bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Daily Patterns of Foraging and Aggressive Behaviors in Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscallus mexicanus) at an Urban Patch with Availability or Absence of Resources
Authors: Rodrigo Alejandro , Ávila-Chauvet Laurent , Buriticá Jonathan
Published: June 2021

The Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) seems to take advantage of inhospitable environments such as cities. However, it is not yet fully understood how these birds exploit hostile environments to their advantage. Casual observation seems to suggest that this species can obtain resources of biological importance such as food or nesting material from the trash. As a first approach to the problem, we located a patch outside a residential building, in a high-density urban area, where the residents left their trash for pick-up, and a group of wild Great-tailed grackles was identified as regular visitors. In total, 25 days were recorded at the site (November 2017 - January 2018). Events such as foraging, number of subjects present at the foraging site, aggressive behaviors between members of the group, and their relation with the presence or absence of the garbage collector truck were registered. The results show a higher number of grackles at the observation site and a higher frequency of foraging behaviors in the presence of garbage collection than in its absence. In its presence, the distribution of foraging during the day follows a normal distribution. In the absence, the distribution shows more variability towards the day. The highest frequency of interactions occurred between two grackles, yet there were records of up to eight subjects. The highest number of aggressions registered took place in the absence of garbage collection than in its presence. Moreover, the focal subject exhibits fewer agonistic behaviors compared to other members of the group, a result expected if the producer-scrounger game literature is considered. The outcome is explained in terms of deprivation and availability of resources. Finally, we conclude that grackles can exploit hazardous environments such as cities due to the highly social behaviors exhibited during foraging.
Sequencing uracil in DNA at single-nucleotide resolution
Authors: Jiang Liudan , Yin Jiayong , Qian Maoxiang , Rong Shaoqin , Chen Kejing , Zhao Chengchen , Tan Yuanqing , Guo Jiayin , Chen Hao , Gao Siyun , Liu Tingting , Liu Yi , Shen Bin , Yang Jian , Zhang Yong , Meng Fei-Long , Hu Jinchuan , Ma Honghui , Chen Yi-Han
Published: June 2021

As an aberrant base in DNA, uracil is generated by dUMP misincorporation or cytosine deamination, and involved in multiple physiological and pathological processes. Current methods for whole-genome mapping of uracil all rely on uracil-DNA N-glycosylase (UNG) and are limited in resolution or specificity. Here, we present a UNG-independent Single-Nucleotide resolution Uracil Sequencing (SNU-seq) method utilizing the UdgX protein which specifically excises the uracil and forms a covalent bond with the resulting deoxyribose. SNU-seq was validated on synthetic DNA and applied to mammalian genomes. We found that the uracil content of pemetrexed-treated cells fluctuated along with DNA replication timing. We also accurately detected uracil introduced through cytosine deamination by the cytosine base editor (nCas9-APOBEC) and verified uracil occurrence in “WRC” motif within Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase (AID) hotspot regions in CSR-activated UNG−/− B cells.
The contribution of genetic and environmental effects to Bergmann’s rule and Allen’s rule in house mice
Authors: Ballinger Mallory A. , Nachman Michael W.
Published: June 2021

Distinguishing between genetic, environmental, and genotype-by-environment effects is central to understanding geographic variation in phenotypic clines. Two of the best-documented phenotypic clines are Bergmann’s rule and Allen’s rule, which describe larger body sizes and shortened extremities in colder climates, respectively. Although numerous studies have found inter- and intraspecific evidence for both ecogeographic patterns, we still have a poor understanding of the extent to which these patterns are driven by genetics, environment, or both. Here, we measured the genetic and environmental contributions to Bergmann’s rule and Allen’s rule across introduced populations of house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) in the Americas. First, we documented clines for body mass, tail length, and ear length in natural populations, and found that these conform to both Bergmann’s rule and Allen’s rule. We then raised descendants of wild-caught mice in the lab and showed that these differences persisted in a common environment and are heritable, indicating that they have a genetic basis. Finally, using a full-sib design, we reared mice under warm and cold conditions. We found very little plasticity associated with body size, suggesting that Bergmann’s rule has been shaped by strong directional selection in house mice. However, extremities showed considerable plasticity, as both tails and ears grew shorter in cold environments. These results indicate that adaptive phenotypic plasticity as well as genetic changes underlie major patterns of clinal variation in house mice and likely facilitated their rapid expansion into new environments across the Americas.
Iron-dependent mutualism between Chlorella sorokiniana and Ralstonia pickettii forms the basis for a sustainable bioremediation system
Authors: Rawat Deepak , Sharma Udita , Poria Pankaj , Finlan Arran , Parker Brenda , Sharma Radhey Shyam , Mishra Vandana
Published: June 2021

