bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Industry-level analysis of COVID-19’s impact in emerging markets – evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Mushafiq Muhammad
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate COVID-19’s impact on the emerging stock markets.

Design/methodology/approach

To evaluate the influence of COVID-19, this study uses a novel method of event study methodology to measure the impact of COVID-19 on emerging stock markets. The research’s sample includes a total of 79 firms from 26 industries that are included in the KSE-100 Index from the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Three events were studied: (1) Announcement of the first case, (2) Start of lockdown and (3) End of lockdown.

Findings

This study establishes the findings that industries in the Pakistan Stock Exchange were overall negatively affected by the COVID-19. Commercial banks, Insurance, Real Estate and Textile were badly affected by the COVID-19. However, the Pharmaceutical, Refinery and Food and Personal Care Products industries had shown a positive response.

Practical implications

This study could bring in a new and useful insight into the literature on the impact of COVID-19 on the emerging stock markets. The results of this study provide insight to the investors in the emerging stock markets of the industries that are likely to show responses either negative or positive to news of regional or global outbreaks, lockdowns and end of lockdowns.

Originality/value

The work on COVID-19 has been mostly limited to the developed markets and the emerging markets have been overlooked. This study is a potential gateway to future works regarding pandemics in emerging markets.
Service recovery in unaffected consumers: evidence of a recovery paradox
Authors: Wardley Marcus
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the effects of a general service recovery effort in consumers who were not victims of the service failure.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a 2 × 2 between-subjects design comparing a service failure announcement with apology and an anniversary event announcement, either with a 15% discount or no discount on purchase intentions.

Findings

A service recovery effort involving an apology and 15% discount leads to higher purchase intention in consumers who were not victims of the service failure in comparison to a control. The unexpected apology generates surprise, which amplifies the effect of the discount, leading to higher purchase intention.

Practical implications

The results of this study suggest that apologizing and offering a discount for a minor service failure can have positive effects on consumers who were not victims of the service failure. Thus, if a company is unsure which consumers have been affected by a service failure, this study shows that issuing a general apology for the failure does not have negative effects in unaffected consumers.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first to examine the effects of a service recovery effort in consumers who were not victims of the service failure and the first to find evidence of a service recovery paradox in unaffected consumers.
Ethical framework for IoT deployment in SMEs: individual perspective
Authors: Vermanen Mikko , Rantanen Minna M. , Harkke Ville
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the ethical issues related to the internet of Things (IoT) deployment in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from an individual employee's perspective. To provide researchers and practitioners with concrete tools for examining these matters, an ethical framework dedicated to IoT is introduced.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the applicability of Mason's original privacy, accuracy, property and accessibility (PAPA) framework is studied in the IoT context. Second, issue category additions are proposed based on the identified coverage limitations of PAPA.

Findings

While the original PAPA framework can be utilised as a generic ethical evaluation tool, it lacks coverage of several IoT-specific issue areas. To thoroughly address the ethical risks associated with IoT, two additional categories are introduced.

Research limitations/implications

The new framework requires further validation to ensure its applicability and to identify potential modification requirements in continuously evolving IoT ecosystems.

Practical implications

Considering the lack of ethical IoT frameworks, this study provides organisations with a practical framework for analysing the ethical issues in IoT deployment.

Social implications

Ethical standards for IoT have not been sufficiently addressed in the current literature and frameworks, making the ethical considerations dependent on subjective stances. Thus, there is an acute demand for a practical framework that outlines the general ethical standards, helping its users to thoroughly address the potential ethical issues.

Originality/value

While the use of IoT keeps growing in SMEs, there is an apparent lack of ethical guidelines. This study contributes to the gap by introducing a preliminary framework for both practical use and further theoretical development.
Positive career shocks and career optimism: testing the mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy
Authors: Ahmad Bilal , Nasir Nadia
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study examines the relationship of positive career shocks and career optimism. The mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy (CDSE) between positive career shocks and career optimism and the moderating role of consideration of future consequences – immediate (CFC-I) between CDSE and career optimism are checked.

Design/methodology/approach

Through cluster sampling, cross-sectional data from 192 professionals of electronic media industry were collected via an electronically administered questionnaire. For preliminary descriptive data analysis, SPSS version 21 was used. SmartPLS version 3.0 was used for testing the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The results showed that positive career shocks have a relationship with career optimism via CDSE. Also, CFC-I moderated the relationship of CDSE and career optimism such that the relationship of CDSE and career optimism was stronger at higher level of CFC-I.

