bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Share pledging and earnings informativeness
Authors: Shi Xiangyan , Wang Juan , Ren Xiaoyi
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of share pledging by controlling shareholders on earnings informativeness.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 23,120 firm-year observations from 2003 to 2019 in China, this paper examines how share pledging by controlling shareholders affects earnings informativeness, measured by earnings persistence and earnings response coefficients.

Findings

This paper finds that share pledging by controlling shareholders makes earnings less informative. The adverse impacts are more pronounced when share pledging distorts incentives of controlling shareholders to a greater extent and when the signaling of share pledging about a firm’s weak future performance is stronger. Finally, this paper further shows that the 2018 new regulation on share pledging effectively alleviates the negative impacts of share pledging on earnings informativeness.

Originality/value

First, this paper adds to the growing literature on the economic consequence of share pledging by documenting the adverse impacts of share pledging on earnings informativeness. The literature on the economic consequence of share pledging is often mixed, which justifies further research on the impacts of share pledging on earnings informativeness. Second, this paper documents a new signaling channel through which share pledging affects earnings informativeness. Third, the finding of this paper on the 2018 new regulation on share pledging may be interesting to research agencies, such as the Chartered Financial analyst institute and Institutional Shareholder Services institute that recommend tightening regulations on share pledging.
Trade liberalization and women empowerment in the Arab countries
Authors: Saqfalhait Nahil , AbdAlla Spetan Khawlah , Awad-Warrad Taleb , Alomari Mohammad W.
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This paper investigates the impact of trade liberalization measured by trade openness (OPN) and tariffs on women empowerment measured by the gender gap index and gender development index, for two groups of Arab countries divided based on their income levels using annual data for the period 1995–2020. The study also considers other factors that may influence the gender gap, such as GDP growth and the female unemployment rate. The purpose of this paper is to address these issues and explorers whether the effects of trade liberalization differ based on the countries' income levels.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs the fully modified ordinary least squares (FM-OLS) regression model for heterogeneous cointegrated panels to examine the impact of trade liberalization on women empowerment. The study constructs an empirical two regression model of women empowerment measured by the gender gap model and gender development model for the two groups of higher-income countries and lower and middle-income countries.

Findings

The authors’ findings reveal that the impact of OPN on the gender gap varies between the two groups of Arab countries where more OPN within the higher-income group may increase the gender disparity, while it may reduce disparity within the lower and middle-income countries. In addition, GDP growth may reduce the gender disparity, while female unemployment raises the gender disparity between the two groups of countries in the long run. Findings also reveal that more OPN, tariffs and female unemployment may reduce gender development within the two groups, but more GDP growth may support the gender development in the long run.

Originality/value

This paper not only assesses the impact of trade liberalization on women empowerment generally, but also assess the women empowerment via two indices that are the gender gap and gender development in Arab countries which is – to the knowledge of the researchers – not yet investigated; further it explores if the effects of trade liberalization differs based on the countries' income levels.
Sustaining circular economy practices in supply chains during a global disruption
Authors: Dwivedi Ashish , Chowdhury Priyabrata , Paul Sanjoy Kumar , Agrawal Dindayal
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Circular economy (CE) practices are critical to achieving sustainable development goals. However, the recent global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted sustainable practices. The literature shows a significant research gap in analyzing factors that sustain CE practices in supply chains during a global disruption. This study fills the research gap by developing a mix-method approach to analyze factors for sustaining CE practices during a global disruption.

Design/methodology/approach

To fulfill the objectives of this study, the list of factors that sustain CE practices was first identified by conducting a literature review and finalized through an expert opinion survey. The survey finalized 18 different factors for sustaining CE practices. The finalized factors were further analyzed using the grey decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method. The quantitative analysis confirmed the priority of the factors and their cause-and-effect relationships.

Findings

The results revealed that continued stakeholder pressure, retention of CE and sustainability culture, continued implementation of cleaner technology, feedback system and ongoing CE training for resilience issues are the top five factors that sustain CE practices during a global disruption. The study also revealed ten factors as belonging to the cause group and eight to the effect group.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by exploring factors for sustaining CE practices during a global disruption. Moreover, the study’s findings are important in real-life situations, as decision-makers can use the findings to formulate strategies for sustaining CE practices during future global disruptions.
Influence of hybrid nanoparticles on the wear behavior of aluminum alloy composites for aerospace applications
Authors: A. Santhosh Prakash , T. Parameshwaran Pillai
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Engineers and scientists are searching for novel materials with high performance on all aspect points of view for the applications including marine, aero and automobile fields. AA8090 aluminum alloy is one of the materials used in aero industries for aircraft construction because of its weight reduction ability. However, the AA8090 alloy has a drawback such as low wear resistance that affects the life time of material; hence, it should be addressed. The purpose of this investigation is to improve the wear resistance of AA8090 alloy.

