bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Actin assembly-inducing protein ActA promotes FcγRIa-mediatedListeriainternalization
Authors: Perelman Sofya S. , Abrams Michael E. , Alto Neal M.
Published: September 2017

Listeria monocytogenesis a Gram-positive intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of human listeriosis. While the ability ofL. monocytogenesto enter and survive in professional phagocytes is critical to establish a successful infection, mechanisms of invasion are poorly understood. Our previous investigation into the role of type I interferon-stimulated genes in bacterial infection revealed that the human immunoglobulin receptor FcγRIa served as aL. monocytogenesinvasion factor. FcγRIa-mediatedL. monocytogenesentry occurred independently of immunoglobulin interaction or bacterial internalins. However, the bacterial determinants that mediate FcγRIa interaction remain unclear. Using a comparative genomics approach, we identify actin assembly-inducing protein ActA as a pathogen specific ligand of FcγRIa. FcγRIa enhanced entry of pathogenicL. monocytogenesandL. ivanoviistrain but not non-pathogenicL. innocua. We found that the major virulence regulator PrfA is required for pathogen entry into FcγRIa-expressing cells and identify its gene targetactAas the criticalListerialigand. ActA alone was sufficient to promote entry into FcγRIa-expressing cells, and this function is independent of its actin nucleating activity. Together, these studies present an unexpected role of ActA beyond its canonical function in actin-based motility and expand our understanding ofListeriastrategies for host cell invasion.

Importance

Listeria monocytogenesis a food-borne bacterial pathogen and a causative agent of listeriosis with up to 50% mortality rate in immunocompromised individuals. While the mechanisms ofListeriaentry into non-phagocytic cells have been extensively characterized, the details of phagocytic cell invasion are still poorly understood. We have recently discovered that human immunoglobulin receptor FcγRIa mediatesListeriauptake by monocytic cells. This process occurred independently of canonical immunoglobulin interactions as well as classicListeriainternalization factors. Importantly, molecular determinants ofListeria-FcγRIa interaction leading to bacterial entry, remained unknown. In this study, we demonstrate thatListeriavirulence factor actin-assembly inducing protein ActA is required for FcγRIa-mediated entry. Further, ActA was found to be sufficient for the internalization, suggesting its role as a bacterial ligand of FcγRIa. Together, these findings expand our knowledge of mechanisms thatListeriahas evolved to exploit cellular signaling pathways and immune defense of the host.
The Gram-positive model organismBacillus subtilisdoes not form microscopically detectable cardiolipin-specific lipid domains
Authors: Pogmore Alex-Rose , Seistrup Kenneth H. , Strahl Henrik
Published: September 2017

Rather than being a homogenous diffusion-dominated structure, biological membranes can exhibit areas with distinct composition and characteristics commonly termed as lipid domains. Arguably the most comprehensively studied examples in bacteria are domains formed by cardiolipin, which have been functionally linked to protein targeting, cell division process, and mode of action of membrane targeting antimicrobials. Cardiolipin domains were originally identified in the Gram-negative model organismEscherichia colibased on preferential staining by the fluorescent membrane dye nonyl acridine orange (NAO), and later reported to exist also in other Gram-negative and -positive bacteria. Recently, the lipid-specificity of NAO has been questioned based on studies conducted inE. coli. This prompted us to re-analyse cardiolipin domains also in the Gram-positive model organismBacillus subtilis. Here we show that logarithmically growingB. subtilisdoes not form microscopically detectable cardiolipin-specific lipid domains, and that NAO is not a specific stain for cardiolipin in this organism.

Abbreviations

NAO

10-nonyl acridine orange bromide

Nile Red

9-diethylamino-5-benzo[±]phenoxazinone
Stochastic Resonance Mediates the State-Dependent Effect of Periodic Stimulation on Cortical Alpha Oscillations
Authors: Lefebvre Jérémie , Frohlich Flavio , Hutt Axel
Published: September 2017

Brain stimulation can be used to engage and modulate rhythmic activity in cortical networks. However, the outcomes have been shown to be impacted by behavioral states and endogenous brain fluctuations. To better understand how this intrinsic oscillatory activity controls the brain’s susceptibility to stimulation, we analyzed a computational model of the thalamocortical system in both the rest and task states, to identify the mechanisms by which endogenous alpha oscillations (8Hz-12Hz) are impacted by periodic stimulation. Our analysis shows that the differences between different brain states can be explained by a passage through a bifurcation combined to stochastic resonance - a mechanism whereby irregular fluctuations amplify the response of a nonlinear system to weak signals. Indeed, our findings suggest that modulating brain oscillations is best achieved in states of low endogenous rhythmic activity, and that irregular state-dependent fluctuations in thalamic inputs shape the susceptibility of cortical population to periodic stimulation.
Enabling Precision Medicine via standard communication of HTS provenance, analysis, and results
Authors: Alterovitz Gil , Dean Dennis , Goble Carole , Crusoe Michael R. , Soiland-Reyes Stian , Bell Amanda , Hayes Anais , Suresh Anita , Purkayastha Anjan , King Charles H. , Taylor Dan , Johanson Elaine , Thompson Elaine E. , Donaldson Eric , Morizono Hiroki , Tsang Hsinyi , Vora Jeet K. , Goecks Jeremy , Yao Jianchao , Almeida Jonas S. , Keeney Jonathon , Addepalli KanakaDurga , Krampis Konstantinos , Smith Krista M. , Guo Lydia , Walderhaug Mark , Schito Marco , Ezewudo Matthew , Guimera Nuria , Walsh Paul , Kahsay Robel , Gottipati Srikanth , Rodwell Timothy C , Bloom Toby , Lai Yuching , Simonyan Vahan , Mazumder Raja
Published: September 2017

