bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oyster viperin retains direct antiviral activity and its transcription occurs via a signalling pathway involving a heat-stable haemolymph protein
Authors: Green Timothy J. , Speck Peter , Geng Lu , Raftos David , Beard Michael R. , Helbig Karla J.
Published: September 2015

Little is known about the response of non-model invertebrates, such as oysters, to virus infection. The vertebrate innate immune system detects virus-derived nucleic acids to trigger the type I IFN pathway, leading to the transcription of hundreds of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) that exert antiviral functions. Invertebrates were thought to lack the IFN pathway based on the absence of IFN or ISGs encoded in model invertebrate genomes. However, the oyster genome encodes many ISGs, including the well-described antiviral protein viperin. In this study, we characterized oyster viperin and showed that it localizes to caveolin-1 and inhibits dengue virus replication in a heterologous model. In a second set of experiments, we have provided evidence that the haemolymph from poly(I : C)-injected oysters contains a heat-stable, protease-susceptible factor that induces haemocyte transcription of viperin mRNA in conjunction with upregulation of IFN regulatory factor. Collectively, these results support the concept that oysters have antiviral systems that are homologous to the vertebrate IFN pathway.
Temporal regulation of dUTP biosynthesis limits uracil incorporation during early DNA replication
Authors: Bryan D. Suzi , Hesselberth Jay R.
Published: September 2015

Antimetabolite chemotherapies increase uracil levels in DNA, and thus identification of factors that influence the uracil content in DNA may have implications for understanding uracil-mediated chromosomal instability. We previously showed in the budding yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiaethat uracil content in DNA correlates with replication timing, where the earliest and latest replicating regions are depleted in uracil. Here, we manipulated nucleotide biosynthesis enzymes in budding yeast to determine whether the pattern of uracil incorporation could be altered. In strains with high levels of uracil incorporation, deletion of dCMP deaminase (Dcd1) accelerated uracil incorporation at early-firing origins, likely due to rapid dTTP pool depletion. In contrast, increasing the activity of ribonucleotide reductase, which is required for the synthesis of all dNTPs via ribonucleotide diphosphates, lead to dUTP and dTTP pool equilibration and a concomitant increase in uracil content throughout the genome. These data suggest that uracil availability and the dUTP:dTTP ratio are temporally regulated during S phase and govern uracil incorporation into the genome. Therapeutic manipulation of nucleotide biosynthesis in human cells to either increase the dUTP pool or deplete the dTTP pool in early S phase may therefore improve the efficacy of antimetabolite chemotherapies.
Effects of Diet on Plumage Coloration and Pigment Deposition in Red and Yellow Domestic Canaries
Authors: Koch Rebecca , McGraw Kevin J. , Hill Geoffrey E.
Published: September 2015

The Atlantic Canary (Serinus canaria) is the most common caged bird with extensive carotenoid plumage coloration. Domestic strains of canaries have been bred for a range of colors and patterns, making them a valuable model for studies of the genetic bases for feather pigmentation. However, no detailed account has been published on the feather pigments of the various strains of this species, particularly in relation to dietary pigments available during molt. Moreover, in the twentieth century, aviculturists created a red canary by crossing Atlantic Canaries with Red Siskins (Carduelis cucullata). This “red-factor” canary is reputed to metabolically transform yellow dietary pigments into red ketocarotenoids, but such metabolic capacity has yet to be documented in controlled experiments. We fed molting yellow and red-factor canaries seed diets supplemented with either β-carotene, lutein/zeaxanthin, or β-cryptoxanthin/β-carotene and measured the coloration and carotenoid content of newly grown feathers. On all diets, yellow canaries grew yellow feathers and red canaries grew red feathers. Yellow canaries deposited dietary pigments and metabolically derived canary xanthophylls into feathers. Red-factor canaries deposited the same plumage carotenoids as yellow canaries, but also deposited red ketocarotenoids. Red-factor canaries deposited higher total amounts of carotenoids than yellow canaries, but otherwise there was little effect of diet treatment on feather hue or chroma. These observations indicate that canaries can use a variety of dietary precursors to produce plumage coloration and that red canaries can metabolically convert yellow dietary carotenoids into red ketocarotenoids.
Aneuploidy-induced cellular stresses limit autophagic degradation
Authors: Santaguida Stefano , Vasile Eliza , White Eileen , Amon Angelika
Published: September 2015

