bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bro1 stimulates Vps4 activity to promote Intralumenal Vesicle Formation during Multivesicular Body biogenesis
Authors: Tseng Chun-Che , Dean Shirley , Davies Brian A. , Azmi Ishara F. , Pashkova Natalya , Payne Johanna A. , Staffenhagen Jennifer , West Matt , Piper Robert C. , Odorizzi Greg , Katzmann David J.
Published: July 2020

Endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT-0, -I, -II, -III) execute cargo sorting and intralumenal vesicle (ILV) formation during conversion of endosomes to multivesicular bodies (MVBs). The AAA-ATPase Vps4 regulates the ESCRT-III polymer to facilitate membrane remodeling and ILV scission during MVB biogenesis. Here we show that the conserved V domain of ESCRT-associated protein Bro1 (the yeast homolog of mammalian proteins ALIX and HD-PTP) directly stimulates Vps4. This activity is required for MVB cargo sorting. Furthermore, the Bro1 V domain alone supports Vps4/ESCRT-driven ILV formationin vivowithout efficient MVB cargo sorting. These results reveal a novel activity of the V domains of Bro1 homologs in licensing ESCRT-III-dependent ILV formation and suggest a role in coordinating cargo sorting with membrane remodeling during MVB sorting. Moreover, ubiquitin binding enhances V domain stimulation of Vps4 to promote ILV formation via the Bro1/Vps4/ESCRT-III axis, uncovering a novel role for ubiquitin during MVB biogenesis in addition to facilitating cargo recognition.

Cargo sorting is coordinated with intralumenal vesicle budding during ESCRT-mediated multivesicular body biogenesis. Bro1 V domain stimulates Vps4 to promote ESCRT-III-driven intralumenal vesicle formation in a manner required for this coordinated process.
Engineering DNA templated nonribosomal peptide synthesis
Authors: Huang Hsin-Mei , Stephan Philipp , Kries Hajo
Published: July 2020

Nanocontainers or macromolecular scaffolds for artificial biocatalytic cascades facilitate sequential enzyme reactions but diffusive escape of intermediates limits rate enhancement. Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) naturally form gigantic assembly lines and prevent escape by covalently tethering intermediates. Here, we have built DNA-templated NRPS (DT-NRPS) by adding zinc finger tags to split NRPS modules. The zinc fingers direct the NRPS modules to 9-bp binding sites on a DNA strand, where they form a catalytically active enzyme cascade. DT-NRPS outperform previously reported DNA templated enzyme cascades in terms of DNA acceleration which demonstrates that covalent intermediate channeling is possible along the DNA template. Attachment of assembly line enzymes to a DNA scaffold is a promising catalytic strategy for the sequence-controlled biosynthesis of nonribosomal peptides and other polymers.
Characterising the hippocampal response to perception, construction and complexity
Authors: McCormick Cornelia , Dalton Marshall A. , Zeidman Peter , Maguire Eleanor A.
Published: July 2020

The precise role played by the hippocampus in supporting cognitive functions such as episodic memory and future thinking is debated, but there is general agreement that it involves constructing representations comprised of numerous elements. Visual scenes have been deployed extensively in cognitive neuroscience because they are paradigmatic multi-element stimuli. However, questions remain about the specificity and nature of the hippocampal response to scenes. Here, we devised a paradigm in which we had participants search pairs of images for either colour or layout differences, thought to be associated with perceptual or spatial constructive processes respectively. Importantly, images depicted either naturalistic scenes or phase-scrambled versions of the same scenes, and were either simple or complex. Using this paradigm during functional MRI scanning, we addressed three questions: 1. Is the hippocampus recruited specifically during scene processing? 2. If the hippocampus is more active in response to scenes, does searching for colour or layout differences influence its activation? 3. Does the complexity of the scenes affect its response? We found that, compared to phase-scrambled versions of the scenes, the hippocampus was more responsive to scene stimuli. Moreover, a clear anatomical distinction was evident, with colour detection in scenes engaging the posterior hippocampus whereas layout detection in scenes recruited the anterior hippocampus. The complexity of the scenes did not influence hippocampal activity. These findings seem to align with perspectives that propose the hippocampus is especially attuned to scenes, and its involvement occurs irrespective of the cognitive process or the complexity of the scenes.
Mycobacterium tuberculosisevasion of Guanylate Binding Protein-mediated host defense in mice requires the ESX1 secretion system
Authors: Olive Andrew J. , Smith Clare M. , Baer Christina E. , Coers Jörn , Sassetti Christopher M.
Published: July 2020

