bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonspecific membrane interactions can modulate BK channel activation
Authors: Yazdani Mahdieh , Zhang Guohui , Jia Zhiguang , Shi Jingyi , Cui Jianmin , Chen Jianhan
Published: February 2020

Large-conductance potassium (BK) channels are transmembrane (TM) proteins that can be synergistically and independently activated by membrane voltage and intracellular Ca2+. The only covalent connection between the cytosolic Ca2+sensing domain and the TM pore and voltage sensing domains is a 15-residue "C-linker". To determine the linker's role in BK activation, we designed a series of linker sequence scrambling mutants to suppress potential complex interplay of specific interactions with the rest of the protein. The results revealed a surprising sensitivity of BK activation to the linker sequence. Combing atomistic simulations and further mutagenesis experiments, we demonstrated that nonspecific interactions of the linker with membrane alone could directly modulate BK activation. The C-linker thus plays more direct roles in mediating allosteric coupling between BK domains than previously assumed. Our results also suggest that covalent linkers could directly modulate TM protein function and should be considered an integral component of the sensing apparatus.
Prediction of meiosis-essential genes based on dynamic proteomes responsive to spermatogenesis
Authors: Fang Kailun , Li Qidan , Wei Yu , Shen Jiaqi , Guo Wenhui , Zhou Changyang , Wu Ruoxi , Ying Wenqin , Yu Lu , Zi Jin , Zhang Yuxing , Yang Hui , Liu Siqi , Chen Charlie Degui
Published: February 2020

Mammalian meiosis is a specific cell division process during sexual reproduction, whereas a comprehensive proteome of the different meiotic stages has not been systematically investigated. Here, we isolated different types of spermatocytes from the testes of spermatogenesis-synchronized mice and quantified the corresponding proteomes with high-resolution mass spectrometry. A total of 8,002 proteins were identified in nine types of germ cells, and the protein signatures of spermatogenesis were characterized using the dynamic proteomes. A supervised machine learning package, FuncProFinder, was developed to predict meiosis-essential candidate genes based on changes in their protein abundance. Of the candidates without functional annotation, four of the ten genes with the highest prediction scores,Zcwpw1, Tesmin, 1700102P08Rik, andKctd19, were validated as meiosis-essential genes using knockout mouse models. The proteomic analysis of spermatogenic cells provides a solid foundation for studying the mechanism of mammalian meiosis.
Depletion of nuclear pore protein NUP210 suppresses metastasis through heterochromatin-mediated disruption of tumor cell mechanical response
Authors: Amin Ruhul , Shukla Anjali , Zhu Jacqueline Jufen , Kim Sohyoung , Wang Ping , Tian Simon Zhongyuan , Tran Andy D. , Paul Debasish , Cappell Steven D. , Burkett Sandra , Liu Huaitian , Lee Maxwell P. , Kruhlak Michael J. , Dwyer Jennifer E. , Simpson R. Mark , Hager Gordon L. , Ruan Yijun , Hunter Kent W.
Published: February 2020

Mechanical signals from the extracellular microenvironment have been implicated in tumor and metastatic progression. Here, we identified nucleoporinNUP210as a metastasis susceptibility gene for human estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer and a cellular mechanosensor.Nup210depletion suppresses lung metastasis in mouse models of breast cancer. Mechanistically, NUP210 interacts with LINC complex protein SUN2 which connects the nucleus to the cytoskeleton. In addition, the NUP210/SUN2 complex interacts with chromatin via the short isoform of BRD4 and histone H3.1/H3.2 at the nuclear periphery. InNup210knockout cells, mechanosensitive genes accumulate H3K27me3 heterochromatin modification, mediated by the polycomb repressive complex 2 and differentially reposition within the nucleus. Transcriptional repression inNup210knockout cells results in defective mechanotransduction and focal adhesion necessary for their metastatic capacity. Our study provides a new insight into the role of nuclear pore protein in cellular mechanosensation and metastasis.
The metal binding site composition of the cation diffusion facilitator protein MamM cytoplasmic domain impacts its metal responsivity
Authors: Barber-Zucker Shiran , Shahar Anat , Kolusheva Sofiya , Zarivach Raz
Published: February 2020

The cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) is a conserved family of divalent d-block metal cation transporters that extrude these cations selectively from the cytoplasm. CDF proteins are composed of two domains: the transmembrane domain, through which the cations are transported, and a regulatory cytoplasmic C-terminal domain (CTD). Metal binding to the CTD leads to its tighter conformation, and this sequentially promotes conformational change of the transmembrane domain which allows the actual transport of specific metal cations. It was recently shown that the magnetotactic bacterial CDF protein MamM CTD has a role in metal selectivity, as binding of different metal cations exhibits distinctive affinities and conformations. It is yet unclear whether the composition of the CTD binding sites can impact metal selectivity. Here we performed a mutational study of MamM CTD, where we exchanged the metal binding residues with different metal-binding amino acids. Using X-ray crystallography and Trp-fluorescence spectrometry, we studied the impact of the mutations on the CTD conformation in the presence of different metals. Our results reveal that the incorporation of such mutations alters the domain response to metalsin vitro, as mutant forms of the CTD bind metals differently in terms of the composition of the binding sites and the CTD conformation.

