bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ThiL is a valid antibacterial target that is essential for both thiamine biosynthesis and salvage pathway inPseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Kim Hyung Jun , Lee Hyunjung , Lee Yunmi , Choi Inhee , Ko Yoonae , Lee Sangchul , Jang Soojin
Published: March 2020

Thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) is an essential cofactor for various pivotal cellular processes in all living organisms, including bacteria. As thiamine biosynthesis occurs in bacteria but not humans, bacterial thiamine biosynthesis is an attractive target for antibiotic development. Among enzymes in the thiamine biosynthetic pathway, thiamine monophosphate kinase (ThiL) catalyzes the final step of the pathway, phosphorylating thiamine monophosphate (TMP) to produce TPP. In this work, we extensively investigated ThiL inPseudomonas aeruginosa, a major pathogen of hospital-acquired infections. We demonstrated thatthiLdeletion abolishes not only thiamine biosynthesis but also thiamine salvage capability, showing growth defects of the ΔthiLmutant even in the presence of thiamine derivatives except TPP. Most importantly, the pathogenesis of the ΔthiLmutant was markedly attenuated compared to wild-type bacteria, with lower inflammatory cytokine induction and 103~104times decreased bacterial load in anin vivoinfection model where the intracellular TPP level is in the submicromolar range. In order to validateP. aeruginosaThiL (PaThiL) as a new drug target, we further characterized its biochemical properties determining a Vmax of 4.0±0.2 nomol·min−1and KMvalues of 111±8 and 8.0±3.5μM for ATP and TMP, respectively. A subsequentin vitrosmall molecule screening identified PaThiL inhibitors including WAY213613 that is a noncompetitive inhibitor with a Ki value of 13.4±2.3 μM and a potential antibacterial activity againstP. aeruginosa. This study proved that PaThiL is a new drug target againstP. aeruginosaproviding comprehensive biological and biochemical data that could facilitate to develop a new repertoire of antibiotics.
Sox2-dependent maintenance of mouse oligodendroglioma involves the Sox2-mediated downregulation of Cdkn2b, Ebf1, Zfp423 and Hey2
Authors: Barone Cristiana , Buccarelli Mariachiara , Alessandrini Francesco , Pagin Miriam , Rigoldi Laura , Sambruni Irene , Favaro Rebecca , Ottolenghi Sergio , Pallini Roberto , Ricci-Vitiani Lucia , Malatesta Paolo , Nicolis Silvia K.
Published: March 2020

Cancer stem cells (CSC) are essential for tumorigenesis. The transcription factor Sox2 is overexpressed in brain tumors. In gliomas, Sox2 is essential to maintain CSC. In mouse high-grade glioma pHGG, Sox2 deletion causes cell proliferation arrest and inability to reform tumorsin vivo;134 genes are significantly derepressed. To identify genes mediating the effects of Sox2 deletion, we overexpressed into pHGG cells nine among the most derepressed genes, and identified four genes, Cdkn2b, Ebf1, Zfp423 and Hey2, that strongly reduced cell proliferationin vitroand brain tumorigenesisin vivo. CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis, or pharmacological inactivation, of each of these genes, individually, showed that their activity is essential for the proliferation arrest caused by Sox2 deletion. These Sox2-inhibited antioncogenes also inhibited clonogenicity in primary human glioblastoma-derived cancer stem-like cell lines. These experiments identify critical anti-oncogenic factors whose inhibition by Sox2 is involved in CSC maintenance, defining new potential therapeutic targets for gliomas.

Table of Contents Image

Main Points

Sox2 maintains glioma tumorigenicity by repressing the antioncogenic activity of a regulatory network involving the Ebf1, Hey2, Cdkn2b and Zfp423 genes.

Mutation of these genes prevents the cell proliferation arrest of Sox2-deleted glioma cells.
The m6A reader Ythdf restricts axonal growth inDrosophilathrough target selection modulation of the Fragile X mental retardation protein
Authors: Soldano Alessia , Worpenberg Lina , Paolantoni Chiara , Longhi Sara , Mulorz Miriam M. , Lence Tina , Wessels Hans-Hermann , Aiello Giuseppe , Notarangelo Michela , Sutandy FX Reymond , Scheibe Marion , Edupuganti Raghu R. , Busch Anke , Möckel Martin M. , Vermeulen Michiel , Butter Falk , König Julian , Ohler Uwe , Dieterich Christoph , Quattrone Alessandro , Roignant Jean-Yves
Published: March 2020