Mutualism between microalgae and bacteria is ubiquitous, but remains underexplored as a basis for biodegradation of anthropogenic pollutants. In industrial systems, poor iron uptake by microalgae limits growth, bioprocessing efficacy, and bioremediation potential. Iron supplementation is costly and ineffective because iron remains insoluble in aqueous medium and biologically unavailable. In aquatic environments, microalgae develop an association with bacteria that solubilize iron by production of siderophore, which increases the bioavailability of iron as a public good. Algae, in exchange, provides dissolved organic matter to bacteria to sustain such interkingdom associations. Therefore, using a case study of azo dye degradation, we combine environmental isolations and synthetic ecology as a workflow, establishing a microbial community to degrade industrially relevant Acid Black 1 dye. We create a mutualism between previously non-associated chlorophyte alga Chlorella sorokiniana and siderophore-producing bacterium Ralstonia pickettii, based on the eco-evolutionary principle of exchange of iron and carbon. This siderophore-mediated increased iron bioavailability increases reductive iron uptake, growth rate, and azoreductase-mediated dye degradation of microalga. In exchange, C. sorokiniana produces galactose, glucose, and mannose as major extracellular monosaccharides, supporting bacterial growth. We propose a mechanism whereby extracellular ferrireductase is crucial for azoreductase-mediated dye degradation in microalgae. Our work demonstrates that bioavailability of iron, which is often overlooked in industrial bio-designs, governs microalgal growth and enzymatic processes. Our results suggest that algal-bacterial consortia based on the active association are a self-sustainable mechanism to overcome existing challenges of micronutrient availability in bioremediation systems and their industrial translation.
Stem cell therapy for skin regeneration using mesenchymal stem cells derived from the progeroid Werner syndrome-specific iPS cells
Authors: Funayama Shinichiro , Kato Hisaya , Kaneko Hiyori , Kosaka Kentaro , Sawada Daisuke , Takada-Watanabe Aki , Minamizuka Takuya , Baba Yusuke , Koshizaka Masaya , Shimamoto Akira , Ouchi Yasuo , Iwama Atsushi , Endo Yusuke , Takayama Naoya , Eto Koji , Maezawa Yoshiro , Yokote Koutaro
Published: June 2021

Adult progeria, Werner syndrome (WS), is an autosomal recessive disorder that develops accelerated aging-associated symptoms after puberty. Refractory skin ulcer of limbs, which is one of the symptoms specific to WS, is seriously painful and sometimes results in amputation. In recent years, cell therapy using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been attracting attention; however, the effect of WS-derived MSCs on skin ulcers is still unclear. In this study, we generated iPS cells from a patient with WS and a normal subject, differentiated them into MSCs (WS- and NM-iMSC, respectively), and performed cell therapy to a refractory skin ulcer mouse model. As a result, WS-iMSC recapitulated premature senescence phenotypes in vitro. Upon subcutaneous injection around the wounds of mice, WS-iMSC was significantly inferior in wound healing effect compared to NM-iMSC. Proteome and transcriptome analysis revealed altered expression of genes related to angiogenesis, inflammation, and proliferation in WS-iMSC with remarkable downregulation of VEGF, a potent angiogenic factor. In addition, simultaneous administration of recombinant human VEGF and WS-iMSC improved the wound healing effect in vivo. These results indicate that the expression of angiogenic factors is reduced in WS-iMSC, and its supplementation restores the wound healing ability. This finding may pave the way to develop the treatment of intractable skin ulcers of WS.
Predicting drug targets by homology modelling of Pseudomonas aeruginosa proteins of unknown function
Authors: Babic Nikolina , Kovacic Filip
Published: June 2021

Efficacies of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections rapidly decline due to antibiotic resistance. This stimulated the development of novel antibiotics, but most attempts failed. As a response, the idea of mining uncharacterised genes of pathogens to identify potential targets for entirely new classes of antibiotics raised. Without knowing the biochemical function of a protein it is difficult to validate its potential for drug targeting; therefore progress in the functional characterisation of bacterial proteins of an unknown function must be accelerated. Here we present a paradigm for comprehensively predicting biochemical functions of a large set of proteins encoded by hypothetical genes in human pathogens, to identify candidate drug targets. A high-throughput approach based on homology modelling with ten templates per target protein was applied on the set of 2103 P. aeruginosa proteins encoded by hypothetical genes. Obtained >21000 homology modelling results and available biological and biochemical information about several thousand templates was scrutinised to predict the function of reliably modelled proteins of unknown function. This approach resulted in assigning, one or often multiple, putative functions to hundreds of enzymes, ligand-binding proteins and transporters. New biochemical functions were predicted for 41 proteins whose essential or virulence-related roles in P. aeruginosa were already experimentally demonstrated. Eleven of them were shortlisted as promising drug targets which participate in essential pathways (maintaining genome and cell wall integrity), virulence-related processes (adhesion, cell motility, host recognition) or antibiotic resistance, which are general drug targets. These proteins are conserved among other WHO priority pathogens but not in humans, therefore they represent high-potential targets for pre-clinical studies. These and many more biochemical functions assigned to uncharacterised proteins of P. aeruginosa, available as PaPUF database may guide the design of experimental screening of inhibitors which is a crucial step toward validation of the most potential targets for the development of novel drugs against P. aeruginosa and other high-priority pathogens.
The Fusarium graminearum transporters Abc1 and Abc6 are important for xenobiotic resistance, trichothecene accumulation, and virulence to wheat
Authors: O’Mara Sean P. , Broz Karen , Dong Yanhong , Kistler H. Corby
Published: June 2021

The plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum is the causal agent of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) disease on small grain cereals. F. graminearum produces trichothecene mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON) that are required for full virulence. DON must be exported outside the cell to cause FHB disease, a process that may require the involvement of membrane-bound transporters. In this study we how the deletion of membrane-bound transporters results in reduced DON accumulation as well as reduced FHB symptoms on wheat. Deletion of the ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter Abc1 results in the most severe reduction in DON accumulation and virulence. Deletion of another ABC transporter, Abc6, also reduces FHB symptoms to a lesser degree. Combining deletions fails to reduce DON accumulation or virulence in an additive fashion, even when including an Δabc1 deletion. Heterologous expression of F. graminearum transporters in a DON-sensitive strain of yeast confirms Abc1 as a major DON resistance mechanism. Yeast expression further indicates that multiple transporters, including Abc1 play an important role in resistance to the wheat phytoalexin 2-benzoxazolinone (BOA) and other xenobiotics. Thus, Abc1 may contribute to wheat virulence both by allowing export of DON and by providing resistance to the wheat phytoalexin BOA. This research provides useful information which may aid in designing novel management techniques of FHB or other destructive plant diseases.
Synthesis and crystal structure of poly[(3-amino-1,2,4-triazole)(μ3-1H-benzimidazole-5,6-dicarboxylato)cobalt(II)]
Authors: Zhao Chen , Li Yi , Xiao Jin-Sheng , Zhang Peng-Dan , Wu Xue-Qian , Chen Qiang
Published: June 2021

The asymmetric unit of the title coordination polymer, [Co(C9H4N2O4)(C2H4N4)]
n
or [Co(L
1)(L
2)]
n
, consists of one crystallographically independent Co2+ centre, one L
1
2− ligand and one L
2 ligand (L
1 = 1H-benzimidazole-5,6-dicarboxylic acid, L
2 = 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole). The Co2+ centre is coordinated by two carboxylato-O atoms from two independent L
1
2− ligands and two nitrogen atoms from L
2 and another L
1 ligand. Thus, the metal center adopts a four-coordinate mode, forming a tetrahedral geometry. Interestingly, through the combination of two L
1
2−, two L
2 ligands and two Co2+ ions, a basic repeating unit is constructed, resulting in the formation of a one-dimensional straight chain structure. These chains are further expanded to the final three-dimensional framework via N—H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions.
Graduate certificate in local development planning, land use management and disaster risk management: a knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) evaluation
Authors: Sarmiento Juan Pablo , Sarmiento Catalina , Hoberman Gabriela , Chabba Meenakshi
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study aims to assess knowledge retention of the graduates of the online graduate certificate on local development planning, land use management and disaster risk management (PDLOTGR, the abbreviation of the certificate's Spanish title). The certificate was offered to practitioners and faculty members of Latin American countries since 2016.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors reviewed the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) method to develop a specific approach, which included the preparation of a KAP survey, a composite KAP index and three sub-indices. The survey targeted two groups: (1) experimental group, composed of the certificate's 76 graduates, and (2) control group, comprised of 25 certificate's candidates, who had not yet undergone the training/intervention. The statistical analysis included a one-way multivariate analysis of variance to compare the mean scores on the KAP index and sub-indices for individuals in the experimental and control groups.

Findings

The study results showed significant differences in the knowledge sub-index between those who had completed the PDLOTGR training and those who had not, while the attitudes and practices sub-indices did not show significant differences. When using the KAP index, a statistically significant difference was also observed between the two groups.

Originality/value

Perceived knowledge assessment offers an acceptable and non-intimidating option for evaluating continuing education and professional development programs associated to disaster risk. It is particularly helpful in determining whether an intervention or program has a lasting impact. It is not, however, a substitute for direct knowledge assessment, and the use of other methods to evaluate the performance of a capacity building program's graduates.
A comparative analysis on digital libraries and academic search engines from the dual-route perspective
Authors: Cao Fenfang , Zhang Jinchao , Zha Xianjin , Liu Kunfeng , Yang Haijuan
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Digital libraries and academic search engines have developed as two important online scholarly information sources with different features. The purpose of this study is to compare digital libraries and academic search engines from the perspective of the dual-route model.

