bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal clonal dynamics of HIV-1 latent reservoirs measured by combination quadruplex polymerase chain reaction and sequencing
Authors: Cho Alice , Gaebler Christian , Olveira Thiago , Ramos Victor , Saad Marwa , Lorenzi Julio , Gazumyan Ana , Moir Susan , Caskey Marina , Chun Tae-Wook , Nussenzweig Michel
Published: October 2021

HIV-1 infection produces a long-lived reservoir of latently infected CD4+ T cells that represents the major barrier to HIV-1 cure. The reservoir contains both intact and defective proviruses, but only the proviruses that are intact can re-initiate infection upon cessation of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Here we combine 4 color quantitative polymerase chain reaction and next-generation sequencing (Q4PCR) to distinguish intact and defective proviruses and measure reservoir content longitudinally in 12 infected individuals. Q4PCR differs from other PCR based methods in that the amplified proviruses are sequence verified as intact or defective. Samples were collected systematically over the course of up to 10 years beginning shortly after the initiation of ART. The size of the defective reservoir was relatively stable with minimal decay during the 10-year observation period. In contrast, the intact proviral reservoir decayed with estimated half-life of 4.9 years. Nevertheless, both intact and defective proviral reservoirs are dynamic. As a result, the fraction of intact proviruses found in expanded clones of CD4+ T cells increases overtime with a concomitant decrease in overall reservoir complexity. Thus, reservoir decay measurements by Q4PCR are quantitatively similar to viral outgrowth (VOA) and intact proviral DNA PCR (IPDA) with the addition of sequence information that distinguishes intact and defective proviruses and informs reservoir dynamics. The data is consistent with the notion that intact and defective proviruses are under distinct selective pressure, and that the intact proviral reservoir is progressively enriched in expanded clones of CD4+ T cells resulting in diminishing complexity over time.

Significance

HIV-1 infection requires lifelong treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART) due to viral rebound of a latent reservoir of intact, transcriptionally silent provirus found to persist in the genome of CD4+ T cells. One of the major challenges to understanding the nature of the latent reservoir is accurately characterizing the measuring the size of the reservoir. Herein, we use quadruplex polymerase chain reaction (Q4PCR) to assess the dynamics of the latent reservoir in HIV+ individuals who have been on long-term ART for up to 10 years. Our results show that Q4PCR can be used to accurately measure the latent reservoir, while providing the added benefit of assessing the genetic diversity of the reservoir to better understand changes to clonal dynamics overtime.
Recording true oxygen reduction capacity during photosynthetic electron transfer in Arabidopsis thylakoids and intact leaves
Authors: Fitzpatrick Duncan , Aro Eva-Mari , Tiwari Arjun
Published: October 2021

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated in electron transport processes of living organisms in oxygenic environments. Chloroplasts are plant bioenergetics hubs where imbalances between photosynthetic inputs and outputs drive ROS generation upon changing environmental conditions. Plants have harnessed various site-specific thylakoid membrane ROS products into environmental sensory signals. Our current understanding of ROS production in thylakoids suggests that oxygen (O2) reduction takes place at numerous components of the photosynthetic electron transfer chain (PETC). To refine models of site- specific O2 reduction capacity of various PETC components in isolated thylakoids, the stoichiometry of oxygen production and consumption reactions, associated with H2O2 accumulation, was quantified using membrane inlet mass spectrometry and specific inhibitors. Combined with P700 spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance spin trapping, we demonstrate that electron flow to PSI is essential for H2O2 accumulation during light-induced photosynthetic electron transport process. Further leaf disc measurements provided clues that H2O2 from PETC has a potential of increasing mitochondrial respiration and CO2 release.

One sentence summary

Photosynthetically derived H2O2 only accumulates at Photosystem I and may trigger cooperation with mitochondria during stress
Mesodiencephalic junction Gabaergic inputs are processed separately from motor cortical inputs in the basilar pons
Authors: Khalil Ayoub J. , Mansvelder Huibert D. , Witter Laurens
Published: October 2021

