bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Senescent cells and the dynamics of aging
Authors: Karin Omer , Agrawal Amit , Porat Ziv , Krizhanovsky Valery , Alon Uri 
Published: November 2018

AbstractA causal factor in mammalian aging is the accumulation of senescent cells (SnCs) with age. SnCs cause chronic inflammation, and removing SnCs decelerates aging in mice. Despite their importance, however, the production and removal rates of SnCs are not known, and their connection to aging dynamics is unclear. Here we use longitudinal SnC measurements and SnC induction experiments to show that SnCs turn over rapidly in young mice, with a half-life of days, but slow their own removal rate to a half-life of weeks in old mice. This leads to a critical slowing-down that generates persistent SnC fluctuations. We further demonstrate that a mathematical model, in which death occurs when fluctuating SnC populations cross a threshold, quantitatively recapitulates the Gompertz law of survival curves in mice and humans. The concept of a causal factor for aging with rapid turnover which slows its own removal can go beyond SnCs to explain the effects of interventions that modulate lifespan in Drosophila and C. elegans, including survival-curve scaling and rapid effects of dietary shifts on mortality.
Consistency of non-cognitive skills and their relation to educational outcomes in a UK cohort
Authors: Morris Tim T , Smith George Davey , van Den Berg Gerard , Davies Neil M 
Published: November 2018

AbstractNon-cognitive skills have previously been associated with a range of health and socioeconomic outcomes, though there has been considerable heterogeneity in published research. Many studies have used cross sectional data and therefore the longitudinal consistency of measures designed to capture non-cognitive skills is poorly understood. Using data from a UK cohort, we assess the consistency of non-cognitive skills over a 17-year period throughout childhood and adolescence, their genomic architecture, and their associations with socioeconomic outcomes. We find that longitudinal measurement consistency is high for behavioural and communication skills but low for other non-cognitive skills, implicating a high noise to signal ratio for many non-cognitive skills. Consistent non-zero heritability estimates and genetic correlations applied to cross-sectional measures are observed only for behavioural difficulties. When aggregating across multiple measurements, we find evidence of low heritabilityfor behaviour, communication, self-esteem and locus of control. We find weak correlations between aggregate measures of skills, further supporting cross-sectional measurement error in the non-cognitive measures. Associations between non-cognitive skills and educational outcomes are observed for skills measured in mid to late childhood and these are at most a third of the size of IQ-education associations. These results suggest that individual measures designed to capture non-cognitive skills may be subject to considerable measurement error and provide unreliable indicators of children’s skills. However, aggregate measures that leverage longitudinal data may more reliably identify underlying non-cognitive traits.
Spatial structure arising from chase-escape interactions with crowding
Authors: Surendran Anudeep , Plank Michael J , Simpson Matthew J 
Published: November 2018

ABSTRACTMovement of individuals, mediated by localised interactions, plays a key role in numerous processes including cell biology and ecology. In this work, we investigate an individual-based model accounting for various intraspecies and interspecies interactions in a community consisting of two distinct species. In this framework we consider one species to bechasersand the other species to beescapees, and we focus on chase-escape dynamics where the chasers are biased to move towards the escapees, and the escapees are biased to move away from the chasers. This framework allows us to explore how individual-level directional interactions scale up to influence spatial structure at the macroscale. To focus exclusively on the role of motility and directional bias in determining spatial structure, we consider conservative communities where the number of individuals in each species remains constant. To provide additional information about the individual-based model, we also present a mathematically tractable deterministic approximation based on describing the evolution of the spatial moments. We explore how different features of interactions including interaction strength, spatial extent of interaction, and relative density of species influence the formation of the macroscale spatial patterns.
Simultaneous profiling of DNA methylation and chromatin architecture in mixed populations and in single cells
Authors: Li Guoqiang , Liu Yaping , Zhang Yanxiao , Fang Rongxin , Kellis Manolis , Ren Bing 
Published: November 2018

AbstractDynamic DNA methylation and three-dimensional chromatin architecture compose a major portion of a cell’s epigenome and play an essential role in tissue specific gene expression programs. Currently, DNA methylation and chromatin organization are generally profiled in separate assays. Here, we report Methyl-HiC, a method combining in situ Hi-C and whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) to simultaneously capture chromosome conformation and DNA methylome in a single assay. Methyl-HiC analysis of mouse embryonic stem cells reveals coordinated DNA methylation between distant yet spatially proximal genomic regions. Extension of Methyl-HiC to single cells further enables delineation of the heterogeneity of both chromosomal conformation and DNA methylation in a mixed cell population, and uncovers increased dynamics of chromatin contacts and decreased stochasticity in DNA methylation in genomic regions that replicate early during cell cycle.
TheMycobacterium tuberculosisPup-proteasome system regulates nitrate metabolism through an essential protein quality control system
Authors: Becker Samuel H. , Jastrab Jordan B. , Dhabaria Avantika , Chaton Catherine T. , Rush Jeffrey S. , Korotkov Konstantin V. , Ueberheide Beatrix , Darwin K. Heran 
Published: November 2018

