bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphology and ultrastructure of external sense organs ofDrosophilalarvae
Authors: Richter Vincent , Rist Anna , Kislinger Georg , Laumann Michael , Schoofs Andreas , Miroschnikow Anton , Pankratz Michael , Cardona Albert , Thum Andreas S.
Published: August 2023

Sensory perception is the ability through which an organism is able to process sensory stimuli from the environment. This stimulus is transmitted from the peripheral sensory organs to the central nervous system, where it is interpreted.Drosophila melanogasterlarvae possess peripheral sense organs on their head, thoracic, and abdominal segments. These are specialized to receive diverse environmental information, such as olfactory, gustatory, temperature or mechanosensory signals. In this work, we complete the description of the morphology of external larval sensilla and provide a comprehensive map of the ultrastructure of the different types of sensilla that comprise them. This was achieved by 3D electron microscopic analysis of partial and whole body volumes, which contain high-resolution and complete three-dimensional data of the anatomy of the sensilla and adjacent ganglia.

Our analysis revealed three main types of sensilla on thoracic and abdominal segments: the papilla sensillum, the hair sensillum and the knob sensillum. They occur solitary or organized in compound sensilla such as the thoracic keilin’s organ or the terminal sensory cones. We present a spatial map defining these sensilla by their position on thoracic and abdominal segments. Further, we identify and name the sensilla at the larval head and the last fused abdominal segments. We show that mechanosensation dominates in the larval peripheral nervous system, as most sensilla have corresponding structural properties. The result of this work, the construction of a complete structural and neuronal map of the external larval sensilla, provides the basis for following molecular and functional studies to understand which sensory strategies theDrosophilalarva employs to orient itself in its natural environment.
Non-canonical contribution of human Dicer helicase domain in antiviral innate immune response
Authors: Baldaccini Morgane , Gaucherand Léa , Chane-Woon-Ming Béatrice , Messmer Mélanie , Gucciardi Floriane , Pfeffer Sébastien
Published: August 2023

In mammalian somatic cells, the relative contribution of RNAi and the type I interferon response during viral infection is unclear. The apparent inefficiency of antiviral RNAi might be due to self-limiting properties and mitigating co-factors of the key enzyme Dicer. In particular, the helicase domain of human Dicer appears to be an important restriction factor of its activity. We studied the involvement of several helicase-truncated mutants of human Dicer in the antiviral response. All deletion mutants displayed a PKR-dependent antiviral phenotype against certain viruses and one of them, Dicer N1, acted in a complete RNAi-independent manner. Transcriptomic analyses showed that many genes from the interferon and inflammatory response were upregulated in Dicer N1 expressing cells. We could show that some of these genes appear to be controlled by NF-kB and that blocking this pathway abrogated the antiviral phenotype of Dicer N1. Our findings highlight the crosstalk between Dicer, PKR, and the NF-kB pathway, and suggest that human Dicer may have repurposed its helicase domain to prevent basal activation of antiviral and inflammatory pathways.
Primate-expressed EPIREGULIN promotes basal progenitor proliferation in the developing neocortex
Authors: Cubillos Paula , Ditzer Nora , Kolodziejczyk Annika , Schwenk Gustav , Hoffmann Janine , Schütze Theresa M. , Derihaci Razvan P. , Birdir Cahit , Köllner Johannes E. M. , Petzold Andreas , Sarov Mihail , Martin Ulrich , Long Katherine R. , Wimberger Pauline , Albert Mareike
Published: August 2023

Neocortex expansion during evolution is linked to higher numbers of neurons thought to result from increased proliferative capacity and neurogenic potential of basal progenitor cells (BPs) during development. Here we show thatEREG, encoding the growth factor EPIREGULIN, is expressed in the human developing neocortex and in gorilla organoids, but not in the mouse neocortex. Addition of EPIREGULIN to the mouse neocortex increases proliferation of BPs via EGFR-mediated signaling, whereas ablation ofEREGin human cortical organoids reduces BP proliferation. Addition of EPIREGULIN to cortical organoids promotes a further increase in proliferation of gorilla but not human BPs. Finally, we identify putative cis-regulatory elements that may contribute to inter-species differences inEREGexpression. Overall, our results suggest that species-specific expression of EPIREGULIN may contribute to increased neocortex size in primates by providing a pro-proliferative signal to BPs in the subventricular zone progenitor niche.
Patient-Specific Analysis of Co-expression Networks for Predicting Clinical Outcomes in Breast Cancer
Authors: Wei Lanying , Xin Yucui , Pu Mengchen , Zhang Yingsheng
Published: August 2023

