bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social integration predicts mitochondrial DNA copy number in rhesus macaques
Authors: Debray Reena , Snyder-Mackler Noah , Kohn Jordan , Wilson Mark , Barreiro Luis , Tung Jenny
Published: September 2018

In many social mammals, social adversity predicts compromised health and reduced fitness. These effects are thought to be driven in part by chronic social stress, but their molecular underpinnings are not well understood. Recent work suggests that chronic stress can affect mitochondrial copy number, heteroplasmy rates, and function. Here, we tested the first two possibilities, for the first time in nonhuman primates. We manipulated dominance rank in captive female rhesus macaques (n=45), where low rank induces chronic social stress, and measured mitochondrial DNA copy number and heteroplasmy in five peripheral blood mononuclear cell types from each study subject. We found no effect of dominance rank on either mtDNA copy number or heteroplasmy rates. However, grooming rates, a measure of affiliative social behavior predicted by high social status, was positively associated with mtDNA copy number in B cells, cytotoxic T cells, and monocytes. Our results suggest that social interactions can influence mtDNA regulation in immune cells. Further, they indicate the importance of considering both affiliative and competitive interactions in investigating this relationship.
Information content of downwelling skylight for non-imaging visual systems
Authors: Thiermann Ryan , Sweeney Alison , Murugan Arvind
Published: September 2018

Light-sensitive proteins (opsins) are expressed in non-imaging tissues like the brain, dermis and reproductive organs of most animals. Such tissues have been shown to sense the intensity and spectrum of light over time. Functional links to circadian and reproductive rhythms have been speculated but remain uncertain. Here we use information theory to quantify the ‘natural scene’ for non-imaging opsins, i.e., spectral patterns in downwelling skylight. Our approach synthesizes measurements of natural downwelling spectra, atmospheric distortions, and weather, with the biophysical constraints of opsins and biochemical clocks, while minimizing assumptions about how organisms process such information. We find that tissues expressing multiple opsins could use twilight to extract significant information about lunar phase and time of day in many climates. In contrast, information in light intensity is far less robust to atmospheric perturbations. Thus our work quantifies circalunar and circadian regularities in the spectrum of downwelling radiance salient to non-imaging opsins.
On the interpretation of tractography-based parcellations
Authors: Clayden Jonathan D. , Thomas David L. , Kraskov Alexander
Published: September 2018

Connectivity-based parcellation of subcortical structures using diffusion tractography is now a common paradigm in neuroscience. These analyses often imply voxel-level specificity of connectivity, and the formation of compact, spatially coherent clusters is often taken as strong imaging-based evidence for anatomically distinct subnuclei in an individual. In this study, we demonstrate that internal structure in diffusion anisotropy is not necessary for a plausible parcellation to be obtained, by spatially permuting diffusion parameters within the thalami and repeating the parcellation. Moreover, we show that, in a winner-takes-all paradigm, most voxels receive the same label before and after this shuffling process—a finding that is stable across image acquisitions and tractography algorithms. We therefore suggest that such parcellations should be interpreted with caution.
Simultaneous single-channel multiplex and quantification of carbapenem-resistant genes using multidimensional standard curves
Authors: Rodriguez-Manzano Jesus , Moniri Ahmad , Malpartida-Cardenas Kenny , Dronavalli Jyothsna , Davies Frances , Holmes Alison , Georgiou Pantelis
Published: September 2018

Multiplexing and absolute quantification of nucleic acids, both have, in their own right, significant and extensive use in biomedical related fields, especially in point-of-care applications. Currently, the ability to detect several nucleic acid targets in a single-reaction scales linearly with the number of targets; an expensive and time-consuming feat. Here, we propose a new methodology based on multidimensional standard curves that extends the use of real-time PCR data obtained by common qPCR instruments. By applying this novel methodology, we achieve simultaneous single-channel multiplexing and enhanced quantification of multiple targets using only real-time amplification data. This is obtained without the need of fluorescent probes, agarose gels, melting curves or sequencing analysis. Given the importance and demand for tackling challenges in antimicrobial resistance, the proposed method is applied to the four most prominent carbapenem-resistant genes:blaOXA-48,blaNDM,blaVIMandblaKPC, which account for 97% of the UK’s reported carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae.
QUBIC2: A novel biclustering algorithm for large-scale bulk RNA-sequencing and single-cell RNA-sequencing data analysis
Authors: Xie Juan , Ma Anjun , Zhang Yu , Liu Bingqiang , Wan Changlin , Cao Sha , Zhang Chi , Ma Qin
Published: September 2018