Coordinates

MamM CTD structures have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under the following accession codes: 6H5V, 6H5M, 6H5U, 6H8G, 6HAO, 6H88, 6H87, 6H8A, 6H89, 6H8D, 6H5K, 6H9Q, 6H84, 6H83, 6HA2, 6H8I, 6H9T, 6H81, 6HAN, 6H85, 6H9P, 6HHS.
Native ribonucleases process sgRNA transcripts to create catalytic Cas9/sgRNA complexes in planta
Authors: Cody Will B , Scholthof Herman B.
Published: February 2020

The current CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing dogma for single guide RNAs (sgRNA) delivery is based on the premise that 5′ and 3′ nucleotide overhangs negate Cas9/sgRNA catalytic activity in vivo. This has led to engineering strategies designed to either avoid or remove extraneous nucleotides on the 5′ and 3′ termini. Previously, we used a Tobacco mosaic virus viral vector to express both GFP and a sgRNA from a single virus-derived mRNA in Nicotiana benthamiana. This vector yielded high levels of GFP and catalytically active sgRNAs. Here, in an effort to understand the biochemical interactions of this result, we used in vitro assays to demonstrate that nucleotide overhangs 5′, but not 3′, proximal to the sgRNA do in fact inactivate Cas9 catalytic activity at the specified target site. Next we showed that in planta sgRNAs bound to Cas9 are devoid of the expected 5′ overhangs transcribed by the virus. Furthermore, when a plant nuclear promoter was used for expression of the GFP-sgRNA fusion transcript it also produced indels when delivered with Cas9. These results reveal that 5′ "auto-processing" of progenitor sgRNAs occurs natively in plants. Towards a possible mechanism for the perceived "auto-processing", we found, using in vitro generated RNAs and those isolated from plants, that the 5′ to 3′ exoribonuclease XRN1 can degrade elongated progenitor sgRNAs whereas the mature sgRNA end-products are resistant. Comparisons with other studies suggest that sgRNA "auto-processing" may be a phenomenon not unique to plants, but other eukaryotes as well.
PARP and PARG inhibitors in cancer treatment
Authors: Slade Dea
Published: February 2020

Oxidative and replication stress underlie genomic instability of cancer cells. Amplifying genomic instability through radiotherapy and chemotherapy has been a powerful but nonselective means of killing cancer cells. Precision medicine has revolutionized cancer therapy by putting forth the concept of selective targeting of cancer cells. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors represent a successful example of precision medicine as the first drugs targeting DNA damage response to have entered the clinic. PARP inhibitors act through synthetic lethality with mutations in DNA repair genes and were approved for the treatment of BRCA mutated ovarian and breast cancer. PARP inhibitors destabilize replication forks through PARP DNA entrapment and induce cell death through replication stress-induced mitotic catastrophe. Inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) exploit and exacerbate replication deficiencies of cancer cells and may complement PARP inhibitors in targeting a broad range of cancer types with different sources of genomic instability. Here I provide an overview of the molecular mechanisms and cellular consequences of PARP and PARG inhibition. I highlight clinical performance of four PARP inhibitors used in cancer therapy (olaparib, rucaparib, niraparib, and talazoparib) and discuss the predictive biomarkers of inhibitor sensitivity, mechanisms of resistance as well as the means of overcoming them through combination therapy.
(ADP-ribosyl)hydrolases: structure, function, and biology
Authors: Rack Johannes Gregor Matthias , Palazzo Luca , Ahel Ivan
Published: February 2020

