bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial DNA has strong selective effects across the nuclear genome
Authors: Healy Timothy M. , Burton Ronald S.
Published: May 2019

Oxidative phosphorylation requires gene products encoded in both the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, and is the primary source of cellular energy in eukaryotes. As a result, functional integration between the genomes is essential for efficient ATP generation in these organisms. Although within populations this integration is presumably maintained by coevolution, both the importance of coevolution in speciation and mitochondrial disease, and the strength of selection for maintenance of coevolved genotypes are widely questioned. In this study, we crossed populations of the intertidal copepod,Tigriopus californicus, to disrupt putatively coevolved mitonuclear genotypes in reciprocal F2hybrids. We utilized inter-individual variation in developmental rate, a proxy for fitness, among these hybrids to assess the strength of selection imposed on the nuclear genome by alternate mitochondrial genotypes. There was substantial variation in developmental rate among hybrid individuals, andin vitroATP synthesis rates of mitochondria isolated from high fitness hybrids were approximately twice those of mitochondria isolated from low fitness individuals. Furthermore, we used Pool-seq to reveal large deviations in nuclear allele frequencies in hybrids, which favored maternal alleles in only high fitness individuals of each reciprocal cross. Therefore, our most fit hybrids had partial recovery of coevolved genotypes, indicating that mitonuclear effects underlie individual-level variation in developmental rate and that inter-genomic compatibility is critical for high fitness. These results demonstrate that mitonuclear interactions have profound impacts on both physiological performance and the evolutionary trajectory of the nuclear genome.
Comparison of odor responses of homologous medial and lateral glomeruli mapped in the olfactory bulb of the mouse
Authors: Sato Tokiharu , Homma Ryota , Nagayama Shin
Published: May 2019

Olfactory sensory neurons expressing same-type odorant receptors typically project to a pair of glomeruli in the medial and lateral sides of the olfactory bulbs (OBs) in rodents. However, their functional properties remain unclear, because the majority of medial glomeruli are hidden in the septal OB. Recently, trace amine-associated odorant receptors were identified that project to a pair of glomeruli uniquely located in the dorsal OB. We measured the odorant-induced calcium responses of these glomeruli simultaneously and found that they exhibited similar temporal response patterns. However, the medial glomeruli had significantly larger respiration-locked calcium fluctuations than the lateral glomeruli. This trend was observed with/without odorant stimulation in postsynaptic neurons but not in presynaptic sensory axon terminals. This indicates that the medial rather than the lateral OB map enhances the respiration-locked rhythm and transfers this information to higher brain centers.

Impact Statement

This study used in vivo calcium imaging to document the odor-evoked responses in paired glomeruli, demonstrating that activation in medial glomeruli more strongly impacts respiratory-linked odor processing.
Genome-wide association study of appendicular lean mass in UK Biobank cohort
Authors: Pei Yu-Fang , Liu Yao-Zhong , Yang Xiao-Lin , Zhang Hong , Feng Gui-Juan , Zhang Lei
Published: May 2019

Lean body mass (LBM), an important physiological measure, has a strong genetic determination. To clarify its genetic basis, a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) of appendicular lean mass (ALM) was conducted in 450,580 UK Biobank subjects. A total of 717 variants (p<5×10−9) from 561 loci were identified, which were replicated across genders (achieving p<5×10−5 in both genders). The identified variants explained ~11% phenotypic variance, accounting for one quarter of the total ~40% GWAS-attributable heritability. The identified variants were enriched in gene sets related to musculoskeletal and connective tissue development. Of interest are several genes, including ADAMTS3, PAM, SMAD3 and MEF2C, that either contain multiple significant variants or serve as the hub genes of the associated gene sets. Polygenic score prediction based on the associated variants was able to distinguish subjects of high from low ALM. Overall, our results offered significant findings on the genetic basis of lean mass through an extraordinarily large sample GWAS. The findings are important to not only lean mass per se but also other complex diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and fracture, as our Mendelian randomization analysis showed that ALM is a protective factor for these two diseases.
The effect of APOE genotype and streamline density volume, on hippocampal CA1 down-regulation: a real-time fMRI virtual reality neurofeedback study
Authors: Skouras Stavros , Torner Jordi , Anderson Patrik , Koush Yury , Falcon Carles , Minguillon Carolina , Fauria Karine , Alpiste Francesc , Gispert Juan D. , Molinuevo José L. ,   the ALFA Study
Published: May 2019

