bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computational approach and functional analysis of thePectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorumlow-molecular weight bacteriocin Carocin S2
Authors: Wang Jyun-Wei , Lagitnay Ruchi Briam James S. , Derilo Reymund C. , Wu Jian-Li , Chuang Duen-Yau
Published: August 2020

Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. Carotovorum3F3 is a gram-negative phyto-parasitic enterobacterium. This strain is a producer of Carocin S2 bacteriocin, which comprises of two proteins of different sizes. Carocin S2K (killer protein) which is responsible for antibiotic resistance and Carocin S2I (immunity protein) which inhibits the antibiotic activity.

The present study aimed to predict the structure and functional properties of Carocin S2. Computational approaches utilizing various bioinformatic tools predicted that Carocin S2 is a putative membrane protein having the N-terminal at the extracellular side and the central domain at the coiled-coil region. Carocin S2 was predicted to have three domains, the translocation domains, receptor binding domain and the killer domain. Moreover, the killer domain was calculated to have the catalytic cleft. The in-vivo assays confirmed that for Carocin S2K, bound immunity protein was not a pre-requisite for cell attachment or translocation. The site-directed mutagenesis experiment led us to hypothesized the hydrolysis mechanism of Carocin S2.

The predicted structure of Carocin S2K provided a system of understanding on the biochemical and structural function which led to the mechanism of Carocin S2. It revealed that the role of immunity protein to Carocin S2 is not a pre-requisite for translocation pathway. Furthermore, this research led to hypothesized a hydrolytic mechanism of Carocin S2 to target the tRNA.
De Novo Assembly of a Chromosome-Scale Reference Genome for the Northern FlickerColaptes auratus
Authors: Hruska Jack P. , Manthey Joseph D.
Published: August 2020

The northern flicker,Colaptes auratus, is a widely distributed North American woodpecker and a long-standing focal species for the study of ecology, behavior, phenotypic differentiation, and hybridization. We present here a highly contiguousde novogenome assembly ofC. auratus,the first such assembly for the species and the first published chromosome-level assembly for woodpeckers (Picidae). The assembly was generated using a combination of short-read Chromium 10x and long-read PacBio sequencing, and further scaffolded with chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) reads. The resulting genome assembly is 1.378 Gb in size, with a scaffold N50 of 43.948 Mb and a scaffold L50 of 11. This assembly contains 87.4 % - 91.7 % of genes present across four sets of universal single-copy orthologs found in tetrapods and birds. We annotated the assembly both for genes and repetitive content, identifying 18,745 genes and a prevalence of ~ 28.0 % repetitive elements. Lastly, we used four-fold degenerate sites from neutrally evolving genes to estimate a mutation rate forC. auratus, which we estimated to be 4.007 × 10−9substitutions / site / year, about 1.5x times faster than an earlier mutation rate estimate of the family. The highly contiguous assembly and annotations we report will serve as a resource for future studies on the genomics ofC. auratusand comparative evolution of woodpeckers.
A robust and versatile nanobody platform for drug delivery
Authors: Shen Zhuolun , Xiang Yufei , Vegara Sandra , Chen Apeng , Xiao Zhengyun , Santiago Ulises , Jin Changzhong , Sang Zhe , Luo Jiadi , Chen Kong , Schneidman-Duhovny Dina , Camacho Carlos , Calero Guillermo , Hu Baoli , Shi Yi
Published: August 2020

Therapeutic and diagnostic efficacies of numerous small biomolecules and chemical compounds are hampered by the short half-lives. Here we report the development of a repertoire of diverse, high-affinity albumin-nanobodies (NbHSA) to facilitate drug delivery. By integrating biophysics, and hybrid structural biology, we have systematically characterized the NbHSAfor albumin binding, mapped the epitopes, and resolved the architecture of a tetrameric Nb-albumin complex. We employed quantitative proteomics for accurate, multiplex Nb pharmacokinetic analysis. Using a humanized albumin mouse model, we found that the NbHSAhas outstanding pharmacokinetics; the most stable NbHSAhas a 771-fold T1/2improvement compared with a control Nb. Interestingly, the pharmacokinetics of NbHSAis related to their biophysical and structural properties. To demonstrate the utility of NbHSA, we developed a highly stable NbHSA-hIL-2 cytokine conjugate “Duraleukin” and confirmed its improved anticancer properties than hIL-2 alone. We envision that this high-quality Nb resource will advance research into novel biotherapeutics.
Brain Amyloid and the Transition to Dementia in Down Syndrome
Authors: Keator David B. , Doran Eric , Taylor Lisa , Phelan Michael J. , Hom Christy , Tseung Katherine , van Erp Theo G.M. , Potkin Steven G. , Brickman Adam M. , Rosas Diana H. , Yassa Michael A. , Silverman Wayne , Lott Ira T.
Published: August 2020

INTRODUCTION

Down syndrome (DS) is associated with elevated risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) due to beta amyloid (Aβ) lifelong accumulation. We hypothesized that the spatial distribution of brain Aβ predicts future dementia conversion in individuals with DS.