The basilar pontine nuclei (bPN) receive inputs from the entire neocortex and constitute the main source of mossy fibers to the cerebellum. Despite their critical position in the cortico-cerebellar pathway, it remains unclear if and how the bPN process inputs. An important unresolved question is whether the bPN strictly receives excitatory inputs or also receives inhibitory inputs. In the present study, we identified the mesodiencephalic junction as a prominent source of GABAergic afferents to the bPN. We combined optogenetics and whole-cell patch clamp recordings and confirmed that the bPN indeed receives monosynaptic GABA inputs from this region. Furthermore, we found no evidence that these inhibitory inputs converge with motor cortex (M1) inputs at the single neuron level. We also found no evidence of any connectivity between bPN neurons, suggesting the absence of a local circuit. Finally, rabies tracings revealed that GABAergic MDJ neurons themselves receive prominent inputs from neocortical output neurons. Our data indicates that inhibition from the MDJ, and excitation from the neocortex remain separate streams of information through the bPN. It is therefore unlikely that inhibition in the bPN has a gating function, but rather shapes an appropriate output of the bPN during behavior.
On single-crystal total scattering data reduction and correction protocols for analysis in direct space
Authors: Koch Robert J. , Roth Nikolaj , Liu Yiu , Ivashko Oleh , Dippel Ann-Christin , Petrovic Cedomir , Iversen Bo B. , v. Zimmermann Martin , Bozin Emil S.
Published: October 2021

Data reduction and correction steps and processed data reproducibility in the emerging single-crystal total-scattering-based technique of three-dimensional differential atomic pair distribution function (3D-ΔPDF) analysis are explored. All steps from sample measurement to data processing are outlined using a crystal of CuIr2S4 as an example, studied in a setup equipped with a high-energy X-ray beam and a flat-panel area detector. Computational overhead as pertains to data sampling and the associated data-processing steps is also discussed. Various aspects of the final 3D-ΔPDF reproducibility are explicitly tested by varying the data-processing order and included steps, and by carrying out a crystal-to-crystal data comparison. Situations in which the 3D-ΔPDF is robust are identified, and caution against a few particular cases which can lead to inconsistent 3D-ΔPDFs is noted. Although not all the approaches applied herein will be valid across all systems, and a more in-depth analysis of some of the effects of the data-processing steps may still needed, the methods collected herein represent the start of a more systematic discussion about data processing and corrections in this field.
Syntheses and crystal structures of two copper(I)–halide π,σ-coordination compounds based on 2-[(prop-2-en-1-yl)sulfanyl]pyridine
Authors: Slyvka Yurii , Pokhodylo Nazariy T. , Goreshnik Evgeny , Pavlyuk Olexii , Mys'kiv Marian
Published: October 2021

The title compounds, di-μ-chlorido-bis({2-[(η-2,3)-(prop-2-en-1-yl)sulfanyl]pyridine-κN}copper(I)), [Cu2Cl2(C8H9NS)2], and di-μ-bromido-bis({2-[(η-2,3)-(prop-2-en-1-yl)sulfanyl]pyridine-κN}copper(I)), [Cu2Br2(C8H9NS)2], were obtained by alternating-current electrochemical synthesis starting from an ethanolic solution of 2-[(prop-2-en-1-yl)sulfanyl]pyridine (Psup) and the copper(II) halide. The isostructural crystals are built up from centrosymmetric [Cu2Hal2(Psup)2] dimers, which are formed due to the π,σ-chelating behavior of the organic ligand. In the crystals, the dimers are linked by C—H...Halhydrogen bonds as well as by aromatic π–π stacking interactions into a three-dimensional network.
From appearance comparison to fitness intention: mediating roles of appearance-based exercise motivation and perceived behavioral control
Authors: Pu Bo , Zhang Lu , Sang Wenyuan , Ji Siyu
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study aims to explore the influence of appearance comparison on fitness intention. Specifically, it analyzes the mediating effect of appearance-based exercise motivation and perceived behavioral control between appearance comparison and fitness intention.

Design/methodology/approach

434 samples were obtained by the network survey in China. Hierarchical regression analysis and the Hayes' SPSS PROCESS macro were used to verify the hypotheses.

Findings

Appearance comparison has a positive influence on fitness intention. Appearance-based exercise motivation mediates appearance comparison and fitness intention. Appearance comparison can produce a positive effect on fitness intention via appearance-based exercise motivation and perceived behavioral control in sequence.

Practical implications

The findings have some practical implications for both individuals and fitness center managers. First, people can view appearance comparison rationally, understand the process of its transformation into fitness intention and enhance fitness intention. Second, fitness center managers can make some reasonable marketing plans according to this study.

Originality/value

This study explores the positive effects of appearance comparison combining social comparison theory, social cognitive theory and the theory of planned behavior. It contributes to extant literatures about appearance comparison and fitness intention by promoting the understanding of the influence mechanism of fitness intention.
Perceived effectiveness of e-governance as an underlying mechanism between good governance and public trust: a case of Indonesia
Authors: Hartanto Dadang , Dalle Juhriyansyah , Akrim A. , Anisah Hastin Umi
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the association of perceived accountability, perceived responsiveness and perceived transparency, and public trust in local government. Additionally, mediation of the perceived effectiveness of e-governance was also tested between these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a quantitative cross-sectional field survey, primary data was collected at local administration levels from two cities in Indonesia. The final data set of 355 respondents was then analyzed using SmartPls3 and the measurement and structural models were tested.