Design/methodology/approach

Research hypotheses were developed. Potential participants were recruited to answer an online survey distributing at Chinese social media out of which 251 responses were deemed to be valid and used for data analysis. The paired samples t-test was used to compare the means.

Findings

Both information quality (central route) and source credibility (peripheral route) of digital libraries are significantly higher than those of academic search engines, while there is no significant difference between digital libraries and academic search engines in terms of affinity (peripheral route).

Practical implications

In the digital information society, the important status of digital libraries as conventional information sources should be spread by necessary measures. Academic search engines can act as complementary online information sources for seeking academic information rather than the substitute for digital libraries. Practitioners of digital libraries should value the complementary role of academic search engines and encourage users to use academic search engines while emphasizing the importance of digital libraries as conventional information sources.

Originality/value

According to the dual-route model, this study compares digital libraries and academic search engines in terms of information quality, source credibility and affinity, which the authors believe presents a new lens for digital libraries research and practice alike.
Invisibility not invincibility: Pakistani women and the lack of career ascendance
Authors: Waqar Shaista , Hanif Rubina , Loh Jennifer
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of gender in the relationships between employee’s work experience and their chances of obtaining a job promotion.

Design/methodology/approach

Five hundred middle to lower management Pakistan employees from service industries were surveyed. Measures used to obtain data included work experience, job promotions and gender. Gender was dummy coded. Moderation analyses via SPSS was used to investigate the moderating effect of gender in the relationship between employee’s work experience and job promotions.

Findings

The results indicated that work experience was positively associated with job promotion. However, the results indicated that gender fully moderated the relationship between work experience and job promotion. Specifically, female employees were less likely to get promoted compared to male employees despite having similar work experiences.

Research limitations/implications

Drawing together the human capital theory, social role theory and cultural factors, this study highlighted the socioeconomic/cultural barriers’ impact on Pakistani women’s career ascendance.

Practical implications

There is a lack of empirical evidence about career ascendance among Pakistani women. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to conduct and provide empirical evidence so that relevant agencies within Pakistan can develop more gender-equitable promotional policies and processes.

Originality/value

This study responded to the call for more empirical investigation of career ascendancy among women in developing countries. While this issue has been discussed in many developed western countries, there is a lack of empirical evidence in Muslim Pakistan.
Intrinsic factors affecting online impulsive shopping during the COVID-19 in emerging markets
Authors: Lavuri Rambabu
Published: June 2021

Purpose

In an emerging market, understanding shoppers' behavior in an online market is essential to developing online retail strategies. This research study examines the effects of intrinsic factors, namely, perceived utilitarian, hedonic value, materialism, fashion interest and enjoyment, on impulsive online shopping with mediating role of trust and online shopping attitude in the Indian emerging market.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are collected from 443 Indian respondents, using purposive and snowball sampling. The data were analyzed using the IBM Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) package using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results showed that perceived utilitarian, hedonic value, materialism and enjoyment factors significantly impacted perceived trust and online shopping attitude, but fashion interest had no effect. Mediating factors positively impacted impulsive online shopping and showed a significant association between intrinsic factors and impulsive online shopping.

Research limitations/implications

The geographical area of study was limited to only India. Consequently, the findings and conclusions of the study had their limits. The research used the information continuum with a purposive and snowball approach that does not necessarily generalize the findings of the analysis. This work looked at factors stimulating the impulsive online shopping pattern of Indian shoppers in an emerging market.

Practical implications

This research would help e-retailers develop new strategies and plans to increase sales volume and create strong relationships with online customers by providing trustworthiness and security in buying practices.

Social implications

This study helps to understand the consumer impulsive buying during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and it helps e-retailers to adopt a new online store to draw the attention of the consumers and enhance their online sales.

Originality/value

In this COVID-19 situation, this study explores the inherent factors influencing impulsive online shopping in the emerging Indian market. As a result, it contributes to visual identity literature by expanding the field of impulsive online shopping behavior.
Food shopping, preparation and consumption practices in times of COVID-19: case of Lebanon
Authors: Ben Hassen Tarek , El Bilali Hamid , Allahyari Mohammad S. , Charbel Laurence
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Right after announcing the first cases, several governments worldwide have implemented stringent measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. This disruption in individuals' daily routines transformed food consumption habits. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on food consumption, diet and food shopping behaviors in Lebanon.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws upon an online survey in Lebanon administered in Arabic and English through the Survey Monkey platform in the period of July 15—August 5, 2020, with 201 adults. The survey findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a paired sample t-test and a Phi correlation test.

Findings

The research underlined numerous key consumer tendencies that are currently affecting diet and food behavior in Lebanon. Indeed, the study outcomes suggested (1) a move toward healthier diets; (2) a rise in the consumption of domestic products due to food safety concerns; (3) a change in the grocery shopping behaviors (with a rise in online shopping); (4) a surge of food stockpiling; and (5) a decrease in household food wastage. Surprisingly, COVID-19 seems to generate several positive changes toward more sustainable and healthier consumption patterns in Lebanon.

