bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systematic review of integrated reporting: recent trend and future research agenda
Authors: Nwachukwu Chijioke
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Integrated reporting () promotes transparency in corporate reporting and communicate detailed information on how a firm creates value in the short, medium and long-term. The purpose of this paper is to systematically review  to provide insights into theories, determinants, consequences, contingent variables and methods that have been used in previous studies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was based on a systematic review of 17 articles published between 2017 and 2020.

Findings

Nine theories were used in prior studies. Board size, diversity, independence, level of activity of the board, the establishment of Higher Education Institutions (before or after 1992), adoption of IR framework, size, institutional ownership, sustainability committee and the use of non-financial performance measures in executives’ compensation contracts and separate risk management committees are determinants of . Further, the positive impact of  on information asymmetry, market valuation of environmental, social and governance performance, financial performance, intellectual capital, sustainability embeddedness and organisational change, external sense of legitimacy and reputation, revenue growth, corporate environmental performance and circular economy-related information, with mixed findings for analyst earnings forecast accuracy, company value and market value. Only three studies used moderating and mediating variables to examine . Quantitative research approach and secondary data are most preferred by  scholars.

Research limitations/implications

Some papers may have been omitted unintentionally, although the author did his best to include most of the prior published articles using a rigorous methodology.

Practical implications

This paper set out future research agenda on how  research could be enhanced.

Originality/value

Contrary to prior systematic reviews that consider individual constructs/concept, the review herein adopts a comprehensive approach and considers moderating and mediating variables aside from theories, effects and determinants of integrated reporting.
Collaborative knowledge sharing in global distributed teams: antecedents of innovation performance
Authors: Xia Huosong , Li Jingwen , Weng Juan , Zhang Zuopeng (Justin) , Gao Yangmei
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Existing research on collaborative innovation mechanisms from the perspective of global operation is very limited. This paper aims to address the research gap by studying the factors influencing globally distributed teams’ innovation performance, especially how effective knowledge sharing between distributed teams promotes collaborative team innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

This research proposes a model to investigate how collaborative knowledge sharing affects global operations [team dispersion, task orientation, information and communication technology (ICT) usage] and innovation performance based on the data collected from 167 managers in 40 local Chinese IT and offshoring firms. Using the theory of Cognitive Diversity and Innovation Diffusion and Synergy, separate hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the proposed model.

Findings

The findings of this study demonstrate that effective collaborative knowledge sharing plays a crucial role in enhancing innovation performance in a global operation. Specifically, innovation capacity can be improved by task orientation, ICT usage and team dispersion.

Originality/value

This research study contributes to the development of global distributed operations and innovation among distributed teams in multinational corporations.
Global ranking of knowledge management and intellectual capital academic journals: a 2021 update
Authors: Serenko Alexander , Bontis Nick
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to update a global ranking list of 28 knowledge management and intellectual capital (KM/IC) academic journals. The list should be periodically updated because the pool of active KM/IC researchers changes, researchers adjust their journal perceptions, citation indices change and new journals appear while others become discontinued.

Design/methodology/approach

The ranking list was created based on a survey of 463 active KM/IC researchers and journal citation impact metrics (the h-index and the g-index).

Findings

Journal of Knowledge Management and Journal of Intellectual Capital are ranked A+, followed by The Learning Organization, Knowledge Management Research & Practice, VINE: The Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, Knowledge and Process Management and International Journal of Knowledge Management which are ranked A. VINE, Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management and Online Journal of Applied Knowledge Management have shown the most improvement. The recently established Journal of Innovation & Knowledge has demonstrated a strong performance.

Practical implications

KM/IC discipline stakeholders may consult and use the ranking list for various purposes, but they should do so with caution. Highly ranked journals are quite likely to have the Clarivate’s Journal Impact Factor or be included in the Clarivate’s Emerging Sources Citation Index. A journal’s longevity is strongly correlated with its citation metrics and is moderately correlated with expert survey scores. Interdisciplinarity is the natural state of the KM and IC research domains, and it should be embraced by the research community.

Originality/value

This study presents the most up-to-date ranking list of KM/IC academic journals.
Digital transformation of the banking system in the context of sustainable development
Authors: Tsindeliani Imeda A. , Proshunin Maxim M. , Sadovskaya Tatyana D. , Popkova Zhanna G. , Davydova Mariam A. , Babayan Oksana A.
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the current state of the Russian banking system in the context of digital economy development, to establish and identify the benchmarks and needs of legal regulation, to study the potential possibilities of digitalization of relations in the banking sector in the mechanism of implementing prudential rules.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the method of political and legal analysis used in this study, the legal guidelines for the digitalization of the banking sector and the financial services market have been determined, which in the Russian legal system are strategic planning documents.