METHODS

We acquired18F-Florbetapir PET scans from 19 nondemented individuals with DS at baseline and monitored them for four years, with five individuals transitioning to dementia. Machine learning classification determined features on18F-Florbetapir standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) maps that predicted transition.

RESULTS

In addition to “AD signature” regions including the inferior parietal cortex, temporal lobes, and the cingulum, we found that Aβ cortical binding in the prefrontal and superior frontal cortices distinguished subjects who transitioned to dementia. Classification did well in predicting transitioners.

DISCUSSION

Our study suggests that specific regional profiles of brain amyloid in older adults with DS may predict cognitive decline and are informative in evaluating the risk for dementia.

Highlights

Regional [18F]-Florbetapir PET predicts future transition to dementia in Downs Syndrome.

Increased amyloid in prefrontal, inferior parietal, superior frontal, rostral middle frontal, and posterior cingulate cortices detect transitioiners, with prefrontal and superior frontal being best overall.

Amyloid PET-based classification able to discriminate between transitioners and non-transitioners.
Activity of the GHRH Antagonist MIA602 and its Underlying Mechanisms of Action in sarcoidosis
Authors: Zhang Chongxu , Tian Runxia , Dreifus Emilee M , Holt Gregory , Cai Renzhi , Griswold Anthony , Bejarano Pablo , Jackson Robert , Schally Andrew V. , Mirsaeidi Mehdi
Published: August 2020

Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) is a potent stimulator of GH secretion from the pituitary gland. Although GHRH is essential for the growth of immune cells, the regulatory effects of its antagonist in granulomatous disease remains unknown. Here, we report expression of GHRH receptor (R) in human tissue with sarcoidosis granuloma and demonstrate the anti-inflammatory effects of MIA602 (a GHRH antagonist) in twoin vitrohuman granuloma models and anin vivogranuloma model. MIA602 decreases levels of IL2, IL12, and IL17A inin vitrogranuloma model.

We show further that the anti-inflammatory effect of MIA602 appears to be mediated by reduction in CD45++CD68+cells in granulomatous tissue and upregulation in PD-1 expression in macrophages.

In analysis of expression of proteins involved in the mitochondrial stage of apoptosis, we show that MIA602 increases the levels of caspase 3, BCL-xL/BAK dimer, and MCl-1/Bak dimer in granuloma. These findings indicate that MIA602 may not induce apoptosis.

The clinical relevance of our findings further suggest that HGRH-R is potentially a target for treatment of granulomatous disease and MIA602 possibly a novel therapeutic agent for sarcoidosis.
Prom1 expression does not mark a stem/progenitor population in the mouse oviduct epithelium
Authors: Ford Matthew J , Yamanaka Yojiro
Published: August 2020

The oviduct or fallopian tube is the site of fertilization and preimplantation embryonic development. The epithelium lining the oviduct consists of multiciliated and secretory cells, which support fertilization and preimplantation development, however, its homeostasis still remains poorly understood. CD133/Prom1has been used to identify adult stem cell populations in various organs and often associated with cancer stem cell property. Using a Cre-recombinase based lineage tracing strategy, we found that CD133/Prom1expression was not associated with a stem/progenitor population in the oviduct but marked a sub population of multiciliated and secretory cells which did not propagate. Interestingly,Prom1expressing secretory cells rapidly transition to multiciliated cells and progressively migrate to the tips of epithelial folds in the ampulla. Our results show that CD133/Prom1expression cannot be used as a progenitor/stem cell marker in the mouse oviduct.
Coherence Shifts in Attribute Evaluations
Authors: Lee Douglas G. , Holyoak Keith J.
Published: August 2020

In five experiments, people repeatedly judged individual options with respect to both overall value and attribute values. When required to choose between two snacks, each differing in two attributes (pleasure and nutrition), people’s assessments of value shifted from pre- to post-choice in the direction that spread the alternatives further apart so as to favor the winner, thereby increasing confidence in the choice. This shift was observed not only for ratings of overall value, but also for each of the two individual attributes. The magnitude of the coherence shift increased with choice difficulty as measured by the difference in initial ratings of overall value for the two options, as well as with a measure of attribute disparity (the degree to which individual attributes “disagree” with one another as to which option is superior). In Experiments 2-5, tasks other than explicit choice generated the same qualitative pattern of value changes, confidence, and response time. These findings support the hypothesis that active consideration of options, whether or not explicitly related to value, automatically refines the mental value representations for the options, which in turn allows them to be more precisely distinguished when later included in a value-based choice set.
Multifractality in postural sway supports quiet eye training in aiming tasks: A study of golf putting
Authors: Jacobson Noah , Berleman-Paul Quinn , Mangalam Madhur , Kelty-Stephen Damian G. , Ralston Christopher
Published: August 2020