To effectively understand the underlying mechanisms of disease and inform the development of personalized therapies, it is critical to harness the power of differential co-expression network analysis. Despite the promise of differential co-expression network analysis in precision medicine, current approaches have a major limitation: they measure an average differential network across multiple samples, which means the specific etiology of individual patients is often overlooked. To address this, we present Cosinet, a differential co-expression-based single-sample network rewiring degree quantification tool. By analyzing two breast cancer datasets, we demonstrate that Cosinet can identify important differences in gene co-expression patterns between individual patients and generate scores for each individual that are significantly associated with overall survival, recurrence-free interval, and other clinical outcomes, even after adjusting for risk factors such as age, tumor size, HER2 status and PAM50 subtypes. Cosinet represents a remarkable development toward unlocking the potential of differential co-expression analysis in the context of precision medicine.
A fast comparative genome browser for diverse bacteria and archaea
Authors: Price Morgan N. , Arkin Adam P.
Published: August 2023

Genome sequencing has revealed an incredible diversity of bacteria and archaea, but there are no fast and convenient tools for browsing across these genomes. It is cumbersome to view the prevalence of homologs for a protein of interest, or the gene neighborhoods of those homologs, across the diversity of the prokaryotes. We developed a web-based tool,fast.genomics, that uses two strategies to support fast browsing across the diversity of prokaryotes. First, the database of genomes is split up. The main database contains one representative from each of the 6,377 genera that have a high-quality genome, and additional databases for each taxonomic order contain up to 10 representatives of each species. Second, homologs of proteins of interest are identified quickly by using accelerated searches, usually in a few seconds. Once homologs are identified,fast.genomicscan quickly show their prevalence across taxa, view their neighboring genes, or compare the prevalence of two different proteins.Fast.genomicsis available athttps://fast.genomics.lbl.gov.

Importance

Now that we have genome sequences for tens of thousands of species of bacteria and archaea, we would like to predict the functions of their proteins. One common strategy is comparative genomics: by considering which genomes contain similar proteins, and which proteins are often encoded near each other, we can often guess the proteins’ functions. But there was no good way to do these analyses quickly. We built a website that performs them in a few seconds. We used two strategies to speed up the key step, which is finding similar proteins. First, we split up the database of genomes into a main database with one representative for each genus, and sub-databases for each taxonomic order. Either way, searches against fewer genomes are much faster. Second, we use accelerated searches to find similar proteins, with only a slight loss of sensitivity.
Harnessing the pangenome for genomic surveillance:Salmonella entericaserotype Typhi as a paradigm
Authors: Peñil-Celis Arancha , Tagg Kaitlin A , Webb Hattie E , Redondo-Salvo Santiago , Watkins Louise Francois , Vielva Luis , Griffin Chelsey , Kim Justin Y , Folster Jason P , Garcillan-Barcia M Pilar , de la Cruz Fernando
Published: August 2023

Public health genomic surveillance systems typically measure genome relatedness and infer molecular epidemiological relationships using chromosomal loci alone – an approximation of vertical evolution, or homology-by-descent. The accessory genome, composed of plasmids and other mobile genetic elements, reflects horizontal gene transfer and serves as an important mechanism of bacterial evolution, enabling rapid adaptation. Measuring homology in the accessory genome – homology-by-admixture – could offer important molecular epidemiological information for public health application. We applied Jaccard Index and a novel genome length distance metric to compute pangenome relatedness for the globally-important pathogenSalmonella entericaserotype Typhi (Typhi), and graphically express both homology-by-descent and homology-by-admixture in a reticulate network. Jaccard Index Network Analysis revealed structure in the Typhi pangenome that can be harnessed to enhance discriminatory power for surveillance, track antimicrobial resistance, and refine our understanding of homology for outbreak management and prevention. This offers a more intricate, multidimensional framework for understanding pathogen evolution.

Significance Statement

Bacterial relatedness is often measured and visualized using chromosomal comparison and phylogenetic trees. While valuable, this approach captures only the vertical evolutionary dimension and excludes genetic material acquired or lost through horizontal gene transfer. We present an approach for measuring and visualizing bacterial relatedness using all core and accessory genetic material and discuss the interpretation of resulting reticulate networks of bacterial genomes. In application toSalmonellaTyphi, Jaccard Index Network Analysis revealed structure in populations of this pathogen that may be harnessed for public health applications. This approach captures both vertical and horizontal evolutionary dimensions, offering an intricate genetic framework for exploring pathogen evolution.
Fast and accurate out-of-core PCA framework for large scale biobank data
Authors: Li Zilong , Meisner Jonas , Albrechtsen Anders
Published: August 2023