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulates a variety of physiological processes through modulation of RNA metabolism. The modification is particularly enriched in the nervous system of several species, and its dysregulation has been associated with neurodevelopmental defects and neural dysfunctions. InDrosophila, loss of m6A alters fly behavior albeit the underlying mechanism and the role of m6A during nervous system development have remained elusive. Here we find that impairment of the m6A pathway leads to axonal overgrowth and misguidance at larval neuromuscular junctions as well as in the adult mushroom bodies. We identify Ythdf as the main m6A reader in the nervous system being required for limiting axonal growth. Mechanistically, we show that Ythdf directly interacts with Fragile X mental retardation protein to inhibit the translation of key transcripts involved in axonal growth regulation. Altogether, this study demonstrates that the m6A pathway controls development of the nervous system by modulating Fmr1 target selection.
Characterization of the Endometrial Transcriptome in Early Diestrus Influencing Pregnancy Establishment in Dairy Cattle after Transfer of In-Vitro Produced Embryos
Authors: Mazzoni Gianluca , Pedersen Hanne S , Rabaglino Maria B , Hyttel Poul , Callesen Henrik , Kadarmideen Haja N
Published: March 2020

Modifications of the endometrial transcriptome at day 7 of the estrus cycle are crucial to maintain gestation after transfer of in-vitro produced (IVP) embryos. The aim of this study was to identify genes, and their related biological mechanisms, in the endometria of recipient lactating dairy cows that become pregnant in the subsequent estrus cycle upon transfer of IVP embryos. Endometrial biopsies were taken from lactating Holstein Friesian cows on day 6-8 of the estrus cycle followed by embryo transfer in the following cycle. Animals were classified retrospectively as pregnant (PR, n=8) or non-pregnant (non-PR, n=11) cows, according to pregnancy status at 26-47 days. Extracted mRNAs from endometrial samples were sequenced with an Illumina platform to determine differentially expressed genes (DEG) between the endometrial transcriptome from PR and non-PR cows. There were 111 DEG (FDR<0.05), which were mainly related to extracellular matrix interaction, histotroph metabolic composition, prostaglandin synthesis, TGF-β signaling as well as inflammation and leukocyte activation. Comparison of these DEG with DEG identified in two public external datasets confirmed the more fertile endometrial molecular profile of PR cows. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the key early endometrial mechanisms for pregnancy establishment, after IVP embryo transfer in dairy cows.
Emergent behavioral organization in heterogeneous groups of a social insect
Authors: Ulrich Yuko , Kawakatsu Mari , Tokita Christopher K. , Saragosti Jonathan , Chandra Vikram , Tarnita Corina E. , Kronauer Daniel J. C.
Published: March 2020

The composition of social groups has profound effects on their function, from collective decision-making to foraging efficiency. But few social systems afford sufficient control over group composition to precisely quantify its effects on individual and collective behavior. Here we combine experimental and theoretical approaches to study the effect of group composition on individual behavior and division of labor (DOL) in a social insect. Experimentally, we use automated behavioral tracking to monitor 120 colonies of the clonal raider ant,Ooceraea biroi,with controlled variation in three key correlates of social insect behavior: genotype, age, and morphology. We find that each of these sources of heterogeneity generates a distinct pattern of behavioral organization, including the amplification or dampening of inherent behavioral differences in colonies with mixed types. Theoretically, we use a well-studied model of DOL to explore potential mechanisms underlying the experimental findings. We find that the simplest implementation of this model, which assumes that heterogeneous individuals differ only in response thresholds, could only partially recapitulate the empirically observed patterns of behavior. However, the full spectrum of observed phenomena was recapitulated by extending the model to incorporate two factors that are biologically meaningful but theoretically rarely considered: variation among workers in task performance efficiency and among larvae in task demand. Our results thus show that different sources of heterogeneity within social groups can generate different, sometimes non-intuitive, behavioral effects, but that relatively simple models can capture these dynamics and thereby begin to elucidate the basic organizational principles of DOL in social insects.

Significance Statement

When individuals interact in an aggregate, many factors that are not knowna prioriaffect group dynamics. A social group will therefore show emergent properties that cannot easily be predicted from how its members behave in isolation. This problem is exacerbated in mixed groups, where different individuals have different behavioral tendencies. Here we describe different facets of collective behavioral organization in mixed groups of the clonal raider ant, and show that a simple theoretical model can capture even non-intuitive aspects of the behavioral data. These results begin to reveal the principles underlying emergent behavioral organization in social insects. Importantly, our insights might apply to complex biological systems more generally and be used to help engineer collective behavior in artificial systems.
Rapid Epistatic Mixed Model Association Studies by Controlling Multiple Polygenic Effects
Authors: Wang Dan , Tang Hui , Liu Jian-Feng , Xu Shizhong , Zhang Qin , Ning Chao
Published: March 2020

We have developed a rapid mixed model algorithm for exhaustive genome-wide epistatic association analysis by controlling multiple polygenic effects. Our model can simultaneously handle additive by additive epistasis, dominance by dominance epistasis and additive by dominance epistasis, and account for intrasubject fluctuations due to individuals with repeated records. Furthermore, we suggest a simple but efficient approximate algorithm, which allows examination of all pairwise interactions in a remarkably fast manner of linear with population size. Application to publicly available yeast and human data has showed that our mixed model-based method has similar performance with simple linear model-based Plink on computational efficiency. It took less than 40 hours for the pairwise analysis of 5,000 individuals genotyped with roughly 350,000 SNPs with five threads on Intel Xeon E5 2.6GHz CPU.

