bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial integration during active tactile sensation drives elementary shape perception
Authors: Brown Jennifer , Antón Oldenburg Ian , Telian Gregory I. , Griffin Sandon , Voges Mieke , Jain Vedant , Adesnik Hillel
Published: March 2020

Active haptic sensation is critical for object identification and manipulation, such as for tool use in humans, or prey capture in rodents. The neural circuit basis for recognizing objects through active touch alone is poorly understood. To address this gap, we combined optogenetics, two photon imaging, and high-speed behavioral tracking in mice solving a novel surface orientation discrimination task with their whiskers. We found that orientation discrimination required animals to summate input from multiple whiskers specifically along the whisker arc. Many animals discriminated the orientation of the stimulusper se, as their performance was invariant to the specific location of the presented stimulus. Two photon imaging showed that populations of neurons in the barrel cortex encoded each of the discriminated orientations, and this coding depended on integration over the whisker array. Finally, acute optogenetic inactivation of the barrel cortex strongly impaired surface orientation discrimination, and even cell-type specific optogenetic suppression of layer 4 excitatory neurons degraded performance, implying a role for superficial layers in this computation. These data suggest a model in which spatial summation over an active haptic array generates representations of an object’s surface orientations. These computations may facilitate the encoding of complex three-dimensional objects during active exploration.
Efficacy ofMethylobacterium oryzaeSupplementedSargassum wightiiSeaweed Liquid Fertilizer on Chilly and Tomato Plant Growth
Authors: Murugan Athiappan , Rubavathi Anandan , Visali Kannan , Neginah Vijayasingh
Published: March 2020

Liquid seaweed fertilizer gaining interest due to their use in crop productivity. The present study was designed to evaluate the impact ofMethylobacterium oryzaeamended liquid seaweed fertilizer on domestic plants like chilly and tomato. TheSargassum wightiimethanolic extract was maximum (137 mg/g) among other solvent tested. Extract showed 0.456mg/mL, 1.587 mg/mL, 0.78 mg/g, 5.27 mg/g, 0.63 mg/mL, 0.98 mg/mL, 0.285 g/mL and 0.546 μg/mL of total phenolic, total flavonoids, total chlorophyll, total carotenoids, total protein, total carbohydrates, total lipids and total aminoacids respectively. The maximum survival ofMethylobacterium oryzaewas observed at 40 % ofSargassum wightiiSLF extract with 3%Methylobacterium oryzaeculture concentration and has viability of 750 × 106CFU/l after 6 months. Impact of foliar sprayed liquid fertilizer on the chlorophyll, internode and shoot length had been promising over seed soaked.
Molecular Typing of Human Respiratory Adenoviruses with Universal PCR and Sequencing Primers for Three Major Capsid Genes: Penton base, Hexon, and Fiber
Authors: Zhang Jing , Sridhar Siddhartha , Lau Susanna K. P. , Liu June , Ou Junxian , Yan Yuqian , Zhao Shan , Lan Wendong , Guan Wenyi , Wu Jianguo , Woo Patrick C. Y. , Seto Donald , Zhang Qiwei
Published: March 2020

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) within species B, C, and E include the predominant types responsible for highly contagious and potentially severe respiratory infections. The traditional method to type these pathogens was based on virus neutralization and hemagglutination assays using antisera, which is both time-consuming and difficult, particularly due to the non-availability of reagents. Molecular typing based on partial characterization of HAdV hexon, as well as the restriction enzyme analysis (REA) of the genomics DNA, is difficult to identify recombinants. Here, a rapid, simple, and cost-effective molecular typing of respiratory HAdVs is presented. This incorporates three pairs of universal PCR primers that target the variable regions of the three major capsid genes,i.e. hexon, penton base and fiber genes. The protocol developed enables detection and typing of respiratory HAdVs within species B, C, and E, as well as of some strains within species D and F. Using this method, we surveyed a total of 100 children with acute respiratory infection caused by HAdVs in Hong Kong, Summer 2014 (July to October). 100 Throat swab specimens were collected. The samples were analyzed by PCR and the sequences were characterized by BLAST. HAdVs were detected in 98 out of 100 (98%) samples. The predominant HAdV type was species B type 3. Among the patients, 74 were of HAdV-B3 (74%), 10 were of HAdV-E4 (10%), 6 were of HAdV-C2 (21.7%), 2 were of HAdV-C6 (2%), 1 were of HAdV-B7 (2%), 1 were of HAdV-C1 (74%), and 2 were of recombinant types. The developed method allows the rapid identification of HAdVs with recombinant genomes, and bypasses the need for whole genome data, for the real-time surveillance of circulating adenovirus strains in immediate outbreaks and populations by clinical microbiologists, public health officers, and epidemiologists.
Unsupervised learning and clustered connectivity enhance reinforcement learning in spiking neural networks
Authors: Weidel Philipp , Duarte Renato , Morrison Abigail
Published: March 2020