Findings

Positive results were obtained for all the hypothesized links (direct and indirect relationships). The study’s findings revealed useful insights for policymakers and researchers regarding the public’s perception of good governance and their expectations from the government, which further lead toward trust in local governments.

Practical implications

The study concluded that good governance practices develop and enhance the public’s trust in the government, thus provided key policy directions.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the body of knowledge related to good governance elements and their impact on public trust in the local government via the underlying mechanism of perceived e-governance effectiveness in developing countries in general and particularly the Indonesian context. Moreover, it is a unique study in the good governance domain while considering three good governance elements into a single theoretical framework. Previous studies have explored these elements individually with public trust, so this combined framework advances the body of knowledge. This research’s findings also contributed toward validating good governance theory with e-governance effectiveness and public trust integration in a single comprehensive framework. This research also helped answer the questions arising from past literature about declining public trust trends in local governments.
Entrepreneurial influencers and influential entrepreneurs: two sides of the same coin
Authors: Guiñez-Cabrera Nataly , Aqueveque Claudio
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Drawing on push and pull entrepreneurship theory, this research investigates how and why social media users become social media influencers (SMIs), a specific type of digital entrepreneur.

Design/methodology/approach

Adopting a phenomenological perspective and following a process approach, a total of 35 semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with SMIs of different ages, follower numbers and associated with diverse areas of expertise. Subsequently, via interpretative analysis of interviewees' narratives and reasons for becoming SMIs, relevant motivations and events were uncovered and described.

Findings

The findings showcase two types of SMIs: “Entrepreneurial Influencers” and “Influential Entrepreneurs”. Their motivations and the path they followed on their entrepreneurial efforts were also uncovered. Finally, based on these findings, a new entrepreneurial motivational driver is proposed.

Practical implications

Public entrepreneurial incentive policies should consider SMIs as a specific type of would-be entrepreneurs with some advantage in terms of prominence and reputation, which might help them to successfully initiate and consolidate traditional entrepreneurial activities.

Originality/value

This paper is among the first to examine SMIs from an entrepreneurial perspective, contributing to the nascent digital entrepreneurship literature.
Digitalization and rural entrepreneurial attitude in Indonesia: a capability approach
Authors: Fahmi Fikri Zul , Savira Medina
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to identify how digitalization affects entrepreneurial attitudes in rural areas in Indonesia, a country in the Global South. The development of digital technology can help entrepreneurs, in that faster and easier information acquisition helps rural communities to identify new opportunities and innovate. Yet, digital development generates higher disparity, and thus, not all people can benefit from digitalization. Although digital technology can facilitate the development of entrepreneurship, its benefits depend on individual preferences. In this regard, the capability approach is used so as to reflect how different valuations of digital technology in rural entrepreneurs influence their attitude with regard to recognizing business opportunities and taking risks.

Design/methodology/approach

A double case study approach is used in which this study examines two cases of rural entrepreneurs in Indonesia that represent different uses of digital technologies and socio-economic rural contexts: coffee entrepreneurs in Kintamani and craft producers in Kamasan village. In so doing, semi-structured interviews were conducted with local entrepreneurs and communities according to purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The qualitative data were then analysed using a constant comparative technique which allows us to develop a conceptual argument by observing patterns within and between the cases.

Findings

The findings show that digitalization shapes the attitude of rural entrepreneurs differently, although the same opportunity from using digital technology is present in the village. Social and environmental factors facilitate the rural entrepreneurs to consider using digital technology to develop their businesses. However, as each individual entrepreneur has a different valuation of digital technology, the benefits it offers – such as broader market opportunities and new business ideas – vary. Entrepreneurs who consider digital technology to be a valuable resource for developing their businesses are more curious to explore its benefits.

Originality/value

The capability approach provides a new perspective in understanding rural entrepreneurship. First, the authors demonstrate that the success of rural entrepreneurship is influenced not only by concrete things (e.g. resources) but also the individual perspective on these resources which may vary across entrepreneurs. Second, the authors show not only the potential differences in socio-cultural contexts in which the capability approach is applied but also how socio-cultural values and collectivism influence the individual valuation of resources that could benefit entrepreneurs.
Does Islamic values matter for Indonesian students’ entrepreneurial intention? The mediating role of entrepreneurial inspiration and attitude
Authors: Wibowo Agus , Widjaja Sri Umi Mintarti , Utomo Sugeng Hadi , Kusumojanto Djoko Dwi , Wardoyo Cipto , Wardana Ludi Wishnu , Narmaditya Bagus Shandy
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Stimulating new business creating has been a decisive issue and the Indonesian Government is responding to this issue by providing entrepreneurship programs for Islamic students. This study aims to examine the impact of Islamic values and entrepreneurship education to predict Islamic students’ intention for business, as well as investigates the mediating role of entrepreneurial inspiration and attitudes.