Cell-intrinsic immune mechanisms control intracellular pathogens that infect eukaryotes. The intracellular pathogenMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb) evolved to withstand cell-autonomous immunity to cause persistent infections and disease. A potent inducer of cell-autonomous immunity is the lymphocyte-derived cytokine IFNγ. While the production of IFNγ by T cells is essential to protect againstMtb, it is not capable of fully eradicatingMtbinfection. This suggests thatMtbevades a subset of IFNγ-mediated antimicrobial responses, yet what mechanismsMtbresists remains unclear. The IFNγ-inducible Guanylate binding proteins (GBPs) are key host defense proteins able to control infections with intracellular pathogens. GBPs were previously shown to directly restrictMycobacterium bovisBCG yet their role duringMtbinfection has remained unknown. Here, we examine the importance of a cluster of five GBPs on mouse chromosome 3 in controlling Mycobacterial infection. WhileM. bovisBCG is directly restricted by GBPs, we find that the GBPs on chromosome 3 do not contribute to the control ofMtbreplication or the associated host response to infection. The differential effects of GBPs duringMtbversusM. bovisBCG infection is at least partially explained by the absence of the ESX1 secretion system fromM. bovisBCG, sinceMtbmutants lacking the ESX1 secretion system become similarly susceptible to GBP-mediated immune defense. Therefore, this specific genetic interaction between the murine host andMycobacteriareveals a novel function for the ESX1 virulence system in the evasion of GBP-mediated immunity.
A genome-wide CRISPR/Cas phenotypic screen for modulators of DUX4 cytotoxicity reveals screen complications
Authors: Ashoti Ator , Limone Francesco , van Kranenburg Melissa , Alemany Anna , Baak Mirna , Vivié Judith , Piccioni Federica , Creyghton Menno , Eggan Kevin , Geijsen Niels
Published: July 2020

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FHSD), a fundamentally complex muscle disorder that thus far remains untreatable. As the name implies, FSHD starts in the muscles of the face and shoulder gridle. The main perturbator of the disease is the pioneer transcription factor DUX4, which is misexpressed in affected tissues due to a failure in epigenetic repressive mechanisms. In pursuit of unraveling the underlying mechanism of FSHD and finding potential therapeutic targets or treatment options, we performed an exhaustive genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 phenotypic rescue screen to identify modulators of DUX4 cytotoxicity. We found no key effectors other than DUX4 itself, suggesting treatment efforts in FSHD should be directed towards its direct modulation.

The screen did however reveal some rare and unexpected Cas9-induced genomic events, that may provide important considerations for planning future CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out screens.
ABO genetic variation in Neanderthals and Denisovans
Authors: Villanea Fernando A. , Huerta-Sanchez Emilia , Fox P. Keolu
Published: July 2020

1

Variation at the ABO locus was one of the earliest sources of data in the study of human population identity and history, and to this day remains widely genotyped due to its importance in blood and tissue transfusions. Here, we look at ABO blood type variants in our archaic relatives: Neanderthals and Denisovans. Our goal is to understand the genetic landscape of the ABO gene in archaic humans, and how it relates to modern human ABO variation. We found two derived Neanderthal variants of the O allele in the Siberian Neanderthals (O1 and O2), one of these variants is shared with an European Neanderthal, who is a heterozygote for this O1 variant and a rare cis-AB variant. The Denisovan individual is heterozygous for two ancestral variant of the O1 allele, similar to variants found widely in modern humans. Perhaps more surprisingly, the O2 allele variant found in Siberian Neanderthals can be found at low frequencies in modern Europeans and Southeast Asians, and the O1 allele variant found in Siberian and European Neanderthal is also found at very low frequency in modern East Asians. Our genetic distance analyses suggest both alleles survive in modern humans due to inbreeding with Neanderthals. We find that the sequence backgrounds of the surviving Neanderthal-like O alleles in modern humans retain a higher sequence divergence than other surviving Neanderthal genome fragments, supporting a view of balancing selection operating in the Neanderthal ABO alleles by retaining highly diverse haplotypes compared to portions of the genome evolving neutrally.
Erythrocyte CD55 facilitates the internalization ofPlasmodium falciparumparasites
Authors: Shakya Bikash , Patel Saurabh D. , Tani Yoshihiko , Egan Elizabeth S.
Published: July 2020

Invasion of human erythrocytes by the malaria parasitePlasmodium falciparumis a multi-step process. Previously, a forward genetic screen forP. falciparumhost factors identified erythrocyte CD55 as essential for invasion, but its specific role and how it interfaces with the other factors that mediate this complex process are unknown. Using CRISPR-Cas9 editing, antibody-based inhibition, and live cell imaging, here we show that CD55 is specifically required for parasite internalization. Pre-invasion kinetics, erythrocyte deformability, and echinocytosis were not influenced by CD55, but entry was inhibited when CD55 was blocked or absent. Visualization of parasites attached to CD55-null erythrocytes point to a role for CD55 in progression of the moving junction. Our findings demonstrate that CD55 acts after discharge of the parasite’s rhoptry organelles, and plays a unique role relative to all other invasion receptors. As the requirement for CD55 is strain-transcendent, these results suggest that CD55 or its interacting partners may hold potential as therapeutic targets for malaria.
Nanopore direct RNA sequencing detects DUX4-activated repeats and isoforms in human muscle cells
Authors: Mitsuhashi Satomi , Nakagawa So , Frith Martin C , Mitsuhashi Hiroaki
Published: July 2020

