bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of LmeA, a mycobacterial periplasmic protein, in stabilizing the mannosyltransferase MptA and its product lipomannan under stress
Authors: Rahlwes Kathryn C. , Osman Sarah H. , Morita Yasu S. 
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACTThe mycobacterial cell envelope has a diderm structure, composed of an outer mycomembrane, an arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan cell wall, periplasm and an inner membrane. Lipomannan (LM) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) are structural and immunomodulatory components of this cell envelope. LM/LAM biosynthesis involves a number of mannosyltransferases and acyltransferases, and MptA is an α1,6-mannosyltransferase involved in the final extension of the mannan backbones. Recently, we reported the periplasmic protein LmeA being involved in the maturation of the mannan backbone inMycobacterium smegmatis. Here, we examined the role of LmeA under stress conditions. We found that thelmeAtranscription was upregulated under two stress conditions: stationary growth phase and nutrient starvation. Under both conditions, LAM was decreased, but LM was relatively stable, suggesting that maintaining the cellular level of LM under stress is important. Surprisingly, the protein levels of MptA were decreased inlmeAdeletion mutant (ΔlmeA) in both stress conditions. The transcript levels ofmptAin ΔlmeAwere similar to or even higher than those in the wildtype, indicating that the decrease of MptA protein was a post-transcriptional event. Consistent with the decrease in MptA, ΔlmeAwas unable to maintain the cellular level of LM under stress. Even during active growth, overexpression of LmeA led the cells to produce more LM and become more resistant to several antibiotics. Altogether, our study reveals the roles of LmeA in the homeostasis of the MptA mannosyltransferase particularly under stress conditions, ensuring the stable expression of LM and the maintenance of cell envelope integrity.
Saliva-Based Molecular Testing for SARS-CoV-2 that Bypasses RNA Extraction
Authors: Ranoa Diana Rose E. , Holland Robin L. , Alnaji Fadi G. , Green Kelsie J. , Wang Leyi , Brooke Christopher B. , Burke Martin D. , Fan Timothy M. , Hergenrother Paul J. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractConvenient, repeatable, large-scale molecular testing for SARS-CoV-2 would be a key weapon to help control the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, standard SARS-CoV-2 testing protocols are invasive and rely on numerous items that can be subject to supply chain bottlenecks, and as such are not suitable for frequent repeat testing. Specifically, personal protective equipment (PPE), nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs, the associated viral transport media (VTM), and kits for RNA isolation and purification have all been in short supply at various times during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 is spread through droplets and aerosols transmitted through person-to-person contact, and thus saliva may be a relevant medium for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infection status. Here we describe a saliva-based testing method that bypasses the need for RNA isolation/purification. In experiments with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus spiked into saliva, this method has a limit of detection of 500-1000 viral particles per mL, rivalling the standard NP swab method, and initial studies also show excellent performance with 100 clinical samples. This saliva-based process is operationally simple, utilizes readily available materials, and can be easily implemented by existing testing sites, thus allowing for high-throughput, rapid, and repeat testing of large populations.Graphical Abstract
FHOD-1 is the only formin inCaenorhabditis elegansthat promotes striated muscle growth and Z-line organization in a cell autonomous manner
Authors: Sundaramurthy Sumana , Votra SarahBeth , Laszlo Arianna , Davies Tim , Pruyne David 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe striated body wall muscles ofCaenorhabditis elegansare a simple model system with well-characterized sarcomeres that have many vertebrate protein homologs. Previously, we observed deletion mutants for two formin genes,fhod-1andcyk-1, developed thin muscles with abnormal dense bodies/sarcomere Z-lines. However, the nature of thecyk-1mutation necessitated maternal CYK-1 expression for viability of the examined animals. Here, we tested the effects of complete loss of CYK-1 using a fast acting temperature-sensitivecyk-1(ts)mutant. Surprisingly, neither post-embryonic loss of CYK-1 nor acute loss of CYK-1 during embryonic sarcomerogenesis caused muscle defects, suggesting CYK-1 might not play a direct role in muscle development. Consistent with this, examination ofcyk-1(Δ)mutants re-expressing CYK-1 in a mosaic pattern showed CYK-1 cannot rescue muscle defects in a muscle cell autonomous manner, suggesting muscle phenotypes caused bycyk-1deletion are likely indirect. Conversely, mosaic re-expression of FHOD-1 infhod-1(Δ)mutants promoted muscle cell growth, as well as proper Z-line organization, in a muscle cell autonomous manner. As we can observe no effect of loss of any other worm formin on muscle development, we conclude that FHOD-1 is the only formin that directly promotes striated muscle development inC. elegans.
Prioritization of osteoporosis-associated GWAS SNPs using epigenomics and transcriptomics
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Deng Hong-Wen , Shen Hui , Ehrlich Melanie 
Published: June 2020

