bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Scalable and Modular Automated Pipeline for Stitching of Large Electron Microscopy Datasets
Authors: Mahalingam Gayathri , Torres Russel , Kapner Daniel , Trautman Eric T. , Fliss Tim , Seshamani Sharmishtaa , Perlman Eric , Young Rob , Kinn Samuel , Buchanan JoAnn , Takeno Marc , Yin Wenjing , Bumbarger Daniel , Gwinn Ryder P. , Nyhus Julie , Lein Ed , Smith Stephen , Reid Clay , Khairy Khaled , Saalfeld Stephan , Collman Forrest , Macarico da Costa Nuno
Published: November 2021

Serial-section electron microscopy (ssEM) is the method of choice for studying macroscopic biological samples at extremely high resolution in three dimensions. In the nervous system, nanometer-scale images are necessary to reconstruct dense neural wiring diagrams in the brain, so calledconnectomes. In order to use this data, consisting of up to 108individual EM images, it must be assembled into a volume, requiring seamless 2D stitching from each physical section followed by 3D alignment of the stitched sections. The high throughput of ssEM necessitates 2D stitching to be done at the pace of imaging, which currently produces tens of terabytes per day. To achieve this, we present a modular volume assembly software pipelineASAP(Assembly Stitching and Alignment Pipeline) that is scalable to datasets containing petabytes of data and parallelized to work in a distributed computational environment. The pipeline is built on top of theRender[18] services used in the volume assembly of the brain of adultDrosophila melanogaster[2]. It achieves high throughput by operating on the meta-data and transformations of each image stored in a database, thus eliminating the need to render intermediate output. ASAP is modular, allowing for easy incorporation of new algorithms without significant changes in the workflow. The entire software pipeline includes a complete set of tools for stitching, automated quality control, 3D section alignment, and final rendering of the assembled volume to disk. ASAP has been deployed for continuous processing of several large-scale datasets of the mouse visual cortex and human brain samples including one cubic millimeter of mouse visual cortex [1, 25] at speeds that exceed imaging. The pipeline also has multi-channel processing capabilities and can be applied to fluorescence and multi-modal datasets like array tomography.
Multiple groups of methanotrophic bacteria mediate methane oxidation in anoxic lake sediments
Authors: Su Guangyi , Zopfi Jakob , Niemann Helge , Lehmann Moritz F.
Published: November 2021

Freshwater lakes represent an important source of the potent greenhouse gas methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. Methane emissions are regulated to large parts by aerobic (MOx) and anaerobic (AOM) oxidation of methane that are important sinks in lakes. In contrast to marine benthic environments, our knowledge about the modes of AOM and the related methanotrophic microorganisms in anoxic lake sediments is still rudimentary. Here we demonstrate the occurrence of AOM in the anoxic sediments of Lake Sempach (Switzerland), with maximum in situ AOM rates observed within the surface sediment layers in presence of multiple groups of methanotrophic bacteria and various oxidants known to support AOM. However, substrate-amended incubations (with NO2−, NO3−, SO42–, Fe3+ and Mn4+) revealed that none of the electron acceptors previously reported to support AOM enhanced methane turnover in Lake Sempach sediments under anoxic conditions. In contrast, the addition of oxygen to the anoxic sediments resulted in an approximately tenfold increase in methane oxidation relative to the anoxic incubations. Phylogenetic and isotopic evidence indicate that both Type I and Type II aerobic methanotrophs were growing on methane under both oxic and anoxic conditions, although methane assimilation rates were an order of magnitude higher under oxic conditions. While the anaerobic electron acceptor responsible for AOM could not be identified, these findings expand our understanding of the metabolic versatility of canonically aerobic methanotrophs under anoxic conditions, with important implications for future investigations to identify methane oxidation processes. Bacterial AOM by facultative aerobic methane oxidizers might be of much larger environmental significance in reducing methane emissions than previously thought.
Annotation of Spatially Resolved Single-cell Data with STELLAR
Authors: Brbić Maria , Cao Kaidi , Hickey John W. , Tan Yuqi , Snyder Michael P. , Nolan Garry P. , Leskovec Jure
Published: November 2021

Accurate cell type annotation from spatially resolved single cells is crucial to understand functional spatial biology that is the basis of tissue organization. However, current computational methods for annotating spatially resolved single-cell data are typically based on techniques established for dissociated single-cell technologies and thus do not take spatial organization into account. Here we present STELLAR, a geometric deep learning method for cell type discovery and identification in spatially resolved single-cell datasets. STELLAR automatically assigns cells to cell types present in the annotated reference dataset as well as discovers novel cell types and cell states. STELLAR transfers annotations across different dissection regions, different tissues, and different donors, and learns cell representations that capture higher-order tissue structures. We successfully applied STELLAR to CODEX multiplexed fluorescent microscopy data and multiplexed RNA imaging datasets. Within the Human BioMolecular Atlas Program, STELLAR has annotated 2.6 million spatially resolved single cells with dramatic time savings.
Activation of LH GABAergic inputs counteracts fasting-induced changes in tVTA/RMTG neurons
Authors: Godfrey Nathan , Qiao Min , Borgland Stephanie L.
Published: November 2021

Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are strongly innervated by GABAergic neurons in the ‘tail of the VTA’ (tVTA), also known as the rostralmedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg). Disinhibition of dopamine neurons through firing of the GABAergic neurons projecting from the lateral hypothalamus (LH) leads to reward seeking and consumption through dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. VTA dopamine neurons respond to changes in motivational state, yet less is known of whether tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons or the LH GABAergic neurons that project to them are also affected by changes in motivational state, such as fasting. An acute 16 h overnight fast decreased the excitability of tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons of male and female mice. In addition, fasting decreased synaptic strength at LH GABA to tVTA/RMTg GABAergic synapses, indicated by reduced amplitude of optically evoked currents, decreased readily releasable pool (RRP) size and replenishment. Optical stimulation of LH GABA terminals suppressed evoked action potentials of tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons in unfasted mice, but this effect decreased following fasting. Furthermore, during fasting, LH GABA inputs to tVTA/RMTg neurons maintained functional connectivity during depolarization, as depolarization block was reduced following fasting. Taken together, inhibitory synaptic transmission from LH GABA inputs onto tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons decreases following fasting, however ability to functionally inhibit tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons is preserved, allowing for possible disinhibition of dopamine neurons and subsequent foraging.

Key Points

While dopamine neuronal activity changes with motivational state, it is unknown if fasting influences tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons, a major inhibitory input to VTA dopamine neurons.

In unfasted mice, there were sex differences in inhibitory synaptic transmission onto tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons.

Activation of LH GABAergic neurons decreases firing of tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons through a monosynaptic input.

An acute fast decreased the excitability of tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons.

An acute fast decreases inhibitory synaptic transmission of the LH GABA input to tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons in both male and female mice.
A high-density lineage tree reveals dynamics of expression differences accumulation in nondifferentiating clonal expansion
Authors: Chen Feng , Li Zizhang , Zhang Xiaoyu , Wu Peng , Yang Wenjing , Chen Xiaoshu , Yang Jian-Rong
Published: November 2021

Differences in gene expression levels among genetically identical cells naturally accumulate during cellular proliferation, forming the basis of expression noise or differentiation. Nevertheless, how transcriptome-wide noise accumulation is constrained to maintain homeostasis during continuous cell divisions has remained largely unresolved. We developed a novel method named “single-cell transcriptome and dense tree” (STADT) to simultaneously determines the transcriptomes and lineage tree of >50% single cells in a single-cell-seeded colony. This lineage tree revealed gradual accumulation of transcriptome differences that became saturated upon four cell divisions, reduced expression noise for sub-tree/sub-colonies closer to inferred expression boundaries, and transcriptionally modulated co-fluctuations among genes. These results collectively showed, for the first time, constrained dynamics of expression noise in the context of cell division.
Gut-testis axis: microbiota-(n-3) PUFA improving semen quality in type 1 diabetes
Authors: Hao Yanan , Feng Yanni , Yan Xiaowei , Chen Liang , Zhong Ruqing , Tang Xiangfang , Shen Wei , Sun Qingyuan , Sun Zhongyi , Ren Yonglin , Zhang Hongfu , Zhao Yong
Published: November 2021

Gut dysbiosis and type 1 diabetes (T1D) are closely related, and gut dysbiosis and male infertility are correlated, too. Moreover, most male T1D patients are of active reproductive age. Therefore, it is crucial to explore possible means for improving their semen quality. Here, we found that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from alginate oligosaccharide (AOS) improved gut microbiota (A10-FMT) significantly decreased blood glucose and glycogen, and increased semen quality in streptozotocin-induced T1D subjects. A10-FMT improved T1D-disturbed gut microbiota, especially the increase in small intestinal lactobacillus, and blood and testicular metabolome to produce n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to ameliorate spermatogenesis and semen quality. Moreover, A10-FMT can improve spleen and liver function to strengthen the systemic environment for sperm development. FMT from gut microbiota of control animals (Con-FMT) produced some beneficial effects; however, to a smaller extent. Thus, AOS improved gut microbiota may be a useful protocol for improving semen quality and male fertility in T1D patients.

