bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EquCab3, an Updated Reference Genome for the Domestic Horse
Authors: Kalbfleisch Theodore S. , Rice Edward S. , DePriest Michael S. , Walenz Brian P. , Hestand Matthew S. , Vermeesch Joris R. , O’Connell Brendan L. , Fiddes Ian T. , Vershinina Alisa O. , Petersen Jessica L. , Finno Carrie J. , Bellone Rebecca R. , McCue Molly E. , Brooks Samantha A. , Bailey Ernest , Orlando Ludovic , Green Richard E. , Miller Donald C. , Antczak Douglas F. , MacLeod James N.
Published: April 2018

EquCab2, a high-quality reference genome for the domestic horse, was released in 2007. Since then, it has served as the foundation for nearly all genomic work done in equids. Recent advances in genomic sequencing technology and computational assembly methods have allowed scientists to improve reference assemblies of large animal and plant genomes in terms of contiguity and composition. In 2014, the equine genomics research community began a project to improve the reference sequence for the horse, building upon the solid foundation of EquCab2 and incorporating new short-read data, long-read data, and proximity ligation data. The result, EquCab3, is presented here. The count of non-N bases in the incorporated chromosomes is improved from 2.33Gb in EquCab2 to 2.41Gb from EquCab3. Contiguity has also been improved nearly 40-fold with a contig N50 of 4.5Mb and scaffold contiguity enhanced to where all but one of the 32 chromosomes is comprised of a single scaffold.
Continuous Dice Coefficient: a Method for Evaluating Probabilistic Segmentations
Authors: Shamir Reuben R , Duchin Yuval , Kim Jinyoung , Sapiro Guillermo , Harel Noam
Published: April 2018

Objective

Overlapping measures are often utilized to quantify the similarity between two binary regions. However, modern segmentation algorithms output a probability or confidence map with continuous values in the zero-to-one interval. Moreover, these binary overlapping measures are biased to structure’s size. Addressing these challenges is the objective of this work.

Methods

We extend the definition of the classical Dice coefficient (DC) overlap to facilitate the direct comparison of a ground truth binary image with a probabilistic map. We call the extended method continuous Dice coefficient (cDC) and show that 1) cDC ≤1 and cDC = 1 if-and-only-if the structures’ overlap is complete, and; 2) cDC is monotonically decreasing with the amount of overlap. We compare the classical DC and the cDC in a simulation of partial volume effects that incorporates segmentations of common targets for deep-brain-stimulation. Lastly, we investigate the cDC for an automatic segmentation of the subthalamic-nucleus.

Results

Partial volume effect simulation on thalamus (large structure) resulted with DC and cDC averages (SD) of 0.98 (0.006) and 0.99 (0.001), respectively. For subthalamic-nucleus (small structure) DC and cDC were 0.86 (0.025) and 0.97 (0.006), respectively. The DC and cDC for automatic STN segmentation were 0.66 and 0.80, respectively.

Conclusion

The cDC is well defined for probabilistic segmentation, less biased to structure’s size and more robust to partial volume effects in comparison to DC. Significance: The proposed method facilitates a better evaluation of segmentation algorithms. As a better measurement tool, it opens the door for the development of better segmentation methods.
Cycloserine for Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in China: A Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Li Yang , Wang Fei , Wu Limin , Zhu Min , He Guiqing , Sun Feng , Liu Qihui , Wang Xiaomeng , Zhang Wenhong
Published: April 2018

Objectives

Cycloserine is crucial in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment. Although extensive research has been carried out on MDR-TB, most researchers have not treated cycloserine in much detail. Therefore, we evaluate the efficacy and safety of cycloserine and seek to clarify the role of cycloserine for treatment of simple MDR-TB, pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (pre-XDR-TB), and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB).

Patients and methods

A retrospective observational study was performed in China. We determined the treatment outcome as the primary outcome for 144 cycloserine-treated and 181 cycloserine-nontreated patients according to the definitions of WHO. The proportion of patients with sputum-culture conversion and the frequency of adverse drug reactions related to cycloserine were assessed as well.

Results

Among 325 MDR-TB patients, 144 were treated with cycloserine and 100 (69.4%) out of 144 successfully completed treatment. Compared with patients in non-cycloserine group, the hazard ratio of any unfavorable treatment outcome was 0.53 (95%CI: 0.35-0.81, P=0.003). Culture conversion rate at the intensive phase was similar whether cycloserine was administered or not (P=0.703). Of the 144 patients treated with cycloserine, a total of 16 (11.1%) patients experienced side-effects related to cycloserine, including 7 patients who discontinued cycloserine permanently.