Findings

International research in the field of banking indicates that digitalization and globalization of the economy stimulate the processes of international regulatory cooperation and harmonization of legislation, the use of new approaches in the development and adoption of regulations in the financial market. The growth of digitalization of relations in the banking sector will contribute to the effective implementation of prudential rules, including those related to the need to protect public interests.

Originality/value

The study revealed a number of issues related to the digitalization of the activities of credit institutions that are professional participants in the securities market and the central bank as a financial mega-regulator, requiring a legal solution. Measures aimed at improving the current legislation and procedures of state regulation and supervision are proposed.
Effect of cultural tightness-looseness on money laundering: a cross-country study
Authors: Mejri Mariem , Othman Hakim Ben , Al-Shattarat Basiem , Baatour Kais
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this interdisciplinary cross-country study is to investigate the influence of cultural tightness-looseness on money laundering.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors rely on tightness-looseness theory as the basis for their predictions. The authors use the Basel Anti Money Laundering Index to operationalize financial crimes. They use dynamic panel data regressions spanning from 2012 to 2018 across 66 countries.

Findings

The authors find a positive and significant effect of national culture on money laundering financial crime. This suggests that financial crimes increase in countries with higher levels of cultural looseness orientation. Moreover, the authors show that the absence of violence, control of corruption, political stability and voice and accountability has a significant and negative influence on money laundering financial crime.

Practical implications

Formal institutional factors are not the only factors that can help curb financial crimes, but policy regulators should also consider the degree of cultural tightness-looseness.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first research ever to examine the effects of cultural tightness-looseness on the level of financial crimes.
Joint procurement of complex products: actual price savings, perceived nonmonetary advantages, disadvantages and impediments
Authors: Carrera Pricivel , Katik Sükran , Schotanus Fredo
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Little is known about actual price savings generated by cooperative purchasing and nonmonetary advantages, disadvantages and impediments for the cooperative purchasing of complex or high-risk purchases. This paper aims to explore these topics by studying joint purchasing of pacemakers in The Netherlands.

Design/methodology/approach

To evaluate the magnitude of price savings, data on individual and collective prices for 18 hospitals was analyzed. In addition, 16 interviews were carried out with representatives of hospitals that participated and did not participate in the joint purchase.

Findings

Based on quantitative and qualitative data, the authors found large differences in price savings which can be attributed to scale, but mostly to knowledge of the group and renewing a contract in a technology-driven and developing market. Limited product choice – because of an organization joining a cooperative – constrained the attractiveness of cooperative purchasing, as end users may have specific product preferences. The consideration of preferences of end users is important toward successful joint purchasing of complex items.

Social implications

The authors argue that price savings because of scale are about 7% for smaller organizations and 4% for larger organizations. For smaller organizations with low specific knowledge and capacity for buying complex products, economies of process and knowledge are more important reasons for joining a purchasing group than scale. For large organizations with high specific knowledge and capacity, scale is the most important reason.

Originality/value

This study combined qualitative and quantitative perspectives, using actual spend data, to investigate cooperative purchasing of high-risk or complex purchases. On the one hand, more insight into the magnitude and reasons for price savings is provided than in earlier literature. On the other hand, more insight is given in qualitative reasons for joining a group and challenges for cooperative purchasing of complex items.
Moderating effect of investor demand: privatized IPOs and flipping activity in the Pakistan IPO market
Authors: Anwar Ayesha , Mohd-Rashid Rasidah
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of privatized initial public offerings (IPOs) on flipping activity in the Pakistan IPO market.

Design/methodology/approach

This study sampled 95 IPOs listed on the Pakistan stock exchange over the period of 2000 to 2019. The ordinary least square technique and quantile regression were used to examine the impact of privatized IPO on flipping activity.

Findings

The present study finds that privatization affects flipping activity and creates a quality signal in Pakistan’s IPO market. The findings of this study also show that privatized IPOs were subjected to high levels of flipping activity compared to non-privatized IPOs. Additionally, investors’ demand has been found to moderate the relationship between privatized IPOs and flipping activity in Pakistan’s IPO market.

Research limitations/implications

Based on the fact that the sample consists of a combination of privatized and non-privatized IPOs, the results provide valuable insight into factors that may lead to unusual trading behavior/flipping during the first day of listing.

Originality/value

Despite several studies on events (e.g. short- and long-term price performance) around IPO, there is little evidence on how privatized IPOs affect flipping activity, which is a high volume of trading immediately after listing.
Quantifying the value of high-quality property management
Authors: Wadu Mesthrige Jayantha
Published: June 2021

Purpose

“Ill-maintenance of common areas” in multi-owner residential properties is described as the “tragedy of anti-commons problem”. The problem can be addressed by outsourcing the management of the property to a company possessing quality property management (PMGT) certification. The PMGT certification is normally hailed as an effective means of reassuring occupiers and prospective property buyers of the good level of quality of the property management to be expected. This study investigated whether PMGT certification carries with it a price premium for residential properties.