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is an inherited muscle disease caused by misexpression of theDUX4gene in skeletal muscle. DUX4 is a transcription factor which is normally expressed in the cleavage-stage embryo and regulates gene expression involved in early embryonic development. Recent studies revealed that DUX4 also activates the transcription of repetitive elements such as endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), mammalian apparent LTR-retrotransposons (MaLRs), and pericentromeric satellite repeats (HSATII). DUX4-bound ERV sequences also create alternative promoters for genes or long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), producing fusion transcripts. To further understand transcriptional regulation by DUX4, we performed nanopore long-read direct RNA sequencing (dRNA-seq) of human muscle cells induced by DUX4, because long reads show whole isoforms with greater confidence. We successfully detected differential expression of known DUX4-induced genes, and discovered 61 differentially-expressed repeat loci, which are near DUX4-ChIP peaks. We also identified 247 gene-ERV fusion transcripts, of which 216 were not reported previously. In addition, long-read dRNA-seq clearly shows that RNA splicing is a common event in DUX4-activated ERV transcripts. Long-read analysis showed non-LTR transposons including Alu are also transcribed from LTRs. Our findings revealed further complexity of DUX4-induced ERV transcripts. This catalogue of DUX4-activated repetitive elements may provide useful information to elucidate the pathology of FSHD. Also, our results indicate that nanopore dRNA-seq has complementary strengths to conventional short read cDNA sequencing.
Sphingobiumsp. SYK-6 syringateO-demethylase gene is regulated by DesX, unlike other vanillate and syringate catabolic genes regulated by DesR
Authors: Araki Takuma , Tanatani Kenta , Kamimura Naofumi , Otsuka Yuichiro , Yamaguchi Muneyoshi , Nakamura Masaya , Masai Eiji
Published: July 2020

Syringate and vanillate are the major metabolites of lignin biodegradation. InSphingobiumsp. strain SYK-6, syringate is O demethylated to gallate by consecutive reactions catalyzed by DesA and LigM, and vanillate is O demethylated to protocatechuate by a reaction catalyzed by LigM. The gallate ring is cleaved by DesB, and protocatechuate is catabolized via the protocatechuate 4,5-cleavage pathway. The transcriptions ofdesA, ligM, anddesBare induced by syringate and vanillate, while that ofligManddesBare negatively regulated by the MarR-type transcriptional regulator DesR, which is not involved indesAregulation. Here we clarified the regulatory system fordesAtranscription by analyzing the IclR-type transcriptional regulatordesX, located downstream ofdesA. Quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analyses of adesXmutant indicates that the transcription ofdesAwas negatively regulated by DesX. In contrast, DesX was not involved in the regulation ofligManddesB. The ferulate catabolic genes (ferBA) under the control of a MarR-type transcriptional regulator FerC are located upstream ofdesA. RT-PCR analyses suggest that theferB-ferA-SLG_25010-desAgene cluster consists of theferBAoperon and the SLG_25010-desAoperon. Promoter assays reveal that a syringate- and vanillate-inducible promoter is located upstream of SLG_25010. Purified DesX bound to this promoter region, which overlaps with an 18-bp-inverted repeat sequence that appears to be essential for the DNA binding of DesX. Syringate and vanillate inhibited the DNA binding of DesX, indicating that these compounds are effector molecules of DesX.

IMPORTANCE

Syringate is a major degradation product in the microbial and chemical degradation of syringyl lignin. Along with other low-molecular-weight aromatic compounds, syringate is produced by chemical lignin depolymerization. Converting this mixture into value-added chemicals using bacterial metabolism (i.e., biological funneling) is a promising option for lignin valorization. To construct an efficient microbial lignin conversion system, it is necessary to identify and characterize the genes involved in the uptake and catabolism of lignin-derived aromatic compounds and elucidate their transcriptional regulation. In this study, we found that the transcription ofdesA, encoding syringateO-demethylase in SYK-6, is regulated by an IclR-type of transcriptional regulator, DesX. The findings of this study, combined with our previous results ondesR(a MarR transcriptional regulator that controls the transcription ofligManddesB), provide an overall picture of the transcriptional regulatory systems for syringate and vanillate catabolism in SYK-6.
Performance of the BL03U beamline at SSRF
Authors: Sun Z. P. , Liu Z. H. , Liu Z. T. , Liu W. L. , Zhang F. Y. , Shen D. W. , Ye M. , Qiao S.
Published: July 2020

