bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crystal twinning of bicontinuous cubic structures
Authors: Han Lu , Fujita Nobuhisa , Chen Hao , Jin Chenyu , Terasaki Osamu , Che Shunai
Published: January 2020

Bicontinuous cubic structures in soft matter consist of two intertwining labyrinths separated by a partitioning layer. Combining experiments, numerical modelling and techniques in differential geometry, we investigate twinning defects in bicontinuous cubic structures. We first demonstrate that a twin boundary is most likely to occur at a plane that cuts the partitioning layer almost perpendicularly, so that the perturbation caused by twinning remains minimal. This principle can be used as a criterion to identify potential twin boundaries, as demonstrated through detailed investigations of mesoporous silica crystals characterized by diamond and gyroid surfaces. We then discuss that a twin boundary can result from a stacking fault in the arrangement of inter-lamellar attachments at an early stage of structure formation. It is further shown that enhanced curvature fluctuations near the twin boundary would cost energy because of geometrical frustration, which would be eased by a crystal distortion that is experimentally observed.
Tetraaqua[3-oxo-1,3-bis(pyridinium-2-yl)propan-1-olato]nickel(II) tribromide dihydrate
Authors: Westcott Barry L. , Crundwell Guy , Alicea-Velázquez Nilda L.
Published: January 2020

The crystal structure of the title compound, [Ni(C13H11N2O2)(H2O)4]Br3·2H2O, contains an octahedral NiII atom coordinated to the enol form of 1,3-dipyridylpropane-1,3-dione (dppo) and four water molecules. Both pyridyl rings on the ligand are protonated, forming pyridinium rings and creating an overall ligand charge of +1. The protonated nitrogen-containing rings are involved in hydrogen-bonding interactions with neighoring bromide anions. There are many additional hydrogen-bonding interactions involving coordinated water molecules on the NiII atom, bromide anions and hydration water molecules.
Crystal structures and Hirshfeld surface analysis oftrans-bis(thiocyanato-κN)bis{2,4,6-trimethyl-N-[(pyridin-2-yl)methylidene]aniline-κ2N,N′}manganese(II) andtrans-bis(thiocyanato-κN)bis{2,4,6-trimethyl-N-[(pyridin-2-yl)methylidene]aniline-κ2N,N′}nickel(II))
Authors: Jittirattanakun Siripak , Theppitak Chatphorn , Wannarit Nanthawat , Rotsut Bachari , Chainok Kittipong
Published: January 2020

Two new mononuclear metal complexes involving the bidentate Schiff base ligand 2,4,6-trimethyl-N-[(pyridin-2-yl)methylidene]aniline (C15H16N2or PM-TMA), [Mn(NCS)2(PM-TMA)2] (I) and [Ni(NCS)2(PM-TMA)2] (II), were synthesized and their structures determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Although the title compounds crystallize in different crystal systems [triclinic for (I) and monoclinic for (II)], both asymmetric units consist of one-half of the complex molecule,i.e.one metal(II) cation, one PM-TMA ligand, and one N-bound thiocyanate anion. In both complexes, the metal(II) cation is located on a centre of inversion and adopts a distorted octahedral coordination environment defined by four N atoms from two symmetry-related PM-TMA ligands in the equatorial plane and two N atoms from two symmetry-related NCS−anions in atransaxial arrangement. The trimethylbenzene and pyridine rings of the PM-TMA ligand are oriented at dihedral angles of 74.18 (7) and 77.70 (12)° for (I) and (II), respectively. The subtle change in size of the central metal cations leads to a different crystal packing arrangement for (I) and (II) that is dominated by weak C—H...S, C—H...π, and π–π interactions. Hirshfeld surface analysis and two-dimensional fingerprint plots were used to quantify these intermolecular contacts, and indicate that the most significant contacts in packing are H...H [48.1% for (I) and 54.9% for (II)], followed by H...C/C...H [24.1% for (I) and 15.7% for (II)], and H...S/S...H [21.1% for (I) and 21.1% for (II)].
A new pseudopolymorph of perchlorinated neopentasilane: the benzene monosolvate Si(SiCl3)4·C6H6
Authors: Tillmann Jan , Lerner Hans-Wolfram , Bolte Michael
Published: January 2020

A new pseudopolymorph of dodecachloropentasilane, namely a benzene monosolvate, Si5Cl12·C6H6, is described. There are two half molecules of each kind in the asymmetric unit. Both Si5Cl12 molecules are completed by crystallographic twofold symmetry. One of the benzene molecules is located on a twofold rotation axis with two C—H groups located on this rotation axis. The second benzene molecule has all atoms on a general position: it is disordered over two equally occupied orientations. No directional interactions beyond normal van der Waals contacts occur in the crystal.
Crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis, interaction energy and DFT studies of (2Z)-2-(2,4-dichlorobenzylidene)-4-nonyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-benzothiazin-3-one
Authors: Hni Brahim , Sebbar Nada Kheira , Hökelek Tuncer , Redouane Achour , Mague Joel T. , Hamou Ahabchane Noureddine , Essassi El Mokhtar
Published: January 2020

