bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sam50-Mic19-Mic60 axis Determines Mitochondrial Cristae Architecture by Mediating Mitochondrial Outer and Inner Membrane Contact
Authors: Tang Junhui , Zhang Kuan , Dong Jun , Yan Chaojun , Chen Shi , Song Zhiyin
Published: June 2018

Mitochondrial cristae are critical for efficient oxidative phosphorylation, however, how cristae architecture is precisely organized remains largely unknown. Here, we discovered that Mic19, a core component of MICOS (mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system) complex, can be cleaved at N-terminal by mitochondrial protease OMA1. Mic19 directly interacts with mitochondrial outer-membrane protein Sam50 (the key subunit of SAM complex) and inner-membrane protein Mic60 (the key component of MICOS complex) to form Sam50-Mic19-Mic60 axis, which dominantly connects SAM and MICOS complexes to assemble MIB (mitochondrial intermembrane space bridging) supercomplex for mediating mitochondrial outer- and inner-membrane contact. OMA1-mediated Mic19 cleavage causes Sam50-Mic19-Mic60 axis disruption, which separates SAM and MICOS and leads to MIB disassembly. Disrupted Sam50-Mic19-Mic60 axis, even in the presence of SAM and MICOS complexes, causes the abnormal mitochondrial morphology, loss of mitochondrial cristae junctions, abnormal cristae distribution and reduced ATP production. Importantly, Sam50 displays punctate distribution at mitochondrial outer membrane, and acts as an anchoring point to guide the formation of mitochondrial cristae junctions. Therefore, we propose a model that Sam50-Mic19-Mic60 axis mediated SAM-MICOS complexes integration determines mitochondrial cristae architecture.
Environmental enrichment in piglet creeps: behavior and productive performance
Authors: Sartor Karina , de Freitas Bolivar Felipe , de Souza Granja Barros Juliana , Rossi Luiz Antonio
Published: June 2018

In the farrowing stage, to use heated creeps is crucial for meeting the thermal requirements of newborn piglets and alternatives for environmental enrichment to attract the animals to the creeps. The objective of this study was to evaluate the behavior and productive performance of piglets submitted to creeps enriched with different types of sensory stimuli. The study had a completely randomized design. The animals were submitted to seven treatments: T1) Enrichment with blue LED lighting; T2) Enrichment with fragrance of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) essential oil; T3) Enrichment with fragrance of lavender (Lavandula) essential oil; T4) Enrichment with fragrance of lemon (Citrus × latifolia) essential oil; T5) Enrichment with classical music, “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi; T6) Creeps heated without environmental enrichment (control group); T7) Enrichment with fragrance of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) essential oil. The piglets were submitted to creeps with environmental enrichment under automatic control every 15 min (on/off), from 8 am to 5:45 pm (21 consecutive days). The environmental conditions of the creeps – air temperature, relative humidity, luminous intensity, and decibels – were evaluated within the creeps with environmental enrichment to determine the influence on the piglets’ behavior and productive performance. The results show that piglets submitted to creeps with environmental enrichment with blue artificial light and thyme essential oil showed reduced frequency outside the creeps when compared with treatment T6 (control). This showed the reduction of the stay of piglets in areas susceptible to crushing, in proximities to the mother. Piglets showed greater preference for creeps enriched with fragrance diffusion of thyme essential oil and with blue artificial lighting.
Learning the payoffs and costs of actions
Authors: Möller Moritz , Bogacz Rafal
Published: June 2018

A set of sub-cortical nuclei called basal ganglia is critical for learning the values of actions. The basal ganglia include two pathways, which have been associated with approach and avoid behavior respectively, and are differentially modulated by dopamine projections from the midbrain. According to the influential opponent actor learning model, these pathways represent learned estimates of the positive and negative consequences (payoffs and costs) of actions. The level of dopamine release controls to what extent payoffs and costs enter the overall evaluation of actions. How the knowledge about payoff and cost is acquired is still an open question, even though many theories describe learning from feedback in the basal ganglia. We examine whether a set of plasticity rules proposed to model reinforcement learning in the pathways of the basal ganglia is suitable to extract payoffs and costs from a reward prediction error signal. First, we determine the result of such learning, both analytically and via simulations, for different reward schedules that feature payoffs and costs. Then, we combine the plasticity rules with a decision rule to examine the emerging effect of dopaminergic modulation on the willingness to work for reward. We find that the plasticity rules are suitable to infer the mean payoffs and costs of actions, if those occur at different moments in time. Successful learning requires differential effects of positive and negative reward prediction errors on the two pathways, and a weak decay of synaptic weights over trials. We also confirm that dopaminergic modulation produces effects on the willingness to work for reward similar to those observed in classical experiments.