An unbalanced karyotype, a condition known as aneuploidy, has a profound impact on cellular physiology and is a hallmark of cancer. Aneuploid cells experience a number of stresses that are caused by aneuploidy-induced proteomic changes. How the aneuploidy-associated stresses affect cells and whether cells respond to them are only beginning to be understood. Here we show that autophagosomal cargo such as protein aggregates accumulate within lysosomes in aneuploid cells. This causes a lysosomal stress response. Aneuploid cells activate the transcription factor TFEB, a master regulator of autophagic and lysosomal gene expression, thereby increasing the expression of genes needed for autophagy-mediated protein degradation. Accumulation of autophagic cargo within the lysosome and activation of TFEB-responsive genes are also observed in cells in which proteasome function is inhibited, suggesting that proteotoxic stress causes TFEB activation. Our results reveal a TFEB-mediated lysosomal stress response as a universal feature of the aneuploid state.
Acoustic vibrations contribute to the diffuse scatter produced by ribosome crystals
Authors: Polikanov Yury S. , Moore Peter B.
Published: September 2015

The diffuse scattering pattern produced by frozen crystals of the 70S ribosome fromThermus thermophilusis as highly structured as it would be if it resulted entirely from domain-scale motions within these particles. However, the qualitative properties of the scattering pattern suggest that acoustic displacements of the crystal lattice make a major contribution to it.
Complete epitopes for vaccine design derived from a crystal structure of the broadly neutralizing antibodies PGT128 and 8ANC195 in complex with an HIV-1 Env trimer
Authors: Kong Leopold , Torrents de la Peña Alba , Deller Marc C. , Garces Fernando , Sliepen Kwinten , Hua Yuanzi , Stanfield Robyn L. , Sanders Rogier W. , Wilson Ian A.
Published: September 2015

The HIV-1 envelope gp160 glycoprotein (Env) is a trimer of gp120 and gp41 heterodimers that mediates cell entry and is the primary target of the humoral immune response. Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) to HIV-1 have revealed multiple epitopes or sites of vulnerability, but mapping of most of these sites is incomplete owing to a paucity of structural information on the full epitope in the context of the Env trimer. Here, a crystal structure of the soluble BG505 SOSIP gp140 trimer at 4.6 Å resolution with the bNAbs 8ANC195 and PGT128 reveals additional interactions in comparison to previous antibody–gp120 structures. For 8ANC195, in addition to previously documented interactions with gp120, a substantial interface with gp41 is now elucidated that includes extensive interactions with the N637 glycan. Surprisingly, removal of the N637 glycan did not impact 8ANC195 affinity, suggesting that the antibody has evolved to accommodate this glycan without loss of binding energy. PGT128 indirectly affects the N262 glycan by a domino effect, in which PGT128 binds to the N301 glycan, which in turn interacts with and repositions the N262 glycan, thereby illustrating the important role of neighboring glycans on epitope conformation and stability. Comparisons with other Env trimer and gp120 structures support an induced conformation for glycan N262, suggesting that the glycan shield is allosterically modified upon PGT128 binding. These complete epitopes of two broadly neutralizing antibodies on the Env trimer can now be exploited for HIV-1 vaccine design.
Comparison of epsilon- and delta-class glutathioneS-transferases: the crystal structures of the glutathioneS-transferases DmGSTE6 and DmGSTE7 fromDrosophila melanogaster
Authors: Scian Michele , Le Trong Isolde , Mazari Aslam M. A. , Mannervik Bengt , Atkins William M. , Stenkamp Ronald E.
Published: September 2015

Cytosolic glutathione transferases (GSTs) comprise a large family of enzymes with canonical structures that diverge functionally and structurally among mammals, invertebrates and plants. Whereas mammalian GSTs have been characterized extensively with regard to their structure and function, invertebrate GSTs remain relatively unstudied. The invertebrate GSTs do, however, represent potentially important drug targets for infectious diseases and agricultural applications. In addition, it is essential to fully understand the structure and function of invertebrate GSTs, which play important roles in basic biological processes. Invertebrates harbor delta- and epsilon-class GSTs, which are not found in other organisms.Drosophila melanogasterGSTs (DmGSTs) are likely to contribute to detoxication or antioxidative stress during development, but they have not been fully characterized. Here, the structures of two epsilon-class GSTs fromDrosophila, DmGSTE6 and DmGSTE7, are reported at 2.1 and 1.5 Å resolution, respectively, and are compared with other GSTs to identify structural features that might correlate with their biological functions. The structures of DmGSTE6 and DmGSTE7 are remarkably similar; the structures do not reveal obvious sources of the minor functional differences that have been observed. The main structural difference between the epsilon- and delta-class GSTs is the longer helix (A8) at the C-termini of the epsilon-class enzymes.
Structural and functional evidence for membrane docking and disruption sites on phospholipase A2-like proteins revealed by complexation with the inhibitor suramin
Authors: Salvador Guilherme H. M. , Dreyer Thiago R. , Cavalcante Walter L. G. , Matioli Fábio F. , dos Santos Juliana I. , Velazquez-Campoy Adrian , Gallacci Márcia , Fontes Marcos R. M.
Published: September 2015