Design/methodology/approach

A fixed-effects modelling approach was employed in relation to a large residential properties dataset in Hong Kong, in the period 2009–2018.

Findings

The results indicate, on average, that the PMGT certification commands a price premium of between 3.3 and 3.9%. This premium can be called, the “tragedy of anti-commons premium (TAC premium)”. The results further suggest that significant price premium differences relate to the four different types of certifications studied. The price of a residential unit managed by a property management company (PMC) with Q-mark certification is about 3.4% higher than a unit managed by a non-certified PMC, ceteris paribus. Likewise, corresponding price premiums for units certified related to ISO9001 and HKMAQA certifications are 3.5 and 2.4%, respectively.

Originality/value

To the best of author's knowledge, this is the first attempt to investigate if there is any relationship between the property price premium attributed to “tragedy of anti-commons” and PMGT certification.
Drivers of intrapreneurship: an affective events theory viewpoint
Authors: Itzkovich Yariv , Heilbrunn Sibylle , Dolev Niva
Published: June 2021

Purpose

In the current study framework, the authors test the underlying assumptions of affective events theory concerning the impact of job satisfaction and job insecurity driven by incivility on intrapreneurial behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected with a sample of 510 employees from five organisations. All hypotheses were tested via SmartPLS3. Additionally, a distinction between formative and reflective measures was performed.

Findings

Findings revealed that incivility decreases intrapreneurial behaviour, mediated by job satisfaction and job insecurity. Additionally, this study’s results show that the relationship between job satisfaction and job insecurity and intrapreneurial behaviour distinguishes unionised employees from employees who are not unionised.

Research limitations/implications

The cross-sectional nature of the present data precluded definitive statements about causality. Additionally, further studies should increase the sample size and include an international perspective to ensure the overall generalisability of the results.

Practical implications

Practically, this study’s findings point to the need for organisational management to understand better underlying employees' perceptions and their antecedents and consequences.

Originality/value

The study results contribute to the literature by testing the core assumptions of affective events theory and by extending the affective events theory model, incorporating contextual influences on the relationship between attitudes and behaviours. The authors also show for the first time that incivility can be directly (compared to indirectly) linked to emotional-based responses, but not to those responses driven by cognitive appraisals. Thus, the study also contributes to the incivility literature and the understanding of various antecedents and consequences of incivility. Additionally, this study addressed the notion of formative versus reflective measurement models for the first time relating to incivility and intrapreneurial behaviour, allowing for more sensitive and less biased results. Herein lies an additional methodological contribution.
Digital twin-driven framework for improving self-management of ergonomic risks
Authors: Ogunseiju Omobolanle Ruth , Olayiwola Johnson , Akanmu Abiola Abosede , Nnaji Chukwuma
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The physically-demanding and repetitive nature of construction work often exposes workers to work-related musculoskeletal injuries. Real-time information about the ergonomic consequences of workers' postures can enhance their ability to control or self-manage their exposures. This study proposes a digital twin framework to improve self-management ergonomic exposures through bi-directional mapping between workers' postures and their corresponding virtual replica.

Design/methodology/approach

The viability of the proposed approach was demonstrated by implementing the digital twin framework on a simulated floor-framing task. The proposed framework uses wearable sensors to track the kinematics of workers' body segments and communicates the ergonomic risks via an augmented virtual replica within the worker's field of view. Sequence-to-sequence long short-term memory (LSTM) network is employed to adapt the virtual feedback to workers' performance.

Findings

Results show promise for reducing ergonomic risks of the construction workforce through improved awareness. The experimental study demonstrates feasibility of the proposed approach for reducing overexertion of the trunk. Performance of the LSTM network improved when trained with augmented data but at a high computational cost.

Research limitations/implications

Suggested actionable feedback is currently based on actual work postures. The study is experimental and will need to be scaled up prior to field deployment.

Originality/value

This study reveals the potentials of digital twins for personalized posture training and sets precedence for further investigations into opportunities offered by digital twins for improving health and wellbeing of the construction workforce.
COVID-19 and the pursuit of supply chain resilience: reactions and “lessons learned” from logistics service providers (LSPs)
Authors: Herold David M. , Nowicka Katarzyna , Pluta-Zaremba Aneta , Kummer Sebastian
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide new insights into the reactions and lessons learned with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of how logistics service providers (LSPs) managed to maintain supply chains resilience and what focus areas have been changed to keep operations functional and uphold financial stability.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on data-gathering techniques in interpretive research this study collected primary data via semi-structured interviews, interviewing informants from selected LSPs that operate on a global scale.