Author summary

The basal ganglia are structures underneath the surface of the vertebrate brain, associated with error driven learning. Much is known about the anatomical and biological features of the basal ganglia; scientists now try to understand the algorithms implemented by these structures. Numerous models aspire to capture the learning functionality, but many of them only cover some specific aspect of the algorithm. Instead of further adding to that pool of partial models, we unify two existing ones - one which captures what the basal ganglia learns, and one that describes the learning mechanism itself. The first model suggests that the basal ganglia keeps track of both positive and negative consequences of frequent opportunities, and weighs these by the motivational state in decisions. It explains how payoff and cost are represented, but not how those representations arise. The other model consists of biologically plausible plasticity rules, which describe how learning takes place, but not how the brain makes use of what is learned. We show that the two theories are compatible. Together, they form a model of learning and decision making that integrates the motivational state as well as the learned payoffs and costs of opportunities.
Broad applicability of a streamlined Ethyl Cinnamate-based clearing procedure
Authors: Masselink Wouter , Reumann Daniel , Murawala Prayag , Pasierbek Pawel , Taniguchi Yuka , Knoblich Jürgen A. , Tanaka Elly M.
Published: June 2018

Turbidity and opaqueness are inherent properties of tissues which limit the capacity to acquire microscopic images through large tissues. Creating a uniform refractive index, known as tissue clearing, overcomes most of these issues. These methods have enabled researchers to image large and complex 3D structures with unprecedented depth and resolution. However, tissue clearing has been adopted to a limited extent due to a combination of cost, time, complexity of existing methods and potential negative impact on fluorescence signal. Here we describe 2Eci (2nd generation Ethyl cinnamate based clearing method) which can be used to clear a wide range of tissues, including cerebral organoids, Drosophila melanogaster, zebrafish, axolotl, and Xenopus laevis in as little as 1-5 days while preserving a broad range of fluorescence proteins including GFP, mCherry, Brainbow, and alexa-fluorophores. Ethyl cinnamate is non-toxic and can easily be used in multi-user microscope facilities. This method will open up clearing to a much broader group of researchers, due to its broad applicability, ease of use, and non-toxic nature of Ethyl cinnamate.

Summary statement

The non-toxic, broadly applicable, and simplified protocol of 2Eci tissue clearing makes it possible for non-specialist labs to use clearing approaches on conventional inverted microscopes.
Production of alkanes from CO2 by engineered bacteria
Authors: Lehtinen Tapio , Virtanen Henri , Santala Suvi , Santala Ville
Published: June 2018

Background

Microbial biosynthesis of alkanes is considered a promising method for the sustainable production of drop-in fuels and chemicals. Carbon dioxide would be an ideal carbon source for these production systems, but efficient production of long carbon chains from CO2is difficult to achieve in a single organism. A potential solution is to employ acetogenic bacteria for the reduction of CO2to acetate, and engineer a second organism to convert the acetate into long-chain hydrocarbons.

Results

In this study, we demonstrate alkane production from CO2by a system combining the acetogenAcetobacterium woodiiand a non-native alkane producerAcinetobacter baylyiADP1 engineered for alkane production. Nine synthetic two-step alkane biosynthesis pathways consisting of different aldehyde- and alkane-producing enzymes were combinatorically constructed and expressed inA. baylyi.The aldehyde-producing enzymes studied were AAR fromSynechococcus elongatus,Acr1 fromA. baylyi,and Ramo, a putative dehydrogenase, fromNevskia ramosa.The alkane-producing enzymes were ADOs fromS. elongatusandNostoc punctiforme,and CER1 fromArabidopsis thaliana.The performance of the pathways was evaluated with a twin-layer biosensor, which allowed the monitoring of both the intermediate, fatty aldehyde, as well as the alkane production. The highest alkane production, as indicated by the biosensor, was achieved with a pathway consisting of AAR and ADO fromS. elongatus.The performance of this pathway was further improved by balancing the relative expression levels of the enzymes in order to limit the accumulation of the intermediate fatty aldehyde. Finally, the acetogenA. woodiiwas used to produce acetate from CO2and H2, and the acetate was used for alkane production by the engineeredA. baylyi,thereby leading to the net production of long-chain alkanes from CO2.