Reinforcement learning is a learning paradigm that can account for how organisms learn to adapt their behavior in complex environments with sparse rewards. However, implementations in spiking neuronal networks typically rely on input architectures involving place cells or receptive fields. This is problematic, as such approaches either scale badly as the environment grows in size or complexity, or presuppose knowledge on how the environment should be partitioned. Here, we propose a learning architecture that combines unsupervised learning on the input projections with clustered connectivity within the representation layer. This combination allows input features to be mapped to clusters; thus the network self-organizes to produce task-relevant activity patterns that can serve as the basis for reinforcement learning on the output projections. On the basis of the MNIST and Mountain Car tasks, we show that our proposed model performs better than either a comparable unclustered network or a clustered network with static input projections. We conclude that the combination of unsupervised learning and clustered connectivity provides a generic representational substrate suitable for further computation.
OmicsDB::Pathogens - A database for exploring functional networks of plant pathogens
Authors: Hansen Bjoern Oest , Olsson Stefan
Published: March 2020

Plant pathogens are a great threat to food security. To combat them we need an understanding of how they work. Integrating large-scale omics datasets such as genomes and transcriptomes has been shown to provide deeper insights into many aspects of molecular biology. For a better understanding of plant pathogens, we aim to construct a platform for accessing genomic and gene co-expression networks for a range of pathogens and reference species. Currently we have integrated genomic and transcriptomics data from 10 species (Fusarium graminearum, Ustilago maydis, Blumeria graminis, Neurospora crassa, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, Arabidopsis thaliana, Mus musculus and Homo sapiens).

Here we introduce OmicsDB::Pathogens (http://pathogens.omicsdb.org), a publicly available web portal with an underlying database containing genomic, and transcriptomic data and analysis tools. It allows non-bioinformaticians to browse genomic data and inspect and compare biological networks across species.

The information is modelled in a graph-based database, enabling flexibility for querying and future extensions. Tools such as BLAST and Cytoscape.js are available together with the option of performing GO enrichment analysis. The database also enables the user to browse information such as Orthologs, Protein domains and publications citing a given gene.

Herein we describe how to use this platform for generating hypotheses for the function of a gene.

Availability and Implementation

Currently, Omicsdb supports networks for 10 organisms and is freely available for public use athttp://pathogens.omicsdb.org
Human patientSFPQhomozygous mutation is found deleterious for brain and motor development in a zebrafish model
Authors: Gordon Patricia M , Efthymiou Stephanie , Salpietro Vincenzo , Fielding Triona , Borgione Eugenia , Scuderi Carmela , Houlden Henry , Houart Corinne
Published: March 2020

SFPQ (Splicing factor proline- and glutamine-rich) is a DNA and RNA binding protein involved in transcription, pre-mRNA splicing, and DNA damage repair and it has been previously implicated in neurodegenerative disorders. A homozygous p.Ser660Asn variant in SFPQ was identified through whole exome sequencing (WES) in an Italian woman presented a complex neurological phenotype with intellectual disability, peripheral neuropathy, bradykinesia, extrapyramidal rigidity and rest (heads) tremor and neuroradiological anomalies including thin dysplastic corpus callosum, hypomyelination and hypointensity of the globus pallidus and of the mesencephalic substantia nigra (resembling neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation; NBIA). Using a zebrafishSFPQgenetic model we have showed that a rescue with this SFPQS660Nmutant revealed robust defects in the developing central nervous system (CNS) of the embryos, including abnormal branching of the motor axons innervating body muscles and misfolding of the posterior brain neuroepithelium. The defects hereby identified in the model organism indicate a potential contribution of the homozygous SFPQ p.Ser660Asn variant in some of the patient's neurodegenerative features, including the clinical parkinsonism and the NBIA-like pattern on brain imaging.
Identifying cardiac actinin interactomes reveals sarcomere crosstalk with RNA-binding proteins
Authors: Ladha Feria A. , Thakar Ketan , Pettinato Anthony M. , Legere Nicholas , Cohn Rachel , Romano Robert , Meredith Emily , Chen Yu-Sheng , Hinson J. Travis
Published: March 2020

Rationale

Actinins are actin cross-linkers that are ubiquitously expressed and harbor mutations in heritable diseases. The predominant cardiac actinin is encoded byACTN2, which is a core structural component of the sarcomere Z-disk. ACTN2 is required for sarcomere function through complex interactions with proteins involved in sarcomere assembly, cell signaling and transcriptional regulation. However, there remain critical gaps in our knowledge of the complete and dynamic cardiac actinin interactome, which could reveal new insights into sarcomere biology.

Objective

We sought to examine the cardiac actinin interactome through sarcomere assembly in human cardiomyocytes.

