bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A cell based, high throughput assay for quantitative analysis of Hedgehog pathway activation using a Smoothened phosphorylation sensor
Authors: Albert Eugene A. , Bökel Christian 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe Hedgehog (Hh) signalling cascade is conserved across evolution and plays an important role in development and disease. In the absence of Hh, activity of the key signal transducer Smoothened (Smo) is downregulated by the Hh receptor Patched (Ptc). However, the mechanisms underlying this inhibition, and especially its release upon ligand stimulation, are still poorly understood, in part because tools for directly following Smo activation at the subcellular level were long lacking. Here we present a high throughput, cell culture assay based on a fluorescent sensor forDrosophilaSmo phosphorlyation. Using this approach we could first demonstrate that the graded response to increasing Hh levels observed at the population level can be traced back to threshold responses of individual cells exhibiting differential Hh sensitivity. Second, we screened a small molecule inhibitor library for regulators of Smo phosphorylation. We observed increased Smo sensor fluorescence with compounds aimed at two major target groups, the MAPK signalling cascade and polo and aurora kinases. Biochemical validation confirmed the screen results for selected inhibitors (dobrafenib, tak-733, volasertib) and revealed differences in the mode of Smo activation, demonstrating that the assay is in principle suitable for dissecting the cell biological basis of Hh pathway activation.
Meiotic recombination modulates the structure and dynamics of the synaptonemal complex duringC. elegansmeiosis
Authors: Pattabiraman Divya , Roelens Baptiste , Woglar Alexander , Villeneuve Anne M. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractDuring meiotic prophase, a structure called the synaptonemal complex (SC) assembles at the interface between aligned pairs of homologous chromosomes, and crossover recombination events occur between their DNA molecules. Here we investigate the inter-relationships between these two hallmark features of the meiotic program in the nematodeC. elegans, revealing dynamic properties of the SC that are modulated by recombination. We demonstrate that the SC incorporates new subunits and switches from a more highly dynamic/labile state to a more stable state as germ cells progress through the pachytene stage of meiotic prophase. We further show that the more dynamic state of the SC is prolonged in mutants where meiotic recombination is impaired. Moreover, in meiotic mutants where recombination intermediates are present in limiting numbers, SC central region subunits become preferentially stabilized on the subset of chromosome pairs that harbor a site where pro-crossover factors COSA-1 and MutSγare concentrated. Polo-like kinase PLK-2 becomes preferentially localized to the SCs of chromosome pairs harboring recombination sites prior to the enrichment of SC central region proteins on such chromosomes, and PLK-2 is required for this enrichment to occur. Further, late pachytene nuclei in aplk-2mutant exhibit the more highly dynamic SC state. Together our data demonstrate that crossover recombination events elicit chromosome-autonomous stabilizing effects on the SC and implicate PLK-2 in this process. We discuss how this recombination-triggered modulation of SC state might contribute to regulatory mechanisms that operate during meiosis to ensure the formation of crossovers while at the same time limiting their numbers.
Evolinc: a comparative transcriptomics and genomics pipeline for quickly identifying sequence conserved lincRNAs for functional analysis
Authors: Nelson Andrew D. L. , Devisetty Upendra K. , Palos Kyle , Haug-Baltzell Asher K. , Lyons Eric , Beilstein Mark A. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractLong intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) are an abundant and functionally diverse class of eukaryotic transcripts. Reported lincRNA repertoires in mammals vary, but are commonly in the thousands to tens of thousands of transcripts, covering ~90% of the genome. In addition to elucidating function, there is particular interest in understanding the origin and evolution of lincRNAs. Aside from mammals, lincRNA populations have been sparsely sampled, precluding evolutionary analyses focused on lincRNA emergence and persistence. Here we present Evolinc, a two-module pipeline designed to facilitate lincRNA discovery and characterize aspects of lincRNA evolution. The first module (Evolinc-I) is a lincRNA identification workflow that also facilitates downstream differential expression analysis and genome browser visualization of identified lincRNAs. The second module (Evolinc-II) is a genomic and transcriptomic comparative analyses workflow that determines the phylogenetic depth to which a lincRNA locus is conserved within a user-defined group of related species. Evolinc-II builds families of homologous lincRNA loci, aligns constituent sequences, infers gene trees, and then uses gene tree / species tree reconciliation to reconstruct evolutionary processes such as gain, loss, or duplication of the locus. Here we demonstrate that Evolinc-I is agnostic to target organism by validating against previously annotated Arabidopsis and human lincRNA data. Using Evolinc-II, we examine ways in which conservation can rapidly be used to winnow down large lincRNA datasets to a small set of candidates for functional analysis. Finally, we show how Evolinc-II can be used to recover the evolutionary history of a known lincRNA, the human telomerase RNA (TERC). The analyses revealed unexpected duplication events as well as the loss and subsequent acquisition of a novel TERC locus in the lineage leading to mice and rats. The Evolinc pipeline is currently integrated in CyVerse’s Discovery Environment and is free to use by researchers.
An empirical analysis of the relationship between the information quality of CSR reporting and reputation among publicly traded companies in Spain
Authors: Pérez Andrea , Lopez-Gutierrez Carlos 
Published: February 2017