Principal component analysis (PCA) is widely used in statistics, machine learning, and genomics for dimensionality reduction and uncovering low-dimensional latent structure. To address the challenges posed by ever-growing data size, fast and memory-efficient PCA methods have gained prominence. In this paper, we propose a novel randomized singular value decomposition (RSVD) algorithm implemented in PCAone, featuring a window-based optimization scheme that enables accelerated convergence while improving the accuracy. Additionally, PCAone incorporates out-of-core and multithreaded implementations for the existing Implicitly Restarted Arnoldi Method (IRAM) and RSVD. Through comprehensive evaluations using multiple large-scale real-world data sets in different fields, we show the advantage of PCAone over existing methods. The new algorithm achieves significantly faster computation time while maintaining accuracy comparable to the slower IRAM method. Notably, our analyses of UK Biobank, comprising around 0.5 million individuals and 6.1 million common single nucleotide polymorphisms, show that PCAone accurately computes the top 40 principal components within 9 h. This analysis effectively captures population structure, signals of selection, structural variants, and low recombination regions, utilizing <20 GB of memory and 20 CPU threads. Furthermore, when applied to single-cell RNA sequencing data featuring 1.3 million cells, PCAone, accurately capturing the top 40 principal components in 49 min. This performance represents a 10-fold improvement over state-of-the-art tools.
Financial inclusion and poverty reduction in Nigeria: the role of information and communication technology (ICT)
Authors: Olaoye Olumide , Zerihun Mulatu. F.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The study analyzed the moderating role of information and communication technology (ICT) in the financial inclusion–poverty nexus in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a battery of econometric techniques such as the generalized method of moments and the fully modified OLS to control for heterogeneity and endogeneity issues in the poverty literature.

Findings

The results show that ICT (regardless of the measure of ICT adopted) moderates the impact of financial inclusion on poverty in Nigeria. Specifically, the result shows that ICT strengthens the effectiveness of financial inclusion to reduce poverty. In particular, the results show that in the presence of unanticipated macroeconomic shock, ICT can help to deepen financial inclusion, reduce the negative effects of an unanticipated shock and ameliorate poverty in Nigeria. That is, the vulnerability of the poor in Nigeria to unanticipated economic shocks can be reduced by expanding the use of ICT in the financial sector. The research and policy implications are discussed.

Originality/value

The study accounts for the impact of COVID-19.
Sustaining the environment through e-waste recycling: an extended valence theory perspective
Authors: Nadarajan Pradaini , Vafaei-Zadeh Ali , Hanifah Haniruzila , Thurasamay Ramayah
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The escalating volume of electronic waste (e-waste) presents a significant environmental and health hazard, emphasizing the importance of promoting e-waste recycling. Therefore, this study aims to utilize a valence theory approach to comprehensively understand the factors influencing individuals' intention to recycle e-waste.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey-based research approach was employed to examine the factors influencing consumers' e-waste recycling intention. Data were collected through an online survey questionnaire from Malaysian individuals aged 18 and above. The hypotheses were tested using a sample of 300 respondents, employing partial least squares structural equation modeling as a symmetric analysis technique. Additionally, fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), an asymmetric analysis approach, was used to gain deeper insights. Non-probability purposive sampling was utilized in the sampling process.

Findings

The PLS-SEM analysis revealed that subjective norms and willingness to change significantly impact e-waste recycling intention. Furthermore, perceived convenience, environmental concerns and social media usage were found to support the intention to recycle e-waste. The fsQCA results enhanced the interpretation by uncovering intricate relationships among the antecedents and identifying specific configurations that accurately predict consumers' recycling intentions.

Practical implications

The practical implications of this study emphasize the need for policymakers and practitioners to raise awareness regarding the benefits of e-waste recycling, enhance convenience in the recycling process and strengthen personal and subjective norms to encourage individuals to recycle their e-waste.

Originality/value

This study's originality lies in its adoption of a valence theory framework to comprehend the intentions behind e-waste recycling, as well as its inclusion of control variables during the analysis. This unique approach enhances the understanding of factors influencing e-waste recycling intention and provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners in developing effective strategies to promote e-waste recycling behavior.
Optimization of a production inventory model of imperfect quality items for three-layer supply chain in fuzzy environment
Authors: Arora Ritu , Chauhan Anand , Singh Anubhav Pratap , Sharma Renu
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Good management strives to align and corporate processes for more attention being paid to supply chain management. Firms realize that greater co-operation and improved coordination can help to manage the entire supply chain more efficiently. The imperfect quality item is one of the most important issues that affect the expected profit of green supply chain. The imprecise cost with screening process of poor quality items posed in supply chain is the subject of this study.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study explores production model for imperfect items having uncertain cost parameters with three-layer supply chain encompassing supplier, manufacturer and retailer. The model is considering the impact of business tactics such as order size, production rate, production cost and appropriate times in various sectors on collaborative marketing systems. Due to imprecise cost parameters, the pentagonal fuzzy numbers are set to fuzzify the total cost and defuzzifition by using graded mean integration.