A personalized approach based on a patient’s or pathogen’s unique genomic sequence is the foundation of precision medicine. Genomic findings must be robust and reproducible, and experimental data capture should adhere to FAIR guiding principles. Moreover, effective precision medicine requires standardized reporting that extends beyond wet lab procedures to computational methods. The BioCompute framework (https://osf.io/zm97b/) enables standardized reporting of genomic sequence data provenance, including provenance domain, usability domain, execution domain, verification kit, and error domain. This framework facilitates communication and promotes interoperability. Bioinformatics computation instances that employ the BioCompute framework are easily relayed, repeated if needed and compared by scientists, regulators, test developers, and clinicians. Easing the burden of performing the aforementioned tasks greatly extends the range of practical application. Large clinical trials, precision medicine, and regulatory submissions require a set of agreed upon standards that ensures efficient communication and documentation of genomic analyses. The BioCompute paradigm and the resulting BioCompute Objects (BCO) offer that standard, and are freely accessible as a GitHub organization (https://github.com/biocompute-objects) following the “Open-Stand.org principles for collaborative open standards development”. By communication of high-throughput sequencing studies using a BCO, regulatory agencies (e.g., FDA), diagnostic test developers, researchers, and clinicians can expand collaboration to drive innovation in precision medicine, potentially decreasing the time and cost associated with next generation sequencing workflow exchange, reporting, and regulatory reviews.
The kinases PIG-1 and PAR-1 act in redundant pathways to regulate asymmetric division in the EMS blastomere ofC. elegans
Authors: Liro Malgorzata J. , Morton Diane G. , Rose Lesilee S.
Published: September 2017

The PAR-1 kinase ofC. elegansis localized to the posterior of the one-cell embryo and its mutations affect asymmetric spindle placement and partitioning of cytoplasmic components in the first cell cycle. However, unlike mutations in the posteriorly localized PAR-2 protein,par-1mutations do not cause failure to restrict the anterior PAR polarity complex. Further, it has been difficult to examine the role of PAR-1 in subsequent divisions due to the early defects inpar-1mutant embryos. Here we show that the PIG-1 kinase acts redundantly with PAR-1 to restrict the anterior PAR-3 protein for polarity maintenance in the one-cell embryo. By using a weak allele ofpar-1that exhibits enhanced lethality when combined with apig-1mutation we have further explored roles for these genes in subsequent divisions. We find that both PIG-1 and PAR-1 regulate spindle orientation in the EMS blastomere of the four-cell stage embryo to ensure that it undergoes an asymmetric division. In this cell, PIG-1 and PAR-1 act in parallel pathways for spindle positioning, PIG-1 in the MES-1/SRC-1 pathway and PAR-1 in the Wnt pathway.
Changes in alpha activity reveal that social opinion modulates attention allocation during face processing
Authors: Heyselaar Evelien , Mazaheri Ali , Hagoort Peter , Segaert Katrien
Published: September 2017

Abstract

Participants’ performance differs when conducting a task in the presence of a secondary individual, moreover the opinion the participant has of this individual also plays a role. Using EEG, we investigated how previous interactions with, and evaluations of, an avatar in virtual reality subsequently influenced attentional allocation to the face of that avatar. We focused on changes in the alpha activity as an index of attentional allocation. We found that the onset of an avatar’s face whom the participant had developed a rapport with induced greater alpha suppression. This suggests greater attentional resources allocated to the interacted-with avatars. The evaluative ratings of the avatar induced a U-shaped change in alpha suppression, such that participants paid most attention when the avatar was rated as average. These results suggest that attentional allocation is thus an important element of how behaviour is altered in the presence of a secondary individual.
Spatial modeling of the membrane-cytosolic interface in protein kinase signal transduction
Authors: Giese Wolfgang , Milicic Gregor , Schröder Andreas , Klipp Edda
Published: September 2017