Design/methodology/approach

In this investigation, AA8090 aluminum alloy metal matrix composite was fabricated using different types of carbide nanoparticles such as vanadium carbide (VC), Cr3C2 and Mo2C by stir casting method and tribological and mechanical behaviors were studied.

Findings

Mechanical studies showed that the S1 sample displayed the maximum hardness of 142 HV and maximum tensile strength of 857 MPa because of the inclusion of hard VC particles. Tribological studies revealed that S1 sample showed high performance. A least wear rate of 0.003915 × 10–3 mm3/m was noted for S1 sample, which is 71% lower than the wear rate of S0 sample. Further, a least mass loss and lower coefficient of friction of 0.00152 g and 0.2, respectively, were observed for S1 sample because of its high hardness and high wear resistance because of the stuffing of high-hardness VC particles. Hence, it is concluded from this study that S1 sample, i.e. AA8090/VC, could be a better candidate for aerospace applications as it showed good tribological and mechanical properties.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is original and novel in the field of metal matrix composite which deals with the effect of hybridization on the wear performance of the aluminum alloy composites.
Cyberbullying in the workplace: a novel framework of routine activities and organizational control
Authors: Oguz Abdullah , Mehta Nikhil , Palvia Prashant
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This study aims to develop a unified theoretical framework that presents a cohesive picture of workplace cyberbullying to better understand the interplay between cyberbullying, its effects on organizations and organizational controls enacted to contain these effects.

Design/methodology/approach

The study conducts a theoretical review of the workplace cyberbullying literature between 2005 and 2021 drawing upon existing literature and two important theories, the routine activities theory and control theory. The final sample of 54 empirical papers represents a comprehensive body of literature on cyberbullying published across various disciplines.

Findings

A theoretical model of workplace cyberbullying is developed, which highlights major antecedents to workplace cyberbullying and its impact on individual employees as well as organizations.

Originality/value

As firms increasingly rely on information and communication technologies (ICTs), the misuse of ICTs in the form of cyberbullying is also increasing. Workplace cyberbullying severely hurts an organization’s employees and compromises the efficacy of its information systems. Fortunately, various controls can be utilized by firms to minimize workplace cyberbullying and its attendant costs. In all, eleven propositions are offered, providing a robust agenda for future research. The authors also offer insights for practitioners on how to minimize cyberbullying in the workplace and its damaging effects.
Risk propagation and resilience in the agribusiness supply chain: a systematic literature review
Authors: Imbiri Soleman , Rameezdeen Raufdeen , Chileshe Nicholas , Statsenko Larissa
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate risk propagation and resilience in the agribusiness supply chain (ASC).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper undertakes a systematic literature review (SLR). Overall, 94 articles from six databases published between 2000 and 2022 underwent descriptive and thematic analysis.

Findings

There is a lack of research on risk propagation and resilience in the ASC for more than two decades. Accordingly, this research fills the gap in the extant literature by advancing the construct of risk propagation and resilience in the ASC and developing a framework proposing directions in risk propagation and resilience in ASC research.

Research limitations/implications

Firstly, only the Web of Science and Scopus databases were mostly used as primary sources while other databases were used as secondary sources to validate search results. Secondly, SLR is based on the peer-reviewed articles, books and conference papers; other non-academic sources relevant to the topic were not included in this paper.

Originality/value

The paper offers a set of constructs for understanding risk propagation and resilience in the ASC, develops a framework proposing directions in risk propagation and resilience in the ASC research and recommends three key themes for future research directions, namely, keep updated with recent constructs of risk propagation and resilience in the ASC, conduct case studies based on empirical studies to determine the current risk dependency and propagation in the ASC and conduct case studies based on empirical studies to determine resilience and sustainability in the ASC.
Globalization of the public relations agency industry: a country-level analysis of global public relations agencies and environmental factors
Authors: Lee Suman , Chung Surin , Lee Euirang
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The present study examined the status of globalization of the public relations (PR) agency industry and its environmental factors by analyzing 101 countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were constructed from content analysis and multiple archival sources. Cluster analysis and multiple regressions were used for data analysis.

