Enhanced yeast one-hybrid screens to identify transcription factor binding to human DNA sequences

Identifying the sets of transcription factors (TFs) that regulate each human gene is a daunting task that requires integrating numerous experimental and computational approaches. One such method is the yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assay, in which interactions between TFs and DNA regions are tested in the milieu of the yeast nucleus using reporter genes. Y1H assays involve two components: a 'DNA-bait' (e.g., promoters, enhancers, silencers, etc.) and a 'TF-prey,' which can be screened for reporter gene activation. Most published protocols for performing Y1H screens are based on transforming TF-prey libraries or arrays into DNA-bait yeast strains. Here, we describe a pipeline, called enhanced Y1H (eY1H) assays, where TF-DNA interactions are interrogated by mating DNA-bait strains with an arrayed collection of TF-prey strains using a high density array (HDA) robotic platform that allows screening in a 1,536 colony format. This allows for a dramatic increase in throughput (60 DNA-bait sequences against >1,000 TFs takes two weeks per researcher) and reproducibility. We illustrate the different types of expected results by testing human promoter sequences against an array of 1,086 human TFs, as well as examples of issues that can arise during screens and how to troubleshoot them.Accepted manuscrip

The dark side of artificial intelligence in retail services innovation

Many academic scholars argue that the goal of using artificial intelligence (hereafter, AI) in business has been to serve humans in performing their jobs. Yet, some scholars refute such arguments and warn against potential threats of AI to humankind in the future. AI or machine intelligence comprises three main aspects, i.e., learning, reasoning, and self-correction which aggregate to conjure up the artificial mind. In retailing, the employment of AI is progressively becoming a major theme of innovation and retailers are rapidly increasing the use of machine intelligence to efficiently simulate human intelligence and become more competitive through cutting costs and improving customer journeys. However, such benefits can be catastrophic in the long run. Hereby, this chapter represents an attempt to produce a synthesis of current research on the use of AI in retailing and identify the possible benefits or ramifications on the human pillars of the retail process (i.e., the employers, employees, and customers). Finally, this chapter aims to reflect on relevant literature to conclude future research and industrial implications

Exchange-Repairs: Managing Inconsistency in Data Exchange

In a data exchange setting with target constraints, it is often the case that a given source instance has no solutions. In such cases, the semantics of target queries trivialize. The aim of this paper is to introduce and explore a new framework that gives meaningful semantics in such cases by using the notion of exchange-repairs. Informally, an exchange-repair of a source instance is another source instance that differs minimally from the first, but has a solution. Exchange-repairs give rise to a natural notion of exchange-repair certain answers (XR-certain answers) for target queries. We show that for schema mappings specified by source-to-target GAV dependencies and target equality-generating dependencies (egds), the XR-certain answers of a target conjunctive query can be rewritten as the consistent answers (in the sense of standard database repairs) of a union of conjunctive queries over the source schema with respect to a set of egds over the source schema, making it possible to use a consistent query-answering system to compute XR-certain answers in data exchange. We then examine the general case of schema mappings specified by source-to-target GLAV constraints, a weakly acyclic set of target tgds and a set of target egds. The main result asserts that, for such settings, the XR-certain answers of conjunctive queries can be rewritten as the certain answers of a union of conjunctive queries with respect to the stable models of a disjunctive logic program over a suitable expansion of the source schema.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figures, submitted to the Journal on Data Semantic

Political advertising effectiveness in war-time Syria

This study addresses the effectiveness of political advertising in an extreme context, during war-time. A self-administered cross-sectional survey was used to collect data during the 2016 parliamentary elections in Syria. Structural equation modelling was utilized to test the hypothetical model and its invariance related to political involvement. The results indicated that beliefs are a four-dimensional structure consisting of information, veracity, sarcasm, and cynicism. Furthermore, war-time perceptions were found to negatively affect attitude towards political advertising via sarcasm among less politically involved voters. Negative attitude was found to be linked to lower levels of veracity among such voters and to higher levels of cynicism for those who are highly involved in politics. Negative attitudes regarding political advertising were found for lowering the chances for watching advertisements, for supporting a candidate, and for willingness to vote. The results also revealed that paying attention to political advertising does not relate to voters’ intention to vote. This study is the first of its kind to empirically validate a conceptual model predicting voters’ turnout behaviour based on voters’ war-time perceptions, beliefs and attitudes regarding political advertising in an authoritarian setting. In addition, this study investigates whether the effects of the proposed model may be moderated by voters’ political involvement

Assessing Patients’ Perception of Health Care Service Quality Offered by COHSASA-Accredited Hospitals in Nigeria