Findings

The results show that LSPs have built their reactions and actions to the COVID-19 outbreak around five main themes: “create revenue streams,” “enhance operational transport flexibility,” “enforce digitalization and data management,” “optimize logistics infrastructure” and “optimize personnel capacity.” These pillars build the foundation to LSP resilience that enables supply chains to stay resilient during an external shock of high impact and low probability.

Originality/value

The results of this study provide insights into how LSPs have managed the downsides and found innovative ways to overcome operational and financial challenges during the COVID-19 outbreak. As one of the first studies that specially focuses on the role of LSPs during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study categorizes the LSPs’ reactions and provides a “lessons learned” framework from a managerial perspective. From a theoretical perspective, this paper discusses the strategic role of LSPs in supply chain management and thereby extends current supply chain literature with a focus on LSP resilience.
Location of Airbnb and hotels: the spatial distribution and relationships
Authors: La Liqing , Xu Feifei , Hu Mingxing , Xiao Chengling
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to compare the spatial distribution of Airbnb and hotels in London and examine the relationship between demographic, socioeconomic and environmental factors and the supply of these two types of lodging supply.

Design/methodology/approach

Local information of Airbnb listings in London was collected through Insideairbnb.com. Gathered data were examined using geo-spatial auto-correlation analysis and spatial econometric models.

Findings

The results indicate that Airbnb predominates in the areas around popular tourist attractions and the peripheral areas of the city, while in the downtown area Airbnb and hotels are in the state of coexistence. The mono-centric model and the agglomeration model could be extended to the context of peer-to-peer accommodation. The location of Airbnb and traditional hotels capitalizes on different factors.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on secondary data due to data availability. And, it is based on the case of London, so the findings may not reflect the situation of small cities and rural destinations.

Practical implications

This study not only gives suggestions for local councils to regulate the location of hotels and Airbnb but also provides professional landlords with reference to choosing Airbnb location.

Originality/value

This study extends the hotel location theoretical models into the context of Airbnb and sheds lights on the distinction between these two business models in terms of location factors.
Climate change‐induced deprivation of dietary essential fatty acids can reduce growth and mitochondrial efficiency of wild juvenile salmon
Authors: Závorka Libor , Crespel Amelie , Dawson Neal J. , Papatheodoulou Magdalene , Killen Shaun S. , Kainz Martin J.
Published: June 2021

Omega‐3 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n − 3 LC‐PUFA) are essential micronutrients for optimal functioning of cellular metabolism and for somatic growth of all vertebrates including fishes. In addition,n − 3 LC‐PUFA could also play a key role in response of fishes and other ectothermic vertebrates to changing temperatures.

An important, but largely overlooked, consequence of climate change is the reduced availability of dietaryn − 3 LC‐PUFA in aquatic food webs. Changes in availability of dietaryn − 3 LC‐PUFA have recently been proposed as a major driver of novel adaptations and diversification of consumers. Yet, there is only limited knowledge about hown − 3 LC‐PUFA depletion in aquatic food webs will affect the performance of wild fishes.

Here we combine biochemistry and physiology at the cellular level with physiological and cognitive processes at the whole‐animal level to test how ecologically relevant deprivation ofn − 3 LC‐PUFA affects performance of wild juvenile Atlantic salmonSalmo salar.

We found that juvenile salmon had a limited capacity to maintain the fatty acid profile of both muscle and brain under ann − 3 LC‐PUFA‐deficient diet. Despite these findings, brain tissues showed remarkable functional stability in mitochondrial metabolism, and we found no effect of diet on learning ability. However, we found that mitochondrial efficiency in muscles and the somatic growth were reduced under ann − 3 LC‐PUFA‐deficient diet. Importantly, we discovered that the somatic growth of juvenile salmon within both treatments decreased with increasing rate of DHA synthesis and retention.

Since DHA is essential for functioning of cellular metabolism, which together with body size are traits closely related to fitness of wild fishes, we suggest that the trade‐off between growth rate and accumulation of DHA could play a critical role in resilience of juvenile salmon to the ongoing rapid environmental change.

A freePlain Language Summarycan be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
How to cope with drought and not die trying: Drought acclimation across tree species with contrasting niche breadth
Authors: Fajardo Alex , Piper Frida I.
Published: June 2021

Worldwide drought events have been reported to cause tree growth decline and mortality, thus altering the carbon (C) balance of forest ecosystems. While most of the attention has been focused on the physiological mechanisms associated with drought‐induced tree responses of a few species at specific locations, the ecological attributes of these species, like their niche breadth, may be also important in determining species’ sensitivity or resilience to drought. We postulated that wide‐niche breadth tree species should be more drought‐resilient than narrow‐niche breadth species.