The ‘quiet eye’ (QE) approach to visually-guided aiming behavior invests fully in perceptual information’s potential to organize coordinated action. Sports psychologists refer to QE as the stillness of the eyes during aiming tasks and increasingly into self- and externally-paced tasks. Amidst the ‘noisy’ fluctuations of the athlete’s body, quiet eyes might leave fewer saccadic interruptions to the coupling between postural sway and optic flow. Postural sway exhibits fluctuations whose multifractal structure serves as a robust predictor of visual and haptic perceptual responses. Postural sway generates optic flow centered on an individual’s eye height. We predicted that perturbing the eye height by attaching wooden blocks below the feet would perturb the putting more so in QE-trained participants than participants trained technically. We also predicted that QE’s efficacy and responses to perturbation would depend on multifractality in postural sway. Specifically, we predicted that less multifractality would predict more adaptive responses to the perturbation and higher putting accuracy. Results showed that lower multifractality led to more accurate putts, and the perturbation of eye height led to less accurate putts, particularly for QE-trained participants. Models of radial error (i.e., the distance between the ball’s final position and the hole) indicated that lower estimates of multifractality due to nonlinearity coincided with a more adaptive response to the perturbation. These results suggest that reduced multifractality may act in a context-sensitive manner to restrain motoric degrees of freedom to achieve the task goal.
Partial Inhibition of Mitochondrial Complex I Reduces Tau Pathology and Improves Energy Homeostasis and Synaptic Function in 3xTg-AD Male and Female Mice
Authors: Stojakovic Andrea , Chang Su-Youne , Nesbitt Jarred , Pichurin Nicholas P. , Ostroot Mark A. , Trushina Eugenia
Published: August 2020

Background

Accumulation of hyperphosphorylated Tau (pTau) protein is associated with synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We previously demonstrated that neuroprotection in familial mouse models of AD could be achieved by targeting mitochondria complex I (MCI) and activating the adaptive stress response. Efficacy of this strategy on pTau-related pathology remained unknown.

Objective

To investigate the effect of specific MCI inhibitor tricyclic pyrone compound CP2 on pTau levels, memory function, long term potentiation (LTP), and energy homeostasis in 18-month-old 3xTg-AD mice and explore the potential mechanisms.

Methods

CP2 was administered to male and female 3xTg-AD mice from 3.5 - 18 months of age. Cognitive function was assessed using the Morris water maze test. Glucose metabolism was measured in periphery using a glucose tolerance test and in the brain using fluorodeoxyglucose F18 positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET). LTP was evaluated using electrophysiology in the hippocampus. The expression of key proteins associated with neuroprotective mechanisms were assessed by western blotting.

Results

Chronic CP2 treatment restored synaptic activity and cognitive function, increased levels of synaptic proteins, improved glucose metabolism and energy homeostasis in male and female 3xTg-AD mice. Significant reduction of human pTau in the brain was associated with increased activity of protein phosphatase of type 2A (PP2A), reduced activity of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β).

Conclusion

CP2 treatment protected against synaptic dysfunction and memory impairment in symptomatic 3xTg-AD mice, and reduced levels of human pTau, indicating that targeting mitochondria with small molecule specific MCI inhibitors represents a promising strategy for AD.
Phf21b imprints the spatiotemporal epigenetic switch essential for neural stem cell differentiation
Authors: Basu Amitava , Mestres Iván , Sahu Sanjeeb Kumar , Tiwari Neha , Khongwir Bimola , Baumgart Jan , Singh Aditi , Calegari Federico , Tiwari Vijay K.
Published: August 2020