Conclusions

Cycloserine could be an attractive agent to treat MDR-TB. Its safety profile warrants use in the most of MDR-TB cases. Cycloserine significantly improved the chance of favorable outcome for patients with simple MDR-TB but not pre-XDR-TB and XDR-TB. More aggressive regimens might be required for pre-XDR-TB or XDR-TB patients.
ERM proteins: The missing actin linkers in clathrin-mediated endocytosis
Authors: Kvalvaag Audun Sverre , Schink Kay Oliver , Brech Andreas , Sandvig Kirsten , Pust Sascha
Published: April 2018

Canonical clathrin-coated pits (CCPs) are nucleated by the coordinated arrival of clathrin triskelia and AP2 adaptor proteins at phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) enriched plasma membrane domains (1, 2). Subsequent propagation of the clathrin lattice helps to deform the membrane into a sharply curved pit (3). A large proportion of the initiated pits fall apart as abortive endocytic events within about 20 s, possibly due to insufficient cargo capture (4). Successful clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is concluded when a clathrin-coated vesicle is released into the cell by dynamin-mediated fission of the CCP membrane neck (5, 6). A vast array of accessory proteins important for successful CME has been identified. Among these is actin, which has been shown to be required for the maturation and internalization of a subset of CCPs in human cells (7, 8). Actin dependency during CME correlates with elevated membrane tension, and CCP maturation requires actin polymerization during mitosis, in microvilli at the apical surface of polarized cells and in cells upon global mechanical stretching or hypotonic treatment (9–11). The Arp2/3 complex is thought to trigger an acute actin burst coinciding with CCP internalization, but how actin is recruited to CCPs in the first place is not known (12, 13). Here we show that the ERM (ezrin, radixin, moesin) protein family of membrane-actin linkers associates with CCPs, and that functional perturbation of ERM proteins impedes CCP maturation and reduces the rate of transferrin uptake. By total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy and unbiased object detection and tracking, we show that ezrin localizes to nascent CCPs and that these pits subsequently recruit actin. Based on these data, we propose a model in which activated ERM proteins recruit the initial actin filament during CME.
Pseudomonas aeruginosaCan Inhibit Growth of Streptococcal Species via Siderophore Production
Authors: Scott Jessie E. , Li Kewei , Filkins Laura M. , Zhu Bin , Kuchma Sherry L. , Schwartzman Joseph D. , O’Toole George A.
Published: April 2018

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that causes patients to accumulate thick, dehydrated mucus in the lung and develop chronic, polymicrobial infections due to reduced mucociliary clearance. These chronic polymicrobial infections and subsequent decline in lung function are significant factors in the morbidity and mortality of CF.Pseudomonas aeruginosaandStreptococcusspp. are among the most prevalent organisms in the CF lung; the presence ofP. aeruginosacorrelates with lung function decline and theStreptococcus millerigroup (SMG), a subgroup of the viridans streptococci, is associated with exacerbations in patients with CF. Here we characterize the interspecies interactions that occur between these two genera. We demonstrated that multipleP. aeruginosalaboratory strains and clinical CF isolates promote the growth of multiple SMG strains and oral streptococci in anin vitrococulture system. We investigated the mechanism by whichP. aeruginosaenhances growth of streptococci by screening for mutants ofP. aeruginosaPA14 unable to enhanceStreptococcusgrowth, and we identified theP. aeruginosa pqsL::TnMmutant, which failed to promote growth ofS. constellatusandS. sanguinis. Characterization of theP. aeruginosaΔpqsLmutant revealed that this strain cannot promoteStreptococcusgrowth. Our genetic data and growth studies support a model whereby theP. aeruginosaΔpqsLmutant overproduces siderophores, and thus likely outcompetesStreptococcus sanguinisfor limited iron. We propose a model whereby competition for iron represents one important means of interaction betweenP. aeruginosaandStreptococcusspp.

Importance

Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung infections are increasingly recognized for their polymicrobial nature. These polymicrobial infections may alter the biology of the organisms involved in CF-related infections, leading to changes in growth, virulence and/or antibiotic tolerance, and could thereby affect patient health and response to treatment. In this study, we demonstrate interactions betweenP. aeruginosaand streptococci using a coculture model, and show that one interaction between these microbes is likely competition for iron. Thus, these data indicate that one CF pathogen may influence the growth of another and add to our limited knowledge of polymicrobial interactions in the CF airway.
Genome-wide analysis of cell cycle-regulating genes in the symbiotic dinoflagellate Symbiodinium minutum
Authors: Cato Michael L. , Jester Hallie D. , Lavertu Adam , Lyman Audrey , Tallent Lacey M. , Mitchell Geoffrey C.
Published: April 2018