Findings

The present study identified the four distinctive groups of countries in the number of global PR agencies per country. These groups are (1) globalized top countries, (2) globalized major countries, (3) globalizing countries and (4) peripheral countries. The study also found that the degree of globalization of the PR agency industry in a country was associated with its democracy, economic system (gross domestic product (GDP) and foreign direct investment inflow), legal system (rule of law), cultural system (power distance and long-term orientation) and media system (Internet penetration rate) factors.

Originality/value

The previous studies on the global PR agency industry was limited to investigating a few leading agencies, but this study analyzed 114 global PR agencies and their diffusion in 101 countries and explored the influence of each country's characteristics (i.e. political, economic, legal, cultural and media factors) identified as the global PR environment factors.
When gullibility becomes us: exploring the cultural roots of Indonesians’ susceptibility to investment fraud
Authors: Prabowo Hendi Yogi
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore various cultural and behavioral issues associated with the problem of investment fraud in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

By examining multiple cases of investment fraud in Indonesia as well as reviewing publicly available government reports, this study highlights several important cultural and behavioral issues associated with the susceptibility of Indonesian financial services consumers to investment fraud to understand better the dynamics of the victimization process. By using multiple cultural and behavioral theories, this study demonstrates how such issues shape the interactions between investment fraudsters and investment fraud victims.

Findings

This study demonstrates that multiple cultural and behavioral factors have created and shaped an environment where fraudsters can exploit people’s behavioral loopholes for their fraudulent schemes. In particular, the high power distance and high collectivism have been identified by this study as contributing to the high level of materialism in the country, which in turn makes people more susceptible to the temptation of get-rich-quick schemes. Investment fraudsters, being students of human behavior, use their behavioral knowledge to devise various means to deceive their victims. They use multiple psychological principles to stimulate target victims “gullibility to make them more vulnerable to fraudulent persuasion. In many cases, even financially literate people are not immune to fraudsters” deceitful messages. This study highlights gullibility production as a foundation for investment fraudsters to devise their means by which victims are manipulated to accept certain beliefs that depart from facts and evidence.

Practical implications

This paper contributes to the innovation in anti-fraud practice by building a better understanding of multiple cultural and behavioral issues associated with investment fraud victimization.

Originality/value

This paper brings a new perspective into the field of anti-fraud to stimulate innovation, in particular in investment fraud prevention.
Competitive priorities and capabilities: high-cost country case survey
Authors: Hilletofth Per , Hilmola Olli-Pekka
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Globalization and the importance of emerging markets have increased the pressure of high-cost manufacturing locations to sustain operations. However, there are still some countries in which manufacturing is prospering despite high costs (like Germany, Sweden and Switzerland). This study examines seven competitive priorities through 24 different capabilities, using a case survey of four manufacturing companies located in Sweden. This study aims to develop a contemporary understanding from vital priorities and capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

A case survey was conducted in four different-sized manufacturing companies in Sweden during the autumn of 2018. In total, the survey attracted 89 responses. Respondents were mainly middle managers and other management team members.

Findings

In general, companies assess the importance of manufacturing capabilities higher than performance and improvement. The authors’ analysis shows that quality priority through product and process capabilities is ranked highest in terms of importance, performance and improvement. In addition, delivery capability shows a similarity with quality. At the other end, being lowest ranked are typically different flexibility and advertising capabilities. This study demonstrates with correlation analysis that most often capabilities have a positive correlation in terms of their importance, performance and improvement needs. Some capabilities show potential correlations across importance, performance and improvement.

Research limitations/implications

This research is limited to one high-cost environment and to four companies within that environment. Further research should examine the impact of the pandemic era on manufacturing priorities and capabilities.

Originality/value

In general, case surveys have relatively rarely been used in management studies. This research offers an alternative and deeper perspective from high-cost country manufacturing, as the responses are from numerous persons in management positions.
Customer experience management in capsule hotels: a content analysis of guest online review
Authors: Olorunsola Victor Oluwafemi , Saydam Mehmet Bahri , Lasisi Taiwo Temitope , Eluwole Kayode Kolawole
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Capsule hotels are a revolutionary Japanese concept of lodging that dates back over four decades. On the other hand, capsule hotels are a relatively new concept for most travelers outside of Japan. Organizations within this target segment are starting to recognize the critical role that an excellent customer experience management (CEM) strategy offers in improving competitiveness and organizational success. Thus, this research provides scholastic insight into the framework of CEM by evaluating the user-generated content at capsule hotels.

Design/methodology/approach

This study inspected 1,304 online user-generated content from the top 10 capsule hotels from Booking.com. Leximancer 4.5 was deployed to analyze the data.