PurposeSupported by the principles of the legitimacy theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship that exists between the information quality of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting provided by the most liquid companies operating in the Spanish Stock Market and their corporate reputation.Design/methodology/approachThree regression models are tested with panel data collected for a sample of the 35 most liquid companies operating in the Spanish Stock Market between 2004 and 2014.FindingsThe findings show that two axes of information quality (i.e. content and management systems) should be necessarily controlled by companies in order to improve their corporate reputation through their CSR reporting. The content axis refers to the compliance of CSR reports with the provision of qualitative, quantitative, and evaluative information concerning the impacts of the CSR of the company on society and the environment. The management systems axis refers to the compliance of CSR reports with the disclosure of details about the policies, plans, and actions that companies implement to assure an effective management of CSR initiatives.Originality/valuePrevious literature exploring the relationship between corporate reporting and reputation has frequently focused on either the impact of the quantity of financial and CSR information reported by companies and the role of information quality, but only in reference to a number of specific themes (environment, customers) and not to the full range of information covered by CSR reports. The authors of this paper extend on previous academic literature by empirically evaluating the relationship between two dimensions of the information quality of CSR reporting (content and management systems) and the corporate reputation of companies operating in the Spanish Stock Market.
Relationship between work-family balance, employee well-being and job performance
Authors: Medina-Garrido José Aurelio , Biedma-Ferrer José María , Ramos-Rodríguez Antonio Rafael 
Published: February 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of the existence of and access to different work-family policies on employee well-being (EWB) and job performance.Design/methodology/approachHypothesis testing was performed using a structural equation model based on a PLS-SEM approach applied to a sample of 1,511 employees of the Spanish banking sector.FindingsThe results obtained demonstrate that the existence and true access to different types of work-family policies such as flexible working hours (flexi-time), long leaves, and flexible work location (flexi-place) are not directly related to job performance, but indirectly so, when mediated by the well-being of employees generated by work-family policies. In a similar vein, true access to employee and family support services also has an indirect positive impact on job performance mediated by the well-being produced. In contrast, the mere existence of employee and family support services does not have any direct or indirect effect on job performance.Originality/valueThis study makes a theoretical and empirical contribution to better understand the impact that of the existence of and access to work-family policies on job performance mediated by EWB. In this sense, the authors posited and tested an unpublished theoretical model where the concept of EWB gains special relevance at academic and organizational level due to its implications for human resource management.
Family involvement and the impact of information and communication technology on performance
Authors: Gargallo Castel Ana Felicitas , Galve Górriz Carmen 
Published: February 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the moderated effect of family involvement on the relationship between information and communication technology (ICT) and firm performance.Design/methodology/approachAccording to agency and transaction cost theories, distinctive family business characteristics provide a unique context that favours a more efficient use of ICT. The authors perform a multivariate analysis that includes the moderating effect of family involvement and considers the possible endogeneity of the ICT variable.FindingsThe results, using a large panel of Spanish manufacturing firms, confirm the importance of family involvement for explaining differences in terms of the impact of this technology in family and non-family businesses. The relationship between ICT and performance is stronger for family firms than for non-family firms.Research implicationsThe paper provides new evidence for the academic literature on ICT impact and family firms. It corroborates the importance of using an organizational perspective to explain differences in the effect of ICT on performance.Practical implicationsFamily firms should understand the opportunities that family involvement offers regarding ICT impact on performance, and exploit this moderating effect to achieve competitive advantages.Originality/valueNo previous studies deal with the impact of family involvement on ICT-performance analysis. This study fills this gap and increases the understanding of how family business involvement moderates the ICT-performance relationship.
Designing robust model for banks benchmarking based on Rembrandt method and DEA
Authors: Karbassi Yazdi Amir , Abdi Farshid 
Published: February 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to find excellent banks on the basis of identified variables. First of all, banks are evaluated based on operation costs, deposits, staff, investments, net profit, and loans variables. Subsequently, these variables are categorized into inputs and outputs. The performances of the banks based on these variables are analyzed by data envelopment analysis (DEA) method to find efficiency and inefficiency of decision making units (DMUs).

