bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An updated structural model of the A domain of thePseudomonas putidaXylR regulator exposes a distinct interplay with aromatic effectors
Authors: Dvořák Pavel , Alvarez-Carreño Carlos , Ciordia Sergio , Paradela Alberto , de Lorenzo Víctor 
Published: January 2021

ABSTRACTA revised model of the aromatic binding A domain of the σ54-dependent regulator XylR ofPseudomonas putidamt-2 was produced based on the known 3D structures of homologous regulators PoxR, MopR, and DmpR. The resulting frame was instrumental for mapping the large number of mutations known to alter effector specificity, which were then reinterpreted under a dependable spatial reference. Some of these changes involved the predicted aromatic-binding pocket but others occurred in distant locations, including dimerization interfaces and putative zinc-binding site. The effector pocket was buried within the protein structure and accessible from the outside only through a narrow tunnel. The model was experimentally validated by treating the cellsin vivoand the purified proteinin vitrowith benzyl bromide, which reacts with accessible nucleophilic residues on the protein surface. Proteomic analyses of the thereby tagged peptides confirmed the predicted in/out distribution of residues but also suggested that the fully-folded protein is not accessible by externally added effectors. The data thus suggested that XylR inducers assist the folding and/or the structuring of the A domain in an intramolecular non-repressive form rather than interacting dynamically with the aromatic partner once a fully structured protein is shaped.Originality-Significance StatementXylR is a transcriptional regulator ofPseudomonas putidastrain mt-2 which activates theupper TOL pathway promoterPufor catabolism of toluene andm-xylene upon binding of these aromatic effectors to its N-terminal A domain. While this feature has made XylR a popular platform for the development of whole-cell biosensors for aromatic compounds, the difficulty to crystallize the A domain —let alone the whole-length protein— has made structural comprehension of the effector-regulator binding quite problematic. To overcome this impasse, we have combined homology-based structural predictions of the A domain of XylR with biochemical probing of exposed amino acids on the surface of the protein, bothin vivoandin vitro. The results generally matched the effects of mutations known from previous genetic/phenotypic analyses of the protein. However, the data also suggested an intriguing mechanism of activation of XylR by effectors in which the inducer assists the shaping of the regulator in an active conformation rather than interactinga posterioriwith an already formed proteininvitro. This may in fact explain the longstanding failure to purify the protein in an effector-responsive form.
Removal of disulfide from acid stress chaperone HdeA does not wholly eliminate structure or function at low pH
Authors: Aguirre-Cardenas M. Imex , Geddes-Buehre Dane H. , Crowhurst Karin A. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractHdeA is an acid-stress chaperone that operates in the periplasm of various strains of pathogenic gram-negative bacteria. Its primary function is to prevent irreversible aggregation of other periplasmic proteins when the bacteria enter the acidic environment of the stomach after contaminated food is ingested; its role is therefore to help the bacteria survive long enough to enter and infect the intestines. The mechanism of operation of HdeA is unusual in that this helical homodimer is inactive when folded at neutral pH but becomes activated at low pH after the dimer dissociates and becomes partially unfolded. Studies with chemical reducing agents have previously suggested that the intramolecular disulfide bond of HdeA aids in the maintenance of residual structure at low pH; it is believed that this residual structure is important for clustering exposed hydrophobic residues together for the purpose of binding unfolded client proteins. In order to explore its role in HdeA structure and chaperone function we performed a conservative cysteine to serine mutation of the disulfide. We found that, although residual structure is greatly diminished at pH 2 without the disulfide, it is not completely lost; conversely, the mutant is almost completely random coil at pH 6. Aggregation assays showed that mutated HdeA, although less successful as a chaperone than wild type, still maintains a surprising level of function. These studies highlight that we still have much to learn about the factors that stabilize residual structure at low pH and the role of disulfide bonds.
Human Tear Metabolomics Using Liquid Chromatography-Q Exactive-HF Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Shrestha Gauri Shankar , Vijay Ajay Kumar , Stapleton Fiona , Pickford Russell , Carnt Nicole 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAimTo putatively identify and characterise human tear metabolites in a normal subject on an untargeted platform of liquid chromatography-Q exactive-HF mass spectrometry.MethodsFour samples of unstimulated tears were collected from both eyes on four consecutive days between 1 – 2 pm using a microcapillary tube and pooled from both eyes each day. Untargeted analysis of the tears was performed by chromatographic separation of constituent metabolites in both CSH-C18RP (Charged Surface Hybrid-C18 Reversed Phase) and SeQuant ZIC-pHILIC (Zwitterionic-polymeric Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography) columns, followed by heated electrospray ionization (HESI) and the acquisition of mass spectra using QExactive-HF mass spectrometer. Compound Discoverer software (v2.0) was used for data analysis.ResultEighty-two metabolites were tentatively identified. Seventy compounds (85.4 %) were observed in all four samples with a coefficient of variation (CV) less than 25 %. Fifty-nine metabolites (71.9 %) were novel in the healthy tears. Amino acids were the most frequently detected metabolites in the tears (28 %), followed by carbohydrates (12.2 %), carboxylic acids (8.5 %), carnitines (6.1 %) and glycerophospholipids (4.9 %), respectively.ConclusionThe current untargeted platform is capable of detecting a range of tear metabolites across several biological categories. This study provides a baseline for further ocular surface studies.
Fishing for survival: importance of shark fisheries for the livelihoods of coastal communities in Western Ghana
Authors: Seidu Issah , Brobbey Lawrence K. , Danquah Emmanuel , Oppong Samuel K. , van Beuningen David , Seidu Moro , Dulvy Nicholas K. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractSmall-scale shark fisheries support the livelihoods of a large number of coastal communities in developing countries. Shark meat comprises a cheap source of protein and is traded locally in many parts in developing countries, while the skins, oil, and fins are exported to the international market. This study addresses a gap in literature regarding the importance of elasmobranchs to key shark-fishing communities and the degree to which trade in shark products (meat and fins) vary in time and among fishing communities in Ghana. We interviewed 85 fishers and traders involved in shark fisheries in Axim, Dixcove, and Shama communities using semi-structured questionnaires. Fishing was the primary source of income and accounted for 58.5% of the total household income of respondents. Other important economic activities were fish processing (16.0%), fish retailing (13.3%), and small businesses (2.5%). One-third and often two-thirds of respondents generated between 80-100% of their income from shark fisheries: Axim (65%), Dixcove (68%), and Shama (35%). Shark meat consumption was common among fishers and traders and represents a substantial source of protein in the diet of the study communities. Hammerhead sharks (Sphyrnaspp) and Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) have the most valuable fins and meat. Further, 75% and 95% of fishers and traders, respectively, see fishing and trading of shark meat as their last safety-net and, therefore, tend to be satisfied with their jobs. Non-fishing related livelihood streams including small businesses and transportation were the major fallback activities both fishers and traders preferred to rely on if there is a ban on the exploitation of sharks in Ghana. Overexploitation of these species will compromise food ecosystem functionality and security. Thus, any shark management strategy needs to urgently restraint mortality to sustainable levels, which, in the short-term, must take into consideration the preferred livelihood fallback options outlined by fishers and traders, and implement them to ensure the long-term benefits of the intervention.
(Counter) accounting for hybrid organising: a case of the Great Exhibition of the North
Authors: Ferry Laurence , Slack Richard 
Published: January 2021