Conclusions

A modular system for the production of drop-in liquid fuels from CO2was demonstrated. Among the studied synthetic pathways, the combination of ADO and AAR fromS. elongatuswas found to be the most efficient in heterologous alkane production inA. baylyi.Furthermore, limiting the accumulation of the fatty aldehyde intermediate was found to be beneficial for the alkane production.
Prognostic Relevance of CCDC88C (Daple) Transcripts in the Peripheral Blood of Patients with Malignant Melanoma
Authors: Dunkel Ying , Reid Anna L. , Ear Jason , Aznar Nicolas , Millward Michael , Gray Elin , Pearce Robert , Ziman Melanie , Ghosh Pradipta
Published: June 2018

A loss of balance between G-protein activation and deactivation has been implicated in the initiation of melanomas, and non-canonical Wnt signaling via the Wnt5A/Frizzled (FZD) pathway has been shown to be critical for the switch to an invasive phenotype. Daple [CCDC88C gene], a cytosolic guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) which enhances non-canonical Wnt5A/FZD signaling via activation of trimeric G protein, Gai has been shown to serve opposing roles-- as an inducer of EMT and invasiveness and a potent tumor suppressor -- via two isoforms, V1 (full-length) and V2, respectively. Here we report that the relative abundance of these isoforms in the peripheral circulation, presumably largely from circulating tumor cells (CTCs), is a prognostic marker of cutaneous melanomas. Expression of V1 is increased in both the early and late clinical stages (p<0.001, p=0.002, respectively); V2 is decreased exclusively in the late clinical stage (p=0.011). The two isoforms have opposing prognostic effects: high expression of V2 increases progression-free survival (PFS; p = 0.02), whereas high expression of V1 decreases PFS (p=0.013). Furthermore, these effects are additive, in that melanoma patients with a low V2-high V1 signature carry the highest risk of metastatic disease. We conclude that detection of Daple transcripts in the peripheral blood (i.e., liquid biopsies) of patients with melanoma may serve as a prognostic marker and an effective strategy for non-invasive long-term follow-up of patients with melanoma.
Principled multi-omic analysis reveals gene regulatory mechanisms of phenotype variation
Authors: Hanson Casey , Cairns Junmei , Wang Liewei , Sinha Saurabh
Published: June 2018

Recent studies have analyzed large-scale data sets of gene expression to identify genes associated with interindividual variation in phenotypes ranging from cancer subtypes to drug sensitivity, promising new avenues of research in personalized medicine. However, gene expression data alone is limited in its ability to reveal cis-regulatory mechanisms underlying phenotypic differences. In this study, we develop a new probabilistic model, called pGENMi, that integrates multi-omic data to investigate the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms underlying interindividual variation of a specific phenotype—that of cell line response to cytotoxic treatment. In particular, pGENMi simultaneously analyzes genotype, DNA methylation, gene expression, and transcription factor (TF)-DNA binding data, along with phenotypic measurements, to identify TFs regulating the phenotype. It does so by combining statistical information about expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and expression-correlated methylation marks (eQTMs) located within TF binding sites, as well as observed correlations between gene expression and phenotype variation. Application of pGENMi to data from a panel of lymphoblastoid cell lines treated with 24 drugs, in conjunction with ENCODE TF ChIP data, yielded a number of known as well as novel (TF, Drug) associations. Experimental validations by TF knockdown confirmed 41% of the predicted and tested associations, compared to a 12% confirmation rate of tested nonassociations (controls). An extensive literature survey also corroborated 62% of the predicted associations above a stringent threshold. Moreover, associations predicted only when combining eQTL and eQTM data showed higher precision compared to an eQTL-only or eQTM-only analysis using pGENMi, further demonstrating the value of multi-omic integrative analysis.
Auxin Efflux Carrier ZmPGP1 Mediates Root Growth Inhibition under Aluminum Stress
Authors: Zhang Maolin , Lu Xiaoduo , Li Cuiling , Zhang Bing , Zhang Chunyi , Zhang Xian-sheng , Ding Zhaojun
Published: June 2018

Auxin has been shown to enhance root growth inhibition under aluminum (Al) stress in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). However, in maize (Zea mays), auxin may play a negative role in the Al-induced inhibition of root growth. In this study, we identified mutants deficient in the maize auxin efflux carrier P-glycoprotein (ZmPGP1) after ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis and used them to elucidate the contribution of ZmPGP1 to Al-induced root growth inhibition. Root growth in the zmpgp1 mutant, which forms shortened roots and is hyposensitive to auxin, was less inhibited by Al stress than that in the inbred line B73. In the zmpgp1 mutants, the root tips displayed higher auxin accumulation and enhanced auxin signaling under Al stress, which was also consistent with the increased expression of auxin-responsive genes. Based on the behavior of the auxin-responsive marker transgene, DR5rev:RFP, we concluded that Al stress reduced the level of auxin in the root tip, which contrasts with the tendency of Al stress-induced Arabidopsis plants to accumulate more auxin in their root tips. In addition, Al stress induced the expression of ZmPGP1. Therefore, in maize, Al stress is associated with reduced auxin accumulation in root tips, a process that is regulated by ZmPGP1 and thus causes inhibition of root growth. This study provides further evidence about the role of auxin and auxin polar transport in Al-induced root growth regulation in maize.
Qualitative and quantitative analysis of intermolecular interactions in xanthenedione derivatives
Authors: Purushothaman Gayathri , Thiruvenkatam Vijay
Published: June 2018