Methods and Results

We utilized CRISPR/Cas9, induced pluripotent stem cell technology and BioID to reveal cardiac actinin protein interactions in human cardiomyocytes. We identified 324 cardiac actinin proximity partners, analyzed networks, and studied interactome changes associated with sarcomere assembly. We focused additional studies on unexpected actinin interactions with effectors with RNA-binding functions. Using RNA immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing, we determined that RNA-binding partners uncovered by actinin BioID were bound to gene transcripts with electron transport chain and mitochondrial biogenesis functions. Mammalian two-hybrid studies established that IGF2BP2, an RNA-binding protein associated with type 2 diabetes, directly interacted with the rod domain of actinin through its K Homology domain. IGF2BP2 was necessary for electron transport chain transcript localization to vicinal RNA-binding proteins, mitochondrial mass and oxidative metabolism. IGF2BP2 knockdown also impaired sarcomere function in a cardiac microtissue assay.

Conclusions

This study expands our functional knowledge of cardiac actinin, uncovers new sarcomere interaction partners including those regulated by sarcomere assembly, and reveals sarcomere crosstalk with RNA-binding proteins including IGF2BP2 that are important for metabolic functions.
Binding affinities of oxytocin, vasopressin, and Manning Compound at oxytocin and V1a receptors in Syrian hamster brains
Authors: Taylor Jack H , McCann Katharine E , Ross Amy P , Albers H Elliott
Published: March 2020

Oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), as well as synthetic ligands targeting their receptors (OTR, V1aR), are used in a wide variety of research contexts, but typically their pharmacological properties are determined in only a few species. Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) have a long history of use as a behavioral and biomedical model for the study of oxytocin and vasopressin, and more recently, hamsters have been used to investigate behavioral consequences of OT-mediated activation of V1aRs. We sought to determine the binding affinities of OT, AVP, and the selective V1aR antagonist, Manning compound, in OTRs and V1aRs found in hamster brains. We performed saturation binding asays to determine the Kd values for the selective OTR and V1aR radioligands, [125I]OVTA and [125I]LVA in hamster brains. We then performed competition binding assays to determine Ki values for OT, AVP, and Manning compond at both the OTR and V1aR. We found that OT and AVP each had the highest affinity for their canonical receptors (OT-OTR Ki=4.28 nM; AVP-V1ar Ki=4.70 nM), and had the lowest affinity for their non-canonical ligands (OT-V1aR=495.2nM; AVP-OTR Ki=36.1 nM). Manning compound had the highest affinity for the V1aR (MC-V1aR Ki=6.87 nM; MC-OTR Ki=213.8 nM), but Manning compound was not as selective for the V1aR as has been reported in rat receptor. When comparing these data to previously published work, we found that the promiscuity of the V1aR in hamsters with respect to oxytocin and vasopressin binding is more similar to the promiscuity of the human V1aR than the rat V1aR receptor. Moreover, the selectivity of oxytocin at hamster receptors is more similar to the selectivity of oxytocin at human receptors than the selectivity of oxytocin at rat receptors. These data highlight the importance of determining the pharmacological properties of behaviorally relevant compounds in diverse models species.
Loss of mu and delta opioid receptors on neurons expressing dopamine receptor D1 has no effect on reward sensitivity
Authors: Harda Zofia , Spyrka Jadwiga , Jastrzębska Kamila , Szumiec Łukasz , Bryksa Anna , Klimczak Marta , Polaszek Maria , Gołda Sławomir , Zajdel Joanna , Błasiak Anna , Parkitna Jan Rodriguez
Published: March 2020

Opioid signaling controls the activity of the brain’s reward system. It is involved in signaling the hedonic effects of rewards and also has essential roles in reinforcement and motivational processes. Here, we focused on opioid signaling through mu and delta receptors on dopaminoceptive neurons and evaluated the role these receptors play in reward-driven behaviors. We generated a genetically modified mouse with selective double knockdown of mu and delta opioid receptors in neurons expressing dopamine receptor D1. Selective expression of the transgene was confirmed using immunostaining. Knockdown was validated by measuring the effects of selective opioid receptor agonists on neuronal membrane currents using whole-cell patch clamp recordings. We found that in the nucleus accumbens of control mice, the majority of dopamine receptor D1-expressing neurons were sensitive to a mu or delta opioid agonist. In mutant mice, the response to the delta receptor agonist was blocked, while the effects of the mu agonist were strongly attenuated. Behaviorally, the mice had no obvious impairments. The mutation did not affect sensitivity to the rewarding effects of morphine injections or social contact and had no effect on preference for sweet taste. Knockdown had a moderate effect on motor activity in some of the tests performed, but this effect did not reach statistical significance. Thus, we found that knocking down mu and delta receptors on dopamine receptor D1-expressing cells does not appreciably affect reward-driven behaviors.

