bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of Heart Transplantation Using a Temperature-controlled Hypothermic Storage System
Authors: Zhu Yuanjia , Shudo Yasuhiro , He Hao , Kim Joo Young , Elde Stefan , Williams Kiah M. , Walsh Sabrina K. , Koyano Tiffany K. , Guenthart Brandon , Woo Y. Joseph
Published: December 2022

Background.

The SherpaPak Cardiac Transport System is a novel technology that provides stable, optimal hypothermic control during organ transport. The objectives of this study were to describe our experience using the SherpaPak system and to compare outcomes after heart transplantation after using SherpaPak versus the conventional static cold storage method (non-SherpaPak).

Methods.

From 2018 to June 2021, 62 SherpaPak and 186 non-SherpaPak patients underwent primary heart transplantation at Stanford University with follow-up through May 2022. The primary end point was all-cause mortality, and secondary end points were postoperative complications. Optimal variable ratio matching, cox proportional hazards regression model, and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed.

Results.

Before matching, the SherpaPak versus non-SherpaPak patients were older and received organs with significantly longer total allograft ischemic time. After matching, SherpaPak patients required fewer units of blood product for perioperative transfusion compared with non-SherpaPak patients but otherwise had similar postoperative outcomes such as hospital length of stay, primary graft dysfunction, inotrope score, mechanical circulatory support use, cerebral vascular accident, myocardial infarction, respiratory failure, new renal failure requiring dialysis, postoperative bleeding or tamponade requiring reoperation, infection, and survival.

Conclusions.

In conclusion, this is one of the first retrospective comparison studies that evaluated the outcomes of heart transplantation using organs preserved and transported via the SherpaPak system. Given the excellent outcomes, despite prolonged total allograft ischemic time, it may be reasonable to adopt the SherpaPak system to accept organs from a remote location to further expand the donor pool.
A rubric for human-like agents and NeuroAI
Authors: Momennejad Ida
Published: December 2022

Researchers across cognitive, neuro- and computer sciences increasingly reference ‘human-like’ artificial intelligence and ‘neuroAI’. However, the scope and use of the terms are often inconsistent. Contributed research ranges widely from mimicking
behaviour
, to testing machine learning methods as
neurally plausible
hypotheses at the cellular or functional levels, or solving
engineering
problems. However, it cannot be assumed nor expected that progress on one of these three goals will automatically translate to progress in others. Here, a simple rubric is proposed to clarify the scope of individual contributions, grounded in their commitments to
human-like behaviour
,
neural plausibility
or
benchmark/engineering/computer science
goals. This is clarified using examples of weak and strong neuroAI and human-like agents, and discussing the generative, corroborate and corrective ways in which the three dimensions interact with one another. The author maintains that future progress in artificial intelligence will need strong interactions across the disciplines, with iterative feedback loops and meticulous validity tests—leading to both known and yet-unknown advances that may span decades to come.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘New approaches to 3D vision’.
The case against probabilistic inference: a new deterministic theory of 3D visual processing
Authors: Domini Fulvio
Published: December 2022

How the brain derives 3D information from inherently ambiguous visual input remains the fundamental question of human vision. The past two decades of research have addressed this question as a problem of probabilistic inference, the dominant model being maximum-likelihood estimation (MLE). This model assumes that independent depth-cue modules derive noisy but statistically accurate estimates of 3D scene parameters that are combined through a weighted average. Cue weights are adjusted based on the system representation of each module's output variability. Here I demonstrate that the MLE model fails to account for important psychophysical findings and, importantly, misinterprets the just noticeable difference, a hallmark measure of stimulus discriminability, to be an estimate of perceptual uncertainty. I propose a new theory, termed Intrinsic Constraint, which postulates that the visual system does not derive the most probable interpretation of the visual input, but rather, the most stable interpretation amid variations in viewing conditions. This goal is achieved with the Vector Sum model, which represents individual cue estimates as components of a multi-dimensional vector whose norm determines the combined output. This model accounts for the psychophysical findings cited in support of MLE, while predicting existing and new findings that contradict the MLE model.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘New approaches to 3D vision’.
Misidentification of Cutibacterium acnes as Atopobium vaginae during routine bacterial screening of platelet concentrates using the VITEK 2 system
Authors: Kumaran Dilini , Laflamme Carmelie , Ramirez-Arcos Sandra
Published: December 2022