Research limitations/implications

These findings contribute to the clarification and critical analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 on food behaviors in Lebanon, which would have several policy implications.

Originality/value

The findings of this first study contribute to the clarification and critical analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 on food behaviors in Lebanon, which would have several policy implications.
The embeddedness of sustainability in real estate investment decision-making
Authors: Jackson Cath , Orr Allison
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The importance of real estate’s sustainability rating has increased significantly. Studies undertaken in 2007 and 2016 show that, at acquisition, the rating rose from 7th to 3rd most important attribute. This shift in priorities parallels the RICS embracing the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact (RICS, 2015). However, while sustainability value premia appear common in some international markets, the picture is mixed and drivers and mechanisms lack empirical investigation. The literature reveals potential barriers to investors fulfilling both sustainability and financial objectives. The purpose of this study is explore these potential barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

Focus groups with real estate fund managers, sustainability managers and acquisitions surveyors are undertaken to explore the adoption and implementation of environmental sustainability policies. This reveals a series of barriers to implementation and these are then explored in greater depth through a series of interviews with fund managers. This layered, qualitative approach is designed to provide detailed knowledge of practical and conceptual sustainability issues within the UK real estate market.

Findings

Key drivers underpinning the adoption of sustainability policies are revealed and barriers to implementation are found to relate to data on investment performance, valuation methodologies and prohibitive capex. Further, the heterogeneous, opaque and slow-moving nature of the market is prohibitive and intervention is encouraged to overcome the lack of financial viability that hinders improvements.

Originality/value

Research is dominated by highly aggregated quantitative data on sustainability within commercial real estate markets. The qualitative approach used here adds new insights and value to the understanding of the embeddedness of sustainability in real estate investment decision-making.
From family business orientation to organisational citizenship behaviour: prosocial behaviour in family business performance
Authors: Pratono Aluisius Hery , Han Ling
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This article seeks to understand the role of prosocial behaviour and moral obligation in family business to explain the indirect relationship between family business orientation and citizenship behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes a model to examine the role of moral obligation and prosocial behaviour in such a relationship to understand a link between family orientation and organisational citizenship behaviour. The authors provide empirical evidence to test the hypothesis by conducting an online survey of family business behaviour in the Indonesia context.

Findings

The family business orientation has a significant impact on citizenship behaviour, while prosocial behaviour and moral obligation offer an additional contribution. The results suggest that family business performance demonstrates how a family that owns the business sets the social purposes from various performance alternatives beyond profit, such as family orientation, prosocial behaviour, moral obligation and organisational citizenship behaviour.

Originality/value

This study extends the agency and stewardship theory by examining how family business performance becomes different from other firm performance where the mainstream of economic theory argues that the business attempts to maximise profit for the stakeholders. The findings suggest that incorporating the theory of social practice in family business enhances the concept of prosocial behaviour in family business value.
Psychologists as expert witnesses: survey results from the expert witness advisory group (EWAG)
Authors: Craig Leam A.
Published: June 2021

Purpose

In January 2013, new court procedure rules were introduced in England and Wales, which resulted in significant changes to the instruction of expert witness psychologists (EWPsychs). This study aims to build on the results of previous survey studies of psychologists working as expert witnesses in identifying the current challenges faced by EWPsychs.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a mixed-methods design, a sample 58 practicing psychologist expert witnesses were surveyed, and qualitative data was analysed using a thematic analysis approach.

Findings

Six overarching themes emerged from the online survey data: training and knowledge, changes to procedure rules and Legal Aid Authority fees, quality of reports, pressures to change opinion, conflict with EWPsychs and expert witness feedback. Over a third of psychologists working as expert witness have not received specific expert witness training, with a quarter of respondents indicating that the capped legal aid fees are a determining factor in whether they accept instruction as an expert witness, and almost two-third of respondents believing that the legal aid rates do not accurately reflect the work that they do.

Practical implications

There is clear demand for high-quality EWPsychs and a need to develop expert witness training programmes and guidance documents to better support the next generation of EWPsychs.

Originality/value

These results inform existing policy, clinical practice and guidance documents in supporting psychologists working as expert witnesses.
The impacts of Shariah-compliant hotel attributes on Muslim travellers revisit intention: religiosity as a moderator
Authors: Sulaiman Zaidatul Akma , Iranmanesh Mohammad , Foroughi Behzad , Rosly Othman
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the impact of Shariah-compliant hotel attributes on Muslim travellers’ revisit intention.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 361 Muslim travellers who have stayed at Shariah-compliant hotels in the previous 12 months were recruited to take part in this research. The hypothesized research model was assessed using the partial least squares (PLS) approach.