Hippocampal hyperactivity is a precursor of Alzheimer’s disease and more prominent in APOE-ε4 carriers. It is therefore important to investigate the processes of hippocampal self-regulation, to monitor therapeutic efficacy of preclinical interventions. We have developed a closed-loop, virtual reality neurofeedback paradigm for real-time fMRI, that provides a standardized method for quantifying processes of hippocampal self-regulation. We acquired multi-modal neuroimaging data from a sample of 53 cognitively unimpaired subjects at risk for AD and applied standard methods of structural and functional connectomics. The analyses reveal significant negative associations between hippocampal CA1 down-regulation performance and APOE-ε4 alleles, as well as hippocampal streamline density volume. Better memory performance was associated with increased, bilateral hippocampal functional connectivity during the neurofeedback task. These are the first results to link neurofeedback performance to a genetic risk factor and structural connectivity. Further, these are the first evidence that functional cohesion between the hippocampi can reflect subtle differences in memory function, in cognitively unimpaired individuals at risk for AD. We provide a novel method to assess hippocampal function in preclinical AD, and propose it can be used to derive proxies for neural reserve.

Highlights

APOE-ε4 alleles impact hippocampal down-regulation neurofeedback performance.

Hippocampal streamline density volume is associated with decreased hippocampal down-regulation performance.

Bilaterally cohesive hippocampal activity is associated with better memory performance.

We provide a novel paradigm to investigate self-regulation and brain function.
Mutators drive evolution of multi-resistance to antibiotics
Authors: Gifford Danna R. , Berríos-Caro Ernesto , Joerres Christine , Suñé Marc , Forsyth Jessica H. , Bhattacharyya Anish , Galla Tobias , Knight Christopher G.
Published: May 2019

Antibiotic combination therapies are an approach used to counter the evolution of resistance; their purported benefit is they can stop the successive emergence of independent resistance mutations in the same genome. Here, we show that bacterial populations with ‘mutators’, organisms with defects in DNA repair, readily evolve resistance to combination antibiotic treatment when there is a delay in reaching inhibitory concentrations of antibiotic—under conditions where purely wild-type populations cannot. In populations subjected to combination treatment, we detected a remarkable amount of genomic diversity in resistance-determining mutations, multi-drug efflux pumps, and mutation-rate altering genes. However, using eco-evolutionary simulations, we demonstrate that only the initial mutator allele is required to explain multi-resistance evolution. Unexpectedly, mutators not only allowed multi-resistance to evolve under combination treatment where it was favoured, but also under single-drug treatments. Under both conditions, the mutator allele swept to fixation through hitch-hiking with single-drug resistance, enabling subsequent resistance mutations to emerge. Ultimately, our results suggest that mutators may hinder the utility of combination therapy when mutators are present. Additionally, by raising the rates of population mutation, selection for multi-resistance may have the unwanted side-effect of increasing the potential to evolve resistance to future antibiotic treatments.

Significance statement

The global rise in antimicrobial resistance means that we urgently need new approaches to halt its spread. Antibiotic combination therapy, treatment involving more than one antibiotic, is a strategy proposed to do just that. Evolving resistance to combinations is thought to be exceedingly rare, as it would require two independent mutations to occur in the same genetic background before microbial growth is inhibited. We find that wild-type populations cannot achieve this, even when antibiotic concentrations increase gradually. However, populations with ‘mutators’, organisms with elevated mutation rates through DNA repair defects, can readily evolve multi-drug resistance under both single-drug and combination treatments. Further, hitch-hiking of mutator alleles alongside resistance increases the evolutionary potential for acquiring further resistance mutations. As mutators are commonly found in natural populations, including infection, our results suggest that combination therapy may not be as resilient a strategy against resistance evolution as was once thought.
Loss of multiple enzyme activities due to the human genetic variation P284T in NADPH cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase
Authors: Parween Shaheena , Velazquez Maria Natalia Rojas , Udhane Sameer S. , Kagawa Norio , Pandey Amit V.
Published: May 2019

Cytochromes P450 located in the endoplasmic reticulum require NADPH cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) for their catalytic activities. Mutations in POR cause multiple disorders in humans related to the biosynthesis of steroid hormones and also affect drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450 activities. Here we are reporting the effects of a POR genetic variant P284T which is located in the hinge region of POR that is necessary for the flexibility of domain movements. Human wild-type and P284T mutant of POR, as well as cytochrome P450 proteins, were expressed in bacteria, purified and then reconstituted in liposomes for enzyme kinetic assays. Quality of POR proteins was checked by cytochrome c, ferricyanide and tetrazolium dye reduction assay and measurements flavin content. We found that for the P284T variant of POR the cytochrome c reduction activity was reduced to 47% of the WT and MTT reduction was reduced to only 15% of the WT. No impact on ferricyanide reduction activity was observed, but a severe loss of CYP19A1 (aromatase) activity was observed (9% of WT). In the assays of drug metabolizing cytochrome P450 enzymes, the P284T variant of POR showed 26% activity for CYP2C9, 44% activity for CYP2C19, 23% activity for CYP3A4 and 44% activity in CYP3A5 assays compared to the WT POR. These results indicate a severe effect on several cytochrome P450 activities due to the P284T variation in POR which suggests a negative impact on both the steroid as well as drug metabolism in the individuals carrying this variation.
Molecular Inverse Comorbidity between Alzheimer’s disease and Lung Cancer: new insights from Matrix Factorization
Authors: Greco Alessandro , Valle Jon Sanchez , Pancaldi Vera , Baudot Anaïs , Barillot Emmanuel , Caselle Michele , Valencia Alfonso , Zinovyev Andrei , Cantini Laura
Published: May 2019