Highlights

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It is well accepted that opioid signaling controls the brain’s reward system

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We generated mutant mice with mu and delta receptor knockdown in D1 neurons

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Knockdown made dopaminoceptive neurons insensitive to mu and delta opioid receptor agonists

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The mutation did not cause obvious behavioral impairments

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The loss of mu and delta receptors on D1 neurons does not affect reward sensitivity
The onset and offset of noxious stimuli robustly modulate perceived pain intensity
Authors: Alter Benedict J. , Aung Mya Sandi , Strigo Irina A. , Fields Howard L.
Published: March 2020

Reported pain intensity depends not only on stimulus intensity but also on previously experienced pain. A painfully hot temperature applied to the skin evokes a lower subjective pain intensity if immediately preceded by a higher temperature, a phenomenon called offset analgesia. This is typically evoked using a three-step noxious heat stimulus. In other clinical and laboratory settings, prior pain experience may increase pain intensity as well. Therefore, we hypothesized that even small increases in stimulus intensity within the noxious range would be accompanied by enhanced reported pain intensity. To test this possibility, we inverted the intensity order of the three-step stimulus, so that the same hot temperature is immediately preceded by an increase from a transiently lowered temperature. Using healthy volunteer subjects, we observed a disproportionate increase in pain intensity during the novel, inverted, three-step stimulus. This disproportionate increase is similar in magnitude to that of offset analgesia. Control stimuli demonstrate that these changes in pain intensity are distinct from habituation. The magnitudes of offset analgesia and the disproportionate increase in pain intensity correlate with each other but not with the absolute noxious stimulus temperature. These observations suggest that the disproportionate increase in pain intensity represents an “onset hyperalgesia.” Finally, the magnitude of both offset analgesia and onset hyperalgesia depends on preceding temperature changes. Overall, this study finds that perceptual enhancement of noxious stimulus change occurs bidirectionally and that this depends on the intensity and direction of change of the immediately preceding stimulus.
Prospective evaluation of renal function in dogs with chronic mitral valve disease
Authors: Martinelli Elisa , Crosara Serena , Locatelli Chiara , Zanaboni Anna Maria , Brambilla Paola , Quintavalla Cecilia
Published: March 2020

The coexistence of renal and cardiac disease has been defined in dogs and cats as cardiovascular-renal disorders (CvRD). In humans, renal function is affected by recurrent episodes of acute congestive heart failure (CHF). The aim of this prospective, case-control study was to evaluate the appearance and influence of worsening cardiac disease (WCD), defined on echocardiographic and radiographic parameters, on renal function (defined as worsening renal function [WRF], on the basis of serum creatinine level and presence of proteinuria) in two population: 21 dogs with chronic mitral valve disease (CMVD) and 20 healthy dogs. Dogs were sorted into groups according to the presence/absence of WRF or WCD. Statistical analysis was performed between CMVD dogs and healthy dogs and inside the CMVD dogs group. There was no statistically significant difference in developing WRF between dogs with/without WCD and no statistical evidence to support a difference in WRF parameters in dogs experiencing CHF and dogs not experiencing it. The prevalence of azotemia in CMVD dogs was significantly higher than the prevalence of azotemia previously reported in the general population of dogs. Diuretics therapy didn’t affect renal function. No difference in survival time was seen between groups. In conclusion, CHF, WCD and diuretics therapy didn’t directly induce WRF. However, considering the prevalence of azotemia, data suggests a link between heart and kidney function (despite we didn’t excluded aged-related coexistence of organ damage). A bigger number of dogs at inclusion is required to reach statistical significance.
Incidence and susceptibility patterns of urine bacterial flora in young females
Authors: Shami Ashwag , Al-Mijalli Samiah , Somily Ali , Albarakaty Fawziah M. , AbduRahim Samah Awad
Published: March 2020

Background

It has been established that the urinary tract is not sterile, however, research related to the study of urine bacteria are limited. Our work aims to study the frequency and patterns of resistance of normal urinary aerobic bacterial flora.

Methods

Clean catch midstream urine specimens were collected from 120 young healthy females, and then cultured. Identification of bacteria and antimicrobial susceptibility were done by means of Biomérieux VITEK® 2 automated systems. Subjects who have undergone antimicrobial treatment in one month weren’t included.

Results

The incidence of positive bacterial cultures was 54.2%, of which 21.5% were ploymicrobial. 107 bacterial isolates that encompass 12 genera and 27 species that were predominated by Gram-positive bacteria (72%) were cultivated. Staphylococcaceae (46.1%) and Enterobacteriaceae (17.8%) were the most frequently isolates among Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria respectively, from them 36 species have been identified as b lactamase producers. The top four frequently isolated bacteria are Micrococcus species (16%),Staphylococcus haemolyticus(13.2%),Staphylococcus aureus(10%), andKlebsiella pneumoniae(10%). Twenty two bacterial species were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing by using broad and narrow spectrum antibiotics and antimicrobials. Ampicillin showed the lowest susceptibility rate against Gram positives, followed by erythromycin and azithromycin. The lesser antimicrobial susceptibility potential among Gram negative bacteria was exhibited against ampicillin, followed by piperacillin and cefotaxime.