The vacuum ultraviolet beamline BL03U with a photon energy range from 7 eV upwards has been constructed at the 3.5 GeV Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility. Equipped with an APPLE-Knot undulator, this beamline is dedicated to angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. An energy-resolving power of higher than 4.6 × 104 has been achieved in the photon energy range 21.6–48 eV, which is almost the same as the theoretical estimation.
The susceptibility of disulfide bonds towards radiation damage may be explained by S...O interactions
Authors: Bhattacharyya Rajasri , Dhar Jesmita , Ghosh Dastidar Shubhra , Chakrabarti Pinak , Weiss Manfred S.
Published: July 2020

Radiation-induced damage to protein crystals during X-ray diffraction data collection is a major impediment to obtaining accurate structural information on macromolecules. Some of the specific impairments that are inflicted upon highly brilliant X-ray irradiation are metal-ion reduction, disulfide-bond cleavage and a loss of the integrity of the carboxyl groups of acidic residues. With respect to disulfide-bond reduction, previous results have indicated that not all disulfide bridges are equally susceptible to damage. A careful analysis of the chemical environment of disulfide bonds in the structures of elastase, lysozyme, acetylcholinesterase and other proteins suggests that S—S bonds which engage in a close contact with a carbonyl O atom along the extension of the S—S bond vector are more susceptible to reduction than the others. Such an arrangement predisposes electron transfer to occur from the O atom to the disulfide bond, leading to its reduction. The interaction between a nucleophile and an electrophile, akin to hydrogen bonding, stabilizes protein structures, but it also provides a pathway of electron transfer to the S—S bond, leading to its reduction during exposure of the protein crystal to an intense X-ray beam. An otherwise stabilizing interaction can thus be the cause of destabilization under the condition of radiation exposure.
Protein–lipid architecture of a cholinergic postsynaptic membrane
Authors: Unwin Nigel
Published: July 2020

The cholinergic postsynaptic membrane is an acetylcholine receptor-rich membrane mediating fast chemical communication at the nerve–muscle synapse. Here, cryo-EM is used to examine the protein–lipid architecture of this membrane in tubular vesicles obtained from the (muscle-derived) electric organ of theTorpedoray. As reported earlier, the helical arrangement of the protein component of the vesicles facilitates image averaging and enables us to determine how cholesterol and phospholipid molecules are distributed in the surrounding matrix, using headgroup size as a means to discriminate between the two kinds of lipid. It is shown that cholesterol segregates preferentially around the receptors in both leaflets of the lipid bilayer, interacting robustly with specific transmembrane sites and creating a network of bridging microdomains. Cholesterol interactions with the receptor are apparently essential for stabilizing and maintaining its physiological architecture, since the transmembrane structure contracts, involving displacements of the helices at the outer membrane surface by ∼2 Å (1–3 Å), when this lipid is extracted. The microdomains may promote cooperativity between neighbouring receptors, leading to an enhanced postsynaptic response.
Structure of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) in complex with the specific and potent inhibitor CVT-313
Authors: Talapati Sumalatha Rani , Nataraj Vijayashankar , Pothuganti Manoj , Gore Suraj , Ramachandra Murali , Antony Thomas , More Sunil Shivaji , Krishnamurthy Narasimha Rao
Published: July 2020

CVT-313 is a potent CDK2 inhibitor that was identified by screening a purine-analogue library and is currently in preclinical studies. Since this molecule has the potential to be developed as a CDK2 inhibitor for cancer therapy, the potency of CVT-313 to bind and stabilize CDK2 was evaluated, together with its ability to inhibit aberrant cell proliferation. CVT-313 increased the melting temperature of CDK2 by 7°C in thermal stabilization studies, thus indicating its protein-stabilizing effect. CVT-313 inhibited the growth of human lung carcinoma cell line A549 in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 of 1.2 µM, which is in line with the reported biochemical potency of 0.5 µM. To support the further chemical modification of CVT-313 and to improve its biochemical and cellular potency, a crystal structure was elucidated in order to understand the molecular interaction of CVT-313 and CDK2. The crystal structure of CDK2 bound to CVT-313 was determined to a resolution of 1.74 Å and clearly demonstrated that CVT-313 binds in the ATP-binding pocket, interacting with Leu83, Asp86 and Asp145 directly, and the binding was further stabilized by a water-mediated interaction with Asn132. Based on the crystal structure, further modifications of CVT-313 are proposed to provide additional interactions with CDK2 in the active site, which may significantly increase the biochemical and cellular potency of CVT-313.
High-throughput in situ experimental phasing
Authors: Lawrence Joshua M. , Orlans Julien , Evans Gwyndaf , Orville Allen M. , Foadi James , Aller Pierre
Published: July 2020

In this article, a new approach to experimental phasing for macromolecular crystallography (MX) at synchrotrons is introduced and described for the first time. It makes use of automated robotics applied to a multi-crystal framework in which human intervention is reduced to a minimum. Hundreds of samples are automatically soaked in heavy-atom solutions, using a Labcyte Inc. Echo 550 Liquid Handler, in a highly controlled and optimized fashion in order to generate derivatized and isomorphous crystals. Partial data sets obtained on MX beamlines using an in situ setup for data collection are processed with the aim of producing good-quality anomalous signal leading to successful experimental phasing.
trans-Diamminebis(1,2-dicyanoethene-1,2-dithiolato)platinum(IV)
Authors: Siddiqui Mahaa J. , Nesterov Volodymyr V. , Steidle Matthew T. , Smucker Bradley W.
Published: July 2020