Design/methodology/approach

The study estimates primary data obtained from a sample of 381 Islamic boarding students in a selected area in Indonesia who incorporated entrepreneurial education and practices. In addition, structural equation modeling has been incorporated to answer the hypotheses raised in the research.

Findings

The findings strengthen the study of the influence of Islamic values that affects both directly and through inspiration and motivation on students’ entrepreneurial intentions. Additionally, it found the direct and indirect influences of entrepreneurship education on intentions for entrepreneurship through inspiration and motivation.

Research limitations/implications

This study has been cramped to draw a limited geographical area in Indonesia and the research’s implication is used for relevant themes in Islamic entrepreneurship.

Practical implications

The findings of this research give insights to promote students’ entrepreneurial intention from Islamic schools.

Social implications

The findings of this study offer a broader knowledge to enhance entrepreneurs through economic education in Islamic boarding schools.

Originality/value

These results provide insights into the important effects of Islamic values, particularly in the context of Islamic boarding schools. The findings suggest that Islamic values be an important contextual factor for Islamic boarding school students’ entrepreneurial intentions.
Together or alone on the prosocial path amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: the partitioning effect in experiential consumption
Authors: Cho Yoon-Na , Kim Ha Eun , Youn Nara
Published: October 2021

Purpose

During these unprecedented times, acts of charity are deemed essential to help individuals in need and support the social safety net. Given the importance of prosocial behavior for survival through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, the authors investigate the effects of partitioning experiential consumption and self-construal on consumer responses.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the literature on partitioning and self-construal, the findings across three experimental studies provide novel insights into the interplay between partitioning and self-construal, and offer psychological processes on prosocial and behavioral intention.

Findings

Individuals with predominantly independent (vs. interdependent) self-construals and those primed with independent (vs. interdependent) self-construals showed higher prosocial intention when the experiential product ad was in an aggregated (vs. partitioned) format. The fit between the type of format and self-construal leads to the high control coping mechanism, and ultimately prosocial intention.

Originality/value

Partitioning experiential consumption has not been directly examined using self-construal, providing novel insights into consumer reactions during the pandemic. This paper provides practical implications to practitioners and researchers to better understand and adapt to shifting digital consumption patterns.
Webrooming or showrooming? The moderating effect of product attributes
Authors: Guo Yan , Zhang Min , Lynette Wang Valerie
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study examines consumers' channel attitudes and choices leading to webrooming and showrooming, and how product attributes (informational vs experiential and perceived risk) moderate the effects of channel attitudes.

Design/methodology/approach

A research framework is built upon the heterogeneity of channel attitudes, the lack of intrachannel lock-in and interchannel synergy. A questionnaire-based survey yields 868 multi-channel consumer responses in China. Simultaneous equation modeling and STATA 12.0 are used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Consumers webroom when buying high-risk informational products (e.g. personal computers or mobile phones). They webroom as well as showroom for high-risk experiential products (e.g. clothing or cosmetics). Moreover, a single channel is preferred to webrooming or showrooming for purchasing low-risk informational (e.g. books or stationery) and low-risk experiential (e.g. snacks or toys) products. The results also show that webrooming is more frequently used than showrooming by consumers.

Research limitations/implications

This study extends current understanding on multi-channel and omnichannel shopping behavior and highlights the role of product attributes in customer journey mapping.

Practical implications

This study offers retailers and other downstream firms a fresh perspective on multi-channel customer experience management and channel design.

Originality/value

This study offers a clear explanation on the commonalities and differences between webrooming and showrooming.
Factors affecting the adoption of blockchain technology in innovative Italian companies: an extended TAM approach
Authors: Sciarelli Mauro , Prisco Anna , Gheith Mohamed Hani , Muto Valerio
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The present research aims to identify the determinants for users' behavioral adoption of Blockchain, exploring the relationships among these variables and investigating whether the proposed model can provide a more comprehensive manner to understand the adoption of Blockchain technology.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) approach and extends it with external constructs: “reduced cost” and “efficiency and security”. This paper used a quantitative and exploratory approach through the collection and analysis of data from a total of 108 Italian innovative SME. We have used the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach using SmartPLS for model evaluation.

Findings

The results show that “efficiency and security” is an important driver of firms' decision-making process to adopt Blockchain. Moreover, the results show that perceived usefulness is a strong predictor of the intention to use Blockchain in business processes.