Cerebral cortical development in mammals involves a highly complex and organized set of events including the transition of neural stem and progenitor cells (NSCs) from proliferative to differentiative divisions to generate neurons. Despite progress, the spatiotemporal regulation of this proliferation-differentiation switch during neurogenesis and the upstream epigenetic triggers remain poorly known. Here we report a cortex-specific PHD finger protein, Phf21b, which is highly expressed in the neurogenic phase of cortical development and gets induced as NSCs begin to differentiate. Depletion of Phf21b in vivo inhibited neuronal differentiation as cortical progenitors lacking Phf21b were retained in the proliferative zones and underwent faster cell cycles. Mechanistically, Phf21b targets the regulatory regions of cell cycle promoting genes by virtue of its high affinity for monomethylated H3K4. Subsequently, Phf21b recruits the lysine-specific demethylase Lsd1 and histone deacetylase Hdac2, resulting in the simultaneous removal of monomethylation from H3K4 and acetylation from H3K27, respectively. Intriguingly, mutations in the Phf21b locus associate with depression and mental retardation in humans. Taken together, these findings establish how a precisely timed spatiotemporal expression of Phf21b creates an epigenetic program that triggers neural stem cell differentiation during cortical development.
Chromatin activation as a unifying principle underlying pathogenic mechanisms in multiple myeloma
Authors: Ordoñez Raquel , Kulis Marta , Russiñol Nuria , Chapaprieta Vicente , Carrasco-Leon Arantxa , García-Torre Beatriz , Charalampopoulou Stella , Clot Guillem , Beekman Renée , Meydan Cem , Duran-Ferrer Martí , Verdaguer-Dot Núria , Vilarrasa-Blasi Roser , Soler-Vila Paula , Garate Leire , Miranda Estíbaliz , San José-Enériz Edurne , Rodriguez-Madoz Juan R. , Ezponda Teresa , Martínez-Turrilas Rebeca , Vilas-Zornoza Amaia , Lara-Astiaso David , Dupéré-Richer Daphné , Martens Joost H.A. , El-Omri Halima , Taha Ruba Y. , Calasanz Maria J. , Paiva Bruno , San Miguel Jesus , Flicek Paul , Gut Ivo , Melnick Ari , Mitsiades Constantine S. , Licht Jonathan D. , Campo Elias , Stunnenberg Hendrik G. , Agirre Xabier , Prosper Felipe , Martin-Subero Jose I.
Published: August 2020

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell neoplasm associated with a broad variety of genetic lesions. In spite of this genetic heterogeneity, MMs share a characteristic malignant phenotype whose underlying molecular basis remains poorly characterized. In the present study, we examined plasma cells from MM using a multi-epigenomics approach and demonstrated that, when compared to normal B cells, malignant plasma cells showed an extensive activation of regulatory elements, in part affecting coregulated adjacent genes. Among target genes up-regulated by this process, we found members of the NOTCH, NF-kB, MTOR signaling, and TP53 signaling pathways. Other activated genes included sets involved in osteoblast differentiation and response to oxidative stress, all of which have been shown to be associated with the MM phenotype and clinical behavior. We functionally characterized MM-specific active distant enhancers controlling the expression of thioredoxin (TXN), a major regulator of cellular redox status and, in addition, identified PRDM5 as a novel essential gene for MM. Collectively, our data indicate that aberrant chromatin activation is a unifying feature underlying the malignant plasma cell phenotype.
Orbital-free quantum crystallography: view on forces in crystals
Authors: Tsirelson Vladimir , Stash Adam
Published: August 2020

Quantum theory of atoms in molecules and the orbital-free density functional theory (DFT) are combined in this work to study the spatial distribution of electrostatic and quantum electronic forces acting in stable crystals. The electron distribution is determined by electrostatic electron mutual repulsion corrected for exchange and correlation, their attraction to nuclei and by electron kinetic energy. The latter defines the spread of permissible variations in the electron momentum resulting from the de Broglie relationship and uncertainty principle, as far as the limitations of Pauli principle and the presence of atomic nuclei and other electrons allow. All forces are expressed via kinetic and DFT potentials and then defined in terms of the experimental electron density and its derivatives; hence, this approach may be considered as orbital-free quantum crystallography. The net force acting on an electron in a crystal at equilibrium is zero everywhere, presenting a balance of the kineticFkin(r) and potential forcesF(r). The critical points of both potentials are analyzed and they are recognized as the points at which forcesFkin(r) andF(r) individually are zero (the Lagrange points). The positions of these points in a crystal are described according to Wyckoff notations, while their types depend on the considered scalar field. It was found thatF(r) force pushes electrons to the atomic nuclei, while the kinetic forceFkin(r) draws electrons from nuclei. This favors formation of electron concentration bridges between some of the nearest atoms. However, in a crystal at equilibrium, only kinetic potentialvkin(r) and corresponding force exhibit the electronic shells and atomic-like zero-flux basins around the nuclear attractors. The force-field approach and quantum topological theory of atoms in molecules are compared and their distinctions are clarified.
Flexible assertive community treatment for individuals with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning: client variables associated with treatment outcome
Authors: Neijmeijer Laura , Korzilius Hubert , Kroon Hans , Nijman Henk , Didden Robert
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Recent research on flexible assertive community treatment (FACT) for individuals with mild intellectual disabilities (MID) or borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) has shown positive results. This paper aims to identify which client variables are associated with treatment outcome of FACT.

