bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vibrio choleraeType VI Secretion System Auxiliary Cluster 3 is a Pandemic-associated Mobile Genetic Element
Authors: Santoriello Francis J. , Michel Lina , Unterweger Daniel , Pukatzki Stefan
Published: December 2019

All sequencedVibrio choleraeisolates encode a contact-dependent type VI secretion system (T6SS) in three loci that terminate in a toxic effector and cognate immunity protein (E/I) pair, allowing for competitor killing and clonal expansion in aquatic environments and the host gut. Recent studies have demonstrated variability in the toxic effectors produced by differentV. choleraestrains and the propensity for effector genes to undergo horizontal gene transfer. Here we demonstrate that a fourth cluster, auxiliary cluster 3 (Aux3), encoding the E/I pairtseH/tsiH, is located directly downstream from two putative recombinases and is flanked by repeat elements resemblingattsites. Genomic analysis of 749V. choleraeisolates, including both pandemic and environmental strains, revealed that Aux3 exists in two states: a ∼40 kb prophage-like element in nine environmental isolates and a ∼6 kb element in pandemic isolates. These findings indicate that Aux3 in pandemicV. choleraeis evolutionarily related to an environmental prophage-like element. In both states, Aux3 excises from the chromosome via site-specific recombination to form a circular product, likely priming the module for horizontal transfer. Finally, we show that Aux3 can integrate into the Aux3-naïve chromosome in an integrase-dependent, site-specific manner. This highlights the potential of Aux3 to undergo horizontal transfer by a phage-like mechanism, which based on pandemic coincidence may confer currently unknown fitness advantages to the recipientV. choleraecell.

Significance Statement

V. choleraeis a human pathogen that causes pandemics affecting 2.8 million people annually (1). The O1 El Tor lineage is responsible for the current pandemic. A subset of non-O1 strains cause cholera-like disease by producing the major virulence factors cholera toxin and toxin co-regulated pilus but fail to cause pandemics. The full set ofV. choleraepandemic factors is unknown. Here we describe the type VI secretion system (T6SS) Aux3 element as a largely pandemic-specific factor that is evolutionarily related to an environmental prophage-like element circulating in non-pathogenic strains. These findings shed light onV. choleraeT6SS evolution and indicate the Aux3 element as a pandemic-enriched mobile genetic element.
Synthetic Cellular Immunity based on CAR repertoire for Human Immunotherapy
Authors: Fu Wenyan , Wang Chuqi , Ma Zetong , Li Tian , Lin Fangxing , Mao Ruixue , Lei Changhai , Zhao Jian , Hu Shi
Published: December 2019

The immune surveillance hypothesis is regarded as the intellectual underpinning of cancer immunology. We find that engineered T cell library displaying CAR constructs, where the antibody repertoires took the place of the antigen-recognition region, has the capacity to recognize nonself-antigens and showed antigen dependent clonal expanding and persistence. This process coupled with long-lasting anti-tumour effect in a broad spectrum of epithelial tumours. Moreover, CAR-T library showed robust immunologic memory and maintenance of diversity to recognize mutated or evolved tumours in both immunodeficiency and immunoresponsive murine tumor models. Large CAR library was further developed in logic-gated NK-92 cells to develop an off-the shelf therapeutic library. Thus, the biological behaviour of synthetic cell library is highly accordance with the immune surveillance function, which proved the way to rebuilt functional MHC unrestricted cellular immunity in vitro using synthetic method.
Multiplexed single-cell transcriptomic analysis of normal and impaired lung development in the mouse
Authors: Hurskainen K. M. , Mižíková I. , Cook D. P. , Cyr-Depauw C. , Lesage F. , Andersson N. , Helle E. , Renesme L. , Jankov R.P. , Heikinheimo M. , Vanderhyden B. C. , Thébaud B
Published: December 2019

During late lung development alveolar and microvascular development is finalized to enable sufficient gas exchange. Impaired late lung development manifests as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) allows for assessment of complex cellular dynamics during biological processes, such as development. Here, we use MULTI-seq to generate scRNA-seq profiles of over 66,000 cells from 36 mice during normal or impaired lung development secondary to hyperoxia. We observed dynamic populations of cells, including several rare cell types and putative progenitors. Hyperoxia exposure, which mimics the BPD phenotype, alters the composition of all cellular compartments, particularly alveolar epithelium, capillary endothelium and macrophage populations. We identified several BPD-associated signatures, including Pdgfra in fibroblasts, Activin A in capillary endothelial cells, and Csf1-Csf1r and Ccl2-Ccr2 signaling in macrophages and neutrophils. Our data provides a novel single-cell view of cellular changes associated with late lung development in health and in disease.
Age-related macular degeneration-like phenotypic features develop at the early ages of Cxcr5/Nrf2 double knockout mice: An accelerated AMD model
Authors: Huang Hu , Lennikov Anton
Published: December 2019