Originality/value

This research advances the literature on technology adoption in business processes, focusing on a particular technology: Blockchain. The field has been strengthened by investigating the determinants of technology adoption, adding new perspectives; both reduced cost and efficiency, and security.
User trends of electronic payment systems adoption in developing countries: an empirical analysis
Authors: Al-Sabaawi Mohmed Y. Mohmed , Alshaher Ali Abdulfattah , Alsalem M.A.
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Electronic payment (e-payment) systems literature analysis reveals that they are growing in developing countries; however, they are limited in the Arab countries and, more importantly, scarce in Iraq in particular. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the factors influencing the intention of users to use e-payment systems in Iraq. Additionally, this study proposes an e-payment adoption model based on technology usage models to identify user trends toward e-payment systems.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative approach is adopted to test the proposed model. The proposed model is based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage of Technology theory. The proposed model is validated using survey data from 339 e-payment system users. Using Amos software, this study used structural equation modeling (SEM), a statistical technique for analyzing factor relationships.

Findings

The findings of the study indicate that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions and price saving orientation influence Intention to accept the e-payment system. Similarly, habit, technology security, trust, innovation resistance, psychological empowerment also affect intention to accept an e-payment system. However, hedonic motivation and perceived risk do not affect e-payment system adoption.

Originality/value

The identified factors play a major role in user intentions toward the adoption of e-payment systems for financial transactions and addressing these factors will make e-payment acceptable in the future. The results of this study contribute to assisting governments or e-payment firms and decision-makers in building strategic decisions or policies that will increase the adoption of e-payment by individuals.
A differential game analysis on green technology innovation in a supply chain with information sharing of dynamic demand
Authors: Wei Junyi , Wang Chuanxu
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of the information sharing of the dynamic demand on green technology innovation and profits in supply chain from a long-term perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors consider a supply chain consisting of a manufacturer and a retailer. The retailer has access to the information of dynamic demand of the green product, whereas the manufacturer invests in green technology innovation. Differential game theory is adopted to establish three models under three different scenarios, namely (1) decentralized decision without information sharing of dynamic demand (Model N-D), (2) decentralized decision with information sharing of dynamic demand (Model S-D) and (3) centralized decision with information sharing of dynamic demand (Model S-C).

Findings

The optimal equilibrium results show that information sharing of dynamic demand can improve the green technology innovation level and increase the green technology stocks only in centralized supply chain. In the long term, the information sharing of dynamic demand can make the retailer more profitable. If the influence of green technology innovation on green technology stocks is great enough or the cost coefficient of green technology innovation is small enough, the manufacturer and decentralized supply chain can benefit from information sharing. In centralized supply chain, the value of demand information sharing is greater than that of decentralized supply chain.

Originality/value

The authors used game theory to investigate demand information sharing and the green technology innovation in a supply chain. Specially, the demand information is dynamic, which is a variable that changes over time. Moreover, our research is based on a long-term perspective. Thus, differential game is adopted in this paper.
The strategic governance of the digital accounting environment: insights from virtual museums
Authors: Esposito Paolo , Braga Alessandro , Sancino Alessandro , Ricci Paolo
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the strategic governance of the digital transformation of the accounting environment in cultural organizations, with a specific focus on practices of social responsibility and stakeholder engagement in virtual museums.

Design/Methodology/Approach

By adopting a multiple case study approach, this study investigated five Italian virtual museums and their digitalization processes. Data were collected and triangulated from multiple sources, including documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with 16 key informants.

Findings

Considering the digitalization of the accounting environment as a paradigmatic change, the authors identify three key transitions for its strategic governance: from the static, technical and physical to the relational, emotional and digital; from bureaucratic managerialism to value cocreation; and from traditional CSR to integrated external engagement. Moreover, the authors found that social responsibility and stakeholder engagement practices are used in a limited way, and that the use of social media appears to be increasingly important and to be carried out through an emergent rather than a deliberate strategy.

Research Limitations/Implications

The paper draws from a limited sample of case studies in one country and is based on exploratory research. This paper calls for more comparative studies using a longitudinal approach to investigate the impacts of digitalization on the accounting environment of cultural organizations.

Originality/Value

This study is one of the few studies concentrating on the effects of digitalization on the accounting environment of cultural organizations.
Selecting and using faculty data management software systems
Authors: Shea-Van Fossen Rita Jeanne , Taormina Rosa Di Virgilio , LaCasse JoDee
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine which software systems business school administrators use to support accreditation efforts and how administrators select and use these systems. This study also provides best practice suggestions from institutions using faculty data management systems to support accreditation efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a sequential explanatory design using an internet-based survey for business school administrators involved with accreditation reporting with follow-up interviews with survey respondents.

