latter, akin to the intermediate stages. The opportunities afforded by the current paradigm have been exhausted and it seems to run to an impasse. Instead, the author suggests a new frame of orientation: organizational goals are closely interknit with personal, but not reducible to them and bear fundamentally transpersonal character, while the mechanism of involving the preferences of individuals and groups in goal-setting is based on the self-contained interests of the organization they pertain to.

Research limitations/implications

The findings, conclusions and generalizations obtained can serve for a necessary ground to researchers getting deeper into the essence of what bonds organizational life and activity.

Practical implications

The material empowers practitioners to comprehend the difficulties of framing cohesive goal and find efficient ways to overcome them. It is of value also to the teachers seeking to present a more exact and elaborate view of teleological foundations of management and organization theory.

Originality/value

Both the conceptual analysis of the evolution of the approaches to organizational goals and the author’s exposition of its logic and vision of their nature are provided for the first time.
Challenges of measuring the influence of the Recovery Academy upon health professionals: considerations for quantitative research
Authors: Sutton Rebecca , French Paul
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon experiences of measuring the influences of the Recovery Academy within Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) NHS Foundation Trust amongst a student population of health professionals. This paper aims to present considerations for future quantitative research surrounding the efficacy of Recovery Colleges such as the Recovery Academy.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper utilised baseline data collected from health professionals as part of a quantitative evaluation of the Recovery Academy. The paper discusses challenges experienced in measuring change amongst this student population within GMMH.

Findings

Health professionals reported positive attitudes towards recovery at baseline presenting challenges in measuring attitudinal change associated with the Recovery Academy. The experiences of conducting research amongst health professionals within GMMH offers insights into the selection and use of self-report measures in Recovery College research; the representativeness of health professional student populations; and models of course attendance within Recovery Colleges.

Originality/value

The existing literature specific to Recovery College influences upon health professionals remains predominantly qualitative and anecdotal. It is important to gather empirical evidence regarding Recovery Colleges to establish their ability to re-orientate health professionals around principles of recovery. This paper therefore offers considerations for future researchers aiming to gather empirical evidence which may facilitate quantitative evaluations of Recovery Colleges such as the Recovery Academy amongst staff populations.
Recovery College influences upon service users: a Recovery Academy exploration of employment and service use
Authors: Sutton Rebecca , Lawrence Kate , Zabel Elisabeth , French Paul
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an exploration of Recovery Academy influences upon employment and service use amongst individuals with lived experience of mental health difficulties.

Design/methodology/approach

The study utilised a questionnaire design over a nine-month period. Participants’ baseline and follow-up data were analysed to explore the influence of course attendance upon employment and service use.

Findings

At follow-up, there was a significant association between participants attending Recovery Academy courses and paid or self-employment (p<0.05). However, there were also no significant differences in service use over time between those who attended courses and those who did not attend any courses.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is required to explore the cost-effectiveness of the Recovery Academy. As participants were all enroled onto the Recovery Academy findings may not be generalisable to other Recovery Colleges. There is a need for more robust research such as a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate multiple Recovery Colleges and establish definitive conclusions as to their economic implications.

Social implications

There may be value in the Recovery Academy as a gateway to employment, speaking to the transformative powers of Recovery Colleges. The Recovery Academy may serve as a vehicle to support service users to obtain paid or self-employment, and thus promote community reintegration.

Originality/value

This paper offers an important contribution to the Recovery College literature, which remains limited in evaluative evidence, particularly regarding associated economic factors, such as employment and service use.
Recovery in spirit
Authors: Holmes Kate
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a programme of workshops facilitated on inpatient wards in NSFT which promote recovery through the discussion of spiritual themes.

Design/methodology/approach

An introduction to the design principles of the workshops followed by service user narrative.

Findings

The contributions by service users demonstrate how addressing their spirituality promotes recovery.

Originality/value

This is the first time workshops on spirituality have been given a structure in a linked series of topics and then evaluated by service users.
An examination of the dimensions of CEO power and corporate social responsibility
Authors: Sheikh Shahbaz
Published: March 2019

Purpose

This study empirically aims to examine the relation between CEO power and firm engagement in corporate social responsibility (CSR). It undertakes an in-depth analysis of how the structural, ownership and expert dimensions of CEO power affect individual dimensions of CSR.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses ordinary least squares and industry fixed-effects regressions. It also uses instrumental variable-generalized method of moment regressions to test the robustness of empirical results.

Findings

Results indicate that CEO power is negatively related to CSR. However, the relation between CEO power and CSR is influenced by CSR strengths, as power is negatively related to CSR strengths and is not related to CSR concerns. Results also indicate that the structural and ownership dimensions of CEO power are negatively related to CSR, and the expert dimension has no significant effect on CSR. Moreover, results show that CEO power is not related to the product dimension of CSR performance.

Research limitations/implications

CEO power is measured using the structural, ownership and expert dimensions of power. However, CEOs also acquire power through social networks and connections outside the corporation which is not covered in this study.

Originality/value

This study uses comprehensive measures of CEO power and CSR. It is the first study that examines the effect of dimensions of CEO power on individual dimensions of CSR performance.
How and When Servant Leaders Enable Collective Thriving: The Role of Team–Member Exchange and Political Climate
Authors: Xu Angela J. , Wang Lei
Published: March 2019

Thriving teams are critical to the effective functioning of an organization. Extending Spreitzer et al.’s (2005) socially embedded model of thriving at work to the team level, this study explores how and when servant leadership promotes collective thriving. Through data collected from 80 teams composed of 520 employees, the study reveals that servant leaders help embed members in high‐quality team–member exchange relationships, which in turn enables their collective thriving. The authors find that a highly political climate is a dual‐stage moderator hindering the positive impact of servant leadership on collective thriving. The findings move forward extant servant leadership and thriving literature. The authors also offer practical implications for how organizations can nurture and reap benefits from thriving teams and the active role of employees in this process.