Importance

Clinical data suggest that male reproductive dysfunction especially infertility is a critical issue for type 1 diabetic patient (T1D) because most of them are at the reproductive age. Gut dysbiosis is involved in T1D related male infertility. However, improved gut microbiota can be used to improve spermatogenesis and male fertility in T1D remains incompletely understood. We discovered that alginate oligosaccharide-improved gut microbiota (A10-FMT) significantly ameliorated spermatogenesis and semen quality. AOS-improved gut microbiota (specific microbes) may serve as a novel, promising therapeutic approach for the improvement of semen quality and male fertility in T1D patients.
Nutrigonometry I: using right-angle triangles to quantify nutritional trade-offs in multidimensional performance landscapes
Authors: Morimoto Juliano , Conceição Pedro , Mirth Christen , Lihoreau Mathieu
Published: November 2021

Animals regulate their diet in order to maximise the expression of fitness traits that often have different nutritional needs. These nutritional trade-offs have been experimentally uncovered using the Geometric framework for nutrition (GF). However, current analytical methods to measure such responses rely on either visual inspection or complex models applied to multidimensional performance landscapes, making these approaches subjective, or conceptually difficult, computationally expensive, and in some cases inaccurate. This limits our ability to understand how animal nutrition evolved to support life-histories within and between species. Here, we introduce a simple trigonometric model to measure nutritional trade-offs in multidimensional landscapes (‘Nutrigonometry’). Nutrigonometry is both conceptually and computationally easier than current approaches, as it harnesses the trigonometric relationships of right-angle triangles instead of vector calculations. Using landmark GF datasets, we first show how polynomial (Bayesian) regressions can be used for precise and accurate predictions of peaks and valleys in performance landscapes, irrespective of the underlying structure of the data (i.e., individual food intakes vs fixed diet ratios). Using trigonometric relationships, we then identified the known nutritional trade-off between lifespan and reproductive rate both in terms of nutrient balance and concentration. Nutrigonometry enables a fast, reliable and reproducible quantification of nutritional trade-offs in multidimensional performance landscapes, thereby broadening the potential for future developments in comparative research on the evolution of animal nutrition.
Tracing the development and lifespan change of population-level structural asymmetry in the cerebral cortex
Authors: Roe James M. , Vidal-Piñeiro Didac , Amlien Inge K. , Pan Mengyu , Sneve Markus H. , de Schotten Michel Thiebaut , Friedrich Patrick , Sha Zhiqiang , Francks Clyde , Wang Yunpeng , Walhovd Kristine B. , Fjell Anders M. , Westerhausen René
Published: November 2021

Cortical asymmetry is a ubiquitous feature of brain organization that is subtly altered in some neurodevelopmental disorders, yet we lack knowledge of how its development proceeds across life in health. Achieving consensus on the precise cortical asymmetries in humans is necessary to uncover the genetic and later influences that shape them, such as age. Here, we delineate population-level asymmetry in cortical thickness and surface area vertex-wise in 7 datasets and chart asymmetry trajectories longitudinally across life (4-89 years; observations = 3937; 70% longitudinal). We find replicable asymmetry interrelationships, heritability maps, and test asymmetry associations in large-scale data. Cortical asymmetry was robust across datasets. Whereas areal asymmetry is predominantly stable across life, thickness asymmetry grows in childhood and peaks in early adulthood. Areal asymmetry correlates phenotypically and genetically in specific regions, and is low-moderately heritable (max h2SNP∼19%). In contrast, thickness asymmetry is globally interrelated across the cortex in a pattern suggesting highly left-lateralized individuals tend towards left-lateralization also in population-level right-asymmetric regions (and vice versa), and exhibits low or absent heritability. We find less areal asymmetry in the most consistently lateralized region in humans associates with subtly lower cognitive ability, and confirm small handedness and sex effects. Results suggest areal asymmetry is developmentally stable and arises in early life through genetic but mainly subject-specific stochastic effects, whereas childhood developmental growth shapes thickness asymmetry and may lead to directional variability of global thickness lateralization in the population.
Evidence of positive and negative selection associated with DNA methylation
Authors: Hatcher Charlie ,   Genetics of DNA Methylation Consortium, Hemani Gibran , Rodriguez Santiago , Gaunt Tom R. , Lawson Daniel J. , Min Josine L.
Published: November 2021

Signatures of negative selection are pervasive amongst complex traits and diseases. However, it is unclear whether such signatures exist for DNA methylation (DNAm) that has been proposed to have a functional role in disease. We estimate polygenicity, SNP-based heritability and model the joint distribution of effect size and minor allele frequency (MAF) to estimate a selection coefficient (S) for 2000 heritable DNAm sites in 1774 individuals from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Additionally, we estimate S for meta stable epi alleles and DNAm sites associated with aging and mortality, birthweight and body mass index. Quantification of MAF-dependent genetic architectures estimated from genotype and DNAm reveal evidence of positive (S > 0) and negative selection (S < 0) and confirm previous evidence of negative selection for birthweight. Evidence of both negative and positive selection highlights the role of DNAm as an intermediary in multiple biological pathways with competing function.
Mesoscopic in vivo human T2* dataset acquired using quantitative MRI at 7 Tesla
Authors: Gulban Omer Faruk , Bollmann Saskia , Huber Renzo , Wagstyl Konrad , Goebel Rainer , Poser Benedikt A. , Kay Kendrick , Ivanov Dimo
Published: November 2021