Local myonecrosis resulting from snakebite envenomation is not efficiently neutralized by regular antivenom administration. This limitation is considered to be a significant health problem by the World Health Organization. Phospholipase A2-like (PLA2-like) proteins are among the most important proteins related to the muscle damage resulting from several snake venoms. However, despite their conserved tertiary structure compared with PLA2s, their biological mechanism remains incompletely understood. Different oligomeric conformations and binding sites have been identified or proposed, leading to contradictory data in the literature. In the last few years, a comprehensive hypothesis has been proposed based on fatty-acid binding, allosteric changes and the presence of two different interaction sites. In the present study, a combination of techniques were used to fully understand the structural–functional characteristics of the interaction between suramin and MjTX-II (a PLA2-like toxin).In vitroneuromuscular studies were performed to characterize the biological effects of the protein–ligand interaction and demonstrated that suramin neutralizes the myotoxic activity of MjTX-II. The high-resolution structure of the complex identified the toxin–ligand interaction sites. Calorimetric assays showed two different binding events between the protein and the inhibitor. It is demonstrated for the first time that the inhibitor binds to the surface of the toxin, obstructing the sites involved in membrane docking and disruption according to the proposed myotoxic mechanism. Furthermore, higher-order oligomeric formation by interaction with interfacial suramins was observed, which may also aid the inhibitory process. These results further substantiate the current myotoxic mechanism and shed light on the search for efficient inhibitors of the local myonecrosis phenomenon.
Crystallizing the 6S and 8S spliceosomal assembly intermediates: a complex project
Authors: Pelz Jann-Patrick , Schindelin Hermann , van Pee Katharina , Kuper Jochen , Kisker Caroline , Diederichs Kay , Fischer Utz , Grimm Clemens
Published: September 2015

The small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) U1, U2, U4/6 and U5 are major constituents of the pre-mRNA processing spliceosome. They contain a common RNP core that is formed by the ordered binding of Sm proteins onto the single-stranded Sm site of the snRNA. Although spontaneousin vitro, assembly of the Sm core requires assistance from the PRMT5 and SMN complexesin vivo. To gain insight into the key steps of the assembly process, the crystal structures of two assembly intermediates of U snRNPs termed the 6S and 8S complexes have recently been reported. These multimeric protein complexes could only be crystallized after the application of various rescue strategies. The developed strategy leading to the crystallization and solution of the 8S crystal structure was subsequently used to guide a combination of rational crystal-contact optimization with surface-entropy reduction of crystals of the related 6S complex. Conversely, the resulting high-resolution 6S crystal structure was used during the restrained refinement of the 8S crystal structure.
A high-transparency, micro-patternable chip for X-ray diffraction analysis of microcrystals under native growth conditions
Authors: Murray Thomas D. , Lyubimov Artem Y. , Ogata Craig M. , Vo Huy , Uervirojnangkoorn Monarin , Brunger Axel T. , Berger James M.
Published: September 2015

Microcrystals present a significant impediment to the determination of macromolecular structures by X-ray diffraction methods. Although microfocus synchrotron beamlines and X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) can enable the collection of interpretable diffraction data from microcrystals, there is a need for efficient methods of harvesting small volumes (<2 µl) of microcrystals grown under common laboratory formats and delivering them to an X-ray beam source under native growth conditions. One approach that shows promise in overcoming the challenges intrinsic to microcrystal analysis is to pair so-called `fixed-target' sample-delivery devices with microbeam-based X-ray diffraction methods. However, to record weak diffraction patterns it is necessary to fabricate devices from X-ray-transparent materials that minimize background scattering. Presented here is the design of a new micro-diffraction device consisting of three layers fabricated from silicon nitride, photoresist and polyimide film. The chip features low X-ray scattering and X-ray absorption properties, and uses a customizable blend of hydrophobic and hydrophilic surface patterns to help localize microcrystals to defined regions. Microcrystals in their native growth conditions can be loaded into the chips with a standard pipette, allowing data collection at room temperature. Diffraction data collected from hen egg-white lysozyme microcrystals (10–15 µm) loaded into the chips yielded a complete, high-resolution (<1.6 Å) data set sufficient to determine a high-quality structure by molecular replacement. The features of the chip allow the rapid and user-friendly analysis of microcrystals grown under virtually any laboratory format at microfocus synchrotron beamlines and XFELs.
X-ray-induced Cu deposition and patterning on insulators at room temperature
Authors: Hsu Pei-Cheng , Chen Yu-Sheng , Hwu Yeukuang , Je J. H. , Margaritondo G. , Tok Eng Soon
Published: September 2015