Findings

The analysis revealed that Muslim travellers’ revisit intention is dependent on the halal food and beverages and the provision of Shariah-compliant facilities at the hotel, whereas the Shariah-compliant operation and interior design of hotels are not significantly associated with it. The findings also uncovered that religiosity moderates the impacts of Shariah-compliant facilities and interior design on travellers’ revisit intention.

Practical implications

Guidelines to offer services that meet Muslim travellers’ needs can be developed based on the results of this study to help Shariah-compliant hotel marketers attract and retain more customers.

Originality/value

The findings of this study have provided insights into the importance of halal attributes and practices in retaining Muslim customers at Shariah-compliant hotels.
Performances of liquidity factors in the stock market cycle: evidence from the Tokyo Stock Exchange
Authors: Zhong Xin
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the performances of liquidity factors in the stock market cycle. It aims to investigate whether the contribution of liquidity factors changes with stock market trends.

Design/methodology/approach

Six liquidity proxies and two-factor construction methods are compared in this study. The spanning regression method was applied to examine the contribution of liquidity factors to the asset pricing model, while the Fama and MacBeth regression method was used for examining the pricing power of liquidity factors.

Findings

The result shows that liquidity factors are accretive to models explaining returns in bull markets but not accretive to models in bear markets. The most appropriate method of constructing liquidity factors in the Japanese stock market has also been clarified.

Originality/value

In the Japanese stock market, there has never been a comprehensive test of the role of the liquidity risk factor in different market trends using the long-run data. This study helps with identifying the importance of liquidity pricing risk in different market trends. It also fills the gaps by comparing liquidity factors that are constructed through different methods and proxies and provides evidence for further confirming the correct asset pricing model in the future.
Finding the One: Ease of Candidate Choices in High Information Open‐List PR Systems
Authors: Järvi Theodora , Mattila Mikko , von Schoultz Åsa
Published: June 2021

Vote choice in an open‐list proportional representation (OLPR) electoral system can be considered a complex process. In systems where votes are cast for individual candidates the choice is complicated by the large number of candidates, the two layers of competition involving both individual candidates and parties, and the amount of information required to make an informed choice. Hence, voters are expected to apply strategies to narrow down the pool of candidates from which the actual choice is made, that is, to create a delimited consideration set using cognitive heuristics. The types of strategies that facilitate voters' candidate choice are studied. More specifically, the voters' perceptions of the ease with which they choose their candidate and how this is related to three decision‐making patterns are studied: the party‐centric, in which the voter looks for party‐related and ideological cues; the socio‐normative, in which the voter considers their social in‐group; and the candidate‐related, in which the voter puts emphasis on specific features of the candidates, such as political experience, age and gender. Our study is situated in the Finnish OLPR system, characterized by many candidates, intense intra‐party competition and mandatory preferential voting. Using data from the 2019 Finnish National Election Study and ordinal probit selection models, the mechanisms that facilitate the ease of candidate choice are outlined. Our findings suggest that voters feeling close to a political party and knowing the candidate personally or through friends or family perceive their candidate choice as easier.
Editorial
Authors: Chien Patrick
Published: June 2021

Deputy Editor‐in‐Chief, Dr Patrick Chien, discusses his top articles from this issue in an audio podcast available at: https://soundcloud.com/bjog/July-editorial-2021
Metabolic risk factors among prediabetic individuals and the trajectory toward the diabetes incidence
Authors: Ahmadi Nooshin , Valizadeh Majid , Hadaegh Farzad , Mahdavi Maryam , Tasdighi Erfan , Azizi Fereidoun , Khalili Davood
Published: June 2021

Background

This study investigates the trajectory of the risk factors of prediabetes progression to overt diabetes.

Methods

The study retrospectively investigated 1610 prediabetic individuals. The trajectory of metabolic indicators was investigated using the generalized estimated equation method with autoregressive working correlation structure through a linear model with the identity link function.

Results

During 15 years of follow‐up, the trajectories of metabolic risk factors changed from 3 years before diabetes occurrence for fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2‐hour plasma glucose (2hPG), 6 years for waist circumference (WC), 9 years for high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), and earlier for body mass index, triglyceride (TG), and TG:HDL ratio. It was shown that the differences in the trajectory of WC and HDL were stable after adjustment for other metabolic risk factors. The trajectories of FPG and 2hPG remained stable after considering multiple insulin resistance markers.