Matrix Factorization (MF) is an established paradigm for large-scale biological data analysis with tremendous potential in computational biology.

We here challenge MF in depicting the molecular bases of epidemiologically described Disease-Disease (DD) relationships. As use case, we focus on the inverse comorbidity association between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and lung cancer (LC), described as a lower than expected probability of developing LC in AD patients. To the day, the molecular mechanisms underlying DD relationships remain poorly explained and their better characterization might offer unprecedented clinical opportunities.

To this goal, we extend our previously designed MF-based framework for the molecular characterization of DD relationships. Considering AD-LC inverse comorbidity as a case study, we highlight multiple molecular mechanisms, among which the previously identified immune system and mitochondrial metabolism. We then discriminate mechanisms specific to LC from those shared with other cancers through a pancancer analysis. Additionally, new candidate molecular players, such as Estrogen Receptor (ER), CDH1 and HDAC, are pinpointed as factors that might underlie the inverse relationship, opening the way to new investigations. Finally, some lung cancer subtype-specific factors are also detected, suggesting the existence of heterogeneity across patients also in the context of inverse comorbidity.
Cellular and Molecular Probing of Intact Transparent Human Organs
Authors: Zhao Shan , Todorov Mihail Ivilinov , Cai Ruiyao , Steinke Hanno , Kemter Elisabeth , Wolf Eckhard , Lipfert Jan , Bechmann Ingo , Ertürk Ali
Published: May 2019

Optical tissue transparency permits cellular and molecular investigation of complex tissues in 3D, a fundamental need in biomedical sciences. Adult human organs are particularly challenging for this approach, owing to the accumulation of dense and sturdy molecules in decades-aged human tissues. Here, we introduce SHANEL method utilizing a new tissue permeabilization approach to clear and label stiff human organs. We used SHANEL to generate the first intact transparent adult human brain and kidney, and perform 3D histology using antibodies and dyes in centimeters depth. Thereby, we revealed structural details of sclera, iris and suspensory ligament in the human eye, and the vessels and glomeruli in the human kidney. We also applied SHANEL on transgenic pig organs to map complex structures of EGFP expressing beta cells in >10 cm size pancreas. Overall, SHANEL is a robust and unbiased technology to chart the cellular and molecular architecture of intact large mammalian organs.

Graphical Abstract

Supplementary Movies of SHANEL are available athttp://discotechnologies.org/SHANEL/
Brain-to-brain synchrony between students and teachers predicts learning outcomes
Authors: Davidesco Ido , Laurent Emma , Valk Henry , West Tessa , Dikker Suzanne , Milne Catherine , Poeppel David
Published: May 2019

Little is known about the brain mechanisms that underpin how humans learn while interacting with one another in ecologically-valid environments (1-3). This is because cognitive neuroscientists typically measure one participant at a time in a highly constrained environment (e.g., inside a brain scanner). In the past few years, researchers have begun comparing brain responses across individuals (4-6) demonstrating that brain-to-brain synchrony can predict subsequent memory retention (7-9). Yet previous research has been constrained to non-interacting individuals. Surprisingly, the one study that was conducted in a group setting found that brain synchrony between students in a classroom predicted how engaged the students were, but not how much information they retained (10). This is unexpected because brain-to-brain synchrony is hypothesized to be driven, at least partially, by shared attention (11, 12), and shared attention has been shown to affect subsequent memory (13). Here we used EEG to simultaneously record brain activity from groups of four students and a teacher in a simulated classroom to investigate whether brain-to-brain synchrony, both between students and between the students and the teacher, can predict learning outcomes (Fig. 1A). We found that brain-to-brain synchrony in the Alpha band (8-12Hz) predicted students’ delayed memory retention. Further, moment-to-moment variation in alpha-band brain-to-brain synchrony discriminated between content that was retained or forgotten. Whereas student-to-student brain synchrony best predicted delayed memory retention at a zero time lag, student-to-teacher brain synchrony best predicted memory retention when adjusting for a ∼200 millisecond lag in the students’ brain activity relative to the teacher’s brain activity. These findings provide key new evidence for the importance of brain data collected simultaneously from groups of individuals in ecologically-valid settings.