X-ray irradiation is shown to trigger the deposition of Cu from solution, at room temperature, on a wide variety of insulating substrates: glass, passivated Si, TiN/Ti/SiO2/Si and photoresists like PMMA and SU-8. The process is suitable for patterning and the products can be used as seeds for electroplating of thicker overlayers.
Applications of VUV extra-focus mechanism: high-performance dual-mode monochromator from VUV to soft X-ray
Authors: Xue Chaofan , Wu Yanqing , Zou Ying , Xue Lian , Guo Zhi , Wang Yong , Tai Renzhong
Published: September 2015

A new monochromator scheme is presented in which an extra-focus constant-included-angle varied-line-spacing cylindrical-grating monochromator (extra-focus CIA-VCGM) is conveniently combined with a variable-included-angle varied-line-spacing plane-grating monochromator (VIA-VPGM). This dual-mode solution delivers high performance in the energy range from vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) to soft X-ray. The resolving power and the efficiency of this dual-mode grating monochromator are analyzed in detail based on realistic parameters. Comparisons with the commonly used variable-included-angle plane-grating monochromator and normal-incidence monochromator (VIA-PGM/NIM) hybrid monochromator are made.
Redetermined structure of 4,4′-bipyridine–1,4-phenylenediacetic acid (1/1) co-crystal
Authors: Paul Rima , Bora Sanchay Jyoti
Published: September 2015

The asymmetric unit of the title 1:1 co-crystal, C10H8N2·C10H10O4, consists of one half-molecule each of 4,4′-bipyridine and 1,4-phenylenediacetic acid: the complete molecules are generated by crystallographic inversion centres. The dihedral angle between the –CO2H group and the benzene ring in the diacid is 73.02 (7)°. In the crystal, the components are linked by O—H...N hydrogen bonds, generating [1-2-1] chains of alternating amine and carboxylic acid molecules. The chains are cross-linked by C—H...O interactions. This structure was previously incorrectly described as a (C10H10N2)2+·(C10H8O4)2−molecular salt [Jiaet al.(2009).Acta Cryst.E65, o2490–o2490].
Crystal structure of 1-methoxy-5-methyl-N-phenyl-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxamide
Authors: Khazhieva Inna S. , Glukhareva Tatiana V. , Slepukhin Pavel A. , Morzherin Yury Yu.
Published: September 2015

The title compound,C11H12N4O2,was preparedviathe transformation of sodium 4-acetyl-1-phenyl-1H-[1.2.3]triazolate under the action of methoxyamine hydrochloride. The dihedral angle between the triazole and phenyl rings is 25.12 (16)° and the C atom of the methoxy group deviates from the triazole plane by 0.894 (4)Å. The conformation of the CONHR-group is consolodated by an intramolecular N—H...N hydrogen bond to an N-atom of the triazole ring, which closes anS(5) ring. In the crystal, weak N—H...N hydrogen bonds link the molecules intoC(6) [010] chains.
Crystal structure of strontium dinickel iron orthophosphate
Authors: Ouaatta Said , Assani Abderrazzak , Saadi Mohamed , El Ammari Lahcen
Published: September 2015

The title compound, SrNi2Fe(PO4)3, synthesized by solid-state reaction, crystallizes in an ordered variant of the α-CrPO4structure. In the asymmetric unit, two O atoms are in general positions, whereas all others atoms are in special positions of the space groupImma: the Sr cation and one P atom occupy the Wyckoff position 4e(mm2), Fe is on 4b(2/m), Ni and the other P atom are on 8g(2), one O atom is on 8h(m) and the other on 8i(m). The three-dimensional framework of the crystal structure is built up by [PO4] tetrahedra, [FeO6] octahedra and [Ni2O10] dimers of edge-sharing octahedra, linked through common corners or edges. This structure comprises two types of layers stacked alternately along the [100] direction. The first layer is formed by edge-sharing octahedra ([Ni2O10] dimer) linked to [PO4] tetrahedraviacommon edges while the second layer is built up from a strontium row followed by infinite chains of alternating [PO4] tetrahedra and FeO6octahedra sharing apices. The layers are held together through vertices of [PO4] tetrahedra and [FeO6] octahedra, leading to the appearance of two types of tunnels parallel to thea- andb-axis directions in which the Sr cations are located. Each Sr cation is surrounded by eight O atoms.
Big bangs and cold wars
Authors: Seifert Roger
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief and partial overview of some of the issues and authors that have dominated British industrial relations research since 1965. It is cast in terms of that year being the astronomical Big Bang from which all else was created. It traces a spectacular growth in academic interest and departments throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and then comments on the petering out of the tradition and its very existence (Darlington, 2009; Smith, 2011).

Design/methodology/approach

– There are no methods other than a biased look through the literature.