Service quality in health care institutions is an emerging phenomenon, and many hospitals are concerned about providing quality service to their patients based on information obtained by the patient’s perceptions of service quality. First, we aimed to determine patients’ perception of service quality offered at Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA)–accredited private hospitals in Nigeria. And that included reexamining the dimensionality of SERVQUAL (the test tool) based on our sample data. Second, we aimed to find out whether there are any existing gaps between patients’ expectation and perception of the service quality. Third, this research is an attempt to test the perceived quality effects on patients’ satisfaction and repurchase intentions toward health services. Quantitative research was conducted via self-administered questionnaires to patients who attended a randomly selected COHSASA-accredited private hospital in Nigeria and analyze their data using a variety of quantitative procedures including structural equation modeling, factor analyses, and paired-samples t tests. A systematic sampling method was used, and a total of 228 questionnaires were used for the final analyses. SERVQUAL was found to be a three-factor variate comprising the following: tangibility, reliability, and sensitivity. Our results concluded that perceived quality was significantly lower than expected quality despite being accompanied with positive levels of satisfaction and repurchase intentions. Finally, patient’s satisfaction was found to fully transmit the indirect effects of two of the three factors, quality sensitivity and reliability, onto repurchase intentions, whereas tangibility does not exert indirect significant influences over repurchase intentions via patient satisfaction

No one is safe! But who’s more susceptible? Locus of control moderates pandemic perceptions’ effects on job insecurity and psychosocial factors amongst MENA hospitality frontliners: a PLS-SEM approach

Background The research aimed to formulate and test a model concerning COVID-19 perceptions effects on job insecurity and a set of psychosocial factors comprising anxiety, depression, job burnout and job alienation in the Middle East and North African (hereafter, MENA) regional context. Also, the study attempted to examine whether locus of control can moderate these hypothesised linkages amongst customer service employees working in MENA hospitality organisations. Methods The study is based on a sample of 885 responses to an online survey and Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Results The main findings show the existence of a significant correlation between COVID perceptions and job insecurity and all psychosocial factors, i.e., more intense COVID-19 perceptions accompany higher levels of job insecurity, anxiety, depression, job burnout and job alienation. Furthermore, our results revealed that, in pandemic time, hospitality customer service employees with external locus of control are more likely to suffer higher alienation, anxiety and depression than those with internal locus of control. Conclusions The research originality centres on the establishment that COVID-19 has a severe negative impact within the hospitality customer service labour force (in the MENA region). These effects were more profound for participants who claimed external locus of control than those with internal locus of control

Uncovering human transcription factor interactions associated with genetic variants, novel DNA motifs, and repetitive elements using enhanced yeast one-hybrid assays

Identifying transcription factor (TF) binding to noncoding variants, uncharacterized DNA motifs, and repetitive genomic elements has been difficult due to technical and computational challenges. Indeed, current experimental methods such as chromatin immunoprecipitation are capable of only testing one TF at a time and motif prediction algorithms often lead to false positive and false negative predictions. Here, we address these limitations by developing two approaches based on enhanced yeast one-hybrid assays. The first approach allows to interrogate the binding of >1,000 human TFs to single nucleotide variant alleles, short insertions and deletions (indels), and novel DNA motifs; while the second approach allows for the identification of TFs that bind to repetitive DNA elements. Using the former approach, we identified gain of TF interactions to a GG→AA mutation in the TERT promoter and an 18 bp indel in the TAL1 super-enhancer, both of which are associated with cancer, and identified the TFs that bind to three uncharacterized DNA motifs identified by the ENCODE Project in footprinting assays. Using the latter approach, we detected the binding of 75 TFs to the highly repetitive Alu elements. We anticipate that these approaches will expand our capabilities to study genetic variation and under-characterized genomic regions.https://doi.org/10.1101/459305First author draf

“We aren't your reincarnation!” workplace motivation across X, Y and Z generations