The spatial architecture of signaling pathways and the inter-action with cell size and morphology are complex but little understood. With the advances of single cell imaging and single cell biology it becomes crucial to understand intracel-lular processes in time and space. Activation of cell surface receptors often triggers a signaling cascade including the activation of membrane-attached and cytosolic signaling components, which eventually transmit the signal to the cell nucleus. Signaling proteins can form steep gradients in the cytosol, which cause strong cell size dependence. We show that the kinetics at the membrane-cytosolic interface and the ratio of cell membrane area to the enclosed cytosolic volume change the behavior of signaling cascades significantly. We present a mathematical analysis of signal transduction in time and space by providing analytical solutions for different spatial arrangements of linear signaling cascades. These investigations are complemented by numerical simulations of non-linear cascades and asymmetric cell shapes.
Phasor based single-molecule localization microscopy in 3D (pSMLM-3D): an algorithm for MHz localization rates using standard CPUs
Authors: Martens Koen J.A. , Bader Arjen N. , Baas Sander , Rieger Bernd , Hohlbein Johannes
Published: September 2017

We present a fast and model-free 2D and 3D single-molecule localization algorithm that allows more than 3 million localizations per second on a standard multi-core CPU with localization accuracies in line with the most accurate algorithms currently available. Our algorithm converts the region of interest around a point spread function (PSF) to two phase vectors (phasors) by calculating the first Fourier coefficients in both x- and y-direction. The angles of these phasors are used to localize the center of the single fluorescent emitter, and the ratio of the magnitudes of the two phasors is a measure for astigmatism, which can be used to obtain depth information (z-direction). Our approach can be used both as a stand-alone algorithm for maximizing localization speed and as a first estimator for more time consuming iterative algorithms.
Long-lived rodents reveal signatures of positive selection in genes associated with lifespan and eusociality
Authors: Sahm Arne , Bens Martin , Szafranski Karol , Holtze Susanne , Groth Marco , Görlach Matthias , Calkhoven Cornelis , Müller Christine , Schwab Matthias , Kestler Hans A. , Cellerino Alessandro , Burda Hynek , Hildebrandt Thomas , Dammann Philip , Platzer Matthias
Published: September 2017

The genetic mechanisms that determine lifespan are poorly understood. Most research has been done on short lived animals and it is unclear if these insights can be transferred to long-lived mammals like humans. Some African mole-rats (Bathyergidae) have life expectancies that are multiple times higher than similar sized and phylogenetically closely related rodents. We obtained genomic and transcriptomic data from 17 rodent species and systematically scanned eleven lineages associated with the evolution of longevity and eusociality for positively selected genes (PSGs). The set of 319 PSGs contains regulators of mTOR and is enriched in functional terms associated with (i) processes that are regulated by the mTOR pathway, e.g. translation, autophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis, (ii) the immune system and (iii) antioxidant defense. Analyzing gene expression of PSGs during aging in the long-lived naked mole-rat and up-regulation in the short-lived rat, we found a pattern fitting the antagonistic pleiotropy theory of aging.
gene2drug: a Computational Tool for Pathway-based Rational Drug Repositioning
Authors: Napolitano Francesco , Carrella Diego , Mandriani Barbara , Pisonero Sandra , Sirci Francesco , Medina Diego , Brunetti-Pierri Nicola , Bernardo Diego di
Published: September 2017

Motivation

Drug repositioning has been proposed as an effective shortcut to drug discovery. The availability of large collections of transcriptional responses to drugs enables computational approaches to drug repositioning directly based on measured molecular effects.

Results

We introduce a novel computational methodology for rational drug repositioning, which exploits the transcriptional responses following treatment with small molecule. Specifically, given a therapeutic target gene, a prioritisation of potential effective drugs is obtained by assessing their impact on the transcription of genes in the pathway(s) including the target. We performed in silico validation and comparison with a state-of-art technique based on similar principles. We next performed experimental validation in two different real-case drug repositioning scenarios: (i) upregulation of the glutamate-pyruvate transaminase, which has been shown to induce reduction of oxalate levels in a mouse model of primary hyperoxaluria, and (ii) activation of the transcription factor TFEB, a master regulator of lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy, whose modulation may be beneficial in neurodegenerative disorders.