Conclusion

Our findings emphasize the importance of highlighting urine bacterial flora in research especially those related to susceptibility patterns, employing more advanced culture methods as multiple drug resistant bacteria were isolated.
Causal coupling between neural activity, metabolism, and behavior across theDrosophilabrain
Authors: Mann Kevin , Deny Stephane , Ganguli Surya , Clandinin Thomas R.
Published: March 2020

Coordinated activity across networks of neurons is a hallmark of both resting and active behavioral states in many species, including worms, flies, fish, mice and humans1–5. These global patterns alter energy metabolism in the brain over seconds to hours, making oxygen consumption and glucose uptake widely used proxies of neural activity6,7. However, whether changes in neural activity are causally related to changes in metabolic flux in intact circuits on the sub-second timescales associated with behavior, is unknown. Moreover, it is unclear whether transitions between rest and action are associated with spatiotemporally structured changes in neuronal energy metabolism. Here, we combine two-photon microscopy of the entire fruit fly brain with sensors that allow simultaneous measurements of neural activity and metabolic flux, across both resting and active behavioral states. We demonstrate that neural activity drives changes in metabolic flux, creating a tight coupling between these signals that can be measured across large-scale brain networks. Further, these studies reveal that the initiation of even minimal behavioral movements causes large-scale changes in the pattern of neural activity and energy metabolism, revealing unexpected structure in the functional architecture of the brain. The relationship between neural activity and energy metabolism is likely evolutionarily ancient. Thus, these studies provide a critical foundation for using metabolic proxies to capture changes in neural activity and reveal that even minimal behavioral movements are associated with changes in large-scale brain network activity.
An interference discrimination method for assembly sequence planning and assembly simulation
Authors: Zhang Wenlei , Ma Mingxu , Li Haiyan , Yu Jiapeng , Zhang Zhenwei
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discriminate fake interference caused by polygonal approximation so as to achieve accurate assembly sequence planning and assembly simulation.

Design/methodology/approach

An approximation zone model is proposed to formulate polygonal approximation. Fake interference is discriminated from hard interference by evaluating if polygonal models intersect within corresponding approximation zones. To reduce the computation, the surface-surface, surface-end face and end face-end face intersection test methods have been developed to evaluate the intersection and obtain collision data. An updated collision detection algorithm with this method is presented, which is implemented by a system named AutoAssem.

Findings

This method has been applied to a set of products such as a valve for assembly interference matrix generation, static and dynamic collision detection. The results show that it ensures the accuracy of assembly sequence planning and assembly simulation for polygonal models.

Practical implications

This method facilitates assembly design in the virtual environment with polygonal models. It can also be applied to computer aided design systems to achieve quick and accurate collision detection.

Originality/value

Fake interference between polygonal models may result in serious errors in assembly sequence planning and assembly simulation. Assembly zone model and novel polygon intersection verification methods have been proposed to effectively tackle this problem. Compared to current methods, this method considers valid penetration direction and approximation difference, does not need to process complicated auxiliary data and can be easily integrated with current collision detection methods.
A multi-fiber approach with directional stiffness matrix in reinforced concrete structures
Authors: Yousefi Behrooz , Esfahani Mohammad Reza , Tavakkolizadeh Mohammadreza
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a new multi-fiber element for predicting the structural behavior of planar-reinforced concrete (RC) members.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work, an exact multi-directional stiffness matrix is analytically derived based on the post-cracking bond-slip interaction between concrete and steel bars. The approach is also extended for large displacement analysis using Green–Lagrange finite strain tensor. In the proposed formulation, the weak form of governed differential equations is approximated by a trial-function expansion based on a finite strain-description and an additional degree of freedom for steel bars.

Findings

The findings provide a realistic description of cracking in the concrete structure. Numerical studies are conducted to examine the accuracy of the suggested approach and its capability to predict fairly complex responses of RC models. The findings prove that the proposed element can evaluate local and global responses of RC members, and it can be used as a reliable tool to reflect bond-slip effects in large displacement level. This leads to a robust and precise model for non-linear analysis of RC structures.

Originality/value

The methodology is capable of simulating coupled inelastic shear-flexural behavior of RC members through local stress field theory and Timoshenko beam model.
Emotion, memory and re-collective value: shared festival experiences
Authors: Wood Emma Harriet , Kinnunen Maarit
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explore how emotionally rich collective experiences create lasting, shareable memories, which influence future behaviours. In particular, the role of others and of music in creating value through memories is considered using the concept of socially extended emotions.

Design/methodology/approach

Over 250 narratives were gathered from festival attendees in the UK and Finland. Respondents completed a writing task detailing their most vivid memories, what made them memorable, their feelings at the time and as they remembered them, and how they shared them. The narratives were then analysed thematically.