A critical relationship exists between reef-building corals and their photosynthetic endosymbionts. As important as this relationship is for reef health, it is exquisitely delicate—exposure to temperatures only marginally above the average summer maximum can cause corals to bleach, expelling their resident algae. Interestingly, several studies indicate that failure of corals to properly regulate symbiont cell divisions at high temperatures may cause bleaching. This needs to be further investigated, but first, it is necessary to decipher the molecular mechanisms controlingl the cell division cycle in these organisms. As a first step toward this goal, we identified key cell cycle-regulating genes in the recently published genome of the symbiotic dinoflagellate Symbiodinium minutum. We then correlated expression of these genes with cell cycle phase in diurnally growing S. minutum in culture. Of particular interest, this approach allowed us to identify cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases that are involved in the G1/S transition—a likely point for coral cells to exert control over algal cell divisions.
Microstructural Integrity of White Matter Moderates an Association Between Childhood Adversity and Adult Trait Anger
Authors: Kim M. Justin , Elliott Maxwell L. , d’Arbeloff Tracy C. , Knodt Annchen R. , Radtke Spenser R. , Brigidi Bartholomew D. , Hariri Ahmad R.
Published: April 2018

Amongst a number of negative life sequelae associated with childhood adversity is the later expression of a higher dispositional tendency to experience anger and frustration to a wide range of situations (i.e., trait anger). We recently reported that an association between childhood adversity and trait anger is moderated by individual differences in both threat-related amygdala activity and executive control-related dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) activity, wherein individuals with relatively low amygdalaandhigh dlPFC activity do not express higher trait anger even when having experienced childhood adversity. Here, we examine possible structural correlates of this functional dynamic using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data from 647 young adult men and women volunteers. Specifically, we tested whether the degree of white matter microstructural integrity as indexed by fractional anisotropy modulated the association between childhood adversity and trait anger. Our analyses revealed that higher microstructural integrity of multiple pathways was associated with an attenuated link between childhood adversity and adult trait anger. Amongst these pathways was the uncinate fasciculus, which not only provides a major anatomical link between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex but also is associated with individual differences in regulating negative emotion through top-down cognitive reappraisal. These findings suggest that higher microstructural integrity of distributed white matter pathways including but not limited to the uncinate fasciculus may represent an anatomical foundation serving to buffer against the expression of childhood adversity as later trait anger, which is itself associated with multiple negative health outcomes.
Functional Balance between TCF21-Slug defines phenotypic plasticity and sub-classes in high-grade serous ovarian cancer
Authors: Varankar Sagar S , Kamble Swapnil C , Mali Avinash M , More Madhuri M , Abraham Ancy , Kumar Brijesh , Pansare Kshama J. , Narayanan Nivedhitha J , Sen Arijit , Dhake Rahul D , Joshi Aparna N , Midha Divya , Jolly Mohit Kumar , Dong Ying , Clements Judith A , Bapat Sharmila A
Published: April 2018

Cellular plasticity and transitional phenotypes add to complexities of cancer metastasis initiated by single cell epithelial to mesenchymal transition or cooperative cell migration (CCM). We identified novel regulatory cross-talks between Tcf21 and Slug in mediating phenotypic and migration plasticity in high-grade serous ovarian adenocarcinoma. Live imaging discerned CCM as being achieved either through rapid cell proliferation or sheet migration. Transitional states were enriched over the rigid epithelial or mesenchymal phenotypes under conditions of environmental stresses. The Tcf21-Slug interplay identified in HGSC tumors through effective stratification of subtypes also contributed to class-switching in response to disease progression or therapy. Our study effectively provides a framework for understanding the relevance of cellular plasticity in situ as a function of two transcription factors.
The Integrative Conjugative Element (ICE) ofMycoplasma agalactiae: key elements involved in horizontal dissemination and influence of co-resident ICEs
Authors: Baranowski Eric , Dordet-Frisoni Emilie , Sagné Eveline , Hygonenq Marie-Claude , Pretre Gabriela , Claverol Stéphane , Fernandez Laura , Nouvel Laurent Xavier , Citti Christine
Published: April 2018

The discovery of integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) in wall-less mycoplasmas and the demonstration of their role in massive gene flows within and across species has shed new light on the evolution of these minimal bacteria. Of these, ICEA of the ruminant pathogenMycoplasma agalactiaerepresents a prototype and belongs to a new clade of the Mutatorlike superfamily that has no preferential insertion site and often occurs as multiple chromosomal copies. Here, functional genomics and mating experiments were combined to address ICEA functions and define the minimal ICEA chassis conferring conjugative properties toM. agalactiae. Data further indicated a complex interaction among co-resident ICEAs, since the minimal ICEA structure was influenced by the occurrence of additional ICEA copies that cantrans-complement conjugative-deficient ICEAs. However, this cooperative behavior was limited to the CDS14 surface lipoprotein, which is constitutively expressed by co-resident ICEAs, and did not extend to other ICEA proteins including thecis-acting DDE recombinase and components of the mating channel whose expression was only sporadically detected. Remarkably, conjugative-deficient mutants containing a single ICEA copy knocked-out incdsl4can be complemented by neighboring cells expressing CDS14. This result, together with the conservation of CDS14 functions in closely related species, may suggest a way for mycoplasma ICEs to extend their interaction outside of their chromosomal environment. Overall, this study provides a first model of conjugative transfer in mycoplasmas and offers valuable insights towards the understanding of horizontal gene transfer in this highly adaptive and diverse group of minimal bacteria.