Abstract

Mesoscopic (0.1-0.5 mm) interrogation of the living human brain is critical for advancing neuroscience and bridging the resolution gap with animal models. Despite the variety of MRI contrasts measured in recent years at the mesoscopic scale, in vivo quantitative imaging of T2* has not been performed. Here we provide a dataset containing empirical T2* measurements acquired at 0.35 × 0.35 × 0.35 mm3voxel resolution using 7 Tesla MRI. To demonstrate unique features and high quality of this dataset, we generate flat map visualizations that reveal fine-scale cortical substructures such as layers and vessels, and we report quantitative depth-dependent T2* (as well as R2*) values in primary visual cortex and auditory cortex that are highly consistent across subjects. This dataset is freely available athttps://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/N5BJ7, and may prove useful for anatomical investigations of the human brain, as well as for improving our understanding of the basis of the T2* -weighted (f)MRI signal.
Ce-exchange capacity of zeolite L in different cationic forms: a structural investigation
Authors: Confalonieri Giorgia , Vezzalini Giovanna , Quattrini Filippo , Quartieri Simona , Dejoie Catherine , Arletti Rossella
Published: November 2021

Cerium exchange by microporous materials, such as zeolites, has important applications in different fields, for example, rare earth element recovery from waste or catalytic processes. This work investigated the Ce-exchange capacity of zeolite L in three different cationic forms (the as-synthesized K form and Na- and NH4-exchanged ones) from a highly concentrated solution. Chemical analyses and structural investigations allowed determination of the mechanisms involved in the exchanges and give new insights into the interactions occurring between the cations and the zeolite framework. Different cation sites are involved: (i) K present in the original LTL in the cancrinite cage (site KB) cannot be exchanged; (ii) the cations in KD (in the 12-membered ring channel) are always exchanged; while (iii) site KC (in the eight-membered ring channel) is involved only when K+is substituted by NH4+, thus promoting a higher exchange rate for NH4+→ K+than for Na+→ K+. In the Ce-exchanged samples, a new site occupied by Ce appears in the centre of the main channel, accompanied by an increase in the number of and a rearrangement of H2O molecules. In terms of Ce exchange, the three cationic forms behave similarly, from both the chemical and structural point of view (exchanged Ce ranges from 38 to 42% of the pristine cation amount). Beyond the intrinsic structural properties of the zeolite L framework, the Ce exchange seems thus also governed by the water coordination sphere of the cation. Complete Ce recovery from zeolite pores was achieved.
Redetermination of the crystal structure of RhPb2 from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data, revealing a rhodium deficiency
Authors: Mochiku Takashi , Matsushita Yoshitaka , Subotić Nikola , Kashiwagi Takanari , Kadowaki Kazuo
Published: November 2021

RhPb2 (rhodium dilead) is a superconductor crystallizing in the CuAl2 structure type (space group I4/mcm). The Rh and Pb atoms are located at the 4a (site symmetry 422) and 8h (m.2m) sites, respectively. The crystal structure is composed of [RhPb8] antiprisms, which share their square faces along the c axis and the edges in the direction perpendicular to the c axis. We have succeeded in growing single crystals of RhPb2 and have re-determined the crystal structure on basis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. In comparison with the previous structure studies using powder X-ray diffraction data [Wallbaum (1943). Z. Metallkd. 35, 218–221; Havinga et al. (1972). J. Less-Common Met.
27, 169–186], the current structure analysis of RhPb2 leads to more precise unit-cell parameters and fractional coordinates, together with anisotropic displacement parameters for the two atoms. In addition and likewise different from the previous studies, we have found a slight deficiency of Rh in RhPb2, leading to a refined formula of Rh0.950 (9)Pb2.
Assembly process case matching based on a multilevel assembly ontology method
Authors: Gong Hanqing , Shi Lingling , Zhai Xiang , Du Yimin , Zhang Zhijing
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to achieve accurate matching of new process cases to historical process cases and then complete the reuse of process knowledge and assembly experience.

Design/methodology/approach

By integrating case-based reasoning (CBR) and ontology technology, a multilevel assembly ontology is proposed. Under the general framework, the knowledge of the assembly domain is described hierarchically and associatively. On this basis, an assembly process case matching method is developed.