Findings

The analyses revealed nine key themes to CEM of capsule hotels which are “staff,” “hotel,” “area,” “location,” “bed,” “capsule,” “check-in,” “noisy” and “luggage”.

Practical implications

This research encourages hospitality and tourism executives to develop specific strategies for capsule hotels.

Originality/value

This research differs from previous writings in that it attempts to fill a gap in the research by offering insight into the issue in the low-budget hotel industry and by identifying key indicators that influence customer experience.
Creating civic and public engagement by a proper balance between emotional, rational, and spiritual knowledge
Authors: Cegarra-Navarro Juan-Gabriel , Bratianu Constantin , Martínez-Martínez Aurora , Vătămănescu Elena-Mădălina , Dabija Dan-Cristian
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the generation of civic and public (C&P) engagement as an integrative outcome of a proper balance between emotional, rational and spiritual knowledge, via the mediation of interpersonal competencies.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical analysis relies on a questionnaire-based survey conducted with 294 respondents from two knowledge-intensive organizations. Structural equation modeling, using Smart PLS 4, is used to analyze the data.

Findings

Individual knowledge can be considered as the refined outcome of the underlying transformations of various knowledge sources and resources, which is apposite for the next level of knowledge workers’ acumen. Individual knowledge – which relies on a good balance of rational, emotional and spiritual knowledge – exerts a positive effect on interpersonal competencies, wherein the latter positively influences the C&P engagement of knowledge workers.

Research limitations/implications

Policymakers should capitalize on the development of strong interpersonal competencies; they should be able to understand the social mechanisms of motivating people, of stimulating, harnessing and channeling individual knowledge toward higher C&P as a prerequisite of value creation.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first argumentative undertaking intended to explore the conversion of the three knowledge types into individual knowledge as a premise of interpersonal competencies development and as a relevant antecedent of C&P engagement. The results of this paper support that achieving balance in one's life is essential for increasing interpersonal competencies and C&P engagement. This study not only represents the first contribution to this debate but also helps managers and organizations to recognize that a good balance requires emotional, rational and spiritual knowledge.
Pláticas with Latinx preservice teachers: insights about navigating teacher education in the New Latinx South
Authors: Rodriguez Sanjuana C. , Guerra Lombardi Paula P. , Galvez Eliza Silvia
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of Latinx preservice teachers (PSTs) while enrolled in a teacher preparation program in the New Latinx South, a cluster of states that have seen a precipitous growth in the Latinx population over the last decades.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used pláticas, or informal conversations with a group of six female Latinx PSTs.

Findings

Two main themes were identified: experiences with racism and discrimination and feelings of isolation. These themes, along with the narratives of the participants, reflect the barriers this population experiences in the education field and how professionals in this field can improve to best assist Latinx PSTs.

Originality/value

Latinx PSTs’ experiences are yet to be fully investigated to improve not only their schooling but also the number of Latinx teachers serving a growing number of Latinx children in US schools. Additionally, the use of pláticas elevates this paper as this is a method valued by the participants and used in their communities.
Brand anthropomorphism on Twitter: communication strategies and consumer engagement
Authors: Wu Linwan , Dodoo Naa Amponsah , Choi Chang-Won
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Anthropomorphized brands have been widely used as marketing communication tools to engage consumers on social media, especially on Twitter. Guided by the social exchange theory (SET) and the dialogic theory, this study aims to investigate how anthropomorphized brands leverage different communication strategies on Twitter and how these strategies are related to consumer engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

Supervised machine learning was used to identify the communication strategies (i.e. message types and dialogic principles) of 125,887 tweets from 21 brand characters. Some statistical analyses (e.g. frequency analysis, Chi-square analysis and Poisson regression analysis) were performed to explore the relationships between communication strategies and consumer engagement (i.e. retweets and replies).

Findings

The majority of anthropomorphized brands’ tweets belonged to the socioemotional category and the most adopted dialogic principles were generation of return visits and conservation of visitors. Consumers engaged more with socioemotional tweets as well as the tweets that adopted the principles of dialogic loop and conservation of visitors. There were clear relationships between message types and dialogic principles in anthropomorphized brands’ tweets, and certain dialogic principles were found to effectively improve consumer engagement with certain message types.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the communication strategies of anthropomorphized brand characters on Twitter using computational research methods. It not only provides brand managers a systematic review of how current anthropomorphized brands communicate with consumers on Twitter and what strategies work more effectively to trigger consumer engagement but also contributes to theory building in brand management by integrating the SET and the dialogic theory in brand anthropomorphism research.
Climate neutrality through economic growth, digitalisation, eco-innovation and renewable energy in European countries
Authors: Haller Alina-Petronela , Ștefănică Mirela , Butnaru Gina Ionela , Butnaru Rodica Cristina
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the influence of economic growth, digitalisation, eco-innovation, energy consumption and patents on environmental technologies on the volume of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) recorded in European countries for a period of nine years (2010–2018).