The title compound, [Pt(C4N2S2)2(NH3)2], represents an octahedral platinum(IV) complex with two trans-ammine and two mnt (mnt = 1,2-dicyanoethene-1,2-dithiolato) ligands. The Pt—N and Pt—S distances are consistent with those in other platinum(IV) complexes. As a result of a slight canting of the coordination of the mnt ligand to the platinum(IV) atom, the nitrile nitrogen atoms are positioned suitably to hydrogen-bond with adjacent ammines.
Productivity, public capital, and socialism with Chinese characteristics – A critique of the doctrine of incompatibility between capital and public ownership
Authors: Rong Zhaozi
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This paper is a response to the doctrine that capital is incompatible with public ownership. The fundamental characteristics of modern productivity determine the co-existence of the market economy and capital relations.

Design/methodology/approach

Socialism can neither bypass the market economy nor “go beyond capital”; capital appears in two historical forms, including the private capital and the public capital. Public capital is the inevitable outcome of the inherent contradictions of public ownership in a socialist market economy.

Findings

It represents an economic relationship that compels individual labourers to provide surplus labour for the society. The combination of the strong accumulation function of public capital and the improvement of people's welfare is the main cause of China's development miracle.

Originality/value

The innovation impetus of the public capital and its “immunity” to the capitalist crisis highlight the tremendous power of socialism with Chinese characteristics in breaking free of the shackles of capitalism and continuously developing productive forces. Public capital demonstrates and will continue to demonstrate the historical legitimacy of socialism.
Weaving sustainability in Indian higher education system
Authors: Shrivastava Archana
Published: July 2020

Learning outcomes

The specific teaching and learning objectives are as follows: to help students manage virtual communication in cross-cultural settings and developing the trust in virtual teams. To have them assess their effectiveness in the virtual collaboration process. To design the strategies to combat the challenges involved in working collaboratively on a common computing platform.

Case overview/synopsis

Higher education institutions in India are facing intense criticism for failing to impart employability skills to the students. Despite being one of the largest education systems in the world, Indian universities are not listed in the rankings of best international universities. It is grappling with the challenges of adopting the right teaching methodologies that foster deep learning, which may lead to sustainability in higher education. To gain relevancy, the higher education institutions must discover the ways to transit from the knowledge-intensive to skill-intensive institutions. By introducing a virtual collaborative professional project for international business students, Professor Bose proposed a small step of moving from a rote teacher-centric to more hands-on, student-centric teaching methodology. While virtual projects are a common and successful way of enhancing cross-cultural competence in students, Professor Bose is unsure how receptive Indian students will be with this methodology. He visualizes many challenges related to the execution of the project and is worried whether he will be successful in achieving his goal of skill-based knowledge creation. While systems and institutions of higher education in India struggle to address the pressures created by globalization, Professor Bose knew that the one-size-may not fit all. “Flexible pedagogy” and personalizing the methods to suit the requirements of a majority of the students was the way forward. However, he needs to know if the faculty and students will be open to change.

Complexity academic level

This case is immediately valuable for the students and faculty who are the part of the courses such as “International Business” in which the global leadership challenges, managing virtual communication in cross-cultural settings and developing the trust in virtual teams are main features of the curriculum. The case could also be used effectively in the seminars conducted for the managers working in international organizations and managing the tasks in virtual teams located globally.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS: 5 International Business.
Making money for COVID-19
Authors: Ward Michael
Published: July 2020

Learning outcomes

The case describes the origins of money, touching on the gold standard, the Fed’s 1942 purchase of US debt to fund the “war effort”, Bretton Woods (1944), Nixon’s 1971 pulling the currency peg and descent of money from gold to fiat. It also touches on theories of inflation and deflation, quantitative easing (QE) post the 2008 crisis and the “swamp” of (unorthodox) modern monetary theory (MMT). Aside from providing a brief history of monetary policy and economics, the case study seeks to widen students’ understanding of key economic issues including: fiat money, QE, government funding mechanisms, taxation, economic stimulation, inflation/deflation – and of course, the need for an ombudsman to limit excess.

Case overview/synopsis

In May 2020, South Africa’s deputy finance minister David Masondo announced that he would support the South African Reserve Bank’s lending to the government. This statement followed President Ramaposa’s earlier announcement of a R500bn COVID-19 stimulus package. The case explores the economic history of money, from barter to gold to cryptos. The case examines the origins of central banks’ printing of money, initially to support the Second World War effort and more recently the 2008 global financial crisis and now the COVID-19 crisis. In particular, the case raises the question of central bank independence – “democratically elected governments always need money, is it appropriate for central banks provide it? And are there limits?”