Practical implications

The study provides implications for the career consultants, human resource professionals and senior management of organizations. All these stakeholders can strive to build an inventory of positive career shocks. Also, shifting to a surprised business model of announcing compensations and promotions is another area to work on. The results of this study further suggest disengaging the fresh potential employees in the initial processes of recruitment. Interdepartmental coordination of health and safety department and human resource management department is also a very important implication for this study to highlight the positive aspects of being optimistic.

Originality/value

The study is among the few empirical studies which investigates the relationship between positive career shocks and career optimism via CDSE. Also, in light of the latest call of various empirical works in the domain, this study adds a moderating variable, i.e. CFC-I in predicting career optimism. Furthermore, contrary to the conventional approach of applying students' data on career models, this study tests the proposed career model on data collected from professionals.
On the investigation of investment style allocation under the OCIO structure: Evidence from the Korean stock market
Authors: Park Jeongjoon , Bae Jaewan , Lee Changjun
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Given the importance of style allocation strategy under the outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) structure, the authors examine the validity of style allocation strategies in the Korean stock market. The authors find that external investment agencies can improve performance by using newly suggested investment styles such as high dividend yield and low volatility as well as traditional styles. In addition, the authors find that the style combination strategies create economically large and statistically significant returns. Finally, empirical results indicate that factor timing strategies suggested in this study can improve the reward-to-risk ratio. In sum, the empirical findings indicate that external investment agencies under the OCIO structure can improve performance using active style allocation strategies.
The impact of tacit knowledge sharing on the success of construction companies operations
Authors: Boamah Fredrick Ahenkora , Zhang Jianhua , Miah Md. Helal
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The effective and efficient implementation of daily work activities necessitates tacit knowledge sharing, boosting firm productivity. However, the link between tacit knowledge sharing within a company and its effects on organizational performance is unclear, so the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of sharing tacit knowledge on the success of a company.

Design/methodology/approach

Construction managers and senior managers were the study’s target participants. The correlation matrix was used to assess the significant correlation between study frameworks and the statistical approach of multiple regression was also used to test the hypotheses using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) v.26.

Findings

The findings suggest that companies will be more willing and capable of making decisions based on experience when knowledge systems are used successfully. Furthermore, new organizational knowledge and particular evaluation procedures, such as anxiety and conflict resolution preparation, personal relationship and training improvement, mediation and task clarity, are explained, which can aid in success.

Originality/value

The study contributes to construction companies’ perception of knowledge sharing and recommends organizations to build capacity to encourage, improve engagement and review to maintain the dissemination of knowledge.
Research on fraud: an overview from small medium enterprises (SMEs)
Authors: Zainal Siti Faizah , Hashim Hafiza Aishah , Ariff Akmalia M. , Salleh Zalailah
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a review of literature on fraud with a specific focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, it aims to provide further knowledge on recent developments in fraud research and offers suggestions for future research.

Design/Methodology/Approach

This paper systematically reviews the fraud literature, by organising them into five sections; definition, elements, theories, factors and prevention mechanisms.

Findings

The most common factors of fraud in SMEs are the low morale among employees and weak internal control within the organisations. Nonetheless, research on fraud involving SMEs is limited, albeit the importance of SMEs to the economy.

Research Limitations/Implications

This paper encapsulates the importance of research on fraud in SMEs by offering directions for future research. Among others, future studies might indicate the link between corruption, financing sources and innovation of SMEs, especially within the context of an emerging country and reveal the cost of the criminal justice system to identify more accurately the cost of fraud in SMEs.

Originality/Value

The focus on fraud in SMEs and the recent period of study offer a foundation for future research directed at the factors of fraud and the prevention mechanisms. Future research can further explore and broaden the literature on fraud involving SMEs through research that focuses on the impact of fraud and the types of control mechanisms that suit the SMEs. Greater understanding of fraud in the SMEs allows in identifying the best approach to prevent and detect fraud for small businesses with limited resources.
Considering the role of context when implementing government policies in hospitals: introduction of a prospective payment system for psychiatry
Authors: Schippel Nicolas , Hower Kira Isabel , Zank Susanne , Pfaff Holger , Rietz Christian
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The context in which an innovation is implemented is an important and often neglected mediator of change. A prospective payment system (PPS) for psychiatric and psychosomatic facilities with major implications for inpatient psychiatric care in Germany was implemented from 2013 to 2017. This study aims to examine the determinants of implementation of this government policy using the Diffusion of Innovations theory and consider the role of context.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory case study was conducted in two wards of a psychiatric hospital in Germany: geriatric psychiatry (GerP) and general psychiatry (GenP). Fifteen interviews were conducted with different occupational groups and analyzed in-depths. Routine hospital data were analyzed for delimiting the two contexts.