The combination of biclustering and large-scale gene expression data holds a promising potential for inference of the condition specific functional pathways/networks. However, existing biclustering tools do not have satisfied performance on high-resolution RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) data, majorly due to the lack of (i) a consideration of high sparsity of RNA-Seq data, e.g., the massive zeros or lowly expressed genes in the data, especially for single-cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) data, and (ii) an understanding of the underlying transcriptional regulation signals of the observed gene expression values. Here we presented a novel biclustering algorithm namely QUBIC2, for the analysis of large-scale bulk RNA-Seq and scRNA-Seq data. Key novelties of the algorithm include (i) used a truncated model to handle the unreliable quantification of genes with low or moderate expression, (ii) adopted the mixture Gaussian distribution and an information-divergency objective function to capture shared transcriptional regulation signals among a set of genes, (iii) utilized a Core-Dual strategy to identify biclusters and optimize relevant parameters, and (iv) developed a size-based P-value framework to evaluate the statistical significances of all the identified biclusters. Our method validation on comprehensive data sets of bulk and single cell RNA-seq data suggests that QUBIC2 had superior performance in functional modules detection and cell type classification compared with the other five widely-used biclustering tools. In addition, the applications of temporal and spatial data demonstrated that QUBIC2 can derive meaningful biological information from scRNA-Seq data. The source code for QUBIC2 can be freely accessed at https://github.com/maqin2001/qubic2.
Transparency reduces predator detection in chemically protected clearwing butterflies
Authors: Arias Mónica , Mappes Johanna , Desbois Charlotte , Gordon Swanne , McClure Melanie , Elias Marianne , Nokelainen Ossi , Gomez Doris
Published: September 2018

1. Predation is an important selective pressure and some prey have evolved warning colour signals advertising unpalatability (i.e. aposematism) as an antipredator strategy. Unexpectedly, some butterfly species from the unpalatable tribe Ithomiini possess transparent wings, an adaptation rare on land but common in water where it helps avoiding predator detection.

2. We tested if transparency of butterfly wings was associated with decreased detectability by predators, by comparing four butterfly species exhibiting different degrees of transparency, ranging from fully opaque to largely transparent. We tested our prediction using using both wild birds and humans in behavioural experiments. Vision modelling predicted detectability to be similar for these two predator types.

3. In concordance with predictions, more transparent species were almost never the first detected items and were detected less often than the opaque species by both birds and humans, suggesting that transparency enhances crypsis. However, humans could learn to better detect the most transparent species over time. Our study demonstrates for the first time that transparency on land likely decreases detectability by visual predators.
Bayesian Hypothesis Testing And Experimental Design For Two-Photon Imaging Data
Authors: Rogerson Luke E. , Zhao Zhijian , Franke Katrin , Berens Philipp , Euler Thomas
Published: September 2018

Variability, stochastic or otherwise, is a central feature of neural circuits. Yet the means by which variation and uncertainty are derived from noisy observations of neural activity is often unprincipled, with too much weight placed on numerical convenience at the cost of statistical rigour. For two-photon imaging data, composed of fundamentally probabilistic streams of photon detections, the problem is particularly acute. Here, we present a complete statistical pipeline for the inference and analysis of neural activity using Gaussian Process Regression, applied to two-photon recordings of light-driven activity inex vivomouse retina. We demonstrate the flexibility and extensibility of these models, considering cases with non-stationary statistics, driven by complex parametric stimuli, in signal discrimination, hierarchical clustering and inference tasks. Sparse approximation methods allow these models to be fitted rapidly, permitting them to actively guiding the design of light stimulation in the midst of ongoing two-photon experiments.
Single-cell transcriptomics of the mouse gonadal soma reveals the establishment of sexual dimorphism in distinct cell lineages
Authors: Stévant Isabelle , Kühne Françoise , Greenfield Andy , Chaboissier Marie-Christine , Dermitzakis Emmanouil T. , Nef Serge
Published: September 2018

Sex determination is a unique process that allows the study of multipotent progenitors and their acquisition of sex-specific fates during differentiation of the gonad into a testis or an ovary. Using time-series single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on ovarian Nr5a1-GFP+ somatic cells during sex determination, we identified a single population of early progenitors giving rise to both pre-granulosa cells and potential steroidogenic precursor cells. By comparing time-series scRNA-seq of XX and XY somatic cells, we demonstrate that the supporting cells emerge from the early progenitors with a non-sex-specific transcriptomic program, before pre-granulosa and Sertoli cells acquire their sex-specific identity. In XX and XY steroidogenic precursors similar transcriptomic profiles underlie the acquisition of cell fate, but with a delay in XX cells. Our data provide a novel framework, at single-cell resolution, for further interrogation of the molecular and cellular basis of mammalian sex determination.
How will changes in local climate affect hawksbill hatchling production in Brazil?
Authors: Montero Natalie , Marcovaldi Maria A.G. dei , Lopez–Mendilaharsu Milagros , Santos Alexsandro S. , Santos Armando J. B. , Fuentes Mariana M.P.B.
Published: September 2018