Findings

By fully considering the influence of ontology individual, case structure, assembly scenario and introducing the correction factor, the similarity between non-correlated parts is significantly reduced. Compared with the Triple Matching-Distance Model, the degree of distinction and accuracy of parts matching are effectively improved. Finally, the usefulness of the proposed method is also proved by the matching of four practical assembly cases of precision components.

Originality/value

The process knowledge in historical assembly cases is expressed in a specific ontology framework, which makes up for the defects of the traditional CBR model. The proposed matching method takes into account all aspects of ontology construction and can be used well in cross-ontology similarity calculations.
Insitu SVET studies on the current density distribution on dissolving of Mg, MgZn2, Mg2Si and Al4Cu2Mg8Si7 surfaces in NaCl solutions
Authors: Ikeuba Alexander I. , Okafor Peter C. , Ita Benedict , Obike Anthony I. , Abeng Fidelis E. , Essien Uduak , Bamigbola Abiola
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to acquire the current density distribution on dissolving of Mg, MgZn2 (η -phase), Mg2Si (ß-phase) and Al4Cu2Mg8Si7 (Q-phase) surface in NaCl solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

MgZn2 (η -phase), Mg2Si (ß-phase) and Al4Cu2Mg8Si7 (Q-phase) are important intermetallic compounds found in aluminum alloys. Insitu scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET) was used to acquire the current density distribution on dissolving of Mg, MgZn2 (η -phase), Mg2Si (ß-phase) and Al4Cu2Mg8Si7 (Q-phase) surface in NaCl solutions scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) was used to characterize the corroded surface.

Findings

SVET maps reveal that these compounds display characteristic dissolution features. Mg and MgZn2 displayed localized anodic and cathodic sites while that of Al4Cu2Mg8Si7 > Mg2Si displayed a diffused distribution of anodic and cathodic sites. The magnitude of the integrated anodic current densities on the compounds was noted to decrease with the progress of time, and the order of the magnitude of the current density with respect to the compounds is Mg > Mg2Si > Al4Cu2Mg8Si7 > MgZn2. SEM/EDX reveal that the highest mass loss recorded after the SVET test was manifested by Mg2Si followed by MgZn2 then Al4Cu2Mg8Si7.

Originality/value

Auxiliary information on the current density distribution on the corroding sample surface at the microscopic scale has been provided by SVET thereby taking care of certain limitations of traditional corrosion monitoring techniques such as gravimetric, hydrogen evolution and electrochemical measurements.
Land tenure and profitability among young farmers and ranchers
Authors: Stevens Andrew W. , Wu Karin
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to investigate how land tenure correlates with measures of profitability among young farmers and ranchers in the United States. The authors hypothesize that young producers who own a larger proportion of their operation face different incentives between short- and long-run returns than young producers who primarily rent their land. The authors analyze whether these differing incentives result in observable differences in various measures of profitability.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use state-level data from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) from 2003 to 2018 to estimate fixed-effects panel models correlating land tenure with the value of farm production, expenditures on repairs and maintenance, net farm income, total operator household income from farming, rate of return on assets (ROA) and rate of return on equity (ROE).

Findings

The authors find different correlations for crop farms and livestock farms, as well as different correlations for farms with the lowest and highest gross sales. For crop farms, renting land is associated with higher production, higher income, higher ROA and higher ROE. For livestock farms, renting land is associated with lower production.

Originality/value

This study rigorously investigates the role of land tenure specifically among young farmers and ranchers in the United States. By better understanding how land ownership affects profitability among beginning farmers and ranchers, policymakers will be able to better target public resources to support the next generation of producers.
The mediating role of innovation between entrepreneurial orientation and supply chain resilience
Authors: Al-Hakimi Mohammed A. , Borade Dileep B. , Saleh Moad Hamod
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether innovation mediates the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and supply chain resilience (SCR) in the context of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the structural equation modeling the relationships were tested in the proposed model. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from SMEs owners/managers in Yemen. Out of 384 questionnaires, 229 have been used in statistical analysis.

Findings

The results obtained reveal that both EO and innovation have positive and significant effects on SCR. In addition, innovation partially mediates the effects of EO dimensions (risk-taking and proactiveness) on SCR.

Practical implications

Managers and decision-makers of SMEs who want to enhance their firms' resilience to any supply chain disruptions are highly recommended to adopt EO, as well as to develop the innovative capability resulting from it.

Originality/value

The present study emphasizes previous results and provides additional evidence that SMEs' adoption of EO can reinforce their resilience within the supply chain through innovation in light of the disruptions facing supply chains in developing countries.
Can you represent me? The influence of consumers' self-congruity on their brand loyalty behavior
Authors: Zhang Xiaoling
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study aimed to verify the impact of consumers' self-congruity on brand loyalty behavior when stock-out happens; the role of the psychological reactance theory as a mediator was assessed.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collection was carried out in the form of a questionnaire survey. Data from 417 respondents were analyzed, and structural equation modeling was applied to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The findings revealed the positive significant impact of consumers' self-congruity on their brand loyalty behavior, and the mediating effect of psychological reactance between self-congruity and consumers' brand loyalty behavior.