Findings

– These show a liberal oppression of the Marxist interpretation of class struggle through trade unions, collective bargaining, strikes, and public policy. At first through the Cold War and later, less well because many Marxists survived and thrived in industrial relations departments until after 2000, through closing courses and choking off demand. This essay exposes the hypocrisy surrounding notions of academic freedom, and throws light on the determination of those in the labour movement and their academic allies to push forward wage controls and stunted bargaining regimes, alongside restrictions on strikes, in the name of moderation and the middle ground.

Originality/value

– An attempt to correct the history as written by the pro tem victors.
Measuring the perceived value of malls in a non-Western context: the case of the UAE
Authors: El-Adly Mohammed Ismail , Eid Riyad
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the dimensions of a shopper consumption experience at the mall level, in relation to previous research on customer-perceived value. It aims to identify the customer-perceived value constructs of shopping malls (MALLVAL) and develop items for measuring these constructs, empirically validate the scale, carry out an initial investigation of the relationship, if any, among the MALLVAL dimensions, and discuss useful managerial implications based on the exploratory analysis of the statistical relationships between the various MALLVAL dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

– The constructs were tested and validated by means of a multidimensional procedure on a sample of 368 mall shoppers in the UAE. Amos 19 was used for this purpose.

Findings

– The study revealed eight dimensions of MALLVAL: first, hedonic value; second, self-gratification value; third, utilitarian value; fourth, epistemic value; fifth, social interaction value; sixth, spatial convenience value; seventh, transaction value; and eighth, time convenience value.

Research limitations/implications

– Although the current sample is big and diverse enough and the findings may be representative, the authors urge other researchers to replicate the study and get replies from different countries and in particular to use the measures developed in this study to test their robustness.

Practical implications

– Recognition of the importance of the different dimensions of MALLVAL should encourage mall developers and managers to develop mall attributes and shopping environments that provide the different values that compose MALLVAL.

Originality/value

– This study makes a number of contributions to the research on customer-perceived value in the mall context in an Arabian environment by developing and validating a multidimensional scale that consists of more different constructs than hedonic and utilitarian values alone.
Efficiency and convergence analysis in a women’s clothing retail store chain
Authors: Xavier José Manuel , Moutinho Victor Manuel , Moreira Antonio Carrizo
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to estimate retailing efficiency in a 26-store women clothing retail chain and to decompose it in several measures in order to contribute to the performance improvement of this retail service firm, as well as to compare the efficiency of the different decision making units.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper uses the following measures to estimate efficiency: sigma convergence analysis; efficiency analysis; technical efficiency (TE) analysis; pure technical efficiency (PTE) analysis and scale efficiency (SE) analysis for a set of 26 stores of a women retail service brand operating in Portugal. A cross-section input-oriented data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to analyse quarterly data sets from 2010 to 2013.

Findings

– The results show that costs with personnel are slightly increasing when analysed using the sigma convergence method, although there are some geographical differences. Moreover, it is possible to witness that the retail store chain’s TE diminishes as the operations outputs do not grow as fast as input savings. On the other hand, there are no SE problems as the levels of SE are larger than pure efficiency levels.

Research limitations/implications

– The main limitation of the study stems from the fact that the analysis is based on a simple retail chain, which makes it a single case study. Therefore, the generalisation of the conclusions for other firms or for other periods of analysis should be made cautiously.

Practical implications

– It is shown that some stores have a good TE and other stores have some SE advantage. As such, it is possible to select some stores as benchmarks to deploy internal efficiency throughout the retail chain.

Originality/value

– The contribution of this paper is based on the application of the sigma conversion and DEA techniques to evaluate efficiency in retail service store.
Retail companies’ internationalization behavior and the 2008 crisis
Authors: Pederzoli Daniele , Kuppelwieser Volker G.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to challenge earlier recommendations and explanations regarding companies’ behaviour after an economic shock and analyses worldwide retail companies’ internationalization processes before and after the 2008 crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

– Drawing on information published between 2003 and 2012, the authors focus on the 2008 crisis and analyse 1,500 different internationalization moves by 109 companies from 26 countries.

Findings

– The analyses confirm that the pace of retail internationalization increased after the 2008 crisis, that these companies had mainly moved into countries with newly developing economies, and that the entry modes ranged from high-cost entry modes and low-cost strategies.