Local climatic conditions can influence sea turtle embryonic development and hatchling viability. Therefore, it is crucial to understand these influences as well as potential ramifications to population stability under future climate change. Here, we examined the influences of five climatic variables (air temperature, accumulated and average precipitation, humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed) at different temporal scales on hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) hatchling production at ten nesting beaches within two regions of Brazil (five nesting beaches in Rio Grande do Norte and five in Bahia). Air temperature and accumulated precipitation were the main climatic drivers of hawksbill hatching success across Brazil and in Rio Grande do Norte, while air temperature and average precipitation were the main climatic drivers of hatching success at Bahia. Solar radiation was the main climatic driver of emergence rate at both regions. Conservative and extreme climate scenarios show air temperatures are projected to increase, while precipitation projections vary between scenarios and regions throughout the 21st century. We predicted hatching success of undisturbed nests (no recorded depredation or storm-related impacts) will decrease in Brazil by 2100. This study shows the determining effects of different climate variables and their combinations on an important and critically endangered marine species.
Differences in functional connectivity along the anterior-posterior axis of human hippocampal subfields
Authors: Dalton Marshall A. , McCormick Cornelia , Maguire Eleanor A.
Published: September 2018

There is a paucity of information about how human hippocampal subfields are functionally connected to each other and to neighbouring extra-hippocampal cortices. In particular, little is known about whether patterns of functional connectivity (FC) differ down the anterior-posterior axis of each subfield. Here, using high resolution structural MRI we delineated the hippocampal subfields in healthy young adults. This included the CA fields, separating DG/CA4 from CA3, separating the pre/parasubiculum from the subiculum, and also segmenting the uncus. We then used high resolution resting state functional MRI to interrogate FC. We first analysed the FC of each hippocampal subfield in its entirety, in terms of FC with other subfields and with the neighbouring regions, namely entorhinal, perirhinal, posterior parahippocampal and retrosplenial cortices. Next, we analysed FC for different portions of each hippocampal subfield along its anterior-posterior axis, in terms of FC between different parts of a subfield, FC with other subfield portions, and FC of each subfield portion with the neighbouring cortical regions of interest. We found that intrinsic functional connectivity between the subfields aligned generally with the tri-synaptic circuit but also extended beyond it. Our findings also revealed that patterns of functional connectivity between the subfields and neighbouring cortical areas differed markedly along the anterior-posterior axis of each hippocampal subfield. Overall, these results contribute to ongoing efforts to characterise human hippocampal subfield connectivity, with implications for understanding hippocampal function.

Highlights

High resolution resting state functional MRI scans were collected

We investigated functional connectivity (FC) of human hippocampal subfields

We specifically examined FC along the anterior-posterior axis of subfields

FC between subfields extended beyond the canonical tri-synaptic circuit

Different portions of subfields showed different patterns of FC with neocortex
Temperate grass allergy season defined by spatio-temporal shifts in airborne pollen communities
Authors: Brennan Georgina L. , Potter Caitlin , Vere Natasha de , Griffith Gareth W. , Skjøth Carsten A. , Osborne Nicholas J. , Wheeler Benedict W. , McInnes Rachel N. , Clewlow Yolanda , Barber Adam , Hanlon Helen M. , Hegarty Matthew , Jones Laura , Kurganskiy Alexander , Rowney Francis M. , Armitage Charlotte , Adams-Groom Beverley , Ford Col R. , Petch Geoff M. ,   The PollerGEN Consortium, Creer Simon
Published: September 2018

Grass pollen is the world’s most harmful outdoor aeroallergen and sensitivity varies between species. Different species of grass flower at different times, but it is not known how airborne communities of grass pollen change in time and space. Persistence and high mobility of grass pollen could result in increasingly diverse seasonal pollen communities. Conversely, if grass pollen does not persist for an extended time in the air, shifting pollen communities would be predicted throughout the summer months. Here, using targeted high throughput sequencing, we tracked the seasonal progression of airborne Poaceae pollen biodiversity across Britain, throughout the grass allergy season. All grass genera displayed discrete, temporally restricted peaks of pollen incidence which varied with latitude, revealing that the taxonomic composition of grass pollen exposure changes substantially across the allergy season. By developing more refined aeroallergen profiling, we predict that our findings will facilitate the exploration of links between taxon-specific exposure of harmful grass pollen and disease, with concomitant socio-economic benefits.
hsegHMM: Hidden Markov Model-based Allele-specific Copy Number Alteration Analysis Accounting for Hypersegmentation
Authors: Choo-Wosoba Hyoyoung , Albert Paul S , Zhu Bin
Published: September 2018

Background:

Somatic copy number alternation (SCNA) is a common feature of the cancer genome and is associated with cancer etiology and prognosis. The allele-specific SCNA analysis of a tumor sample aims to identify the allele-specific copy numbers of both alleles, adjusting for the ploidy and the tumor purity. Next generation sequencing platforms produce abundant read counts at the base-pair resolution across the exome or whole genome which is susceptible to hypersegmentation, a phenomenon where numerous regions with very short length are falsely identified as SCNA.