ADP-ribosylation is an intricate and versatile posttranslational modification involved in the regulation of a vast variety of cellular processes in all kingdoms of life. Its complexity derives from the varied range of different chemical linkages, including to several amino acid side chains as well as nucleic acids termini and bases, it can adopt. In this review, we provide an overview of the different families of (ADP-ribosyl)hydrolases. We discuss their molecular functions, physiological roles, and influence on human health and disease. Together, the accumulated data support the increasingly compelling view that (ADP-ribosyl)hydrolases are a vital element within ADP-ribosyl signaling pathways and they hold the potential for novel therapeutic approaches as well as a deeper understanding of ADP-ribosylation as a whole.
Crystal structure of imidazo[1,5-a]pyridinium-based hybrid salt (C13H12N3)2[MnCl4]
Authors: Vassilyeva Olga Yu. , Buvaylo Elena A. , Kokozay Vladimir N. , Petrusenko Svitlana R. , Melnyk Andrii K. , Skelton Brian W.
Published: February 2020

A new organic–inorganic hybrid salt [L]2[MnCl4] (I) where L
+ is the 2-methyl-3-(pyridin-2-yl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyridinium cation, is built of discrete organic cations and tetrachloridomanganate(II) anions. The L
+ cation was formed in situ in the oxidative cyclocondensation of 2-pyridinecarbaldehyde and CH3NH2·HCl in methanol. The structure was refined as a two-component twin using PLATON (Spek, 2020) to de-twin the data. The twin law (−1 0 0 0 − 1 0 0.5 0 1) was applied in the refinement where the twin component fraction refined to 0.155 (1). The compound crystallizes in the space group P21/c with two crystallographically non-equivalent cations in the asymmetric unit, which possess similar structural conformations. The fused pyridinium and imidazolium rings of the cations are virtually coplanar [dihedral angles are 0.89 (18) and 0.78 (17)°]; the pendant pyridyl rings are twisted by 36.83 (14) and 36.14 (13)° with respect to the planes of the remaining atoms of the cations. The tetrahedral MnCl4
2– anion is slightly distorted with the Mn—Cl distances falling in the range 2.3469 (10)–2.3941 (9) Å. The distortion value of 0.044 relative to the ideal tetrahedron was obtained by continuous shape measurement (CShM) analysis. In the crystal, the cations and anions form separate stacks propagating along the a-axis direction. The organic cations display weak π–π stacking. The anions, which are stacked identically one above the other, demonstrate loose packing; the minimum Mn...Mn separation in the cation stack is approximately 7.49 Å. The investigation of the fluorescent properties of a powdered sample of (I) showed no emission. X-band EPR data for (I) at 293 and 77 K revealed broad fine structure signals, indicating moderate zero-field splitting.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of the methanol solvate of sclareol, a labdane-type diterpenoid
Authors: Bibi Memoona , Choudhary M. Iqbal , Yousuf Sammer
Published: February 2020

The title compound, C20H36O2·CH3OH [systematic name: (3S)-4-[(S)-3-hydroxy-3-methylpent-4-en-1-yl]-3,4a,8,8-tetramethyldecahydronaphthalen-3-ol methanol monosolvate], is a methanol solvate of sclareol, a diterpene oil isolated from the medicinally important medicinal herb Salvia sclarea, commonly known as clary sage. It crystallizes in space group P1 (No. 1) with Z′ = 2. The sclareol molecule comprises two trans-fused cyclohexane rings, each having an equatorially oriented hydroxyl group, and a 3-methylpent-1-en-3-ol side chain. In the crystal, Os—H...Os, Os—H...Om, Om—H...Os and Om—H...Om (s = sclareol, m = methanol) hydrogen bonds connect neighboring molecules into infinite [010] chains. The title compound exhibits weak anti-leishmanial activity (IC50 = 66.4 ± 1.0 µM ml−1) against standard miltefosine (IC50 = 25.8 ± 0.2 µM ml−1).
Corporate governance and stock liquidity: evidence from a speculative market
Authors: Biswas Pallab Kumar
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Grounded in lemon market theory, this paper aims to examine the influence of corporate governance (CG) on stock market liquidity in Bangladesh, where stock market manipulation because of speculative trading is a common concern.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a sample of 2,420 firm-year observations covering all non-financial firms in Bangladesh from 1996 to 2011.

Findings

This study’s results show a significant relationship between governance and liquidity within firms over time. In particular, within firms, when governance quality increases, liquidity significantly improves. For instance, a rise in the governance quality by one standard deviation decreases the illiquidity ratio by 55.97%. The results are unlikely to be confounded by endogeneity.

Practical implications

The results have important policy implications for security regulators, investors, traders and managers. The results support the current regulatory trend of strengthening CG practices in the listed firms in Bangladesh.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the understanding of the role of effective firm-level CG on stock liquidity in the context of an emerging country. Consistent with prior research mostly conducted in the advanced economies, it provides further empirical support that higher CG quality reduces the information asymmetry problem and enhances stock liquidity even in a speculative market.
Facing failure
Authors: Beatson Nicola , Berg David , Smith Jeffrey K.
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate failure in an introductory accounting course. Failure rates are often hard to explain and have a cost to both the individual and to the university. This paper offers insight into this complex matter.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses data gathered from a survey instrument on self-efficacy beliefs and personal written reflections from students who had previously failed the introductory accounting course to diagnose why students may have failed.