Skin flora bacteria, such as Cutibacterium acnes, are the predominant contaminants of blood products used for transfusion. Platelet concentrates (PCs), a therapeutic product used to treat patients with platelet deficiencies, are stored at ambient temperature under agitation, providing ideal conditions for bacterial proliferation. PCs are screened for microbial contamination using the automated BACT/ALERT culture system. Positive cultures are processed and contaminating organisms are identified using the VITEK 2 system. Over a period of approximately 2 years, several PC isolates were identified as Atopobium vaginae to a high level of confidence. However, since A. vaginae is associated with bacterial vaginosis and is not a common PC contaminant, a retrospective investigation revealed that in all cases Cutibacterium acnes, a common PC contaminant was misidentified as A. vaginae. Our investigation revealed that the media type used to grow PC bacterial isolates can have a significant impact on the results obtained on the VITEK 2 system. Our findings support the use of macroscopic, microscopic, and other biochemical analyses to confirm the identity of unexpected species identified by the VITEK 2 system during bacterial screening of blood products.
Invasive Aggregatibacter infection: shedding light on a rare pathogen in a retrospective cohort analysis
Authors: Bapat Anjaneya , Lucey Olivia , Eckersley Martyn , Ciesielczuk Holly , Ranasinghe Sherika , Lambourne Jonathan
Published: December 2022

Introduction.

Aggregatibacter

are Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic rods or coccobacilli that are infrequently encountered as pathogens causing infection.

Hypothesis/Gap Statement. The range of invasive infection that

Aggregatibacter

cause is poorly described. The pathogenicity of species such as

Aggregatibacter segnis

is debated.

Aim. To identify invasive infection due to

Aggregatibacter

species in a large healthcare organization and to characterize clinical syndromes, co-morbidities and risk factors.

Methodology. All microbiological samples positive for

Aggregatibacter

species were identified by conventional culture or 16S rRNA PCR between October 2017 and March 2021. Electronic records for all patients with positive samples were reviewed and the infection syndrome classified for patients with invasive disease.

Results. Twenty-seven patients with invasive infection were identified, with a statistically significant difference in species-specific patterns of invasive infection (P=0.02) and a statistically significant association with residence in the 30 % most deprived households in the UK by postcode (P<0.01). The three most common co-morbidities were periodontitis or recent dental work (29.6%), cardiovascular disease (25.9%) and diabetes (18.5 %).

Conclusion. We describe a novel association of

Aggregatibacter segnis

with skin and soft tissue infection. The propensity of the

Aggregatibacter

species to cause invasive infection at different body sites and be associated with deprivation is reported.

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

bacteraemia was associated with infective endocarditis, and

Aggregatibacter aphrophilus

was implicated in severe appendicitis and noted to cause brain abscess. Areas warranting future research include exploring the risk-factors required for invasive infection and those that may determine the species-specific differences in patterns of invasive disease.
Rapid divergence in independent aspects of the compatibility phenotype in a Spiroplasma–Drosophila interaction
Authors: Griffin Joanne S. , Gerth Michael , Hurst Gregory D. D.
Published: December 2022

Heritable symbionts represent important components of the biology, ecology and evolution of their arthropod hosts. Particular microbial taxa have become common across arthropods as a consequence of their ability to establish in new host species. For a host shift to occur, the symbiont must be exposed to a novel host and then be compatible: it must not cause excess pathology, must have good vertical transmission and must possess a drive phenotype that enables spread. Here we investigate the lability of compatibility to symbiosis with

Spiroplasma

. We used transinfection to establish the protective

Spiroplasma

symbiont from Drosophila hydei in two closely related novel hosts, Drosophila simulans and Drosophila melanogaster. The

Spiroplasma

had contrasting compatibility in the two species, exhibiting pathology and low vertical transmission but delivering protection from wasp attack in D. melanogaster but being asymptomatic and transmitted with high efficiency but with lower protection in D. simulans. Further work indicated that pathological interactions occurred in two other members of the melanogaster species group, such that D. simulans was unusual in being able to carry the symbiont without damage. The differing compatibility of the symbiont with these closely related host species emphasizes the rapidity with which host–symbiont compatibility evolves, despite compatibility itself not being subject to direct selection. Further, the requirement to fit three independent components of compatibility (pathology, transmission, protection) is probably to be a major feature limiting the rate of host shifts that will likely impact on the utility of

Spiroplasma

in pest and vector control. Moving forward, the variation between sibling species pairs provides an opportunity to identify the mechanisms behind variable compatibility, which will drive hypotheses as to the evolutionary drivers of compatibility variation.
Convergent Decay of Skin-specific Gene Modules in Pangolins
Authors: Pinto Bernardo , Valente Raul , Caramelo Filipe , Ruivo Raquel , Castro L. Filipe C.
Published: December 2022