Purpose The primary purpose of this research is to examine generational differences in valuing the sources of employees' overall motivation in the workplace across Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z with a view of assisting managers in making employment decisions and maintaining multigenerational staff. Design/methodology/approach The respondents in the study live and work in Canada and provided answers to self-administered online surveys between the fourth quarter of 2017 and the end of January 2020. To assess subjects' work motivation, the study employed Gagné et al.'s (2014) multidimensional work motivation scale (MWMS) alongside a three-item measure of employees' overall motivation (designed for this study). The authors assessed measures of validity and reliability and tested the hypothesis about generational differences in work motivation using structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings The six motivators regress differently to employees' overall motivation. Generation Z is more sensitive to amotivation than Generation X and Generation Y. Extrinsic regulation-material is a valid source of overall work motivation for Generation Z only. Only Generation X values extrinsic regulation-social as a source of employees' overall motivation. So is introjected regulation by Generation Y. Unlike Generation Z, both Generation X and Generation Y employees value identified regulation as a source of overall work motivation. Finally, intrinsic motivation contributes more to Generation Z employees' overall work motivation than it does for Generation X and Generation Y. Research limitations/implications Further work needs to be done to establish whether variations in valuing the sources of motivation may also be spawned by age or status of the respective groups. Future investigations can expand the authors’ focal theme to include additional organisational outcomes, alternative geographical settings and/or include country's economic development as an additional variable. Moreover, further research can address the implications of national culture on shaping generational differences in employee's motivation as well as aiding companies to redesign work tasks considering today's uncertainty as well as increasingly competitive, global environment (e.g. the rise of artificial intelligence). Practical implications It is vital to offer motivators that are valued by each of the three generations, i.e. X, Y and Z, before being able to attract the best candidates of each generation. Organisations should not only create an inclusive and understanding multigenerational working environment but also be able to communicate strong branding via new communication channels successfully (e.g. social media networks), which Generation Yers and Generation Zers utilise better than any other generation in employment. Finally, the authors suggest that service organisations with diverse generational composition should adopt new measures of workplace agility to survive interminable disruptions (e.g. the coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19] pandemic). Originality/value This is the first study of its kind to examine generational differences between Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z in valuing workplace motivation from a western cultural perspective

The reincarnation of work motivation: Millennials vs older generations

Abstract: This study examines generational differences in valuing the sources of motivation in workplace behaviour between millennials and older generations, with a view to assist managers in making employment decisions and maintaining multigenerational staff in the services sector. Based on systematically sampled data, the authors used Gagné et al.’s Multidimensional Work Motivational Scale (MWMS) to measure the different facets of work motivators alongside a three-item measure of employee overall work motivation (designed for this study) to address the hypotheses. Using structural equation modelling procedures to analyse the data, the authors found that four out of six motivators regress differently to overall work motivation. In other words, both extrinsic regulation–material and identified regulation are valued more by millennials compared to older generations, while extrinsic regulation–social and introjected regulation are valued less by millennials compared to older generations. Résumé Dans cette étude, nous analysons les différences générationnelles d’appréciation des sources de motivation dans le comportement au travail entre la génération des millénials et les générations plus âgées, dans l’objectif d’aider les gestionnaires à prendre des décisions en matière d’embauche et à maintenir des équipes multigénérationnelles dans le secteur des services. À partir de données ayant fait l’objet d’un échantillonnage systématique, nous avons utilisé l’Échelle multidimensionnelle de la Motivation au Travail (MWMS) de Gagné et al. (2015) pour mesurer les différents aspects des facteurs de motivation au travail, ainsi qu’une échelle de mesure en trois points de la motivation globale des employés au travail (conçue pour cette étude) pour examiner les hypothèses formulées. En utilisant des modèles d’équations structurelles, nous avons constaté que quatre des six facteurs de motivation pèsent différemment sur la motivation globale au travail : la régulation extrinsèque (matérielle) et la régulation identifiée sont plus valorisées par les millénials que par les générations plus âgées, tandis que la régulation extrinsèque (sociale) et la régulation introjectée sont moins valorisées par les millénials que par leurs aînés. Resumen Este artículo analiza las diferencias generacionales en la valoración de las fuentes de motivación en el comportamiento en el trabajo entre la generación de los millenials y las generaciones mayores, con el objetivo de ayudar a los gerentes a tomar decisiones de reclutamiento y mantener una plantilla multigeneracional en el sector servicios. Usando datos muestreados sistemáticamente, se utiliza la Escala de Motivación Laboral Multidimensional (MWMS) de Gagné et al. (2015) para medir las diferentes facetas de los motivadores laborales junto con una medida de 3 ítems de la motivación laboral general de los empleados (diseñada para este estudio) para abordar las hipótesis formuladas. Utilizando modelos de ecuaciones estructurales, se ha hallado que cuatro de los seis motivadores tienen un peso diferente sobre la motivación laboral general. Tanto la regulación extrínseca (material) y la regulación identificada son más valoradas por los millennials en comparación con las generaciones anteriores, mientras que la regulación extrínseca (social) y la regulación introyectada son menos valoradas por los millennials que por las generaciones anteriores

Total Quality Management Boosters and Blockers in a Humanitarian Setting: An Exploratory Investigation

Utilizing qualitative techniques, this research is aimed at investigating total quality management (TQM) implementation practices within a humanitarian setting. The extensive survey instrument of professionals working for the United Nations (UN) organizations operating in the Middle East is used to reveal TQM use within international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) that provide humanitarian relief. With the goal of helping organizations to address anticipated difficulties in implementing TQM practices that improve performance of humanitarian interventions, this study identifies and examines the boosters and blockers of successful implementation of the TQM practices. The most prominent themes that were identified relate to availability of funding, management commitment to quality, partnerships and communication channels, and knowledge sharing