Design/methodology/approach

Analyses were performed on assessments made during a six-year longitudinal study in The Netherlands. Data comprised assessments of 281 clients with at least 2 measurements. Treatment outcome was measured by the learning disability version of the Health of the Nation Outcomes Scales. Demographic variables and dynamic risk variables of the short version of the Dynamic Risk Outcome Scales were selected as potential predictor variables of outcome. Data were analysed using linear mixed models.

Findings

Limited awareness of the need for treatment, limited treatment motivation and cooperation, limited social skills, impulsivity and substance abuse were significantly associated with worse treatment outcome. None of the demographic variables influenced treatment outcome significantly, and neither did intelligence quotient or having a judicial or civil measure.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the observational design, no causal inferences can be drawn.

Practical implications

This study produces guidelines regarding nature and scope of the treatment supply and the competences of professionals working in FACT MID/BIF teams.

Originality/value

This paper encourages other countries to make assertive outreach available for people with MID/BIF on a larger scale, taking into account the acquired insights.
Market-oriented CSR implementation in SMEs with sustainable innovations: an action research approach
Authors: Sundström Agneta , Hyder Akmal S. , Chowdhury Ehsanul Huda
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to identify and analyze critical mediating and moderating market intelligence challenges faced by the SMEs when implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) based on an applied market-oriented business model (MOBM).

Design/methodology/approach

Focusing on developing CSR-integrated market intelligence, this study uses an action research method by analyzing four case studies. Data is collected through interviews, interactive and knowledge-sharing meetings and on-site observations. The study is part of a larger European Union project using the developed MOBM to follow the four companies' CSR implementation and learning process over a 14-month period. The action research includes seven meetings; between these, the researchers introduced the SMEs to different business focus areas, where CSR is a vital part of the MOBM.

Findings

This study shows that the SMEs are too technology-focused and have little initial idea of how to integrate CSR advantages for market intelligence into their internationalization. The MOBM model offers insights and knowledge on the strength and weakness of the internal organization to meet challenges in internationalization.

Originality/value

Via case study and action research, this study spotlights the challenges that SMEs face in the CSR implementation process and how they deal with those challenges to develop market intelligence competence internally. Instead of following a traditional research approach, the current study applies a CSR-based method where the SMEs go through a knowledge development process that originated from a theoretically designed MOBM.
Does CSR reporting indicate strong corporate governance?
Authors: Chan Siew H. , Creel Timothy S. , Song Qian , Yurova Yuliya V.
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between companies filing versus those not filing corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports and corporate governance.

Design/methodology/approach

The websites of US publicly traded companies were examined for commitment to CSR or sustainability reporting based on the preparation of voluntary reports. This information provided the CSR measure, the key independent variable in this study. The data used to compute discretionary accruals (based on the modified Jones model) were obtained from Compustat. Data on auditor tenure were retrieved from Audit Analytics. The number of members and financial experts on an audit committee were gathered from proxy reports filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Findings

Companies filing CSR reports have higher audit quality, higher audit committee quality, increased auditor tenure and lower auditor dismissal compared to those not filing CSR reports. The findings support stakeholder theory.

Research limitations/implications

This study’s utilization of multiple measures of corporate governance provides insight into the robustness of the relationship between CSR reporting and corporate governance. Further, this research uses a different measure of CSR reporting; that is, companies that voluntarily prepared separate CSR reports following or not following the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines compared to reports prepared following the GRI guidelines. This approach increases the size and diversity (i.e. industries) of the sample (Kolk, 2003; Waddock and Graves, 1997).

Practical implications

The findings suggest that companies engage in CSR reporting to indicate strong corporate governance.

Originality/value

This study uses multiple measures of corporate governance to demonstrate the positive relationship between CSR behavior (measured via filing of CSR reports) and corporate governance.
Victimizing innovative employees: joint roles of in-role behavior and task interdependence
Authors: Dadaboyev Sherzodbek Murodilla Ugli , Baek Yoonjung , Ahn Seong Ik
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study aims to examine how an employee’s engagement in innovative behavior (IB) can lead to the experience of aggressive actions from other members of an organization and the joint roles of employee in-role performance and task interdependence in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

A field study conducted among a diverse sample of employees working in various industries provided converging evidence for the theorized predictions. The sample of 204 full-time employees is included in the analyses.

Findings

The results confirmed that innovative employees can be targets of victimization in an organization and employees’ high in-role performance and high task interdependence jointly moderate the negative relationship between innovative performance and victimization.

Research limitations/implications

The current study should be evaluated in light of some limitations, such as single-source data and the use of cross-sectional data.

Practical implications

It is advised that innovative individuals should accomplish their required duties in highly task-interdependent contexts to avoid harmful responses from peers. Managers should be aware of the potential negative side of IB. The data involving various industries provide evidence for the generalizability of the research findings and conclusions.