Design/methodology/approach
This research is aimed to determine the best banks based on predetermined indicators. The indicators are categorized into inputs and outputs. DEA method is used to find efficiency and inefficiency of DMU. However, the aim is to find the efficient banks and to implement the model by using AP Super Efficiency method in order to find the most efficient unit for benchmarking. However, some inputs and outputs have more priority for banks than the others, as a result it will require some changes.

Findings
The results indicate that among 13 banks, including ten public and three private, solely five public banks are efficient. Moreover, DEA is used as a benchmarking tool for inefficient banks to be efficient. Among these banks ten of them are public banks and three are private. Among efficient ones, all are public banks. Moreover, five of public banks and three of private are inefficient.

Originality/value
In some cases, inputs and outputs have more priority for DMs than the others, as a result it will require some changes. Also, if one of the inputs or outputs is larger in number than the others, the DMU becomes efficient, despite its low priority. Thus, for solving this problem, the indicators of this research are ranked by Rembrandt method considering the existing ones to find the best banks (best DMU) based on their performance and the relevant indicators.
Relevance of F.W. Taylor’s principles to modern shop-floor practices
Authors: Vijai J. Prince , Somayaji G.S.R. , Swamy R.J.R. , Aital Padmanabha 
Published: February 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to use an inter-disciplinary approach to examine the relevance of F.W. Taylor’s principles to modern shop-floor practices in the context of a manufacturing organization.Design/methodology/approachStandard time study guidelines laid out by the ILO were adopted and random observations made between two operators independently performing an identical operation in the shop-floor premises of a particular factory.FindingsIt was evident from the study that modern management has developed the science for each element of the operator’s manual work, as postulated and proposed by F.W. Taylor. It was also evident that completion of the operation on time was necessary for the operators but not as important as the total number of jobs performed during the duration of the shift. These empirical findings highlighted the high relevance of F.W. Taylor’s principles to modern shop-floor practices.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors adopted time study observation as the single method to collect real data from real practices but this could be considered as a biased approach. Since the time study observation is a slow, time consuming, and expensive process of obtaining data, the authors restricted the study to only two operators. Further, the study was carried out in a real setting under several assumptions that may limit its wider applications and practical implications. The study findings suggest that measuring the operator’s performance in terms of time consumption and resource utilization is necessary but not sufficient to evaluate and improve his/her productivity because operators evaluate their performance in terms of the total number of jobs completed during the duration of the shift. Therefore, it is suggested that the managers on the modern shop-floor measure the output at the aggregate level for the given input, while developing new work methods as well as devising performance management and reward systems.Originality/valueThe study has contributed to the body of knowledge by conducting a complete assessment of F.W. Taylor’s first principle from its origin to its application in modern shop-floor practices. Also, the authors empirically examined the relevance of Taylor’s principles to modern shop-floor practices in the context of a manufacturing organization. The study supports the descriptive work of Freeman (1996), who envisaged the relevance of Taylor’s ideas to modern management practices; also, it gives a few directions to test behavioral operations theory in terms of using real operational data to examine an established organization theory (Gino and Pisano, 2008).
Critical factors for culture of judicial excellence: benchmarking study of Emirati courts
Authors: Kassem Rassel , Ajmal Mian , Hussain Matloub , Helo Petri 
Published: February 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the organizational culture of courts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the culture type required to achieve business excellence. This research also aims to benchmark the criteria weights of the International Framework for Court Excellence (IFCE) in the UAE and suggest new weights that better reflect courts’ local priorities and national work culture.

Design/methodology/approach
The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was used to prioritize the IFCE criteria and select the most important culture types to consider. A questionnaire was designed and data were collected from first instance courts in UAE. The respondents were judges in management roles, to ensure that the opinions provided reflected experience of judging and were aligned with the courts’ strategic objectives.