The Mammalia skin exhibits a rich spectrum of evolutionary adaptations. The pilosebaceous unit, composed of the hair shaft, follicle, and the sebaceous gland, is the most striking synapomorphy. The evolutionary diversification of mammals across different ecological niches was paralleled by the appearance of an ample variety of skin modifications. Pangolins, order Pholidota, exhibit keratin-derived scales, one of the most iconic skin appendages. This formidable armor is intended to serve as a deterrent against predators. Surprisingly, while pangolins have hair on their abdomens, the occurrence of sebaceous and sweat glands is contentious. Here, we explore various molecular modules of skin physiology in four pangolin genomes, including that of sebum production. We show that genes driving wax monoester formation -Awat1/2, show patterns of inactivation in the stem pangolin branch; while the triacylglycerol synthesis geneDgat2l6seems independently eroded in the African and Asian clades. In contrast,Elovl3implicated in the formation of specific neutral lipids required for skin barrier function, is intact and expressed in the skin. An extended comparative analysis shows that genes involved in skin pathogen defense and structural integrity of keratinocyte layers also show inactivating mutations: associated with both ancestral and independent pseudogenization events. Finally, we deduce that the suggested absence of sweat glands is not paralleled by the inactivation of the ATP-binding cassette transporterAbcc11, as previously described in Cetacea. Our findings reveal the sophisticated, convergent and complex history of gene retention and loss as key mechanisms in the evolution of the highly modified mammalian skin phenotypes.
Ecological drivers and evolutionary consequences of torpor in Andean hummingbirds
Authors: Revelo Hernández Diana Carolina , Baldwin Justin W. , Londoño Gustavo A.
Published: December 2022

Daily torpor allows endotherms to save energy during energetically stressful (e.g., cold) conditions. Although studies on avian torpor have mostly been conducted under laboratory conditions, information on the usage of torpor in the wild is limited to few, predominantly temperate-zone species. We studied torpor under seminatural conditions from 249 individuals from 29 hummingbird species across a 1,920 m elevational gradient in the western Andes of Colombia using cloacal thermistors. Small birds used torpor more often than large birds, but only at low ambient temperatures, where torpor was prolonged. We also found effects of proxy variables for body condition and energy expenditure on the use of torpor, its characteristics, and impacts. Our results suggest that judicious deployment and subtle modifications of torpor, as well as phylogenetic variation in propensity for torpor, have allowed only certain clades of hummingbirds to colonize and persist in the harsh climate of the high Andes.
Copepod life history evolution under high and low food regimes
Authors: Blake Alexander , Marshall Dustin J.
Published: December 2022

Copepods play a critical role in the carbon cycle of the planet – they mediate the sequestration of carbon into the deep ocean, and are the trophic link between phytoplankton and marine foodwebs. Global change stressors that decrease copepod productivity create the potential for catastrophic positive feedback loops. Accordingly, a growing list of studies examine the evolutionary capacity of copepods to adapt to the two primary stressors associated with global change: warmer temperatures and lower pH. But the evolutionary capacity of copepods to adapt to changing food regimes, the third major stressor associated with global change, remains unknown. We used experimental evolution to explore how a 10-fold difference in food availability affects life history evolution in the copepod,Tisbe sp. over two years, and spanning 30+ generations. Different food regimes evoked evolutionary responses across the entire copepod life history: we observed evolution in body size, size-fecundity relationships and offspring investment strategies. Our results suggest that changes to food regimes reshape life histories and that cryptic evolution in traits such as body size is likely. We demonstrate that evolution in response to changes in ocean productivity will alter consumer life histories, and may distort trophic links in marine foodchains. Evolution in response to changing phytoplankton productivity may alter the efficacy of the global carbon pump in ways that have not been anticipated until now.1
Developmental exposure to a real-life environmental chemical mixture alters testicular transcription factor expression in neonatal and pre-pubertal rams, with morphological changes persisting into adulthood
Authors: Elcombe Chris S. , Monteiro Ana , Ghasemzadeh-Hasankolaei Mohammad , Padmanabhan Vasantha , Sinclair Kevin D. , Lea Richard , Evans Neil P. , Bellingham Michelle
Published: December 2022

Environmental chemical (EC) exposure may be impacting male reproductive health. The translationally relevant biosolids treated pasture (BTP) sheep model was used to investigate gestational low-level EC mixture exposure on the testis of F1 male offspring. Adult rams from ewes exposed to BTP 1 month before and throughout pregnancy had more seminiferous tubules with degeneration and depletion of elongating spermatids, indicating “recovery” from previously reported testicular dysgenesis syndrome-like phenotype in neonatal and pre-pubertal BTP lambs. Expression of transcription factorsCREB1(neonatal) andBCL11AandFOXP2(pre-pubertal) were significantly higher in the BTP exposed testes, with no changes seen in the adults. IncreasedCREB1, which is crucial for testes development and regulation of steroidogenic enzymes, could be an adaptive response to gestational EC exposure to facilitate the phenotypic recovery. Overall, this demonstrates that testicular effects from gestational exposure to low-level mixtures of ECs can last into adulthood, potentially impacting fertility and fecundity.
Seasonal dynamics of a complex cheilostome bryozoan symbiosis – vertical transfer challenged
Authors: Bogdanov E.A. , Vishnyakov A.E. , Kotenko O.N. , Grischenko A.V. , Letarov A.V. , Ostrovsky A.N.
Published: December 2022