The existence of intermolecular interactions and the conformational geometry adopted by molecules are related to biological activity. Xanthenedione molecules are promising and emerging antioxidants and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. To examine the role of different functional groups involved in the intermolecular interactions and conformational geometries adopted in xanthenediones, a series of three substituted xanthenediones have been crystallized [9-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-3,3,6,6-tetramethyl-3,4,5,6,7,9-hexahydro-1H-xanthene-1,8(2H)-dione, C23H26O4, 9-(5-bromo-2-methoxyphenyl)-3,3,6,6-tetramethyl-3,4,6,7-tetrahydro-2H-xanthene-1,8(5H,9H)-dione, C24H27BrO4, and 3,3,6,6-tetramethyl-9-(pyridin-2-yl)-3,4,6,7-tetrahydro-2H-xanthene-1,8(5H,9H)-dione, C22H25NO3] and their intermolecular interactions analyzedviaHirshfeld analysis. The results show that all the derivatives adopt the same structural conformation, where the central ring has a shallow boat conformation and the outer rings have a twisted boat conformation. The intermolecular interactions in the molecules are predominantly O—H...O, C—H...O and π–π interactions. The optimized structures of the derivatives from theoretical B3LYP/6-311G** calculations show a good correlation with the experimental structures. The lattice energy involved in the intermolecular interactions has been explored usingPIXELC.
Surface modification of graphene-coated carbon steel using aromatic molecules for enhancing corrosion resistance; comparison between type of aryl substitution with different spatial situations
Authors: Shams Ghahfarokhi Zahra , Bagherzadeh Mojtaba , Ghiamati Yazdi Ebrahim , Teimouri Abbas
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is study of the type of functional group and its situation on phenyl molecule, in increasing the corrosion protection of modified graphene layers by it. Corrosion protection efficiency of graphene was raised via modifying the surface of graphene-coated carbon steel (CS/G) by using aromatic molecules. Phenyl groups with three different substitutions including COOH, NO2and CH3grafted to graphene via diazonium salt formation route, by using carboxy phenyl, nitro phenyl and methyl phenyl diazonium salts in ortho, meta and para spatial situations.

Design/methodology/approach

Molecular bindings were characterized by using X-ray diffractometer, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/ energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) methods. Anti-corrosion performance of modified CS/G electrodes was evaluated by weight loss and electrochemical techniques, potentiodynamic polarization (Tafel) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, in 3.5 per cent NaCl solution.

Findings

The obtained results confirmed covalently bonding of phenyl groups to the graphene surface. Also, the observed results showed that substitution spatial situations on phenyl groups can affect charge transfer resistance (Rct), corrosion potential (Ecorr), corrosion current density (jcorr) and the slope of the anodic and cathodic reaction (ßa,c), demonstrating that the proposed modification method can hinder the corrosion reactions. The proposed modification led to restoring the graphene surface defects and consequently increasing its corrosion protection efficiency.

Originality/value

The obtained results from electrochemical methods proved that protection efficiency was observed in order COOH < NO2< CH3and MPD in the para spatial situation and showed the maximum protection efficiency of 98.6 per cent in comparison to other substitutions. Finally, the ability of proposed graphene surface modification route was further proofed by using surface methods, i.e. SEM and EDXA, and contact angles measurements.
Aircraft piston engines on-condition exploitation
Authors: Glowacki Pawel Jan
Published: June 2018

Purpose

Currently, in many countries, aviation safety regulations allow piston engines exploitation above Time Between Overhaul (TBO) recommended by manufacturers. Upon fulfillment of certain requirements, which are already included in the manufacturers’ documentation, TBO extension is granted. National Aviation Authority has approved exploitation of piston engines to something like quasi on-condition maintenance, which has no technical proof behind. This leads to the conclusion that the current, simple way of the engine’s life extension is not the best solution for maintaining flight safety. Aircraft piston engines TBO extension requires changes in the current exploitation system.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides methodology for aircraft piston engines on-condition exploitation based on engine flight parameters (from cruise and takeoff) and engine oil particles analysis. The paper describes a method of diagnostic limits for certain engine parameters and elements in the oil assignation assuming that they come under rules of normal distribution.