Originality/value

This paper advances the understanding of the consequences of creative behavior by examining the unexplored aspect that innovative employees can become victims of peer mistreatments. It also expands the understanding of negative outcomes of engaging in creativity by concurrently examining moderating roles of in-role behavior and task interdependence.
Experimental analysis and modeling of viscosity and thermal conductivity of GNPs/SAE 5W40 nanolubricant
Authors: Wadi Valéry Tusambila , Özmen Özkan , Karamış Mehmet Baki
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of graphene nanoplatelet-based (GNP) nanolubricant.

Design/methodology/approach

Nanolubricants in concentrations of 0.025, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.5 Wt% were prepared by means of two-step method. The stability of nanolubricants was monitored by visual inspection and dynamic light scattering tests. Thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of nanolubricants in various temperatures between 25°C–70°C were measured with KD2-Pro analyser device and a rotational viscometer MRC VIS-8, respectively. A comparison between experimentally achieved results and those obtained from existing models was performed. New correlations were proposed and artificial neural network (ANN) model was used for predicting thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity.

Findings

The designed nanolubricant showed good stability after at least 21 days. Thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity increased with particles concentration. In addition, as the temperature increased, thermal conductivity increased but dynamic viscosity decreased. Compared to the base oil, maximum enhancements were achieved at 70°C with the concentration of 0.5 Wt.% for dynamic viscosity and at 55°C with the same concentration for thermal conductivity. Besides, ANN results showed better performance than proposed correlations.

Practical implications

This study outcomes will contribute to enhance thermophysical properties of conventional lubricating oils.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, there is no paper related to experimental study, new correlations and modelling with ANN of thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of GNPs/SAE 5W40 nanolubricant in the available literature.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-03-2020-0088/
Social networking site involvement and social life satisfaction: the moderating role of information sharing
Authors: Dang Van Thac
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Previous studies have produced mixed findings regarding the relationship between social networking site (SNS) use and psychological outcomes. To provide new evidence on this relationship, this study investigates the influence of SNS involvement on psychological outcomes. This study also examines the moderating role of information sharing on the link between SNS involvement and relationship quality and that between SNS involvement and social life satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

This study investigates a sample of 383 Facebook users in Vietnam. Structural equation modeling is performed to test the theoretical model and research hypotheses.

Findings

Results show that SNS involvement positively influences information sharing, relationship quality and social life satisfaction. In addition, information sharing positively affects relationship quality, which in turn is positively related to social life satisfaction. Moreover, information sharing positively moderates the link between SNS involvement and relationship quality but negatively moderates that between SNS involvement and social life satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study sheds a new light on the effect of SNS involvement on psychological outcomes. Specifically, the findings of this study help clarify the influence of SNS involvement on social life satisfaction. Furthermore, this study provides evidence on the moderating mechanism of information sharing on the link between SNS involvement and psychological outcomes. The findings can help SNS users and administrators make better decisions in their SNS engagement.
The development of HR support for alternative international assignments. From liminal position to institutional support for short-term assignments, international business travel and virtual assignments
Authors: Bücker Joost , Poutsma Erik , Schouteten Roel , Nies Carolien
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain how and why HR practitioners perceive the need to develop international HRM practices to support short-term assignments, international business travel and virtual assignments for internationally operating organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors interviewed 29 HR practitioners from multinationals located in the Netherlands.

Findings

Alternative international assignments seem not to belong to the traditional expatriate jobs, nor to regular domestic jobs and show a liminal character. However, over the last few years we have gradually seen a more mature classification of the Short-term Assignment, International Business Traveler and Virtual Assignment categories and more active use of these categories in policymaking by organizations; this reflects a transition of these three categories from a liminal position to a more institutionalized position.

Research limitations/implications

For this research, only international HRM practitioners were interviewed. Future studies should include a broader group of stakeholders.

Practical implications

International HRM departments should take a more proactive role regarding alternative forms of international assignees. Furthermore, HR professionals may develop training and coaching and consider rewards and benefits that could provide allowances for specific working conditions that are part of international work.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to relate the framework of institutional logic and liminality to explain the why of HR support for alternative international assignees.
Knowledge-hiding behaviors and employees’ silence: mediating role of psychological contract breach
Authors: Bari Muhammad Waseem , Ghaffar Misbah , Ahmad Bashir
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between knowledge-hiding behaviors (evasive hiding, playing dumb and rationalized hiding) and employees’ silence (defensive silence, relational silence and ineffectual silence). Besides, this paper investigates the relation mediated by psychological contract breach.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected with three-time lags (40 days each) through a structured questionnaire from 389 employees of registered software houses in Pakistan. The structural equation modeling (partial least squares) approach is used for data analysis.