Findings

The key finding in this paper is that students are individuals and there can be multiple reasons for failure.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation in this paper is the sample size of six-student reflections. This in itself speaks to the difficultly in researching this area, as students are often not willing to face failure and discuss it.

Practical implications

The main contribution from this paper is an awareness for educators, as failure can occur for multiple reasons. This paper both adds to the literature on failure in accounting courses and helps inform educators of why their students may fail.

Originality/value

It is very challenging to research failure and therefore there is very little work on this area. At this time, the authors have no knowledge of any papers, which address the failure rates in introductory accounting courses from the individual perspective. Therefore, this paper has a unique contribution to the field of accounting education.
Voluntary assurance of sustainability reporting: evidence from an emerging economy
Authors: Hassan Abeer , Elamer Ahmed A. , Fletcher Mary , Sobhan Nawreen
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the supply and demand side of sustainability assurance in Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on signalling theory, a logistic regression model is used for a sample of 100 of the largest Bangladeshi companies to study the relationships between assurance, sustainability disclosure, industry membership and reporting format.

Findings

Authors’ results show that companies which produce more sustainability information are more likely to get their sustainability assured, to be from non-carbon intensive industries, and are more likely to integrate their sustainability information with the financial annual reports. Authors’ results support the argument that organisations based in weaker legal environments are more likely to secure assurance as this adds to the credibility and reliability of sustainability reports.

Research limitations/implications

This paper has limitations which raise some issues for future research. First, the authors have covered only large companies; therefore, future research could examine the differences between small and large companies in relation to assurance. Secondly, the authors’ data consist of company sustainability disclosure information in the fiscal year 2015. Longitudinal studies are recommended to extend this research. Finally, future research could examine the moderating effects of geographical location on the relationship between assurance (and its providers) and other variables.

Practical implications

The findings of this paper will prove valuable to practitioners and researchers. Practitioners, including assurance providers and sustainability reporting managers will benefit from authors’ study as it covers both the demand and supply side characteristics of assurance. Researchers will benefit from the study as it investigates assurance practices in the developing country of Bangladesh.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine both the supply and demand sides of sustainability assurance in Bangladesh. Authors also introduce reporting format when measuring the relationship between assurance and its determinant factors at micro level. The study also links assurance to signalling theory.
Renewable energy sources and technologies in commercial buildings
Authors: Unuigbe Maria , Zulu Sambo Lyson , Johnston David
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions and experiences of building practitioners in the adoption of renewable energy (RE) in commercial buildings in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative methodology was used guided by the principles of the Grounded Theory Method (GTM). Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of five industry practitioners.

Findings

Five distinct factors emerged, namely, being compliant, change in mindset, normalising, being autonomous and identity. The research revealed the significance of contextual (cultural) peculiarities and the role identity plays in informing RE adoption. The findings substantiate the significance of RE adoption in the future practice of building practitioners and in ensuring environmental stability within the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) context.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses on commercial office buildings and attempts to provide contextual grounding to inform theory generation as part of a wider study.

Originality/value

This research contributes methodologically and empirically by providing grounded insight into the adoption of RE in commercial buildings. Thereby, enabling a much greater understanding of the issues associated with enhanced promotion and adoption by professionals and stakeholders, which can inform policy interventions. Furthermore, it will benefit further research within the SSA context and provide valuable lessons associated with adopting GTM in construction research.
Extending the experience construct: an examination of online grocery shopping
Authors: Singh Reema , Söderlund Magnus
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This study aims to assess factors influencing customers’ online grocery shopping experiences, and it evaluates the central role of customer service and consumers’ responses to satisfying grocery shopping.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-methods approach was used; linguistic inquiry and the word count (LIWC) method captured qualitative aspects of consumers’ grocery shopping experience, whereas partial least square-structure equation modeling tested hypotheses regarding antecedents to consumers’ overall online grocery shopping experience.

Findings

The PLS-based analysis confirmed the qualitative insights, establishing the significance of customer service, which accounted for 68% variance in the overall experience and 42% variance in customer satisfaction, along with other experience antecedents such as website, product and delivery.

Research limitations/implications

Future researchers could further analyze experience as a dynamic process focusing on consumer and retailer brand-focused constructs, specifically focusing on creating a holistic understanding of customer service that establishes coherence between retailers’ marketing values and their customer service.