Using the most severe 2015–2016 El Niño drought event in the last 70 years in Patagonia, we determined pre‐ and post‐drought growth (BAI, basal area increment), C reserves in the form of non‐structural carbohydrate concentrations (NSCs = starch and soluble sugars), wood isotope (δ13C, iWUE and δ18O) signalling and xylem anatomy (mean vessel diameter, mvd) in eight angiosperm tree species of contrasting niche breadth across a sharp precipitation gradient in southern Chile.

All species responded in unison after the drought with a non‐water‐conservative response, maintaining BAI and NSCs, decreasing δ13C, and increasing both mvd and the soluble sugars:NSCs ratio relative to pre‐drought time. Contrary to previous results reporting species‐specific drought responses, our results show unequivocally a functional coordination of organisms’ vital traits associated with a non‐water‐conservative strategy, and a drought‐induced acclimation based on starch conversion into soluble sugars in all of the tree species we examined, regardless of their niche breadth and habitat preference.

We state that abiotic drivers such as drought may have selected similar interspecific responses provided that they operate at the community level rather than at the species level. These findings mark the need to revise current views about the ultimate interspecific functional coordination of organisms’ vital traits when facing more frequent and intensive drought events.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Predicting the structure and functions of peatland microbial communities from Sphagnum phylogeny, anatomical and morphological traits and metabolites
Authors: Sytiuk Anna , Céréghino Régis , Hamard Samuel , Delarue Frédéric , Guittet Amélie , Barel Janna M. , Dorrepaal Ellen , Küttim Martin , Lamentowicz Mariusz , Pourrut Bertrand , Robroek Bjorn J. M. , Tuittila Eeva‐Stiina , Jassey Vincent E. J.
Published: June 2021

Sphagnum mosses are keystone species in northern peatlands. Notably, they play an important role in peatland carbon (C) cycling by regulating the composition and activity of microbial communities. However, it remains unclear whether information on Sphagnum phylogeny and/or traits‐based composition (i.e. anatomical and morphological traits and metabolites) can be used to predict the structure of microbial communities and their functioning. Here we evaluated whether Sphagnum phylogeny and traits predict additional variation in peatland microbial community composition and functioning beyond what would be predicted from environmental characteristics (i.e. climatic and edaphic conditions).

We collected Sphagnum and microbial data from five European peatlands distributed along a latitudinal gradient from northern Sweden to southern France. These data allowed us to assess Sphagnum anatomical and morphological traits and metabolites at different sites along changing environmental conditions. Using structural equation modelling (SEM) and phylogenetic distance analyses, we investigated the role of Sphagnum traits in shaping microbial community composition and functioning along with environmental conditions.

We show that microbial community composition and traits varied independently from both Sphagnum phylogeny and the latitudinal gradient. Specifically, the addition of Sphagnum traits to climatic and edaphic variables to the SEM allowed it to explain a larger proportion of the explained variance (R2). This observation was most apparent for the biomass of decomposers (+42%) and phototrophs (+19%), as well as for growth yield microbial traits (+10%). As such, that Sphagnum metabolites were important drivers for microbial community structure and traits, while Sphagnum anatomical and morphological traits were poor predictors.

Synthesis. Our results highlight that Sphagnum metabolites are more likely to influence peatland microbial food web structure and functioning than Sphagnum anatomical and morphological traits. We provide further evidence that measurements of the plant metabolome, when combined with classical functional traits, improve our understanding of how the plants interact with their associated microbiomes.
‘This could be my last chance’: Therapeutic optimism in a randomised controlled trial for substance use disorders
Authors: Jaffe Kaitlyn , Korthuis Todd , Richardson Lindsey
Published: June 2021

In randomised controlled trials (RCTs), ‘therapeutic optimism’ describes a participant's belief they will benefit from the study treatment, despite the express goal of RCTs to test unknown aspects of interventions. Harbouring such expectations may interfere with RCT participation experiences, particularly among marginalised populations, such as people with substance use disorders (PSUD) who may experience social and structural barriers to participation that also increase their vulnerability to therapeutic optimism. However, little research explores therapeutic optimism within substance use trials. Thus, we conducted a nested qualitative study within an RCT testing a treatment for alcohol and opioid use disorders in HIV clinics. Using interviews with 22 participants in Vancouver, Canada, analysis revealed themes relevant to therapeutic optimism, that were specifically linked to intrinsic (e.g. health‐related) or extrinsic motivations (e.g. stipend). First, compared to extrinsically motivated participants, intrinsically motivated participants held high expectations for the trial and attributed greater agency to the study medication. Second, intrinsically motivated participants expressing therapeutic optimism anticipated marked changes in their lives from the study/medication. Finally, some participants predicted the treatment would solve substance‐related issues in their communities. These findings highlight the interplay between therapeutic optimism and complex interpretations of RCT objectives among PSUD.
The impact of financialisation on public health in times of COVID‐19 and beyond
Authors: Gouzoulis Giorgos , Galanis Giorgos
Published: June 2021