Results:

We propose hsegHMM, a hidden Markov model approach that accounts for hypersegmentation for allele-specific SCNA analysis. hsegHMM provides statistical inference of copy number profiles by using an effcient E-M algorithm procedure. Through simulation and application studies, we found that hsegHMM handles hypersegmentation effectively with a t-distribution as a part of the emission probability distribution structure and a carefully defined state space. We also compared hsegHMM with FACETS which is a current method for allele-specific SCNA analysis. For the application, we use a renal cell carcinoma sample from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) study.

Conclusions:

We demonstrate the robustness of hsegHMM to hypersegmentation. Furthermore, hsegHMM provides the quantification of uncertainty in identifying allele-specific SCNAs over the entire chromosomes. hsegHMM performs better than FACETS when read depth (coverage) is uneven across the genome.
Gene-specific transcriptional memory in mammalian cell lineages
Authors: Phillips Nicholas E. , Mandic Aleksandra , Omidi Saeed , Naef Felix , Suter David M.
Published: September 2018

Phenotypically identical mammalian cells often display considerable variability in transcript levels of individual genes. How transcriptional activity propagates in cell lineages, and how this varies across genes is poorly understood. Here we combined live-cell imaging of short- lived transcriptional reporters in mouse embryonic stem cells with mathematical modelling to quantify the propagation of transcriptional activity over time and across cell generations. In sister cells we found mean transcriptional activity to be strongly correlated and transcriptional dynamics tended to be synchronous; both features control how quickly sister cells diverge in a gene-specific manner. Mean transcriptional activity was also highly correlated between mother and daughter cells, leading to multi-generational transcriptional memory whose duration scaled with the spread of transcriptional activities in the population. The resulting family-specific transcriptional levels suggest a potential role of transcriptional memory in patterning tissue gene expression.
Genome-wide identification and expression specificity analysis of the DNA methyltransferase gene family under adversity stresses in cotton
Authors: Yang Xiaomin , Lu Xuke , Chen Xiugui , Wang Delong , Wang Junjuan , Wang Shuai , Guo Lixue , Chen Chao , Wang Xiaoge , Zhang Binglei , Han Mingge , Ye Wuwei
Published: September 2018

DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mode of genomic DNA modification that is an important part of maintaining epigenetic content and regulating gene expression. DNA methyltransferases (MTases) are the key enzymes in the process of DNA methylation. Thus far, there has been no systematic analysis the DNA MTases found in cotton. In this study, the whole genome of cotton C5-Mtase coding genes was identified and analyzed using a bioinformatics method based on information from the cotton genome. In this study, 51 DNA MTase genes were identified, of which 8 belonged toG. raimondii(group D), 9 belonged toG. arboretumL. (group A), 16 belonged toG. hirsutumL. (group AD1) and 18 belonged toG. barbadebseL. (group AD2). Systematic evolutionary analysis divided the 51 genes into four subfamilies, including 7 MET homologous proteins, 25 CMT homologous proteins, 14 DRM homologous proteins and 5 DNMT2 homologous proteins. Further studies showed that the DNA MTases in cotton were more phylogenetically conserved. The comparison of their protein domains showed that the C-terminal functional domain of the 51 proteins had six conserved motifs involved in methylation modification, indicating that the protein has a basic catalytic methylation function and the difference in the N-terminal regulatory domains of the 51 proteins divided the proteins into four classes, MET, CMT, DRM and DNMT2, in which DNMT2 lacks an N-terminal regulatory domain. Gene expression in cotton is not the same under different stress treatments. Different expression patterns of DNA MTases show the functional diversity of the cotton DNA methyltransferase gene family. VIGS silenced Gossypium hirsutum l. in the cotton seedling of DNMT2 family geneGhDMT6, after stress treatment the growth condition was better than the control. The distribution of DNA MTases varies among cotton species. Different DNA MTase family members have different genetic structures, and the expression level changes with different stresses, showing tissue specificity. Under salt and drought stress,G. hirsutumL. TM-1 increased the number of genes more thanG. raimondiiandG. arboreumL.Shixiya1. The resistance of Gossypium hirsutum L.TM-1 to cold, drought and salt stress was increased after the plants were silenced withGhDMT6gene.
Every cloud has a silver lining: Moderate plant water stress positively impacts development, immunity, and gut microbiota of a specialist herbivore
Authors: Rosa E , Minard G , Lindholm J , Saastamoinen M
Published: September 2018