Highlights

Electroencephalogram (EEG) was concurrently recorded in a simulated classroom from groups of four students and a teacher.

Alpha-band (8-12Hz) brain-to-brain synchrony predicted students’ performance in a delayed post-test.

Moment-to-moment variation in alpha-band brain-to-brain synchrony indicated what specific information was retained by students.

Whereas student-to-student brain synchrony best predicted learning at a zero time lag, student-to-teacher brain synchrony best predicted learning when adjusting for a ∼200 millisecond lag in the students’ brain activity relative to the teacher’s brain activity.
Blind exploration of the unreferenced transcriptome reveals novel RNAs for prostate cancer diagnosis
Authors: Pinskaya M. , Saci Z. , Gallopin M. , Nguyen N. H. , Gabriel M. , Firlej V. , Descrimes M. , de la Taille A. , Londoño-Vallejo A. , Allory Y. , Gautheret D. , Morillon A.
Published: May 2019

The broad use of RNA-sequencing technologies held a promise of improved diagnostic tools based on comprehensive transcript sets. However, mining human transcriptome data for disease biomarkers in clinical specimens is restricted by the limited power of conventional reference-based protocols relying on uniquely mapped reads and transcript annotations. Here, we implemented a blind reference-free computational protocol, DE-kupl, to directly infer RNA variations of any origin, including yet unreferenced RNAs, from high coverage total stranded RNA-sequencing datasets of tissue origin. As a bench test, this protocol was powered for detection of RNA subsequences embedded into unannotated putative long noncoding (lnc)RNAs expressed in prostate cancer tissues. Through filtering and visual inspection of 1,179 candidates, we defined 21 lncRNA probes that were further validated for robust tumor-specific expression by NanoString single molecule-based RNA measurements in 144 tissue specimens. Predictive modeling yielded a restricted probe panel enabling over 90% of true positive detection of cancer in an independent dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Remarkably, this clinical signature made of only 9 unannotated lncRNAs largely outperformed PCA3, the only RNA biomarker approved by the Food and Drug Administration agency, specifically, in detection of high-risk prostate tumors. The proposed reference-free computational workflow is modular, highly sensitive and robust and can be applied to any pathology and any clinical application.
The Relationship between BOLD and Neural Activity Arises from Temporally Sparse Events
Authors: Zhang Xiaodi , Pan Wen-Ju , Keilholz Shella Dawn
Published: May 2019

Resting state functional magnetic resonance (rs-fMRI) imaging offers insights into how different brain regions are connected into functional networks. It was recently shown that networks that are almost identical to the ones created from conventional correlation analysis can be obtained from a subset of high-amplitude data, suggesting that the functional networks may be driven by instantaneous co-activations of multiple brain regions rather than ongoing oscillatory processes. The rs-fMRI studies, however, rely on the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal, which is only indirectly sensitive to neural activity through neurovascular coupling. To provide more direct evidence that the neuronal co-activation events produce the time-varying network patterns seen in rs-fMRI studies, we examined the simultaneous rs-fMRI and local field potential (LFP) recordings in rats performed in our lab over the past several years. We developed complementary analysis methods that focus on either the temporal or spatial domain, and found evidence that the interaction between LFP and BOLD may be driven by instantaneous co-activation events as well. BOLD maps triggered on high-amplitude LFP events resemble co-activation patterns created from rs-fMRI data alone, though the co-activation time points are defined differently in the two cases. Moreover, only LFP events that fall into the highest or lowest thirds of the amplitude distribution result in a BOLD signal that can be distinguished from noise. These findings provide evidence of an electrophysiological basis for the time-varying co-activation patterns observed in previous studies.
A bacterial resolvase first exploits, then constrains intrinsic dynamics of the Holliday junction to direct recombination
Authors: Ray Sujay , Pal Nibedita , Walter Nils G.
Published: May 2019

Homologous recombination forms and resolves an entangled DNA Holliday Junction (HJ) critical for achieving genome repair. We use single-molecule observation and cluster analysis to probe how prototypic bacterial resolvase RuvC selects two of four possible HJ strands for cleavage. RuvC first exploits, then constrains intrinsic HJ isomer exchange and branch migration dynamics to direct cleavage toward only a desired, catalytically competent HJ conformation, thus controlling recombination products.
Temperature-induced molecule assembly effects on the near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure spectra of Zn-phthalocyanine layers on Si substrates
Authors: Fostiropoulos Konstantinos , Mete Tayfun , Li Zheshen , Lauermann Iver
Published: May 2019