ABSTRACTThe human pathogenMycobacterium tuberculosis(M. tuberculosis) encodes a proteasome that carries out regulated degradation of bacterial proteins. It has been proposed that the proteasome contributes to nitrogen metabolism inM. tuberculosis, although this hypothesis had not been tested. Upon assessingM. tuberculosisgrowth in several nitrogen sources, we found that a mutant strain lacking theMycobacteriumproteasomal activator Mpa was unable to use nitrate as a sole nitrogen source due to a specific failure in the pathway of nitrate reduction to ammonium. We found that the robust activity by the nitrite reductase complex NirBD depended on expression of thegroEL/groESchaperonin genes, which are regulated by the repressor HrcA. We identified HrcA as a likely proteasome substrate, and propose that the degradation of HrcA is required for the full expression of chaperonin genes. Furthermore, our data suggest that degradation of HrcA, along with numerous other proteasome substrates, is enhanced during growth in nitrate to facilitate the de-repression of the chaperonin genes. Importantly, growth in nitrate is the first example of a specific condition that reduces the steady-state levels of numerous proteasome substrates inM. tuberculosis.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe proteasome is required for the full virulence ofM. tuberculosis. However, the extent of its role as a regulator of bacterial physiology remains unclear. In this work, we demonstrate a novel function of the proteasome system in maintaining the expression of essential chaperonin genes. This activity by the proteasome is required forM. tuberculosisto use nitrate as a nitrogen source. Furthermore, we identified a specific growth condition that robustly decreases the abundance of pupylated proteins. This observation strongly suggests the presence of a yet-to-be-determined mechanism of control over the Pup-proteasome system inM. tuberculosisthat is induced in nitrate.
BIM-based energy consumption assessment of the on-site construction of building structural systems
Authors: Zhou Hao , Rezazadeh Azar Ehsan 
Published: November 2018

Purpose
Steel and reinforced concrete are among the most common structural materials used in the construction industry. Cost and the speed of construction have been usually the main criteria when selecting a building’s structural system, whereby the environmental impact of the structural material is sometimes ignored. Availability of an easy-to-use tool for environmental assessment of the structural alternatives could encourage this evaluation in the decision making. The purpose of this paper is to introduce an automated tool for the environmental assessment of the on-site construction processes of a building structural system, which calculates the energy consumption and carbon emissions of the structural system as a parameter for comparison.

Design/methodology/approach
This assessment tool is implemented using a building information modeling (BIM) platform to extract structural elements and their key attributes, such as type, geometrical and locational data. These data are processed together with a productivity database to calculate machine hours, and then predefined energy and carbon inventories are used to assess the energy consumption of the structural system in the erection/installation stage.

Findings
This assessment tool provides an automated and easy-to-use approach to estimate energy consumption and carbon emissions of different structural systems that are modeled in a BIM platform. The results of this tool were within the ranges reported by the available studies.

Originality/value
This research project presents a novel approach to use BIM-based attributes of the structural elements to calculate the required efforts, i.e. machine hours, and assess their energy consumption and carbon emissions during construction processes.
Organizational helping behavior and its relationship with employee workplace well-being
Authors: Duan Jinyun , Wong Macy , Yue Yumeng 
Published: November 2018

PurposeResearch examining the effect of helping on outcomes related to helpers has gained some mixed results. The purpose of this paper is to reconcile such inconsistency by understanding the multi-dimensional nature of helping behavior.Design/methodology/approachThe authors first develop a helping behavior scale that differentiates between the proactive and reactive form of helping. Furthermore, the authors also examined whether these two forms of helping are differently related to employees’ well-being. Data were collected from 448 employees and their immediate supervisors working in different organizations in the South Jiangsu province, in which the authors examined the main relationship and also explored the mediating effect of meaningfulness.FindingsResults provided corroborating evidence that helping behavior was a multi-dimensional construct, consisting of proactive and reactive dimensions. Furthermore, the authors are also able to support discriminatory validity between these two dimensions by showing that they are differently related to employees’ well-being.Practical implicationsThis paper contributes to management practice by specifying the benefits and detriments of different kinds of helping behaviors.Originality/valueThe findings of this study do not only provide ideas to explain contradictions in the effect of helping behaviors on helpers themselves, but also deepens scholars’ knowledge and understanding toward helping behavior.
Reflections of a green university building: from design to occupation
Authors: Moore Trivess , Iyer-Raniga Usha 
Published: November 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present outcomes from a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of a sustainable university building development.