The ongoing global temperature rise has led to increasing frequency of drought events, negatively impacting vegetation and the living organisms relying on it. Extreme drought killing host plants can clearly reduce herbivore fitness, but the impact of moderate host plant water stress on insect herbivores can vary, and may even be beneficial. The Finnish Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) has faced reduced precipitation in recent years, which has impacted population dynamics. However, whether the negative effects depend on extreme desiccation killing the host plant or moderate drought impacting plant quality remains unclear. We assessed the performance of larvae fed on moderately water-stressedPlantago lanceolatain terms of growth, gut microbial composition and immune response. We found that larvae fed on water-stressed plants had better growth, a more heterogeneous bacterial community and a shifted fungal community in the gut, and up-regulated the expression of one candidate immune gene (pelle), whereas survival remained unaffected. Most of the measured traits showed considerable variation due to family structure. Our data suggest that in temperate regions moderate host plant water stress can positively shape resource acquisition of this specialized insect herbivore, potentially by increasing nutrient accessibility or concentration. Potentially, the better larval performance may be mediated by a shift of the microbiota on water-stressed plants, calling for further research especially on the understudied gut fungal community.
Risky home with easy food: Denning of a generalistic and widely distributed carnivore red fox
Authors: Reshamwala Hussain S. , Mahar Neeraj , Dirzo Rodolfo , Habib Bilal
Published: September 2018

Dens are crucial for the survival of all canids, however, for a meso-carnivore like red fox, denning is of greater importance as they utilize dens all throughout the year for protection, resting and breeding. The red fox known for its generalist and opportunistic behavior and extremely good adaptability to the dynamic anthropogenic changes is the most widespread and successful wild land carnivore. With an ever-growing human population the choice of space for wild animals is limited and such adaptability is important for species survival. In this study we examined the denning preferences and den characteristics of red fox. Intensive surveys were conducted across two study sites Chiktan and Changthang. Foxes preferred to den on mountain slopes (43.70 ± 3.38 SE) where human disturbances were minimal. The red fox chose den sites closer to human settlements, water and road as compared to random points (Pillai’s trace = .487, F= 31.014 and P = 3.497e-14), which are risky and may expose the pups to humans but also provide the advantage of procuring anthropogenic food subsidies. In Changthang, foxes preferred to den at a greater distance (936 ± 223 meters) from human settlements as compared to Chiktan (403 ± 50 meters). The present research is of broad significance, given the increasing presence of human settlements within original animal ranges, even in remote harsh environments like the Trans-Himalaya.
Crystal structure of the thortveitite-relatedMphase, (MnxZn1–x)2V2O7(0.75 <x< 0.913): a combined synchrotron powder and single-crystal X-ray study
Authors: Knowles Kevin M. , Sil Anjan , Stöger Berthold , Weil Matthias
Published: September 2018

The determination of the crystal structure of theMphase, (MnxZn1–x)2V2O7(0.75 <x< 0.913), in the pseudobinary Mn2V2O7–Zn2V2O7system forx≃ 0.8 shows that the previously published triclinic unit-cell parameters for this thortveitite-related phase do not describe a true lattice for this phase. Instead, single-crystal X-ray data and Rietveld refinement of synchrotron X-ray powder data show that theMphase has a different triclinic structure in the space groupP-1 withZ= 2. As prior work has suggested, the crystal structure can be described as a distorted version of the thortveitite crystal structure of β-Mn2V2O7. A twofold superstructure in diffraction patterns of crystals of theMphase used for single-crystal X-ray diffraction work arises from twinning by reticular pseudomerohedry. This superstructure can be described as a commensurate modulation of a pseudo-monoclinic basis structure closely related to the crystal structure of β-Mn2V2O7. In comparison with the distortions introduced when β-Mn2V2O7transforms at low temperature to α-Mn2V2O7, the distortions which give rise to theMphase from the β-Mn2V2O7prototype are noticeably less pronounced.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of diethyl 2-[4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-methyl-4-oxobutan-2-yl]malonate
Authors: Chandrashekharappa Sandeep , Bairagi Keshab M. , Mohan Mahendra K. , Venugopala Katharigatta N. , Nayak Susanta K.
Published: September 2018

