bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Staphylococcal protein A inhibits complement activation by interfering with IgG hexamer formation
Authors: Cruz Ana Rita , den Boer Maurits A. , Strasser Jürgen , Beurskens Frank J. , de Haas Carla J. C. , Aerts Piet C. , Wang Guanbo , de Jong Rob N. , Bagnoli Fabio , van Strijp Jos A. G. , van Kessel Kok P. M. , Schuurman Janine , Preiner Johannes , Heck Albert J. R. , Rooijakkers Suzan H. M. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractIgG molecules are essential players in the human immune response against bacterial infections. An important effector of IgG-dependent immunity is the induction of complement activation, a reaction that triggers a variety of responses that help to kill bacteria. Antibody-dependent complement activation is promoted by the organization of target-bound IgGs into hexamers that are held together via noncovalent Fc-Fc interactions. Here we show that Staphylococcal protein A (SpA), an important virulence factor and vaccine candidate ofStaphylococcus aureus, effectively blocks IgG hexamerization and subsequent complement activation. Using native mass spectrometry and high-speed atomic force microscopy, we demonstrate that SpA blocks IgG hexamerization through competitive binding to the Fc-Fc interaction interface on IgG monomers. In concordance, we show that SpA interferes with the formation of (IgG)6:C1q complexes and prevents downstream complement activation on the surface ofS. aureus.Lastly, we demonstrate that IgG3 antibodies againstS. aureuscan potently induce complement activation even in the presence of SpA. Altogether, this study identifies SpA as an immune evasion protein that specifically blocks IgG hexamerization.
Competition for electrons favors N2O reduction in denitrifyingBradyrhizobium isolates
Authors: Gao Y , Mania D , Mousavi SA , Lycus P , Arntzen M , Woliy K , Lindström K , Shapleigh JP , Bakken LR , Frostegård Å 
Published: July 2020

SummaryBradyrhizobia are common members of soil microbiomes and known as N2-fixing symbionts of economically important legumes. Many are also denitrifiers, which can act as sinks or sources for N2O. Inoculation with compatible rhizobia is often needed for optimal N2-fixation, but the choice of inoculant may also have consequences for N2O emission. Here, we analyzed the phylogeny and denitrification capacity ofBradyrhizobiumstrains, most of them isolated from peanut-nodules. All were dinitrifiers, but only~1/3 could reduce N2O while most others were net N2O producers. The N2O-reducing isolates showed strong preference for N2O- over NO3−-reduction. Such preference was also observed in a study of other bradyrhizobia and tentatively ascribed to competition between the electron pathways to Nap (periplasmic NO3−reductase) and Nos (N2O reductase). Another possible explanation is lower abundance of Nap than Nos. Here, proteomics revealed that Nap was instead more abundant than Nos, supporting the hypothesis that the electron pathway to Nos outcompetes that to Nap. In contrast,Paracoccus denitrificans, which has membrane-bondNO3−reductase (Nar), reduced N2O and NO3−simultaneously. We propose that the control at the metabolic level, favoring N2O reduction over NO3−reduction, applies also to other denitrifiers carrying Nos and Nap but lacking Nar.Originality-Significance StatementThis study extends the current knowledge on denitrification in bradyrhizobia, which mostly originates from studies of one model strain, by investigating the denitrification phenotypes of a diverse collection of Bradyrhizobium isolates. Only 1/3 of them could reduce N2O while the others were net sources for this potent greenhouse gas. All N2O-reducers showed strong preference for N2O over NO3−. We revealed by proteomics that this was not explained by differences in the abundances of Nap (periplasmic nitrate reductase) and Nos (N2O reductase), which strengthens our hypothesis (Maniaet al., 2020) of a metabolic control mechanism by which Nos competes efficiently with Nap for electrons, making these organisms strong sinks for N2O. The findings highlight the potential importance of these organisms as N2O sinks in natural and agricultural ecosystems and pinpoint the need to take N2O reduction into account, along with N2-fixation effectiveness, when searching for strains suitable for production of inoculants.
The PRRA insert at the S1/S2 site modulates cellular tropism of SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2 usage by the closely related Bat raTG13
Authors: Liu Shufeng , Selvaraj Prabhuanand , Lien Christopher Z. , Wu Wells W. , Chou Chao-Kai , Wang Tony T. 
Published: July 2020