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness for older adults. The aim of this study is to develop an accelerated mouse model of AMD and characterize its phenotypic features. Cxcr5 knockout (KO) mice and Nrf2 KO mice were bred to create Cxcr5/Nrf2 double knockout (DKO) mice. AMD-like features in Cxcr5/Nrf2 DKO mice were compared with those in CXCR5 KO mice and C57BL6 wild-type (WT) controls. The assessment included fundus and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and immunofluorescence staining of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)–choroid flat mounts and sections. Stained samples were imaged with fluorescent microscopy, and Western blots were used to monitor protein expression changes. The staining of cleaved caspase-3, peanut agglutinin (PNA) lectin, and MAP2 was performed to assess the presence of retinal degeneration and cell apoptosis. Quantification with statistical analysis was performed with Graphpad software. The 2- 4-, and 6-month-old DKO mice exhibited increased hypopigmented spots on fundus and sub-RPE abnormalities on OCT as compared to the Cxcr5 KO mice, and C57BL6 WT controls. Aberrant RPE/sub-RPE depositions and increased Bruch’s membrane (BM) thickness were demonstrated by PAS-stained sections. The DKO mice had strong autofluorescence (A2E) and increased RPE/sub-RPE depositions of IgG and AMD-associated proteins (β amyloid, Apolipoprotein E, complement 5b-9, and αB-crystallin). The protein expression of AMD-associated proteins and Transmembrane Protein 119 (TMEM119) microglia marker were upregulated at the RPE/BM/choroid complex of DKO mice. The adult DKO mice underwent accelerated retinal degeneration and cell apoptosis compared to the KO and the WT mice. Together, the data suggest that the Cxcr5/Nrf2 DKO mice develop significant AMD-like characteristics at an early age and may serve as an accelerated AMD model.

Sumary Statement

A new animal model is developed to mimic early AMD characteristics in adult mice
A multifunctional R package for identification of tumor-specific neoantigens
Authors: Hasegawa Takanori , Hayashi Shuto , Shimizu Eigo , Mizuno Shinichi , Niida Atsushi , Yamaguchi Rui , Miyano Satoru , Nakagawa Hidewaki , Imoto Seiya
Published: December 2019

It is known that some mutated peptides, such as those resulting from missense mutations and frameshift insertions, can bind to the major histocompatibility complex and be presented to antitumor T-cells on the surface of a tumor cell. These peptides are termed neoantigen and it is important to understand this process for cancer immunotherapy. Here, we introduce an R package that can predict a list of potential neoantigens from a variety of mutations, which include not only somatic point mutations but insertions, deletions, and structural variants. Beyond the existing applications, this package is capable of attaching and reflecting several additional information, e.g., wild-type binding capability, allele specific RNA expression levels, single nucleotide polymorphism information, and combinations of mutations to filter out infeasible peptides as neoantigen.

Availability

The R package is available at http://github/hase62/Neoantimon.
AdaTiSS: A Novel Data-Adaptive Robust Method for Quantifying Tissue Specificity Scores
Authors: Wang Meng , Jiang Lihua , Snyder Michael P.
Published: December 2019

Motivation

Accurately detecting tissue specificity (TS) in genes helps researchers understand tissue functions at the molecular level, and further identify disease mechanisms and discover tissue-specific therapeutic targets. The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project (Consortium, 2015), and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) project (Uhlén, et al., 2015) are two publicly available data resources, providing large-scale gene expressions across multiple tissue types. Multiple tissue comparisons, technical background noise and unknown variation factors make it challenging to accurately identify tissue specific gene expressions. Several methods worked on measuring the overall TS in gene expressions and classifying genes into tissue-enrichment categories. There still lacks a robust method to provide quantitative TS scores for each tissue.

Methods

We recognized that the key to quantify tissue specific gene expressions is to properly define a concept of expression population. We considered that inside the population, the sample expressions from various tissues are more or less balanced, and the outlier expressions outside the population may indicate tissue specificity. We then formulated the question to robustly estimate the population distribution. In a linear regression problem, we developed a novel data-adaptive robust estimation based on density-power-weight under unknown outlier distribution and non-vanishing outlier proportion (Wang, et al., 2019). In the question of quantifying TS, we focused on the Gaussian-population mixture model. We took into account gene heterogeneities and applied the robust data-adaptive procedure to estimate the population. With the robustly estimated population parameters, we constructed the AdaTiSS algorithm to obtain data-adaptive quantitative TS scores.