Findings

This study offers an explicit condition in uncertain environment to manage the imperfect quality item to increase the potential profit of the supply chain. The influence of changes in parameter values on the optimal inventory policy under fuzziness is provided managerial insights.

Originality/value

This model makes a significant contribution to fuzzy inference. The results of the study provide a trading strategy for the industry to avoid losses. The prescribed study can be suitable for the industries like sculpture, jewelry, pottery, etc.
Investigation on reliability of classical industrial motor drives using GoldSim Monte Carlo reliability workbench
Authors: N.S. Raghavendra Rao , A. Chitra
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to propose an extended reliability method for an industrial motor drive by integrating the physics of failure (PoF).

Design/methodology/approach

Industrial motor drive systems (IMDS) are currently expected to perform beyond the desired operating conditions to meet the demand. The PoF of the subsystem affects its reliability under such harsh operating circumstances. It is crucial to estimate reliability by integrating PoF, which helps in understanding its impact and to develop a fault-tolerant design, particularly in such an integrated drive system. An integrated PoF extended reliability method for industrial drive system is proposed to address this issue. In research, the numerical failure rate of each component of industrial drive is obtained first with the help of the MIL-HDBK-217 military handbook. Furthermore, the mathematically deduced proposed approach is modeled in the GoldSim Monte Carlo reliability workbench.

Findings

From the results, for a 15% rise in integrated PoF, the reliability and availability of the entire IMDS dropped by 23%, resulting in an impact on mean time to failure (MTTF).

Originality/value

The integrated PoF of the motor and motor controller affects industrial drive reliability, which falls to 0.18 with the least MTTF (2.27 years); whose overall reliability of industrial drive drops to 0.06 if it is additionally integrated with communication protocol.
Investigating the role of digitalisation in building collapse: stakeholders' perspective from unexplored approach
Authors: Ebekozien Andrew , Thwala Wellington Didibhuku , Aigbavboa Clinton Ohis , Samsurijan Mohamad Shaharudin
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Studies showed that construction digitalisation could prevent or mitigate accidents rate on sites. Digitalisation applications may prevent or mitigate building project collapse (BPC) but with some encumbrances, especially in developing countries. There is a paucity of research on digital technologies application to prevent or mitigate BPC in Nigeria. Thus, the research aims to explore the perceived barriers that may hinder digital technologies from preventing or mitigating building collapse and recommend measures to improve technology applications during development.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is exploratory because of the unexplored approach. The researchers collected data from knowledgeable participants in digitalisation and building collapse in Nigeria. The research employed a phenomenology approach and analysed collected data via a thematic approach. The study achieved saturation at the 29th interviewee.

Findings

Findings show that lax construction digitalisation implementation, absence of regulatory framework, lax policy, unsafe fieldworkers' behaviours, absence of basic infrastructure, government attitude, hesitation to implement and high technology budget, especially in developing countries, are threats to curbing building collapse menace via digitalisation. The study identified technologies relevant to preventing or mitigating building collapse. Also, it proffered measures to prevent or mitigate building collapse via improved digital technology applications during development.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the construction digitalisation literature, especially in developing countries, and investigates the perceived barriers that may hinder digital technologies usage in preventing or mitigating building collapse in Nigeria.
Frontline workers' performance in prosocial tasks: evidence from a Lab-in-the-Field in Western India
Authors: Srinivasan Shuchi , Sarin Ankur
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Frontline workers (FLWs) constitute a critical part of the implementation cadre within public policies, serving a significant role in the last-mile delivery of public goods and services. FLWs under public programs in low and middle-income countries like India are offered different compensation structures that range from full-time salaries, piece rate honorariums, contractual engagements, to no remuneration. Whilst the rationale for offering different compensations vary, are certain structures more successful in encouraging FLWs to perform a prosocial task? Further, can certain structures encourage FLWs to perform beyond the incentivized policy mandate?

Design/methodology/approach

Investigating workers' prosocial effort within policy implementation, the authors conducted a randomized lab-in-the-field inquiry with 344 Anganwadi-based workers (workers under the nutrition policy) in western India. These FLWs were engaged to perform a novel real-effort task that was tied to different incentive structures and their performance was adjudged based on measurable quantity, effort and quality parameters.

Findings

Results demonstrate that uncompensated workers invest the greatest amount of effort whilst compromising on task quality, and vice-versa for subjects receiving pay-for-performance compensation. Programs must account for policy focus when offering compensations: volunteer engagement may be counterproductive for quality focus and to the adherence to ancillary task mandates like nature/quality of beneficiary interaction. On the other hand, the distribution of products (like health goods) can rely on volunteer effort.