The title compound, C24H27Cl2NOS, contains 1,4-benzothiazine and 2,4-dichlorophenylmethylidene units in which the dihydrothiazine ring adopts a screw-boat conformation. In the crystal, intermolecular C—HBnz...OThz(Bnz = benzene and Thz = thiazine) hydrogen bonds form chains of molecules extending along thea-axis direction, which are connected to their inversion-related counterparts by C—HBnz...ClDchlphy(Dchlphy = 2,4-dichlorophenyl) hydrogen bonds and C—HDchlphy...π (ring) interactions. These double chains are further linked by C—HDchlphy...OThzhydrogen bonds, forming stepped layers approximately parallel to (012). The Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H...H (44.7%), C...H/H...C (23.7%), Cl...H/H...Cl (18.9%), O...H/H...O (5.0%) and S...H/H...S (4.8%) interactions. Hydrogen-bonding and van der Waals interactions are the dominant interactions in the crystal packing. Computational chemistry indicates that in the crystal, C—HDchlphy...OThz, C—HBnz...OThzand C—HBnz...ClDchlphyhydrogen-bond energies are 134.3, 71.2 and 34.4 kJ mol−1, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) optimized structures at the B3LYP/6–311 G(d,p) level are compared with the experimentally determined molecular structure in the solid state. The HOMO–LUMO behaviour was elucidated to determine the energy gap. The two carbon atoms at the end of the nonyl chain are disordered in a 0.562 (4)/0.438 (4) ratio.
Crystal structure of {4-[10,15,20-tris(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin-5-yl]benzyl 2-diazoacetato}zinc(II)
Authors: Carrie Daniel , Roisnel Thierry , Simonneaux Gerard
Published: January 2020

In the title compound, [Zn(C50H36N6O5)], the ZnII cation is chelated by four pyrrole N atoms of the porphyrinate anion and coordinated by a symmetry-generated keto O atom of the diazoester group in a distorted square-pyramidal geometry. The mean Zn—N(pyrrole) bond length is 2.058 Å and the Zn—O(diazoester) bond length is 2.179 (4) Å. The zinc cation is displaced by 0.2202 (13) Å from the N4C20 mean plane of the porphyrinate anion toward the O atom; the involvement of this atom leads to a [100] polymeric chain in the crystal.
Crystal structure, synthesis and thermal properties of bis(4-benzoylpyridine-κN)bis(isothiocyanato-κN)bis(methanol-κN)iron(II)
Authors: Wellm Carsten , Näther Christian
Published: January 2020

In the crystal structure of the title compound, [Fe(NCS)2(C12H9NO)2(CH4O)2], the FeII cations are octahedrally coordinated by two N atoms of 4-benzoylpyridine ligands, two N atoms of two terminal isothiocyanate anions and two methanol molecules into discrete complexes that are located on centres of inversion. These complexes are linked via intermolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds between the methanol O—H H atoms and the carbonyl O atoms of the 4-benzoylpyridine ligands, forming layers parallel to (101). Powder X-ray diffraction proved that a pure sample was obtained but that this compound is unstable and transforms into an unknown crystalline phase within several weeks. However, the solvent molecules can be removed by heating in a thermobalance, which for the aged sample as well as the title compound leads to the formation of a compound with the composition Fe(NCS)2(4-benzoylpyridine)2, which exhibits a powder pattern that is similar to that of Mn(NCS)2(4-benzoylpyridine)2.
Noncrystallographic symmetry-constrained map obtained by direct density optimization
Authors: Yoshimura Masato , Chen Nai-Chi , Guan Hong-Hsiang , Chuankhayan Phimonphan , Lin Chien-Chih , Nakagawa Atsushi , Chen Chun-Jung
Published: January 2020

Noncrystallographic symmetry (NCS) averaging following molecular-replacement phasing is generally the major technique used to solve a structure with several molecules in one asymmetric unit, such as a spherical icosahedral viral particle. As an alternative method to NCS averaging, a new approach to optimize or to refine the electron density directly under NCS constraints is proposed. This method has the same effect as the conventional NCS-averaging method but does not include the process of Fourier synthesis to generate the electron density from amplitudes and the corresponding phases. It has great merit for the solution of structures with limited data that are either twinned or incomplete at low resolution. This method was applied to the case of the T = 1 shell-domain subviral particle of Penaeus vannamei nodavirus with data affected by twinning using the REFMAC5 refinement software.
Development of SPACE-II for rapid sample exchange at SPring-8 macromolecular crystallography beamlines
Authors: Murakami Hironori , Hasegawa Kazuya , Ueno Go , Yagi Naoto , Yamamoto Masaki , Kumasaka Takashi
Published: January 2020