Results

Our TS scores from the AdaTiSS algorithm achieve the goal that the TS scores are comparable across tissues and also across genes, which standardize gene expressions in terms of TS. Compared to the categorical TS method such as the HPA criterion, our method provides more information on the population fitting, and shows advantages in quantitatively analyzing tissue specific functions, making the biology functional analysis more precise. We also discuss some limitations and possible future work.

Contact

mpsnyder@stanford.edu
Methods for dynamic synchrotron X-ray respiratory imaging in live animals
Authors: Morgan Kaye Susannah , Parsons David , Cmielewski Patricia , McCarron Alexandra , Gradl Regine , Farrow Nigel , Siu Karen , Takeuchi Akihisa , Suzuki Yoshio , Uesugi Kentaro , Uesugi Masayuki , Yagi Naoto , Hall Chris , Klein Mitzi , Maksimenko Anton , Stevenson Andrew , Hausermann Daniel , Dierolf Martin , Pfeiffer Franz , Donnelley Martin
Published: December 2019

Small-animal physiology studies are typically complicated, but the level of complexity is greatly increased when performing live-animal X-ray imaging studies at synchrotron and compact light sources. This group has extensive experience in these types of studies at the SPring-8 and Australian synchrotrons, as well as the Munich Compact Light Source. These experimental settings produce unique challenges. Experiments are always performed in an isolated radiation enclosure not specifically designed for live-animal imaging. This requires equipment adapted to physiological monitoring and test-substance delivery, as well as shuttering to reduce the radiation dose. Experiment designs must also take into account the fixed location, size and orientation of the X-ray beam. This article describes the techniques developed to overcome the challenges involved in respiratory X-ray imaging of live animals at synchrotrons, now enabling increasingly sophisticated imaging protocols.
Charge density view on bicalutamide molecular interactions in the monoclinic polymorph and androgen receptor binding pocket
Authors: Korlyukov Alexander A. , Malinska Maura , Vologzhanina Anna V. , Goizman Mikhail S. , Trzybinski Damian , Wozniak Krzysztof
Published: December 2019

High-resolution single-crystal X-ray measurements of the monoclinic polymorph of bicalutamide and the aspherical atom databank approach have served as a basis for a reconstruction of the charge density distribution of the drug and its androgen receptor (AR) and albumin complexes. The contributions of various types of intermolecular interactions to the total crystal energy or ligand:AR energy were estimated. The cyan and amide groups secured the ligand placement in the albumin (Lys-137) and the AR binding pocket (Leu-704, Asn-705, Arg-752), and also determined the packing of the small-molecule crystals. The total electrostatic interaction energy on average was −230 kJ mol−1, comparable with the electrostatic lattice energy of the monoclinic bicalutamide polymorph. This is the result of similar distributions of electropositive and electronegative regions on the experimental and theoretical molecular electrostatic potential maps despite differences in molecular conformations. In general, bicalutamide interacted with the studied proteins with similar electrostatic interaction energies and adjusted its conformation and electrostatic potential to fit the binding pocket in such a way as to enhance the interactions, e.g. hydrogen bonds and π...π stacking.
Extraordinary anisotropic thermal expansion in photosalient crystals
Authors: Yadava Khushboo , Gallo Gianpiero , Bette Sebastian , Mulijanto Caroline Evania , Karothu Durga Prasad , Park In-Hyeok , Medishetty Raghavender , Naumov Panče , Dinnebier Robert E. , Vittal Jagadese J.
Published: December 2019

Although a plethora of metal complexes have been characterized, those having multifunctional properties are very rare. This article reports three isotypical complexes, namely [Cu(benzoate)L
2], where L = 4-styrylpyridine (4spy) (1), 2′-fluoro-4-styrylpyridine (2F-4spy) (2) and 3′-fluoro-4-styrylpyridine (3F-4spy) (3), which show photosalient behavior (photoinduced crystal mobility) while they undergo [2+2] cycloaddition. These crystals also exhibit anisotropic thermal expansion when heated from room temperature to 200°C. The overall thermal expansion of the crystals is impressive, with the largest volumetric thermal expansion coefficients for 1, 2 and 3 of 241.8, 233.1 and 285.7 × 10−6 K−1, respectively, values that are comparable to only a handful of other reported materials known to undergo colossal thermal expansion. As a result of the expansion, their single crystals occasionally move by rolling. Altogether, these materials exhibit unusual and hitherto untapped solid-state properties.
Structural and kinetic insights into flavin-containing monooxygenase and calponin-homology domains in human MICAL3
Authors: Kim Junsoo , Lee Haemin , Roh Yeon Jin , Kim Han-ul , Shin Donghyuk , Kim Sorah , Son Jonghyeon , Lee Aro , Kim Minseo , Park Junga , Hwang Seong Yun , Kim Kyunghwan , Lee Yong Kwon , Jung Hyun Suk , Hwang Kwang Yeon , Lee Byung Cheon
Published: December 2019