Availability and implementation

Source codes are freely available athttps://github.com/chaoning/GMAT.
Frontotemporal Coordination Predicts Working Memory Performance and its Local Neural Signatures
Authors: Rezayat Ehsan , Dehaqani Mohmmad-Reza A. , Clark Kelsey , Bahmani Zahra , Moore Tirin , Noudoost Behrad
Published: March 2020

Neurons in some sensory areas reflect the content of working memory (WM) in their spiking activity. However, this spiking activity is seldom related to behavioral performance. We studied the responses of inferotemporal (IT) neurons, which exhibit object-selective activity, along with Frontal Eye Field (FEF) neurons, which exhibit spatially-selective activity, during the delay period of an object WM task. Unlike the spiking activity and local field potentials (LFPs) within these areas, which were poor predictors of behavioral performance, the phase-locking of IT spikes and LFPs with the beta band of FEF LFPs robustly predicted successful WM maintenance. In addition, IT neurons exhibited greater object-selective persistent activity when their spikes were locked to the phase of FEF LFPs. These results demonstrate a key role of coordination between prefrontal and temporal cortex in the successful maintenance of visual information during WM.
Altering the bilayer motif in ERBB2 HER2 TMD and in ErbB HER TMD dimer causing in vitro and in vivo tumor suppression
Authors: Menyhert Laszlo David , Tejeda Miguel
Published: March 2020

Human ERBB2 is a transmembrane signaling tyrosine kinase receptor, which seems an ideal target of human WNT16B, the secreted growth factor possibly causes transmembrane domain (TMD) mutations. There is a strong relationship between the chemical nature of the TMD mutations and the potency with which they activate HER2.In silico, we modeled the possible docking conformation of human WNT16B and human ERBB2 TMD homodimer, resulted a mutant complex. The ribbon structure, the C-terminal and N-terminal and GG4-like motif structures are similar in HER2 TMD and HER TMD, we modeled WNTl6B’s possible docking conformation to the HER1 TMD (ErbB), also resulted a mutant complex. If there is a strong relationship between TMD mutations improving the active dimer interface or stabilizing an activated conformation and the potency with which they activate HER2 (and possibly also HER), than the TMD dimerization part seems ideal reagent-target. The agent we tested – the 4-(Furan-2-yl)hepta-1,6-dien-4-ol (AKOS004122375) – has very good connectivity attributes by its several rotatable bonds, and according to thein silicoinspection of close residues intermolecular bonds, and the ligand docking, it can straight connect to human ERBB2 TMD (HER2), and to the ErbB TMD (HER1) dimer bilayer motif as well.In silico, we also tested the agent ligand’s docking into the residues of human WNT16B and human ERBB2 TMD (HER2) mutant complex, and human WNT16B and human ErbB TMD (HER1) mutant complex. We tested the agent ligandin vitroandin vivoin several tumor models, highlighting that targeting the EGFR’s TMD with an agent not only reduces treatment-induced metastasis, but radically decreases the tumor growth as well. Because of the analogous structure of HER2 TMD and HER TMD, this dimerization motif-targeting can also be successful in HER and HER2 EGFR signaling.In vitro, we reached 80-94% proliferation percentage in different tumor models,in vivowe reached 35-61% tumor suppression in different tumor models, the metastasis inhibition effect of the compound was 82-87% in different tumor models.
Contrasted gene decay in subterranean vertebrates: insights from cavefishes and fossorial mammals
Authors: Policarpo Maxime , Fumey Julien , Lafargeas Philippe , Naquin Delphine , Thermes Claude , Naville Magali , Dechaud Corentin , Volff Jean-Nicolas , Cabau Cedric , Klopp Christophe , Møller Peter Rask , Bernatchez Louis , García-Machado Erik , Rétaux Sylvie , Casane Didier
Published: March 2020