Practical implications

Managers should acknowledge the importance of customer service in creating a satisfying customer experience, and they should respond to consumer concerns, resulting in enhanced brand-related experience.

Originality/value

Responding to the call for a better understanding of customer service, this study brings out the challenges online grocery shoppers are facing in terms of customer service and empirically establishes customer service as a key driver of customer experience, thereby extending the earlier work on customer service and online customer experience.
A classification model for prediction of clinical severity level using qSOFA medical score
Authors: Olivia Diana , Nayak Ashalatha , Balachandra Mamatha , John Jaison
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop an efficient prediction model using vital signs and standard medical score systems, which predicts the clinical severity level of the patient in advance based on the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) medical score method.

Design/methodology/approach

To predict the clinical severity level of the patient in advance, the authors have formulated a training dataset that is constructed based on the qSOFA medical score method. Further, along with the multiple vital signs, different standard medical scores and their correlation features are used to build and improve the accuracy of the prediction model. It is made sure that the constructed training set is suitable for the severity level prediction because the formulated dataset has different clusters each corresponding to different severity levels according to qSOFA score.

Findings

From the experimental result, it is found that the inclusion of the standard medical scores and their correlation along with multiple vital signs improves the accuracy of the clinical severity level prediction model. In addition, the authors showed that the training dataset formulated from the temporal data (which includes vital signs and medical scores) based on the qSOFA medical scoring system has the clusters which correspond to each severity level in qSOFA score. Finally, it is found that RAndom k-labELsets multi-label classification performs better prediction of severity level compared to neural network-based multi-label classification.

Originality/value

This paper helps in identifying patient' clinical status.
Developing quality label awareness index of helmet users
Authors: Damayanti Sih , Rakhmawati Tri , Sumaedi Sik , Bakti I Gede Mahatma Yuda
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This research aims to develop an index for measuring Indonesian quality label awareness among motorcycle helmet users. The index measures quality label awareness and its antecedent variables, which are the variables that represent marketing effort on promoting the quality label.

Design/methodology/approach

The indicators of the index were derived from a literature review. A survey was performed. The respondents are 487 motorcycle drivers and passengers helmet users in Jakarta. The authors conducted some statistical analyses, namely, exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach’sαanalysis, and multiple regression analysis.

Findings

A quality label awareness index was developed and tested. The index consists of quality label awareness and its determinants. The determinants are label marketing clarity and label marketing credibility. The research result showed that the index is valid and reliable.

Research limitations/implications

The authors performed the survey only at Jakarta using convenience sampling technique. Thus, the findings may not be generalized to other contexts. Given this, replication research is important to be performed in the future in order to test the stability of the findings in other contexts.

Practical implications

The index can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of quality label and quality label marketing programs.

Originality/value

This study is believed to be the first to develop and test consumers' quality label awareness index.
Determinants of capital structure; a sector-level analysis for Indian manufacturing firms
Authors: Panda Ajaya Kumar , Nanda Swagatika
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze the determinants of capital structure and their long-run equilibrium relationships with firm-specific and macroeconomic indicators for Indian manufacturing firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is conducted using the panel semi-parametric and non-parametric regression models to identify the key determinants of capital structure. Panel cointegration models are also employed for analyzing the long-run equilibrium association of capital structure with its determinants.

Findings

The study finds that each manufacturing sector has unique determinants of capital structure. The debt level is significantly affected by asset tangibility, growth opportunity, effective tax rate, non-debt tax shield, cash flow, profitability, firm size, foreign investment, government borrowing, economic growth, and interest rate. All these firm-specific and macroeconomic variables have strong long-run equilibrium relationship with capital structure as a whole.

Practical Implication of the Study

The study analyzes the determinants of capital structure for eight manufacturing sectors of India, which helps firm managers and policy-makers to identify appropriate factors that maximize firm value. The sector-specific features of firms may lead to a new path with regard to corporate governance and ownership structure to enhance stakeholder's satisfaction.

Originality/value

The use of semi-parametric and non-parametric panel regression models to analyze the determinants of capital structure, and the use of panel cointegration approach to explore the long-run equilibrium relationship between the determinants and its factors are the unique contributions of the present research.
The impact of climate change on firm adaptation: the case of the wine industry
Authors: Galbreath Jeremy , Tisch Daniel , Quaddus Mohammed , Rabbanee Fazlul
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of climate change, as manifested in both temperature and rainfall changes, on adaptive practices in a sample of wine firms operating in South Australia. Given that firms’ adaptation to the external environment can be advanced through effective internal learning systems, a further purpose was to explore the moderating effect of absorptive capacity.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a survey as well as secondary sources to collect data. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. To test the robustness of the results, alternative measures of temperature and rainfall changes were used.