Findings
The results show that the IFCE model criteria have different levels of importance in UAE than in the original model. The major differences are in court proceedings and processes, and affordability and accessibility of services. Adaptability and mission seem to be the most important cultural traits.

Originality/value
No previous studies have investigated court excellence in UAE. This study should supply court managers and administrators with a clearer understanding of the priorities for achieving court excellence. There is inconsistency about the culture needed to boost good performance in public service organizations like courts, and decision makers may use these findings to enhance the cultural attributes that are particularly associated with excellence in courts.
Benchmarking the utility theory: a data envelopment approach
Authors: Dalalah Doraid , Al-Rawabdeh Wasfi 
Published: February 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to benchmark alternatives of decision problems that include risk and uncertainty considering different risk attitudes via a new data envelopment analysis (DEA) decision model.

Design/methodology/approach
A new utility function of strict bounds is applied in a data envelopment model to evaluate all possible stochastic alternatives (i.e. gambles). The amount of risk in the alternatives is measured by a newly introduced risk ratio (RR). Each alternative is considered as a decision making unit (DMU). The alternatives efficiency frontier is found via linear optimization of the DEA model.

Findings
In contrast to literature studies of binary decision alternatives, here, benchmarking is conducted to evaluate multiple decision alternatives with unbounded utility of the payoffs along with a new DEA decision model. Different surveys and studies have been used to validate the model. DEA could demonstrate the ability to uncover relationships that remain hidden for other methodologies. The resulting rankings remarkably conform to those elicited by subjects.

Social implications
Individuals of different wealth backgrounds evaluate risky decision problems differently.

Originality/value
The paper contributes to the existing research by benchmarking multiple alternatives as compared to the literature research which usually assesses binary problems. Instead of using explicit utilities, the model implements the efficiencies along with a new utility function and a new RR. The introduction of DEA to such a decision field is found to be successful in benchmarking numerous alternatives under different risk attitudes.
The impact of quality management practices on performance: an empirical study
Authors: Patyal Vishal Singh , Koilakuntla Maddulety 
Published: February 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between quality management (QM) and performance, specifically how the infrastructure and core QM practices affect quality and business performance, in Indian manufacturing organizations.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the empirical data were drawn from 262 manufacturing organizations in India. The research model was tested using the structural equation modeling technique.FindingsThe findings of the empirical study revealed that infrastructure QM practices have a positive effect on core QM practices and indirectly on quality performance, whereas, core QM practices have a positive effect on quality performance. Also, quality performance has a positive effect on business performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study considered QM from two dimensions (infrastructure and core quality practices), the study further contributes to the understanding of the different roles played by diverse QM dimensions in determining business performance in terms of increased return on investment, shareholder and stakeholder value.Practical implicationsThe study showed that infrastructure quality practices support the application of core quality practices. Therefore, managers must develop and maintain their organization’s quality system and sufficient resources need to be allocated to both types of practices in order to achieve the superior business performance.Originality/valueThis study considers both total quality management and Six Sigma practices for defining a new set of infrastructure and core QM practices in Indian manufacturing organizations.
Development of questionnaire to assess the supplier evaluation criteria and supplier selection benefits
Authors: Kant Ravi , Dalvi Manojkumar Vithalrao 
Published: February 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop an instrument/questionnaire to assess the supplier evaluation (SE) criteria and supplier selection (SS) benefits with their level of importance.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper develops an instrument/questionnaire based on generally accepted principle of instrument design to assess the SE criteria and SS benefits through the responses collected from 34 automobile industries in India. The SE criteria and SS benefits were derived through extensive literature review and expert’s opinion.

Findings
The reliability, normality and validity of developed instrument/questionnaire were determined through the responses collected from the managers of 34 automobile industries in India and are found to be acceptable for most of the SE criteria and SS benefits. The criterion validity is also found to be fairly good for the developed instrument/questionnaire.

Research limitations/implications
While designing the instrument/questionnaire, SE criteria and SS benefits were considered for automobile sector in India through prequestionnaire sheet. Further, research may be required to corroborate these results from larger data sets.

Practical implications
Now a days, it is essential for organizations to rely on their suppliers for their survival and to gain competitive advantage. The well developed and validated instrument/questionnaire can be used for industry practitioners in Indian automobile industries to assess the SE criteria and SS benefits.

Originality/value
An empirically tested instrument/questionnaire is developed first time to assess the SE criteria and SS benefits for automobile sector in India.