Evolution sometimes proceeds by loss, especially when structures and genes become dispensable after an environmental shift relaxing functional constraints. Gene decay can serve as a read-out of this evolutionary process. Animals living in the dark are outstanding models, in particular cavefishes as hundreds of species evolved independently during very different periods of time in absence of light. Here, we sought to understand some general principals on the extent and tempo of decay of several gene sets in cavefishes. The analysis of the genomes of two Cuban species belonging to the genusLucifugaprovides evidence for the most massive loss of eye genes reported so far in cavefishes. Comparisons with a recently-evolved cave population ofAstyanax mexicanusand three species belonging to the tetraploid Chinese genusSinocyclocheilusrevealed the combined effects of the level of eye regression, time and genome ploidy on the number of eye pseudogenes. In sharp contrast, most circadian clock and pigmentation genes appeared under strong selection. In cavefishes for which complete genomes are available, the limited extent of eye gene decay and the very small number of loss of function (LoF) mutations per pseudogene suggest that eye degeneration is never very ancient, ranging from early to late Pleistocene. This is in sharp contrast with the identification of several eye pseudogenes carrying many LoF mutations in ancient fossorial mammals. Our analyses support the hypothesis that blind fishes cannot thrive more than a few millions of years in cave ecosystems.
Death recognition by undertaker bees
Authors: Wen Ping
Published: March 2020

Dead conspecifics removal is important of being social to avoid pathogen transmission, which resulted in the evolution of a specific caste of undertaking workers in all hives bee species. However, it is mysterious that how the undertakers distinguish death and life instantly. Through integrative studies of behavioural tests and chemical analyses, a novel mechanism for dead conspecifics recognition is found in the Asian beeApis cerana ceranaFabricius. The bees detect quickly the death of conspecifics based on decreased cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) emissions, caused by the cooling of the dead bee. Specifically, with the decline of body temperature in death, the CHC emission was reduced. Undertakers perceived the major CHCs. Addition of synthetic CHCs, followed by heating, inhibited undertaking behaviour. Among these CHCs, heptacosane and nonacosane are the major compounds in a natural bee hive, providing a continuous signal associated with life. Via changing the vapour pressure then the ratio of emitted compounds encoding the physiological status of signal sender, insect chemical communication can be finely tuned by body temperature. This straightforward death recognition mechanism requiring little cost can be universal in animal living in social groups, especially in the social insects. Body temperature affected behaviour can response to increasing frequency of extreme weathers in global climate change, which help explain the recent worldwide bee health problem.
Tracking the outbreak. An optimized delimiting survey strategy forXylella fastidiosa
Authors: Lázaro E. , Sesé M. , López-Quílez A. , Conesa D. , Dalmau V. , Ferrer-Matoses A. , Vicent A.
Published: March 2020

Current legislation enforces the implementation of intensive surveillance programs for quarantine plant pathogens. After an outbreak, surveys are implemented to delimit the geographic extent of the pathogen and execute disease control. The feasibility of control programs is highly dependent on budget availability, thus it is necessary to target and optimize surveillance strategies.

A sequential adaptive delimiting survey involving a three-phase and a two-phase design with increasing spatial resolution was developed and implemented for theXylella fastidiosaoutbreak in Alicante, Spain. Inspection and sampling intensities were optimized using simulation-based methods and results were validated using Bayesian spatial models.

This strategy made it possible to sequence inspection and sampling considering different spatial resolutions, and to adapt the inspection and sampling intensity according to the information obtained in the previous, coarser, spatial resolution.

The proposed strategy was able to delimit efficiently the extent ofXfimproving efficiency of the current in terms of survey efforts. From a methodological perspective, our approach provides new insights of alternative delimiting designs and new reference sampling intensity values.
Theta-nested gamma oscillations in next generation neural mass models
Authors: Segneri Marco , Bi Hongjie , Olmi Simona , Torcini Alessandro
Published: March 2020

Theta-nested gamma oscillations have been reported in many areas of the brain and are believed to represent a fundamental mechanism to transfer information across spatial and temporal scales. In a series of recent experimentsin vitroit has been possible to replicate with an optogenetic theta frequency stimulation several features of cross-frequency coupling (CFC) among theta and gamma rhythms observed in behaving animals. In order to reproduce the main findings of these experiments we have considered a new class of neural mass models able to reproduce exactly the macroscopic dynamics of spiking neural networks. In this framework, we have examined two set-ups able to support collective gamma oscillations: namely, the pyramidal interneuronal network gamma (PING) and the interneuronal network gamma (ING). In both set-ups we observe the emergence of theta-nested gamma oscillations by driving the system with a sinusoidal theta-forcing in proximity of a Hopf bifurcation. These mixed rhythms display always phase amplitude coupling. However two different types of nested oscillations can be identified: one characterized by a perfect phase locking between theta and gamma rhythms, corresponding to an overall periodic behaviour; another one where the locking is imperfect and the dynamics is quasi-periodic or even chaotic. From our analysis it emerges that the locked states are more frequent in the ING set-up. In agreement with the experiments, we find theta-nested gamma oscillations for forcing frequencies in the range [1:10] Hz, whose amplitudes grow proportionally to the forcing one and which are clearly modulated by the theta phase. Furthermore, analogously to the experiments, the gamma power and the frequency of the gamma-power peak increase with the forcing amplitude. At variance with experimental findings, the gamma-power peak does not shift to higher frequencies by increasing the theta frequency. This effect can be obtained, in or model, only by incrementing, at the same time, also the noise or the forcing amplitude. On the basis of our analysis both the PING and ING mechanisms give rise to theta-nested gamma oscillations with almost identical features.
The role of body temperature in regulating brain and body sizes in hominin evolution
Authors: Lingam Manasvi
Published: March 2020