Symbiotic associations are dynamic systems influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Here we describe for the first time the developmental and seasonal changes of the funicular bodies in the bryozoanDendrobeania fruticosa, which are unique temporary organs of cheilostome bryozoans containing prokaryotic symbionts. Histological and ultrastructural studies showed that these organs undergo strong seasonal modification in the White Sea during the ice-free period. Initially (in June) they play a trophic function and support the development of a large population of bacteria. From June to September, both funicular bodies and bacteria show signs of degradation accompanied by development of presumed virus-like particles (VLPs); these self-organize to hollow spheres inside bacteria and are also detected outside of them. Although the destruction of bacteria coincides with the development of VLPs and spheres, the general picture differs considerably from the known instances of bacteriophagy in bryozoans. We broadly discuss potential routes of bacterial infection in Bryozoa and question the hypothesis of vertical transfer, which, although popular in the literature, is contradicted by molecular, morphological and ecological evidence.
Species-dependent effects of seawater acidification on alkaline phosphatase activity in dinoflagellates
Authors: Guo Chentao , Li Ling , Lin Senjie , Lin Xin
Published: December 2022

Global climate change is widely shown to cause ocean acidification (OA) and projected to intensify nutrient limitation. Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for phytoplankton to grow. While dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) is the preferred form of P, phytoplankton have evolved alkaline phosphatase (AP) to utilize dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) when DIP is deficient. Although AP is known to require pH>7, how OA may affect AP activity and hence the capacity of phytoplankton to utilize DOP is poorly understood. Here, we examine the effects of pH conditions (5.5 to 11) on AP activity from six species of dinoflagellates, an important group of marine phytoplankton. We observed a general pattern that AP activity declined sharply at pH 5.5, peaked between pH 7 and 8, and dropped at pH>8. However, our data revealed remarkable interspecific variations in optimal pH and niche breadth of pH. Among the species examined,Fugacium kawagutiiandProrocentrum cordatumhad an optimal pH at 8,Alexandrium pacificum, Amphidinium carterae, Effrenium voratum, andKarenia mikimotoishowed an optimal pH of 7. However, whereasA. pacificum, F. kawagutiiandK. mikimotoihad a broad pH range for AP (7-11),A. carterae, E. voratum, andP. cordatumexhibited a narrow pH range. The response of AP activity ofA. carteraeto pH changes was verified using purified AP heterologously expressed inEscherichia coli. These findings suggest that OA will likely differentially impact the capacity of different phytoplankton species to utilize DOP in the projected acidified and nutrient-limited future ocean.
Immunogenic fusion proteins induce neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the serum and milk of sheep
Authors: Jacobson Gregory M. , Kraakman Kirsty , Wallace Olivia , Pan Jolyn , Hennebry Alex , Smolenski Grant , Cursons Ray , Hodgkinson Steve , Williamson Adele , Kelton William
Published: December 2022

Antigen-specific polyclonal immunoglobulins derived from the serum, colostrum, or milk of immunized ruminant animals have potential as scalable therapeutics for the control of viral diseases such as COVID-19. Enhancing the efficacy of vaccine antigens to induce robust and specific antibody responses remains central to developing highly effective formulations. The direct fusion of immunoglobulin (IgG) Fc domains or other immune-stimulating proteins to antigens has shown promise in several mammalian species but has not yet been tested and optimized in commercially-relevant ruminant species. Here we show that the immunization of sheep with fusions of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 to ovine IgG2a Fc domains promotes significantly higher levels of antigen-specific antibodies compared to native RBD or full-length spike antigens. This antibody population was shown to contain elevated levels of neutralizing antibodies that suppress binding between the RBD and soluble hACE2 receptorsin vitro. The parallel evaluation of a second immune-stimulating fusion candidate, Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), induced high neutralizing responses in select animals but narrowly missed achieving significance at the group level. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the antibodies induced by these fusion antigens are transferred from maternal serum into colostrum/milk. These antibodies also demonstrate cross-neutralizing activity against diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants including delta and omicron. Our findings highlight a new pathway for recombinant antigen design in ruminant animals with applications in immune milk production and animal health.
Protein model refinement for cryo-EM maps using AlphaFold2 and the DAQ score
Authors: Terashi Genki , Wang Xiao , Kihara Daisuke
Published: December 2022