Findings

The findings of this study confirm that knowledge-hiding behaviors have a significant and positive relationship with employees’ silence, and psychological contract breach significantly mediates the relationship between knowledge-hiding behaviors and employees’ silence.

Practical implications

The implications of this study are very supportive to the knowledge-intensive organizations, i.e. software houses. The management should increase the knowledge sharing and trust culture among employees to discourage the knowledge-hiding behaviors among employees. Moreover, supervisors should develop trust among employees, motivate them to avoid knowledge hiding and encourage the employees to raise their voices against their problems in a formal way.

Originality/value

The present study highlights the impact of different dimensions of knowledge hiding on employees’ silence and the role of psychological contract breach as a mediator in this scenario.
Exploring the influence of knowledge management process on corporate sustainable performance through green innovation
Authors: Shahzad Mohsin , Qu Ying , Zafar Abaid Ullah , Rehman Saif Ur , Islam Tahir
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Enhancing green innovation for corporate sustainability is one of the recent issues globally. Knowledge management has been determined as a core factor that hamstrings green innovation. The existing literature was limited to expose the importance of the knowledge management process for corporate sustainable performance. Thus, this paper aims to examine the role of the knowledge management process for corporate sustainable performance with the integration of green innovation and organizational agility following the resource-based view theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Cross-sectional design was used in this study. Data were gathered through convenience sampling from 475 respondents of multinational manufacturing corporations of Pakistan, analyzed by using structural equation modeling.

Findings

This study revealed that the knowledge management process and its all constructs (acquisition, dissemination and application) lead toward green innovation; further, green innovation influences corporate sustainable performance and its all constructs (environment, economic and social). Green innovation partially mediates the association between the knowledge management process and corporate sustainable performance. Besides, organizational agility has a positive effect on green innovation and corporate sustainable performance but was not found moderating these relations. The study educates that organizations investing in innovative technologies and adopting greener strategies are not only adequate for achieving sustainable performance, soft issues such as knowledge management and organizational agility but also important factors in the current knowledge base economy.

Originality/value

This study is an attempt to examine the previously undiscovered multi-dimensional relationships among the knowledge management process, green innovation, organizational agility and corporate sustainable performance. The presence of a positive correlation among these constructs was observed, proving the conceptual framework for this study.
Variation in out‐of‐Pocket Spending Among Low‐Income Versus High‐Income Commercially Insured Patients with Asthma
Authors: Sinaiko A. , Gaye M. , Wu A. , Zhang F. , Xu X. , Wharam F. , Wallace J. , Galbraith A.
Published: August 2020

Research Objective

Patient cost‐sharing has been increasing over the past two decades, in particular due to high‐deductible health plans (HDHP). Asthma is a very common, serious, chronic disease in the United States. We analyzed a large, national sample of asthma patients to provide new evidence on OOP spending overall, across types of asthma care, and variation by patient income.

Study Design

We used 11 years (2004‐2014) of enrollment, claims, and geocoded census tract data on income. Annual OOP costs were measured as the sum of actual patient‐paid deductible, coinsurance and copayments on all medical care; spending was adjusted to 2014 dollars using the Medical CPI. Annual asthma OOP spending included OOP payments for asthma services (ie, asthma medications, office and emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations with ICD‐9 codes for asthma, spacers for inhalers, asthma nebulizers). Patient income was measured using the census tract income associated with the patient’s address, and then, patients were categorized into income quintiles based on the distribution of household income across the United States (eg, not within sample). We report the association of OOP spending with patient income based on linear regression models controlling for patient age, sex, state, morbidity and asthma severity (using the Johns Hopkins ACG system), and year; models were stratified by annual HDHP enrollment.

Population Studied

All patients ages 4‐64 years with asthma (defined as having an asthma ICD‐9 diagnosis code for an outpatient or ED visit or hospitalization) in a large, national Commercial and Medicare Advantage claims database (n = 2 018 178).

Principal Findings

More patients in the lowest‐income quintile had a HDHP. Within plan type, levels of spending associated with income quintiles were similar but represented a significantly larger proportion of income for the lowest‐income quintile (Table).

Conclusions

Because patients spent similar amounts of OOP for asthma care, the lowest‐income quintile patients experienced greater cost burden. The majority of OOP asthma spending was on asthma medications, but lowest‐income quintile patients had greater spending on high acuity care than those in higher income quintiles.

Implications for Policy or Practice

Efforts should be made to understand whether these differences in cost burden are associated with cost‐related underuse of medications or other adverse outcomes to inform policy and insurance benefit design.