IMPRTANCE

Integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) are self-transmissible mobile genetic elements that are key mediators of horizontal gene flow in bacteria. Recently, a new category of ICEs has been identified that confer conjugative properties to mycoplasmas, a highly adaptive and diverse group of wall-less bacteria with reduced genomes. Unlike classical ICEs, these mobile elements have no preferential insertion specificity and multiple mycoplasma ICE copies can be found randomly integrated into the host chromosome. Here, the prototype ICE ofMycoplasma agalactiaewas used to define the minimal conjugative machinery and propose the first model of ICE transfer in mycoplasmas. This model unveils the complex interactions taking place among co-resident ICEs and suggests a way for these elements to extend their influence outside of their chromosomal environment. These data pave the way for future studies aiming at deciphering chromosomal transfer, an unconventional mechanism of DNA swapping that has been recently associated with mycoplasma ICEs.
Meta-analysis of RNA-seq studies reveals genes responsible for life stage-dominant functions in Schistosoma mansoni
Authors: Lu Zhigang , Berriman Matthew
Published: April 2018

Background

Since the genome of the parasitic flatworm Schistosoma mansoni was sequenced in 2009, various RNA-seq studies have been conducted to investigate differential gene expression between certain life stages. Based on these studies, the overview of gene expression in all life stages can improve our understanding of S. mansoni genome biology.

Methods

publicly available RNA-seq data covering all life stages and gonads were mapped to the latest S. mansoni genome. Read counts were normalised across all samples and differential expression analysis was preformed using the generalized linear model (GLM) approach.

Results

we revealed for the first time the dissimilarities among all life stages. Genes that are abundantly-expressed in all life stages, as well as those preferentially-expressed in certain stage(s), were determined. The latter reveals genes responsible for stage-dominant functions of the parasite, which can be a guidance for the investigation and annotation of gene functions. In addition, distinct differential expression patterns were observed between adjacent life stages, which not only correlate well with original individual studies, but also provide additional information on changes in gene expression during parasite transitions. Furthermore, thirteen novel housekeeping genes across all life stages were identified, which is valuable for quantitative studies (e.g., qPCR).

Conclusions

the metaanalysis provides valuable information on the expression and potential functions of S. mansoni genes across all life stages, and can facilitate basic as well as applied research for the community.
Quantification of biases in predictions of protein stability changes upon mutations
Authors: Pucci F. , Bernaerts K. , Kwasigroch J. M. , Rooman M.
Published: April 2018

Bioinformatics tools that predict protein stability changes upon point mutations have made a lot of progress in the last decades and have become accurate and fast enough to make computational mutagenesis experiments feasible, even on a proteome scale. Despite these achievements, they still suffer from important issues that must be solved to allow further improving their performances and utilizing them to deepen our insights into protein folding and stability mechanisms. One of these problems is their bias towards the learning datasets which, being dominated by destabilizing mutations, causes predictions to be better for destabilizing than for stabilizing mutations.

We thoroughly analyzed the biases in the prediction of folding free energy changes upon point mutations (ΔΔG0) and proposed some unbiased solutions. We started by constructing a dataset Ssymof experimentally measured ΔΔG0s with an equal number of stabilizing and destabilizing mutations, by collecting mutations for which the structure of both the wild type and mutant protein is available. On this balanced dataset, we assessed the performances of fifteen widely usedΔΔG0predictors. After the astonishing observation that almost all these methods are strongly biased towards destabilizing mutations, especially those that use black-box machine learning, we proposed an elegant way to solve the bias issue by imposing physical symmetries under inverse mutations on the model structure, which we implemented in PoPMuSiCsym. This new predictor constitutes an efficient trade-off between accuracy and absence of biases. Some final considerations and suggestions for further improvement of the predictors are discussed.
Discovery of Large Disjoint Motif in Biological Network using Dynamic Expansion Tree
Authors: Patra Sabyasachi , Mohapatra Anjali
Published: April 2018