Findings

There are four major software vendors that most respondents use for managing reporting of faculty research activity and sufficiency. The location of the school appears to influence the system selected. For assurance of learning reporting, most schools used an in-house or manual system. Respondents highlighted the importance of doing a thorough needs analysis before selecting a system.

Research limitations/implications

Although respondents were geographically diverse, having a larger sample with schools in developing regions would provide greater generalizability of results.

Practical implications

This study gives business school leaders a comprehensive overview of the business schools’ data management systems, criteria used in system selection and best practices for system selection and implementation, faculty engagement and ongoing maintenance.

Originality/value

This study addresses the limited attention given to resources and best practices for selecting and implementing faculty data management software for accreditation in the academic and industry literature despite the significant investment of resources for schools and the importance such systems play in a successful accreditation effort.
The Interplay of Brand, Brand Origin and Brand User Stereotypes in Forming Value Perceptions
Authors: Gidaković Petar , Szőcs Ilona , Diamantopoulos Adamantios , Florack Arnd , Egger Martin , Žabkar Vesna
Published: October 2021

Although the importance of various brand‐related stereotypes held by consumers has been acknowledged in the marketing literature, their interplay has not yet been considered. We derive four alternative theoretical models of the relationships between brand, brand origin and brand user stereotypes and their effects on consumers’ value perceptions. The four models are subsequently tested on two nationally representative samples in Germany and Serbia, respectively. The best‐performing model in both studies predicts that brand origin and brand user stereotypes act as complementary drivers of the brand stereotype. In turn, value perceptions mediate the positive impact of the brand stereotype on purchase intent. This investigation is the first to: (a) juxtapose and empirically assess alternative theoretical perspectives on the interplay of brand‐related stereotypes; (b) reveal the combined influence of multiple stereotypes on consumers’ value perceptions and through them, on intentions to buy the brand; (c) determine the relative influence of distinct stereotype content dimensions (i.e. warmth vs. competence) on consumers’ perceptions of value; and (d) highlight the extent to which the interplay among different stereotypes in influencing consumer outcomes is stable across different market settings. Implications of the findings are considered and future research directions identified.
COVID‐19 Pandemic: The Interplay Between Firm Disruption and Managerial Attention Focus
Authors: Ghobadian Abby , Han Tian , Zhang Xuezhi , O'Regan Nicholas , Troise Ciro , Bresciani Stefano , Narayanan Vadake
Published: October 2021

Pandemics and epidemics occur regularly, yet their impact on firm behaviours is under‐researched. COVID‐19 provides a unique opportunity to examine the impact of a once‐in‐a‐century pandemic – given its scope, swift spread, health and economic devastation – on firms’ behaviours. Attention is the critical and initial step of the environmental adaptation process. In this paper, we draw on two complementary theories – contingency and attention‐based view – and examine the relationship between disruption experienced by firms and their COVID‐19 attention focus – a sudden exogenous shock. Industry environments may influence which signals attract managerial attention; hence, we examine if firm disruption–COVID‐19 attention focus is moderated by industry dynamism. Drawing on the publicly available data and using a sample of 1,861 US and 1,154 Chinese firms – two diametrically opposite situational contexts – we test the generalizability of our hypotheses. We find a positive relationship between firm disruption and COVID‐19 attention focus for the US sample and that industry dynamism negatively moderates this relationship. In the case of Chinese firms, these relationships were insignificant. Further analysis using topic modelling revealed that business–government relationships accounted for this difference.
A RADICAL‐RIGHT POPULIST DEFINITION OF CROSS‐NATIONAL REGIONALISM IN EUROPE: Shaping Power Geometries at the Regional Scale Beyond State Borders
Authors: Lamour Christian
Published: October 2021

Radical‐right populism has become a structural political phenomenon in the European Union in recent years. This ideology, the core principle of which is based on a nurtured antagonism between the ‘people’ and the ‘elite’, combined with a parallel promotion of authoritarian and nativist ideas, is generally associated with the nation state and its core territorial ideology: nationalism. However, populism can also be scaled at the regional level, within or across European state borders. This article, which is based on critical discourse analysis, aims to investigate what might constitute the meaning of cross‐national regionalism according to a radical‐right populist leader in Europe. More precisely, my objective is to research the antagonism this type of leader can structure to organize territorial, symbolic and institutional claims associated with a specific cross‐national region. This research is based on the discourse Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán produced in relation to the Visegrád region. My analysis helps to reveal the types of power geometries articulated by populist leaders beyond state borders.
Risk and implications of COVID‐19 among the community supervised population
Authors: Gutierrez Carmen , Patterson Evelyn J.
Published: October 2021

Research summary

Despite growing national awareness that COVID‐19 in jails and prisons constitutes a public health emergency in the United States, remarkably little attention has been paid to understanding how the virus affects people under community supervision. We used data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) to explore differences in the extent to which men under community supervision are vulnerable to COVID‐19 and have access to care during the pandemic, relative to men who are not involved with the U.S. criminal legal system. Results from this study highlight the greater levels of risk for serious illness or death from COVID‐19 and the disproportionate lack of health insurance among men under community supervision.