MICAL is an oxidoreductase that participates in cytoskeleton reorganization via actin disassembly in the presence of NADPH. Although three MICALs (MICAL1, MICAL2 and MICAL3) have been identified in mammals, only the structure of mouse MICAL1 has been reported. Here, the first crystal structure of human MICAL3, which contains the flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) and calponin-homology (CH) domains, is reported. MICAL3 has an FAD/NADP-binding Rossmann-fold domain for monooxygenase activity like MICAL1. The FMO and CH domains of both MICAL3 and MICAL1 are highly similar in structure, but superimposition of the two structures shows a different relative position of the CH domain in the asymmetric unit. Based on kinetic analyses, the catalytic efficiency of MICAL3 dramatically increased on adding F-actin only when the CH domain was available. However, this did not occur when two residues, Glu213 and Arg530, were mutated in the FMO and CH domains, respectively. Overall, MICAL3 is structurally highly similar to MICAL1, which suggests that they may adopt the same catalytic mechanism, but the difference in the relative position of the CH domain produces a difference in F-actin substrate specificity.
Interactive video-player to improve social smile in individuals with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Khullar Vikas , Bala Manju , Singh Harjit Pal
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose and develop a live interaction-based video player system named LIV4Smile for the improvement of the social smile in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed LIV4Smile intervention was a video player that operated by detecting smile using a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based algorithm. To maintain a live interaction, a CNN-based smile detector was configured and used in this system. The statistical test was also conducted to validate the performance of the system.

Findings

The significant improvement was observed in smile responses of individuals with ASD with the utilization of the proposed LIV4Smile system in a real-time environment.

Research limitations/implications

A small sample size and clinical utilizing for validation and initial training of ASD individuals for LIV4Smile could be considered under implications.

Originality/value

The main aim of this study was to address the inclusive practices for children with autism. The proposed CNN algorithm-based LIV4Smile intervention resulted in high accuracy in facial smile detection.
Mayaderm
Authors: Dixit M.R.
Published: December 2019

This case describes the journey of a Doctor from curiosity to product formulation to enterprise promotion and presents the problems faced by him in succeeding commercially. The innovator perceives the innovation to be a medical success and a commercial non startec. The case provides an opportunity to evaluate the efforts of Dr. Shah and propose a strategy for the future.
GE in India: Changing Healthcare
Authors: Malodia Suresh , Jaiswal Anand Kumar
Published: December 2019

GE Healthcare was on a continuous lookout for investing into new and innovative super value products for the Bottom of the Pyramid markets in India. After launching its first successful super value ECG machine Mac 400, GE had recently launched its twenty-fifth super value product a PET CT machine. Serving the BOP markets has its own unique challenges that may be different for each product that is placed in the market. However, GE has so far successfully sailed through all the challenges and developed a steep learning curve about BOP markets. However, it is now facing the challenge of ensuring sustainability of product pipeline. The company is also keen to exploit the opportunities for reverse innovation that super value products have provided. The company also wants to assess the disruptive impact of these products in domestic medical device markets as well as markets outside India.
CSIR-Tech Private Limited: Facilitating Lab to Market Journey
Authors: Gupta Vishal , Premapuri Priyanka
Published: December 2019

The ‘CSIR-Tech: Facilitating lab to market journeys’ case is designed to teach students the strategic intricacies of an organizational network. The case also throws light on the formation and design of a collaborative inter-organizational network. CSIR, a premier R&D organization in India, was plagued with challenges in the commercialization of technologies developed in its constituent laboratories. CSIR-Tech was established as a private-limited company to catalyse the technology development and commercialization process. The case analyses formation of CSIR-CSIR-Tech alliance and discusses how the alliance can help in overcoming challenges associated with commercialization of technologies being developed at CSIR.
Congruity between the female gender role and the leader role: a literature review
Authors: Koburtay Tamer , Syed Jawad , Haloub Radi
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Informed by the role congruity theory of prejudice towards female leaders, this paper aims to review the literature on gender and leadership to consolidate existing theory development, stimulate new thinking and provide a framework for future empirical studies. It offers a theoretical framework to understand what may prevent or facilitate the emergence of female leaders.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews and synthesises recent research on the linkages between gender and leadership.