Network motifs play an important role in structural analysis of biological networks. Identification of such network motifs leads to many important applications, such as: understanding the modularity and the large-scale structure of biological networks, classification of networks into super-families etc. However, identification of network motifs is challenging as it involved graph isomorphism which is computationally hard problem. Though this problem has been studied extensively in the literature using different computational approaches, we are far from encouraging results. Motivated by the challenges involved in this field we have proposed an efficient and scalable Motif discovery algorithm using a Dynamic Expansion Tree (MDET). In this algorithm embeddings corresponding to child node of expansion tree are obtained from the embeddings of parent node, either by adding a vertex with time complexity O(n) or by adding an edge with time complexity O(1) without involving any isomorphic check. The growth of Dynamic Expansion Tree (DET) depends on availability of patterns in the target network. DET reduces space complexity significantly and the memory limitation of static expansion tree can overcome. The proposed algorithm has been tested on Protein Protein Interaction (PPI) network obtained from MINT database. It is able to identify large motifs faster than most of the existing motif discovery algorithms.
ADAR2 mediated Q/R editing of GluK2 regulates homeostatic plasticity of kainate receptors
Authors: Gurung Sonam , Evans Ashley J. , Wilkinson Kevin A. , Henley Jeremy M.
Published: April 2018

Kainate receptors (KARs) are heteromeric glutamate-gated ion channels that regulate neuronal excitability and network function in the brain. Most KARs contain the subunit GluK2 and the precise properties of these GluK2-containing KARs are determined by additional factors including ADAR2-mediated mRNA editing of a single codon that changes a genomically encoded glutamine (Q) to arginine (R) in the pore-lining region of GluK2. ADAR2-dependent Q/R editing of GluK2 is dynamically regulated during homeostatic plasticity (scaling) elicited by suppression of synaptic activity with TTX. Here we show that TTX decreases levels of ADAR2 by enhancing its proteasomal degradation. This selectively reduces the numbers of GluK2 subunits that are edited and increases the surface expression of GluK2-containing KARs. Furthermore, we show that partial ADAR2 knockdown phenocopies and occludes TTX-induced scaling of KARs. These data indicate that activity-dependent regulation of ADAR2 proteostasis and GluK2 Q/R editing provides a mechanism for KAR homeostatic plasticity.
Synchrotron radiation external beam rotational radiotherapy of breast cancer: proof of principle
Authors: Di Lillo Francesca , Mettivier Giovanni , Castriconi Roberta , Sarno Antonio , Stevenson Andrew W. , Hall Chris J. , Häusermann Daniel , Russo Paolo
Published: April 2018

The principle of rotational summation of the absorbed dose for breast cancer treatment with orthovoltage X-ray beams was proposed by J. Boone in 2012. Here, use of X-ray synchrotron radiation for image guided external beam rotational radiotherapy treatment of breast cancer is proposed. Tumor irradiation occurs with the patient in the prone position hosted on a rotating bed, with her breast hanging from a hole in the bed, which rotates around a vertical axis passing through the tumor site. Horizontal collimation of the X-ray beam provides for whole breast or partial breast irradiation, while vertical translation of the bed and successive rotations allow for irradiation of the full tumor volume, with dose rates which permit also hypofractionated treatments. In this work, which follows a previous preliminary report, results are shown of a full series of measurements on polyethylene and acrylic cylindrical phantoms carried out at the Australian Synchrotron, confirmed byGeant4Monte Carlo simulations, intended to demonstrate the proof of principle of the technique. Dose measurements were carried out with calibrated ion chambers, radiochromic films and thermoluminescence dosimeters. The photon energy investigated was 60 keV. Image guidance may occur with the transmitted beam for contrast-enhanced breast computed tomography. For a horizontal beam collimation of 1.5 cm and rotation around the central axis of a 14 cm-diameter polyethylene phantom, a periphery-to-center dose ratio of 14% was measured. The simulations showed that under the same conditions the dose ratio decreases with increasing photon energy down to 10% at 175 keV. These values are comparable with those achievable with conventional megavoltage radiotherapy of breast cancer with a medical linear accelerator. Dose painting was demonstrated with two off-center `cancer foci' with 1.3 Gy and 0.6 Gy target doses. The use of a radiosensitizing agent for dose enhancement is foreseen.
Radiation-driven rotational motion of nanoparticles
Authors: Liang Mengning , Harder Ross , Robinson Ian
Published: April 2018

Focused synchrotron beams can influence a studied sampleviaheating, or radiation pressure effects due to intensity gradients. The high angular sensitivity of rotational X-ray tracking of crystalline particlesviatheir Bragg reflections can detect extremely small forces such as those caused by field gradients. By tracking the rotational motion of single-crystal nanoparticles embedded in a viscous or viscoelastic medium, the effects of heating in a uniform gradient beam and radiation pressure in a Gaussian profile beam were observed. Changes in viscosity due to X-ray heating were measured for 42 µm crystals in glycerol, and angular velocities of 10−6 rad s−1due to torques of 10−24 N m were measured for 340 nm crystals in a colloidal gel matrix. These results show the ability to quantify small forces using rotation motion of tracer particles.
How do retailers increase the benefits of buyer innovativeness?
Authors: Kim Changju , Takashima Katsuyoshi , Newell Stephen
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a model investigating the relationship among inter-departmental communication, buyer innovativeness, and retail competitiveness. The authors also explore whether a retail strategy of supply base diversification for managing suppliers moderates the association between innovativeness and competitiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses were tested using a structural equation model and survey data drawn from general merchandise managers of 149 supermarket retailers in Japan.