Reducing the sample-exchange time is a crucial issue in maximizing the throughput of macromolecular crystallography (MX) beamlines because the diffraction data collection itself is completed within a minute in the era of pixel-array detectors. To this end, an upgraded sample changer, SPACE-II, has been developed on the basis of the previous model, SPACE (SPring-8 Precise Automatic Cryo-sample Exchanger), at the BL41XU beamline at SPring-8. SPACE-II achieves one sample-exchange step within 16 s, of which its action accounts for only 11 s, because of three features: (i) the implementation of twin arms that enable samples to be exchanged in one cycle of mount-arm action, (ii) the implementation of long-stroke mount arms that allow samples to be exchanged without withdrawal of the detector and (iii) the use of a fast-moving translation and rotation stage for the mount arms. By pre-holding the next sample prior to the sample-exchange sequence, the time was further decreased to 11 s in the case of automatic data collection, of which the action of SPACE-II accounted for 8 s. Moreover, the sample capacity was expanded from four to eight Uni-Pucks. The performance of SPACE-II has been demonstrated in over two years of operation at BL41XU; the average number of samples mounted on the diffractometer in one day was increased from 132 to 185, with an error rate of 0.089%, which counted incidents in which users could not continue with an experiment without recovery work by entering the experimental hutch. On the basis of these results, SPACE-II has been installed at three other MX beamlines at SPring-8 as of July 2019. The fast and highly reliable SPACE-II is now one of the most important pieces of infrastructure for the MX beamlines at SPring-8, providing users with the opportunity to fully make use of limited beamtime with brilliant X-rays.
3D domain swapping in the TIM barrel of the α subunit ofStreptococcus pneumoniaetryptophan synthase
Authors: Michalska Karolina , Kowiel Marcin , Bigelow Lance , Endres Michael , Gilski Miroslaw , Jaskolski Mariusz , Joachimiak Andrzej
Published: January 2020

Tryptophan synthase catalyzes the last two steps of tryptophan biosynthesis in plants, fungi and bacteria. It consists of two protein chains, designated α and β, encoded bytrpAandtrpBgenes, that function as an αββα complex. Structural and functional features of tryptophan synthase have been extensively studied, explaining the roles of individual residues in the two active sites in catalysis and allosteric regulation. TrpA serves as a model for protein-folding studies. In 1969, Jackson and Yanofsky observed that the typically monomeric TrpA forms a small population of dimers. Dimerization was postulated to take place through an exchange of structural elements of the monomeric chains, a phenomenon later termed 3D domain swapping. The structural details of the TrpA dimer have remained unknown. Here, the crystal structure of theStreptococcus pneumoniaeTrpA homodimer is reported, demonstrating 3D domain swapping in a TIM-barrel fold for the first time. The N-terminal domain comprising the H0–S1–H1–S2 elements is exchanged, while the hinge region corresponds to loop L2 linking strand S2 to helix H2′. The structural elements S2 and L2 carry the catalytic residues Glu52 and Asp63. As the S2 element is part of the swapped domain, the architecture of the catalytic apparatus in the dimer is recreated from two protein chains. The homodimer interface overlaps with the α–β interface of the tryptophan synthase αββα heterotetramer, suggesting that the 3D domain-swapped dimer cannot form a complex with the β subunit. In the crystal, the dimers assemble into a decamer comprising two pentameric rings.
Low-cycle fatigue behavior and corrosion mechanism of pre-corroded 2A70-T6 aluminum alloy
Authors: Li Hui , Fu Lei , Lin Li , Chen Yu , Luo YunRong , Li XiuLan , Xie WenLing , Wang Qingyuan
Published: January 2020

Purpose

In summary, it can be found that the current research on the simulation of natural atmospheric dry–wet alternating accelerated corrosion mainly focused on the study of electrochemical corrosion process and the study of corrosion rate; the micro-pre-corrosion mechanism of materials in this environment, especially for materials. The specific effects of fatigue and fracture performance still lack detailed research. Accordingly, this study aims to more realistically simulate the effect of natural atmospheric corrosion environment on the corrosion resistance and fatigue performance of aircraft skin.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the uniaxial strain control method was used to test the fatigue performance of pre-corrosion samples under simulated natural atmospheric corrosion using MTS809 tensile-torque composite fatigue machine. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray energy spectrum analysis, atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis were used. Fatigue fracture, corrosion morphology and corrosion products were analyzed.

Findings

The results show that the deep corrosion pit caused by pre-corrosion environment leads to multi-source initiation of crack; the fatigue life of pre-corroded sample decreases by about one-half, chloride ion invades the material and promotes intergranular corrosion; life prediction results show that the natural atmospheric corrosive environment mainly affects the plastic term in the Manson–Coffin formula resulting in a decrease in fatigue life.