As more protein structure models have been determined from cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) density maps, establishing how to evaluate the model accuracy and how to correct models in cases where they contain errors is becoming crucial to ensure the quality of the structural models deposited in the public database, the PDB. Here, a new protocol is presented for evaluating a protein model built from a cryo-EM map and applying local structure refinement in the case where the model has potential errors. Firstly, model evaluation is performed using a deep-learning-based model–local map assessment score, DAQ, that has recently been developed. The subsequent local refinement is performed by a modified AlphaFold2 procedure, in which a trimmed template model and a trimmed multiple sequence alignment are provided as input to control which structure regions to refine while leaving other more confident regions of the model intact. A benchmark study showed that this protocol, DAQ-refine, consistently improves low-quality regions of the initial models. Among 18 refined models generated for an initial structure, DAQ shows a high correlation with model quality and can identify the best accurate model for most of the tested cases. The improvements obtained by DAQ-refine were on average larger than other existing methods.
Impacts of institutional isomorphism on the adoption of social procurement in the Chinese construction industry
Authors: Nawaz Ahsan , Guribie Francis Lanme
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Social procurement (SP) is a complicated and risky innovation, the adoption of which needs to be accompanied by complementary process and organizational change. To date, however, there has been little empirical evidence explaining whether and how different sorts of external pressures affect the level of SP adoption in the construction sector. Drawing on institutional theory, this study aims to analyze how three types of isomorphic pressures (i.e. coercive, mimetic and normative pressures) influence the adoption of SP in the construction sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The impacts of these pressures are empirically tested with survey data collected from 134 construction firms in the Chinese construction industry.

Findings

The findings show that both coercive and mimetic pressures have a considerable impact on the adoption of SP. However, there is little evidence in this study that normative demands had a major impact on SP.

Practical implications

This research is a useful instrument for promoting a favorable social attitude regarding construction procurement. Through socioeconomic regeneration and development, procurement can be considered as a significant route for social transformation, economic development and poverty reduction.

Originality/value

This study addresses the paucity of research into SP in the construction industry by establishing the institutional drivers to procuring services and products from a social enterprise perspective. Findings from this study extend the frontiers of existing knowledge on SP in the construction industry.
The more funds the better? External funds, R&D investment and firm innovation: critical role of firm leaders' international experience
Authors: Liu Li , Dong Caiting
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of two types of external funds in terms of loan and government subsidy on the relationship between R&D investment and firms' innovation performance in emerging markets, as well as the contingent role of firm leader's international experience associated with the effects of loan and government subsidy.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors tested the hypotheses using a longitudinal dataset of 716 high-tech firms of Zhongguancun Science Park (ZSP) in China during 2008–2014, covering detailed information on the operations, financial situation and R&D activities, patents, etc. The authors finally identified an unbalanced panel of 2,430 firm-year observations. Considering the dependent variable is the countable data and non-negative values, the negative binomial regression with fixed effects was adopted to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that the more loans or government subsidies the firm receives, the weaker the positive effect of R&D investment on firms' innovation performance in emerging markets. Furthermore, the findings reveal that firm leaders' international experience can mitigate the negative moderating effect of government subsidies, but strengthen the negative moderating effect of loans.

Originality/value

The study provides new insights into how loans and government subsidies as external funds influence the effectiveness of R&D in enhancing innovation performance, and the findings highlight the fact that more external funds can reduce firm R&D efficiency. Moreover, the authors also enrich the resource orchestration theory by revealing the critical role of firm leaders' international experience in the decision-making of resource configuration to mitigate the inefficiency of high subsidies in emerging markets.
Building conditions and citizen satisfaction with local public services
Authors: Hopland Arnt O. , Kvamsdal Sturla
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Although Norway is an affluent country, there is widespread and long-lasting worry related to the condition of public purpose buildings. The purpose of this paper is to study how the condition of local public purpose buildings affect citizen satisfaction with local public services in Norwegian local governments, using data from two Norwegian survey data sets.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper investigates how the conditions of local public purpose buildings affect residents’ satisfaction with local public services, using data from two Norwegian survey data sets. The data is analyzed using regression analysis.

Findings

This paper finds a significantly positive relationship between building conditions and overall satisfaction with local public services, kindergartens and schools. This paper finds no such relationship between building conditions and satisfaction with nursing homes. This paper quantifies the average expected impact on public service satisfaction from a hypothetical one unit improvement in building conditions, as measured on the building condition scale, and discuss this impact in the context of expenditure on public services.