Originality/value

– This paper provides an initial indication of retailers’ actual internationalization behaviour in the period considered. Such material has not been available previously as international retailing research has primarily focused on theoretical assumptions. By focusing on the current financial crisis, the authors highlight the problem that researchers investigating various company behaviours face when comparing these to the theoretical expectations. By using a worldwide, multisectorial, and longitudinal retailing sample to illustrate the internationalization process, the authors not only generalize companies’ internationalization behaviour, but also challenge earlier recommendations and explanations regarding their behaviour after an economic shock.
Mental capacity and deprivation of liberty: the Law Commission’s consultation paper
Authors: Spencer-Lane Tim
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce the readership to the consultation being held by the Law Commission concerning proposed revisions to the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

Design/methodology/approach

– Discussion of the consultation being held by the Law Commission concerning proposed revisions to the DoLS.

Findings

– These are as yet unknown as the consultation period is ongoing – it is planned that a future paper will examine the findings and recommendations from the consultation process.

Practical implications

– There has been criticism of the DoLS since their introduction in 2009. A new scheme provides the opportunity to respond to some of the criticisms and to develop more appropriate processes. The paper invites readers to take part in the consultation process and to respond to the proposals that have been developed.

Social implications

– A new and more appropriate scheme would be beneficial for service users and families/caregivers.

Originality/value

– This is the first opportunity for a revision to the DoLS scheme and introduction of the proposed scheme and the consultation process to the readership is highly appropriate and valuable to the Journal.
Student nurses on placement – collaborators or challengers
Authors: Clarke Pat
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– All nursing students have the opportunity to gain experience in the Independent Sector. The Health and Social Care Act (2012) in the UK has led to more health services being provided by the Independent Sector. The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of first year student nurses of their learning experience in nursing homes placements within the Independent Sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– Two focus groups were undertaken with first year student nurses, one with six students and the other with seven students. All students had completed four week clinical placements in nursing homes. The focus groups were semi structured. Thematic analysis was undertaken on the data.

Findings

– Important themes that emerged from the data included: leadership issues, poor practice relating to infection control and manual handling, team dynamics, commitment to addressing issues when raised and challenges to raising issues within the placement area. The findings provided an insight into some of the barriers for student nurses when raising issues. The decision to raise concerns was multifactorial and complex. Attention was also focused on the relationship between the mentor and the student and the impact that can have on the learning environment.

Research limitations/implications

– The limitations for this study included: this was a small scale study, the findings were from a small number of placement areas within a small geographical area of the UK. Some students may have felt reluctant to share their views in a focus group. The findings reflect the views of first year student nurses only. However, first year students can provide an alternative view of a placement area. Their lack of experience can be an opportunity to question accepted norms with the mentor, acting as a resource of new ideas.

Originality/value

– This paper identified opportunities and challenges for student nurses and education providers alike. For the student it was the complexities of raising issues and for the education provider it was equipping students with the knowledge and skills to raise such issues not only as a student but also upon qualification.
The long-term role of the home learning environment in shaping students’ academic attainment in secondary school
Authors: Sammons Pam , Toth Katalin , Sylva Kathy , Melhuish Edward , Siraj Iram , Taggart Brenda
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships between the characteristics of the home learning environment (HLE) and students’ academic attainments in secondary school in England at age 14 and 16.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research study uses multilevel statistical models to investigate the strength and significance of relationships between various measures of the HLE at ages three, six, 11 and 14, and students’ academic attainment in secondary school.

Findings

– Multilevel models show that early years HLE and specific dimensions of later HLE are positive predictors of students’ later academic attainment at age 14 and 16, when the influence of various individual, family and neighbourhood characteristics are controlled.

Originality/value

– The paper presents unique findings on the role of the HLE in shaping students’ academic success at secondary school, including a range of measures of the HLE obtained at different ages. The results show that the early years HLE measured at age three continues to show effects on later attainment, over and beyond the effects of later HLE and other significant influences such as family socio-economic status and parents’ qualification levels.
Involving parents in school-based programmes to prevent and reduce bullying: what effect does it have?
Authors: Axford Nick , Farrington David P. , Clarkson Suzy , Bjornstad Gretchen J. , Wrigley Zoe , Hutchings Judy
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe how and why school-based programmes to prevent or reduce bullying involve parents, and what impact involving parents has on bullying.

Design/methodology/approach

– A review of relevant literature, in particular systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Findings

– The logic of involving parents in school-based bullying prevention programmes is that this increases the likelihood of parents first, telling schools that their child is being bullied, which in turn enables the school to act appropriately, and second, being able to address bullying-related issues effectively at home. Parent involvement is associated with a reduction in bullying but further research is needed to determine if it is a causal factor. Programmes tend not to include a parenting education and support element, despite negative parenting behaviour being associated with children being a victim or a bully/victim.

Practical implications

– There is good reason to involve parents in school-based bullying prevention. Given the parenting risk factors for bullying perpetration and victimisation, bullying prevention programmes could also usefully offer parenting education and support.