Policy implications

Jurisdictions across the United States are currently relying on decarceration to contain the spread of COVID‐19 in jails and prisons. Decarceration efforts alone, however, are insufficient for addressing the spread of COVID‐19 among people involved with the U.S. criminal legal system. People released from jails and prisons or diverted from incarceration during the pandemic must be given the opportunity to receive the COVID‐19 vaccination upon their transitions. Likewise, individuals under community supervision must be prioritized for immediate vaccination against COVID‐19. People involved with the U.S. criminal legal system should also be eligible for emergency Medicaid during the COVID‐19 crisis, and their health insurance coverage should remain available beyond the pandemic.
The rising dominance of microbiology: what to expect in the next 15 years?
Authors: Kumar Roshan , Sood Utkarsh , Kaur Jasvinder , Anand Shailly , Gupta Vipin , Patil Kishor Sureshbhai , Lal Rup
Published: October 2021

What microbiology beholds after a decade and a half in the future requires a vision based on the facts and ongoing trends in research and technological advancements. While the latter, assisted by microbial dark matter, presents a greater potential of creating an upsurge in in‐situ and ex‐situ rapid microbial detection techniques, this anticipated change will also set forth a revolution in microbial cultivation and diversity analyses. The availability of a microbial genetic toolbox at the expanse will help complement the current understanding of the microbiome and assist in real‐time monitoring of the dynamics for detecting the health status of the host with utmost precision. Alongside, in light of the emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and social demands for safer and better health care alternatives, microbiology laboratories are prospected to drift in terms of the volume and nature of research and outcomes. With today’s microbiological lens, one can predict with certainty that in the years to come, microbes will play a significant role in therapeutic treatment and the designing of novel diagnostic techniques. Another area where the scope of microbial application seems to be promising is the use of novel probiotics as a method to offer health benefits whilst promoting metabolic outputs specific for microbiome replenishment. Nonetheless, the evolution of extraterrestrial microbes or the adaptation of earth microbes as extraterrestrial residents are also yet another prominent microbial event one may witness in the upcoming years. But like the two sides of the coin, there is also an urgent need to dampen the bloom of urbanization, overpopulation and global trade and adopting sustainable approaches to control the recurrence of epidemics and pandemics.
Transgenerational effect of host plant on growth and reproduction in two species of moth, Cacoecimorpha pronubana and Epiphyas postvittana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Authors: Zielonka Marcin W. , Harris W. Edwin , Pope Tom W. , Leather Simon R.
Published: October 2021

The carnation tortrix moth, Cacoecimorpha pronubana, and the light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker, 1863) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) are two important polyphagous pest species affecting a wide range of plant species many of which are horticultural crops. Crop damage is caused by the larvae of these two moths rolling leaves together and feeding on the foliage. In order to understand how these two species are affected by a host plant through transgenerational dietary changes, we hypothesised that larval parental pretreatment diet affects growth and reproduction of offspring. We tested the performance of developmental traits of C. pronubana and E. postvittana on three host plant species (larval diet treatment) – Prunus (Rosaceae), Choisya (Rutaceae) and Griselinia (Griseliniaceae). For the experiment, we used larvae from a second generation of C. pronubana and E. postvittana reared either exclusively on Prunus, or reared exclusively on Griselinia (pretreatment). Regardless of whether moths had been reared on Prunus or Griselinia both species of host plant had a significant average effect on the duration of larval development and the pupal size of both species of moth, for E. postvittana, and for C. pronubana. Although, neither pretreatment, nor treatment had a significant overall effect on fecundity (number of eggs per clutch laid) in either species of moth, there was a significant interaction effect observed between the pretreatment and post‐treatment on fecundity for both species of moth. Our results suggest that changes of host plant species composition can affect the performance of offspring of both these polyphagous pest species intergenerationally in complex ways which are relevant to agroecosystems. Such phenomena may be important when developing new strategies for the integrated pest management of these two important pest species.
Development of a Victorian Falls and Balance Service Directory
Authors: Levinger Pazit , Parker Amy , Barry Jess , Tan Esther , Batchelor Frances , Catrice Andre
Published: October 2021

Objectives

Falls and fall‐related injuries amongst older people continue to be a long‐term public health issue. Access to specialist services that target fall prevention has been shown to improve outcomes. This project aimed to develop an online directory of public outpatient and ambulatory falls and balance clinics and programs in Victoria.