Findings

Routine hospital data show a higher day-mix index (1.08 vs. 0.94) in the GerP context and a very different structure regarding PPS groups, indicating a higher patient complexity. Two types of factors influencing implementation were identified: Context-independent factors included social separation between nurses and doctors, poor communication behavior between the groups and a lack of conveying information about the underlying principles of the PPS. Context-dependent factors included compatibility of the new requirements with existing routines and the relative advantage of the PPS, which were both perceived to be lower in the GerP context.

Practical implications

Depending on the patient characteristics in the specific context, compatibility with existing routines should be ensured when implementing. Clear communication of the underlying principles and reduction of organizational and communicative barriers between professional groups are crucial success factors for implementing such innovations.

Originality/value

This study shows how a diffusion process takes place in an organization even after the organization adopts an innovation. The authors could show how contextual differences in terms of patient characteristics result in different determinants of implementation from the views of the employees affected by the innovation.
How to decode the value-consequence-attribute relationship: the application of TISM and ANP techniques
Authors: Chang Kuei-Feng , Hsu Maxwell , Swanson Scott
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to facilitate positioning strategy formation by decoding the relationship between consumers’ desired values, service attributes and expected consequences.

Design/methodology/approach

Key informant depth interviews are followed by a questionnaire of self-cause-and-effect assessments. Total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) is used to identify hierarchical structures via pair-wise preference comparisons. The analytic network process (ANP) is used to compute relative weights to evaluate the overall image of identified alternatives. The feedback feature in the ANP is enabled to obtain objective assessments.

Findings

With the help of both TISM and ANP techniques, the hierarchical and interactive relationships among consumers’ desired values, expected consequences and service attributes are revealed in the context of international airline services.

Research limitations/implications

The approach presented can help organizations to identify which attributes influence consumer evaluations of a company/brand; obtain the hierarchical and interactive relationships among service attributes, expected consequences and desired values; assess consumer preferences toward identified service attributes; and obtain an objective assessment of the competitive landscape, which can facilitate the development of effective positioning strategies and associated tactics.

Practical implications

Organizations adopting the methods presented in this study can have a better understanding of the consumer value chain and deliver better customer experiences.

Originality/value

The current study provides an innovative application of the TISM in conjunction with a feedback-enabled ANP technique to address brand positioning challenges. Future studies may consider adopting the TISM-ANP method as a foundation whenever one attempts to explore the values-consequences-attributes hierarchy.
How ICT capability affects the environmental performance of manufacturing firms? – Evidence from the World Bank Enterprise Survey in China
Authors: Jin Jun , Chen Zan , Li Shijing
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to empirically test and verify the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) capability on environmental performance (EP) of manufacturing, as well as the moderating effect of heterogenous factors and the mediating effect of ambidextrous innovation in the context of the Chinese manufacturing firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The data come from the World Bank Enterprise Survey of China conducted from December 2011 to February 2013. The logistic regression is applied with Stata 15, and the robustness test by three methods is employed to verify the reliability of the results in this paper.

Findings

The research results suggest that the positive relationship between ICT capability and EP is moderated by two heterogenous factors, including main market and industry attributes. Meanwhile, the positive relationship between ICT capability and EP is mediated by ambidextrous innovation.

Originality/value

This work highlights ICT capability as an important, yet underexplored antecedent in improving the EP of manufacturing firms. This research further uncovers the moderating role of main market and industry attributes, as well as the mediating mechanism by introducing ambidextrous innovation in the relationship between ICT capability and EP.
Uncovering the impact of COVID-19 on shipping and logistics
Authors: Hirata Enna , Matsuda Takuma
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This research aims to uncover coronavirus disease 2019’s (COVID-19's) impact on shipping and logistics using Internet articles as the source.

Design/methodology/approach

This research applies web mining to collect information on COVID-19's impact on shipping and logistics from Internet articles. The information extracted is then analyzed through machine learning algorithms for useful insights.

Findings

The research results indicate that the recovery of the global supply chain in China could potentially drive the global supply chain to return to normalcy. In addition, researchers and policymakers should prioritize two aspects: (1) Ease of cross-border trade and logistics. Digitization of the supply chain and applying breakthrough technologies like blockchain and IoT are needed more than ever before. (2) Supply chain resilience. The high dependency of the global supply chain on China sounds like an alarm of supply chain resilience. It calls for a framework to increase global supply chain resilience that enables quick recovery from disruptions in the long term.