The title compound, C18H23FO5, was synthesized by reacting diethyl malonate with 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-methylbut-2-en-1-one. The molecule adopts a loose conformation stabilized by weak C—H...O and C—H...π interactions. In the crystal, the molecules are joined by C—H...O contacts into infinite chains along the b-axis direction with a C(6) graph-set motif. Hirshfeld surface analysis and fingerprint plots demonstrate the predominance of H...H, O...H and F...H intermolecular interactions in the crystal structure.
IMDAV reaction between phenylmaleic anhydride and thienyl(furyl)allylamines: synthesis and molecular structure of (3aSR,4RS,4aRS,7aSR)-5-oxothieno- and (3aSR,4SR,4aRS,7aSR)-5-oxofuro[2,3-f]isoindole-4-carboxylic acids
Authors: Toze Flavien A. A. , Nadirova Maryana A. , Mertsalov Dmitriy F. , Sokolova Julya S. , Dorovatovskii Pavel V. , Khrustalev Victor N.
Published: September 2018

The title compounds C24H21NO3S, I, and C24H21NO4, II, are the products of the IMDAV reaction between phenylmaleic anhydride and thienyl(furyl)allylamines. Their molecular structures comprise fused tricyclic systems containing thiophene, cyclohexene and pyrrolidine rings (I) or furan, cyclohexene and pyrrolidine rings (II). The central cyclohexene and pyrrolidine rings in both compounds adopt slightly twisted boat and envelope conformations, respectively. The dihedral angles between the basal plane of the pyrrolidine ring and the thiophene (in I) or furan (in II) ring plane are 22.74 (16) and 26.29 (5)°, respectively. The nitrogen atom both in I and II has practically planar environment [the sums of the bond angles are 359.8 and 358.9°, respectively]. In the crystal of I, the molecules form hydrogen-bonded zigzag chains along [010] through strong intermolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds involving carboxylic and keto groups, whereas in the crystal of II, the molecules are joined into centrosymmetric dimers by strong O—H...O hydrogen bonds between the carboxylic groups. In II, the atoms involved into these hydrogen bonds (and hence the whole carboxylic group) are disordered over two sets of sites with an occupancy ratio of 0.6:0.4. Compounds I and II crystallize as racemates consisting of enantiomeric pairs of the 3aSR,4RS,4aRS,7aSR and 3aSR,4SR,4aRS,7aSR diastereomers, respectively.
Patterns in international ICT entrepreneurship: Mexico’s case
Authors: Larios Hernandez Guillermo Jesus
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the antecedents of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) internationalization for a small set of Mexican ICT entrepreneurial firms, connected with subsectoral positions in a smile-shaped curve. Such antecedents constitute exploratory patterns related to simplified internationalization characteristics in terms of market choice, founder background and aspatial affiliations, providing a complementary technique to identify elements that shape SME internationalization in Latin America.

Design/methodology/approach

A value-added “smiling” curve is sketched according to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industry classification, mapping a non-probabilistic purposive sample of Mexican SMEs. The csQCA has been applied to the sample based on secondary data. Mexico’s ICT export behavior is also analyzed.

Findings

Internationalized SMEs in the sample tend to group in patterns that approach higher value-added positions in the “smiling” curve, exemplifying a type of non-geographic clustering. Particular groups seem to precede market selection (North America vs Latin America). The founder’s background does not determine internationalization choices. The sample included counterexamples (new entrants, limited cases involving research and development activities), which when analyzed suggest relevant literature validations.

Originality/value

This research contextualizes sectoral SME internationalization from a Latin American perspective, identifying simple patterns around particular ICT subsectors. It focuses on a type of international entrepreneurship that becomes exceptional in developing regions: technology-oriented. csQCA is presented as a preliminary (exploratory) technique to draw alternative theoretical frameworks for SME internationalization, specifically, market selection and aspatial cluster behavior around value-added chains, leading to new theoretical perspectives in SME internationalization.
Development of a script-based versatile three-dimensional body measurement system
Authors: Kim Minsuk , Kim Sungmin
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a versatile and extensible three-dimensional (3D) body measurement system.

Design/methodology/approach

An integrated development environment and a script language compiler were designed for easy definition of measurement process.

Findings

Researchers can do every kind of anthropometric research with respect to gender, age or race simply by writing appropriate scripts.

Research limitations/implications

System does not support the management of 3D data itself. The possible flaws of data should be removed by other hardware specific software.

Practical implications

Researchers without comprehensive knowledge of computer programming can conduct complex anthropometric research by simply learning the concise script language.

Social implications

This system will facilitate many anthropometric research works and will help to provide valuable information to many industries.

Originality/value

This is the first script language based body data analysis system. The script language consists of about 60 simple commands. Researchers will be able to concentrate more on the research topic itself than on the painstaking computer programming.
Drawing a gastronomy landscape from food markets’ produce
Authors: Fusté-Forné Francesc
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Food markets represent a pathway to explore the authenticity and identity of a territory. Markets are a crucial example among food tourism practices in urban contexts. This paper aims to analyze the products that build the particular food landscape of Costa Daurada, Catalonia, Spain.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve it, the research was based on the study of foods offered in three regional markets.