Originality/value

The study brings together various compensation schemes operating at the field level, under one study using an LFE methodology within the context of policy implementation in India.
The outcomes of social capital among event runners: quality of life considerations
Authors: Zhou Ran , Kaplanidou Kyriaki (Kiki)
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Mass participation sport events, such as running events, have the potential to foster social capital among event participants. The purpose of this study is to investigate the interrelationships among sport event participation, social capital and various (behavioral, psychological, informational and negative) outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Following Putnam's social capital approach, a research model was developed and tested using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling, based on survey data from 301 runners with varied running histories and event experiences.

Findings

Results showed a limited impact of sport event participation on participants' social capital, indicating that the temporary interactions within the event timeframe were insufficient to generate sustainable social capital among event participants. Nevertheless, significant relationships were found between social capital and behavioral, psychological and informational outcomes of social capital, suggesting that social capital can be converted to a range of benefits for participants and the event community.

Practical implications

Event marketers and sponsors should take strategic actions to enhance participants' social experience and cultivate social capital, which may help them gain support from the event community irrespective of past experiences with participation.

Originality/value

This study extends Putnam's social capital framework into mass participation sport event context. As an initial effort to quantitatively test the linkage among event participation, social capital and various outcomes, this study offers empirical insights into the role of sport event participation in generating long-term social benefits for event participants.
Social presence in technology-rich learning environments: how real we are feeling connected and how does it matter for learning?
Authors: Huang Xiaoshan , Ruiz-Segura Alejandra , Tan Chengyi , Wang Tingting , Sharma Robin , Lajoie Susanne P.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Social presence (SP), which refers to individuals’ perception of others being engaged as “real people” in the same situation, is a crucial component in technology-rich learning environments (TREs). This study aims to identify major learning design, antecedents and outcomes of SP within TREs, and identify common findings from the past two decades.

Design/methodology/approach

Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses review principles and a qualitative analysis of selected articles, a final review of 72 studies that met inclusion criteria was obtained. Key information, including education level, discipline, sample size, study type and measurements, was extracted and studies were further analyzed and synthesized based on design features and learning modes.

Findings

The study identifies five crucial factors for instructional design to foster SP in TREs: technology affordances, multimedia features, social factors, instructional principles, learner characteristics and learning management systems. The authors compare two learning modes across three dimensions and identify popular technologies used in studies related to SP over the past two decades. Practical recommendations are provided for educators and educational technology developers to enhance SP within technology-rich learning environments.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the discourse on online learning and computer-supported communication, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era. By examining factors influencing SP and providing implications for instruction and educational technology development, this study offers evidence-based support to educators for engaging learners and fostering authentic learning experiences through adaptive selection of educational technologies.
Relationships between EFL teachers' perceptions of consequential validity of formative assessment and data-driven decision-making self-efficacy and anxiety
Authors: Atai-Tabar Maryam , Zareian Gholamreza , Amirian Seyyed Mohammad Reza , Adel Seyyed Mohammad Reza
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the relationship between EFL teachers' perception of the intended and unintended consequences of formative assessment (FA) decisions and their sense of self-efficacy and anxiety toward data-driven decision-making (DDDM).

Design/methodology/approach

A correlational research design and correlational/regression analysis was utilized to conduct this study. In addition, a thematic analysis was conducted of participants' responses to the open-ended questions.

Findings

Descriptive statistics suggest that most EFL teachers perceived both intended and unintended consequential validity of their FA decisions with a moderate level of DDDM self-efficacy and a low level of anxiety. The results of the correlational analysis indicated a strong positive relationship indicating that those with higher teachers' perceptions of consequential validity of formative assessment (TPCVFA) scores tended to report higher DDDM efficacy. The results of the correlational analysis also indicated that a significant relationship did not exist between TPCVFA scores and DDDM anxiety. Finally, multiple regression analyses revealed that TPCVFA was a significant predictor of DDDM efficacy; however, TPCVFA was not a significant predictor of DDDM anxiety.

Originality/value

Data collected from 114 Iranian EFL teachers using the Data-Driven Decision-Making Efficacy and Anxiety Inventory (3D-MEA, Dunn et al. 2013a) and the TPCVFA questionnaire, which was self-developed and validated for the current study.
Ancient theatre acoustical qualities reconstruction dilemma for modern use and the international charters
Authors: Haddad Naif Adel
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The general attitude of the ancient theatre conservation strategies and policies is still concerned primarily with their architectural physical appearance without considering their authentic scientific acoustical qualities. The paper attempts to illustrate and discuss how to enhance their acoustic heritage to arouse the audience's interest and needs. Thus, supporting their reconstruction based on recent acoustical research and community needs-related concerns and opportunities for ancient theatre's modern use.