Originality/value

There is widespread worry that poor facilities adversely impact public services, but the size and significance of this impact are open questions. This paper contributes by offering new insights into the relationship between the condition of public buildings and provision of public services. The results indicate how the state of public facilities should be considered a part of the production function for public services.
Entrepreneurship and social capital: a multi-level analysis
Authors: Crowley Frank , Barlow Peter
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between an individual's social capital context and entrepreneurship using a multi-level modelling framework.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses data from 87,007 individual level observations across 428 regions in 37 countries. The data comes from the 2010 and 2016 Life in Transition Surveys. The paper uses a principal component analysis to identify the different dimensions of an individual's social capital context. Subsequently, a multi-level model is employed examining the relationship between the components of an individual's social capital context and entrepreneurship (which is proxied by an individual's attempt to set up a business), whilst controlling for both country and regional effects.

Findings

Greater levels of networking, informal connections and tolerance of others have a significant positive relationship with entrepreneurial activity. Trust of institutions and others have a negative relationship with entrepreneurial activity. Regional and country differences are also important for entrepreneurship, demonstrating the importance of the multi-level and social contextual environment for business development.

Originality/value

Firstly, the authors present a broad, but comprehensive social contextual framework incorporating many measures of social capital when examining the importance of social capital for business development. Secondly, the work provides interesting results on the “bright and dark sides of trust” for entrepreneurship, answering calls for improved understandings on the positive and negative relationships between social capital and entrepreneurial activity. Thirdly, the paper extends the burgeoning but limited number of studies that examine the multi-level contextual environment of entrepreneurial activities.
Investigation of urban versus rural energy and water conservation behavior in Prishtina, Kosovo
Authors: Hoxha Visar , Hoxha Dhurata
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze the determinants of intention for energy and water conservation behavior in Prishtina, Kosovo by using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) conceptual framework and then examine the influence of intention and demographic factors on the conservation behavior itself. In addition, the present study examines the differences between urban and rural consumers in Prishtina in terms of their intention for energy and water conservation behaviors and their actual conservation behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a qualitative approach by conducting ten in-depth interviews followed by one focus group with urban consumers and ten in-depth interviews followed by one focus group with rural consumers in Prishtina to analyze the influence of determinants on the conservation intention. In addition, the present study uses the quantitative research method to empirically examine the influence of intention and demographic variables on the actual conservation behavior.

Findings

The findings show that there is a difference between the urban and rural sample populations in Prishtina in terms of determinants that influence their intention to conserve energy and water. While attitude is the strongest determinant among the urban population, the social norms seem to be the strongest antecedent of the behavioral intention among the rural population. In addition, the study finds that the intention, income, family size and place of residence as a whole influence the actual behavior; however, the manifestation of the influence of separate variables on the actual conservation varies between urban and rural population. While intention is very strong among urban respondents and the actual conservation behavior is less dependent on the income level and family size, in the case of rural respondents, intention alone is not sufficient to predict the actual behavior and varies also on the income level.

Originality/value

The study brings unique and new knowledge about the application of the TPB in the context of small and developing economies bridging the research gaps arising from few scholarly research studying the differences between urban and rural populations.
Predictors of home insurance purchase: the homeowners’ knowledge, perceived benefits and perceived vulnerability towards disaster losses
Authors: Mathur Tanuj , Paul Ujjwal Kanti
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Home insurance is widely recognised as a tool for mitigating economic risk associated with natural disasters. This study aims to analyse the influence of homeowners’ home insurance knowledge (both objective and subjective types), perceived benefits (PB) and perceived vulnerability towards disaster loss (PVUL) on their intention to purchase (ITP).

Design/methodology/approach

This research makes use of survey data collected from 394 respondents (the homeowners) residing in various parts of India. The structural equation modelling is used to verify 11 hypotheses proposed in the study.

Findings

The findings indicate that both objective knowledge (OK) and subjective knowledge (SK) of home insurance have significant influence on homeowners’ benefit perception and PVUL. The homeowners’ PB of home insurance negatively affect PVUL. The OK of home insurance has a stronger influence on homeowners’ ITP home insurance than SK while the homeowners benefit perceptions and PVUL significantly affects homeowners’ ITP home insurance. These findings confirms that if homeowners are knowledgeable about home insurance, they perceive the plans as more beneficial and feel less vulnerable about catastrophic events, resulting in positive intentions towards purchasing them.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first comprehensive research that assesses the Indian homeowners’ knowledge, PB and PVUL in influencing their ITP home insurance. The finding of this paper will assist both public and private insurance companies in India and similar markets in designing and implementing effective strategies to sell home insurance policies.
Oil prices and gold prices on housing market in China: novel findings from the bootstrap approach
Authors: Ali Mumtaz , Samour Ahmed , Joof Foday , Tursoy Turgut
Published: December 2022

Purpose

This study aims to assess how real income, oil prices and gold prices affect housing prices in China from 2010 to 2021.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a novel bootstrap autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) testing to empirically analyze the short and long links among the tested variables.