Originality/value

Innovative experimental schemes and materials are used and the test temperature and relative humidity are strictly controlled. The corrosion failure mechanism of 2A70-T6 aluminum alloy under alternating wet and dry accelerated corrosion environment and its influence on fatigue behavior were obtained.
Effect of AC interference on hydrogen evolution reaction of x80 steel
Authors: Zhou JiaYu , Li Zili , Liu JianGuo , Xing Xiao , Cui Gan , Zhang ShouXin , Cheng Ran , Wang YiShu
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to quantify the influence of alternating current (AC) interference on hydrogen evolution reaction of X80 steel.

Design/methodology/approach

The hydrogen evolution potential was obtained by cathodic potentiodynamic polarization curve. The instantaneous potential under AC interference was obtained by high-frequency acquisition with three-electrode system. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Tafel polarization curves were used to study the influence mechanism of AC interference on instantaneous potential.

Findings

It was concluded that the hydrogen evolution reaction could occur on X80 steel under AC interference. There were critical AC current densities of about 100 to 200 A/m2, beyond which the cathode reaction of X80 steel changed from oxygen absorption to hydrogen evolution. Besides the pH value, the initial polarization potential EZ and impedance module of the steel/electrolyte interface under AC interference were also the factors that affected the critical AC densities in different solutions.

Originality/value

This research quantified the hydrogen evolution capacity of X80 steel under AC interference, which could be applied to clear the effect of AC interference on hydrogen evolution reaction.
Does BRICS partnership really matter in price competitiveness and external sector growth?
Authors: Thazhugal Govindan Nair Saji
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the impact of economic integration on trade competitiveness and demonstrate its effects on trade and investment performance of member nations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study compiles some price indices to provide a systematic assessment of competitiveness in the BRICS region. The panel regression framework estimates the impact of integration on trade competitiveness and the external sector performance of BRICS nations.

Findings

The findings of the research highlight the prospects for strong, closer and sustained integration in BRICS and, more importantly, the contribution of competitiveness to FDI receipts and export growth.

Research limitations/implications

The assessment of exports and investment experiences of BRICS nations, particularly China and India, provides further evidence in support of the logical design and strategic use of their foreign trade policies.

Originality/value

The economic partnership that wants to sustain this high road to global economic space needs strategic orientations to promote their partnership in other interest areas to make the cooperation more competitive in price terms.
Relative absorptive capacity as a booster of innovation in an automotive cluster
Authors: Zapata-Cantu Laura , Rialp Josep , Rodríguez Ana Olga
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This study aims to address the relevance of the mediating role of the relative absorptive capacity (ACAP-R) in the relation between absorptive capacity and innovation, contributing to a better understanding of innovation in a business network. Participants’ firms in this study are part of the supply network of an automotive cluster.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is developed in 225 companies that are part of the supply network of an automotive cluster in Mexico. A survey was applied to key firm informants who had been involved on processes of innovation, quality or continuous improvement. During data analysis, structural equation modeling was implemented with the support of SmartPLS 3.0 to understand the mediation role of relative absorptive capacity as a novel insight of innovation in a Mexican cluster.

Findings

The results demonstrate the partial mediator role of the ACAP-R among the absorptive capacities and the level of innovation of the companies that make up the network studied. The findings represent an approach to the understanding of one of the key dynamic capacities in the innovation process and, thus, to the competitiveness of organizations, which has scarcely been studied from the perspective of business networks.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of the research focus on the fact that the source of information in the surveys comes, in most cases, from the opinion of a key informant per unit surveyed, which is why there is a certain margin of subjectivity that could be reduced if there is more than one source of information in the same organization. It is also considered important that the information offered by the suppliers could be complemented by the opinion of clients. This would provide a more complete view of the circularity of information involved in inter-organizational exchanges.

Originality/value

The findings provide useful insights not only in terms of understanding the link between absorptive capacity and innovation, but also how to improve levels of innovation through knowledge exchanges that occur during the participation of suppliers and customers in a business network. Firms with high levels of ACAP are more likely to recognize the opportunity to benefit from external knowledge and to participate intensely in collaborative efforts. That is, technological similarity or similar knowledge base between source or recipient firms impacts their innovation.
Library eArchiving with ZONTAL Space and the Allotrope Data Format
Authors: Della Corte Dennis , Colsman Wolfgang , Welker Ben , Rennick Brian
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this technical paper is to evaluate the emerging standard “Allotrope Data Format (ADF)” in the context of digital preservation at a major US academic library hosted at Brigham Young University. In combination with the new information management system ZONTAL Space (ZS), archiving with the ADF is compared with currently used systems CONTENTdm and ROSETTA.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is a workflow-based comparison in terms of usability, functionality and reliability of the systems. Current workflows are replaced by optimized target processes, which limit the number of involved parties and process steps. The connectors or manual solutions between the current workflow steps are replaced with automatic functions inside of ZS. Reporting functionalities inside of ZS are used to track system and file lifecycle to ensure stability and data preservation.