Design/methodology/approach

It is based on reviewing the main issues related to reconstruction in the international charters and conventions and how to infuse ancient theatres with their full role. It discusses the dilemma and debates regarding the theatre stage wall, colonnade (portico) restoration and anastylosis. Is it sufficient enough to recover the theatre sound volume? Or to rethink for full physical reconstructions of these missing related acoustical theatre architectural elements to their original level and layout as in ancient times in parallel to their virtual reconstruction?

Findings

The cultural significance of the authentic theatre's acoustical qualities needs to reform the conservation strategies and policies for a more flexible and resilient approach. It should be postulated, re-examined and advocated parallel to their 3D virtual reconstruction in the related international charters and conventions.

Practical implications

The paper's implications are not immediate; it is far-reaching. It suggests the importance of acoustics in analysing historic theatre performance venues and reforming conservation strategies and approaches. This issue is especially critical for architects, conservators, the heritage community and the public audience.

Originality/value

Recommendations are made for potential bold reconstruction actions that may be taken to achieve further sustainability, comfort, and permeability in modern theatre-use performances. Their physical reconstruction for improving the performance of contemporary theatre use regarding retaining the acoustic cultural significance should be more flexible and resilient in the charters.
Using consumer preference data in forecasting demand in apparel retailing
Authors: Sundararaman Banumathy , Ramalingam Neelakandan
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study was carried out to analyze the importance of consumer preference data in forecasting demand in apparel retailing.

Methodology

To collect preference data, 729 hypothetical stock keeping units (SKU) were derived using a full factorial design, from a combination of six attributes and three levels each. From the hypothetical SKU's, 63 practical SKU's were selected for further analysis. Two hundred two responses were collected from a store intercept survey. Respondents' utility scores for all 63 SKUs were calculated using conjoint analysis. In estimating aggregate demand, to allow for consumer substitution and to make the SKU available when a consumer wishes to buy more than one item in the same SKU, top three highly preferred SKU's utility scores of each individual were selected and classified using a decision tree and was aggregated. A choice rule was modeled to include substitution; by applying this choice rule, aggregate demand was estimated.

Findings

The respondents' utility scores were calculated. The value of Kendall's tau is 0.88, the value of Pearson's R is 0.98 and internal predictive validity using Kendall's tau is 1.00, and this shows the high quality of data obtained. The proposed model was used to estimate the demand for 63 SKUs. The demand was estimated at 6.04 per cent for the SKU cotton, regular style, half sleeve, medium priced, private label. The proposed model for estimating demand using consumer preference data gave better estimates close to actual sales than expert opinion data. The Spearman's rank correlation between actual sales and consumer preference data is 0.338 and is significant at 5 per cent level. The Spearman's rank correlation between actual sales and expert opinion is −0.059, and there is no significant relation between expert opinion data and actual sales. Thus, consumer preference model proves to be better in estimating demand than expert opinion data.

Research implications

There has been a considerable amount of work done in choice-based models. There is a lot of scope in working in deterministic models.

Practical implication

The proposed consumer preference-based demand estimation model can be beneficial to the apparel retailers in increasing their profit by reducing stock-out and overstocking situations. Though conjoint analysis is used in demand estimation in other industries, it is not used in apparel for demand estimations and can be greater use in its simplest form.

Originality/value

This research is the first one to model consumer preferences-based data to estimate demand in apparel. This research was practically tested in an apparel retail store. It is original.
PID and compliance control-based anti-sticking of drill rod in underground mining
Authors: Li Dongmin , Zhu Shiming , Xia Shangfei , Zhong Peisi , Fang Jiaqi , Dai Peng
Published: August 2023

Purpose

During drilling in coal mines, sticking of drill rod (referred to as SDR in this work) is a potential threat to underground safety. However, no practical measures to deter SDR have been developed yet. The purpose of this study is to develop an anti-SDR strategy using proportional-integral-derivative (PID) and compliance control (PIDC). The proposed strategy is compatible with the drilling process currently used in underground coal mines using drill rigs. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to the PIDC strategy for solving SDR.

Design/methodology/approach

A hydraulic circuit to reduce SDR was built based on a load-independent flow distribution system, a PID controller was designed to control the inlet hydraulic pressure of the rotation motor and a typical compliance control approach was adopted to control the feed force and displacement. Moreover, the weight and optimal combination of the alternative admittance control parameters for the feed cylinder were obtained by adopting the orthogonal experiment approach. Furthermore, a fuzzy admittance control approach was proposed to control the feed displacement. Experiments were conducted to test the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Findings

The experimental results indicated that the PIDC strategy was appropriate and effective for controlling the rotation motor and feed cylinder; thus, the proposed method significantly reduces the SDR during drilling operations in underground coal mines.