Availability

free athttp://gene2drug.tigem.it

Contact

dibernardo@tigem.it
DNAJB1-PRKACAfusion kinase interacts with β-catenin and the liver regenerative response to drive fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Kastenhuber Edward R. , Lalazar Gadi , Houlihan Shauna L. , Tschaharganeh Darjus F. , Baslan Timour , Chen Chi-Chao , Requena David , Tian Sha , Bosbach Benedikt , Wilkinson John E. , Simon Sanford M. , Lowe Scott W.
Published: September 2017

A segmental deletion resulting inDNAJB1-PRKACAgene fusion is now recognized as the signature genetic event of fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FL-HCC), a rare but lethal liver cancer that primarily affects adolescents and young adults. Here, we implement CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and transposon-mediated somatic gene transfer to demonstrate that expression of both the endogenous fusion protein or a chimeric cDNA leads to the formation of indolent liver tumors in mice that closely resemble human FL-HCC. Notably, overexpression of the wild type PRKACA was unable to fully recapitulate the oncogenic activity ofDNAJB1-PRKACA, implying that FL-HCC does not simply result from enhanced PRKACA expression. Tumorigenesis was significantly enhanced by genetic activation of β-catenin, an observation supported by evidence of recurrent Wnt pathway mutations in human FL-HCC, as well as treatment with hepatotoxin 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC), which causes tissue injury, inflammation and fibrosis. Our study validates theDNAJB1-PRKACAfusion kinase as an oncogenic driver and candidate drug target for FL-HCC and establishes a practical model for preclinical studies to identify strategies to treat this disease.

Significance

Efforts to understand and treat FL-HCC have been confounded by a lack of models that accurately reflect the genetics and biology of the disease. Here, we demonstrate that theDnajb1-Prkacagene fusion drives tumorigenesis in mice, and that fusion to DNAJB1 drives FL-HCC initiation more effectively than wild type PRKACA overexpression. The requirement of the PRKACA kinase domain in tumor initiation establishes the potential utility of kinase inhibitors targeting the fusion. By identifying genetic and environmental factors that can enhance the consistency and aggressiveness of disease progression, we reveal biological characteristics of the disease and advance a robust platform for future pre-clinical studies.
Complete plastome sequences from Bertholletia excelsa and 23 related species yield informative markers for Lecythidaceae
Authors: Thomson Ashley M. , Vargas Oscar M. , Dick Christopher W.
Published: September 2017

Premise of the study: The tropical tree family Lecythidaceae has enormous ecological and economic importance in the Amazon basin. Lecythidaceae species can be difficult to identify without molecular data, however, and phylogenetic relationships within and among the most diverse genera are poorly resolved.

Methods: To develop informative genetic markers for Lecythidaceae, we used genome skimming to assemble de novo the full plastome of the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa) and 23 other Lecythidaceae species. Indices of nucleotide diversity and phylogenetic signal were used to identify regions suitable for genetic marker development.

Results: The B. excelsa plastome contained 160,472 bp and was arranged in a quadripartite structure. Using the 24 plastome alignments, we developed primers for 10 coding and non-coding DNA regions containing exceptional nucleotide diversity and phylogenetic signal. We additionally developed 19 chloroplast simple sequence repeats (cpSSRs) for population-level studies.

Discussion: The coding region ycf1 and the spacer rpl16-rps3 outperformed plastid DNA markers previously used for barcoding and phylogenetics. Used in a phylogenetic analysis, the matrix of 24 plastomes showed with 100% bootstrap support that Lecythis and Eschweilera are polyphyletic. The plastomes and primers presented in this study will facilitate a broad array of ecological and evolutionary studies in Lecythidaceae.
A pan-cancer landscape of interactions between solid tumors and infiltrating immune cell populations
Authors: Tamborero David , Rubio-Perez Carlota , Muiños Ferran , Radhakrishnan Sabarinathan , Piulats Josep M , Muntasell Aura , Dienstmann Rodrigo , Lopez-Bigas Nuria , Gonzalez-Perez Abel
Published: September 2017

Throughout their development, tumors are challenged by the immune system and acquire features to evade its surveillance. A systematic view of these traits is still lacking. Here, we identify genomic and transcriptomic traits associated to the immune-phenotype of 9,403 tumors of 29 solid cancers. In highly cytotoxic immune-phenotypes we found tumors with low clonal heterogeneity enriched by alterations of genes involved in epigenetic regulation, ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, antigen-presentation and cell-cell communication, which may drive resistance. Tumors with immune-phenotypes with mid cytotoxicity present an over-activation of processes involved in invasion and remodeling of neighboring tissues that may foster the recruitment of immune-suppressive cells. Tumors with poor cytotoxic immune-phenotype tend to be of more advanced stages and present frequent alterations in cell cycle, hedgehog, beta-catenin and TGF-beta pathways, which may drive the immune depletion. These results may be exploited to develop novel combinatorial targeting strategies involving immunotherapies.
A random-dot kinematogram for web-based vision research
Authors: Rajananda Sivananda , Lau Hakwan , Odegaard Brian
Published: September 2017

Web-­based experiments using visual stimuli have become increasingly common in recent years, but many frequently-used stimuli in vision research have yet to be developed for online platforms. Here, we introduce the first open access random-dot kinematogram (RDK) for use in web browsers. This fully customizable RDK offers options to implement several different types of noise (random position, random walk, random direction) and parameters to control aperture shape, coherence level, the number of dots, and other features. We include links to commented JavaScript code for easy implementation in web-based experiments, as well as an example of how this stimulus can be integrated as a plugin with a JavaScript library for online studies (jsPsych).
Large-scale crystallization and neutron crystallographic analysis of HSP70 in complex with ADP
Authors: Yokoyama Takeshi , Ostermann Andreas , Schrader Tobias E. , Mizuguchi Mineyuki
Published: September 2017