SummaryBiochemical and structural analyses suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is well-adapted to infecting human and the presence of four residues (PRRA) at the S1/S2 site within the Spike protein may lead to unexpected tissue or host tropism. Here we report that SARS-CoV-2 efficiently utilized ACE2 of 9 species except mouse to infect 293T cells. Similarly, pseudoviruses bearing spike protein derived from either the bat raTG13 or pangolin GX, two closely related animal coronaviruses, utilized ACE2 of a diverse range of animal species to gain entry. Removal of PRRA from SARS-CoV-2 Spike displayed distinct effects on pseudoviral entry into different cell types. Strikingly, insertion of PRRA into the raTG13 Spike selectively abrogated the usage of horseshoe bat and pangolin ACE2 but conferred usage of mouse ACE2 by the relevant pseudovirus to enter cells. Together, our findings identified a previously unrecognized effect of the PRRA insert on SARS-CoV-2 and raTG13 spike proteins.
How to promote rural revitalization via introducing skilled labor, deepening land reform and facilitating investment?
Authors: Han Jun 
Published: July 2020

PurposeThis article revealed the difficulties that lie ahead of implementation of the rural revitalization strategy.Design/methodology/approachThis article performed a systematic analysis of the difficulties ahead of implementation of the rural revitalization strategy on the basis of three factors, namely, people, land and money.FindingsThis article concluded that it is necessary to revitalize the rural human resources by introducing skilled labor; managing the farmer–land relationships through deepening the land reform and facilitating multidimensional investment that includes fiscal, financial and social factors.Originality/valueFor the first time, this article systematically explored the solutions to the problems related to people, land and money in the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy.
Impact of work values and knowledge sharing on creative performance
Authors: Ren Hualiang , Zhang Qinglei , Zheng Ying 
Published: July 2020

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to find the influence of employees’ work values on their creative performance and test the role of knowledge sharing among them.Design/methodology/approachThis work surveyed 387 employees in six companies across three cities to test the research hypothesis model.FindingsThe findings reveal that comfort and security (comfort) work values have a significant negative impact on the creative performance, whereas competence and growth (competence) work values and status and independence (status) work values have a significant positive impact on creative performance. Knowledge sharing plays a mediating role between work values and creative performance.Originality/valueThis study reveals the influence mechanism of work values on creative performance from a new perspective and confirms the differing effects of different types of work values on creative performance.
Effect of magnetic slot wedge on the performance of bulb tubular turbine generator
Authors: Qiu Hongbo , Zou Xutian , Fan Xiaobin 
Published: July 2020

Purpose
Owing to the salient pole structure and stator slots of hydro-generator, the air gap magnetic field in the generator is unevenly distributed. High-frequency harmonic components contained in the inhomogeneous air gap magnetic field will have a negative impact on the generator performance. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to improve the distribution of air gap magnetic field by using appropriate magnetic slot wedge, thereby improving the generator performance.

Design/methodology/approach
Taking a 24 MW, 10.5 kV bulb tubular turbine generator as an example, the 2 D electromagnetic field model of the generator is established by finite element method. The correctness of the model is verified by comparing the finite element calculation data with the experimental data. The influences of the permeability and thickness of the magnetic slot wedge on the generator performance are studied.

Findings
It is found that the intensity and harmonic content of the air gap magnetic field will change with the permeability of slot wedge and then the performance parameters of the generator will also change nonlinearly. The relationship between the eddy current loss, torque ripple, output voltage and other parameters of the generator and the permeability of slot wedge is confirmed. In addition, the variation of losses and torque with wedge thickness is also obtained.

Originality/value
The influence mechanism of magnetic slot wedge on the performance of hydro-generator is revealed. The presented results give guidelines to selecting suitable magnetic slot wedge to improve generator performance.
We said, they said: the politics of conceptual frameworks in disasters and climate change in Colombia and Latin America
Authors: Lizarralde Gonzalo , Páez Holmes , Lopez Adriana , Lopez Oswaldo , Bornstein Lisa , Gould Kevin , Herazo Benjamin , Muñoz Lissette 
Published: July 2020

PurposeFew people living in informal settlements in the Global South spontaneously claim that they are “resilient” or “adapting” to disaster risk or climate change. Surely, they often overcome multiple challenges, including natural hazards exacerbated by climate change. Yet their actions are increasingly examined through the framework of resilience, a notion developed in the North, and increasingly adopted in the South. To what extent eliminate’ do these initiatives correspond to the concepts that scholars and authorities place under the resilience framework?Design/methodology/approachThree longitudinal case studies in Yumbo, Salgar and San Andrés (Colombia) serve to investigate narratives of disaster risks and responses to them. Methods include narrative analysis from policy and project documents, presentations, five workshops, six focus groups and 24 interviews.FindingsThe discourse adopted by most international scholars and local authorities differs greatly from that used by citizens to explain risk and masks the politics involved in disaster reduction and the search for social justice. Besides, narratives of social change, aspirations and social status are increasingly masked in disaster risk explanations. Tensions are also concealed, including those regarding the winners and losers of interventions and the responsibilities for disaster risk reduction.Originality/valueOur findings confirm previous results that have shown that the resilience framework contributes to “depoliticize” the analysis of risk and serves to mask and dilute the responsibility of political and economic elites in disaster risk creation. But they also show that resilience fails to explain the type of socioeconomic change that is required to reduce vulnerabilities in Latin America.
Structuring architectural competitions as a competitive procurement process
Authors: Laryea Samuel , Watermeyer Ron 
Published: July 2020