Findings

The ARDL estimations demonstrate a positive impact of oil price shocks and real income on housing market prices in both the phrases of the short and long run. Furthermore, the results reveal that gold price shocks negatively affect housing prices both in the short and long run. The result can be attributed to China’s housing market and advanced infrastructure, resulting in a drop in housing prices as gold prices increase. Additionally, the prediction of housing market prices will provide a base and direction for housing market investors to forecast housing prices and avoid losses.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to analyze the effect of gold price shocks on housing market prices in China.
Financial inclusion – does digital financial literacy matter for women entrepreneurs?
Authors: Hasan Rashedul , Ashfaq Muhammad , Parveen Tamiza , Gunardi Ardi
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Women's financial inclusion has become a global research agenda, and past studies provide mixed evidence on the determinants of financial inclusion among women entrepreneurs across the globe. However, the impact of digital financial literacy on women's financial inclusion has seldom been addressed in the past literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors perform a cross-sectional analysis of 144 countries using the World Bank Global Findex Database.

Findings

This study’s probabilistic regression results indicate that women entrepreneurs with a higher degree of digital financial literacy are more likely to engage in formal banking channels.

Practical implications

The study findings have practical implications in terms of allowing regulators and banks to draw effective policies to attract women customers. Lack of effective regulatory intervention could lead to women exploring financial crimes, such as money laundering, due to their lack of involvement with the formal banking channel.

Originality/value

The authors explore the impact of digital financial literacy on women's financial inclusion. Such evidence is rare in the existing literature.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at:https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-04-2022-0277
Why do employees withhold knowledge? The role of competitive climate, envy and narcissism
Authors: Mohd. Shamsudin Faridahwati , Hamouche Salima , Abdulmajid Cheikh Ali Duha , Bani-Melhem Shaker , Jamal Bani-Melhem Ahmad
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Based on the self-evaluation maintenance model and social comparison theory, the purpose of this study is to test a novel model to explore the influence of competitive psychological climate on knowledge withholding of employees with the mediating role of envy. This study also investigated when the effect of climate on envy is more pronounced by assessing the role of a narcissistic personality.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected time-lagged data from 376 employees working in UAE national banks to test the model.

Findings

The findings of this study showed that a competitive psychological climate indirectly affects knowledge withholding behaviour because such a climate enhances the emotional response of employee envy. In a competitive climate, upward social comparisons are likely to be heightened, resulting in employee envy and knowledge withholding because knowledge is used as leverage to gain self-control and self-worth in the organisation. This effect of such a climate on employee envy was found to be stronger when employees have a narcissistic personality.

Originality/value

The findings offer practical insights to managers and practitioners on the importance of managing the competitive climate cautiously to address the likelihood of knowledge withholding behaviour among employees at work.
The effects of attitudes toward knowledge sharing, perceived social norms and job autonomy on employees’ knowledge-sharing intentions
Authors: Wu Yangzi , Hu Xiaoli , Wei Jiuchang , Marinova Dora
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Knowledge sharing is a key part of enterprise knowledge management, which helps to develop and use knowledge-related resources and ultimately achieve organizational goals. This study aims to theoretically discuss and empirically investigate the mechanism by which the intention to share knowledge is influenced by employees’ attitudes, social pressure and job characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the theory of planned behavior, this study uses primary data collected from technology companies in the Yangtze River Delta region of China based on a longitudinal tracking research method of different variables at two different points in time. The data from 287 questionnaires were investigated by hierarchical regression analysis and processed with SPSS 21.0.

Findings

The findings suggest that attitudes toward knowledge sharing, perceived social norms and job autonomy positively affect knowledge-sharing intentions. Job autonomy plays a moderating role in the relationship between perceived social norms and knowledge-sharing intentions. Specifically, job autonomy positively moderates the effect of pro-sharing norms on knowledge-sharing intentions and negatively moderates the effects of subjective norms on knowledge-sharing intentions.

Originality/value

This study brings together employees’ and work-related characteristics to systematically explore the influence of employees’ personal evaluations of knowledge sharing. Additionally, by empirically distinguishing between subjective and pro-sharing norms, the study contributes to a better understanding of the antecedents of knowledge sharing and other voluntary behaviors at the individual level.
In search of a consensus definition of business ecosystems: a qualitative study
Authors: Felch Vanessa , Sucky Eric
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Despite the constantly increasing number of publications in the field of business ecosystems, there are indications that a precise definition that appropriately captures the business ecosystem mindset is not yet available. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide a consensus definition of business ecosystems.