Design/methodology/approach
A POE was conducted for a sustainable university building in Melbourne, Australia. The method included interviews with key stakeholders involved in the design, construction and occupation of the building. The interviews were complemented by conducting a Builder User Satisfaction survey and analysis of two year’s worth of building performance data.

Findings
While technically the building saw a significant improvement in performance in comparison to existing buildings at the university, it ultimately did not meet its design performance goals as determined by the design rating. The interviews revealed limited formal documenting of lessons learnt and the challenges associated with using a sustainable and innovative building to drive cultural change. A major success was the realisation by the university of the benefits that the systematic POE provided. Lessons are now being applied to other new and refurbished buildings on campus, with POE now an integrated part of these processes.

Originality/value
While there are some studies of sustainable university operations and buildings, many focus on one or two parts of the process and fail to include evaluation of the full sustainability approach to check if stated goals have been met. This paper begins to address this gap. Learnings from the research are applicable to the wider building development industry and demonstrate the important role universities can play in shaping the sustainability of urban environments.
Sustainability evaluation of post-disaster housing reconstruction after 55 years: Rudak village, Iran
Authors: Mohtat Niloofar , Zargar Akbar Haji Ibrahim 
Published: November 2018

PurposeFocusing on Rudak, a village destroyed in the Buin-Zahra earthquake of 1962 in Qazvin, Iran, this paper aims to evaluate the reconstruction of this village in terms of sustainability. Rudak reconstruction has left long-term consequences on the physical structure of the village, as some of the people refused the constructed houses and built their own ones. Hence, after more than 50 years, this village is now consisted of two physically different neighborhoods. Examining the long-term consequences of this reconstruction through comparing housing and physical structure of the two different neighborhoods contains valuable lessons in terms of sustainability because sustainable reconstruction results unveil in long term.Design/methodology/approachUsing sustainable reconstruction theory as the conceptual framework, this research investigates social, economic and environmental sustainability of Rudak housing reconstruction and that leads to comprehensive lessons. The study has a qualitative method and is based on fieldwork allowing for dynamic interviews with the community. Furthermore, data are analyzed through descriptive and comparative approaches.FindingsThe research concluded that sustainability related implications of post-disaster reconstruction policies are not restricted to the time of reconstruction or a limited interval after that. Lack of livelihood considerations, providing all people with similar houses and nontransparent decisions, resulted in unsustainable consequences such as building vulnerable extensions by people, social segregation and people unwillingness for participation. However, this experience was sustainable in terms of some other factors. For example, using local materials for building the structures of the new houses, putting the houses on the natural bedrock and building public services for people were sustainable measurements.Originality/valueThis paper is a rare example of research focusing on impacts of post-disaster reconstruction after more than 50 years. It contains valuable lessons for planners and architects.
Evaluating the service quality of solar product companies using SERVQUAL model
Authors: Kumar Vikas , Hundal Bikramjit Singh 
Published: November 2018

Purpose
This study aims to consider a five-factor model to evaluate the service quality of solar product companies in the context of rural Punjab (India) and validate the proposed model. In addition, the study considered the factors which affect the service quality of solar product companies.

Design/methodology/approach
A five-factor model of service quality has been tested for reliability and validity by confirmatory factor analysis. For determining satisfaction of the solar product users, SERVQUAL model/gap analysis has been applied. Five dimensions, namely tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy have been considered to assess the overall satisfaction level. A modified scale of Parasuraman incorporated in 1985 has been used as a survey instrument for research. A sample size of 345 solar submersible pump users was selected.

Findings
The study concluded that dimensions such as reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy have lesser gap. The major gap has been found in the tangibility dimension which includes variables like modern design of solar energy products, facilities and attractiveness, variety of solar products and performance of solar products, etc.

Research limitations/implications
As primary data are concerned, the biasness of the respondents may affect the results of the study. The survey has been conducted in the Punjab region, and a sample size is 345 only which may not reflect the broader picture.

Practical implications
Solar energy has huge benefits in the Indian agriculture sector. The erratic state of power supply in India casts important costs on agriculture productivity. One such segment concerns systems, an important input for agriculture production. The study has implications for solar energy product manufacturers, as it makes them aware about customer perception toward services of solar product companies.