Findings

By studying 207 wine firms, the analysis suggests that climate change is significantly and positively associated with adaptive practices. Further, as hypothesized, absorptive capacity positively moderates both relationships.

Research limitations/implications

The use of a single industry in a specific location limits the generalizability of the results. Implications suggest that when the effects of climate change are considered the natural environment might be accorded salient stakeholder status. Further, when absorptive capacity is high, firms appear to adapt to climate change at a greater rate, suggesting that internal learning systems are important.

Originality/value

This is one the few studies in the business literature that considers the effects of actual physical changes in the natural environment on firm behaviour. Further, the paper is one of the few to incorporate natural stakeholder-based theory as a means of exploring climate change. The research paves the way for future studies of responses to such changes.
Energetic coefficient of friction applied to cylinder liners lab tests
Authors: do Vale Joao Luiz , da Silva Carlos Henrique , Pintaude Giuseppe
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to present a proposal for evaluating the coefficient of friction (COF), under a reciprocating test that considers the energy dissipated by the friction force. In addition, this new parameter is compared to average COF, which is often used to evaluate COF in reciprocating tests.

Design/methodology/approach

Samples of compacted graphite iron were extracted directly from an internal combustion engine block. The piston ring used was a nitrided martensitic stainless steel with an asymmetrical profile, and the lubricant oil was the SAE 30 CF, controlled at 40°C. Different testing conditions were carried out in a CETR-UMT-Bruker tribometer, varying loads between 25-125 N, frequencies between 1-12.5 Hz and track length between 3-10 mm. Three maps comparing the average COF and the energetic definition were built, allowing to discuss their similarities.

Findings

In general, both parameters had similarities especially for low frequencies and small tracks. However, for test conditions that imposed higher accelerations (i.e. longer track lengths and higher frequencies), the energetic COF (COFe) was lower than the average COF (COFa) and presented better agreement in Stribeck-like curves – independent on the experienced lubrication regime along the stroke. As the COFe can be interpreted as a weighted average of instantaneous COF in relation to in-track displacements, an immediate consequence is that instantaneous COF closest to mid-stroke is considered more significant. Furthermore, perturbations associated with the intrinsic accelerations of the movement test are minimized in the COFe formulation.

Originality/value

The energetic COF parameter (COFe) is presented and compared to the average COF. The new parameter presented less data dispersion and is attractive to evaluate the COF behavior in reciprocating tests, as its formulation minimizes perturbations associated with the intrinsic accelerations of the movement (mainly in the initial and final part of the track where the acceleration has its greatest magnitude).

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-08-2019-0324
The potential of using wild edible animals as alternative food sources among food-insecure areas in Indonesia
Authors: Adi Annis Catur , Andrias Dini Ririn , Rachmah Qonita
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This study aims to assess the household food security status and explore the potency of wild edible animals as a food source in the food insecurity–prone area of Bangkalan district, Madura, Indonesia.

Approach/methodology/design

This cross-sectional quantitative study used a mixed-method approach. A total of 66 participants were purposively recruited. Household food security was assessed using the short version of the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module (US-HFSSM). A list of available wild edible animals was obtained from each interview using a structured questionnaire. For the qualitative study, an in-depth interview was conducted among key informants at subvillage level.

Findings

We found that 33.4 percent of households were food insecure. At least 18 kinds of wild edible animal protein consumed by the respondents were identified in the study area, which consisted of five kinds of insects, five kinds of fish, three types of birds, and two mammals. Most of the wild edible animals were rich in protein.

Originality/value

Wild edible animals can be promoted to support household food security. Villagers did not usually consider consuming wild edible animals as a normal practice as there were concerns about the taste and safety of eating wild animal foods. Methods of processing and cooking foods to improve the taste and safety aspects need to be explored. The information obtained from this study adds more evidence related to the potential of edible wild animals as a food alternative for households in food-insecure areas.
Exploring the drivers of social media marketing in Malaysian Islamic banks
Authors: Mohd Thas Thaker Hassanudin , Khaliq Ahmad , Ah Mand Abdollah , Iqbal Hussain Hafezali , Mohd Thas Thaker Mohamed Asmy Bin , Allah Pitchay Anwar Bin
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to attempt to investigate and test the factors related to social media advertisement that could forecast the intention to subscribe to Islamic banking products in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

The research framework used in this study is guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The questionnaire method was used to collect data from 360 social media users and partial least square (PLS) analysis was carried out for the model’s validation.