Conclusions

Deterioration of metabolic risk factor status can be a predictor of diabetes many years before its occurrence, but the abrupt change in plasma glucose is evident 3 years before diabetes mellitus onset. It seems that the HDL‐C and WC trajectories are two independent predictors for diabetes incidence. It was also found that when the rising trend in plasma glucose starts, preventive strategies to lessen insulin resistance might not be efficient.
C/EBP homologous protein deficiency enhances hematopoietic stem cell function via reducing ATF3/ROS‐induced cell apoptosis
Authors: Shi Zhencan , Diao Daojun , Zhao Yanan , Luo Ying , Li Yafei , Liu Dingdong , Zhang Kai , Qiu Yugang , Yu Li , Song Zhangfa , Ju Zhenyu
Published: June 2021

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reside in a quiescent niche to reserve their capacity of self‐renewal. Upon hematopoietic injuries, HSCs enter the cell cycle and encounter protein homeostasis problems caused by accumulation of misfolded proteins. However, the mechanism by which protein homeostasis influences HSC function and maintenance remains poorly understood. Here, we show that C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), demonstrated previously to induces cell death upon unfolded protein response (UPR), plays an important role in HSCs regeneration. CHOP−/− mice showed normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell frequencies in steady state. However, when treated with 5‐FU, CHOP deficiency resulted in higher survival rates, associated with an increased number of HSCs and reduced level of apoptosis. In serial competitive transplantation experiments, CHOP−/− HSCs showed a dramatic enhancement of repopulation ability and a reduction of protein aggresomes. Mechanistically, CHOP deletion causes reduced ATF3 expression and further leads to decreased protein aggregation and ROS. In addition, CHOP−/− HSCs exhibited an increased resistance to IR‐induced DNA damage and improved HSCs homeostasis and function in telomere dysfunctional (G3Terc−/−) mice. In summary, these findings disclose a new role of CHOP in the regulation of the HSCs function and homeostasis through reducing ATF3 and ROS signaling.
Clinical trials of germline gene editing: The exploitation problem
Authors: Malmqvist Erik
Published: June 2021

The birth of the world’s first genetically edited babies in 2018 provoked considerable ethical outrage. Nonetheless, many scientists and bioethicists now advocate the pursuit of clinical uses of human germline gene editing. Progress towards this goal will require research, including clinical trials where genetically edited embryos are implanted into a woman’s uterus, gestated, and brought to term. This paper argues that such trials would likely conflict with the fundamental research ethical requirement of non‐exploitation. This is because they would expose people who are in a vulnerable situation to risks and burdens that are substantial and not obviously offset by compensating benefits. I consider how the potential for exploitation in such trials might be mitigated, arguing that a feasible and justifiable approach is not easily found. If this analysis is correct, there is a significant ethical obstacle on the path towards clinical use of human germline gene editing.
Perspectives for therapy of treatment‐resistant depression
Authors: Papp Mariusz , Cubała Wiesław Jerzy , Swiecicki Lukasz , Newman‐Tancredi Adrian , Willner Paul
Published: June 2021

A high proportion of depressed patients fail to respond to antidepressant drug treatment. Treatment‐resistant depression (TRD) is a major challenge for the psychopharmacology of mood disorders. Only in the past decade have novel treatments, including deep brain stimulation (DBS) and ketamine, been discovered that provide rapid and sometimes prolonged relief to a high proportion of TRD sufferers. In this review, we consider the current status of TRD from four perspectives: the challenge of developing an appropriate regulatory framework for novel rapidly acting antidepressants; the efficacy of non‐pharmacological somatic therapies; the development of an animal model of TRD and its use to understand the neural basis of antidepressant non‐response; and the potential for rapid antidepressant action from targets (such as 5‐HT1A receptors) beyond the glutamate receptor.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed issue on New discoveries and perspectives in mental and pain disorders. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v179.17/issuetoc
Early implant placement with or without alveolar ridge preservation in single tooth gaps renders similar esthetic, clinical and patient‐reported outcome measures: One‐year results of a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Jonker Brend P. , Strauss Franz J. , Naenni Nadja , Jung Ronald E. , Wolvius Eppo B. , Pijpe Justin
Published: June 2021

Objectives

To test whether early implant placement with alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) results in different esthetic, clinical and patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs) compared with early implant placement without ARP.

Material and methods

Seventy‐five patients requiring single tooth extraction in the anterior maxilla were recruited. Following tooth extraction, the patients were randomly allocated to three groups: (a) ARP using demineralized bovine bone mineral containing 10% collagen (DBBM‐C) covered by a collagen matrix (CM) (n = 25), (b) ARP using DBBM‐C covered with a palatal graft (PG) (n = 25) and (c) spontaneous healing (control) (n = 25). Eight weeks after tooth extraction, a CBCT was taken and early implant placement was performed in all patients. Esthetic, clinical and PROMs were evaluated one year post‐loading.

Results

A total of 70 patients were available for re‐examination at one year post‐loading. The median mid‐facial mucosal margin change amounted to −0.02 mm (IQR −0.27–0.46) in the CM group, −0.13 mm (IQR −0.44–0.25) in the PG group and −0.14 mm (IQR −0.29–0.07) in the control group, with no significant differences between the groups. Mean PES scores amounted to 7.0 ± 1.4 in the CM group, 7.1 ± 1.5 in the PG group and 7.3 ± 1.7 in the control group without significant differences between the groups. Plaque, bleeding on probing and probing depth did not differ between treatment groups. PROMs in general revealed no significant differences between the groups.