Findings

Results show how Costa Daurada is gastronomically characterized and what products convey the diversity and singularity of the region.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper lies on the building of a regional gastronomy landscape on the basis of the iconic products delivered at local food markets, regarded as shared spaces between locals and tourists.
3D Virtual museum generation by using SuperSQL
Authors: Goto Kento , Kotani Misato , Toyama Motomichi
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Currently, the results of database acquisition are variously expressed, but it seems that users’ understanding degree will be improved by expressing some search results such as images of products of shopping sites in three dimensions rather than two dimensions. Therefore, this paper aims to propose a system for automatically generating 3D virtual museum that arranges 3D objects with various layouts from the acquisition result of relation database by SuperSQL query.

Design/methodology/approach

The study extended the SuperSQL to generate 3D virtual reality museum using declarative queries on relational data stored in a database.

Findings

This system made it possible to generate various three-dimensional virtual spaces with different layouts through simple queries.

Originality/value

It can be said that this system is useful in that a complicated three-dimensional virtual space can be generated by describing a simple query and a different three-dimensional virtual space can be generated by slightly changing the query or database content. When creating a virtual museum, if there are too many exhibitions or when changing the layout, the burden on the user will be high. But in this system, it is possible to automatically generate various virtual museums easily and reduce the burden on users.
Sensemaking and sensegiving
Authors: Will Matthias Georg , Pies Ingo
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Change management projects typically fail because they meet employee resistance created by emotional sensemaking processes. This paper aims to present an in-depth explanation for these failures and how change managers could avoid them.

Design/methodology/approach

This study presents an argument in the following three steps: it begins with an empirically well-established fact that attempts at change management often trigger negative emotional responses; the moral foundations theory is then used to identify the typical categories of emotional responses that may result in resistance to organizational change; and the ordonomic approach to business ethics is built upon to substantiate the diagnosis that, in many cases, emotional responses cause employees to behave in a way that is collectively self-damaging.

Findings

The core idea of the current study’s contribution is that emotionally driven processes of sensemaking can easily become dysfunctional, especially in situations that require extensive change. Consequently, it should be top priority for managers to engage in sensegiving, which comprises: narratives that explain what is going on against the background of relevant alternatives and appropriate discourses that guide how employees form their expectations. In a nutshell, sensegiving attempts to reframe sensemaking processes.

Practical implications

Even if a win–win potential already exists, it can still be misperceived. If employees are used to thinking within a trade-off framework, this might trigger trade-off intuitions and negative emotions, in effect leading to a situation that makes everyone worse off. Such mental models might become a self-fulfilling prophecy. To counter such a tendency, sensegiving aims at a professional management of sensemaking processes. The task of successful change management, properly understood, is to create and communicate win–win potentials, ensuring that all parties involved understand that they are not asked to sacrifice their self-interest, instead they are invited to participate in a process of mutual betterment.

Originality/value

The literature on sensemaking draws attention to the empirical fact that resistance to change is typically driven by emotions. The moral foundations theory helps in exactly identifying which emotional dimensions are relevant in times of organizational change. The ordonomic approach to business ethics points out that – owing to their emotional nature – processes of sensemaking might fail, that they may mislead employees into behavioral patterns that are collectively self-damaging. Therefore, a top priority for management is to engage in sensegiving, that is, in (re-)framing sensemaking processes.
Fix-and-optimize heuristics for capacitated lot sizing with setup carryover and backordering
Authors: Güner Gören Hacer , Tunali Semra
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The capacitated lot sizing problem (CLSP) is one of the most important production planning problems which has been widely studied in lot sizing literature. The CLSP is the extension of the Wagner-Whitin problem where there is one product and no capacity constraints. The CLSP involves determining lot sizes for multiple products on a single machine with limited capacity that may change for each planning period. Determining the right lot sizes has a critical importance on the productivity and success of organizations. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This study focuses on the CLSP with setup carryover and backordering. The literature focusing on this problem is rather limited. To fill this gap, a number of problem-specific heuristics have been integrated with fix-and-optimize (FOPT) heuristic in this study. The authors have compared the performances of the proposed approaches to that of the commercial solver and recent results in literature. The obtained results have stated that the proposed approaches are efficient in solving this problem.

Findings

The computational experiments have shown that the proposed approaches are efficient in solving this problem.

Originality/value

To address the solution of the CLSP with setup carryover and backordering, a number of heuristic approaches consisting of FOPT heuristic are proposed in this paper.
Do consumers react differently to sweatshop allegations on luxury and non-luxury brands? A brand entitativity-based account
Authors: Rashid MdSanuwar , Chattaraman Veena
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Perceived brand entitativity, or the extent to which a collection of brands signifies a group to consumers, differentiates luxury vs non-luxury brands such that luxury brands are perceived to be more entitative than non-luxury brands. Framed by the concept of brand entitativity and the implicit theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine whether this difference in the perceived brand entitativity of luxury and non-luxury brands impacts how consumers respond to sweatshop allegations in context to these brands.