Findings

The authors find that the target processes leveraging ZS drastically reduce complexity compared to current workflows. Archiving with the ADF is found to decrease integration complexity and provide a more robust data migration path for the future. The possibility to enrich data automatically with metadata and to store this information alongside the content in the same information package increases reusability of the data.

Research limitations/implications

The practical implications of this work suggest the arrival of a new information management system that can potentially revolutionize the archiving landscape within libraries. Beyond the scope of the initial proof of concept, the potential for the system can be seen to replace existing data management tools and provide access to new data analytics applications, like smart recommender systems.

Originality/value

The value of this study is a systematic introduction of ZS and the ADF, two emerging solutions from the Pharmaceutical Industry, to the broader audience of digital preservation experts within US libraries. The authors consider the exchange of best practices and solutions between industries to be of high value to the communities.
Assessing the entrepreneurial orientation of the librarians
Authors: Doulani Abbas , Sahebi Sepideh , Saberi Mohammad Karim
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to carry out the demographic evaluation and analysis of the entrepreneurial orientation of librarians in Iranian public libraries using the Lumpkin and Dess model.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a structured questionnaire of entrepreneurial orientation was used. The research population consisted of 5,000 librarians of Iranian public libraries who were selected using Krejcie and Morgan table (95% confidence level and p-value of 5%) and stratified the random sampling method. A total of 365 individuals were selected as the study sample. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using descriptive statistics (frequency, percent, mean, standard deviation and standard error mean) as well as inferential statistics (Pearson correlation, one-sample t-test, independent samples t-test and ANOVA.

Findings

The results showed that the mean level of entrepreneurial orientation of librarians was 2.92 with an average level (µ = 3). Librarians were at an average level (µ = 3) in terms of components of innovativeness (2.98), risk-taking (2.93) and proactiveness (3.02). The status of the autonomy component (2.53) was at an undesirable level (3 < µ), and only the competitive aggressiveness status (3.12) was at the desirable level (3 < µ). The analysis of the librarian’s entrepreneurial orientation based on demographic characteristics indicated that the male librarian’s entrepreneurial orientation was higher than the female librarian’s (p-value = 0.039). Meantime, librarians with library and information science degrees have less entrepreneurial orientation than the librarians with other (non-librarian and information science) degrees (p-value = 0.01). Also, the higher the librarian’s degree, the lower their entrepreneurial orientation will be (p-value = 0.000). In addition, there was no significant relationship between librarians’ age (p-value = 0.14), marital status (p-value = 0.15) or work experience (p-value = 0.388) and their entrepreneurial orientation.

Practical implications

Entrepreneurial orientation is one of the significant concepts in entrepreneurship of organizations. Accordingly, studying the concept of entrepreneurial orientation and formulating an appropriate strategy is of great importance in improving the performance of libraries because libraries can be more useful and appealing to library members by enhancing the entrepreneurial orientation of librarians, delivering new, unique and tailor-made services to users’ needs.

Originality/value

Not much research has been carried out on entrepreneurship in library and information sciences. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the entrepreneurial orientation of librarians based on their demographic characteristics.
Deviance due to fear of victimization: “emotional intelligence” a game-changer
Authors: Shah Syed Jamal , Shah Syed Asad Ali , Ullah Rizwan , Shah Adnan Muhammad
Published: January 2020

Purpose

With a foundation in the conservation of resource theory, this paper aims to examine the validity of a conceptual model that explains the mechanism connecting perceived threat of terrorism to production deviance. The link between perceived threat of terrorism and production deviance was examined via emotional exhaustion. Notably, the study evaluated whether the relationship between perceived threat of terrorism and production deviance is mediated by emotional exhaustion and moderated by levels of emotional intelligence.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is cross-sectional in nature and data were collected from 432 pharmaceutical sales representatives who operate outdoors in the high-risk region. Two-step approach consisting confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling was used for analysis. To examine conditional direct and indirect effects, the authors used model 8 in PROCESS.

Findings

Results were consistent with prediction made from the conceptual model in that emotional exhaustion partially mediated the relationship between perceived threat of terrorism and production deviance. This was particularly the case when emotional intelligence was low, but not when high. Likewise, perceived threat of terrorism exerted a direct effect on production deviance when emotional intelligence was low, but not when high.