Complexity academic level

MBA and Executive Education

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS: 1 Accounting and Finance.
Corona, command and capitalism
Authors: Ward Michael
Published: July 2020

Learning outcomes

The case presents a lot of information, directly and via references and Web-based links, about the economic consequences of the virus. Several themes are evident: As an opening theory-base, the decades-long stakeholder versus shareholder debate is invoked – but does this extend beyond “stakeholders” to the “public good”? There are contexts (generally wars) in which governments are empowered to instruct private companies to engage in the public good – but how far should/must they voluntarily go? The underlying macro-economic issue is: where will we get the capital? Central banks have not recovered from the 2008 global financial crisis and have limited “ammunition” to address the anticipated economic problems introduced by the virus. The case presents data on selected financial metrics (interest rates, debt levels, risk pricing, etc.) and outlines the conventional stimulatory steps used: lowering short-term rates (monetary policy) and investment in assets (fiscal policy) and the less-conventional Quantitative Easing “QE”.

Case overview/synopsis

The coronavirus appears to herald a devastating blow to lives and to the world economy – its impact is yet unknown, but likely to be comparable to war and pestilence of biblical proportion. This case focuses on the possible economic trajectories as a consequence of the virus, with emphasis on bailing-out (restructuring) struggling companies and restoring jobs. Within the framework of a world desperately in need of capital, it raises questions about accountability and responsibility. Should retrenched workers in restaurants, banks and airlines feel the consequences of their poor career choices? Must shareholders (read pensioners) shoulder losses to support the public good? Ought governments bail-out whole industries – using tax-payer money? Or do we allow central banks to conjure-up billions and hope for the best? The case does not attempt to provide answers to these questions but presents several vignettes and offers a context in which participants can debate the merits of these problems.

Complexity academic level

MBA and Exec-ed.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS: 1 Accounting and Finance.
Unwrap citation count, Altmetric Attention Score and Mendeley readership status of highly cited articles in the top-tier LIS journals
Authors: Tang Yingqi , Tseng Hungwei , Vann Charlcie
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to use a multidimensional perspective on the analysis of scholarly articles published in the top-tier Library and Information Science (LIS) journals. The relationships between the impact factors (Altmetric attention score [AAS], citation count and Mendeley readership) were analyzed, and reader profiles were characterized and studied.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examined citation count, AAS and Mendeley readership of the most cited articles published in the top-tier LIS journals – The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Government Information Quarterly and Library and Information Science Research. A total of 61 articles were analyzed. Data were recorded on an Excel spreadsheet and exported to the statistical software package SPSS 18.0 for Windows to perform the descriptive and correlation analysis.

Findings

This study suggests that Mendeley readership and AAS could be used as supplemental measurements for assessing the impact of a publication or author in the LIS. AAS and Mendeley readership are positively correlated with citation count, and the correlation between Mendeley readership and citation count was stronger than AAS and citation count. Librarians are dominant readers of the top-tier LIS journals, followed by social sciences, computer science and arts and humanities professions.

Originality/value

This study introduces two newly launched metrics for measuring the research impact factor and discusses how they correlated with citation count. Moreover, the study details the spectrum of Altmetric for discovering readership of LIS top-tier journals. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that presents the spectrum of AAS and Mendeley readership of the most cited articles published in top-tier of LIS journals. The study reveals an alternative way of measuring LIS publication’s impact factor that enables researchers, librarians, administrators, publishers and other stakeholders in LIS to assess the influence of a publication from another angle.
How hospitality firm executive diversity affects firm performance
Authors: Repetti Toni
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Women make up approximately 47% of the workforce and 51% of hospitality employees but account for 70% of travel buying decisions. Even with these high statistics, women are still underrepresented in many high-level positions. This paper aims to evaluate the financial effects of diversity in top paying management positions within US hospitality companies from 2006 to 2018 and also evaluate the change in female representation from the Great Recession and the #metoo scandal.

Design/methodology/approach

Firm performance and diversity were studied using fixed effect and random effect models due to the panel nature of the data. ANOVAs and t-tests were conducted to determine the change in female representation.

Findings

On average, companies report 5.55 top paying executives and only 0.75 of them are female. Results show that earnings before interest and taxes, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization are both significantly higher with 15–30% diversity and even higher with 30–50% diversity. After the Great Recession, hospitality companies significantly increased the percentage of females in top positions from 11.5 to 14.1%, while resorts increased female representation from 7.5 to 12.2% after the #metoo scandal.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first known study to evaluate gender diversity in top hospitality executives and not just female representation. This is also the first paper to evaluate the effect of the #metoo scandal on hospitality firms’ percentage of females in top executive positions.
Life satisfaction of employees, labour market tightness and matching efficiency
Authors: de Pedraza Pablo , Guzi Martin , Tijdens Kea
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Di Tella et al. (2001) show that temporary fluctuations in life satisfaction (LS) are correlated with macroeconomic circumstances such as gross domestic product, unemployment and inflation. In this paper, we bring attention to labour market measures from search and matching models (Pissarides 2000).