Findings

The results indicate that inter-departmental communication between merchandising and store divisions drives innovativeness among retail buyers and ultimately strengthens firm competitiveness. Moreover, when buyer innovativeness is evident and less actively the retail buyers utilize supply base diversification, the stronger is the retailer’s competitiveness. The study failed to find any direct impact of inter-departmental communication on retail competitiveness.

Practical implications

This study offers managerial insights into the roles that buyer innovativeness, inter-departmental communications, and supply base diversification play in developing effective competitive strategies.

Originality/value

This study makes two key contributions. First, it is novel in using inter-departmental communication to explain the antecedents of buyer innovativeness. Second, drawing on the power-dependence theory, the authors extend the well-established innovativeness-performance linkage by exploring the moderation effect of supply base diversification.
Flexibility, collaboration and relationship quality in the logistics service industry
Authors: Chou Shihyu , Chen Chi-Wen , Kuo Ya-Ting
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between competitive capabilities, including flexibility and collaboration between logistics service providers (LSPs) and their customers, and relationship quality, as measured by trust, dependence and commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 309 logistics managers were invited to participate in this study and structural equation modeling was performed to analyze the measurement and structural models.

Findings

The results show that both flexibility and collaboration positively influence trust and dependence. Moreover, dependence does not appear to influence commitment. Finally, the authors hypothesize and find that trust plays an important role in the research model and positively increase commitment.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this study is that this study used a cross-sectional survey approach to collect data on all research variables. Compared with longitudinal data, cross-sectional data might not be able to demonstrate completely the temporal sequence of the antecedents and consequences, which might result in spurious cause-effect inferences.

Practical implications

The findings offer several important implications for LSPs. First, the findings imply that LSPs need to make their customers want to share useful information related to operations and logistics. Second, flexibility plays an important role in forming customers’ trust in logistics service industry.

Originality/value

Little research has been done on combining a resource-based view (RBV) and relationship marketing (RM) together in logistics service context. Therefore, this study advances the RBV and RM and adds value to the literature by demonstrating the applicability of the observed relationships among LSPs.
Globalization of area studies: an analysis of collection development resources
Authors: Taler Izabella
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This study aims to report on the findings of a detailed analysis of the collection development tools of use to subject bibliographers in meeting the challenges of the ongoing changes within the broad discipline of area studies.

Design/methodology/approach

Select online and print resources are examined for their treatment of specific area studies subjects.

Findings

This study identifies the benefits of subject resources, points out inconsistencies with the use of the controlled vocabulary and notes subject access limitations.

Practical implications

The analyzed resources will assist library professionals in identifying and selecting relevant sources.

Originality/value

The detailed analysis of how this subject is treated by numerous resources is unique to the field of library science.
Scrutiny of buffet mechanisms in transonic flow
Authors: Memmolo Antonio , Bernardini Matteo , Pirozzoli Sergio
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to show results of numerical simulations of transonic flow around a supercritical airfoil at chord Reynolds number Rec = 3 × 106, with the aim of elucidating the mechanisms responsible for large-scale shock oscillations, namely, transonic buffet.

Design/methodology/approach

Unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations and detached-eddy simulations provide a preliminary buffet map, while a high fidelity implicit large-eddy simulation with an upstream laminar boundary layer is used to ascertain the physical feasibility of the various buffet mechanisms. Numerical experiments with unsteady RANS highlight the role of waves travelling on pressure side in the buffet mechanism. Estimates of the propagation velocities of coherent disturbances and of acoustic waves are obtained, to check the validity of popular mechanisms based on acoustic feedback from the trailing edge.

Findings

Unsteady RANS numerical experiments demonstrate that the pressure side of the airfoil plays a marginal role in the buffet mechanism. Implicit LES data show that the only plausible self-sustaining mechanism involves waves scattered from the trailing edge and penetrating the sonic region from above the suction side shock. An interesting side result of this study is that buffet appears to be more intense in the case that the boundary layer state upstream of the shock is turbulent, rather than laminar.

Originality/value

The results of the study will be of interest to any researcher involved with transonic buffet.
Reconciling value-based objectives for security and identity management
Authors: Smith Kane J. , Dhillon Gurpreet , Hedström Karin
Published: April 2018

Purpose

In this paper, using values of individuals in a Swedish health-care organization, electronic identity management objectives related to security are defined.

Design/methodology/approach

By using value-focused thinking, eliciting values from interviews of three groups of health-care staff’s objective hierarchies for three stakeholder groups are identified and defined. Objective hierarchies allow comparison across multiple stakeholder groups such that strategic objectives for identity management can be compared and contrasted.