Findings

The review extends Eagly and Karau’s (2002) role congruity theory by identifying additional constructs that may alleviate negative prejudicial evaluations and offering new insights into the potential alignment between feminine traits and leadership success.

Practical implications

The theoretical framework that emerged in this paper may be used as a heuristic model to contextually examine the lack of female leaders.

Originality/value

The paper proposes a theoretical framework to understand issues related to the emergence of female leaders. It offers news insights into possible alignment in female-leader role stereotypes that may address prejudicial evaluations against female leaders.
Types of marketing: fad or a necessity?
Authors: Pina José Miguel
Published: December 2019

Purpose

This study aims to analyse the spread of terms describing “marketing types” (e.g. services marketing) in the marketing and non-marketing literature and to determine whether the research into specific terms represents a fashion trend.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 113 marketing terms were identified by content-analysing all the articles indexed in the web of science. These data were used to estimate a panel model, which predicted the number of articles that refer to a specific marketing type over a 20 years’ period.

Findings

The model estimation indicates that the “age” of a marketing term has a significant effect on the number of articles published using that term, after controlling for previous research. This effect is not significant for top-tier journals.

Research limitations/implications

Future research might undertake more comprehensive analyses by including other scientific outlets (e.g. white papers) and databases.

Practical implications

The results offer new insights for researchers interested in bibliometrics and knowledge diffusion. It warns practitioners and academia about a bias in favour of novel terms.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates a “fad effect” that may undermine research into traditional marketing fields. It helps to identify past and current research priorities.
Are global brands trustworthy?
Authors: Huaman-Ramirez Richard , Albert Noël , Merunka Dwight
Published: December 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to extend the understanding of how global brands can positively influence brand trust by introducing two new mediating variables – brand affect and brand innovativeness, and testing the moderating role of consumer ethnocentrism in these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 250 participants completed self-administered online questionnaires in a cross-sectional study in France. Moderated mediation and floodlight analysis were performed.

Findings

Brand globalness is positively related to brand affect and this, in turn, is positively related to brand trust. The relationship between brand globalness and brand affect is weaker for ethnocentrist consumers. Brand globalness is positively related to brand innovativeness and this, in turn, is positively related to brand trust. The relationship between brand globalness and brand innovativeness is weaker for ethnocentrist consumers.

Research limitations/implications

A limited number of fast-food brands was analyzed. Future studies should replicate the research model using different product categories to generalize the findings.

Practical implications

This study offers new opportunities for managers concerned by the optimization of their global brands management. First, the results demonstrate the interest of managers to increase the emotional and affective aspects of their global brands to make them more trustable. Second, brand managers should also emphasize the innovative aspects of their global brand. Indeed, it is essential for practitioners not only to propose frequently new and innovative products to consumers but also to follow the latest trends in their market. The more managers provide new, useful solutions to fulfill consumers’ needs, the more consumers will trust those global brands.

Originality/value

The mediating role of brand affect and brand innovativeness in the relationship between brand globalness and brand trust gives new insights on an established relationship.
Effects of structure characteristics of project network on conflicts and project success
Authors: Wu Guangdong , Hu Zhibin , Zheng Junwei , Zhao Xianbo , Zuo Jian
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between structure characteristics of project network, types of conflicts and project success.

Design/methodology/approach

Network density and centrality were used to reflect the structure characteristics of project network. This study collected 254 valid responses from construction professionals (including project managers, department managers and project engineers) via a questionnaire survey and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping techniques.

Findings

The results showed that network centrality of project stakeholders negatively affected project success, whereas the effect of network density on project success was non-significant. The network density was positively related to task conflict, whereas negatively related to process and relationship conflict. Network centrality was positively related to relationship conflict and had negative effects on task and process conflict. Project conflicts served as the mediator, weakening the relationship between network structure characteristics and project success.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides direction for project managers and other stakeholders (e.g. owners, contractors and subcontractors) to appropriately establish social ties and manage conflicts to achieve project success. However, the potential influence of conflict transformation on project success, the dynamic nature of project networks and the network diagram were not addressed in the context of diverse culture. The future research should cover different stakeholders in order to get an integrative understanding of project networks and collect data from different cultural and industrial characteristics, extending and verifying the results.