Originality/value

Differing from other studies taking the natural language processing (NLP) approach, this research uses Internet articles as the data source. The findings reveal significant components of COVID-19's impact on shipping and logistics, highlighting crucial agendas for scholars to research.
Novel insecticide waterborne coating based on isoxazole benzene sulfonamide derivatives as insecticide agents
Authors: Elsawy M.M. , Awad Mohamed A. , Saleh Nashwa M. , Abd El-Wahab H.
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Paper aims to Preparation and evaluation of isoxazole benzene sulfonamide derivatives and incorporated it with waterborne household paints to develop coating compositions as an insecticidal coating against Musca domestica adults.

Design/methodology/approach

The synthesized compounds were prepared and confirmed by different analyzes, fourier transform infra-red (FTIR), mass, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR) and Carbon 13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13CNMR) spectra. The prepared compound has been blended with waterborne household paint formulation, the physical and mechanical properties of the paint formulation has been studied. The efficiency of the isoxazole benzene sulfonamide derivatives when incorporated with waterborne paint against Culex quinquefasciatus and Mosquito house fly adults, also have been examined.

Findings

The obtained results of the paint formulations confirmed their best performance and providing good scrub resistance. Also, the finding promising results of the insecticide test of the paint formulation may be because of the biological activity of these compounds and containing sulfonamide, cyanide and free aromatic amine groups comparing with the standard recommended organophosphorus insecticide. The order activity increase with increasing the dose concentration of the isoxazole derivatives and the activity of chemical compounds itself is represented in terms of their medium lethal concentrations LC50 (LC90), which recorded 0.90(1.62), 0.89(1.61) and 0.86(1.56) g/ml for 5, 3 and 4 chemical compounds, respectively, after 72 h from treatment.

Practical implications

These types of organic compounds are friendly environmentally and can be used as a biocide with different types of paint formulations.

Originality/value

Insecticide waterborne household paints based on isoxazole benzene sulfonamide derivatives as insecticide agents are novel.
Digital elixir? The Aakash tablet as a social innovation in information and communication technology for development (ICT4D)
Authors: Abraham John , Geobey Sean
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The Aakash tablet was developed as a social innovation (SI) to transform India’s higher education sector. This paper aims to explain the failure of the Aakash tablet beyond the typical explanations of deficiencies in the device’s technical capabilities. This paper argues that an SI lens provides a stronger explanation for its failure than the standard analyses built primarily on the technological viability of the device.

Design/methodology/approach

The Aakash project ran from 2010 to 2015. During this period, a number of government and policy reports as well as mainstream media articles were published on the device. Since 2015, a number of academic articles have been published on the Aakash emphasizing its failure as a technological solution. The authors draw on these sources to frame an understanding of the Aakash’s failure informed by SI theory.

Findings

Through a complexity-informed analysis, the authors show that the failure of the Aakash stemmed from flawed assumptions and a failure of the initiative to engage with both the particular and constantly changing features of the broader landscape of needs and opportunities.

Originality/value

This study draws attention to failure as a legitimate aspect of the study of SI. In presenting a “counter-case” to the usual success stories, it shows that the SI lens can also explain why an SI does not take off. It thereby adds to the literature on SI and complexity theory through an exploration of the complex interactions among public policy goals, technological advancements and entrepreneurship.
Infectious sporozoite challenge modulates radiation attenuated sporozoite vaccine–induced memory CD8+T cells for better survival characteristics
Authors: Yadav Naveen , Parmar Rajesh , Patel Hardik , Patidar Manoj , Dalai Sarat K.
Published: October 2021

Radiation attenuated sporozoite (RAS), a whole‐parasite vaccine approach, provides sterile protection against malaria. However, RAS immunization does not confer protection for long, and that has been correlated with the waning parasite–induced memory CD8+T‐cell responses. Interestingly, an intermittent infectious (wild type) sporozoite challenge to the RAS‐vaccinated mice lengthened the protection period from 6 to 18 months. Herein, we have studied the changes induced by the infectious sporozoites in RAS‐induced memory CD8+T cells for conferring lengthened protection. We observed that the infectious sporozoite challenge boosted the frequency of foreign antigen–experienced memory CD8+T cells. In those CD8+T cells, it has reduced the Annexin‐V reactivity, raised Bcl‐2 expression, and also more cells undergo homeostatic proliferation (Ki‐67+). It has also scaled down the frequency of Nur77 and CX3CR1 high expressing cells in those memory CD8+T‐cell populations which we further correlated with better survival signals.
A role for PchHI as the ABC transporter in iron acquisition by the siderophore pyochelin in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Roche Béatrice , Garcia‐Rivera Mariel A. , Normant Vincent , Kuhn Lauriane , Hammann Philippe , Brönstrup Mark , Mislin Gaëtan L. A. , Schalk Isabelle J.
Published: October 2021