Design/methodology/approach

Our analysis follows the two-stage estimation strategy used in Di Tella et al. (2001) to explore sectoral unemployment levels, labour market tightness and matching efficiency as LS determinants. In the first stage, we use a large sample of individual data collected from a continuous web survey during the 2007–2014 period in the Netherlands to obtain regression-adjusted measures of LS by quarter and economic sector. In the second-stage, we regress LS measures against the unemployment level, labour market tightness and matching efficiency.

Findings

Our results are threefold. First, the negative link between unemployment and an employee's LS is confirmed at the sectoral level. Second, labour market tightness, measured as the number of vacancies per job-seeker rather than the number of vacancies per unemployed, is shown to be relevant to the LS of workers. Third, labour market matching efficiency affects the LS of workers differently when they are less satisfied with their job and in temporary employment.

Originality/value

No evidence of this relationship has been documented before. Our results give support to government interventions aimed at activating demand for labour, improving the matching of job-seekers to vacant jobs and reducing information frictions by supporting match-making technologies.
A novel method for green delivery mode considering shared vehicles in the IoT environment
Authors: Lim Ming K. , Wang Jianxin , Wang Chao , Tseng Ming-Lang
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Increasing academic communities and practitioners begin to explore a novel method to reduce environmental pollution and realize green logistics delivery. Additionally, China's Statistical Yearbook shows that the number of private cars has reached 165 million in China. Under this background, this study proposes a green delivery method by the combination of sharing vehicle (private cars) and IoT (Internet of things) from the perspective of vehicle energy efficiency and aims to improve the energy efficiency of social vehicles and provides more convenient delivery services.

Design/methodology/approach

This study builds an IoT architecture consisting of customer data layer, information collection layer, cloud optimization layer and delivery task execution layer. Especially in the IoT architecture, a clustering analysis method is used to determine the critical value of customers' classification and shared delivery, a routing optimization method is used to solve the initial solution in could layer and shared technology is used in the implementation of shared delivery.

Findings

The results show that the delivery method considering shared vehicles has a positive effect on improving the energy utilization of vehicles. But if all of delivery tasks are performed by the shared vehicle, the application effect may be counterproductive, such as delivery cost increases and energy efficiency decreases. This study provides a good reference for the implementation of green intelligent delivery business, which has a positive effect on the improvement of logistics operation efficiency.

Originality/value

This study designs a novel method to solve the green and shared delivery issues under the IoT environment, which integrates the IoT architecture. The proposed methodology is applied in a real case in China.
COVID-19 lockdown: implication for food security
Authors: Inegbedion Henry Egbezien
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to sought to know the implication of COVID-19 lockdown for food security in Nigeria

Design/methodology/approach

The study examined implication of COVID-19 lockdown for food security. The cross sectional survey research design was employed. Information was elicited from respondents through the social medium (Facebook). The question response format of the instrument was of the five-point Likert scale type. Research data were analysed using one sample t-test and least squares (regression).

Findings

The results show that COVID-19 lockdown can significantly constrain farm labour, transportation and security, while food security can be threatened by insufficient labour, transportation, farmers' morale and farm coordination

Research limitations/implications

A major limitation was the restriction to only online data collection method owing to the researcher's inability to administer the instrument physically as a result of the lockdown. This had an implication on randomisation.

Social implications

Long stay of people at home and away from farm activities will threaten food security on the long run and thus, precipitate social vices due to the attendant hunger and deprivation

Originality/value

In empirical examination of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on food security, thereby providing statistical evidence that will be useful in the sensitisation of stakeholders on the need to thread on the part of caution to avoid the possible consequences of restricting farmers' operations through the COVID-19 lockdown.
Scaling law in avalanche breaking of composite materials
Authors: Hader Ahmed , Sbiaai Hicham , Tanasehte Mohammed , Amallah Layla , Boughaleb Yahia
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The fibers are loaded by the cosine component of the external load, when a fiber fails, and due to the local load-sharing nature, its force is shared by surviving neighboring fibers. The results show that the system presents a greater resistance and toughness toward the applied load compared to the classical one.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors adopt the dynamics of a local load-sharing fiber bundle model in two dimensions under an external load to study scaling law in failure process of composite materials with randomly oriented fibers. The model is based on the fiber bundle model where the fibers are randomly oriented. The system is different to the classical one where the fibers are arranged in parallel with the applied load direction.

Findings

The evolution time of the fraction of broken fiber is described by an exponential law with two characteristic times. The latter decrease linearly and exponentially respectively with both applied load and temperature.