The molecular arrangement of vacuum thermally deposited polycrystalline Zn-phthalocyanine (ZnPc) layers on Si substrates is investigated using near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy in the proximity of the carbon edge at E
0 = 287.33 eV. The data were collected as a function of the deposition substrate temperature T
S (30, 90, 150°C) and the incidence angle θ (20°, 45°, 70°, 90°) of the synchrotron beam with respect to the sample plane. Each spectrum was analysed by mathematical simulation applying an error function for the carbon edge and a set of Voigt and (asymmetric) Gaussian functions for C1s → π* and C1s → σ* transitions of ZnPc, respectively. It turned out that part of the organic layer consists of adventitious carbon, which does not contribute to the molecular transitions of ZnPc, whereas all molecular features exhibit polarization-dependent peak areas pointing to a reasonable fraction of well-assembled molecules at any T
S. The highest adventitious carbon fraction was found at T
S = 30°C, whereas the highest polarization dependence was found at T
S = 90°C. The calculated average molecular tilt angles for the three temperatures (30, 90, 150°C) were γ = 60.6°, 68.7° and 66.7°, respectively. If only the polarization-dependent fractions are considered, then the three samples can be mathematically described using a shared molecular tilt angle of γ = 68.7°, which corresponds to the average tilt angle of the T
S = 90°C sample.
Bis[μ-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl) phosphato-κ2
O:O′]bis[(2,2′-bipyridine-κ2
N,N′)lithium] toluene disolvate and its catalytic activity in ring-opening polymerization of ∊-caprolactone and L-dilactide
Authors: Kalugin Alexey E. , Komarov Pavel D. , Minyaev Mikhail E. , Lyssenko Konstantin A. , Roitershtein Dmitrii M. , Nifant'ev Ilya E.
Published: May 2019

The solvated centrosymmmtric title compound, [Li2(C24H34O4P)2(C10H8N2)2]·2C7H8, was formed in the reaction between {Li[(2,6-iPr2C6H3-O)2POO](MeOH)3}(MeOH) and 2,2′-bipyridine (bipy) in toluene. The structure has monoclinic (P21/n) symmetry at 120 K and the asymmetric unit consists of half a complex molecule and one molecule of toluene solvent. The diaryl phosphate ligand demonstrates a μ-κO:κO′-bridging coordination mode and the 2,2′-bipyridine ligand is chelating to the Li+ cation, generating a distorted tetrahedral LiN2O2 coordination polyhedron. The complex exhibits a unique dimeric Li2O4P2 core. One isopropyl group is disordered over two orientations in a 0.621 (4):0.379 (4) ratio. In the crystal, weak C—H...O and C—H...π interactions help to consolidate the packing. Catalytic systems based on the title complex and on the closely related complex {Li[(2,6-iPr2C6H3-O)2POO](MeOH)3}(MeOH) display activity in the ring-opening polymerization of ∊-caprolactone and L-dilactide.
Crystal structures of a series of 6-aryl-1,3-diphenylfulvenes
Authors: Peloquin Andrew J. , Adas Sonya K. , Iacono Scott T. , Balaich Gary J.
Published: May 2019

The synthesis and crystal structures of a series of 6-arylfuvlenes (fulvene is 5-methylidenecyclopenta-1,3-diene) with varying methylation patterns on the 6-phenyl substituent are reported, namely 6-(3-methylphenyl)-1,3-diphenylfulvene (C25H20), 6-(4-methylphenyl)-1,3-diphenylfulvene (C25H20), 6-mesityl-3-diphenylfulvene (C27H24) and 6-(2,3,4,5,6-pentamethylphenyl)-1,3-diphenylfulvene (C29H28). The bond lengths are typical of those observed in related fulvenes. A network of C—H...π ring interactions consolidates the packing in each structure.
“If not, why not” form of governance
Authors: Lama Tek , Anderson Warwick Wyndham
Published: May 2019

Purpose

Are the explanations that companies provide when deviating from two board structure-related best practices under the Australian Stock Exchange’s “If not, why not” regulatory regime systematically influenced by company characteristics?

Design/methodology/approach

Multinomial logistic regressions are performed on a sample of 258 ASX-listed firms in the period 2004-2007. The dependent variable is the level of response to the “why not” pillar of the regime which requires companies to provide an explanation where they deviate from the recommended governance practice or practices. The variable is categorised into three levels: zero response, inadequate explanation and adequate explanation. This variable takes on a fourth possible level (full compliance) if both pillars of the regime are considered jointly. The independent variables are company size, ownership concentration, profitability, liquidity, age and the market-to-book ratio.

Findings

The regime appears to be well specified, but size is positively correlated to the quality of explanations given for the deviation. Other company characteristics have no important systematic effect.