Findings

This qualitative investigation, which used value-focused thinking, revealed 94 subobjectives, grouped into 12 fundamental and 14 means objectives, which are essential for developing measures that address potential value conflicts in a health-care organization around electronic identity management. The objectives developed in this study are grounded socioorganizationally and provide a way forward in developing measures aimed to reducing potential conflicts at a policy level.

Originality/value

In a final synthesis, congruence (or lack thereof) in the electronic identity management approach for a Swedish health organization is suggested. This also creates a foundation to evaluate and weight different objectives for strategic decision management.
Innovation ecosystems: a meta-synthesis
Authors: Ferasso Marcos , Wunsch Takahashi Adriana R. , Prado Gimenez Fernando A.
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This metasynthesis aims to build a theory on the concept of innovation ecosystem from the state of the art of qualitative case studies available in indexed scientific production using interpretive synthesis (Hoon, 2013).

Design/methodology/approach

This research was conducted by the postulates of the metasynthesis method (Hoon, 2013) to generate theory from qualitative case studies. The authors retrieved 77 research papers from databases, of which 6 were used for synthesis purposes. Each selected research paper reported one or more cases, which were analyzed separately. At the final stage, a data synthesis was structured and the cases were crossed, which allowed the development of a schematic representation and a theoretical construction of the innovation ecosystem concept. The approach used in this research is a metatheoretical assumption from economics and management and ecology to explore the theoretical gap in the concept of innovation ecosystems.

Findings

There is not yet a conceptual consensus on the term, which sometimes leads researchers to address partial or complementary concepts. The analysis identified constitutive elements of an innovation ecosystem that lead to structuring a framework of organic and dynamic interrelationships that a given organization has with various external organizations, allowing the creation of innovative products in a faster way.

Research limitations/implications

This paper helps scholars and researchers consider a new metatheoretical perspective to analyze dynamics, constitutive elements and multilevels of an innovation ecosystem.

Practical implications

For practitioners, this paper sheds lights on the importance of recognizing a systemic consideration of innovation ecosystems that falls in global relationships, industry dynamics and identification of main global–local actors/enablers to produce innovations internally at a given organization.

Originality/value

The novelty of this paper lies in a more delineated definition and a schematic representation of an innovation ecosystem based on a global–local perspective of product creation and manufacturing and interactions that a given company has, regardless of the geographical location of its dispersed strategic partners.
Adoption and implementation of BIM – case study of a Saudi Arabian AEC firm
Authors: Almuntaser Taqiadden , Sanni-Anibire Muizz O. , Hassanain Mohammad A.
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The adoption of building information modeling (BIM) technology in the global architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industries is steadily increasing. However, developing countries such as Saudi Arabia are still lagging behind. The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for BIM adoption in the AEC industry in Saudi Arabia through a case study.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a two-pronged approach. First, the various stages, benefits and challenges of BIM implementation in a local AEC firm’s pilot project were documented. Then, a BIM maturity measurement of the pilot project was conducted, and identification of the areas where improvements can be made.

Findings

BIM implementation provided several benefits and efficiency gains. These include a faster design processes, effective reuse of information and overall client satisfaction. Challenges faced include a lack of interest by clients and industry stakeholders, inadequate experience of the BIM team, and lack of mentorship from a BIM champion. The findings of the BIM maturity measurement were presented as an implementation framework in the five process areas and ten subject areas of the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) project management framework.

Originality/value

Though, frameworks, guidelines and protocols have been developed to facilitate the successful adoption of BIM, the issue is not a case of “one size fits all.” This study thus introduces the much needed awareness in the research and professional domain in Saudi Arabia. It also presents the proposed framework in the PMI framework, which is an incremental innovation to previous work.
Home is what we make it
Authors: Brummans Boris H.J.M. , Hwang Jennie M.
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to question and reflect on the spatial metaphors that inform Mats Alvesson’s (2009) conception of an organizational home in his description of at-home ethnography. (Cultural) hybridity is proposed as an alternative metaphor because the concept of hybridity can be used to highlight the complex nature of the relationships between an at-home ethnographer and the people she or he studies as they are produced during ethnographic work in an era where multiple (organizational) cultural sites are increasingly connected; where (organizational) cultural boundaries are uncertain; and where the notion of (organizational) culture itself is opaque, rather than transparent. Thus, this paper suggests that it may be more appropriate to speak of “hybrid home ethnography,” rather than “at-home ethnography.”

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explicates the concept of (cultural) hybridity and shows that this concept provides a useful metaphor for understanding and studying one’s own organizational home in these times of globalization where complex societies and the social collectivities of which they are composed are increasingly dispersed and mediated. Subsequently, the value of this metaphor is briefly illustrated through a hypothetical study of an academic department.