Findings

Collective emotion continues to be co-created long after the experience through memory-sharing. The music listened to is woven through this extension of the experience but is, surprisingly, not a critical part of it. The sociality of the experience is remembered most and was key to the memories shared afterwards. The added value of gathering memorable moments, and being able to share them with others, is clearly evidenced.

Practical implications

The study highlights the importance of designing events to create collective emotional moments that form lasting memories. This emphasizes the role of post-experience marketing and customer relationship building to enhance the value that is created customer-to-customer via memory sharing.

Originality/value

The research addresses the lack of literature exploring post-event experience journeys and the collective nature of these. It also deepens a theoretical understanding of the role of time and sociality in the co-creation and extension of emotions and their value in hospitality consumption. A model is proposed to guide future research.
Entrepreneurial opportunity recognition in the face of disasters
Authors: Gur Furkan Amil , Bendickson Joshua S. , Madden Laura , McDowell William C.
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Disasters drastically affect regional industries; consequently, the study of regional resilience is of much interest to organizational researchers. To that end, this study examines the role of entrepreneurial opportunity recognition, stakeholder engagement, and elements of psychological recovery in the US Gulf Coast following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a qualitative content analysis of 183 industry-relevant articles published during and after the disaster, this study unpacks the most significant themes at work in the recovery process, including the psychological elements of the oil spill and its aftermath, the role of various internal and external stakeholders, and emerging opportunities for entrepreneurial activity in the region for regional resilience and recovery.

Findings

The nine themes that emerged from the data were captured in three categories mapped over time. Category one, psychogical states during and after the oil spill, include denial, coping, and recovery. Category two, regional recovery efforts and the role of stakeholders, includes the themes distractions, bargains, and material support. Category three, emerging opportunities, includes financial support, new markets, and reparations.

Originality/value

By mapping these themes over distinct time periods, this study identifies and explores patterns in the recovery period and use them to draw theoretical and practical implications.
How do investors behave in the context of a market crash? Evidence from India
Authors: Mushinada Venkata Narasimha Chary
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The main aim of this paper is to empirically test at market level, the investors' differential reaction to information, contribution of their confidence level and adaptive behaviour to excessive market volatility in Indian stock market.

Design/methodology/approach

The Bivariate Vector Autoregression and Impulse Response Analysis are used to study whether investors over/under-react to private and public information. EGARCH models are used to study the contribution of investors' over/under-confidence and adaptive behaviour to excessive market volatility.

Findings

The investors over-react to private information and under-react to public information during pre-crash period, become overconfident and contribute to excessive volatility. They under-react to both private and public information during after-crash period, become under-confident and also conform to adaptive market hypothesis (AMH).

Research limitations/implications

The empirical results of the study can help investors to minimize the negative impact of over/under-confidence on their expected utility.

Practical implications

The investors shall perform a post-analysis of investment, become aware of their past behavioural mistakes and start adapting to changing market conditions. This shall move the markets towards a new equilibrium in long run thus conforming AMH. However, the investors sometimes display an apparently irrational behaviour during this process.

Originality/value

To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study at market level data examining investors' over/under-reaction, over/under-confidence and adaptive behaviour in the context of stock market crash.
Integration of TTF and network externalities for RFID adoption in healthcare industry
Authors: Gu Vicky Ching , Black Ken
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Despite the extensive adoption of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology across many industry supply chains, the extent of adoption in healthcare is far behind the earlier expectation. The purpose of this study is to better understand the current RFID adoption in healthcare by looking beyond the existing body of work using both the task-technology fit (TTF) framework and network externalities theories.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey is employed in this study, and the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique is used to test the hypotheses of the proposed model.

Findings

The findings are twofold. First, both TTF and network externalities exert a positive impact on the RFID adoption in the healthcare sector; and second, no synergistic effect can be found between these two for further increasing the adoption. This is different from what the extant research found on other technology adoptions across various supply chains.

Originality/value

This paper provides contributions to both researchers and practitioners. For researchers, this study enriches the body of knowledge of RFID adoption by being the first to apply the network externalities and TTF theories to predict the adoption of RFID in healthcare. For healthcare practitioners, to make the RFID adoption easier and more effective, any initial applications of RFID tools should be centered on those for which there is a more natural application. Further, for those who propose an RFID adoption should start with a product that has a sizable adoption community; this may help persuade senior management to make the adoption decision.
University communications as auto-communication: the NTNU ‘Challenge Everything’ campaign
Authors: Davies Sarah R.
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This article offers an in-depth exploration of university communications practice by describing and analysing a publicity and recruitment campaign, called ‘Challenge Everything’, carried out by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in 2018. By providing insight into internal sense-making around the campaign it contributes to literatures in science communication and communication management.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative research uses semi-structured interviews and informal organisational ethnography, mobilising concepts of sense-making and auto-communication to guide analysis. The focus is on how organisation members made sense of the Challenge Everything campaign.