Originality/value

The study is the first to examine the relationship between perceived threat of terrorism and production deviance. Moreover, no study to date has examined the mediating role of emotional exhaustion between perceived threat of terrorism and production deviance. Finally, up till now, it is unknown that emotional intelligence moderates the relationship of perceived threat of terrorism with emotional exhaustion and production deviance.
Voice of farmers in the agriculture crisis in North-East Nigeria
Authors: Che Ferdinand Ndifor , Strang Kenneth David , Vajjhala Narasimha Rao
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to uncover ground truth insights underlying the agriculture crisis from the perspectives of rural farmers in North-East Nigeria. The needs of individual farmers are otherwise not adequately reflected in national or regional economic development strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

A unique sequential mixed-methods research design was adopted for this study. A grounded theory approach was used for the literature review followed by a consensual qualitative research (CQR) technique. Data were collected through a semi-structured sense-making focus group (FG) held at a field site with agricultural extension workers. The CQR technique included brainstorming, the nominal group technique, open discussions, sense-making and consensual agreement on the most important ideas. The FG sense-making was recorded, and discourse analysis was conducted to develop thematic concept maps using NVivo software.

Findings

Agriculture crisis ground truth insight themes were consistent with the extant literature but several different issues were also found. Rural farmers in North-East Nigeria have significant challenges with government support in six core areas, namely, farm input quality and dissemination, fair input subsidization, training, market facilitation, corruption and insecurity.

Research limitations/implications

The target population of this study was rural farmers in Adamawa State, North-East Nigeria. A relatively small sample of 16 agricultural extension workers – very experienced farmers who also act as mentors and are paid incentives by the government for doing so – was used.

Practical implications

In tackling the agriculture crisis in Nigeria, policymakers will do well to recognize the realities that the rural farmers face and their needs, the government must address the areas highlighted in this study where support for farmers lacks and urgently review the current process of farm inputs dissemination.

Originality/value

Agriculture crisis problems were explored from the perspectives of rural North-East Nigerian farmers, who have not been previously sampled due to cultural, language, literacy and schedule constraints. The extension workers were better able to communicate agriculture crisis insights in modern economic planning terminology because they are well-educated farmers, knowledgeable about the problems due to their field experience and because they have more flexible work schedules. A unique sequential mixed-methods constructivist research design was used with an embedded CQR technique, which would be of interest to scholars and research institutions.
Open-source hardware as a model of technological innovation and academic entrepreneurship
Authors: Cota Vinícius Rosa , Lopes Aguiar Cleiton , Souza Neto Bezamat de , Benegas Miguel
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to argue in favor of the open hardware philosophy (open-source hardware – OSH) as a technological innovation and academic entrepreneurshipmodel in Brazil.

Design/methodology/approach

This argument is based on three pillars. The first one refers to a bibliographic review of theoretical frameworks related to academic entrepreneurship and technological innovation to emphasize the disruptive innovation capacity of academia. Second, a few elements related to the Brazilian political, economic and structural scenario, which entail a (more) favorable environment to technological innovation and academic entrepreneurship, is presented. Finally, concepts related to OSH and its business model are approached to demonstrate the facilitating effect toward the whole process.

Findings

As a result of the argument made herein, it is possible to perceive the viability of the OSH model in terms of entrepreneurship and technological innovation in the academic sphere, and to perceive its benefits before social and economic needs in areas such as health and education.

Research limitations/implications

There are no empirical or quantifiable data in the literature that enable comparison between OSH and traditional technological innovation models.

Originality/value

The considerations on the philosophical value of OSH and its business models are scarcely explored in international literature. As far as we know, relating OSH to technological innovation entrepreneurship in the academic sphere, as well as its singularities in Brazil regarding the innovation national system and social and economic demands, is a unique approach in literature.
The impact of adverse life events on salesperson relationships with customers
Authors: Rangarajan Deva , Peasley Michael , Paesbrugghe Bert , Srivastava Rajesh V. , Stewart Geoffrey T.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This study aims to examine the impact of stress as a result of adverse life events on a salesperson’s ability to effectively manage customer relationships. The framework identifies burnout as a key mediating variable and salesperson grit as a coping mechanism.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data is gathered from 364 B2B salespeople and investigated using structural equation modeling in Mplus 8.2.

Findings

The findings reveal adverse life events and their corresponding stress diminish a salesperson’s ability to manage customer relationships effectively through the mediators of reduced personal accomplishment and depersonalization. Thus, negative events of a personal nature can have a significant impact on salesperson outcomes and should be taken with the same level of seriousness as job-related stress. Furthermore, results show that salesperson grit provides mixed results as a coping mechanism.

Practical implications

The findings indicate that practitioners should be mindful of the negative impact adverse life events can have on work-related outcomes. Organizations and sales managers must be intentional in managing relationships with their salespeople and strategic in the structure they use to manage customer relationships. Recommendations include the use of regular one-on-one meetings to open up a dialogue about work or personal issues the salesperson is experiencing and assigning multiple resources or staff to service valuable customers, thereby not relying on solitary salespeople.