A number of models have posited that the concomitant evolution of large brains and increased body sizes in hominins was constrained by metabolic costs. In such studies, the impact of body temperature has not been sufficiently addressed despite the well-established fact that the rates of most physiological processes are manifestly temperature-dependent. Hence, the role of body temperature in modulating the number of neurons and body size is investigated in this work by means of a simple quantitative model. It is determined that modest deviations in the body temperature (i.e., by a few degrees Celsius) might bring about substantive changes in brain and body parameters. In particular, a higher body temperature might prove amenable to an increase in the number of neurons, a higher brain-to-body mass ratio and fewer hours expended on feeding activities, while the converse applies when the temperature is lowered. It is therefore argued that future studies must endeavour to explore and incorporate the effects of body temperature in metabolic theories of hominin evolution, while also accounting for other factors such as foraging efficiency, diet and fire control in tandem.
Amplitude modulation encoding in auditory cortex: Comparisons between the primary and middle lateral belt regions
Authors: Johnson Jeffrey S. , Niwa Mamiko , O’Connor Kevin N. , Sutter Mitchell L.
Published: March 2020

In macaques, the middle lateral auditory cortex (ML) is a belt region adjacent to primary auditory cortex (A1) and believed to be at a hierarchically higher level. Although ML single-unit responses have been studied for several auditory stimuli, the ability of ML cells to encode amplitude modulation (AM) – an ability which has been widely studied in A1 – has not yet been characterized. Here we compare the responses of A1 and ML neurons to amplitude modulated (AM) noise in awake macaques. While several of the basic properties of A1 and ML responses to AM noise are similar, we found several key differences. ML neurons do not phase lock as strongly, are less likely to phase lock, and are more likely to respond in a non-synchronized fashion than A1 cells, consistent with a temporal-to-rate transformation as information ascends the auditory hierarchy. ML neurons tend to have lower temporally (phase-locking) based best modulation frequencies than A1. At the level of ML, neurons that decrease firing rate with increasing modulation depth become more common than in A1. In both A1 and ML we find a prevalent class of neurons with excitatory rate responses at lower modulation frequencies and suppressed rate responses relative to the unmodulated carrier at middle modulation frequencies.
C. elegansELT-3 regulates cuticle collagen expression in response to environmental stimuli
Authors: Mesbahi Hiva , Pho Kim B. , Tench Andrea J. , Leon Guerrero Victoria L. , MacNeil Lesley T.
Published: March 2020

The nematodeCaenorhabditis elegansis protected from the environment by the cuticle, an extracellular collagen-based matrix that encloses the animal. Over 170 cuticular collagens are predicted in theC. elegansgenome, but the role of each individual collagen is unclear. Stage-specific specialization of the cuticle explains the need for some collagens, however, the large number of collagens suggests that specialization of the cuticle may also occur in response to other environmental triggers. Missense mutations in many collagen genes can disrupt cuticle morphology, producing a helically twisted body causing the animal to move in a stereotypical pattern described as rolling. We find that environmental factors, including diet, early developmental arrest, and population density can differentially influence the penetrance of rolling in these mutants. These effects are in part due to changes in collagen gene expression that are mediated by the GATA family transcription factor ELT-3. We propose a model by which ELT-3 regulates collagen gene expression in response to environmental stimuli to promote the assembly of a cuticle specialized to a given environment.
Robust surface structure analysis with reliable uncertainty estimation using the exchange Monte Carlo method
Authors: Nagai Kazuki , Anada Masato , Nakanishi-Ohno Yoshinori , Okada Masato , Wakabayashi Yusuke
Published: March 2020

The exchange Monte Carlo (MC) method is implemented in a surface structure refinement software using Bayesian inference. The MC calculation successfully reproduces crystal truncation rod intensity profiles from perovskite oxide ultrathin films, which involves about 60 structure parameters, starting from a simple model structure in which the ultrathin film and substrate surface have an atomic arrangement identical to the substrate bulk crystal. This shows great tolerance of the initial model in the surface structure search. The MC software is provided on the web. One of the advantages of using the MC method is the precise estimation of uncertainty of the obtained parameters. However, the parameter uncertainty is largely underestimated when one assumes that the diffraction measurements at each scattering vector are independent. The underestimation is caused by the correlation of experimental error. A means of estimation of uncertainty based on the effective number of observations is demonstrated.
Two new cadmium(II) coordination polymers based on imidazole-containing ligands: synthesis, structural characterization and fluorescence properties
Authors: Li Bing-Feng , Xu Xi-Ting , Dong Tong-Min , Zhou Wan-Ying , Gu Yang , Gong Lei , Zhong Kai-Long
Published: March 2020