PurposeHybrid organising faces a fundamental challenge in managing multiple and conflicting logics. Prior studies have evidenced the performative role of accounting within such a context largely in support of neoliberal hegemony and economic logic. Mindful of such conflict and the support towards economic logic, drawing on universal accountings, this study provides insights from counter accounting and its potential to serve pluralism and the emancipation of marginalised constituencies.Design/methodology/approachThe research examined The Great Exhibition of the North (GEOTN), England's largest event in 2018, which utilised themes of art, design and innovation to support a regeneration and economic growth agenda. This was led by NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) a hybrid organisation combining logics for economic and social legacies, whose accounts are contrasted to counter accounts from a social movement; The Other Great Exhibition of the North, “OtherGEN”. The study involved 30 in-depth semi-structured interviews, detailed observation and documentation review providing account and counter account of the event.FindingsThe findings reveal that GEOTN promoted an agenda offering a duality of economic and social logics through the arts and culture delivering a lasting economic and social legacy. This employed traditional accountings and associated performance targets and measurement through a formal evaluation framework. Emergent tensions were apparent evidencing a more dominant economic logic. The purported use of culture was portrayed as artwashing by a counter account narrative enmeshed in a backdrop of austerity. This wider accounting highlights the need for reflection on logic plurality and enables challenge to the performative role of traditional accounting in hybrid organising.Originality/valueUniversal accountings, such as counter accounting, can be advanced to unpack “faked” logics duality in hybrid organising. This reveals the emancipatory potential of accountings and the need for dialogic reflection. Hybrid organising requires careful consideration of accounting as a universal praxis to support social and economic pluralism and democratic ideals.
Welfare impacts of rural credit and saving program inKurfa Cheledistrict, eastern Ethiopia: a propensity score matching estimation
Authors: Okoyo Eric N. , Wordofa Muluken Gezahegn , Hassen Jemal Y. , Bezabih Moges 
Published: January 2021