Findings

The analysis focuses on four key themes within organisational sense-making about the campaign: the openness of the campaign meant that it was readily picked up on and personalised by university staff; its meaning was always contextual, shaped by organisation members' roles, interests, and concerns; its controversy seems to primarily derive from questions of representation, and specifically whether organisation members recognised within it their own experiences of university culture; and its development points to the rise of new forms of expertise within university organisation, and the contestation of these.

Research limitations/implications

The research offers only a partial snapshot of one instance of university communications. However, in demonstrating how public campaigns also operate as auto-communication it has important implications for strategic communication within complex organisations such as universities.

Originality/value

The research has particular value in offering an in-depth qualitative study of university marketing practices and the effects these have within an organisation.
Knowledge capabilities in supply chain networks: a taxonomy
Authors: Ogulin Robert , Guzman Gustavo , Nuwangi Subasinghage Maduka
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a conceptual taxonomy for building requisite knowledge capabilities for different supply chain network (SCN) types. Specifically, it examines knowledge capabilities required for three types of SCNs: efficient, collaborative and agile SCNs.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper integrates two bodies of thought (i.e. knowledge management and organisational learning) and applies them to SCNs. An abductive research process is used to develop this conceptual taxonomy.

Findings

The conceptual taxonomy details three archetypical knowledge capabilities – exploitation, exploration and ambidextrous. Those knowledge capabilities are required for efficient, collaborative and agile SCNs, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is conceptual and theory-based. The next stages of the research seek to further strengthen the explanatory value of the taxonomy through empirical validation.

Practical implications

The taxonomy developed in this paper provides a valuable and pragmatic tool for managerial decision-making in the context of SCNs. Specifically, it provides a roadmap for practitioners since the study develops an understanding of the relationship between knowledge capabilities and types of SCNs.

Originality/value

This is one of the earliest studies that attempt to unearth requisite knowledge capabilities for different types of SCNs.
The impact of the quality of intelligent experience on smart retail engagement
Authors: Fan Xiaojun , Ning Nanxi , Deng Nianqi
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Previous studies have considered customers' psychological responses to intelligent retail technology adoption, but have not considered how technology integration systems could promote the relationship between retailers and consumers. Based on the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework, this paper proposes a customer engagement model in a fully intelligent retail environment. The concept of the quality of intelligent experience is constructed from the perspective of customer experience, and the effect of the mechanism of smart retail on the customer engagement relationship is discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

Using two surveys, this study analyzes 201 (in study 1) and 321 (in study 2) questionnaires by using structural equation model in partial least square software.

Findings

The analysis shows that the human–machine interaction, intelligent systems and the product content of the quality intelligent experience significantly impact customer engagement on smart retail.

Research limitations/implications

This research was designed for general retail products, without distinguishing between different product types. Thus, it did not consider the moderating effect of product types.

Practical implications

The findings enrich the intelligent retail technology field and provide operable guidance to help smart retailers improve customer relations.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a customer engagement model to describe how technology integration systems promote the relationship between retailers and consumers.
Place overbranding and how to prevent it
Authors: Rozhkov Kirill , Khomutskii Konstantin , Romanowski Robert , Muniz-Martinez Norberto
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to present concepts and tools for developing place branding that protects places from overbranding, redundant promotion and excessive tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

The concept of a product-based place brand that reflects local ways of life and local identities was introduced. A combination of projective, typological and narrative methods was applied. Three focus groups composed of future place managers were held in three countries (N= 27) to develop place brand vocabularies and typologies of verbal characteristics of abstract places as products for internal users (residents).

Findings

In most cases, the place brand vocabularies were consistent and compatible within each abstract type and were unique (mutually exclusive) between the types. The vocabularies contained both detailed and more generalized elements. For each place, short formulations of the general concept were found. Each brand vocabulary reflected the institutional, socio-psychological, cultural, historical and geographic differences of the countries involved in the research.

Originality/value

A conceptual and methodological framework for creating place brand vocabularies is offered, and it describes the close relationship between multiple internal brand attributes and their concise expressions appropriate for communication and high differentiation among brand attributes that facilitate the recognition of branded places by target and non-target audiences. The framework is applicable for designing verbal attributes of place brands for specific places to avoid overbranding effects.
Selection of indicators for assessing and managing the impacts of bottom trawling on seabed habitats
Authors: Hiddink Jan Geert , Kaiser Michel J. , Sciberras Marija , McConnaughey Robert A. , Mazor Tessa , Hilborn Ray , Collie Jeremy S. , Pitcher C. Roland , Parma Ana M. , Suuronen Petri , Rijnsdorp Adriaan D. , Jennings Simon
Published: March 2020

Bottom trawl fisheries are the most widespread source of anthropogenic physical disturbance to seabed habitats. Development of fisheries‐, conservation‐ and ecosystem‐based management strategies requires the selection of indicators of the impact of bottom trawling on the state of benthic biota. Many indicators have been proposed, but no rigorous test of a range of candidate indicators against nine commonly agreed criteria (concreteness, theoretical basis, public awareness, cost, measurement, historical data, sensitivity, responsiveness, specificity) has been performed.