Findings

The metaphor of (cultural) hybridity reveals how studying one’s own organizational home (or homes) entails investigating a web of relationships between other organizational members, nonmembers, and oneself (the ethnographer) that are blends of diverse cultures and traditions constituted in the course of everyday communication. In addition, this metaphor shows that liminality is a key feature of this web and invites at-home ethnographers to combine first-, second-, and third-person perspectives in their fieldwork, deskwork, and textwork. Moreover, this metaphor highlights the importance of practicing “radical-reflexivity” in this kind of ethnography.

Originality/value

This paper provides a relational, communicative view of at-home ethnography based on a critical reflection on what it means to examine one’s own organizational home.
Cooperation and coopetition among humanitarian organizations
Authors: Fathalikhani Somaye , Hafezalkotob Ashkan , Soltani Roya
Published: April 2018

Purpose

In the past two decades, the growth in the number and severity of disasters causes a rapid increase in the presence of NGOs for more effective response and efficient management of disasters. The NGOs must spend part of their resources on attracting funds to fulfill their humanitarian goals. However, limited number of donors and received contributions leads to a competition among NGOs for fundraising. Therefore, managing the relationship between these organizations and donors is very important. This paper aims to examine the competitive and coopetitive behavior of NGOs to model the interaction.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve this purpose, by using game theory, two mathematical programing models are presented to examine the two inter-organizational interactions among NGOs.

Findings

The results show that if the NGOs work together, all the organizations, donors and affected people will benefit, and the accrued disaster will be managed more efficiently.

Practical implications

The expressed benefits of coopetition of NGOs can be an incentive for them to work together to manage disasters effectively.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, no research has considered the impact of the coopetition of NGOs in achieving their social mission successfully. Therefore, this paper can be seen as a valuable resource in this field.
The effectiveness of leadership styles among academic and research librarians in Eastern and Southern Africa
Authors: Kwanya Tom , Stilwell Christine
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the leadership styles that academic and research librarians apply as well as their effectiveness in meeting their institutions’ strategic objectives. The study also compared and contrasted the leadership styles and their corresponding impact in the effective delivery of academic and research library services in Kenya and South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The study applied a survey research technique to garner the opinions of the librarians about the leadership styles of their leaders. Primary data were collected through key informant interviews with academic and research librarians. Additional data were collected through documentary analysis. The data were analysed and processed through content analysis.

Findings

The findings indicate that most academic and research library leaders in South Africa and Kenya embrace a democratic leadership style. The results also show that most academic and research librarians hold the view that the leadership styles of their managers have a great impact on their individual performance and overall organisational effectiveness.

Practical implications

The results of the study can be used to recommend or adopt leadership styles which have a higher potential of making a greater impact in Kenyan and South African academic and research libraries. The results can also be used as the basis for relevant curricula and policy development.

Originality/value

The role of university librarians as leaders and the determinants of the effectiveness of academic and research library leaders, including leadership styles, have received minimal attention from scholars, particularly those in Africa. This study addresses the gap as it investigated the impact of the leadership styles of academic and research librarians on the effectiveness of their institutions, compared the academic and research library leadership scenarios in South Africa with Kenya, and makes recommendations on how to enhance leadership effectiveness.
Mapping collaboration and impact of library and information science research in sub-Saharan Africa, from 1995 to 2016
Authors: Onyancha Omwoyo Bosire
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to map and visualise collaboration patterns and citation impact of the library and information science research in sub-Saharan Africa between 1995 and 2016.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were extracted from the Thomson Reuters’ citation indexes using the name of the country in an advanced search platform. The search was limited to documents designated as articles. Data were analysed using the VosViewer software to obtain network maps and frequencies of occurrence.

Findings

The findings reveal that publication and citation impact of LIS research in sub-Saharan Africa has continued to grow since 1995; foreign countries have immensely contributed to the evolution and development of LIS research in the region; research collaboration occurs both regionally and internationally, with the latter being the most prominent; South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya are the most active participants in LIS research collaboration in the region; and that on average, international collaboration in LIS research in sub-Saharan Africa attracts more citations than other types of collaboration.

Research limitations/implications

The study was limited to the data indexed in the Web of Science citation indexes and focused on sub-Saharan African countries only.

Practical implications

Collaboration is said to lead to increased research output and impact, hence the need for sub-Saharan African researchers and institutions to initiate strategies that will create conducive environments for research collaboration. There is need for collaborative ventures between LIS practitioners and educators as well as increased cooperation among LIS schools within and outside of sub-Saharan African countries. Partnerships involving students and programmes such as research fellowship, post-doctoral researchers as well as visiting researchers may complement any existing strategies that can be pursued to increase collaborative research in LIS in the region.

Originality/value

The paper, while drawing lessons from previous papers, adopted a variety of techniques to examine collaboration patterns and impact of LIS research over a longer period of publication time, i.e. 1995 to 2016, and a larger geographic scope.