The judicious selection of suitable ligands is vitally important in the construction of novel metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with fascinating structures and interesting properties. Recently, imidazole-containing multidentate ligands have received much attention. Two new CdII coordination frameworks, namely, poly[tris{μ-1,4-bis[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl]benzene-κ2
N
3:N
3′}tetrakis(nitrato-κ2
O,O′)dicadmium], [Cd2(NO3)4(C14H14N4)3]
n
, (I), and poly[[bis{μ3-1,3,5-tris[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl]benzene-κ3
N
3:N
3′:N
3′′}cadmium] hexafluorosilicate], {[Cd(C18H18N6)2](SiF6)}
n
, (II), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In polymer (I), the 1,4-bis[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl]benzene ligand bridges Cd2+ ions with a distorted seven-coordinated pentagonal bipyramidal geometry, forming a one-dimensional ladder chain, and the nitrate anions coordinate to the Cd2+ ions in a terminal bidentate fashion. In the crystal, adjacent chains are further connected by C—H...O hydrogen bonds to generate a two-dimensional (2D) supramolecular structure. Polymer (II) exhibits a 2D layered structure in which 1,3,5-tris[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl] benzene ligands join Cd2+ centres having a six-coordinated octahedral structure. The layers are connected by hexafluorosilicate anions via C—H...F hydrogen-bond interactions, giving rise to a three-dimensional supramolecular network structure in the solid state. In addition, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns were recorded, thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) carried out and fluorescence properties investigated.
How do governments cope with austerity? The roles of accounting in shaping governmental financial resilience
Authors: Barbera Carmela , Guarini Enrico , Steccolini Ileana
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Studies on how accounting is involved in financial crises and austerity are limited. The context of austerity provides an interesting opportunity to explore the role of accounting in shaping governmental financial resilience, i.e. the capacity of governments to cope with shocks affecting their financial conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a multiple case analysis of eight Italian municipalities, this paper explores how accounting contributes to the government capacities which are used to anticipate and respond to shocks affecting public finances.

Findings

Municipalities cope with financial shocks differently; accounting can support self–regulation and can affect internally-led or externally-led adaptation. Different combinations of anticipatory and coping capacities lead to different responses to shocks.

Practical implications

The findings can be useful for public managers, policymakers and oversight bodies for strengthening governmental financial resilience in the face of crises and austerity.

Originality/value

The results provide evidence of the conditions, contexts, processes under which accounting becomes a medium which can support both anticipation of and coping with financial shocks, supporting cuts in some cases and resistance in the short run or driving long-term changes intended to maintain public services as much intact as possible. This highlights the existence of different patterns of governmental financial resilience and thus indicates ways of best preserving the service of the public interest.
Non-profit organization’s innovative donor management-the identification of salient factors that drive donor loyalty
Authors: Middleton Gilroy Hughdonald , Lee Hyoung Tark
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This study aims to progress knowledge by developing and analyzing an integrated model of behavioral loyalty enhancement related to non-profit organization (NPO) donation. To achieve this aim, the study examines the influences of three variables of donor loyalty, namely, attitude toward beneficiaries, trust and self-esteem in one integrated model. Additionally, to compare the extent to which each variable affects donor loyalty, mediating effects are suggested.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from 245 Korean donors are used to investigate the proposed conceptual model using structural equation modeling with AMOS.

Findings

Findings from the study demonstrate that trust has the highest mediating influence on the intention to continue donation. Similarly, the findings reveal that self-esteem has the highest mediating influence on positive word-of-mouth (PWOM). However, the study findings suggest that attitudes toward beneficiaries are not significant predictors of both intentions to continue donating and PWOM.

Research limitations/implications

The impact of trust on the intention to continue donating is more important than that of self-esteem and attitude toward the beneficiary.

Practical implications

Similarly, the impact of trust and self-esteem on positive WOM is more important than that of attitude toward beneficiary.

Social implications

With this research, NPOs can make more budget from personal donation efficiently.

Originality/value

The findings of this research provide evidence that there are three important components relative to donation, namely, donor, NPO and beneficiary, and propose an integrated model which is composed of these three key components.
Financial performance of Hungarian and Romanian retail food small businesses
Authors: Fenyves Veronika , Zsido Kinga Emese , Bircea Ioan , Tarnoczi Tibor
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Changes in food retailing (globalization, concentration) have negative impacts on smaller, “traditional” food retail businesses. Their market share decreasing year by year. The purpose of this study is to examine and compare the financial performances of these businesses under the given circumstances and current economic environment in a Hungarian and a Romanian county.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on two complete databases, including all companies that behoove retail food activity (considering the NACE cod) in the counties of Hajdu-Bihar (Hungary) and Cluj (Romania). The database analyzed contains the financial statements for five consecutive years for 212 and 690 businesses. Databases were examined by the most typical financial indicators using the multivariate and univariate analysis of variance and the k-medoid cluster analysis methods.