HSP70 belongs to the heat-shock protein family and binds to unfolded proteins, driven by ATP hydrolysis, in order to prevent aggregation. Previous X-ray crystallographic analyses of HSP70 have shown that HSP70 binds to ADP with internal water molecules. In order to elucidate the role of the water molecules, including their H/D atoms, a neutron diffraction study of the human HSP70 ATPase domain was initiated. Deuterated large crystals of the HSP–ADP complex (1.2–1.8 mm3) were successfully grown by large-scale crystallization, and a neutron diffraction experiment at BIODIFF resulted in diffraction to a maximum resolution of 2.2 Å. After data reduction, the overall completeness, R
meas and average I/σ(I) were 90.4%, 11.7% and 8.1, respectively, indicating that the data set was sufficient to visualize H and D atoms.
Crystal structure of the starch-binding domain of glucoamylase fromAspergillus niger
Authors: Suyama Yousuke , Muraki Norifumi , Kusunoki Masami , Miyake Hideo
Published: September 2017

Glucoamylases are widely used commercially to produce glucose syrup from starch. The starch-binding domain (SBD) of glucoamylase fromAspergillus nigeris a small globular protein containing a disulfide bond. The structure ofA. nigerSBD has been determined by NMR, but the conformation surrounding the disulfide bond was unclear. Therefore, X-ray crystal structural analysis was used to attempt to clarify the conformation of this region. The SBD was purified from anEscherichia coli-based expression system and crystallized at 293 K. The initial phase was determined by the molecular-replacement method, and the asymmetric unit of the crystal contained four protomers, two of which were related by a noncrystallographic twofold axis. Finally, the structure was solved at 2.0 Å resolution. The SBD consisted of seven β-strands and eight loops, and the conformation surrounding the disulfide bond was determined from a clear electron-density map. Comparison of X-ray- and NMR-determined structures of the free SBD showed no significant difference in the conformation of each β-strand, but the conformations of the loops containing the disulfide bond and the L5 loop were different. In particular, the difference in the position of the Cαatom of Cys509 between the X-ray- and NMR-determined structures was 13.3 Å. In addition, theBfactors of the amino-acid residues surrounding the disulfide bond are higher than those of other residues. Therefore, the conformation surrounding the disulfide bond is suggested to be highly flexible.
Crystal structure of type II NADH:quinone oxidoreductase from Caldalkalibacillus thermarum with an improved resolution of 2.15 Å
Authors: Nakatani Yoshio , Jiao Wanting , Aragão David , Shimaki Yosuke , Petri Jessica , Parker Emily J. , Cook Gregory M.
Published: September 2017

Type II NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (NDH-2) is a respiratory enzyme found in the electron-transport chain of many species, with the exception of mammals. It is a 40–70 kDa single-subunit monotopic membrane protein that catalyses the oxidation of NADH and the reduction of quinone molecules via the cofactor FAD. NDH-2 is a promising new target for drug development given its essential role in many bacterial species and intracellular parasites. Only two bacterial NDH-2 structures have been reported and these structures are at moderate resolution (2.3–2.5 Å). In this communication, a new crystallization platform is reported that produced high-quality NDH-2 crystals that diffracted to high resolution (2.15 Å). The high-resolution NDH-2 structure was used for in silico quinone substrate-docking studies to investigate the binding poses of menadione and ubiquinone molecules. These studies revealed that a very limited number of molecular interactions occur at the quinone-binding site of NDH-2. Given that the conformation of the active site is well defined, this high-resolution structure is potentially suitable for in silico inhibitor-compound screening and ligand-docking applications.
Do investor’s Big Five personality traits influence the association between information acquisition and stock trading behavior?
Authors: Tauni Muhammad Zubair , Rao Zia-ur-Rehman , Fang Hongxing , Mirza Sultan Sikandar , Memon Zulfiqar Ali , Jebran Khalil
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the frequency of information acquisition on the frequency of stock trading. The authors also examined if the Big Five personality traits of investor influence the association between information acquisition and stock trading behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopted NEO Five-Factor Inventory (Costa and McCrae, 1989) inventory to measure the Big Five personality traits of investors and examined the data collected from 541 individual investors of the Chinese stock market. To overcome the potential endogeneity bias, the authors followed two-stage least square method for estimating endogenous covariate by employing instrumental variable analysis. The authors performed probit regression to evaluate the moderating influence of investor personality traits on the association between information acquisition and stock trading behavior. The authors also performed several other tests to check the robustness of the key findings.