Social implications
To decrease pollution and to save the environment, solar energy technologies have a good potential energy source and to meet the global energy demand, as it is the most promising and reliable energy source.

Originality/value
The existing studies in the context of service quality of solar product companies in Punjab have been majorly confined to proposing key drivers toward adoption of renewable energy sources. By providing an insight into the satisfaction level of farmers for solar submersible pumps, the proposed study attempts to fill the gap. As the study relates to solar product users in rural Punjab, the findings will be of additional value to solar product companies which are manufacturing solar products. Therefore, it is expected that this research will fill the gap in literature by studying empirically the service quality of solar product companies.
Teacher change through Lesson Study collaboration
Authors: Samaranayake Geethamali , Premadasa Kirthi , Amarasinghe Rajee , Paneru Khyam 
Published: November 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to measure teacher change in attitudes and beliefs among college teachers and school teachers who participated in Lesson Study projects. The authors investigate the answers to the question “Does the collective design of a single lesson contribute to noteworthy and lasting teacher change and student achievement?”

Design/methodology/approach
The authors surveyed a group of college and school teachers on several aspects central to the Lesson Study mission. The authors performed a formal statistical analysis of the survey results. The authors also utilized the analysis of student performance data of the same group of schoolteachers. These teachers come from a school district in the western USA and conducted Lesson Study as professional development.

Findings
The findings show significant and lasting change in attitudes and beliefs of teachers as a result of their Lesson Study experience. In addition, evidence suggests a strong connection between collaboration and teacher change. The authors also present evidence of the noteworthy influence that teachers who participated in Lesson Study had on a historically under-performing student population.

Practical implications
The findings show evidence of lasting and beneficial effects of teacher collaboration. The authors believe that our research is appealing to a vast audience and should inspire teachers toward collaboration.

Originality/value
The study contributes to the growing body of research on professional development of teachers by demonstrating the positive effects of Lesson Study on teachers in both college and school environments.
Predicting supply chain effectiveness through supply chain finance
Authors: Ali Zulqurnain , Gongbing Bi , Mehreen Aqsa 
Published: November 2018

PurposeDue to globalization, textile small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operations have become complex which raised the needs of risk-free financing solutions to support the SMEs’ daily processes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of supply chain (SC) finance, a risk-free financing solution, on SC effectiveness (SCE) in the context of textile SMEs by employing transaction cost (TC) approach.Design/methodology/approachThe participants of the study were recruited from textile SMEs through a structured questionnaire. The proposed model and structural relationships were assessed by employing AMOS 24.0.FindingsThe results of this paper indicate that supply chain finance (SCF) has a significant effect on SCE. Furthermore, all proposed factors of SCF adoption have a positive and significant effect on SCF.Practical implicationsThis study helps the SMEs executives or owners to adopt SCF as a secure financing scheme to reduce the credit TCs, optimize the firm working capital, reduce the risk of default, and improve SC effectiveness. SMEs and suppliers can build strong relationships while adopting the findings of this study. SMEs can engage the suppliers to work under strategic alliance through negotiation, collaboration, and work digitization, and extend their payment terms while providing an opportunity to the suppliers to get their payment back before a fixed time through discounting from financial institutions as needed.Originality/valueThe present study covered the gap related to SCF and SCE by identifying unique factors of SCF adoption which was ignored in the previous literature by employing TC approach.
Developing a model of vendor rating to manage quality in the supply chain
Authors: Santos Gilberto , Murmura Federica , Bravi Laura 
Published: November 2018

PurposeThis paper aims to present a model developed by an Italian company, Gamma, that produces technologically high-precision components, with the objectives of defining a model of vendor rating to improve companies’ management and quality within the supply chain.Design/methodology/approachThe research has been developed through a qualitative approach, based on a longitudinal single case study. Two semi-structured interviews have been carried out with the company’s Quality Manager in September 23 and October 31, 2016. Relevant secondary data were also used, such as company reports and their website.FindingsOwing to the implementation of the Gamma model, the company is committed to the prudent selection of its partners and in establishing lasting relationships of mutual benefit with them. The termination of the relationship with suppliers is therefore rare; monitoring periods and improvement of suppliers are preferred. The Gamma model and its suppliers jointly undertake corrective actions that have to be implemented within a defined time frame.Practical implicationsEstablishing criteria for an objective evaluation of suppliers could be directly or indirectly related to the quality of the final product, and greatly affects the same. This model has been effective for the identification of less performing suppliers that have to be subjected to improvement and audit plans.Originality/valueThis model allows the assignment of penalties or rewards, identifies which suppliers to direct audits and improvement plans, with which to end the relationship and with which to establish a relationship of integration and direct involvement.