Findings

It has been found that piston engines installed on maximum takeoff mass <5,700 kg class aircraft are the second biggest contributor as a source of aviation events, thereby having a significant impact on aviation safety. Engine flight parameters and elements content in the oil meet Gaussian rules.

Practical implications

Introduction of the engine on-condition exploitation into operation practices reduces the operator’s engine direct maintenance cost and increases technical knowledge of the employees and has a positive impact on flight safety.

Originality/value

It is the first scientific description in Poland, which proposes an empirically proved methodology of the aviation piston engines on-condition exploitation.
Total rewards components and work happiness in new ventures
Authors: Gulyani Gaatha , Sharma Tanuja
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of total rewards components (monetary, material and non-monetary) on happiness of employees working in Indian technology-based new ventures. Further, with the theoretical lens of social exchange theory, the mediating role of work engagement between total rewards perceptions and work happiness relationship has also been evaluated.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 201 employees working in Indian technology-based new ventures was conducted. Structural equation modeling was utilized to measure the proposed theoretical model. Regression analysis was conducted to test the direct effects of the hypothesized relationships. Sobel test and bootstrapping analysis were utilized to test the indirect effects of the proposed hypothesized relationship.

Findings

The findings supported the hypotheses that employees’ perceptions of total rewards have a significant impact on employee work engagement and happiness at work. However, individual component of total rewards, i.e. monetary rewards, demonstrated an insignificant impact on the employee work happiness. Work engagement was positively related to work happiness and fully mediated the relationship between total rewards perceptions and work happiness.

Practical implications

Special attention should be given to enhance the material and non-monetary rewards, specifically strengthening the feeling of appreciation, learning and growth opportunities and improving feedback functions. Given the challenges of new ventures (productivity and efficiency of talent), management of total rewards mix should be considered as the main concern of human resource (HR) managers and management (founders). The paper also provides important implications for designing a reward system that enhances employee productivity and efficiency in the unstructured and ambiguous work environment of new ventures.

Originality/value

The present study has significant contributions to the HR, entrepreneurship and positive psychology literature. It is an attempt to understand the association between total rewards components and work happiness via mediating mechanism, i.e. work engagement in new ventures. It also extends research in the entrepreneurial context. The emergence and growth of new ventures in India has meant a growing importance for understanding employees’ needs and expectations and guaranteeing their happiness. The findings of the study contribute to social exchange theory, Vroom’s expectancy and self-determination theory. This research is also a rare investigation of employees’ perspectives in an entrepreneurial context.
The ties that bind: stakeholder collaboration and networking in local festivals
Authors: Adongo Raymond , Kim Seongseop
Published: June 2018

Purpose

This study aims to examine the extent of collaboration and networking between local festival stakeholders by focusing on the differences in how they evaluate themselves and other stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire directed toward different stakeholder groups involving 1,092 respondents was administered at six selected festivals in Ghana, West Africa.

Findings

In terms of self-evaluated collaboration and networking, the festival organizers considered themselves to have the highest risk, followed by the sponsors and vendors. However, when the stakeholders assessed each other, most agreed that they experienced higher risk when dealing with vendors. To reduce the risks of dealing with vendors, it is recommended that vendors be registered, accredited and allocated selling spaces before festivals begin.

Practical implications

It is helpful to understand the nature of decision power or different views of collaboration and networking among stakeholders. Further, this study offers insights to understand stakeholders’ motivations to participate in local festivals.

Originality/value

The combination of collaboration and networking between local festival stakeholders into a conceptual model allows the current findings to offer meaningful theoretical and practical implications.
Innovation in Swedish hotels
Authors: Wikhamn Wajda , Armbrecht John , Remneland Wikhamn Björn
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess innovation in the hotel sector in Sweden and to investigate how structural and organizational factors influence hotel’s likelihood of producing service/product, process, organizational and marketing innovations.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on responses from 174 hotels with membership in the Swedish hotel association. Responses were collected via a web-based survey.

Findings

This paper provides insights about the nature and extent of innovations in the hotel sector. Although traditionally considered rigid and non-innovative, around half of the responding hotels produced at least one type of innovation. Most common are service/product and marketing innovations. A hotel’s likelihood of innovating depends largely on structural independence (non-chain), having an explicit innovation strategy and investing in non-traditional R&D.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the chosen design (convenience sampling), the results of this paper may lack generalizability. Therefore, future research is encouraged to test the hypotheses further.

Practical implications

Managers in the hospitality industry can influence the production of innovations in the hotel sector. By promoting flexibility, defining and communicating an innovation strategy, and engaging in non-traditional R&D activities, practitioners can better respond to the changing business environment.