The substantial literature in political economy and sociology has shown that the increasing importance of financial activities (financialisation) exhibits significant effects on many socioeconomic conditions. While these conditions are relevant to public health, the dominant focus of the literature has been centred on the impact of financial markets on health services and health‐care systems. This paper analyses how the financialisation of non‐financial corporations, real estate and pensions can worsen public health through the transformation of workplace and living conditions as well as financially dependent social groups' perception of health risk. Our analysis raises several questions which aim to provide the basis of a future research agenda on the effects of financialisation on public and global health.
Natural antimicrobials and antioxidants added to polylactic acid packaging films. Part I: Polymer processing techniques
Authors: Velásquez Eliezer , Patiño Vidal Cristian , Rojas Adrián , Guarda Abel , Galotto María José , López de Dicastillo Carol
Published: June 2021

Currently, reducing packaging plastic waste and food losses are concerning topics in the food packaging industry. As an alternative for these challenges, antimicrobial and antioxidant materials have been developed by incorporating active agents (AAs) into biodegradable polymers to extend the food shelf life. In this context, developing biodegradable active materials based on polylactic acid (PLA) and natural compounds are a great alternative to maintain food safety and non‐toxicity of the packaging. AAs, such as essential oils and polyphenols, have been added mainly as antimicrobial and antioxidant natural compounds in PLA packaging. In this review, current techniques used to develop active PLA packaging films were described in order to critically compare their feasibility, advantages, limitations, and relevant processing aspects. The analysis was focused on the processing conditions, such as operation variables and stages, and factors related to the AAs, such as their concentrations, weight losses during processing, and incorporation technique, among others. Recent developments of active PLA‐based monolayers and bi‐ or multilayer films were also considered. In addition, patents on inventions and technologies on active PLA‐based films for food packaging were reviewed. This review highlights that the selection of the processing technique and conditions to obtain active PLA depends on the type of the AA regarding its volatility, solubility, and thermosensitivity.
A comprehensive review on molecular mechanism of defective dry‐cured ham with excessive pastiness, adhesiveness, and bitterness by proteomics insights
Authors: Zhou Chang‐Yu , Pan Dao‐Dong , Cao Jin‐Xuan , Zhou Guang‐Hong
Published: June 2021

Excessive bitterness, pastiness, and adhesiveness are the main organoleptic and textural defects of dry‐cured ham, which often cause a lot of financial losses to manufacturers and seriously damage the quality of the product. These sensory and textural defects are related to the protein degradation of dry‐cured ham. Proteomics shows great potential to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanism of sensory and textural defects and identify biomarkers for monitoring their quality traits. This review presents some of the major achievements and considerations in organoleptic and textural defects of dry‐cured ham by proteomics analysis in the recent decades and gives an overview about how to correct sensory and textural defects of dry‐cured ham. Proteomics reveals that muscle proteins derived from myofibril and cytoskeleton and involved in metabolic enzymes and oxygen transport have been identified as potential biomarkers in defective dry‐cured ham. Relatively high residual activities of cathepsin B and L are responsible for the excessive degradation of these protein biomarkers in defective dry‐cured ham. Ultrasound‐assisted mild thermal or high‐pressure treatment shows a good correction for the organoleptic and textural defects of dry‐cured ham by changing microstructure and conformation of muscle proteins by accelerating degradation of proteins and polypeptides into free amino acids.
Silencing of transcription factor E93 inhibits adult morphogenesis and disrupts cuticle, wing and ovary development in Locusta migratoria
Authors: Liu Xiao‐Jian , Jun Guo , Liang Xiao‐Yu , Zhang Xue‐Yao , Zhang Ting‐Ting , Liu Wei‐Min , Zhang Jian‐Zhen , Zhang Min
Published: June 2021