Practical implications

This study offers retailers/brand owners a deeper understanding of the remedy strategy needed to reduce the sales loss in their firms when stock-out happens.

Originality/value

This study provides a theoretical and empirical test on the influence of consumers' self-congruity on their brand loyalty behavior, bringing consumers' psychological reactance into the research as a mediating factor, thereby enriching the existing research on consumers' out-of-stock reactions.
Multisensory analysis and wine marketing: systematic review and perspectives
Authors: Campo Raffaele , Rosato Pierfelice , Battisti Enrico
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This paper is aimed at examining and critically analyzing systematical literature on wine and cross-modality between the five senses. In particular, the researchers want to highlight the role of multisensory analysis on wine marketing and consumer behavior studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a systematic review of literature conducted on peer-reviewed journals.

Findings

Results highlight how multisensory analysis of wine is a growing topic insomuch that research on this kind of topic is exploded in the last years. Nevertheless, wine and cross-modality is more analyzed on food science journals than in marketing ones.

Originality/value

The paper examines a field of research moderately explored in order to shed light to the current status of scientific studies and to propose new research questions to develop.
Sustainability through TQM practices in the food and beverages industry
Authors: Akanmu Muslim Diekola , Hassan Mohamad Ghozali , Mohamad Bahtiar , Nordin Norshahrizan
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The study aims to examine the connection between practices of total quality management (TQM) and sustainability in Malaysia food and beverages companies (FBC). Continuous process improvement, benchmarking, management leadership, human resources management, quality assurance, service design and information and analysis as TQM practices are considered and their relationship, respectively, with sustainable performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey questionnaire is administered to gather responses from 303 FBC, while 98 responses are useable and subsequently analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results reveal that effective implementation of continuous process improvement, benchmarking, quality assurance, service design and information and analysis have positive and significant effect on sustainability.

Research limitations/implications

The scope of the present study was limited to FBC in Malaysia, and a cross-sectional design was employed to examine the hypothesized relationships at a single point in time.

Practical implications

The proposed and developed model of this study can be employed by policy and decision makers in the industry. This model can be considered by practitioners in the industry to implement critical policies in the future.

Originality/value

The premises of the institutional and contingency theory are supported by re-affirming the importance of contingencies and institutions for any successful strategic practices to enhance sustainable performance by implementing TQM.
Impact of perceived importance of cultural readiness factors on perceived importance of Lean Six Sigma success factors for manufacturers
Authors: Shokri Alireza , Li Gendao
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study aims at investigating the impact of the perceived importance of critical cultural readiness factors (CRFs) is on perceived importance of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) technical critical success factors (CSFs) in UK manufacturing sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey questionnaire through a multiple embedded case study was conducted. The study involves surveying people in the manufacturing firms followed by non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test to study the relationships.

Findings

It was found that the people's perception towards impact of CRFs on technical CSFs of LSS projects is different depending upon each CRF, demographic factors and technical CSFs. This means that particular CRFs need to be prioritised to address LSS technical CSFs.

Research limitations/implications

The study fills the research gap in investigating the perception of people towards inter-relationship of cultural or soft CSFs of LSS and technical or hard CSFs of LSS in manufacturing firms. Nevertheless, the authors suggest further multi-case study analysis covering different manufacturing fields as future studies.

Practical implications

The study is crucial for managers financially to be ready to invest on a successful LSS project and it helps them to diagnose the cultural causes of failure in a more timely way and effectively.

Originality/value

This is a preliminary study focussing on analysing inter-relationship between perceived importance of soft readiness factors and perceived importance of implementing success factors as a missing jigsaw in the current literature.
How does information integration enhance SMEs’ credit quality: the mediating role of supply chain capabilities
Authors: Yuan Yaqin , Liu Linlin , Liu Liu
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between information integration, supply chain capabilities and credit quality of small and middle enterprises (SMEs) in supply chain finance (SCF).

Design/methodology/approach

Grounded in the resource-based view (RBV) and signaling theory, this study proposes a theoretical model. Then, structural equation modeling and interview analysis are employed to test the theoretical model.

Findings

The results show that both two aspects of information integration, namely, information technology and information sharing, have positive effects on the SMEs’ credit quality in SCF, and these effects are mediated by supply chain capabilities.