Practical implications

Small firms, while availing of the regulatory flexibility that enables them to adopt governance systems that suit their corporate governance requirements, tend not to meet the reporting requirements that go with that flexibility.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of the first to explore the justifications given for deviations from full compliance in the “if not why not” regime and covers new ground with respect to explanations given for non-adoption of board structure recommendations.
The impact of legitimacy threaton the choice of external carbon assurance
Authors: Datt Ragini Rina , Luo Le , Tang Qingliang
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of legitimacy threats on corporate incentive to obtain external carbon assurance.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consists of the largest US companies that disclosed carbon emissions to CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) over the period 2010-2013. Based on legitimacy theory, firms are more likely to obtain carbon assurance when they are under greater legitimacy threat. Carbon assurance is measured using CDP data. Three proxies are identified to measure legitimacy threat related to climate change: carbon emissions intensity, firm size and leverage.

Findings

This paper finds that firms with higher levels of emissions are more likely to obtain independent assurance, and large firms show the same tendency, as they are probably under pressure from their large group of stakeholders. In sum, the findings suggest that firms with higher carbon emissions face greater threats to their legitimacy, and the adoption of carbon assurance can mitigate risks to legitimacy with enhanced credibility of carbon disclosure in stakeholders’ decision-making.

Research limitations/implications

The study has some limitations. The authors have relied on CDP reports for analysis and focus on the largest companies in the US. Caution should be exercised when generalising the results to smaller firms, other countries or voluntary carbon assurance information disclosed in other communications channels.

Practical implications

This study provides extra insights into and an improved understanding of determinants and motivation of carbon assurance, which should be useful for policymakers to develop policies and initiatives for carbon assurance. The collective results should be useful for practicing accountants and accounting firms.

Originality/value

The paper investigates how legitimacy threats affect firms’ choice of external carbon assurance in the context of US, which has not been documented previously. It contributes to the understanding of legitimacy theory in the context of voluntary carbon assurance.
Voluntary disclosures practices of family firms in Australia
Authors: Louie Judy , Ahmed Kamran , Ji Xu-Dong
Published: May 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the voluntary disclosure practices of family and non-family listed firms and whether family firms have improved their disclosure practices following the introduction of the Principles of Good Corporate Governance and Best Practice Recommendations in 2003 in Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

Voluntary disclosures are measured by constructing an index specifically for this study. Such indexes consist of corporate governance disclosure, strategic disclosure and future disclosures. They are then regressed on firm-specific variables while controlling for family and non-family firms. A total of 60 family firms and 60 non-family firms in Australia are randomly chosen from 2001 to 2006 for examining their disclosure practices.

Findings

The research findings show that family firms disclose information voluntarily to signal to the market regarding their growth potentials and abide by government regulations to improve their reputation. Despite the fact that compliance with the Principles of Good Corporate Governance and Best Practice Recommendations was not compulsory, this paper finds that the recommendation encouraged family and non-family firms to disclose more corporate governance information.

Practical implications

The findings from this research will help investors and regulators make more strategic decisions on investments and regulations respectively in family firms.

Originality/value

There has been limited empirical evidence on the disclosure practices and their determinants of family firms in Australia. The study will thus significantly contribute to the current knowledge in this regard.
Do biotechnology and health-care firms have poorer continuous disclosure practices as reflected in ASX queries?
Authors: Hsu Grace C.-M. , Clarkson Peter , Ouyang Annabelle X.
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether biotechnology and health-care firms in Australia have poorer continuous disclosure (CD) practices as reflected in Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) queries relative to other firms.

Design/methodology/approach

Univariate tests and multivariate logit regressions are used to examine whether the frequency and nature of ASX queries and firms’ replies to price queries differ between biotechnology/health-care firms and the control firms.

Findings

Results suggest that biotechnology/health-care firms are more likely to receive volume queries and ASX Listing Rule 4.10 queries. They are also more likely to respond to price queries with new information relative to the control firms. However, biotechnology/health-care firms do not otherwise have statistically significantly different CD practice compared to the control firms, as reflected by the frequency and attributes of various types of ASX queries and by the way firms reply to price queries.

Practical implications

Evidence from this study can help evaluate the adequacy and enforcement of CD requirements and the need for further improvement. Investors can also use the evidence to better understand the information risks associated with investment in the biotechnology/health-care industry.

Originality/value

Prior research has not used multivariate methods to examine biotechnology/health-care firms’ CD practice in Australia or to examine accounting determinants of different types of ASX queries and firms’ responses to price queries.
Principals’ leadership styles: the role of emotional intelligence and achievement motivation
Authors: Wirawan Hillman , Tamar Muhammad , Bellani Elvita
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) and achievement motivation (AM) on elementary school principals’ leadership styles. This study investigates the contribution of EI and AM on the two major leadership categories: the task-oriented and relationship-oriented leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a quantitative study with the implementation of correlation and hierarchical regression analysis. The surveys (i.e. EI scale, AM scale, leadership style questionnaire) were sent randomly to 280 elementary school principals in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and 90 of them completed the survey (mostly male=77.78 percent).