Originality/value

Scaling behavior of the broken fiber numbers with the size system shows that the system exhibits a scaling law of Family–Vicsek model with universal exponents.
Change recipients’ resistance and salience to organizational re-creation: the effects of participation and coercion strategies on change derailment
Authors: R. Alhezzani Yazeed Mohammad
Published: July 2020

Purpose

For change initiatives to succeed, change managers are required to address recipients’ needs. Although strategies to deal with change recipients and their resistance are widely explored, there is a dearth of studies that consider the different salience of change recipients. This paper aims to propose a framework on the effects of participation and coercion as strategies to deal with change recipients and their impact on change derailment.

Design/methodology/approach

Conceptual based upon that change recipients are classified into three levels according to their salience in relation to change. Based upon the recipients’ power and legitimacy in relation to change, stakeholder salience theory constitutes a theoretical provision used in this research to categorize the salience of change recipients.

Findings

The framework integrates change recipients’ salience levels (i.e. definitive, expectant and latent) and the effects of participation and coercion strategies on change derailment in times of organizational re-creation. The paper develops six hypotheses, which yield insights that advance the understanding of dealing with change recipients in the context of organizational re-creation.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is conceptual and not yet tested empirically. To empirically test the framework, research adopting survey methodology to gather data from organizations that experience a re-creation change as defined in this paper. The unit of analysis for future research is described in this paper and it is how organizational re-creation is defined in this paper.

Originality/value

Stakeholder salience theory is used to develop a framework that combines three classes of change recipients’ salience, as well as the effects of two strategies to deal with them and their resistance (i.e. lack of involvement and coercion) to examine their influence on change derailment. The potential contribution will expand the current literature discussed in this paper about dealing with change recipients’ resistance to change.
Rhetoric and propriety judgments: reflections from bottled water
Authors: Gauthier Jeffrey , Kappen Jeffrey A.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the rhetorical strategies used by organizations in support of propriety judgments concerning their products.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken entails discourse and rhetorical analysis of texts produced by leading firms in the bottled water industry, and by the industry’s trade association, surrounding issues of sustainability.

Findings

The analysis reveals rhetorical strategies invoked by firms to legitimate their economic, environmental and social performance.

Research limitations/implications

This paper’s primary contribution is to research that informs the discursive aspects of legitimacy. As well, this study contributes to our nascent understanding of the microfoundations of sustainability.

Originality/value

Our knowledge of how organizations use different discursive strategies in support of legitimacy is relatively underdeveloped. By examining rhetorical strategies used in support of propriety judgments concerning organizations’ environmental, social and economic legitimacy, this study begins to fill gaps in our understanding.
Efficient reflection waveform inversion using a locally normalized zero‐lag correlative objective function
Authors: He Bin , Liu Yike
Published: July 2020

Full‐waveform inversion is characterized by cycle‐skipping when the starting background model differs significantly from the true model and low‐frequency data are unavailable. To mitigate this problem, reflection waveform inversion is applied to provide a background velocity model for full‐waveform inversion. This technique attempts to extract background velocity updates along the reflection wavepath by matching the reflection waveforms. However, two issues arise during the implementation of reflection waveform inversion: amplitude and efficiency. The amplitude is always underestimated due to the complex subsurface parameter (i.e. the source signature, density, attenuation etc.). This makes it unreasonable to match the reflection amplitude involved in waveforms, especially in the filed data cases. In addition, generating the background velocity gradient requires the simulation of the reflection wavefield. However, simulating the reflection wavefield is time‐consuming. To address the former, we introduced a locally normalized objective function, while for the latter, we used an efficient strategy by avoiding the explicit generation of the reflection wavefield. Results show that applying the proposed method to both synthetic and field data can provide a good background velocity model for full‐waveform inversion with high efficiency.
‘I just don’t think it’s that natural’: adolescent mothers’ constructions of breastfeeding as deviant
Authors: Jamie Kimberly , McGeagh Lucy , Bows Hannah , O’Neill Roisin
Published: July 2020

Breastfeeding is recognised globally as the optimal method of infant feeding. For Murphy (1999) its nutritional superiority positions breastfeeding as a moral imperative where mothers who formula‐feed are open to charges of maternal deviance and must account for their behaviour. We suggest that this moral superiority of breastfeeding is tenuous for mothers from marginalised contexts and competes with discourses which locate breastfeeding, rather than formula feeding, as maternal deviance. We draw on focus group and interview data from 27 adolescent mothers from socio‐economically deprived neighbourhoods in three areas of the UK, and five early years professionals working at a Children’s Centre in the Northeast of England. We argue that breastfeeding is constructed as deviance at three ‘levels’ as (i) a deviation from broad social norms about women’s bodies, (ii) a deviation from local mothering behaviours and (iii) a transgression within micro‐level interpersonal and familial relationships. Given this positioning of breastfeeding as deviant, breastfeeding mothers feel obliged to account for their deviance. In making this argument, we extend and rework Murphy’s (1999) framework to encompass diverse experiences of infant feeding. We conclude with reflections on future research directions and potential implications for practice.