Conclusion

Early implant placement with ARP using either a collagen matrix or a palatal graft rendered similar esthetic, clinical and PROMs to early implant placement without ARP. When a failing tooth can be replaced with an implant within 2 months after tooth extraction, the added value of ARP might be clinically negligible.
Politics as Negotiation: Changing Caste Norms in Rural India
Authors: Maiorano Diego , Thapar‐Björkert Suruchi , Blomkvist Hans
Published: June 2021

This article analyses processes of social change in rural India through an ethnographic analysis of everyday politics in two Indian states, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Its main argument is that even if overt resistance or ‘noisy’ collective action by the poor is rarely seen, a great deal of social change is occurring through a subtle ‘politics of negotiation’ whereby poor, low‐caste agricultural labourers are questioning social norms that underpin their oppression. These negotiations are structured around labour relations and caste norms, which are so inextricably intertwined that a modification of one set of ‘rules’ necessarily has an impact on the other. The processes of democratization, the erosion of patron–client relations, the spread of education, an enduring agrarian crisis aggravated by climate change and the availability of alternative employment opportunities for the poor are chipping away at the dominance of India's rural elite. This continuous negotiating process between the (upper‐caste) landed elite and the (lower‐caste) labouring classes is non‐confrontational and while it would be ambitious to suggest that it overturns the existing power relations, it nonetheless challenges and modifies them in a way that results in progressive social change.
‘Risky Data’ for Inclusive Microinsurance Infrastructures
Authors: Schuster Caroline E.
Published: June 2021

The recent enthusiasm for ‘big data’ (Data for Development, D4D) highlights the increasing interpenetration of public social policy and data from private technology firms. This article examines the process in reverse, whereby public information systems become the basis for increasing financial intermediation. Drawing on ethnographic research on Paraguayan microinsurance programmes, this article describes the broader mandate of ‘financial inclusion’ embedded in the suite of banking services that support the state's conditional cash transfer welfare initiative, Tekoporã. The article analyses the process by which inclusive insurance infrastructures are built and maintained as an opportunity to critique the political economy of data production that supports financialization. The concept of ‘risky data’ describes not only the way that the social lives and relations of the poor are quantified and converted into financial knowledge, but also the way that the urgent new mandate to produce such data further exposes public policy and state institutions to new risks to their legitimacy. The Paraguayan case exemplifies the key mechanism of ‘risky data’ for inclusive infrastructures: the extraction of financial value and speculative profits from state‐led investment in a public resource, which amplifies the risks of both service denial and data surveillance.
Neurodevelopmental outcomes in children exposed to newer antiseizure medications: A systematic review
Authors: Knight Rebecca , Wittkowski Anja , Bromley Rebecca Louise
Published: June 2021

As prenatal exposure to certain older antiseizure medications (ASMs) has been linked with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes in children, the use of newer ASMs throughout pregnancy has increased. The current review aimed to delineate the impact of in utero exposure to these newer ASMs on child neurodevelopment. A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Plus, and PsycINFO was conducted, limiting results to articles available in English and published after the year 2000. Studies investigating neurodevelopmental outcomes following in utero exposure to the following ASMs were eligible for inclusion in the review: eslicarbazepine, gabapentin, lacosamide, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, perampanel, topiramate, and zonisamide. Thirty‐five publications were identified, and a narrative synthesis was undertaken. Methodological quality was variable, with distinct patterns of strengths/weaknesses attributable to design. Most studies examined lamotrigine exposure and reported nonsignificant effects on child neurodevelopment. Comparatively fewer high‐quality studies were available for levetiracetam, limiting conclusions regarding findings to date. Data for topiramate, gabapentin, and oxcarbazepine were so limited that firm conclusions could not be drawn. Concerningly, no studies investigated eslicarbazepine, lacosamide, perampanel, or zonisamide. Exposure to certain newer ASMs, such as lamotrigine and levetiracetam, does not thus far appear to impact certain aspects of neurodevelopment, but further delineation across the different neurodevelopmental domains and dosage levels is required. A lack of data cannot be inferred to represent safety of newer ASMs, which are yet to be investigated.
Flotation costs of seasoned equity offerings: Does corporate social responsibility matter?
Authors: Li Zhe , Wang Ping
Published: June 2021

This paper investigates the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on flotation costs in seasoned equity offerings (SEOs). On the basis of an international sample covering 38 countries during the period 2002–2018, we find that CSR performance is negatively associated with SEO flotation costs and this negative impact is mainly attributable to issuers' engagement in CSR, particularly in environmental and social activities. We further reveal that the CSR strategies of SEO issuers are successful in reducing market‐based costs as well. Overall, this paper offers critical insights for understanding the role of stakeholder‐oriented practices in adding value to shareholders through equity offerings.