Findings

Principals’ EI significantly predicted both task-oriented and relationship-oriented leadership. In contrast, the principals’ AM yielded non-significant results in predicting both task-oriented and relationship-oriented leadership style. The results also suggested that the effect of EI on two major leadership styles (i.e. task- and relationship-orientation) outperformed the leader’s AM.

Research limitations/implications

This study did not consider the principals’ performance in the analysis. Future studies should also address this issue by considering leadership performance as well as different culture and context. On the other hand, the authors developed new measures rather than using preexisting measures. Although the measures have been constructed according to the scale construction principles and reached an acceptable standard, future research should advance the psychometric property of the scales.

Originality/value

This study discusses the effect of EI and AM on task- and relationship-orientation leadership. In addition, this study has also brought a new insight into understanding leadership styles in collective culture such as Indonesia.
Schools as learning organizations
Authors: Field Laurie
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the desirability and attainability of schools becoming learning organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a critical analysis based on a wide-ranging review of the “schools as learning organizations” literature.

Findings

The notion of learning organization applied to schools is fundamentally flawed. Most notably, schools as learning organizations are conceptualized in so many different ways that it is possible to claim almost anything; the political aspects of shared learning are inadequately handled; and poor quality scholarship is commonplace.

Practical implications

There are repeated claims in the educational improvement literature that that there are significant benefits for schools that become learning organizations and, as a result, school leaders should steer schools in this direction. However, this paper critically challenges these claims, concluding instead that schools and their leaders should ignore calls to become learning organizations.

Originality/value

Many scholars, together with agencies such as the OECD, have suggested that, for schools, the learning organization is both a desirable goal and an achievable endpoint. The value of this paper is that, for the first time, these claims are subjected to a comprehensive critical review, revealing them to be hollow rhetoric rather than attainable reality.
The influence of institutional and conductive aspects on entrepreneurial innovation
Authors: Arabiyat Talah S. , Mdanat Metri , Haffar Mohamed , Ghoneim Ahmad , Arabiyat Omar
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to improve understanding of how different aspects of the national institutional environment may influence the extent of innovative entrepreneurial activities across countries. Several institutional and conductive factors affecting a country’s capacity to support innovative entrepreneurship are explored.

Design/methodology/approach

Institutional theory is used to examine the national regulatory, normative, cognitive and conducive aspects that measure a country’s ability to support innovative entrepreneurship. A cross-national institutional profile is constructed to validate an entrepreneurial innovation model. The impacts of country-level national institutions on innovative entrepreneurial activity as measured by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data are assessed through structural equation modeling.

Findings

Knowledge about the influence of specific institutional aspects on innovative entrepreneurship, and hence of institutional structures within and across countries, is enhanced. For new innovative enterprises, conductive and regulatory aspects seem to matter most. All conductive factors have a significant and positive impact on entrepreneurial activity rates.

Research limitations/implications

Results could support policy makers and practitioners in evaluating government policies’ effects on innovative entrepreneurship. Interventions should target both individual attributes and context. Future research could include longitudinal designs to measure the direction of causality.

Practical implications

Aspects such as regulatory institutions, and conductive factors such as information communication technology use and technology adoption, are important for innovation entrepreneurship development.

Originality/value

The literature on institutional theory and innovative entrepreneurship is highly limited. This study complements growing interest in empirical analysis of the effects of national institutions on innovative entrepreneurial activities and substantiates previous empirical work.
Felt accountability: the role of personality and organizational factors
Authors: Dewi Regina Candra , Riantoputra Corina D.
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to employ the meso-level theory of felt accountability to investigate the relationships among positive affect, negative affect, perceived organizational support, organizational structure and felt accountability.

Design/methodology/approach

To avoid common method bias, this study employed a time-lag data collection technique in collecting data from 132 participants. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationships among the variables.

Findings

The results show a positive association between positive affect and perceived organizational support and felt accountability, whereas negative affect and organizational structure were negatively correlated with felt accountability, in that machine structures constraint the development of felt accountability.