AbstractGenetic risk factors for osteoporosis, a prevalent disease associated with aging, have been examined in many genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A major challenge is to prioritize transcription-regulatory GWAS-derived variants that are likely to be functional. Given the critical role of epigenetics in gene regulation, we have used an unusual epigenetics- and transcription-based approach to identify credible regulatory SNPs relevant to osteoporosis from 38 reported BMD GWAS. Using Roadmap databases, we prioritized SNPs based upon their overlap with strong enhancer or promoter chromatin preferentially in osteoblasts relative to 11 heterologous cell culture types. The selected SNPs also had to overlap open chromatin (DNaseI-hypersensitive sites) and DNA sequences predicted to bind to osteoblast-relevant transcription factors in an allele-specific manner. From >50,000 GWAS-derived SNPs, we identified 16 novel and credible regulatory SNPs (Tier-1 SNPs) for osteoporosis risk. Their associated genes,BICC1, LGR4, DAAM2, NPR3, orHMGA2, are involved in osteoblastogenesis or bone homeostasis and regulate cell signaling or enhancer function. Four of them are preferentially expressed in osteoblasts.BICC1, LGR4, andDAAM2play important roles in canonical Wnt signaling, a pathway critical to bone formation and repair. The transcription factors that are predicted to bind to the Tier-1 SNP-containing DNA sequences also have bone-related functions. For the seven Tier-1 SNPs near the 5’ end ofBICC1, examination of eQTL overlap and the distribution of BMD-increasing alleles suggests that at least one SNP in each of two clusters contributes to inherited osteoporosis risk. Our study not only illustrates a method that can be used to identify novel BMD-related causal regulatory SNPs for future study, but also reveals evidence that some of the Tier-1 SNPs exert their effects on BMD risk indirectly through little-studied noncoding RNA genes, which in turn may control the nearby bone-related protein-encoding gene.
Customer complaint journey mapping: a qualitative approach
Authors: Koussaifi Hiba , Hart David John , Lillystone Simon 
Published: June 2020

PurposeThis paper aims to extend the customer complaint behaviour (CCB) knowledge by introducing a visual technique called customer complaint journey mapping as a means of capturing and understanding multi-faceted service failures involving multiple actors.Design/methodology/approachResearch participants were trained to record contemporaneous accounts of future dissatisfactory dining experiences. Minimising issues of memory recall whilst faithfully capturing complainants' raw emotions. These recordings formed the basis for follow up interviews, based on the critical incident technique.FindingsThe central finding of this paper was how other actors outside of the traditional service dyad played a dynamic role in co-creating a complainants' emotions and subsequent behaviours.Practical implicationsThe resulting customer complaint maps give deep insights into the complex social dynamics involved in CCB, providing a powerful tool for both researchers and staff responsible for recovery strategies.Originality/valueThe mapping framework provides an innovative means of capturing the actual complaint experiences of customers and the role of other actors, utilising a multi-method approach designed to address various limitations of existing CCB research.
The bright and dark sides of humorous response to online customer complaint
Authors: Shin Hyunju , Larson Lindsay R.L. 
Published: June 2020

PurposeDisplaying a sense of humour provides various interpersonal benefits including reducing tension and promoting conflict resolution, but should a firm use humour in response to publicly viewable online customer complaints after a service failure? The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that a firm’s use of humour in response to negative online consumer reviews has both positive and negative effects on perceptions of corporate image from a customer-as-onlooker perspective.Design/methodology/approachThree experimental studies are conducted and analysis of variance is used to empirically test the hypotheses.FindingsAlthough humorous responses have an unfavourable influence on perceived trustworthiness of the firm, they have a favourable influence on perceived excitingness of the firm. The former influence is tied to lower perceived firm sincerity, whereas the latter is tied to higher perceived firm innovativeness and coolness. Furthermore, humour within the customer complaint itself is shown to moderate the influence of humorous responses on perceptions of the firm. Finally, regardless of the type of humour used (i.e. affiliative or aggressive humour) in the humorous response, the positive effect of humorous response remains strong, although aggressive humour further aggravates the negative impact of humorous response on trustworthiness.Research limitations/implicationsThe experimental set-up may limit external validity of the study, and the research is limited to the variables examined.Practical implicationsHumorous response is identified as a non-traditional approach to online customer complaints that poses a double-edged sword for managers of service organizations. Firms should avoid using humour in online service recovery if perceptions of trustworthiness are critical or if complaints are written in a neutral tone. However, such responses may be successfully used when a firm wants to position itself as exciting and if complaints are also humorous. Finally, firms are advised to avoid aggressive humour.Originality/valueThe present research represents one of the few studies in marketing to examine the potential of injecting humour into complaint management and service recovery. In addition, this study considers the consumer-as-onlooker perspective inherent in social media.
Ensuring continued use of a digital library: a qualitative approach
Authors: Abdul Rahman Abdul Rahim , Mohezar Suhana 
Published: June 2020

Purpose
This paper aims to identify the factors affecting continued use of digital libraries in a military context.

Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews with four focus groups consisting of 21 respondents, who are military education instructors and librarians, were carried out. This qualitative approach study adopted content analysis methods that were designed to contrast and make comparisons based on the participants’ responses. The valid responses were analyzed using NVivo 12 Plus.

Findings
Using semi-structured interviews, this study presents five dimensions of critical success factors generated from the analysis of the content of the qualitative data. The dimensions highlighted are as follows: perceived quality factors; perceived instrumental support; perceived ease of use; users’ expectation and users’ satisfaction; and net benefits and perceived usefulness.

Research limitations/implications
This study is only focussing on military education instructors and librarians in the vicinity of four regions in Peninsular Malaysia. For practical implications, it provides an understanding of how the organization could sustain the continued use of a military-context digital library (DL).

Practical implications
This study makes a new practical contribution to DL information systems’ successful implementation practices in a military context. This study also serves as a guideline for the organizational stakeholders to have a better understanding of their knowledge and the digitalization environment. The findings of this study provide an understanding of how the organization could sustain the continued use of digital libraries in a military context.

Originality/value
This study fills the void in the literature by investigating the DL use in the context of a military setting.
Prevalence of teen dating violence and the associations with substance use and externalizing behaviors in Nicaraguan early adolescents
Authors: Lu Yu , Shin Youngju , Le Vi D. , Temple Jeff R. , Pettigrew Jonathan 
Published: June 2020

PurposeDespite being a significant public health problem, teen dating violence and related risk behaviors are yet to be examined in Nicaragua. This study aims to examine the prevalence of in-person dating violence and cyber dating abuse and to test the associations between teen dating violence and substance use (i.e. alcohol, cigarette, marijuana and e-cigarette) as well as externalizing behaviors.Design/methodology/approachSurvey responses were collected from a school-based sample of 1,799 Nicaraguan early adolescents (average age = 13.04 years).FindingsThe prevalence was 41% for in-person dating violence victimization, 39% for in-person dating violence perpetration, 30% for cyber dating abuse victimization and 26% for cyber dating abuse perpetration. The majority (56%) of the adolescents reported engagement in externalizing behaviors, but substance use prevalence was relatively low, ranging from 1–9% depending on the substance type. Multivariate regression analyses suggest that in-person dating violence perpetration was positively associated with all types of substance use and externalizing behaviors, while victimization was only associated with externalizing behaviors.Originality/valueDespite the descriptive nature, the study is the first to examine the prevalence of teen dating violence and its relationships with other risk behaviors in Nicaraguan adolescents and have important health implications.
Resolving deterioration of heritage building elements using an expert system
Authors: Marzouk Mohamed , ElSharkawy Maryam , Elsayed Pakinam , Eissa Aya 
Published: June 2020

PurposeThe maintenance of original building materials is crucial to extending their lifetime and avoiding their repeated replacement in heritage buildings. In order to maintain the identity of built heritage and resolve possible deterioration over the years, special expertise is required to avoid possible materials decay and to preserve building elements in a way that allows them to function efficiently as originally intended.Design/methodology/approachAn expert system is created to identify the most effective method of repair for each specific building material and to propose the appropriate conservation methods for resolving different types of damages. Artificial intelligence is used to provide a systematic problem-solving technique that saves time and provides the most efficient conservation and preservation method for heritage building elements.FindingsThose expert systems could be generalized on similar historical structures to be used as a systematic guide for examining material, evaluating deterioration state and objectively suggesting their related repair techniques. Further deteriorated materials in heritage buildings should be investigated, such as stone and timber staircases, to provide a guide for usage by restoration and conservation authorities.Originality/valueUsing a user-friendly method, with special considerations to three major problematic building elements in terms of decay and material dysfunction in heritage structures, timber doors, iron gates, and ceiling paintings are selected for diagnosis and repair in an Egyptian heritage building.
Structuring fund for affordable housing investment in Malaysia: an exploratory research
Authors: Mohd Daud Mohd Ariff , Rosly Saiful Azhar , Muhamad Sori Zulkarnain 
Published: June 2020

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore potential fund-raising option that can be developed to attract investment in affordable housing initiatives in Malaysia. In doing so, the study undertakes to discuss the viability of the property trust fund structure as an investment vehicle.

Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a qualitative design that involves the use of semi-structured questionnaires as a data collection strategy. A total number of ten experts were selected for the interview using critical case sampling scheme based on the purposive sampling strategy.

Findings
The study discovers that a dynamic fund structure – one that allows for the fund to evolve with changing circumstances and needs – can be adopted. This fund structure comprises a fund that can be initially established as a closed-ended fund. Then, with sufficient track record, the fund can be transformed into a public real estate investment trust, with the prospect of tapping into capital market via issuance of sukuk in the future. The fund can also adopt mezzanine structure of funding, which may reduce investors’ risks with minimal government intervention.

Research limitations/implications
The findings of this study illustrate the potential of fund-raising options from the perspective of institutional investors and regulators. Future research could explore government’s view and focus on the policy options.

Practical implications
The findings may provide valuable insight into alternative fund-raising options for affordable housing projects for policymakers and investment banks.

Social implications
The fund-raising options incorporate minimal government participation yet pose low risks to investors, creating a low-risk asset suitable for social investment.

Originality/value
This study outlines the mechanism to increase affordable housing supply in the market, by attracting institutional investors to invest in this dynamic fund structure initiative. As there are limited discussions on attracting funding for affordable housing developments, it is hoped that this paper will spark further debate and discussion among the academicians and policymakers.
Political risk distribution of Chinese outward foreign direct investment
Authors: GaoYan Qiuyu 
Published: June 2020

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding on relations between Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) and host country political risk. To contribute to a better understanding of whether traditional wisdom on foreign direct investment (FDI) is sufficient to explain the internationalization of Chinese multinational enterprises, the author collected 15 proxy variables from the PRS Group and Heritage Foundation and applied principal component analysis (PCA) to construct a new political risk index (PRI) that measures multiple facets of political risk for 139 countries.Design/methodology/approachUsing this new PRI as a criterion, the author investigated changes in the political risk distribution (PRD) of Chinese outward FDI (OFDI) regarding investment destinations, large projects, annual investment outflows and sectorial distributions from 2006–2017.FindingsThe author found that the vast majority of Chinese OFDI during this period is concentrated in moderate- and low-risk countries, even at the sectorial level. This paper also shows that the continuing reform of Chinese OFDI policy and strong government support have led to an unprecedented increase in Chinese OFDI, while the PRD of Chinese OFDI has maintained a gradual decline over the past decade.Originality/valueThis research provides a new measurement that covers multiple facets of political risk.
Store flyers: managing spatial distribution under budget constraints
Authors: Luceri Beatrice , Laurini Fabrizio , Latusi Sabrina 
Published: June 2020

PurposeThe study develops a decision support system for the spatial distribution of store flyers, identifying a number of factors related to the demand and the competition influencing the complexities of their allocation to the target population.Design/methodology/approachThe model was developed incorporating the insights found in existing marketing literature and bypassing the limitations of the managerial practices. To this end, an in-depth discussion with a panel of retailers was held. The model was tested in collaboration with a retail chain.FindingsThe proposed system is flexible and provides an almost endless array of solutions in accordance with the retailer's strategic approach to the market. It captures the key trade-offs that need to be made during the decision-making process of a retailer with limited marketing resources.Practical implicationsThe traditional managerial approach, based on a set of operational steps, is overtaken by a model that systematically considers the interrelationships between the decision-making factors involved.Originality/valueThis is the first attempt to analyse spatial distribution of store flyers, a topic that has yet to be explored in retail marketing research. The paper conceptualises the key variables which affect the optimisation problem and reviews the different streams of extant research to obtain the appropriate insights.
Hyper-globalization and capitalism: socio-political effects of the international economy
Authors: Russo Antonio 
Published: June 2020

PurposeThe hypothesis is that social inequalities tend to increase in the historical phases characterized by a high level of integration of the international economy, generating protectionism-oriented pressures. The analysis of the capitalistic evolution in the last centuries is oriented to outline the strict connection between deep international economy integration and high level of social inequalities in advanced economies.Design/methodology/approachRecent deep integration in international economy generated, in advanced economies, a significant increase in socio-economic inequalities, with negative effects on social cohesion and democratic dynamics. The paper, examining the historical evolution of capitalism, analyses the consequences generated by the deep integration, achieved by the international economy, on social inequalities in advanced countries. The discussion is focussed on three models of capitalism: competitive capitalism, Fordist capitalism and cognitive capitalism.FindingsAs a result, for governments, two alternatives open up in the hyper-globalization phases: to preserve deep international economic integration, with risks for democracy; to preserve internal social cohesion, with risks of protectionism and closure to the international economy.Originality/valueThe article is oriented to underline the intrinsic incompatibility between hyper-globalization and democracy, for the strong negative effects generated by hyper-globalization on social inequalities and on social cohesion.