Iron is an essential nutrient for bacterial growth but poorly bioavailable. Bacteria scavenge ferric iron by synthesizing and secreting siderophores, small compounds with a high affinity for iron. Pyochelin (PCH) is one of the two siderophores produced by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. After capturing a ferric iron molecule, PCH‐Fe is imported back into bacteria first by the outer membrane transporter FptA and then by the inner membrane permease FptX. Here, using molecular biology, 55Fe uptake assays, and LC–MS/MS quantification, we first find a role for PchHI as the heterodimeric ABC transporter involved in the siderophore‐free iron uptake into the bacterial cytoplasm. We also provide the first evidence that PCH is able to reach the bacterial periplasm and cytoplasm when both FptA and FptX are expressed. Finally, we detected an interaction between PchH and FptX, linking the ABC transporter PchHI with the inner permease FptX in the PCH‐Fe uptake pathway. These results pave the way for a better understanding of the PCH siderophore pathway, giving future directions to tackle P. aeruginosa infections.
Escherichia coli cryptic prophages sense nutrients to influence persister cell resuscitation
Authors: Song Sooyeon , Kim Jun‐Seob , Yamasaki Ryota , Oh Sejong , Benedik Michael J. , Wood Thomas K.
Published: October 2021

Cryptic prophages are not genomic junk but instead enable cells to combat myriad stresses as an active stress response. How these phage fossils affect persister cell resuscitation has, however, not been explored. Persister cells form as a result of stresses such as starvation, antibiotics and oxidative conditions, and resuscitation of these persister cells likely causes recurring infections such as those associated with tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis and Lyme disease. Deletion of each of the nine Escherichia coli cryptic prophages has no effect on persister cell formation. Strikingly, elimination of each cryptic prophage results in an increase in persister cell resuscitation with a dramatic increase in resuscitation upon deleting all nine prophages. This increased resuscitation includes eliminating the need for a carbon source and is due to activation of the phosphate import system resulting from inactivating the transcriptional regulator AlpA of the CP4‐57 cryptic prophage. Deletion of alpA increases persister resuscitation, and AlpA represses phosphate regulator PhoR. Both phosphate regulators PhoP and PhoB stimulate resuscitation. This suggests a novel cellular stress mechanism controlled by cryptic prophages: regulation of phosphate uptake which controls the exit of the cell from dormancy and prevents premature resuscitation in the absence of nutrients.
A major checkpoint for protein expression in Rhodobacter sphaeroides during heat stress response occurs at the level of translation
Authors: McIntosh Matthew , Köchling Thorsten , Latz Anna , Kretz Jonas , Heinen Sandra , Konzer Anne , Klug Gabriele
Published: October 2021

Temperature above the physiological optimum is a stress condition frequently faced by bacteria in their natural environments. Here, we were interested in the correlation between levels of RNA and protein under heat stress. Changes in RNA and protein levels were documented in cultures of Rhodobacter sphaeroides using RNA sequencing, quantitative mass spectrometry, western blot analysis, in vivo [35S] methionine‐labelling and plasmid‐borne reporter fusions. Changes in the transcriptome were extensive. Strikingly, the proteome remained unchanged except for very few proteins. Examples include a heat shock protein, a DUF1127 protein of unknown function and sigma factor proteins from leaderless transcripts. Insight from this study indicates that R. sphaeroides responds to heat stress by producing a broad range of transcripts while simultaneously preventing translation from nearly all of them, and that this selective production of protein depends on the untranslated region of the transcript. We conclude that measurements of transcript abundance are insufficient to understand gene regulation. Rather, translation can be an important checkpoint for protein expression under certain environmental conditions. Furthermore, during heat shock, regulation at the level of transcription might represent preparation for survival in an unpredictable environment while regulation at translation ensures production of only a few proteins.
A three‐factor model of educational practice considerations for teaching neurodiverse learners from a strengths‐based perspective
Authors: Sewell Alexandra , Park Jane
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this practice paper is to promote the teaching of learners with neurodevelopmental conditions from a neurodiverse perspective. The challenge teachers face in having to draw on up‐to‐date research evidence and theoretical perspectives, and align these with practical considerations to generate contextualised teaching strategies, are addressed with the introduction of a three‐factor model. The utility of considering pupil assessment data gathered from a strengths‐based perspective is positioned as a central component to bridging the gap between the incipient neurodiversity literature and the realities of applied teaching practice. Two case examples have presented that draw on the proposed three‐factor model to demonstrate how teachers can assess and teach learners from a neurodevelopmental perspective. These case studies focus on supporting learners with Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a secondary setting.
Masculinity, Modernity and Male Baldness, c.1880‐1939
Authors: Johnes Martin
Published: October 2021