Research limitations/implications

As the PIDC strategy solves the SDR problem in underground coal mines, it greatly improves the safety of coal mine operation and decreases the power cost. Consequently, it brings the considerable benefits of coal mine production and vast application prospects in other corresponding fields. Actual drilling conditions are difficult to accurately simulate in a laboratory; thus, for future work, drilling experiments can be conducted in actual underground coal mines.

Originality/value

The PIDC-based anti-SDR strategy proposed in this study satisfactorily controls the rotation motor and feed cylinder and facilitates the feed and rotation movements. Furthermore, the tangible novelty of this study results is that it improves the frequency response of the entire drilling system. The drilling process with PIDC decreased the occurrence of SDR by 50%; therefore, the anti-SDR strategy can significantly improve the safety and efficiency of underground coal mining.
Onboarding: just how important is it?
Authors: Bowers Brett S. , Thal Alfred E. , Elshaw John J.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Employee retention has become a greater challenge for organizations as today’s employees are more likely to voluntarily change organizations than previous generations. Therefore, this paper aims to examine organizational experiences and how new employees are integrated into their work environments – a process known as onboarding. Specifically, this research explores the relationship between the onboarding processes that new employees experience and their levels of job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job embeddedness.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors administered a Web-based survey and tested three hypotheses. The survey was distributed to 170 new employees, with 54 participants responding. The onboarding construct consisted of self-developed questions based on Bauer’s Four Cs (compliance, clarification, culture and connection) model. The constructs for job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job embeddedness were obtained from the literature.

Findings

The authors found that a new employee’s onboarding experience plays a significant role in shaping three variables negatively correlated with turnover: job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job embeddedness. More specifically, job satisfaction appears to be more correlated with the concrete, well-defined aspects of the onboarding experience. Furthermore, the highest level of Bauer’s onboarding model, connection, showed significant correlation with nearly all components of organizational commitment and job embeddedness.

Originality/value

Organizational leaders may use these findings to develop a better understanding of the retention implications of the first few months of a new employee’s time in the organization and then implement strategies that boost onboarding effectiveness to help mitigate losses due to voluntary turnover.
Vibrio cyclitrophicus population‐specific biofilm formation and epibiotic growth on marine copepods
Authors: Nuttall Ryan A. , Moisander Pia H.
Published: August 2023

Vibrio spp. form a part of the microbiome of copepods—an abundant component of marine mesozooplankton. The biological mechanisms of the Vibrio‐copepod association are largely unknown. In this study we compared biofilm formation of V. cyclitrophicus isolated from copepods (L‐strains related to other particle‐associated strains) and closely related strains originating from seawater (S‐strains), and visualized and quantified their attachment and growth on copepods. The S‐ and L‐strains formed similar biofilms in the presence of complete sea salts, suggesting previously unknown biofilm mechanisms in the S‐strains. No biofilms formed if sodium chloride was present as the only salt but added calcium significantly enhanced biofilms in the L‐strains. GFP‐L‐strain cells attached to live copepods at higher numbers than the S‐strains, suggesting distinct mechanisms, potentially including calcium, support their colonization of copepods. The cells grew on live copepods after attachment, demonstrating that copepods sustain epibiotic V. cyclitrophicus growth in situ. The results demonstrate that in spite of their 99.1% average nucleotide identity, these V. cyclitrophicus strains have a differential capacity to colonize marine copepods. The introduced V. cyclitrophicus—A. tonsa model could be informative in future studies on Vibrio‐copepod association.
The incurable self: Negotiating social bonds and dis/connection with metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Lewis Sophie , Newton Giselle , Kenny Katherine , Boyle Frances
Published: August 2023

As the culture of silence that once surrounded cancer has gradually given way to greater public awareness, normative visions of what cancer survivorship should entail have proliferated. These visions emphasise positivity and perseverance in pursuit of cure. While these visions provide comfort to many, for people with metastatic cancer, the emphasis on cure can undermine their sense of belonging to the broader collective of people living with cancer. Drawing on semi‐structured interviews with 38 Australian women living with metastatic breast cancer, we explore how incurable cancer inflects understandings of self and transforms interpersonal relationships. Extending ideas around biosociality and belonging, we explore the tenuousness of social bonds, revealing how (in)visibility, (in)authenticity and (in)validation circulate within the daily lives of women with metastatic breast cancer. We conceptualise accounts according to four social bonds: (1) threatened bonds where a relationship is strained by misunderstanding, (2) severed bonds where a relationship is ruptured due to misunderstanding, (3) attuned bonds whereby a relationship is based on shared identification and (4) flexible social bonds when a relationship is based on mutual understanding. More broadly, we illustrate the persistence of normative visions of cancer survivorship and their enduring effects on those whom such visions exclude.
How does spelling contribute to reading comprehension in Chinese beginning readers? Testing the mediating role of word reading fluency
Authors: Zhao Ying , Wu Xinchun , Li Liping
Published: August 2023

Background

Spelling is a prevalent strategy to teach children to read. However, research on the mechanism underlying the contribution of spelling to reading comprehension in Chinese children is limited.