Ecdysone‐induced protein 93F (E93) plays important roles during the metamorphosis process in insects. In this study, a cDNA of the LmE93 gene was identified from the transcriptome of Locusta migratoria, which consists of the 3378‐nucleotide open‐reading frame (ORF) and encodes 1125 amino acids with helix–turn–helix (HTH) motifs. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that LmE93 was highest expressed in ovary. The LmE93 expression level was markedly low from the 3rd to 4th instar nymphs, and greatly increased in 1‐day‐old 5th instar nymphs with a peak on middle nymphal days, then declined in the late nymphal days. Moreover, injected dsLmE93 into 4th and 5th instar nymphs greatly reduced LmE93 transcripts, respectively, and prevented the process of metamorphosis, causing supernumerary nymphal stages. Hematoxylin–eosin staining of the integument showed that the apolysis occurred in advance in 4th instar nymphs, and old cuticle degradation was decreased in dsLmE93‐injected locusts of 5th instar nymphs. Smaller and no fully developed wings with reduced columns between the anterior and posterior regions were found in N6 and N7 supernumerary nymphs. In addition, the development of the ovary in dsLmE93‐injected locusts was severely blocked, the yolk was almost not formed and there was no development of ovarioles. The results indicated that LmE93 play key roles in the metamorphosis, cuticle, wing and ovarian development of locusts.
Synergistic effect of docosahexaenoic acid or conjugated linoleic acid with caffeic acid on ameliorating oxidative stress of HepG2 cells
Authors: Liu Yumeng , Bian Yuanyuan , Luo Xue , Wang Cong , Mu Delun , Pan Guoyang , Wu Junrui , Shi Haisu
Published: June 2021

Exploring the synergistic effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) with caffeic acid (CA) on ameliorating oxidative stress, thereby introducing CA to DHA or CLA will contribute significantly to enhance the bioactivity. We observed that DHA or CLA with CA promoted the recovery of intact individual morphology and the decline of cavities inside the nucleus and apoptosis under the observation of confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorescent inverted microscope. The activity of intracellular antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, pyruvate and malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species (ROS), cellular morphology, and cell cycle were analyzed. Our results showed that DHA or CLA with CA enhanced the activity of CAT and GSH‐Px, decreased LDH leakage and the number of apoptotic, significantly inhibited (ROS‐induced cellular injury. Cell arrest in G1 and G2 phase during cell mitosis was reduced by the measurement of flow cytometry. DHA or CLA combined with CA could markedly strengthen the free radical scavenging and endogenous antioxidant defense capacity on HepG2 cells. This study provides a new direction in the application of synergies to antioxidant compounds.

Practical Application

Caffeic acid (CA) can synergize with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to enhance antioxidant capacity. This study highlighted an effect of ameliorating oxidative stress injury DHA or CLA with CA on HepG2 cells. The data indicated that DHA or CLA with CA might be used to relieve oxidative stress damage.
Efficacy of aqua‐based plyometric exercises in the rehabilitation of patients with juvenile dermatomyositis: A randomized crossover pilot study
Authors: Elnaggar Ragab K. , Abd El‐Nabie Walaa A.
Published: June 2021

Background

Patients with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) experience muscle weakness, tiredness, and loss of energy, which restrict their abilities in performance of their daily living activities.

Objective

To explore the effect of aquatic‐based plyometric (Aqua‐PLYO) exercises on muscle strength, fatigue, and functional ability in patients with JDM.

Methods

This was a randomized, single‐blind, crossover pilot study that included 16 patients with JDM (age 13.44 ± 2.85 years). They were assigned randomly to receive either the Aqua‐PLYO exercises (n = 8) or the standard outpatient care (SoC ; n = 8) first. After a 1‐month washout, the treatment was reversed. Lower limb muscle strength, fatigue perception, functional ability, and disease activity were evaluated before and after each treatment period.

Results

Irrespective of the treatment order, the Aqua‐PLYO treatment yielded greater improvement in muscle strength (hip flexors and abductors [P < 0.001] or knee flexors [P < 0.001] and extensors [P = 0.0008]), fatigue perception (P < 0.001), functional ability (P = 0.009), and disease activity (P = 0.0001) than the SoC treatment. By using the shortest confidence intervals (100[1–2α]%) of the difference, the average bioequivalence of the Aqua‐PLYO and SoC has not been established atP = 0.05, because the upper and lower confidence bounds of all outcomes were not between the acceptance limits. No period or carryover effects were detected in all outcomes.

Conclusion

The Aqua‐PLYO exercise protocol as implemented in this study is safe, feasible, and well‐tolerated in patients with JDM and seemingly useful to help increase muscle strength, reduce fatigue, and enhance functional ability in such a patient population.
Stagnated Liberalization, Long‐term Convergence, and Index Methodology: Three Lessons from the CITRIX Citizenship Policy Dataset
Authors: Schmid Samuel D.
Published: June 2021