Design/methodology/approach

Two empirical methods were integrated into the theoretical approach developed based on the analysis of the current scientific framework. Multiple linear regression, an extended version of the OLS model, and a non-causal analysis as a robustness method, Dumitrescu–Hurlin, were used to achieve the proposed research objective.

Findings

Digitalisation described by the number of individual Internet users and patents on environmental technologies determines the amount of GHG in Europe, and economic growth continues to have a significant effect on the amount of emissions, as well as the consumption of renewable energy. European countries are not framed in well-established patterns, but the economic growth, digitalisation, eco-innovation and renewable energy have an impact on the amount of GHG in one way or another. In many European countries, the amount of GHGs is decreasing as a result of economic growth, changes in the energy field and digitalisation. The positive influence of economic growth on climate neutrality depends on its degree of sustainability, while patents have the same conditional effect of their translation into environmentally efficient technologies.

Research limitations/implications

This study has a number of limitations which derive, first of all, from the lack of digitalisation indicators. The missing data restricted the inclusion in the analysis of variables relevant to the description of the European digitalisation process, also obtaining conclusive results on the effects of digitalisation on GHG emissions.

Originality/value

A similar analysis of the relationship among the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and economic growth, digitalisation, eco-innovation and renewable energy is less common in the literature. Also, the results can be inspirational in the sphere of macroeconomic policy.
Implementing robotics in library services
Authors: De Sarkar Tanmay
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to explore how robots are being used in the library to transform library services and what are the future possibilities of application of robots in libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

Analyzing various library websites and consulting literature relating to the use of robots in libraries, the current application of robots in libraries has been enumerated.

Findings

With the practical examples of libraries using different types of robots, this study summarizes diverse activities of artificial intelligence-mediated robots: managing the shelf, controlling circulation workflow, assisting in document retrieval, transporting articles, acting as subject guides, attending reference queries, etc.

Originality/value

This paper highlights how the introduction of robots in libraries improves the service productivity and creates a more engaging environment with the user group. The benefits and challenges of using robots in the library and the future possibilities are also discussed.
Do business strategies affect firms' survival during the COVID-19 pandemic? A global perspective
Authors: Islam Mohammad Monirul , Fatema Farha
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This study examines the survival probability of the firms during the COVID-19 pandemic and identifies the effects of pandemic-era business strategies on firm survival across sectors and sizes.

Design/methodology/approach

This study combines World Bank Enterprise Survey data with three consecutive follow-up COVID-19 survey data. The COVID-19 surveys are the follow-up surveys of WBES, and they are done at different points of time during the pandemic. Both WBES and COVID-19 surveys follow the same sampling methods, and the data are merged based on the unique id number of the firms. The data covers 12,551 firms from 21 countries in different regions such as Africa, Latin America, Central Asia and the Middle East. The study applies Kaplan–Meier estimate to analyze the survival probability of the firms across sectors and sizes. The study then uses Cox non-parametric regression model to identify the effect of business strategies on the survival of the firms during the pandemic. The robustness of the Cox model is checked using the multilevel parametric regression model.

Findings

The study's findings suggest that a firm's survival probability decreases during the pandemic era. Manufacturing firms have a higher survival probability than service firms, whereas SMEs have a higher survival probability than large firms. During the pandemic period, business strategies significantly boost the probability of firm survival, and their impacts differ among firm sectors and sizes. Several firm-specific factors affect firm survival in different magnitudes and signs. Except in a few cases, the findings also indicate that one strategy positively moderates the influence of another strategy on firm survival during a pandemic.

Originality/value

COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected the business across the globe. Firms adopted new business processes and strategies to face the challenges created by the pandemic. The critical research question is whether these pandemic-era business strategies ensure firms' survival. This study attempts to identify the effects of these business strategies on firms' survival, focusing on a comprehensive firm-level data set that includes firms from different sectors and sizes of countries from various regions.
Web design and trust as moderators in the relationship between e-service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty
Authors: Venkatakrishnan Jeeva , Alagiriswamy Ravikumar , Parayitam Satyanarayana
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This research aims to investigate the effects of e-service quality on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The moderating effects of web design and trust in the relationship between e-service quality and customer satisfaction are also explored.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model involving various dimensions of e-service quality, customer satisfaction, loyalty, price perception and web design is developed, and hypothesized relationships are tested using Hayes’s PROCESS macros. A survey instrument and data from 650 respondents who are regular e-buyers from the southern part of India are used.