Originality/value

Employee well-being contributes to firm value; yet, this is the first study in sales to explore the impact of adverse life events on salesperson outcomes.
Prize-linked savings accounts: combining virtue and vice to make savings more enticing
Authors: Atalay Kadir , Garbarino Ellen , Slonim Robert
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether moral licensing – that is, doing something morally dubious after doing the “right” thing – influences the attractiveness of an existing virtue–vice bundle.

Design/methodology/approach

A prize-linked savings (PLS) account that combines a savings (certificate of deposit) and a probabilistic component (lottery) was examined. In two online experiments, the level of moral license offered by the PLS was manipulated through what institution offered the PLS or a lottery alternative.

Findings

When the source of the PLS account was more moral (Study 1) or the source of the lottery was less moral (Study 2), the interest in the PLS increased.

Research limitations/implications

Moral licensing plays a role in making virtue–vice bundles appealing and supports that the need for moral license can be used to increase interest in more morally acceptable behaviour. However, manipulating moral license in the field is complex and requires further research.

Practical implications

Practitioners may increase PLS savings rates via messaging that emphasises how the saving aspect offers the customer the license to indulge in the gamble; similar to how McDonald’s sold the idea of indulging in fast food with “You deserve a break today”.

Originality/value

This paper shows that the attractiveness of the PLS virtue–vice bundle is sensitive to the moral acceptability of the components, suggesting their ability to offer the consumer moral license to engage in a socially sanctioned action is part of their appeal. Also, demonstrating that the desire for moral license can be used to encourage positive behaviour.
Cause-related marketing and the effect of 99-ending pricing
Authors: Jaber Mazen , Jaber Kylie
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Cause-related marketing (CRM) campaigns have become common features of the marketplace. CRM often involves a for-profit business agreeing to contribute a specified amount to a cause when the business’s customers engage in revenue-generating exchanges. Despite the central role that price is likely to play in a consumer’s decision to purchase or not to purchase an offer associated with a CRM campaign, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, very few have examined price framing effects in a CRM context. This paper aims to explore the effect of rightmost digits manipulation in prices on participation intentions for CRM campaigns.

Design/methodology/approach

In Study 1, 241 college students participated in an online experiment for class credit. The experiment used a 3 (price level: low, medium and high) × 2 (price ending: 99 ending and no ending) between-subjects design. The dependent variable was participation intention, and several moderators and mediators were considered. PROCESS was used to test the moderated mediation. In Study 2, 351 subjects participated in an online experiment with a design similar to the earlier study. In Study 2, however, new mediators were added and the moderated mediation was tested using SPSS PROCESS macro.

Findings

This research shows that price ending impacts the effectiveness of CRM as a tactic on consumers’ purchase intentions. Consistent with the authors’ prediction, this study shows that consumers exposed to a 99-ending CRM offer are more likely to participate in the offer compared to consumers exposed to a no-ending priced offer. Offer attractiveness, elaboration and corporate social responsibility were also shown to have a strong effect on participation intentions.

Practical implications

This research indicates that for moderately priced products, 99-ending prices led to an increased influence on consumer purchase intentions; on the other hand, no-ending/even-ending prices were more effective for high-priced products. Thus, the use of the right digit effect by managers in a CRM context as way of increasing consumers’ participation likelihood is likely to be more successful for moderately priced offers.

Originality/value

This research extends previous work on CRM and right digit effect in pricing. This study’s findings, in both Studies 1 and 2, demonstrate that the effectiveness of CRM campaigns on consumer choice is dependent on the offer price ending. Consumers exposed to the no-ending priced CRM offers tend to be affected less by CRM campaigns compared to consumers exposed to 99-ending offers, who perceive the offer as more attractive.
Alternative futures for Government of Canada debt management
Authors: Garriott Corey , Lefebvre Sophie , Nolin Guillaume , Rivadeneyra Francisco , Walton Adrian
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to present four blue-sky ideas for lowering the cost of the Government of Canada’s debt without increasing the debt’s risk profile.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors argue that each idea would improve the secondary-market liquidity of government debt, thereby increasing the demand for government bonds, and thus, lowering their cost at issuance.

Findings

The first two ideas would improve liquidity by enhancing the active management of the government’s debt through market operations used to support the liquidity of outstanding bonds. The second two ideas would simplify the set of securities issued by the government, concentrating issuance in a smaller set of bonds that would each be more highly traded.

Originality/value

The authors discuss the ideas and give an account of the political, legal and operational impediments.
The impact of social media activities on brand image and emotional attachment
Authors: Barreda Albert A. , Nusair Khaldoon , Wang Youcheng , Okumus Fevzi , Bilgihan Anil
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The study aims to develop a theoretical model that portrays the antecedents of emotional attachment in the travel context by combining branding, marketing and information systems theories.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors gather empirical data through a Web-based questionnaire from 236 respondents. The proposed theory-driven model is examined empirically by using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

Findings

The findings suggest that social media rewards and benefits impact users’ brand commitment. Social media interactivity and rewards help building a stronger brand image. Brand commitment and brand image, in turn, affect emotional attachment positively.