Originality/value

This paper presents a systematic, and internationally recognized, method for assessing four types of innovation in the hotel sector. Its originality stems also from its approach to investigating how key structural and organizational factors, when considered in the same analysis, predict service/product, process, organizational and marketing innovations.
Experiencing local Turkish hospitality in Istanbul, Turkey
Authors: Cetin Gurel , Okumus Fevzi
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate tourists’ experiences of local hospitality and offer a typology of Turkish hospitality based on perspectives of international tourists.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with tourists visiting Istanbul, Turkey. Interview transcripts were content-analyzed and -coded under different themes that characterize local hospitality.

Findings

The research findings revealed 64 items describing local Turkish hospitality. These were grouped under four distinct themes: sociability, care, helpfulness and generosity.

Research limitations/implications

Using the factors of local Turkish hospitality identified in this paper, future studies might measure the impacts of these antecedents of local hospitality on tourist satisfaction and positive behaviors such as loyalty and word of mouth in a quantitative study. Exploring local hospitality in different destinations with different characteristics might also reveal valuable insight into variance and intensity of local hospitality.

Practical implications

The research findings have implications for both commercial hospitality and destination management. By leveraging the local hospitality elements in their operations and human resources management practices, the commercial hospitality firms might create strong emotional bonds with their guests and create loyalty through these relationships. Destination planning and management might also adopt the findings to facilitate interactions between the hosts and tourists for more positive experiences for both sides to emerge.

Social implications

Destinations exposed to heavy visitation may not have the same level of hospitableness toward visitors. Hence, impact of tourism activity on local quality of life should be monitored and managed.

Originality/value

Despite hospitality having been researched in numerous previous studies, local hospitality has not yet been fully explored in tourism. This study presents and discusses empirical findings and offers a typology of local Turkish hospitality.
Public attitudes toward traditional Chinese medicine and how they affect medical treatment choices in Hong Kong
Authors: Chan Kara , Tsang Lennon
Published: June 2018

Purpose

This study aims to test a conceptual model using public attitudes toward biomedicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to predict respondents’ medical treatment choice.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative online survey was conducted using quota sampling. Altogether 1,321 questionnaires from Hong Kong residents of age 15 years or above were collected.

Findings

Attitudes toward biomedicine in relation to TCM and perceived cost of TCM consultation were found to be significant variables in predicting respondents’ medical treatment choice of treatment. Perceived efficacy of TCM, however, was not a significant predictor. Older respondents, as well as respondents with higher education, were less likely to consult biomedicine first when ill. They were also less likely to consult biomedicine exclusively.

Research limitations/implications

This study uses a convenience sample recruited through personal networks. The findings cannot be generalized to the rest of the population.

Practical implications

Respondents in the study generally perceived TCM’s efficacy to be high, but not high enough to make it the medical treatment of choice. To promote TCM in Hong Kong, there is a need to enhance trust in it. This can be achieved through strengthening scientific research and development of TCM, enhancing professional standards of TCM practitioners and educating the public about the qualifications of TCM practitioners. Strategic channel planning to reach potential target and reducing the time cost of TCM medication should be examined.

Originality/value

The study is the first to relate attitudes to and perceptions of TCM with medical treatment choices in Hong Kong.
The unintended consequences of a pay-for-performance rule change
Authors: Hur Hyunkang
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the impact of a pay-for-performance (PFP) rule change on US Department of Defense (DoD) employees’ job satisfaction by looking at changes in the DoD’s National Security Personnel System.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for the analysis are derived from the 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 Federal Human Capital Survey. A difference-in-differences (DID) quasi-experimental methodology was used to examine the effect of a PFP rule change on DoD employee job satisfaction. The Department of Air Force and Navy are analyzed as a proxy for the DoD. This study also undertakes a subgroup analysis strategy to understand the effect of PFP systems on specific subgroups (classified by gender, race and supervisory status).

Findings

This study’s results indicate that the overall effect of the introduction of a new PFP rule at DoD is a decrease of approximately 7.9 percentage points in employee job satisfaction, which is a substantial negative effect. In addition, this paper further finds that DoD’s PFP system has widened the gender gap in job satisfaction at DoD.

Originality/value

This study contributes to both the theoretical and the empirical understanding of PFP systems and public employee work morale and attitudes.
Making cities more walkable for tourists: a view from Singapore’s streets
Authors: Henderson Joan
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the meanings of walkability and relevance for tourism in modern Asian cities, including barriers to its implementation. Particular reference is made to conditions in the city state of Singapore and the manner in which urban planning and transport policies are influencing the tourist walking experience.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study methodology was selected as most suitable for the exercise accompanied by a literature review. Findings are derived from material in the public arena collected from a range of sources.