Findings

The analytical results showed that perceived relevance, informativeness and perceived expectancy were found to have a statistical relationship with the purchase intention of Islamic banking products via a social media platform.

Practical implications

The study offers a practical implication in which the findings prove as helpful means for Islamic financial institutions to discover paramount techniques to retain existing customers and at the same time encourage potential new customers to subscribe to their products.

Originality/value

Deficiency of research focusing on social media marketing, especially the incorporation of the UTAUT model was observed in the literature. Thus, this paper offers additional literature on social media marketing and elucidates their role in Islamic banking industry, particularly from the Malaysian context. This research is considered to be among the primary attempts to examine the drivers of social media marketing and customers’ intention to subscribe to Islamic banking products in Malaysia.
Perceived learning opportunities, behavioral intentions and employee retention in technology organizations
Authors: Steil Andrea Valéria , de Cuffa Denise , Iwaya Gabriel Horn , Pacheco Roberto Carlos dos Santos
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This study aims to identify the relation between perceived learning opportunities, behavioral intentions to voluntarily stay or leave technology organizations and employee retention within these organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a survey of 440 employees of a technology organization.

Findings

Learning opportunities perceived by managers and technicians presented significant positive correlations with the intention to stay and significant negative correlations with the intention to leave the organization. No relation was identified between perceived learning opportunities and manager retention. Among technicians, the correlation between perceived learning opportunities and retention was near zero.

Practical implications

If the organization wants to guarantee the intention of professionals to stay in the organization, the “perceived learning opportunities” indicator should have a similar level of importance as other objective indicators, such as performance and achievement.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to identify relations between perceived learning opportunities and behavioral intention to stay and leave of professionals that work in technology organizations.
Developing innovation pedagogy approach
Authors: Konst (e. Penttilä) Taru , Kairisto-Mertanen Liisa
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the concept of a pedagogical strategy called innovation pedagogy and examine how it has been and will be developed. The paper is an overview of the latest development of the innovation pedagogy approach. It provides a discussion of the changes in innovation pedagogy and, more generally, in higher education, including the changes in educational aims and involving a sustainable future as the priority in all education.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology is based on action research, participatory observation and on the experiences of the authors of the development process, which has taken place in one Finnish university of applied sciences during the past decade.

Findings

The implementation of innovation pedagogy requires time, participation of the whole educational community and management commitment. The study describes the results of the development work and states that the educational goals require consideration of values, processes and structures.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the case study setting and a specific cultural context, there are limitations to the generalizability of the findings.

Originality/value

Focusing on the development of the concept of innovation pedagogy helps to understand how education development takes place gradually and how it can simultaneously aim to respond to the demands of a sustainable future. This study extends approaches on research in education and innovation pedagogy.
Significant learning experiences and implied students
Authors: Starr-Glass David
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This paper reflects on and seeks to reconcile and to consolidate two bodies of literature. The first deals with course design in higher education, particularly with efforts to create significant learning experiences. The second body of literature, which is considerably less well-known, considers the implied student – the intended or preconceived student for whom these learning experiences are created. Significant learning experiences are created by instructors for students, not for themselves. Thus, a critical condition for success in course design is to examine and interrogate the implied student that instructors had in mind and to reconcile those preconceived notions with the actual students who populate the learning space.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a critical reflection on the literature and the author’s experience in designing college level business and economics courses and in attempting to create significant learning experiences in those courses. The study reflects on practice, reviews the relevant literature, and is speculative in nature. It is not empirically based and may well have limited generalizability. However, it is hoped that this paper will promote further exploration of the implied student construct and will lead to further research into the misalignment of expectations and outcomes between implied students and actual students.

Findings

The paper contends that there is inevitably a gap – for both the instructor and the learner – between the expectations and outcomes that are anticipated for implied students and realized by actual students. It suggests that recognition of this gap is a critical element in designing significant learning experiences for actual learners. The paper further suggests that success in creating these experiences is improved through reconsidering the implied student stereotype, engaging with actual students and instructor-led communication of the implicit goals and outcomes of the course.