Male baldness was a very common experience but it has rarely been considered by historians of any period or place. This article argues that baldness reveals a precariousness and vanity to masculinity in late nineteenth‐ and early twentieth‐century Britain. Baldness limited men's ability to self‐fashion their appearance. It made them the target of jokes, marked the fact they were getting older, undermined their looks and, perhaps, made them less attractive to women. There was thus a vigorous market for cures and preventatives. Such products show how deep superstitions and irrational thinking could run, but understandings of the condition were also rooted in the social and cultural conditions of the day. The glamour of Hollywood, a keep‐fit culture, growing advertising of male‐grooming products and the fading of hat wearing from fashion, all intensified interwar anxieties around baldness. Not everyone worried about baldness, however, and men's feelings about their hair owed much to personality and circumstance. Baldness thus not only reveals the precarious nature of masculinity but also its inconsistent and inherently personal dimensions.
Food Price Elasticities for Policy Interventions: Estimates from a Virtual Supermarket Experiment in a Multistage Demand Analysis with (Expert) Prior Information
Authors: Jacobi Liana , Nghiem Nhung , Ramírez‐Hassan Andrés , Blakely Tony
Published: October 2021

Food price elasticities (PEs) are essential for evaluating the impacts of food pricing interventions to improve dietary and health outcomes. This paper innovates the use of experimental purchasing data from a recent New Zealand virtual supermarket experiment to estimate PEs for a large set of disaggregated foods across major food groups relevant for food policies in a Bayesian multistage demand framework. We propose the use of available prior information to elicit prior demand parameter assumptions that are consistent with published PEs and economic assumptions and are weighted according to expert knowledge, increasing precision in PE inference and policy predictions, and yielding somewhat stronger price effects.
Reflective political reasoning: Political disagreement and empathy
Authors: MURADOVA LALA , ARCENEAUX KEVIN
Published: October 2021

As political polarization increases across many of the world's established democracies, many citizens are unwilling to appreciate and consider the viewpoints of those who disagree with them. Previous research shows that this lack of reflection can undermine democratic accountability. The purpose of this paper is to study whether empathy for the other can motivate people to reason reflectively about politics. Extant studies have largely studied trait‐level differences in the ability and inclination of individuals to engage in reflection. Most of these studies focus on observational moderators, which makes it difficult to make strong claims about the effects of being in a reflective state on political decision making. We extend this research by using a survey experiment with a large and heterogeneous sample of UK citizens (N = 2014) to investigate whether a simple empathy intervention can induce people to consider opposing viewpoints and incorporate those views in their opinion about a pressing political issue. We find that actively imagining the feelings and thoughts of someone one disagrees with prompts more reflection in the way that people reason about political issues as well as elicits empathic feelings of concern towards those with opposing viewpoints. We further examine whether empathy facilitates openness to attitude change in the counter‐attitudinal direction and find that exposure to an opposing perspective (without its empathy component) per se is enough to prompt attitude change. Our study paints a more nuanced picture of the relationship between empathy, reflection and policy attitudes.
Output market power and firm characteristics in dairy processing: Evidence from three EU countries
Authors: Koppenberg Maximilian , Hirsch Stefan
Published: October 2021

The dairy processing industry is the largest subsector in the EU food industry and is characterised by high concentration. We investigate the extent of output market power exerted in EU dairy processing, applying an advanced stochastic frontier approach to estimate firm‐level markups of price over marginal cost using data for France, Italy and Spain from 2008 to 2017. We further relate markups to firm characteristics to identify what type of dairy processors possess the highest power in the sector. Our findings only reveal small average deviations from perfect competition but we find considerable heterogeneity of markups within and between the three countries. We identify a strong positive relationship between markup and profitability, though we find firm size and markups to be inversely related. This indicates that small firms operating in differentiated niche markets are able to charge higher markups, thereby ensuring their profitability. This result can serve EU dairy processors for future strategic alignment, and is particularly interesting from a policy perspective as large firms are mostly blamed in the exercise of market power in public and policy debates.
A worldwide systematic review, meta‐analysis, and health risk assessment study of mycotoxins in beers
Authors: Schabo Danieli C. , Alvarenga Verônica O. , Schaffner Donald W. , Magnani Marciane
Published: October 2021