Findings

The government is shown to be actively pursuing policies to encourage both walking and cycling by residents as components of wider strategies directed at improving liveability. Several initiatives which positively affect the comfort and enjoyment of city walking by tourists are identified, but so too are Singapore’s shortcomings as a destination in which to walk. Balancing the demands on public space is a critical challenge for authorities.

Originality/value

The subject has been neglected within both an urban tourism and Asian city context and this paper illuminates aspects of significance pertaining to the concept and practice of walkability. Insights are afforded into factors which facilitate walkability and impediments to overcome.
Analysing the flow pattern in the tourism city of Eskisehir
Authors: Sharipov Saidazim , Demirkol Hatice Günseli
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse pedestrian movement and traffic flow in one of the touristic destinations with several public spaces and buildings in the city of Eskisehir.

Design/methodology/approach

A direct observation method is used to study and analyse pedestrian movement pattern, public transportation routes, traffic density and amount of retail and services on location in order to determine relations between them.

Findings

The results of this study identified significant impact of public spaces and buildings on flow pattern, both pedestrian and traffic on local neighbourhood, sequentially influencing tourists visiting the location, thus location, orientation and amount of public spaces and buildings can be determined as factors which dictate success of public spaces and touristic destinations.

Research limitations/implications

In scope of this paper, the relationships between pedestrian movement, traffic flow and public spaces and buildings were studied, although the influence of public transportation on pedestrian movement is indisputable.

Originality/value

Understanding influences of public spaces and buildings on users of surrounding infrastructures such as walkways, traffic connections and transportation provides additional information on improving the quality of public spaces and touristic destinations and creates basis for developing additional methods for evaluating public spaces and buildings.
Innovation in judicial services: a study of innovation models in labor courts
Authors: Machado Michele , Sousa Marcos , Rocha Vicente , Isidro Antonio
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify innovation models in the judiciary according to the current integrated theoretical approach for innovation in services.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a quantitative approach. The authors collected the data through a questionnaire sent to labor court public servants and judges in a Regional Labor Court in the Midwestern region of Brazil. They performed a principal component analysis to identify the factors to map the innovation models present in the court.

Findings

Two factors were obtained from the results, which describe innovations in processes and services in the court studied. In terms of the examples of innovations cited by the respondents, one may note that those related to information and communications technology are the most remembered, especially the introduction of the electronic lawsuit.

Originality/value

The results can contribute toward a deeper understanding of which vectors of service innovation are affected as well as the nature of the court’s underlying structure. Also, the research instrument used allows the identification and analysis of the innovation model for services and thus contributes to its validation.
Competing logics: financialisation and a Dutch cooperative bank
Authors: De Graaf Frank Jan
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of the Dutch cooperative Rabobank to understand how the structure of an organisation determines how individual employees validate norms within that organisation.

Design/methodology/approach

Data over an approximately 10-year period starting 25 years ago are analysed, and the value of relating a historical analysis and narrative approach to ethical and institutional theories in economics and management science is demonstrated.

Findings

Regulation in the banking sector appears to have a strong normative aspect. The choice between state and private ownership is based on ideology. The author argues that the private ownership model was based primarily on an ideology surrounding economic efficiency, but that in fact there are other logics that also promote economic development. This contributes to the understanding of the interaction between sector standards, organisational structures and the values of organisations and individual employees. The structure of an organisation enables key employees to deviate slightly from the organisation’s prevailing norms in response to pressures from the wider environment, and those individuals thereby become symbols of that organisation.

Originality/value

The perspective on management history put forward in this paper enables assessing the distinction between normative notions in institutional environments and the organisation as a whole as represented in its governance structure and narratives that key employees disseminate about the organisation. This in turn helps us to understand the interaction between sector standards, organisational characteristics and values represented by individual employees. The author reveals the strong normative impact of banking regulation in line with an older ideological model focused on economic efficiency rather than market logics and the interests of society.
Service quality determinants at Zimbabwean state universities
Authors: Moyo Arnold , Ngwenya Sothini Natalia
Published: June 2018

Purpose

This research sought to empirically identify context specific dimensions of service quality at Zimbabwean State Universities. The study also sought to measure the ‘university-wide’ overall service quality at National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and to explore differences in service quality perception based on selected students’ demographic characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study strategy was used. Focus group discussions were used to qualitatively identify service quality variables; which were then subjected to quantitative evaluation through the administration of questionnaires on a sample of 294 students. Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to reduce the service quality variables into service quality dimensions.

Findings

Five dimensions of service quality were identified, namely: General Attitude, Facilitating Elements, Access, Lecture Rooms and Health Services. Results also showed that most students (48.3 per cent) perceived overall service quality at NUST to be average while 28.6 per cent and 23.1 per cent had a negative and positive perception of overall service quality respectively. Perceived overall service quality at NUST was found to differ significantly based on ‘students’ year of study’ and ‘faculty group’. Differences based on gender were found to be insignificant.