Findings

The results indicate that e-service quality positively relates to customer satisfaction and loyalty. The findings also suggest that price perception and trust are vital in enhancing customer satisfaction. Further, the indirect effect of e-service quality on customer loyalty through customer satisfaction is supported. Finally, web design (first moderator) and trust (second moderator) significantly influence the relationship between e-service quality and customer satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

This research underscores the importance of e-service quality, web design, and trust in influencing customer satisfaction. Based on the findings from this study, e-retailers are suggested to discover the methods of building and improving customer trust and create a web design that is appealing to the customer to enhance satisfaction and loyalty. Some of the limitations of this study include common method bias and social desirability bias. However, the authors have taken adequate care to minimize these biases.

Originality/value

This paper used the e-service quality model and investigated the consequences of e-service quality during the post-pandemic new normal period in a developing country (India). The double moderation of web design and trust is a novel idea that previous researchers have not explored to the best of the authors' knowledge and makes a significant contribution to service marketing. In addition to providing resounding evidence of direct relationships, the three-way interaction investigated in this study makes this study unique and pivotal.
Hyphosphere interactions between Rhizophagus irregularis and Rahnella aquatilis promote carbon–phosphorus exchange at the peri‐arbuscular space in Medicago truncatula
Authors: Duan Shilong , Declerck Stéphane , Feng Gu , Zhang Lin
Published: January 2023

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form a continuum between roots and soil. One end of this continuum is comprised of the highly intimate plant–fungus interface with intracellular organelles for nutrient exchange, while on the other end the fungus interacts with bacteria to compensate for the AM fungus' inability to take up organic nutrients from soil. How both interfaces communicate in this highly complex tripartite mutualism is widely unknown. Here, the effects of phosphate‐solubilizing bacteria (PSB) Rahnella aquatilis dwelling at the surface of the extraradical hyphae of Rhizophagus irregularis was analysed based on the expression of genes involved in C‐P exchange at the peri‐arbuscular space (PAS) in Medicago truncatula. The interaction between AM fungus and PSB resulted in an increase in uptake and transport of Pi along the extraradical hyphae and its transfer from AM fungus to plant. In return, this was remunerated by a transfer of C from plant to AM fungus, improving the C‐P exchange at the PAS. These results demonstrated that a microorganism (i.e., a PSB) developing at the hyphosphere interface can affect the C‐P exchange at the PAS between plant and AM fungus, suggesting a fine‐tuned communication operated between three organisms via two distantly connected interfaces.
Financial Reporting and Employee Job Search
Authors: deHAAN ED , LI NAN , ZHOU FRANK S.
Published: January 2023

We investigate the effects of financial reporting on current employee job search, that is, whether firms' public financial reports cause their employees to reevaluate their jobs and consider leaving. We develop theory for why current employees use earnings announcements (EAs) to inform job search decisions, and empirically investigate job search based on employees' activity on a popular job market website. We find that job search by current employees increases significantly during EA weeks, especially when employees are more mobile and when their information frictions are greater. We also find that employees use EAs to update their expectations about their employers' economic prospects, consistent with learning, and some evidence that positive announcements elicit less search. Our paper contributes to the burgeoning labor and accounting literature by providing among the first evidence closely linking financial reports to employee learning and job search.
A comprehensive review of intelligent packaging for fruits and vegetables: Target responders, classification, applications, and future challenges
Authors: He Xu , Pu Yijing , Chen Luyao , Jiang Haitao , Xu Yan , Cao Jiankang , Jiang Weibo
Published: January 2023

Post‐harvest fruits and vegetables are extremely susceptible to dramatic and accelerated quality deterioration deriving from their metabolism and adverse environmental influences. Given their vigorous physiological metabolism, monitoring means are lacking due to the extent that unnecessary waste and damage are caused. Numerous intelligent packaging studies have been hitherto carried out to investigate their potential for fruit and vegetable quality monitoring. This state‐of‐the‐art overview begins with recent advances in target metabolites for intelligent packaging of fruits and vegetables. Subsequently, the mechanisms of action between metabolites and packaging materials are presented. In particular, the exact categorization and function of intelligent packaging of fruits and vegetables, are all extensively and comprehensively described. In addition, for the sake of further research in this field, the obstacles that impede the scaling up and commercialization of intelligent packaging for fruits and vegetables are also explored, to present valuable references.
CPGView: A package for visualizing detailed chloroplast genome structures
Authors: Liu Shengyu , Ni Yang , Li Jingling , Zhang Xinyi , Yang Heyu , Chen Haimei , Liu Chang
Published: January 2023