Originality/value

– The paper focuses exclusively on the role of parents in school-based bullying prevention programmes. It articulates the logic of involving parents and summarises the impact of parent involvement.
Online information encountering: modeling the process and influencing factors
Authors: Jiang Tingting , Liu Fang , Chi Yu
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Information encountering is the serendipitous acquisition of information that requires low or no involvement and expectation of users. The purpose of this paper is to model the explicit process and the implicit factors of online information encountering, i.e. how and why it occurs.

Design/methodology/approach

– The critical incident technique was adopted to collect qualitative data from 16 interview participants. They contributed 27 true incidents of online information encountering which were used to identify the key phases of the encountering process. They also commented on the factors that they thought had an influence on the chance of the occurrence of encountering.

Findings

– The macro-process of information encountering is composed of three phases. First, browsing, searching, or social interaction provides the context for encountering; second, the encountering occurrence consists of three steps – noticing the stimuli, examining the content, and acquiring interesting or useful content; and third, the information encountered will be explored further, saved, used, or shared. The 14 influencing factors of information encountering obtained divide into three clusters. User-related factors include sensitivity, emotions, expertise, attitudes, intentionality, curiosity, activity diversity; information-related factors include type, relevance, quality, visibility, and sources; and environment-related factors include time limits and interface usability.

Originality/value

– This study engenders useful implications for designing information encountering experience. The changeable nature of some influencing factors suggests that encountering can be elicited through the purposive design of encountering support features or even encountering systems, and the macro-process depicts the natural occurring mechanisms of encountering for the design to follow.
Grey literature – grey sources? Nuancing the view on professional documentation
Authors: Börjesson Lisa
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to nuance the perception about professional documentation (a.k.a. “grey literature”), assuming perception of documentation being a cultural aspect of accessibility.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study explores variations within the archaeological report genre through a bibliometric analysis of source use. Source characteristics are explored as well as correlations between report authors and source originators. Statistical frequency distribution is complemented by a correspondence analysis and ak-means cluster analysis to explore patterns. The patterns are interpreted as “frames of references” and related to circumstances for archaeological work. The study also discusses source representations.

Findings

– The source use patterns reveal a latent variation, not visible in the general analysis: a professional/academic frame of reference (mainly among authors affiliated with incorporated businesses and sole proprietorships) and an administrative frame of reference (mainly among authors affiliated with government agencies, foundations, and member associations) emerge.

Research limitations/implications

– The study focuses on Swedish field evaluation reports. Future research could test the results in relation to other types of reports and go beyond the document perspective to explore source use in documentation practices.

Social implications

– The results on variations in frames of references among report writers have implication for report readers and user. The results should also be considered in archaeology management and policy-making. On the level of source representation the results call for clarifications of vague representations and possibly omitted sources.

Originality/value

– This study contextualizes archaeological information use and focuses on variations in professional archaeology which has received little previous research attention. The bibliometric approach complements previous qualitative studies of archaeological information.
Because it’s there …
Authors: Richards Sharon , Morris Anne , Greenwell Stewart
Published: September 2015

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the strategic role of third-sector agencies, with a history that often left them “sidelined” by the public sector, showing how all agencies involved can be respected and trusted, with conflicts of interest around commissioning services well managed. It highlights how power differentials between agencies/sectors influence behaviour and how a voluntary council can promote the voice of users and carers.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study considering the nature of voluntary sector activity in Cwm Taf, referring to learning from elsewhere, confirming and challenging the experience. It draws on the experiences of two key third-sector workers and draws on local survey data, as well as the experiences of community co-ordinators.

Findings

The importance of “being there” in policy development, implementing change and taking action; “being at the top table” was critical in developing a stronger third sector and user voice, supporting the ambitions of Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. Third-sector agencies have been good and mature partners, honest brokers/commissioners, completer/finishers and critical friends.

Originality/value

Power and influence are significant in changing the way that older people receive a different offer – not, “what can we do for you?”, but, “help us to understand what will make a difference to your life”. Third-sector agencies are crucial change agents, better at representing users and carers than public sector agencies doing it alone. It explores the concept of interdependence, as more energising for older people and agencies.
The valuation of an airport as a commercial enterprise
Authors: Jones Colin , Dunse Neil
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to question whether traditional cost approaches apply to the valuation of an airport now that they are no longer public utilities but very much commercial enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research discusses the business model, the ownership and the importance of non-aviation business for an airport. It examines the principles of company valuation and International Accounting Standards in determining an airport’s value.

Findings

– The paper argues that an airport can be viewed as a specialist property company. A key issue is the role of separability of these assets. The paper concludes that previous research has taken a too restrictive view of this concept. An airport’s value is therefore based on the valuation of its component assets according to common property valuation methods.

Practical implications

– The paper challenges the traditional view of airport valuation.