Findings

This research confirmed the previous findings that the more frequently investors acquire information, the more often they trade in stocks. Moreover, the authors added to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence that the Big Five personality traits moderate the relationship of information acquisition with stock trading behavior. Information acquisition tends to increase stock trading frequency in investors with conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness traits. On the other hand, it also has the tendency to decrease the intensity of stock trading in investors with openness and neuroticism traits.

Research limitations/implications

The theoretical model in this study seeks to explain that the psychological factor, namely, investor personality, influences the way an investor interprets signals from information which in turn influences the investor decision to trade in securities. This research suggests that psychological characteristics of investors can be of relevance for policy makers in their attempts to improve their business in the financial services industry.

Originality/value

This study combines both information search literature and behavioral finance literature to investigate whether or not the information acquisition that relates to investors’ asset allocation decisions is influenced by investor personality. The study offers new theoretical insights into investors’ behavior due to the characteristics of the Chinese stock market which are uniquely different from other stock markets in the world. No previous study has been conducted so far in the Chinese stock market to explore variations in the impact of investors’ information acquisition on their stock trading by the Big Five personality and this paper strives to fill this research gap.
Trust, job satisfaction, perceived organizational performance and turnover intention
Authors: Zeffane Rachid , Bani Melhem Shaker Jamal
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine and compare the differential impacts of job satisfaction (JS), trust (T), and perceived organizational performance (POP) on turnover intention (TI) in public and private sector organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

Draws on a sample of 311 employees from the service sector (129 public and 182 private) in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE). The main concepts utilized in the study are borrowed from previous research and further tested for validity and reliability. Four main hypotheses are explored.

Findings

In support of previous research, statistical analysis (t-test) revealed that public sector employees tend to be more satisfied, more trusting, and have less intention to leave their organization. Regression analysis revealed that public sector employees’ TI are most significantly affected by their perceptions of the performance of their organization, with JS, work experience (WE) and education (Ed) also having significant effects. In contrast, private sector employees’ TI was most significantly affected by JS and feelings of trust (T).

Research limitations/implications

Although very useful, the present study is limited in scope and therefore suffers from some limitations. The sample only includes employees from UAE organizations operating in education, some government institutions and the financial sector. Future research might consider including employees the health sector and other public organizations such as the immigration/police departments which play important strategic roles in the UAE economy. Also, future research might consider extending the scope of the study to include institutions in similar neighboring countries in the region, such as Qatar and Kuwait.

Practical implications

The findings of this study points to the relative importance of trust, JS and perceived organizational performance in affecting TI in public and private sectors. These can be considered as indicators to assist managers in these sectors to better manage/minimize TIs. In particular, the findings indicate that managers in general (and UAE public sector managers in particular) need to monitor and better manage not only their employees’ JS but also perceptions of the overall performance of the organization.

Originality/value

While research on the influence of JS on TI in both of these sectors has been abundant over the years, studies examining the impact of trust and perceptions of organizational performance remain few and are largely lacking. Also, studies on turnover in the UAE (and particularly those comparing public and private sectors) remain largely lacking. This study and its findings fill this gap and provide some insights on the differential impact of trust, JS and perceived organizational performance on employee TIs in public-private sectors, particularly in the UAE context.
The contribution of working conditions and care recipient characteristics to work-related abuse and exploitation of migrant home care workers
Authors: Green Ohad , Ayalon Liat
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Migrant home care workers constitute a vulnerable group in society, which is often exposed to work-related abuse. The purpose of this paper is to explore which characteristics are linked with their abuse.

Design/methodology/approach

Overall, 187 Filipino home care workers who work in Israel were recruited via snowball sampling and filled an anonymous questionnaire regarding work-related abuse incidents and working conditions.

Findings

More than half of the participants reported exposure to abuse (e.g. sexual, physical, or emotional) or exploitation (e.g. asking to do more than job requirements). Particularly vulnerable were migrant workers during their first year in the host country and those who were taking care of an older adult with cognitive impairment. Interestingly, men who served as care workers were more susceptible to abuse than women.

Originality/value

The findings point to specific characteristics which make home care workers more susceptible to abuse illustrate the need for a closer supervision on the working conditions of home care workers, especially during the initial period of their work. Training migrant home care workers in the area of dementia care is also important.
Toward a public service management: past, present, and future directions
Authors: Hodgkinson Ian R. , Hannibal Claire , Keating Byron W. , Chester Buxton Rosamund , Bateman Nicola
Published: September 2017

Purpose

In providing a fine-grained analysis of public service management, the purpose of this paper is to make an important contribution to furthering research in service management, a body of literature that has tended to regard public services as homogenous or to neglect the context altogether.

Design/methodology/approach

Integrating public management and service management literatures, the past and present of public service management are discussed. Future directions for the field are outlined drawing on a service-dominant approach that has the potential to transform public services. Invited commentaries augment the review.