Chloroplast genomes have been widely used in studying plant phylogeny and evolution. Several chloroplast genome visualization tools have been developed to display the distribution of genes on the genome. However, these tools do not draw features, such as exons, introns, repetitive elements, and variable sites, disallowing in‐depth examination of the genome structures. Here, we developed and validated a software package called Chloroplast Genome Viewers (CPGView). CPGView can draw three maps showing (i) the distributions of genes, variable sites, and repetitive sequences, including microsatellites, tandem and dispersed repeats; (ii) the structure of the cis‐splicing genes after adjusting the exon‐intron boundary positions using a coordinate scaling algorithm, and (iii) the structure of the trans‐splicing gene rps12. To test the accuracy of CPGView, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated 31 chloroplast genomes from 31 genera of 22 families. CPGView drew maps correctly for all the 31 chloroplast genomes. Lastly, we used CPGView to examine 5998 publicly released chloroplast genomes from 2513 genera of 553 families. CPGView succeeded in plotting maps for 5882 but failed to plot maps for 116 chloroplast genomes. Further examination showed that the annotations of these 116 genomes had various errors needing manual correction. The test on newly generated data and publicly available data demonstrated the ability of CPGView to identify errors in the annotations of chloroplast genomes. CPGView will become a widely used tool to study the detailed structure of chloroplast genomes. The web version of CPGView can be accessed from http://www.1kmpg.cn/cpgview.
Optical determination of lithium therapeutic levels in micro‐volumes of interstitial fluid
Authors: Sheikh Mahsa , Qassem Meha , Kyriacou Panayiotis A.
Published: January 2023

Background

Long‐term management of bipolar disorder (BD), characterized by mood fluctuating between episodes of mania and depression, involves the regular taking of lithium preparations as the most reliable mood stabilizer for bipolar patients. However, despite its effectiveness in preventing and reducing mood swings and suicidality, lithium has a very narrow therapeutic index and it is crucial to carefully monitor lithium plasma levels as concentrations >1.2 mmol/L are potentially toxic and can be fatal. Current methods of lithium therapeutic monitoring involve frequent blood tests, which have several drawbacks related to the invasiveness of the technique, comfort, cost and reliability. Dermal interstitial fluid (ISF) is an accessible and information‐rich biofluid, and correlations have been found between blood and ISF levels of lithium medication.

Methods

In the current study, we sought to investigate the optical determination of lithium therapeutic concentrations in samples of ISF extracted from porcine skin utilizing a microneedle‐based approach. Monitoring of lithium levels in porcine ISF was achieved by employing a spectrophotometric method based on the reaction between the chromogenic agent Quinizarin and lithium.

Results

The resulting spectra show spectral variations which relate to lithium concentrations of lithium in samples of porcine ISF with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9. This study has demonstrated successfully that therapeutic levels of lithium in micro‐volumes of porcine ISF can be measured with a high level of accuracy utilizing spectroscopic techniques.

Conclusions

The results support the future development of a miniaturized and minimally‐invasive device for lithium monitoring in bipolar patients.
District‐wide school reform and student performance: Evidence from Montgomery County, Maryland
Authors: Cimiluca Mark , Hill Brian
Published: January 2023

In the early 2000s, the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public School system implemented district‐wide changes to funding, curriculum, staffing, and technology. Using data from 1995 to 2014, we employ a difference‐in‐differences strategy to show that the reforms significantly increased the percentage of students in Montgomery County who scored advanced on third‐ and fifth‐grade math and reading tests. Using an event study strategy, we find that the positive impacts extended through the end of the panel. Our results contribute to the literature on school reform by finding positive impacts of school reform in a district that was high performing prior to reforms.
Designing Personalized Garments with Body Movement
Authors: Wolff Katja , Herholz Philipp , Ziegler Verena , Link Frauke , Brügel Nico , Sorkine‐Hornung Olga
Published: January 2023