Mycotoxins, including aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins (FBs), and zearalenone (ZEN), have been reported as beer contaminants. This systematic review and meta‐analysis provide the prevalence and concentration of mycotoxins in beers and their worldwide distribution. Mycotoxin's exposure and cancer risk through beer consumption were determined. The overall pooled prevalence of mycotoxins in beers was 31% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 28%–35%; I2 = 90%, p = .00). The most prevalent mycotoxins in beers were DON and its derivatives (53%), OTA (52%), FBs (47%), followed by AFs (12%). Iran (99%), Hungary (95%), Denmark (92%), Armenia (83%), and Cyprus (83%) had the highest mycotoxin prevalence in beers. The global mycotoxins average concentration in beers was 12.52 μg/L (95% CI = 10.70–14.75 μg/L; I2 = 100%, p = .00). DON and its derivatives showed the highest concentration (26.91 μg/L), followed by FBs (23.19 μg/L), ZEN and its derivatives (20.25 μg/L), and AFs (15.65 μg/L). African region had the highest mycotoxins concentration (73.95 μg/L) mostly due to the high levels reported in beers from Cameroon (293.02 μg/L), Malawi (132.34 μg/L), and Eastern Cape province (126.12 μg/L). The meta‐regression indicated stability (p ≥ .05) of the global pooled concentration of mycotoxins in beers over the years, whereas FBs concentration increased. The intake of DON and its derivatives, FBs, ZEN and its derivatives, and OTA through beers is of concern in African countries. OTA is also of concern in Brazil and Belgium. Results show high mycotoxins concentration in beers worldwide and highlight the health risks through contaminated beer consumption.
Bioproduction of D‐allulose: Properties, applications, purification, and future perspectives
Authors: Hu Mengying , Li Mengli , Jiang Bo , Zhang Tao
Published: October 2021

D‐allulose is the C‐3 epimer of D‐fructose, which rarely exists in nature, and can be biosynthesized from D‐fructose by the catalysis of D‐psicose 3‐epimerase. D‐allulose is safe for human consumption and was recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for food applications. It is not only able be used in food and dietary supplements as a low‐calorie sweetener, but also modulates a variety of physiological functions. D‐allulose has gained increasing attention owing to its excellent properties. This article presents a review of recent progress on the properties, applications, and bioproduction progress of D‐allulose.
Response of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to salt‐stressed maize plants
Authors: Wang Zai‐Ling , Haseeb Muhammad , Zhang Run‐Zhi
Published: October 2021

Salt‐stressed maize is an economically important crop in many arid and semi‐arid regions of the world where soil salinization is most common, and the invasive fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda threatens global maize production. It thus poses a puzzle of whether FAW populations feeding on salt‐stressed maize plants are becoming more or less invasive. Here, we evaluated the FAW response to salt‐stressed maize plants by examining effects of salt‐stressed maize plants on FAW survival, development and fecundity. We found a longer larval development time (salt‐stressed, 12.9 ± 0.8 d; non‐stressed, 11.3 ± 0.4 d), but unaffected survival rate and pupal mass accumulation in FAW feeding on salt‐stressed maize plants. Moreover, the lifetime egg production of FAW females feeding on salt‐stressed maize plants (633.5 ± 62.7 eggs) was reduced by nearly half compared with those feeding on non‐stressed maize plants (1255.9 ± 70.3 eggs). Overall, FAW showed a negative response to salt‐stressed maize plants. Due to limited population increase potential, FAW populations feeding on salt‐stressed maize plants should pose less of a problem than ones feeding on non‐stressed maize plants do. In practice, salt‐stressed maize plants are quite common in arid and semi‐arid regions where the relatively high‐salinity groundwater is often used to irrigate maize plants, potentially limiting FAW population size. Thus, salt‐stressed maize plants would contribute to practical applications of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies in controlling FAW.
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata): A food with functional properties aimed to type 2 diabetes prevention and management
Authors: Uuh‐Narvaez Jonatan Jafet , Segura‐Campos Maira Rubí
Published: October 2021

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing the prevalence worldwide at an alarming rate, becoming a serious public health problem that mainly affects developing countries. Functional food research is currently of great interest because it contributes to developing nutritional therapy strategies for T2DM prevention and treatment. Bioactive compounds identified in some plant foods contribute to human health by mechanisms of action that exert biological effects on metabolic pathways involved in the development of T2DM. Hence, vegetables with high bioactive compounds content may be a source of functional value for the control of T2DM. Cabbages varieties (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) such as green (GCB), white (WCB), and red (RCB) are foods consumed (raw or cooked) and cultivated in different regions of the world. Scientific evidence shows that cabbage has multi‐target effects on glucose homeostatic regulation due to its high content of bioactive compounds. It has also been shown to decrease damage to organs affected by T2DM complications, such as the liver and kidney. Additionally, it could contribute as a preventive by attenuating problems underlying the development of T2DM as oxidative stress and obesity. This review highlights the functional properties of cabbage varieties involved in glucose regulation and the main mechanisms of the action exerted by their bioactive compounds. In conclusion, cabbage is a valuable food that can be employed as part of nutritional therapy or functional ingredient aimed at the prevention and treatment of T2DM.
Expanding the role of Australian community dietitians in gout management
Authors: Counsell Allyce B. , Nguyen Amy D. , Baysari Melissa T. , Kannangara Diluk R. W. , Gamboa Sarah , Day Richard O.
Published: October 2021