Method

Environmental scan of existing services and survey of service providers between January and August 2020.

Results

Forty‐seven community‐based and 53 hospital‐based falls and balance services across metropolitan (46%) and regional (54%) Victoria registered. The majority of services were programs (70%) targeting exercise and/or education, as opposed to clinics (30%), which focus on diagnosis and developing management plans. Survey responses were collated to develop an online service directory: https://www.nari.net.au/victorian‐falls‐directory

Conclusions

The Victorian Falls and Balance Service Directory provides a centralised and accessible reference for clinicians and community members regarding available outpatient and ambulatory services that target fall prevention.
Revelation of the Continents of Imagination
Authors: Galovič Roman
Published: October 2021

It has long been argued that one of the main appeals of contemporary Euro‐American shamanism lies in its ability to reenchant the world in the disenchanted present. As observed during field research among shamans in the Czech Republic and based on an analysis of their techniques and discourse, the source of this reenchantment lies in journeys to non‐ordinary reality, internally experienced by participants during drumming. The reason those journeys are experienced as real is found in the autonomy of imagination, in images that come to mind spontaneously without participants' deliberate construction. The faculty of imagination provides a mechanism for the experience of a reenchanted world, whereas shamanic techniques and lectures on the nature of the world provide its emotional and cognitive contours. In ceremonial space, shamanic praxis then tunes a certain mode of being with its intertwined moments of corresponding understanding, attunement, and speech, such as those analyzed by Heidegger inBeing and Time.
“Come what may, we bring those resources to play”: Narratives, future‐making, and the case of bauxite extraction at Atewa Forest, Ghana
Authors: Purwins Sebastian
Published: October 2021

The Ghanaian government aims to develop an integrated bauxite–aluminium industry and seeks to further bauxite extraction at several sites across the country. This vision is embedded within the political agenda “Ghana Beyond Aid,” introduced by the country's president, Nana Akufo‐Addo. One possible mining area is Atewa Forest, one of the few remaining intact upland evergreen rainforests in Ghana. This study highlights the important narratives local NGOs use to mobilise against bauxite mining at Atewa Forest: (a) the case of environmental justice with a strong focus on clean water and (b) the foreign Chinese influence. Both narratives have gained national as well as international attention. However, the government avoids direct discussion and legitimises extraction through the newly created political agenda Ghana Beyond Aid. The latter is better understood as a future‐making practice, a practice creating a single development path that only needs to be managed. At the same time, revenue from refined bauxite finances huge infrastructure projects that are the foundation of this political agenda. In addition, this legitimation to extract bauxite appears to be powerful because it is linked to broader global narratives about modernisation and economic growth.
Prejudice in Turkey and Belgium: The cross‐cultural comparison of correlations of right‐wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation with sexism, homophobia, and racism
Authors: Çetiner Şeyda Dilşat , Van Assche Jasper
Published: October 2021

Using data from Turkey and Belgium, this study investigated the relationships of right‐wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation with ambivalent sexism, homophobia, and subtle racism. First, we predicted that men are more prejudiced than women. This hypothesis was confirmed in the Turkish but not in the Belgian sample. Second, Muslims were higher in authoritarianism and homophobia than people belonging to other (or no) religious groups. Third, Muslims also showed more hostile sexism toward both men and women. Fourth, negative associations of education with authoritarianism, sexism, and homophobia were expected and found. Fifth, in both countries, authoritarianism was positively related to homophobia and sexism, and social dominance orientation was positively associated with racism. Finally, groups comparing both samples, we found that Turks’ authoritarianism and prejudice was higher than Belgians’. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic: Pros and cons of China's soft power projection
Authors: Hossain Md. Farid
Published: October 2021

China's health diplomacy has received international attention, especially during the coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic. This study centers on the question, why did China dispatch needed medical aid across the world during the COVID‐19 pandemic? How effectively has China transformed its “pandemic health diplomacy” into soft power? Beijing has taken advantage of this pandemic to exhibit its soft power, win narrative battles, or shape outcomes through the selective delivery of relief toward the world. Beijing has launched a high‐tempo program of pandemic diplomacy through good deeds, such as supplying emergency medical equipment to the world to create a positive image and strengthen China's soft power in the future. The following assumption must be clarified: The COVID‐19 soft‐power push of China increased in developing regions that are heavily indebted to Beijing and where China has huge investment but showed a declining trend in Western European countries and the United States.