Originality/value

Identification of the five dimensions was a progressive step in developing a relevant service quality measurement instrument for a Zimbabwean State University context; and in so doing, contributing to literature on relevant service quality dimensions and measurement instruments in Zimbabwe and Africa in general. This was the first such study in Zimbabwe to address the context specific literature-gap on relevant service quality dimensions.
Assessing quality of academic programmes: comparing different sets of standards
Authors: Ali Sedig Ahmed Babikir , Ahmad Mohammad Nazir , Zakaria Nor Hidayati , Arbab Ahmed Mohammed , Badr Kamal Badr Abdalla
Published: June 2018

Purpose

Standards should provide a means for transparently comparing academic programmes delivered by higher education providers and the research activities they carry out. The purpose of this study is to investigate the different sets of standards related to the quality assurance of academic programmes in four countries with regard to the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG), developed by the European Association for Quality Assurance, for internal quality assurance within higher education institutions. The main aim is to find the convergence and divergence points and to test the consistency of terminologies in use which may impede international collaboration to develop one comprehensive international quality assurance system.

Design/methodology/approach

The study relied solely on desk-based research and no fieldwork or interviews were conducted for data collection; a point-by-point comparative approach has been applied to explore the standards related to quality assurance of academic programmes.

Findings

Although there is a great deal of convergence between the different sets of standards compared in this study, fundamental differences still exist.

Research limitations/implications

This study compared the standards of academic programmes in four countries with the ESG. To generalise the findings of this study, future research may include other standards for comparison.

Originality/value

This study engages in the debate of how quality of higher education will remain maintained, in times, when higher education is facing challenges such as internationalisation, which requires new initiatives and integrated mechanisms to facilitate mutual recognition of qualifications of students and staff moving across borders.
Industry-based equity premium forecasts
Authors: Silva Nuno
Published: June 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to study whether the industry indexes predict the evolution of the broad stock market in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses industry indexes to predict the equity premium in the USA. It considers several types of predictive models: constant coefficients and constant volatility, drifting coefficients and constant volatility, constant coefficients and stochastic volatility and drifting coefficients and stochastic volatility. The models are estimated through the particle learning algorithm, which is suitable for dealing with the problem that an investor faces in practice, given that it allows the investor to revise the parameters as new information arrives. The individual forecasts are combined based on their past performance.

Findings

The results reveal that models exhibit significant predictive ability. The models with constant volatility exhibit better performance, at the statistical level, but the models with stochastic volatility generate higher gains for a mean–variance investor.

Practical implications

This study’s findings are valuable not only for finance researchers but also for private investors and mutual fund managers, who can use these forecasts to improve the performance of their portfolios.

Originality/value

To the best of the knowledge of the author, this is the first paper that uses particle learning and combination of forecasts to predict the equity premium in the USA based on industry indexes. The study shows that the models generate valuable forecasts over the long time span that is considered.
Infrastructure quality and firm productivity in Africa
Authors: Bbaale Edward
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The World Bank (2017) ranks poor infrastructure, particularly electricity, as the second topmost obstacle (after access to finance) affecting enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of infrastructure quality on firm productivity in Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The author used the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) for 26 African countries and employed both descriptive and ordinary least squares techniques during the analysis. The author circumvents the endogeneity of infrastructure in the productivity model by using firm-level measures of infrastructure quality rather than the stock of infrastructural capital.

Findings

On an average, 80 percent of manufacturing firms in Africa reported having experienced electricity outages in the financial year preceding the survey. Power outages are negatively associated with the productivity of small, medium, young, domestically owned firms and non-exporters. On the other hand, the author observes a substitution effect of generators for the unreliable power from the public grid and this effect positively influences the productivity of large, old, foreign-owned and exporting firms.

Practical implications

The author argues that in addition to infrastructure capital at an aggregate level, dealing with quality issues at firm level is required to enhance productivity. More attention needs to be put to the elimination of power outages so as to improve the productivity of all firms particularly those that cannot afford to use generators in the place of electricity from the public grid.

Originality/value

The author notes that there exists scanty empirical literature on the effect of infrastructure quality on productivity for the case of Africa despite the existence of WBES for at least two waves for both developed and developing countries. The uniqueness of this paper in comparison to the previous literature is that the author undertakes the analysis according to some important firm categories: size, age, ownership and export status. Additionally, the author uses the infrastructure quality to understand its effect on firm-level efficiency levels rather than the stock of infrastructural capital. The use of aggregate indicators of infrastructure introduces an endogeneity problem which the author circumvents in this study.