Findings

The review presents the Public Service Network Framework to capture the public value network in its abstraction and conceptualizes how value is created in public services. The study identifies current shortcomings in the field and offers a series of directions for future research where service management theory can contribute greatly.

Research limitations/implications

The review encourages service management research to examine the dynamic, diverse, and complex nature of public services and to recognize the importance of this context. The review calls for an interdisciplinary public service management community to develop, and to assist public managers in leveraging service logic.

Originality/value

The review positions service research in the public sector, makes explicit the role of complex networks in value creation, argues for wider engagement with public service management, and offers future research directions to advance public service management research.
Measuring customer experience in physical retail environments
Authors: Bustamante Juan Carlos , Rubio Natalia
Published: September 2017

Purpose

In a world where customer empowerment is continuously increasing and changing the service landscape, retailers must provide memorable shopping experiences to retain and attract new customers. When customers decide to go shopping in physical stores, they expect to enjoy their visit, experiencing cognitive, affective, social, and physical responses evoked by in-store stimuli. The purpose of this paper is to propose and validate a scale to measure in-store customer experience (ISCX).

Design/methodology/approach

This study’s theoretical review of customer experience (CX) demonstrates that a formative model provides the best structure for measuring the construct ISCX. Furthermore, the study follows the guidelines for rigorous construction of a formative scale, which include three main stages: generation of items, scale purification, and assessment of scale validity and reliability.

Findings

The results provide evidence that a formative third-order scale with a reflective second-order dimension (social experience) and three reflective first-order dimensions (cognitive, affective, and physical experience) has satisfactory psychometric properties. The findings also provide useful information on the effect of the ISCX scale on key performance variables such as satisfaction and loyalty to the store.

Originality/value

The ISCX scale proposed constitutes a useful multi-concept diagnostic tool for use by retailers to create fully experiential shopping environments with differential value for the customer. By providing a complete, robust, precise measure of CX in a retail environment, the scale gives researchers a structured way to examine the causes and consequences of CX in retail.
Defining big data and measuring its associated trends in the field of information and library management
Authors: Ahmed Waqar , Ameen Kanwal
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to define big data and draw its deep understanding. Moreover, trends of big data research in the field of library and information management are explored. With the purpose to explore the research trends, papers indexed in Thomson Reuters’ ISI Web of Knowledge were analyzed.

Design/methodology/approach

It is a literature-based and scientometric paper. A formal definition is constructed through a review of literature. Moreover, scientometric analysis of papers indexed in Thomson Reuters’ ISI Web of Knowledge has been done to explore the research trends associated with big data in the field of library and information science, using Vosviewer software.

Findings

The findings of the study indicate the reshaped definition of big data. The findings further indicate major research trends associated with big data. The analysis indicated “Risk”, “Industry”, “Market”, “Creditworthiness” and “Big Data Analytics”, the most repeated research trends associated with big data.

Practical implications

The paper sums up the learnings required to be a successful data-literate manager. First, the study defines big data. Second, the study describes current research trends associated with big data. Third, on the basis of the explored trends, data managers and library and information management professionals are guided about the learnings they require to be a successful data manager. Where thousands of data-literate managers are predicted to require in future, the present study is a guide to trends associated with big data.

Originality/value

It is a first study of its type which provides a reshaped definition of big data. It portrays its landscape and associated research trends in the field of information and library management (ILM).
“StatLit: tactical interventions for strategic transformation”
Authors: Porter Seth , Doshi Ameet
Published: September 2017

Purpose

This paper was inspired by an Association of College and Research Libraries Biennial Conference 2017 roundtable that aimed to transform existing notions about statistical literacy in information literacy instruction.

Design/methodology/approach

In Baltimore, the authors facilitated an in-person discussion and synchronous virtual dialogue via Twitter and Periscope about teaching basic statistical concepts (such as mean vs median) and the real implications of “statistical significance”.

Findings

A recording of the roundtable is available here: http://bit.ly/StatLit.

Originality/value

The goal of the StatLit roundtable was to inspire transformational thinking for teaching basic statistical reasoning to students within a library context.
Leadership, affect and outcomes: symmetrical and asymmetrical relationships
Authors: Glasø Lars , Skogstad Anders , Notelaers Guy , Einarsen Ståle
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which emotional experiences mediate the relationships between employees’ perception of considerate and/or tyrannical leadership behaviors and their work engagement and intention to leave the organization. The notion of symmetric and asymmetric relationships between specific kinds of leadership behavior, emotional reactions, and followers’ attitudinal outcomes is also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a survey design, the variables were assessed in a cross-sectional sample of 312 employees.

Findings

The study confirmed the notion of symmetric relationships between specific kinds of leadership behavior, emotional reactions, and followers’ attitudinal outcomes. Contrary to the general notion that “bad is stronger than good,” the results indicated that positive emotions were equal or stronger mediators than the negative ones regarding the two outcomes measured in the present study.