PurposeArchitectural competitions have been in existence for over 2,500 years. Past studies on this have focussed on the architectural aspects, competition formats, design evaluation by jury members and its evolution. However, no comprehensive research has examined the way that architectural competitions can be structured as a competitive procurement process for contractual outcomes. This paper addresses that gap by examining the way in which a two-stage proposal procedure (as defined by ISO 10845) was used to convert the architectural ideas competition for two new universities in South Africa (SPU and UMP) into a public procurement process with contractual outcomes.Design/methodology/approachA case study was designed to examine (1) the procurement and contractual aspects of the two-stage proposal procedure within a public procurement context; (2) the challenges encountered in implementing the procurement procedure adopted; and (3) the outcomes of the procurement process. In total, 16 documents relating to the architectural competition were examined, using document analysis, to obtain insights into the procurement approach and processes. This was followed by in-depth interviews with the competition administrators to identify the key challenges encountered in implementing the procurement procedure. A content analysis method was used to analyse the qualitative data.FindingsOnly 40% of architects who expressed interest made submissions in the first stage. Those admitted to the second stage associated themselves with architectural practices and submitted tender offers which were evaluated on the basis of their financial offer, preference and quality. Most participants experienced difficulty with the procurement procedure due to unfamiliarity with the process and tight timescales. However, necessary clarifications provided by the client's team enabled them to respond appropriately and the procurement procedure proved effective for procuring innovative design ideas from nine talented architects. They were all based in small to medium-sized firms rather than large firms.Originality/valueThis paper fills an important gap in current understanding of how architectural competitions may be alternatively structured into a competitive procurement process, using empirical evidence from two architectural competitions. Architectural competitions have traditionally been used and characterized in the research literature primarily as an ideas competition rather than a competitive procurement process. This paper, therefore, extends current knowledge on the traditional way architectural competitions are generally used in practice and demonstrates through examination of two case studies how architectural competitions may be further extended and utilized as a competitive procurement process rather than just a process for obtaining ideas.
Elephant’s habitat suitability assessment through geo spatial quantification in Panchet forest division, West Bengal
Authors: Mandal Mrinmay , Das Chatterjee Nilanjana 
Published: July 2020

PurposeEcologically habitat is an area of a particular species wherefrom its play every relationship with the surrounding. Therefore, every species hold habitat that supports to survive its life. The large terrestrial herbivore animal elephant (Elephas maximus) requires deferent kind of habitat for their biological behaviour. Forest habitat one of the landscapes entire their home range is very much responsible for selecting suitable habitat. The nature of habitat selection by an elephant is deeply concerned with landscape attributes.Design/methodology/approachThe present study started in this opinion. The study area Panchet Forest Division (PFD) has 28 forest patches are not in same size. Generally, forest patches are the most suitable habitat for elephant in every forest landscape as well as in PFD. But which forest patch will be highly suitable that depends on ecological function of other geospatial attributes like patch shape complexity, patch core, road intervention intensity, amount of water body and composition of the forest. The present study measures these attributes by different sequential steps such as field inquiry, satellite image processing and GIS application by using ERDAS 9.3 and ArcGIS 10.3 version software.FindingsAfter measuring these attributes value, Habitat Suitability Index is assessed through combined weighted principle method and prepared a suitability map. This map signifies that Joypur-I and II, Upper Peardoba, Brindabanpur, Kalabagan forest patches have good condition for elephant to prefer as a suitable habitat in PFD.Originality/valueSpatial classification of elephant habitat in PFD helps society and managing authority. It facilitates better management and reducing the chance of human – elephant frequent contact.
Looking for knowledge management in library and information science research
Authors: Agarwal Naresh Kumar , Islam Md. Anwarul 
Published: July 2020

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the place of knowledge management (KM) in library and information science (LIS) research. The authors looked for KM articles published in top LIS journals since 2000.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyzed publication trends and the distribution of articles by KM-related terms used, region/country and information-setting type. The authors also identified the top-cited KM articles published in these LIS journals.

Findings
In total, 672 KM-related articles (only 3.84%) were found within the 17,491 articles published in these LIS journals.

Research limitations/implications
This low percentage shows that while it might seem like LIS people are advocating for KM in libraries and other information settings, the authors find that despite the synergies, KM is yet to find a broader place within other LIS concerns.