Originality/value

First, the paper contributes to SCF literature by simultaneously examining the role of two dimensions of information integration (information technology and information sharing) in enhancing SMEs’ credit quality. Second, this paper enriches the existing theoretical research on SCF by integrating the SMEs perspective and SCF service provider perspective. Moreover, this paper explores the indirect effects of information integration on SMEs’ credit quality by incorporating supply chain capabilities as a mediating factor.
Customer experience can play a strategic role for wineries
Authors: Angelini Antonella , Gilli Annalisa
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to consider how customer experience can be used by wineries to enrich their value proposition and improve their competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative research, using a semi-structured interview approach, was conducted on four small sized wineries located in the Bolgheri area (Tuscany, Italy). This study was based on the theoretical model of Pine and Gilmore.

Findings

All the wineries in the sample are committed to enriching wine – the tangible product. They focus on customer experience to make the process unique and meaningful. They seek to provide a rich experience, but have chosen one experience dimension to create a specific identity for themselves. It is evident, based on interviews and online reviews, that the customers appreciate the efforts of the wineries.

Research limitations/implications

This study can be further developed, using dimensions such as brand awareness and by building a larger sample, to understand how wineries can further improve their value proposition.

Practical implications

The adoption of marketing experience requires flawless execution of the experiences, starting from first employee-customer interaction. For this reason, it is essential for companies to invest in the training and development of their employees, who represent the experiential offer, and act as the link between the internal and external world. It is also important to identify new trends and be proactive.

Originality/value

Very few studies in the literature focus on customer experience in wine sector.
Thriving on adversity: entrepreneurial thinking in times of crisis
Authors: Osiyevskyy Oleksiy , Sinha Kanhaiya Kumar , Sarkar Soumodip , Dewald Jim
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The paper provides evidence-based managerial advice for preparing the organizations to find successful pathways through crises by priming the managerial decision-making towards either entrepreneurial thinking or resource conservation, and hence cascading the inventive or rigid state of mind through all management levels.

Design/methodology/approach

The general review is based on summarizing the peer-reviewed academic studies of organizational decision-making and acting in crisis situations, illustrated using the turnaround cases of Corticeira Amorim (reinventing itself when faced with emerging technological threats) and Kiddiegarten School (adjusting to the pandemic shock of social/human nature)

Findings

This study reveals that a set of dimensions in the crisis situation’s cognitive framing determines the firm’s response to adversity, freezing it in a rigid state or unfreezing it to stimulate an organization-wide entrepreneurial search for turnaround strategies. If managers sense having a lack of time to deal with adversity, or a lack of predictability, they become paralyzed with threat-rigidity mechanisms, stubbornly pursuing the established methods of doing business, which often were the cause of crisis in the first place. Hence, in situations requiring an immediate response, the dual threats of urgency and unpredictability become cognitive blinders, preventing organizations from pursuing new opportunities, exposing firms to the risk of being too slow, eroding their competitive advantage and, ultimately, going out of business.

Originality/value

Integrating the insights of three decades prior research of the topic of managerial decision making in crisis situations, this study proposes the novel leadership framework allowing to stimulate entrepreneurial behavior in adverse contexts.
Long-term underperformance of public versus rights offering firms
Authors: Kim Ju Hyun , Song Kyojik
Published: November 2021

The authors compare the post-issue stock and operating performance of rights issue versus public offer firms using Korean data. The authors find that the stock returns of rights issue firms are less negative than those of public offering firms during the three years subsequent to the seasoned equity offering. The authors further find that the profitability of rights offering firms is superior to those of public offering firms and that the ratio of sales to assets for rights issue firms is much higher over the post-issue period. The results substantiate Heinkel and Schwartz’s (1986) and Eckbo and Masulis’ (1992) theoretical models that posit firms with better quality tend to select the rights issue rather than public offer method when issuing seasoned equity.
Collective teacher efficacy beliefs: testing measurement invariance using alignment optimization among four cultures
Authors: Da'as Rima'a , Qadach Mowafaq , Erdogan Ufuk , Schwabsky Nitza , Schechter Chen , Tschannen-Moran Megan
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Collective teacher efficacy (CTE) is a promising construct for understanding how schools can foster student achievement. Although much of the early research on CTE took place in North America, researchers from other parts of the world are now delving into this topic. The current study explores whether these powerful collective beliefs function similarly across diverse cultural and linguistic groups: Arab and Jewish teachers in Israel, and teachers in Turkey and the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants included 4,216 teachers from Israel, Turkey and the USA, representing four cultures: Arab, Jewish, Turkish and American. We tested configural invariance using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (AMOS) and alignment optimization (Mplus) to identify the groups in which specific parameters are noninvariant, and to compare the latent factor means.