Originality/value

The paper is, to the authors’ knowledge, the first paper which examines simultaneously how constructive and destructive leadership styles, and positive and negative affects, are related to employee attitudes outcomes, and evokes a discussion when bad is stronger than good or vice versa regarding leadership outcomes.
Service quality implementation in shaping sustainable banking operating system
Authors: Tan Lay Hong , Chew Boon Cheong , Hamid Syaiful Rizal
Published: September 2017

Purpose

This paper adopts an existing body of theory (gaps model of service quality) and aims to further contribute to it. The theory building within this paper is expected to represent an extension to the existing theory, particularly with regard to the reconceptualisation and redefinition of service quality in sustainable banking.

Design/methodology/approach

The case study was based on primary data collected through a series of qualitative interviews with the 35 bankers who were from different departments. In addition, available secondary data such as academic books and journals, government and regulatory authority’s publications, website publications, Maybank’s annual reports and sustainability reports were reviewed to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the Maybank’s sustainability banking operating system.

Findings

This paper has documented various findings identified with the aspects of sustainable banking in Maybank. Essentially, these findings are focussed on filling the gaps that currently exist in the literature and in the practice of sustainable banking in Maybank. Maybank is in the phase of preventive banking because, in recent years, it has been observed that Maybank is moving towards the initiative to embrace sustainability in their banking operations. Maybank has used the sustainability criteria for the credit risk management process and socially responsible investing. When viewed from this perspective, it is possible to say that a transition process has started towards offensive banking. In addition, this research’s findings imply that the determination of the service quality level of customers focusses not only on the homogenous customer’s quality evaluation, but it also includes the examination of heterogeneous customers. Heterogeneous customers are those who have an indirect interest in the bank; they are indirectly affected either positively or negatively by the actions of the bank.

Research limitations/implications

The reconceptualisation and redefinition of service quality, which embeds the novel concept of sustainable banking, can be attributed to a handful of distinctive financial institutions which have been proactively and gradually shaping their corporate images as advocates of socio-environmental sustainability.

Originality/value

The limited literature on sustainable banks and to the best knowledge of the researchers, no other researcher has examined sustainable banking in the Malaysian banking industry to date. This study is designed to address this gap with the central objective to investigate the aspect of sustainable banking operating system provided by Maybank by using the gap model of service quality which was developed by Parasuraman et al. (1985).
Female lizards choose warm, moist nests that improve embryonic survivorship and offspring fitness
Authors: Li Shu‐Ran , Hao Xin , Wang Yang , Sun Bao‐Jun , Bi Jun‐Huai , Zhang Yong‐Pu , Janzen Fredric J. , Du Wei‐Guo
Published: September 2017

The fitness consequence of maternal nest‐site choice has attracted increasing scientific attention, but field studies identifying the long‐term effects of nest‐site choice on offspring survival and reproductive success are still rare in vertebrates.

To investigate the consequences of nest‐site choice in lizards, we quantified the thermal and hydric conditions of nest sites that were chosen by female toad‐headed agama (Phrynocephalus przewalskii) in the desert steppe of northern China. We also determined the effect of nest‐site choice on embryonic development and survival and on offspring growth, survival and maturity by comparing the embryos and offspring from maternally and randomly chosen nest sites.

We found that female toad‐headed agama chose warm and moist nest sites that improved the developmental rate and survivorship of embryos and promoted the post‐hatching growth, sexual maturity, reproduction and fitness of offspring, thereby improving their reproductive success.

Such studies on short‐lived lizards across multiple stages of embryonic and postembryonic ontogeny are critical for fully understanding the fitness consequences of nest‐site choice.

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Complex resistivity of mineral rocks in the context of the generalised effective‐medium theory of the induced polarisation effect
Authors: Zhdanov Michael S. , Burtman Vlad , Endo Masashi , Lin Wei
Published: September 2017

This paper develops the generalised effective‐medium theory of induced polarisation for rock models with elliptical grains and applies this theory to studying the complex resistivity of typical mineral rocks. We first demonstrate that the developed generalised effective‐medium theory of induced polarisation model can correctly represent the induced polarisation phenomenon in multiphase artificial rock samples manufactured using pyrite and magnetite particles. We have also collected representative rock samples from the Cu–Au deposit in Mongolia and subjected them to mineralogical analysis using Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by Scanning Electron Microscopy technology. The electrical properties of the same samples were determined using laboratory complex resistivity measurements. As a result, we have established relationships between the mineral composition of the rocks, determined using Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis, and the parameters of the generalised effective‐medium theory of induced polarisation model defined from the laboratory measurements of the electrical properties of the rocks. These relationships open the possibility for remote estimation of types of mineralisation and for mineral discrimination using spectral induced polarization data.