In this article, I present the second version of the Citizenship Regime Inclusiveness Index (CITRIX 2.0). It measures the inclusiveness of regulations for immigrants’ access to citizenship across 23 OECD countries from 1980 to 2019, zooming in on four essential policy components: conditions regarding (1) birthright; (2) residence; (3) renunciation; and (4) integration. While explaining the construction of the dataset, I advance a synthetic approach to index methodology. The main idea of this approach is to use statistical dimensionality tests to validate deductively specified additive concept structures. This is the first lesson we can learn from CITRIX. After validating the index in terms of content, dimensionality, and convergence, a short empirical analysis presents two additional lessons. First, after two cycles of liberalization and subsequent restrictive turns, mostly in integration conditions, aggregate citizenship policy inclusiveness has stagnated, but liberalized overall. 2003 marks the peak of liberalization. Second, there has been long‐term convergence constituted by two phases of convergence with one diverging phase in between. I conclude that liberalization is more limited, and convergence more pronounced, than often assumed. CITRIX offers a versatile toolbox for future research to explore citizenship policies and their correlates. Regular updates are planned.
Beyond immigration: Moving from Western to Global Indexes of Migration Policy
Authors: Solano Giacomo , Huddleston Thomas
Published: June 2021

Over the last twenty years, researchers have undertaken systematic comparison of migration policy by creating sets of policy indicators/indexes at the national level. These indicators are designed to analyse the differences and trends in migration policy and then be used by the research community to assess the determinants and effects of policy. This article aims to assess the comprehensiveness of current migration policy indicators by analysing their thematic, geographical and temporal coverage as a way of understanding how migration policy has been conceptualised and measured in quantitative migration research. Our analysis of the 67 existing indexes shows that they disproportionally focus on immigration policy, mainly admission and citizenship, in OECD and particularly Western European countries, with limited opportunities for longitudinal analysis of policy change. These findings reveal that migration policy has been largely conceptualised in indexes as a contemporary phenomenon, concerning mainly Western countries that have become major destination countries.
Projecting General Assembly Voting Records onto an Enlarged Security Council: An Analysis of the G4 Reform Proposal
Authors: Rolf Jan Niklas , Janssen Niall Juval , Liedtke Max
Published: June 2021

The paper examines the distributive and collective effects of the United Nations (UN) reform proposal by the Group of Four (G4) which envisions a 25‐member Security Council with four additional non‐permanent and six additional permanent members. Academic scholars and affected states have argued that adding more (veto) players to the Council would reduce the voting power of the five current permanent members (P5) and undermine the effectiveness of the body as a whole. Projecting General Assembly voting records of current and proposed permanent members from 1991 to 2017 onto an enlarged Security Council, our analysis suggests that the chance to pass a favorable resolution increases for most P5 members and that in most scenarios such a Council would pass not less but more resolutions. This should be of interest to UN members, and G4 countries in particular, as it allows them to argue more forcefully for the implementation of their proposal.
Do Diaspora Engagement Policies Endure? An Update of the Emigrant Policies Index (EMIX) to 2017
Authors: Palop‐García Pau , Pedroza Luicy
Published: June 2021

How states of origin regulate the rights, obligations, and services they extend to their emigrants has remained mostly in the shadows of migration policy research. We have tackled this gap in the literature by advancing the Emigrant Policies Index (EMIX), which was designed for comparing the degree of adoption of emigrant policies – also called ‘diaspora‐engagement policies’ – across countries in a whole region and, with the update provided in this paper, for the first time in a longitudinal direction. Having previously introduced the EMIX in a synchronic frame, this article presents its scores for 14 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean in 2015 and 2017. This effort already shows that some emigrant policies (e.g. citizenship policies) endure more than others (e.g. social policies). These suggestive findings support the need to compile not only cross‐national, but also longitudinal datasets on these policies.
Treaty Preambles and The Environmental Justice Gap
Authors: Scobie Michelle
Published: June 2021

Global environmental architectures have the potential to reduce inequalities, however, legal, and political procedures and structures may also increase injustices and disempowerment. Multilateral environmental agreements create large regimes over some of the most expansive planetary systems. Contracting states list the purposes, motivations and considerations that led them to conclude legally binding agreements in treaty preambles that are an interpretive tool, a declaration of context, motivation, and intent of the contracting states or parties. This study produces anenvironmental justice conceptual frameworkthat references the scholarship on environmental justice and environmental governance, outlines the elements required to introduce environmental justice debates into treaty preambles, and gives an example of its application to determine whether the preambles include justice concepts. The preambles selected are from treaties with broad geographic and subject matter scope: they regulate oceans, climate, and biodiversity, the transport of waste, mercury pollution, migratory and endangered species, and wetlands. Using theenvironmental justice conceptual framework, the study found a justice gap between how justice is addressed in justice debates and literatures and the stated intent of the contracting parties in the preambles. The conclusions support the literature that argues that multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) are ahistorical as regards the moral responsibility that lies at the heart of the definitions of justice.