Originality/value

The outcomes of the study provide evidence in regard to social network ties governance, which is comprised by the important or representative stakeholders, being a part of the effective strategy in improving project success. This study also contributes to the knowledge of conflict management in the project context, revealing the positive and negative of project conflicts and enriching the current understandings of the underlying mechanism of the project network characteristics on project success.
Critical review of building handover-related research in construction and facility management journals
Authors: Zhu Lei , Shan Ming , Xu Zhao
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Although the handover stage is the key transition stage between the construction and operation, there is no critical overview of issues and research at the handover stage, hindering the achievement of sustainable development of buildings. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the building handover-related issues and research in construction and facility management (FM) journals. The specific objectives of this study include: analyze the research trends and overview the handover-related publications; identify the major research topics on the handover of buildings; identify research gaps and propose future research directions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study opted for a four-step systematic review of papers from the well-known academic journals in the construction and FM respects.

Findings

The results first revealed the increasing research interest in the handover of buildings from the researchers. Moreover, the post-construction defects, poor information fidelity, poor interoperability between building information modeling (BIM) and FM technologies, and insufficient consideration of end users were identified as the most concerned challenges for a building handover. Furthermore, identifying and formalizing information requirements for handover, improving the handover process, and improving the interoperability between BIM and FM were solutions mostly emphasized by researchers.

Research limitations/implications

As the first systematic review of building handover-related issues and research, this study is the building block for future research on this topic. The findings provide guidance for researchers in the construction and FM research community, and help them form useful collaboration for future research opportunities and find future research directions.

Practical implications

The identified significant challenges and potential solutions for a building handover could assist practitioners in making rational decisions on developing or adopting relevant technologies, and reshaping their management patterns and working processes. Moreover, the findings could be severed as evidence for policymakers to initiate policies, such as documents e-submission and timely updating BIMs, to achieve the vision of model-based project delivery.

Originality/value

This study contributed to the body of knowledge of sustainable development by providing a new insight to tackle the hindrance to the smooth transition from the construction to the operation.
Knowledge discovery in sociological databases
Authors: Pan Zhiwen , Li Jiangtian , Chen Yiqiang , Pacheco Jesus , Dai Lianjun , Zhang Jun
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The General Society Survey(GSS) is a kind of government-funded survey which aims at examining the Socio-economic status, quality of life, and structure of contemporary society. GSS data set is regarded as one of the authoritative source for the government and organization practitioners to make data-driven policies. The previous analytic approaches for GSS data set are designed by combining expert knowledges and simple statistics. By utilizing the emerging data mining algorithms, we proposed a comprehensive data management and data mining approach for GSS data sets.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach are designed to be operated in a two-phase manner: a data management phase which can improve the quality of GSS data by performing attribute pre-processing and filter-based attribute selection; a data mining phase which can extract hidden knowledge from the data set by performing data mining analysis including prediction analysis, classification analysis, association analysis and clustering analysis.

Findings

According to experimental evaluation results, the paper have the following findings: Performing attribute selection on GSS data set can increase the performance of both classification analysis and clustering analysis; all the data mining analysis can effectively extract hidden knowledge from the GSS data set; the knowledge generated by different data mining analysis can somehow cross-validate each other.

Originality/value

By leveraging the power of data mining techniques, the proposed approach can explore knowledge in a fine-grained manner with minimum human interference. Experiments on Chinese General Social Survey data set are conducted at the end to evaluate the performance of our approach.
Age stereotyping: a legal and fieldwork analysis
Authors: Bengtsson Lyndsey
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on fieldwork observation of direct age discrimination cases within employment tribunal (ET) hearings over a three-year period. The observation focussed upon whether the witness evidence revealed age stereotyping by employers and whether the ET panel addressed the stereotyping in its questioning and in its judgments. The observation was combined with an analysis of jurisprudence relating to direct age discrimination over an 11-year period.

Design/methodology/approach

This research analysed a sample of 90 ET judgments concerning direct age discrimination, which included five fieldwork observation cases concerning direct age discrimination in an ET.

Findings

This paper opens a window on age stereotyping in the workplace, illuminating the existence of age stereotypes in the context of ETs and the approach of the courts towards stereotypes in the sample is analysed.

Research limitations/implications

The fieldwork observation is limited to one ET and may not necessarily be representative of all tribunals; however, the findings are supported by a wider qualitative analysis of ET judgments.

Practical implications

This paper provides pertinent learning outcomes for claimants, employers and key implications of legal decisions for human resource policy and practice in organisations.

Originality/value

The paper is the first to conduct fieldwork observation on age stereotyping in an ET, combined with a profile of direct age discrimination claims over the period studied.
Examining the effect of green human capital availability in adoption of reverse logistics and remanufacturing operations performance
Authors: Bag Surajit , Gupta Shivam
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test a theoretical framework that examines the relationship of green human capital availability in the adoption of reverse logistics practices and remanufacturing operations performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual framework for this study is drawn upon contingent resource based view theory. The hypotheses are tested by drawing 250 samples from automotive manufacturing firms operating in an emerging economy (South Africa) using questionnaires designed for a single respondent. The path modelling is performed using WarpPLS software.