Originality/value

– The paper rethinks the way airports should be valued.
Navigating through an “ecological desert and a sociological hell”
Authors: Ison Ray , Schlindwein Sandro Luis
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The governance of the relationship between humans and the biophysical world has been based on a paradigm characterized by dualistic thinking and scientism. This has led to the Anthropocene. The purpose of this paper is to reframe human-biosphere governance in terms of “cyber-systemics”, a neologism that is useful, the authors argue, not only for breaking out of this dualistic paradigm in human-environmental governance but also of the dualism associated with the use of systems and cybernetics.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper the authors draw on their own research praxis to exemplify how the intellectual lineages of cybernetics and systems have been mutually influencing their doings, and how new forms of governance practices that explore different framing choices might contribute to building innovative governance approaches attuned to the problematique of the Anthropocene, for instance through institutional designs for cyber-systemic governance.

Findings

– The growing popularity of the Anthropocene as a particular framing for the circumstances, if it is to transformative and thus relevant demands informed critique if it is to help change the trajectory of human-life on earth. The authors offer arguments and a rationale for adopting a cyber-systemic perspective as a means to avoid the dangers in pursuing the current trajectory of our relationship with the biophysical world as, for example, climate change. The essay frames an invitation for a systemic inquiry into forms of governance more suited to the contemporary circumstances of humans in their relationships with the biophysical world.

Research limitations/implications

– The research essay challenges many taken-for-granted epistemological assumptions within the cybernetics and systems intellectual communities. A case for radical change is mounted; the means to effect this change, other than through changes in discourse remain unclear though it is apparent that changes to praxis and institutional forms and arrangements will be central.

Practical implications

– Cyber-systemic capabilities need to be developed; this requires investment and new institutions that are conducive to cyber-systemic understandings and praxis.

Originality/value

– Understanding the global environmental crisis as an emergent outcome of current commitments to dualistic governance choices demands a reframing of much of what humans have done, re-investment in cyber-systemics offers a moral and practical response.
Performance for viability: complexity and variety management
Authors: Espejo Raul
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– It is natural for interacting organisational actors and environmental agents to experience complexity asymmetries. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the balancing of these complexities at a level of performance that not only maintains the organisation’s viability but also the health of its ecosystem.

Design/methodology/approach

– Ashby (1964) proposed variety, or the number of possible states of a situation, as a measure of complexity and the Law of Requisite Variety as an ontology and heuristic for complexity management strategies. Following these propositions Beer’s variety engineering (Beer, 1979) is a construct to design these strategies.

Findings

– This paper offers epistemological and methodological considerations to discuss the viability and performance of organisational systems.

Research limitations/implications

– Measuring organisational performance needs powerful methodological support. This paper offers to some extend this support but it needs further development.

Practical implications

– Performance is related to the concept of dynamic capabilities, which in recent times has had important practical implications.

Originality/value

– Though the concepts of this paper have a long history, their methodological articulation is original.
Stafford Beer and the legacy of Cybersyn: seeing around corners
Authors: Leonard Allenna
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the legacy of Stafford Beer and the continuing implications of his work on Cybersyn and the models and tools he used and explored during the project and in his later work.

Design/methodology/approach

– Description of Stafford Beer’s work on Cybersyn and examples of its present day applicability.

Findings

– The values and tools associated with the Cybersyn work in Chile continue to be relevant for the challenges of the present and an example of an approach to management structure and practice that serves both efficiency and humanity.

Originality/value

– The value of this work is to contribute to the history and future possibilities of the ideas and tools pioneered in the Cybersyn project by Stafford Beer and others and their broader context in organizational cybernetics.
Community-based research: enabling civil society’s self-organisation
Authors: Mendiwelso-bendek Zoraida
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to discuss the contribution of community-based research to the self-organisation of Civil Society and in particular to community engagement, policy processes and social change.

Design/methodology/approach

– Starting from communities own issues and organisational structures, this paper presents a methodology to create spaces for social transformation. Its approach was designing engagement programmes of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with communities’ partnerships, supported by constructed conversations, workshops and fieldwork, coproducing knowledge within community structures.

Findings

– The research offers evidence that supporting community empowerment and engagement with community-based research needs a deep understanding of participatory social processes. It makes visible that researchers should have more opportunities to focus their research on communities rather than on collecting data to respond to funders.

Research limitations/implications

– Though community self-organisation happens one way or the other effective self-organisation processes cannot be taken for granted and need further studies and elaboration. Despite current efforts it requires more studies to understand social systems and develop stronger links to active citizenship policies.

Practical implications

– This research contributes to communities’ engagement in policy processes and highlights the enabling role of HEIs.

Originality/value

– It rearticulates participatory approaches to active citizenship and learning in communities.