Design/methodology/approach

Using structured content analysis, this paper examines a total of 43 definitions in terms of their core components.

Findings

The results indicate that the existing definitions focus only on single components, e.g. “network of actors,” thereby omitting other essential components, such as “cocreated value proposition” or “shared fate.” Consequently, it seems appropriate to develop a consensus definition that combines the perspectives of the academic and practitioner communities.

Originality/value

The proposed definition is more comprehensive than the prevailing definitions and represents a synthesis of previous considerations on business ecosystems. Such a definition will support researchers in developing a sound business ecosystem theory that will guide practitioners in the efficient design and management of business ecosystems in the long term.
Utilitarian motivations to engage with travel websites: an interactive technology adoption model
Authors: Camilleri Mark Anthony , Kozak Metin
Published: December 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate perceptions about interactive travel websites. The researchers hypothesize that engaging content, the quality of information and source credibility have a significant effect on the consumers’ utilitarian motivations to continue using them in the future.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured survey questionnaire was used to gather data from 1,287 online users, who were members of two popular social media groups. The methodology relied on a partial least squares approach to analyze the causal relationships within an extended information adoption model (IAM).

Findings

The findings reveal that the research participants perceive the utility of interactive travel websites and are willing to continue using them, particularly the responsive ones. The research participants suggest that these sites are easy to use, capture their attention and offer them useful information on various tourism services. The results also indicate that they appreciate their source credibility (in terms of their trustworthiness and expertise of their curators) as well as their quality content.

Research limitations/implications

This study integrates key measures from the IAM with a perceived interactivity construct, to better understand the individuals’ acceptance and use of interactive websites.

Practical implications

This research implies that service businesses ought to have engaging websites that respond to consumer queries in a timely manner. Hence, they should offer a seamless experience to their visitors to encourage loyal behaviors and revisit intentions to their online domains.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there are no other studies that incorporated an interactive engagement construct with key constructs from IAM and from the technology acceptance model (TAM). This contribution underlines the importance of measuring the individuals’ perceptions about the engagement capabilities of interactive media when investigating information and/or technology adoption.
How customers respond to social media advertising
Authors: Yang Ping , Li Kefang , Ji Chunli
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effects of customer engagement on the relationships between customer's perceived values of social media advertising (SMA) and customer response, as well as the moderated mediating effect of media involvement.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample was drawn from integrated resort tourists who use WeChat to browse advertisements of Macau integrated resorts. A total of 221 valid questionnaires were collected after three weeks of data collection.

Findings

Results showed that the hedonic value and utilitarian value of SMA have a significant positive impact on customer response through customer engagement with SMA respectively and media involvement moderates the mediating effect of customer engagement on SMA.

Originality/value

This study reveals the influence mechanism of social media advertising value on consumer response and pioneering attempts to highlight the moderated mediating effect of media involvement.
WC-reinforced iron matrix composites fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing combined with gravity-driven powder feeding: particle transportation and size effects
Authors: Yu Runyao , Bai Xingwang , Yu Xueqi , Zhang Haiou
Published: December 2022

Purpose

A new wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) process combined with gravity-driven powder feeding was developed to fabricate components of tungsten carbide (WC)-reinforced iron matrix composites. The purpose of this study was to investigate the particle transportation mechanism during deposition and determine the effects of WC particle size on the microstructure and properties of the so-fabricated component.

Design/methodology/approach

Thin-walled samples were deposited by the new WAAM using two WC particles of different sizes. A series of in-depth investigations were conducted to reveal the differences in the macro morphology, microstructure, tensile performance and wear properties.

Findings

The results showed that inward convection and gravity were the main factors affecting WC transportation in the molten pool. Large WC particles have higher ability than small particles to penetrate into the molten pool and survive severe dissolution. Small WC particles were more likely to be completely dissolved around the top surface, forming a thicker region of reticulate (Fe, W)6C. Large WC particles can slow down the inward convection more, thereby leading to an increase in width and a decrease in the layer height of the weld bead. The mechanical properties and wear resistance significantly increased owing to reinforcement. Comparatively, samples with large WC particles showed inferior tensile properties owing to their higher susceptibility to cracks.

Originality/value

Fabricating metal matrix composites through the WAAM process is a novel concept that still requires further investigation. Apart from the self-designed gravity-driven powder feeding, the unique aspects of this study also include the revelation of the particle transportation mechanism of WC particles during deposition.