Findings

Availability of green human capital is found to positively influence reverse logistics adoption and remanufacturing operations performance. Top management commitment exerts a moderating effect on the path availability of green human capital and reverse logistics adoption while it shows no-moderating effect on the path availability of green human capital and remanufacturing operations performance. Sustainability culture exerts a moderating effect on the path availability of green human capital and reverse logistics adoption. It also exerts a moderating effect on the path availability of green human capital and remanufacturing operations performance. Reverse logistics adoption is found to positively influence remanufacturing operations performance.

Practical implications

First, it is important that managers must focus on increasing the availability of green human capital in the organisation. Second, focus is required on reverse logistics adoption process. Third, focus must be given towards cleaner remanufacturing production methods. Fourth, senior management must exhibit commitment towards green projects. Finally, managers must focus on creating sustainability culture in the organisation.

Originality/value

The results provide further understanding of human resource management in managing reverse logistics adoption and remanufacturing operations.
Time to turn over the crown: a temporal narrative analysis of royal leadership succession
Authors: van Vulpen Bram , Scherpenisse Jorren , van Twist Mark
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to capture legitimising principles of recent successions to the throne through narrative time. Further, this study considers leaders’ sense-giving to succession.

Design/methodology/approach

This research applies a “temporal narrative analysis” to explicate legitimising principles of narrative time in three recent case studies of royal succession: the kingdoms of Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Findings

The findings show that royal successions in three modern European constitutional monarchies are legitimised through giving sense to narrative time. The legitimacy of timing succession is embedded in multiple temporal narratives, in which heirs apparent are brought forward as the new generation who will modernise the monarchy.

Originality/value

The paper presents an innovative conceptual framework of sense-giving to succession through narrative time. This framework will be helpful to scholars who aim to grasp legitimising principles of temporal narration in leadership succession.
Introducing the marketplace or not? Risk analysis of channel strategy for online retailers
Authors: Shi Yuan , Zhou Luying , Qu Ting , Qi Qian
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to help online retailers who have an existing reselling channel to figure out the risk of introducing an additional marketplace channel and identify the introduction threshold with an overall consideration to the fulfilment cost and services.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to evaluate the risk of the marketplace channel strategy, this paper develops a Retailer–Stackelberg pricing model. Products are divided into two categories according to different fulfilment cost–value ratio to get a more targeted strategy.

Findings

The results show that the strategy of introducing the marketplace is not always satisfying. Retailers prefer this strategy when they are the prevailing parties in service output. The overall trend is that retailers have to encourage their marketplace partners to improve services for the product with a big fulfilment cost–value ratio. Otherwise, retailers should block the marketplace from entering.

Research limitations/implications

For an intuitive conclusion, this paper assumes that the operating costs (except fulfilment cost) are equal in two channels. This suggests a need to further investigate the impact of other costs. Meanwhile, it would be interesting to examine the competition among suppliers and retailers.

Practical implications

This research provides the suggestions for online retailers who want to introduce and well manage the marketplace channel.

Social implications

This research also helps both academia and industry become more intelligent about the significant influences of category management on channel strategy.

Originality/value

Most prior research is unaware of the risk of introducing a new channel, which also rarely considers how to manage it. This research points out that the effectiveness of this channel strategy differs in different categories. Moreover, retailers can benefit from managing the marketplace’s service output.
The founder’s psychological ownership and its strategic implications
Authors: Ljungkvist Torbjörn , Boers Börje
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the change of the founder’s psychological ownership when s/he sells the business and its implications for the organization’s strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

The study contributes with a longitudinal study of psychological ownership, accounting for its development over time in a Swedish e-commerce company. By applying a case study methodology, conclusions are drawn from a vast amount of archival data and interviews. The empirical material covers the transition from a founder-run, family-owned to a first foreign-owned, and currently private-equity owned company.

Findings

Theoretically, it extends understandings of psychological ownership and its strategic implications by including former legal owners; that is, how psychological ownership changes after legal ownership ceases. Thereby, it develops the individual dimension (founder and former owner) of psychological ownership as well as its collective dimension (employees toward founder). The paper contributes to the psychological ownership founder and exit-literatures by highlighting continuity after the formal sale of legal ownership and its consequences for the organization.

Practical implications

It finds that new legal owners can use this heritage to signal continuity and launch strategic changes by transforming it into artifacts.