Research limitations/implications

Other unexamined constructs may add to the explanation of building brands using social media platforms. As this is an exploratory study in relation to enhancing emotional attachment in an online travel setting, other constructs such as brand page commitment, annoyance, social benefits and telepresence may be considered in future studies.

Practical implications

Practitioners might encounter ways to influence favorable perceptions and brand commitment when consumers use social media sites. The model addresses questions regarding the significant role of social media activities on influencing brand image and brand commitment that in turn influence the development of a strong emotional attachment.

Social implications

This study examined the effects of social media activities including interactivity, psychological benefits and rewards on brand image and brand commitment, and the effects of brand image and brand commitment on emotional attachment in the travel context. The results offer further verification for the theory-based model presented in the study. Evidently, statistically significant and meaningful associations exist among the factors.

Originality/value

The key contribution of this study is that it presents and validates a theory-driven model that reveals the antecedents of sustainable emotional attachment. The proposed framework stresses the positive relationships among constructs and offers research basis for expansion in other settings.
Wisdom of crowds: the effect of participant composition and contribution behavior on Wikipedia article quality
Authors: Lin Yan , Wang Chenxi
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the effect of participant composition and contribution behavior of the different types of participants on the quality of knowledge generation in online communities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study samples all the featured articles in Chinese Wikipedia and performs a Cox regression to reveal how participant composition and contribution behavior affect the quality of articles in different contexts.

Findings

The results show that an increase in the number of participants increases the possibility of either enhancing or reducing the article quality. In most cases, the greater the proportion of core members (people who frequently participate in editing), the higher the possibility of enhancing the article quality. Occasional participants’ editorial behavior hinders quality promotion, this negative effect weakens when such editorial behavior becomes more frequent.

Practical implications

The findings help to better leverage the role of online communities in practice and to achieve knowledge collaboration in a more efficient manner. For example, an appropriate centralized organizational form should be established in online communities to improve the efficiency of crowd contributions. And it is worth developing mechanism to encourage participants to frequently participate in editing the article.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the research on the organizational forms of online communities by showing the effect of participant composition and behavior in the new form of organizing on knowledge generation. This study also contributes to the research on wisdom of crowds by revealing who in a group of participants, in what context, and by what means influence knowledge generation.
Statistical modelling for optimisation of dyeing of silk with semisynthetic azo dye made by chemical modification of areca nut
Authors: Pawar Ashitosh , Biranje Santosh , Patankar Kaustubh , Adivarekar Ravindra Vithal
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on the optimisation of dyeing recipe for dyeing of silk fabric with semisynthetic azo dyes synthesised by chemical modification of areca nut extract.

Design/methodology/approach

The response surface model (Box–Behnken design) was used to establish the relation between the parameters of dyeing such as time, temperature and material to liquor ratio. Their output responses in terms of colour strength (K/S values) are reported. Their relationship was tested for predictability and the experimental values and found to match closely, which confirms the model suitability.

Findings

Dyed fabrics were tested for their fastness properties such as wash, rub and lightfastness. The results of the fastness tests indicate that modified dyes have good dyeability towards silk fabric. The dyed fabrics were also tested for ultraviolet protection factor and antimicrobial activity, which showed very promising results.

Originality/value

Banned amine testing was done, which confirms the absence of banned amine in synthesised dyes, which indicates the potential of its sustainability. Also, such an approach of modification of natural dyes as semi-synthetic dyes can be surely considered to be a step towards its widespread acceptability and further commercialisation.
A two-stage processing approach for contrast intensified image fusion
Authors: Teku Sandhya Kumari , Sanagapallea Koteswara Rao , Inty Santi Prabha
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Integrating complementary information with high-quality visual perception is essential in infrared and visible image fusion. Contrast-enhanced fusion required for target detection in military, navigation and surveillance applications, where visible images are captured at low-light conditions, is a challenging task. This paper aims to focus on the enhancement of poorly illuminated low-light images through decomposition prior to fusion, to provide high visual quality.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, a two-step process is implemented to improve the visual quality. First, the low-light visible image is decomposed to dark and bright image components. The decomposition is accomplished based on the selection of a threshold using Renyi’s entropy maximization. The decomposed dark and bright images are intensified with the stochastic resonance (SR) model. Second, texture information-based weighted average scheme for low-frequency coefficients and select maximum precept for high-frequency coefficients are used in the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) domain.

Findings

Simulations in MATLAB were carried out on various test images. The qualitative and quantitative evaluations of the proposed method show improvement in edge-based and information-based metrics compared to several existing fusion techniques.

Originality/value

In this work, a high-contrast, edge-preserved and brightness-improved image is obtained by the processing steps considered in this work to get good visual quality.