The standardized sizes used in the garment industry do not cover the range of individual differences in body shape for most people, leading to ill‐fitting clothes, high return rates and overproduction. Recent research efforts in both industry and academia, therefore, focus on virtual try‐on and on‐demand fabrication of individually fitting garments. We propose an interactive design tool for creating custom‐fit garments based on 3D body scans of the intended wearer. Our method explicitly incorporates transitions between various body poses to ensure a better fit and freedom of movement. The core of our method focuses on tools to create a 3D garment shape directly on an avatar without an underlying sewing pattern, and on the adjustment of that garment's rest shape while interpolating and moving through the different input poses. We alternate between cloth simulation and rest shape adjustment based on stretch to achieve the final shape of the garment. At any step in the real‐time process, we allow for interactive changes to the garment. Once the garment shape is finalized for production, established techniques can be used to parameterize it into a 2D sewing pattern or transform it into a knitting pattern.
Cryptococcal lymphadenitis—First presentation in an HIV‐positive patient
Authors: Ahuja Sana , Singh Mukul
Published: January 2023

Cryptococcal infection is a life‐threatening, opportunistic infection in human immunodeficiency virus‐infected individuals. The infection most commonly begins in the respiratory tract, with secondary involvement of the brain, skin, and lymph nodes. We report a rare case of isolated cervical cryptococcal lymphadenitis diagnosed on fine needle aspiration cytology, which was the initial presentation of secondary immunodeficiency in the patient. Periodic acid‐Schiff stain, India ink preparation, and culture were done to confirm the diagnosis. He was diagnosed as HIV‐positive on further investigation.
Warming of experimental plant–pollinator communities advances phenologies, alters traits, reduces interactions and depresses reproduction
Authors: de Manincor Natasha , Fisogni Alessandro , Rafferty Nicole E.
Published: January 2023

Climate change may disrupt plant–pollinator mutualisms by generating phenological asynchronies and by altering traits that shape interaction costs and benefits. Our knowledge is limited to studies that manipulate only one partner or focus on either phenological or trait‐based mismatches. We assembled communities of three annual plants and a solitary bee prior to flowering and emergence to test how springtime warming affects phenologies, traits, interactions and reproductive output. Warming advanced community‐level flowering onset, peak and end but did not alter bee emergence. Warmed plant communities produced fewer and smaller flowers with less, more‐concentrated nectar, reducing attractiveness, and warmed bees were more generalized in their foraging, reducing their effectiveness. Plant–bee interactions were less frequent, shorter and peaked earlier under warming. As a result, warmed plants produced fewer, lighter seeds, indicating pollinator‐mediated fitness costs. Climate change will perturb plant–pollinator mutualisms, causing wide‐ranging effects on partner species and diminishing the ecosystem service they provide.
Attaching shame to hierarchy and hierarchy to some versions of attachment
Authors: Keeler Ward
Published: January 2023

Attachment theory sees individual autonomy as childrearing practices’ appropriate goal. But many people in the world do not share attachments theorists’ validation of autonomy. They instead believe that they should train their children into behavior appropriate to hierarchical relationships, ones predicated on differences in obligations and privileges. Their childrearing techniques therefore include teaching children to experience shame should they fail to know their place. Little attended to until recently in the social sciences, shame deserves study as hierarchy's enforcer, and doing so counters attachment theory's provincialism.
One Ranney Well Can Make a Difference: The Impacts of a Radial Collector Well on Groundwater Level and Quality in the Cedar River Alluvial Aquifer
Authors: Haj Adel E. , Gruhn Lance R. , Kalkhoff Stephen J.
Published: January 2023

The City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, depends on groundwater from the Cedar River alluvial aquifer for residential and industrial use. In 2020, the city completed an additional radial collector well, or Ranney well, and was concerned that pumping from the well at high rates may lower water level elevations in the aquifer, reduce yields from nearby production wells, and change the quality of produced water. During an operational test of the well's pumps, the U.S. Geological Survey and the city collected water level and water quality data to evaluate the effects of increased pumping rates on the aquifer and nearby production wells. Results indicated that a high rate of pumping from the new well caused sustained declines in water levels near the well and other nearby production wells, and, if maintained, the aquifer water level in the vicinity would continue to decline to levels observed during the 2012 drought. Aquifer specific conductance and temperature were altered and matched trends and values of the river, and river‐to‐well travel time was shortened from 7‐17 days to about 3 days. Results may also provide insights to other municipal water resource managers when considering wellfield design, production expectations, and long‐term management strategies for radial collector well production during drought, low streamflow, and times when high concentrations of nitrate‐N or organic pesticide compounds in the river may limit production options.