Originality/value

Students are best served if they engage in learning spaces thoughtfully centered on significant learning experiences. However, learning environments are often constructed around envisaged students who are defined by the learning expectations, pedagogic philosophies and ideological biases of the instructor. This paper provides value by encouraging instructors to explore their preconceptions of the implied student and creating and facilitating learning environments that recognize, appreciate and respond to the actual students who will populate them. Further, the paper highlights “the implied student,” which has gained considerable traction in Nordic countries but only limited attention in the USA and UK.
Education futures: balancing the familiar and the unknown
Authors: Prince Katherine
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This paper reflects on the author’s experience of an education foundation’s developing a robust and nationally recognized futures studies practice over a period of 14 years. In so doing, this paper aims to inform other futures studies practitioners about the kinds of considerations that can be encountered, and which must be managed, in starting, developing and maintaining a futures studies practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Organized around KnowledgeWorks’ triennial forecasts on the future of learning, the paper takes a narrative approach to describe the organization’s and the author’s future studies journeys, examining ways in which organizational learning and dynamics, as well as audience reception, affected the relative success of the study.

Findings

The paper begins by describing KnowledgeWorks’ excitement when publishing its first forecast on the future of education as a client of the institute for the future put KnowledgeWorks on the national map. It goes on to examine the organization’s capacity development in learning how to engage education audiences in exploring the future of learning, situating the study in the field of futures studies and developing internal capacity and thought leadership in the field. The paper concludes by reflecting on key aspects of KnowledgeWorks’ organizational learning; the organization’s leadership, moment and culture; and the author’s professional development journey.

Originality/value

The paper will help other future studies practitioners, along with organizations interested in considering investing in futures studies, anticipate considerations that could help them strengthen their practice or set up their organizational investment for success.
Characteristics of auditors’ non-audit services and accruals quality in Malaysia
Authors: Effiezal Aswadi Abdul Wahab , Nik Abdul Majid Wan Zurina , Harymawan Iman , Agustia Dian
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purchase of non-audit services from incumbent auditors has generated considerable attention. This study aims to examine the relationship between characteristics of non-audit services, namely, the recurrence and types of services, and accruals quality in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzed hand-collected audit and non-audit fees of 1,117 observations from Malaysian firms from 2009 to 2011. This study used descriptive analysis, univariate tests and multivariate regression to investigate the potential effect of non-audit services on accruals quality.

Findings

Non-audit services are associated with lower accruals quality. Recurring and non-recurring non-audit service fees are detrimental to the quality of accruals, as are all types of recurring non-audit services. Only non-recurring audit-related services decrease accruals quality. The results demonstrate that provisions of non-audit services create economic bonding, and thus a threat to auditor independence. Results remain robust with the inclusion of corporate governance and institutional variables.

Research limitations/implications

The sample period might represent a limitation as it only covers three years of data. This limitation is mainly because of the nature of data collection of the non-audit services fees.

Practical implications

The findings could suggest a refinement on the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) by-laws focusing on auditor independence, and it could assist other regulative bodies such as the Securities Commission, the stock exchange (Bursa Malaysia) in ensuring better governance on the provision of non-audit services.

Originality/value

This study is the first that provides evidence on the relationship between non-audit services, types, and recurring and non-recurring non-audit services and accruals quality in Malaysia.
Facades of morality: the role of moral disengagement in green buying behaviour
Authors: Sharma Nitika , Lal Madan
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This study aims to presents the article regarding the influential role of moral inefficacy and moral disengagement to address green intention and behaviour gap among consumers, and how they attain self-exoneration because of the moral dilemma if any exist.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study is based on semi-structured interviews, using constructivist grounded theory, which offers a platform to investigate, explore and discover psychosocial mechanism that operates among the consumers regarding the dimension of morality and green practices. In-depth exhaustive dialogues with Indian green consumers are set up to stimulate dialogue on the study.

Findings

Findings of the study shed light on the moral dilemma arising from internal and external inefficacy of consumers and disengagement of morality to save consumers from self-condemnation. Also, the study proffers the potential conceptual framework of moral inefficacy, moral disengagement and green buying behaviour of consumers. Eventually, the study mapped the morality matrix to explore the consequents of moral inefficacy and moral disengagement.

Research limitations/implications

The idiographic nature of qualitative research, particularly grounded theory may be considered as a research limitation as it follows limited generalizability. Moreover, the present research work is exploratory in nature and depends on the candour of researchers’ reactivity and understanding.

Practical implications

The study subjectively concludes the green behaviour of consumers and discusses the rationality behind green intentions and behaviour gap. Marketers can strategize consumer morality as an approach to enhance green buying behaviour of consumers by removing moral inefficacies and disengagements.

Social implications

It is crucial for marketers and society to understand the reasons behind non-green consumerism and accordingly cope up with the situation.

Originality/value

The study has been designed in a way to discuss the philosophy of morality and psychology of consumers on green consumption. To elicit the crux and conceptualization of morality and green purchasing framework using constructivist grounded theory is the exclusivity of this study. This paper explores green consumption pattern using moral orientation and processes in detail.