Originality/value

This research advances the meso-level theory of felt accountability and social exchange frameworks by integrating personality and organizational factors influencing felt accountability, and demonstrating that that the tangible advantages offered by an organization are reciprocated by employees’ accountability.
The viability of recent enforcement mechanism to combat money laundering and financial terrorism (AML/CFT) in Nigeria
Authors: Nasir Maruf Adeniyi
Published: May 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate the recent steps and enforcement mechanisms employed in Nigeria to combat money laundering and terrorism financing to give a clear and deeper insight to the potential that it portends and locate its workability by combing through various policies that are adapted to reinforce the existing anti-money laundering/combating financing terrorism (AML/CFT) legal and regulatory framework in Nigeria. The paper, therefore, provides a comprehensive assessment of these measures to exhume necessary reinforcement elements required to achieve the desired result by exploring developments from other jurisdictions that have surpassed the country in the AML/CFT crusade.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted qualitative research methodology. It is structured in such a way that mixed qualitative methodology approach as a research strategy is employed. This is achieved by putting into use the combination of doctrinal and non-doctrinal research methods. Descriptive, interpretative and content analysis methods are used to analyse various AML/CFT government policies along with the existing AML/CFT laws. Judicial pronouncements, various scholarly opinions, along with the anti-money law (AML/CFT) within the Nigeria context are analysed in line with the 40 “Recommendations” of the Financial Action Task Force which depicts the acceptable legislative and regulatory precedent and an international standard to measure the adequacy or otherwise of any national or local laws on money laundering.

Findings

Factors that were militating against the effectiveness and positive performance of Nigeria government to combat money laundering-related matters were identified. A clear-cut amendment to the existing provisions of law that will address the issue is suggested to enhance the effectiveness and combat other similar challenges that are likely to come out of these policies, otherwise more problems would be created than could be solved.

Originality/value

This paper exposes deficiencies in the present mechanism adopted to combat money laundering in Nigeria and proffers necessary antidote to facilitate the effectiveness of the legislation. It provides necessary information that could facilitate amendments and new legislation(s) to curb the defects by the lawmakers and could serve as a veritable source of information to law students, legal practitioners and academia.
Anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism compliance
Authors: Mekpor Emmanuel Senanu
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how well countries comply with global anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regulations.

Design/methodology/approach

With the help of an AML/CFT compliance index composed by the author, this study is able to numerically quantify countries’ AML/CFT compliance levels. Countries were selected based on their membership with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), precisely members who have gone through at least one round mutual evaluation and have duly submitted a report to the task force. The AML/CFT index was composed by assigning numeric values to the individual country ratings across all 49 FATF recommendations contained in their mutual evaluation reports (MER).

Findings

Some notable findings include the yearly global level of AML/CFT compliance between the period 2004 and 2016, as well as compliance levels across continents for the same period. Compliance levels for the seven components of the FATF recommendations were also reported to help assess which set of recommendations countries comply with the most and why they do. It was also found that countries’ lack of compliance was as a result of high cost of compliance with FATF recommendations.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this study was a lack of high-frequency AML data of countries, especially less-developed countries.

Originality/value

The uniqueness of this paper lies in the fact that the AML/CFT compliance index constructed and used in the study is the first of its kind.
Determinants in the adoption of new automobile modular platforms
Authors: Lampón Jesús F. , Frigant Vincent , Cabanelas Pablo
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the key factors behind the adoption of new automobile modular platforms from the perspectives of product design, manufacturing network and production systems.

Design/methodology/approach

An in-depth and qualitative cross-case analysis of European manufacturing networks was performed based on the modular platforms of seven automobile manufacturers.

Findings

The adoption of modular platforms has changed automobile product architecture helping automobile manufacturers to improve their manufacturing network outputs. The results show that operational flexibility and scope and scale economies at manufacturing network level depend on the platform design – degree of modularity – and the manufacturer’s product and manufacturing network conditions. This new product architecture allows for the new production systems to be efficient in terms of flexibility and versatility without overinvestment.

Originality/value

The main contribution to the research literature is the combination of traditional product architecture with the manufacturing network approach to analyse the influence of product design on production systems, especially regarding the adoption of new automobile modular platforms.
Selective metallization of silicon and ceramic substrates
Authors: Kowalik Piotr , Wrobel Edyta , Mazurkiewicz Janusz
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the possibility of technology of chemical metallization for the production of electrodes and resistors based on Ni–P alloy on silicon (Si), alundum (Al2O3) and low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) substrates. The developed technology provides low cost in any form.

Design/methodology/approach

During the study monocrystalline Si plates and Al2O3 and LTCC substrates were used. On the surface of the substrates, the electrodes (resistors) by the electroless metallization were made. Subsequently, the electrical parameters of obtained structures were measured. Afterwards, trial soldering was made to demonstrate that the layer is fully soldered.

Findings

Optimal parameters of the metallization bath were specified. As a result of the research conducted, it has been stated that the most appropriate way leading to the production of soldered metal layers with good adhesion to the portion of selectively activated Si plate and Al2O3 and LTCC substrates comprises the following technology: masking, selective activation, nickel-plating of activated plate. Such obtained metal layers have a great variety of application; in particular they can be used for the preparation of electric contacts in Si solar cells, production of electrodes and resistors and production of electrodes in thermoelectric structures.

Originality/value

The paper presents a new, unpublished method of manufacturing electrodes (resistors) on Si plate and Al2O3 and LTCC substrates.