Design/methodology/approach

Two separate experimental studies employing between-subjects designs were conducted among a total of 162 and 276 student consumers from a Southern university of the USA. The authors operationalized sweatshop allegations at two levels, brand-specific allegations (the stimulus brand itself is accused) and industry-specific allegations (other brands of the same industry are accused) to examine the role that brand entitativity plays in these two types of allegations.

Findings

Experiment 1 demonstrated that industry-specific allegations hurt consumer attitudes for luxury brands to a greater extent than non-luxury brands, whereas brand-specific allegations hurt non-luxury brands more so than luxury ones. In experiment 2, the authors find that the above results hold true only for consumers who are more prone to social perceptions of entitativity (entity theorists), but not those who represent an incremental mindset (incremental theorists).

Practical implications

The results can help brand managers understand the negative downstream consequences of brand- and industry-specific allegations for their brand type (luxury vs non-luxury).

Originality/value

This study fills an important gap in understanding consumer reaction to brands’ sweatshop allegations by addressing the role of consumers’ perceived brand entitativity and how it differs for consumers holding different implicit beliefs.
Exploration of the antecedents and consequences of customers’ service experiences
Authors: Ihtiyar Ali , Ihtiyar Hatice Gulsah , Galay Yana
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of experiential modules and service quality on perceived values of young customers and, respectively, on satisfaction and word of mouth, as well as intention to pay more and revisit. In this endeavour, the study illustrates unique the context of experiential modules and attempts to highlight several improvements in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

An instrument was developed to measure how strategic experiential module, social judgment module and service quality perceptions of customers influence their functional and emotional experiential value. Primary data, which were gathered by surveying 660 respondents, diagnosed young customers’ experiences in well-known coffee shops in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Measurement of constructs and its interrelationships were examined based on partial least square–structural equation modelling (PLS–SEM).

Findings

The results of SEM through PLS method were acceptable in terms of reliability and validity. The empirical results revealed that some of strategic experiential modules and service quality perceptions of young customers have positive influences on experiential value. These contributions postulate an impetus for future research in various service settings.

Originality/value

Regarding the role, the study assesses the role of shopping experiences of young consumers on experiential value, customer satisfaction and post-purchase attitudes. It is anticipated that by filling this knowledge gap, the research will assist in strengthening marketing strategies, which require an adjustment in the current business environment. The detailed results and suggestions for future research are discussed further.
Honing of employee creativity in Indian automobile industry
Authors: Chaubey Akriti , Sahoo Chandan Kumar
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of organizational climate, physical work environment and organizational encouragement on enhancing employee creativity in the Indian automobile industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used descriptive research design. Through a stratified random sampling method, the authors collected 250 valid responses which were considered suitable to carry out the study. Structural equation modeling was used to validate the hypothesized research model, whereas confirmatory factor analysis was incorporated into the study to check the reliability and robustness of the constructs.

Findings

The results of the study indicated that creative instinct within the employees working in the automobile units becomes more profound when an organization provides a climate and physical work environment which is conducive to stimulate the creative thought process of the employees by encouraging its employees for exchanging ideas among themselves, which motivates them to think out of the box and subsequently foster their creative ability.

Practical implications

This study incorporates measures that are essential in enhancing the creative ability of the employees working in the Indian automobile industry which can be tactically nurtured by these factors.

Originality/value

The findings add to the existing literature by developing visions and enumerating how organizational climate, physical work environment and organizational encouragement enhances creativity within individuals in Indian automobile units.
An OD approach to leadership development: questions and consequences
Authors: Wiggins Liz , Smallwood Janet
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of ideas and practice from Organisation Development to the creation of a leadership development programme, based in a UK Business School. When leadership development is constructed as a personal and relational endeavour, rather than using competences to create identikit heroes, faculty need to draw less on the espoused certainties of “expert” power and adapt their teaching style and language.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study of an ongoing Masters programme in health leadership, draws on external evaluation data and action research.

Findings

The paper’s prime contribution is as a conceptual stimulus to rethink leadership development programmes based on OD.

Practical implications

The practical implications could be far reaching if business schools want to offer an alternative to perpetuating heroic, individualist models of leadership.

Social implications

As leaders take charge of their own learning, as much as their leading, faculty become powerful participants and draw on OD skills rather than those of expert knowledge.

Originality/value

The paper thus offers a practical example with evaluation of how leadership development can be redesigned congruent with seeing leadership as a socially constructed, relational, dynamic and context specific.