Findings

The results of the analysis have shown that there are differences in the number of retail food companies in the case of two counties, both in number and in financial performance. Companies in Hajdú-Bihar county perform better in terms of financial ratios than those in Cluj county. The groups created by k-medoids cluster analysis are relatively well distinguished in the case of Hajdú-Bihar county, while the picture is much more mixed in the case of Kolozs county. However, it is also important to note that the companies analyzed should generally perform better to survive.

Research limitations/implications

Among the limitations of the study, it is important to note that the findings are relevant only to the two counties examined. Another limiting factor is that quite several companies had to be excluded from the analysis due to missing data or outliers.

Practical implications

The study presents for the corporate decision-makers the current performance of the companies of the sector examined in the two counties. The results of the study highlight the business areas of concern in management. The findings show that they need to change this performance to strengthen their market position. We believe that it is not enough to complain about the expansion of the supermarket chains, but they should take appropriate actions to improve their situation. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that there is a need to improve the financial efficiency of retail food companies in both counties to survive in the long run. This improvement is essential because retailers can play an important role in smaller settlements and narrower residential environments.

Originality/value

Comparative analysis of retail food companies in similar counties in these two neighboring countries has not been conducted using complex financial analysis. The study revealed the common and/or individual characteristics of these companies.
Fostering intrapreneurial behavior through human resource management system
Authors: Escribá-Carda Naiara , Revuelto-Taboada Lorenzo , Canet-Giner Maria Teresa , Balbastre-Benavent Francisco
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This work aims to analyze the effect of employees' perceptions of high-performance work systems (HPWS) on intrapreneurial behavior (IPB), and the potential role of knowledge sharing as a mediating variable in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Hypothesis testing was performed using a structural equation model (SEM) based on a PLS-SEM approach applied to a sample of 297 knowledge-intensive employees from six industrial companies of the Valencian region (Spain).

Findings

Results confirmed that the relationship between employees' perceptions of HPWS and IPB does not take place directly. Alternatively, this relationship occurs through knowledge sharing of employees.

Originality/value

This study makes theoretical and empirical contributions to better understand the impact of employee's perceptions of HPWS on IPB mediated by knowledge sharing. This work theorized and tested a model where the concept of IPB gains special relevance at academic and practical levels due to its implications for HRM.
The culture of UK employee-owned worker cooperatives
Authors: Wren David
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This paper presents exploratory, empirical data from a three-year study of organizational culture in for-profit, employee-owned businesses within the UK, comparing ownership types (direct, trust, and cooperative). It outlines the study and then focuses on worker cooperatives. Culture is illuminated through the lens of performance and reward management.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative data was gathered from three worker cooperatives based in the North of England, using semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document review and was compared to qualitative data collected from other types of employee-owned businesses.

Findings

The findings suggest a distinct culture within worker cooperatives encompassing five key values: a whole life perspective, consistently shared values, self-ownership, self-control, and secure employment.

Research limitations/implications

Additional time with each cooperative and a greater spread of cooperatives would be beneficial. The research was carried out during a period of organizational growth for the case organizations, which may influence attitudes to reward and retention management.

Practical implications

The results inform recruitment and retention policy and practice within worker cooperatives and highlight concerns regarding the stresses of being a self-owner. These are important considerations for potential worker co-operatives alongside policy recommendations to advance employee ownership.

Originality/value

A comparative analysis of culture, performance, and rewards across different employee ownership types has not been undertaken before. This addresses an under-researched area of employee ownership regarding HR practices. Within the UK, recent research on the culture(s) of worker cooperatives is limited.
Maternal health outcomes of socially marginalized groups in India
Authors: Yadav Arvind Kumar , Jena Pabitra Kumar
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The present study delves into the health inequalities between the two most socially deprived groups namely Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Scheduled Castes (SCs) in rural India.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used health-specific three rounds of National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) unit-level data for analyses. Probit model has been used to predict the differences in access to maternal healthcare services. Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition method is used to explore the inequality in health of rural population in India and assess the estimated relative contribution of socioeconomic and demographic factors to inequalities in maternal health.

Findings

The study establishes that STs women often perform poorly compared to SCs in terms of maternal health such as antenatal care, postnatal care and institutional delivery. Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition method shows that there exist health inequalities between STs and SCs women. Difference in household income contributes 21–34 percent and women's education 19–24 percent in the gap of utilization of maternal healthcare services between SCs and STs women. A substantial part of this difference is contributed by availability of water at home and geographical region. Finally, the study offers some policy suggestions in order to mitigate the health inequalities among socially marginalized groups of SCs and STs women in rural areas.