Primary Funding Source

Patient‐Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
Out‐of‐Pocket Costs for Transcranial Doppler Screening Among Privately Insured Children with Sickle Cell Anemia
Authors: Reeves S. , Ng S. , Dombkowski K. , Raphael J. , Chua K.‐P.
Published: August 2020

National guidelines recommend that children 2‐16 years old with sickle cell anemia (SCA) receive annual transcranial Doppler (TCD) screening to assess stroke risk. It is unknown whether cost‐sharing deters receipt of TCD screening for privately insured children with SCA, particularly among those enrolled in high‐deductible health plans (HDHPs). Therefore, our objectives were to: (1) estimate out‐of‐pocket spending for TCD screening among privately insured children with SCA; and (2) assess whether TCD screening rates differ by HDHP enrollment status.

This study utilized the 2009‐2017 IBM® MarketScan® Commercial Database, a national sample of claims from individuals with employer‐sponsored coverage. The study population included children 2‐16 years old with SCA that were enrolled for ≥ 1 calendar year of the study period. Outcomes were the proportion of children with ≥ 1 claim in a calendar year containing a procedure code for TCD and out‐of‐pocket spending per TCD claim; out‐of‐pocket spending was then stratified by HDHP enrollment status (yes/no). Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations was used to model the receipt of ≥ 1 TCD screen during a calendar year as predicted by HDHP enrollment, controlling for demographics and year.

Children 2‐16 years old with SCA as identified through validated claims definitions.

The study population consisted of 2,519 children accounting for 7,197 person‐years of enrollment. Mean age was 9.2 (SD 3.6) years; 50% were female; and 14% were HDHP enrollees. The proportion of children with ≥ 1 TCD claim during the year ranged from 40% to 44%. Out‐of‐pocket spending per TCD claim ranged from $0 to $1,808 (median: $20, 25th‐75th percentile: $0‐$111), exceeded $0 for 61% of TCD claims, and exceeded $100 for 27% of TCD claims. Out‐of‐pocket spending per TCD claim was higher for HDHP enrollees (median: $65, 25th‐75th percentile: $0‐$252) compared to non‐HDHP enrollees (median: $18, 25th‐75th percentile: $0‐$98). Out‐of‐pocket spending exceeded $100 for 42% of HDHP enrollees and 25% for non‐HDHP enrollees. HDHP enrollment was not associated with receipt of TCD screening (aOR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.25).

Among privately insured children with SCA, less than half received recommended TCD screening. HDHP enrollment was not associated with TCD screening; however, 4 in 10 HDHP enrollees had out‐of‐pocket spending exceeding $100.

Private health plans should consider eliminating cost‐sharing to ensure families are not unduly burdened by the costs of TCD screening.

Departmental Funding.
Measuring the Scale of Hospital Health Record System Fragmentation in England
Authors: Warren L. , Clarke J. , Darzi A.
Published: August 2020

Many patients experience a fragmented health care journey that involves transitions of care between different hospitals. Ineffective sharing of health data between hospitals can impair the delivery of safe, high‐quality care. This study aimed to identify the unmet need for interhospital data sharing by quantifying the movement of patients between acute hospital trusts and health record systems in the NHS in England.

This retrospective observational review examined Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), a national hospital administrative dataset relating to patient encounters with the NHS in England. Outcome measures included the frequency of patient encounters with multiple hospital trusts and the frequency of consecutive encounters with hospitals using different health record systems.

All adult patients with inpatient, emergency department, or outpatient encounters at acute hospitals in the NHS in England during the 12‐month period from April 2017 to April 2018 were included.

21,286,873 patients were involved in 121,351,837 encounters at 152 included NHS trusts over the one‐year period. There was limited regional alignment of electronic health record (EHR) systems in the 117 (77.0%) hospital trusts that were using EHR systems. 15,736,863 (73.9%) patients had two or more encounters with the included trusts and 3,931,255 (25.0%) of those attended two or more trusts. Over half (53.6%) of these patients had encounters shared between just 20 pairs of hospitals. Only two of these pairs of trusts used the same EHR system. On 11,017,767 (9.1%) occasions, patients presented to a hospital using a different EHR, or paper record system, to their previous hospital attendance.

This study found that nearly four million patients accessed care at two or more different NHS hospital trusts over the one‐year study period, highlighting the demand for effective interhospital data sharing. Most of the pairs of hospital trusts that commonly share patients do not use the same health record systems. The fragmented distribution of health record systems that exists in the NHS in England represents a significant barrier to interhospital data sharing and interoperability.

To make informed and safe decisions for patients negotiating increasingly complex health care systems, clinicians need the right information about the right patient in the right place at the right time. The findings from this study provide guidance for policy makers, clinicians, service managers, researchers, software providers, and patients to better understand and improve how data may be shared between hospitals. The methods used in this research could be applied to health care systems in other settings to guide the procurement and coordination of EHR systems to promote interoperability and effective data sharing.

National Institute for Health Research (UK).