Originality/value
Research published during the past two decades has frequently discussed how KM is important for libraries and for LIS. However, the authors do not know the extent to which KM forms a part of LIS research.
Cut resistant characteristic of weft plain-knitted structure for protective clothing
Authors: Wang Lijuan , Gu Chunhua , Liu Na , He Yindi , Du Zhaofang 
Published: July 2020

PurposeThe paper aims to study cut resistant property of basic weft plain-knitted fabric for protective clothing.Design/methodology/approachEffects of fiber materials, fabric direction and knitting technology (sinking-depth) were explored, respectively. Cut process of fabric was tracked and the theoretical analysis was provided to evaluate energy transferring of cutting. Fiber-based cut behavior was observed by SEM images. Deformation energy stored in the loop due to yarn bending was regard as initial elastic potential energy of the fabric, which was related to loop structure.FindingsCut resistance of the fiber material was the dominant factor for cut resistance of weft plain-knitted fabric, while unit loop structure played a critical role in improving cut resistance.Social implicationsCut resistance of the fiber material was the dominant factor for cut resistance of weft plain-knitted fabric, while the unit loop structure played a critical role in improving cut resistance.Originality/valueThe paper provides theoretical support of developing flexible protective clothing.
Foreigners, fakes and flycatchers: stereotypes, social encounters and the problem of discomfort on the street in Arusha, Tanzania
Authors: Loeng Martin 
Published: July 2020

PurposeThis paper aims to contribute to research on the interrelations between urban tourism, travelling and landscapes. It shows how young visitors to the tourism-reliant city of Arusha, northern Tanzania, experience and interpret discomfiting encounters with street sellers by drawing on stereotypes circulating in guidebooks, online forums and in the tourism industry. In turn, such re-interpreted encounters are increasingly seen as problematic for the city’s development of urban tourism.Design/methodology/approachThe author draws on extensive ethnographic fieldwork with tourist-product street sellers in Arusha and Moshi, Tanzania in 2015–2017. With detail-oriented focus on social interaction and communication, the author has used participant observation and interviews to understand the perspectives and actions involved. Complementing this, the author draws on interviews with tour companies and local authorities to connect everyday occurrences with broader political, economic and urban transformations.FindingsThis paper explores the interrelation between changing urban landscapes, gentrification and burgeoning urban tourism by highlighting not only how streets are created and sought to be re-created but how also re-interpreted stories and stereotypes fundamentally influence how it is understood by local authorities. As the consumption of place, shopping and foreigners’ experiences take centre stage in Arusha’s urban development project, practices and people that are re-interpreted as causes of discomfort, become objects of ordering and discipline.Originality/valueThis paper emphasizes that the social encounters beyond dichotomies of host–guest relationships are a fruitful and important means of investigating how “encounters” connect space to power, the street to urban planning and mundane on-the-street interactions to processes of transformation and gentrification. This paper presents a reading of “landscapes” not as a text, but as a series of encounters that catch our attention when and where they break our norms, or the norms of others.
The impact of social media on the performance of microfinance institutions in developing countries: a quantitative approach
Authors: Daowd Ahmad , Kamal Muhammad Mustafa , Eldabi Tillal , Hasan Ruaa , Missi Farouk , Dey Bidit Lal 
Published: July 2020

PurposeOver the last few decades, microfinance industry is argued to have played a constructive role in alleviating poverty level and providing the underprivileged with access to financial services. Statistics from the World Bank reveal that, currently, only 4% of the underprivileged have been served out of the 3 billion+ potential clients. Such results are due to several claims, particularly the operational and financial challenges faced by microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the constant flux inviting more attentions towards its performance. While explicit attention is given by many researchers towards mobile banking and information and communication technology (ICT) in improving the MFIs’ performance, the study on how social media, as a rapidly growing online phenomenon, can impact on the MFIs’ performance remains scarce. As such, this study aims to investigate this impact based on four dimensional performance indicators:efficiency,financial sustainability,portfolio qualityandoutreach.Design/methodology/approachA model is proposed and tested to ascertain the relationship between social media applications and organisational performance. In so doing, web-based questionnaires have been used to collect data from MFI employees in developing countries. Results reveal a significant influence of the social media over the MFIs’ performance, offering valuable insights into both researchers and practitioners in the domain of microfinance, as well as social media—conforming that the adoption of social media as marketing, advertising and communication tools may significantly improve the MFIs’ performance.FindingsThe results demonstrate that there is a positive and significant impact of social media use within microfinance on the key indicators of MFIs. They also show that the highest impact of social media usage within the microfinance is on the portfolio quality. In addition, it was found that marketing and advertising; communication and sales and distribution are the main areas where social media is able to support while social networking websites are the most popular platforms employed in MFIs.Originality/valueThis study adds to the existing literature few theoretical and practical aspects. First, this study developed a model for assessing the value of social media as a new phenomenon within this type of organisation. Second, it offers microfinance sponsors, managers and policy makers with a frame of reference to understand what social media platform can be deployed for each purpose. Third, with the identification of the main MFIs’ performance indicators, this research provided a reference of performance measurement guide for microfinance industry when assessing different technological employment.