Originality/value

This study measures and explains inequalities in maternal health variables such as antenatal care, postnatal care and institutional delivery in rural India. Research on access to maternal healthcare facilities is needed to improve the health of deprived sections such as STs and SCs in India. The results of this study pinpoint the need for public health decision-makers in India to concentrate on the most deprived and vulnerable sections of the society. This study thus makes a detailed and tangible contribution to the current knowledge of health inequalities between the two most deprived social groups, i.e., SCs and STs.
Financial bootstrapping of informal micro-entrepreneurs in the financial environment
Authors: Khan Eijaz Ahmed , Quaddus Mohammed
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This study first examines whether the capital structure served as a mediator between financing mix and firm performance. Furthermore, the authors investigate whether this mediation effect was moderated by the financial environment. Grounded in the pecking order theory (POT) and dynamic capability view (DCV), this study extends these concepts by configuring all links to a moderated mediation model.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses the structural equation modelling (SEM) approach and multiple regression analysis using “Hayes PROCESS macro” to empirically examine the model using data collected from 384 informal micro-firms operating in Bangladesh.

Findings

In the mediation analyses, results found that capital structure was a mediator in the link between financing mix and firm performance. In further moderated mediation analyses, outcomes confirmed that this mediation effect was moderated by the financial environment.

Research limitations/implications

This investigation shows paths for future research including implications for theory advancement and intervention development.

Originality/value

This investigation offers the first step towards examining a moderated mediation effect, using POT and DCV, of the relationship between financial environment, financing mix, capital structure and firm performance.
Correlates of social media fatigue and academic performance decrement
Authors: Malik Aqdas , Dhir Amandeep , Kaur Puneet , Johri Aditya
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The current study aims to investigate if different measures related to online psychosocial well-being and online behavior correlate with social media fatigue.

Design/methodology/approach

To understand the antecedents and consequences of social media fatigue, the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) framework is applied. The study consists of two cross-sectional surveys that were organized with young-adult students. Study A was conducted with 1,398 WhatsApp users (aged 19 to 27 years), while Study B was organized with 472 WhatsApp users (aged 18 to 23 years).

Findings

Intensity of social media use was the strongest predictor of social media fatigue. Online social comparison and self-disclosure were also significant predictors of social media fatigue. The findings also suggest that social media fatigue further contributes to a decrease in academic performance.

Originality/value

This study builds upon the limited yet growing body of literature on a theme highly relevant for scholars, practitioners as well as social media users. The current study focuses on examining different causes of social media fatigue induced through the use of a highly popular mobile instant messaging app, WhatsApp. The SSO framework is applied to explore and establish empirical links between stressors and social media fatigue.
Effects of smart city service channel- and user-characteristics on user satisfaction and continuance intention
Authors: Abu Salim Taghreed , El Barachi May , Onyia Okey Peter , Mathew Sujith Samuel
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Smart city services (SCS) in contrast with other technology-based services, demand significant interaction and collaboration between the users and the service providers. This study examines the SCS delivery-channel characteristics and the users' personal (behavioral and demographic) characteristics that influence their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the services, as well as their intention to adopt (i.e. continue using) the SCS-delivery channels.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative study using a structured questionnaire was conducted for this paper. The data-collection method was administered by emailing the survey to a list of 2,350 city/urban residents who are members of the two largest universities in the greater Dubai metropolis. A total of 600 completed responses (26 percent) were received back, while 580 useable responses (25 percent) were analyzed for this paper.

Findings

Our initial findings suggest that contrary to popular belief, it is not only SCS channel factors that influence user satisfaction and continuance intention. SCS users' personal characteristics (such as their user innovativeness and control-seeking behavior) are also pivotal in determining their satisfaction and intention to continue or not continue using the SCS-delivery channels.

Research limitations/implications

The paper argues that both SCS channel factors and SCS users' personal characteristics jointly influence the users' experience of the services and therefore jointly determine their satisfaction with the service as well as their SCS usage continuance intention. The result of our research gives important insights into users' behaviors toward the emerging SCS channels in general, and it will be of great value to architects and designers of Smart City technologies around the world.

Practical implications

The paper argues that both SCS channel factors and SCS users' personal (behavioral and demographic) characteristics jointly influence the users' trials of the services, and therefore jointly determine their satisfaction with the service as well as their SCS usage continuance intention. The result of our research gives important insights into users' behavioral intentions toward the emerging SCS channels in general; and it will be of great value to architects and designers of Smart City technologies around the world.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the first few studies focused on investigating the antecedents of SCS usage behaviors in the Middle Eastern region.