Originality/value

This study extends the understanding of development of psychological ownership of founders from foundation to exit and its consequences for the organization’s strategy. This extension sheds new light on founders as artifacts of organizations and thereby their role for the organizational heritage.
What has gone wrong in Hong Kong?
Authors: Cheung Anthony B.L.
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the underlying problems of the recent socio-political disturbance originated from the amendments of extradition law in Hong Kong.

Design/methodology/approach

The perspectives of politics and governance are adopted to analyze the current situation.

Findings

Three underlying problems are identified, including the existential crisis under “One Country, Two Systems”, the politics of “fear of losing” and the institutional weakness to reform and change under the current system of “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong”.

Originality/value

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government should take initiatives to address the above problems.
Work–family conflict and turnover intentions among Chinese nurses
Authors: Zhang Yue , Rasheed Muhammad Imran , Luqman Adeel
Published: December 2019

Purpose

As the shortage of nurses is a major problem being faced by the world health-care system, it is essential to investigate the factors that influence nurses’ turnover. Drawing on the conservation of resources theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore how work–family conflict (WFC) influences nurses’ turnover intentions in the Peoples’ Republic of China.

Design/methodology/approach

For empirically testing the theoretical model, the authors conducted a three-wave longitudinal research survey and collected data from 236 nurses’ sample in China.

Findings

The findings show that job satisfaction and life satisfaction are the underlying psychological reasons in the positive relationship between WFC and nurses’ turnover intentions. Moreover, perceived supervisor support was found to be a boundary condition on the direct and indirect relationships between WFC and its negative outcomes such that the relationships are weak at the high levels of supervisory support.

Originality/value

This study is important to the management of health-care systems as it carries significant implications for theory and practice toward understanding job retention problems of nurses.
Spatial heterogeneity stabilizes predator–prey interactions at the microscale while patch connectivity controls their outcome
Authors: Petrenko Margarita , Friedman Shmuel P. , Fluss Ronen , Pasternak Zohar , Huppert Amit , Jurkevitch Edouard
Published: December 2019

Natural landscapes are both fragmented and heterogeneous, affecting the distribution of organisms, and their interactions. While predation in homogeneous environments increases the probability of population extinction, fragmentation/heterogeneity promotes coexistence and enhances community stability as shown by experimentation with animals and microorganisms, and supported by theory. Patch connectivity can modulate such effects but how microbial predatory interactions are affected by water‐driven connectivity is unknown. In soil, patch habitability by microorganisms, and their connectivity depend upon the water saturation degree (SD). Here, using the obligate bacterial predatorBdellovibrio bacteriovorus, and aBurkholderiaprey, we show that soil spatial heterogeneity profoundly affects predatory dynamics, enhancing long‐term co‐existence of predator and prey in a SD‐threshold dependent‐manner. However, as patches and connectors cannot be distinguished in these soil matrices, metapopulations cannot be invoked to explain the dynamics of increased persistence. Using a set of experiments combined with statistical and physical models we demonstrate and quantify how under full connectivity, predation is independent of water content but depends on soil microstructure characteristics. In contrast, the SD below which predation is largely impaired corresponds to a threshold below which the water network collapses and water connectivity breaks down, preventing the bacteria to move within the soil matrix.
The relation between time spent reading and reading comprehension throughout the life course
Authors: Locher Franziska , Pfost Maximilian
Published: December 2019

Background

In the present paper, we investigated the association between time spent reading and reading comprehension throughout the lifespan. According to the Matthew effect (or rich‐get‐richer and poor‐get‐poorer) model, interindividual differences in reading‐related skills between poor and average readers become wider as individuals grow older. Furthermore, the model states that these differences may be caused by different reading habits (i.e., the amount of time spent reading). Less competent readers tend to read less and therefore show less improvement in their reading skills. Competent readers tend to read more and therefore show greater improvement in their reading skills. Therefore, we propose that the correlation between time spent reading and reading comprehension should increase as people grow older.

Method

To test this hypothesis, we analysed data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). We used data from four cohorts (N = 28,795) with an age range from preadolescence (Grade 5) to later adulthood (>55 years).

Results

Our results showed a medium‐sized correlation between leisure‐time reading and reading comprehension for students attending secondary school (β ~ 0.20). Contrary to our expectations, the correlations decreased with age and reached a stable low level (β ~ 0.07) in adulthood. However, for adults, occupation‐related reading predicted reading comprehension (β = 0.13–0.23).

Conclusion

According to our results, reading should be viewed as a process that changes throughout the lifespan. Furthermore, results and implications from previous studies on the relation between time spent reading and reading skills from research conducted on school students might not be generalisable to adults. With respect to the results of the present study, we might restrict the validity of the Matthew effect in reading to school students and young adolescents.