Here, we collated data from 41 studies that compared the benthic biota in trawled areas with those in control locations (that were either not trawled or trawled infrequently), examining seven potential indicators (numbers and biomass for individual taxa and whole communities, evenness, Shannon–Wiener diversity and species richness) to assess their performance against the set of nine criteria.

The effects of trawling were stronger on whole‐community numbers and biomass than for individual taxa. Species richness was also negatively affected by trawling but other measures of diversity were not. Community numbers and biomass met all criteria, taxa numbers and biomass and species richness satisfied most criteria, but evenness and Shannon–Wiener diversity did not respond to trawling and only met few criteria, and hence are not suitable state indicators of the effect of bottom trawling.

Synthesis and applications. An evaluation of each candidate indicator against a commonly agreed suite of desirable properties coupled with the outputs of our meta‐analysis showed that whole‐community numbers of individuals and biomass are the most suitable indicators of bottom trawling impacts as they performed well on all criteria. Strengths of these indicators are that they respond strongly to trawling, relate directly to ecosystem functioning and are straightforward to measure. Evenness and Shannon–Wiener diversity are not responsive to trawling and unsuitable for the monitoring and assessment of bottom trawl impacts.
Effect of agglomeration on technical efficiency of small and medium‐sized garment firms in Egypt
Authors: Kashiwagi Kenichi , Iwasaki Erina
Published: March 2020

This study investigates the effect of agglomeration on technical efficiency of small and medium‐sized garment firms in Egypt. Using a sample of 502 firms, we estimated a translog stochastic frontier production function with inefficiency components. We also applied a switching regression model to address self‐selection in choice of agglomeration. Results confirm that agglomeration enhances technical efficiency of sampled firms through development of industrial linkages and accumulation of human capital. Given the increasing importance of cluster‐based development policies, we underscore the need to promote agglomeration of garment firms, and thereby foster forward and backward linkages to improve their efficiency and to develop global value chains.
Analyse de la consommation des biens culturels au Togo
Authors: Nyatefe Victor , Okey Mawussé Nézan Komlagan
Published: March 2020

This paper analyses the determinants of consumption decision and household expenditure on cultural goods in Togo, based on survey data from the 2015 QUIBB Basic Well‐being Indicators. The determinants of consumption decision are empirically estimated from a probit model while the determinants of consumption expenditure on cultural goods are estimated from a Tobit model and the CLAD (Censored Lead Absolute Deviation) method. The results show that the decision to consume cultural goods is positively affected by the higher level of education and the place of residence but negatively affected by the size of the household. Likewise, households' consumption expenditure is significantly influenced by income, education level, place of residence, household size, and religion. However, estimation by the CLAD method shows that the magnitude of the effect of these factors differs from one quantile to another. Furthermore, our results highlight a U‐shaped relationship between cultural spending and income. Taking these factors into account can help revive the cultural sector in Togo.
Uber in Queensland: From policy fortress to policy change
Authors: Stein Elliot James , Head Brian W.
Published: March 2020

Emerging technologies are challenging the regulatory systems and industry policy settings that were settled during the microeconomic reforms of the 1980s and 1990s. In 1994, in the absence of credible competition in the taxi industry, Queensland legislation constructed a protective ‘policy fortress’ that benefited taxi licence holders in return for specific service standards. This entrenched a policy–industry nexus upheld by all political parties for two decades. But in 2014–2016, using disruptive digital platforms, Uber and similar organisations directly challenged the policy regime by rapidly expanding their unlicensed operations for personalised passenger bookings. Queensland policy‐makers were eventually shocked into establishing a major review, leading to the termination of the protective regime. Drawing on interviews and policy documents, we identify the contextual and ideational factors that facilitated the unlocking of policy change. As consumers became more ‘tech‐savvy’, the policy ideas championed by powerful new agents of change came to highlight consumer convenience, flexibility, and the ‘sharing economy’. Such narratives reframed the economic disruptions flowing from new technologies as opportunities to lower service costs.
Maintaining neutrality in the Minister's office
Authors: Cole Rose
Published: March 2020

How do non‐partisan advisors in Ministers’ offices maintain political neutrality while immersed in a highly politicised environment? Private Secretaries are ubiquitous non‐partisan public service representatives in the political environment of Ministers’ offices. There has been significant research undertaken the role of political advisors in Ministers’ offices, yet the contribution of these non‐partisan advisors has not yet been described in academic literature. The risk of Private Secretaries being overly responsive to politicians and undertaking political tasks rather than maintaining neutrality is ever present. Further, they must actively manage the risk of free and frank advice being obstructed by political advisors. This article presents views about political neutrality gleaned from interviews with Private Secretaries who have worked in Ministers’ offices in New Zealand during the period of 1997–2018. It presents new insights into the tensions within a key setting of the core executive.