Findings

Configural invariance showed adequate fit of the model structure across the four groups. Based on invariance tests, using the alignment optimization method, CTE scales held different meanings for specific items across the four cultures, where the USA and Arab cultures were the sources of these differences. Furthermore, in comparing the two-dimensional CTE belief scale across the four groups, latent means revealed the highest mean ranking for the USA and the lowest for Turkey.

Originality/value

This research makes a significant theoretical contribution by examining and comparing the concept of teachers' collective efficacy in multiple cultures. This comparison can also contribute to instructional teaching practices worldwide.
Exploring the relationship between corruption, income inequality and informal sector in developing countries: a panel quantile approach
Authors: Rashid Abdul , Ahmad Farooq , Din Sarir Ud , Zaman Shar
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the impact of corruption (CP) on income inequality (IN) by considering the size of informal sector (IFS) at different levels of percentiles.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a panel quantile regression approach for a sample of 50 developing countries. The study also applies panel co-integration (Kao residual co-integration test) in order to examine the long-run relationship between CP and IN.

Findings

This paper using a panel quantile regression approach shows that the high incidence of IFS in an economy marginalizes CP's positive effect because it works as a source of poor peoples' livelihood and skillful individuals. The spread of IFSs in the developing economies may raise earnings among groups and individuals who remain unemployed. Moreover, the results show that CP creates asymmetry in income distribution; fascinatingly, the asymmetric income distribution is high when CP is at higher percentiles.

Research limitations/implications

Due to non-availability of IFS, we restrict our analysis up to 50 developing countries.

Practical implications

CP devastates the effectiveness of institutions over time. Therefore, the government should have to take bold steps to reduce CP in society. Another policy implication of this study is that the government should reduce CP to decrease IN in less developing countries. Moreover, to increase the net base, the authorities need to bring IFS under the umbrella of regulation to avoid inequality in society. In developing economies, a higher part of labor force is related to IFS; therefore, our findings suggest a dire need to reduce labor exploitation in IFS. The policymakers can reduce labor exploitation by reducing the size of IFS, which ultimately reduces IN.

Social implications

On the basis of the authors’ findings, this paper further suggests that it is mandatory for government to reduce CP in order to reduce IN. Moreover, to reduce IN, one needs to reduce the size of IFS.

Originality/value

This study is unique as it is the first that examined the role of IFS in establishing the effect of CP on IN for developing countries at different percentiles.
How is risk different in family and non-family businesses? A comparative statistical analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Santos Eulalia , Tavares Vasco , Tavares Fernando Oliveira , Ratten Vanessa
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Risk is part of corporate activity and a consequence of the businesses' demands, the market and the changes in companies and their surroundings. The way that risk is managed is different between family and non-family businesses. The paper aims to compare the different risk types experienced in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic among family and non-family businesses and to analyze whether operational, legal, strategic and image risks influence financial risks.

Design/methodology/approach

The nature of the study is quantitative and based on a questionnaire survey that analyses the perception of risks by 1,090 family businesses and 557 non-family businesses.

Findings

The results show the existence of statistically significant differences in the perception of financial and legal risks between family and non-family businesses, where the former being the businesses that give more importance to these risks. The perception of operational, legal, strategic and image risks have a positive influence on the perception of financial risk in family and non-family businesses.

Originality/value

The results obtained in the study are important because they allow an understanding about the differences in risk management between family and non-family businesses, which can lead to greater corporate sustainability and increased financial performance.
Tacit knowledge sharing in small audit firms and audit quality inputs: the antecedent effect of auditors’ social capital
Authors: Albawwat Ibrahim Emair
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Drawing on the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) audit quality framework and related knowledge management literature, this study aims to examine the influence of tacit knowledge sharing on audit quality inputs within small audit firms’ realm. It also investigated auditors’ social capital antecedent effect via tacit knowledge sharing on audit quality inputs.

Design/methodology/approach

An integrated model was developed to depict the study constructs’ relationships. The model was then tested using the partial least squares structural equation modelling based on data collected from auditors belonging to small audit firms in Jordan.

Findings

The results indicate that tacit knowledge sharing influences positively the auditors’ values, ethics, attitudes, experiences, skills and knowledge (i.e. audit quality inputs). This finding implies that active tacit knowledge sharing within a small audit firm is a strong driver for audit quality through improving its inputs. The results also demonstrate that structural, relational and cognitive social capital indirectly affect audit quality inputs through tacit knowledge sharing. Accordingly, social capital can be viewed as an audit firm resource that can smooth auditors’ tacit knowledge-sharing progress.

Originality/value

The IAASB encourages audit firms to explore ways to boost audit quality. This study offers empirical evidence on the influence of tacit knowledge sharing on audit quality inputs as a way to boost audit quality. It also offers insights into the value of social capital dimensions and indicates the driving forces to make auditors willing to engage in tacit knowledge sharing and, as a result, improve audit quality inputs.