Aim

Gout is a common form of inflammatory arthritis with suboptimal management. Management guidelines for gout highlight the importance of both pharmacological and non‐pharmacological treatments. Dietitians can potentially assist in improving gout's associated dietary and lifestyle factors, and thereby play a role in improving its management. The aim of this study was to investigate perspectives of Australian community dietitians on whether their role in gout management could be expanded to improve management and treatment of gout.

Method

A snowballing recruitment strategy was used. Dietitians known to the research team were invited to participate and then they suggested further dietitians. Semi‐structured interviews (one‐on‐one) were conducted with 16 dietitians. The focus was on their experiences of contributing to the management of gout, including any barriers and facilitators experienced. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and independently analyzed by 2 reviewers to identify themes.

Results

The main reported role of dietitians in gout management was providing patient education. An identified facilitator was dietitians' understanding of gout and its dietary management. Barriers included the emphasis placed on medications for treatment by clinicians and patients, consultation costs, limitations in the evidence for the efficacy of dietary changes and lack of specific training in gout for dietitians. Dietitians predominantly managed the other metabolic conditions commonly associated with gout.

Conclusion

Currently, the role dietitians play in gout management is limited. However, dietitians have the potential to take on larger roles in gout education and can also indirectly contribute by way of management of commonly associated comorbidities in gout patients.
The physiology and metabolic properties of a novel, low‐abundance Psychrilyobacter species isolated from the anoxic Black Sea shed light on its ecological role
Authors: Yadav Subhash , Koenen Michel , Bale Nicole , Sinninghe Damsté Jaap S. , Villanueva Laura
Published: October 2021

Members of the Psychrilyobacter spp. of the phylum Fusobacteria have been recently suggested to be amongst the most significant primary degraders of the detrital organic matter in sulfidic marine habitats, despite representing only a small proportion (<0.1%) of the microbial community. In this study, we have isolated a previously uncultured Psychrilyobacter species (strains SD5T and BL5; Psychrilyobacter piezotolerans sp. nov.) from the sulfidic waters (i.e., 2000 m depth) of the Black Sea and investigated its physiology and genomic capability in order to better understand potential ecological adaptation strategies. P. piezotolerans utilized a broad range of organic substituents (carbohydrates and proteins) and, remarkably, grew at sulfide concentrations up to 32 mM. These flexible physiological properties were supported by the presence of the respective metabolic pathways in the genomes of both strains. Growth at varying hydrostatic pressure (0.1–50 MPa) was sustained by modifying its membrane lipid composition. Thus, we have isolated a novel member of the ‘rare biosphere’, which endures the extreme conditions and may play a significant role in the degradation of detrital organic matter sinking into the sulfidic waters of the Black Sea.
Drosophila p38 MAPK interacts with BAG‐3/starvin to regulate age‐dependent protein homeostasis
Authors: Ryan Sarah M. , Almassey Michael , Burch Amelia M. , Ngo Gia , Martin Julia M. , Myers David , Compton Devin , Archie Shira , Cross Megan , Naeger Lauren , Salzman Ashley , Virola‐Iarussi Alyssa , Barbee Scott A. , Mortimer Nathan T. , Sanyal Subhabrata , Vrailas‐Mortimer Alysia D.
Published: October 2021

As organisms age, they often accumulate protein aggregates that are thought to be toxic, potentially leading to age‐related diseases. This accumulation of protein aggregates is partially attributed to a failure to maintain protein homeostasis. A variety of genetic factors have been linked to longevity, but how these factors also contribute to protein homeostasis is not completely understood. In order to understand the relationship between aging and protein aggregation, we tested how a gene that regulates lifespan and age‐dependent locomotor behaviors, p38 MAPK (p38Kb), influences protein homeostasis as an organism ages. We find that p38Kb regulates age‐dependent protein aggregation through an interaction with starvin, a regulator of muscle protein homeostasis. Furthermore, we have identified Lamin as an age‐dependent target of p38Kb and starvin.