Methods

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the concurrent and longitudinal associations between spelling and reading comprehension and further test the mediating role of word reading fluency with 127 Chinese children (Mage = 76.01 months). Children were required to perform the tasks of nonverbal intelligence, expressive vocabulary, morphological awareness, phonological awareness, orthographic awareness, spelling, word reading fluency and reading comprehension at Grade 1. Then, reading comprehension was measured again 1 year later at Grade 2. The concurrent and longitudinal mediation models were fitted to the data by structural equation modelling.

Results

The results showed that spelling was related to reading comprehension concurrently, and it predicted reading comprehension 1 year later while controlling for nonverbal intelligence, age, expressive vocabulary, metalinguistic awareness and the autoregressive effect of reading comprehension. Moreover, word reading fluency played mediating roles in the influence of spelling on reading comprehension in the concurrent and longitudinal models.

Conclusions

These findings provided evidence that spelling is an important factor of reading comprehension and shed light on the nature of this association, highlighting the role of word reading fluency in linking spelling and Chinese children's reading comprehension.
Identification of immune‐related genes from the transcriptome of the venom gland in Cotesia plutellae
Authors: Cha Wook Hyun , Na Young‐Eun , Lee Dae‐Weon
Published: August 2023

Cotesia plutellae, an endoparasitoid wasp is the natural enemy against the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. Successful parasitization of C. plutellae requires maternal factors such as polydnavirus, venom proteins, and ovary proteins into the host, protecting their eggs from the host's immune system. To identify the immune‐related genes from the venom glands, we analyzed the transcriptome of venom glands via RNA‐seq. RNA‐seq analysis reveals that 39,207 transcripts were identified. Totally 106 immune‐related genes such as peptidoglycan‐recognition proteins, serpins, spätzles, phenoloxidase, defensin, and calreticulin, etc. were identified and classified into pathogen recognition, immune signal modulation, Toll pathway, IMD pathway, effectors, and other immune genes, depending on their biological functions. These results suggest that the transcriptome of the venom glands of C. plutellae can expand the understanding of insect immune response.
Intracranial granuloma in a patient with granulomatosis with polyangiitis under rituximab maintenance: A case report
Authors: Ince Burak , Eroğlu Elif , Barburoğlu Mehmet , Yalçinkaya Yasemin , Artim‐Esen Bahar , Gül Ahmet , Inanç Murat
Published: August 2023

Background

Rituximab (RTX) is being used for both induction and maintenance of anti‐neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) ‐associated vasculitis. However, the efficacy of RTX for the granulomatous findings of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) has not been demonstrated as clearly as its vasculitic manifestations.

Case summary

A 46‐year‐old man was diagnosed in 2019 with GPA with constitutional symptoms, bilateral mastoiditis, prostatic necrosis, nodules in both lungs, pauci‐immune necrotizing glomerulonephritis and high level of PR3‐ANCA. He reached clinical remission after induction with high‐dose corticosteroids and intravenous cyclophosphamide pulses at the 3rd month. Two months following the second cycle of RTX as maintenance, he developed multiple cranial mass lesions, and excisional biopsy revealed necrotizing vasculitis with granuloma formation. Remission was achieved with long‐term high‐dose corticosteroid therapy after surgical excision.

Conclusion

We observed a relapse of GPA with intracranial granulomatous lesions in a patient under RTX maintenance. Limited efficacy of RTX should be considered for mainly granulomatous manifestations in patients with GPA.
Development and content validation of an NOC‐based instrument for measuring knowledge and self‐care behaviors in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: CoNOCiTHE
Authors: Ulloa Sabogal Iliana Milena , Romero Sánchez José Manuel , Paloma Castro Olga , Arias Rojas Mauricio
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study is to design and validate the content of an instrument based on the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) “Knowledge: disease process” and “Risk control: hypertension” to measure pregnant women's knowledge and self‐care behaviors about hypertensive disorders.

Methods

The study was carried out in three phases: (a) content validity of the indicators, (b) construction, and (c) content validity of the instrument.

Findings

The instrument contains 72 items with an average content validity ratio and representativeness of 0.92. The items that did not reach the established values were eliminated or reformulated according to the observations made by the experts.

Conclusions

This study provides the first instrument for perinatal maternal care designed from the NOC that has demonstrated adequate content validity and representativeness of the NOCs on which it is based. The next phase in the development of the instrument is to test its validity and reliability.

Implications for nursing practice

CoNOCiTHE is a tool that can be useful in assessing pregnant women's knowledge and self‐care behaviors about hypertensive disorders, contributing to the documentation and quality of maternal perinatal nursing care.