PurposeThis study is conducted to evaluate the impact of rural credit on farm household income and food security.Design/methodology/approachA multistage random sampling procedure is implemented to select 180 (82 credit user and 98 non-credit user) households fromKurfa Cheledistrict, eastern Ethiopia. The Propensity Score Matching technique is used to estimate the impact of credit utilization on the welfare indicators.FindingsThe results of the econometric model estimation show that participation in the rural credit program was positively influenced by a household's educational status, family size, voluntary saving and participation in training related to credit and saving. On the contrary, livestock holding and extension advice were found to negatively affect participation. Furthermore, participation in rural credit program is found to increase annual income by 59% and calorie intake by 21%. These are significant results implying that participation in the rural credit and saving program improved household welfare in the study area.Originality/valueThis study is important because it shows the welfare impact of making credit program available to potential users in the study area. Moreover, for effectiveness of the credit program it is necessary to target households with relatively larger family size and those with relatively better education (to induce change among the wider farming community). It is also essential to focus on the saving behavior of the program beneficiaries and enhancing the management system by ensuring that sufficient development agents are in place.
Forget about the money? A latent profile analysis of calling and work motivation in Chinese employees
Authors: Zhang Chunyu , Hirschi Andreas 
Published: January 2021

PurposeCalling is typically associated with more intrinsic than extrinsic work motivation. This could give the impression that employees with a calling do not need or care about external rewards. To deepen the understanding of the relationship between calling and work motivation, the purpose of this paper is to test how calling is combined with different types of work motivation and how such combinations affect work outcomes differentially.Design/methodology/approachThe authors applied latent profile analysis among Chinese employees with diverse occupations (N = 1,290), to identify calling and work motivation profiles and test their relations with work outcomes, assessed four months later.FindingsFour profiles emerged: externally motivated low calling, moderately externally motivated calling, moderately motivated calling and highly motivated calling. Employees with weaker and stronger callings indicated being extrinsically motivated for work. Employees in the highly motivated calling profile exhibited highest job satisfaction, lowest cynicism and lowest turnover intentions, followed by employees in the moderately motivated calling profile, the moderately externally motivated calling profile and the externally motivated low calling profile.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings imply that employees with a strong calling do care about external rewards and also benefit from external incentives to work.Originality/valueThis study is the first to explore the differential relationship between calling and work motivation. Moreover, the findings offer insights regarding the under-researched notion that different types of calling predict work outcomes differently.
Can board diversity predict the risk of financial distress?
Authors: Yousaf Umair Bin , Jebran Khalil , Wang Man 
Published: January 2021

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore whether different board diversity attributes (corporate governance aspect) can be used to predict financial distress. This study also aims to identify what type of prediction models are more applicable to capture board diversity along with conventional predictors.

Design/methodology/approach
This study used Chinese A-listed companies during 2007–2016. Board diversity dimensions of gender, age, education, expertise and independence are categorized into three broad categories; relation-oriented diversity (age and gender), task-oriented diversity (expertise and education) and structural diversity (independence). The data is divided into test and validation sets. Six statistical and machine learning models that included logistic regression, dynamic hazard, K-nearest neighbor, random forest (RF), bagging and boosting were compared on Type I errors, Type II errors, accuracy and area under the curve.

Findings
The results indicate that board diversity attributes can significantly predict the financial distress of firms. Overall, the machine learning models perform better and the best model in terms of Type I error and accuracy is RF.

Practical implications
This study not only highlights symptoms but also causes of financial distress, which are deeply rooted in weak corporate governance. The result of the study can be used in future credit risk assessment by incorporating board diversity attributes. The study has implications for academicians, practitioners and nomination committees.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to comprehensively investigate how different attributes of diversity can predict financial distress in Chinese firms. Further, this study also explores, which financial distress prediction models can show better predictive power.
Digital library service model for predictive analysis of user satisfaction based on multivariate fuzzy logic
Authors: Mehta Ridhima 
Published: January 2021

Purpose
This paper aims to evaluate the user satisfaction criterion for qualitative assessment of timeliness and efficacy of digital libraries based on the multivariate fuzzy logic technique.

Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the performance of digital library services using fuzzy logic modeling are evaluated. This model based on fuzzy logic control is used to compute the dynamic response of users by using multiple independent variables. These parameters with inherent uncertainties in practical scenarios are characterized by fuzzy linguistic information.

Findings
Several parameters determining the user satisfaction metric in the deployment of digital library exhibit implicit uncertainties which can be intelligently modeled by means of fuzzy control systems. Given the sample data set for the proposed fuzzy multi-attribute decision-making framework, the simulation results are used to compute various error performance measures in the estimation of the fuzzy output variables.

Research limitations/implications
The size of the considered sample data set is considerably small. Scalable real-world data sets can be used to reinforce the statistical efficiency and accuracy of the proposed model. Moreover, other techniques such as evolutionary multi-objective optimization and the Markovian process can be implemented to explore the efficient correlation between different parameters influencing the users’ behavior and facilitate the general application of the proposed technique.

Originality/value
The paper applied a fuzzy design methodology in which several attributes related to the service of digital library and the affiliated online resource provisions are used to assess their synchronous impact on user convenience in accessing and manipulating the library information. End-users’ satisfaction is crucial for quality-based valuation of compliance with the time limitations and proficiency of digital libraries.
Marketing students' meta-skills and employability: between the lines of social capital in the context of the teaching excellence framework
Authors: Barkas Linda Anne , Scott Jonathan Matthew , Hadley Karen , Dixon-Todd Yvonne 
Published: January 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to examine the role of social capital and higher order meta-skills in developing the employability of marketing students at a UK university.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual article, bolstered by illustrative primary data, provides a broader conceptualisation of employability. This is to address the specific research question on how social capital (contacts and connections) is deployed (via capability-based higher order meta-skills) in a UK university developing the employability of a specific group of students. The article is situated in the highly fraught context of teaching excellence measurement schemes [such as the teaching excellence framework (TEF) in the UK].FindingsThe research findings highlighted the role of social capital and higher order meta-skills in developing the employability of marketing students at a UK university.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the illustrative primary data are not generalisable, as they are limited to one group of marketing students in one UK university; the conceptual development, including a new social capital based definition of employability that incorporated the capabilities, provided by higher-order meta-skills, is widely applicable.Practical implicationsThe article has highlighted how the impact of social capital, etiquette and meta-skills, while being “between the lines” of the employability discourse and the metrics of the TEF, explains the differing perceptions of the value of employability initiatives. The article highlights the grey area of between the reasons given as to why some candidates are valued over others. Perhaps no rhyme or reason sometimes, just the “hidden” perception/interpretations of the interview panel of the “qualities” of one candidate over another.Originality/valueThe difficulty in ascertaining the influence of social capital (and how it can be deployed through higher-order meta-skills as capabilities) results in challenges for universities as they endeavour to respond to the data requirements of “learning gain” within teaching excellent measurement schemes such as the UK teaching excellence framework.
Dividend policies of travel and leisure firms in the UK
Authors: Kilincarslan Erhan , Demiralay Sercan 
Published: January 2021

Purpose
This study aims to examine cash dividend practices of travel and leisure (T&L) companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a panel data set of 524 firm-year observations of 55 unique publicly listed UK T&L companies between 2007 and 2019. First, it uses a modified version of Lintner’s (1956) partial adjustment model for analysis regarding the target payout ratio and dividend smoothing. Second, it performs logit and Tobit models in ascertaining the association between financial characteristics and divided decisions of T&L firms. Finally, it applies the modified specification of the partial adjustment model on different sub-samples that are partitioned based on various financial factors to determine how the financial characteristics of T&L companies affect their dividend behavior.

Findings
The results show that UK T&L companies have long-term payout ratios and adjust their cash dividends by moving gradually to their target at a serious degree of smoothing. The findings also detect that financial characteristics of T&L firms (i.e. profitability, debt and size) have significant effects on their dividend payments decisions. In particular, more profitable and larger T&L corporations are more likely to pay cash dividends, whereas T&L companies with more debt are less likely to pay cash dividends in the UK. The results further reveal that although such financial characteristics also have important impacts on the target payout ratios and dividend smoothing levels, UK T&L companies generally adopt stable dividend policies over the period 2007-2019.

Originality/value
This is thought to be the first study to provide insights on dividend policy practices of UK travel and leisure corporation listed on the LSE.