bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantification of Left Ventricular Trabecular Complexity in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging Fractal Analysis
Authors: Zhang Xin , Wen Jinyang , Tang Xuepei , Tao Xinwei , Liu Weiyin Vivian , Zheng Tian , Li Shuhao , Zhou Shuli , Zhou Jingjing , Xiao Xuan , Fang Qimin , Gong Lianggeng
Published: February 2025

Purpose:

To investigate the left ventricular (LV) trabecular complexity and evaluate its relationship with LV cardiac function and especially myocardial strain in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Materials and Methods:

A total of 100 patients were retrospectively recruited in the study, including 50 obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM) and 50 nonobstructive HCM (NOHCM). Fifty age-matched and sex-matched healthy participants were also enrolled. The global and regional LV fractal dimensions (FDs), the global radial, circumferential, and longitudinal strain (GRS, GCS, and GLS) for LV were measured. FDs and myocardial strain parameters among 3 groups with post hoc paired comparisons. Correlations analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis were performed.

Results:

Mean global FD, max basal FD, and max apical FD were higher in patients with HCM compared with the healthy individuals (1.310 ± 0.046 vs 1.229 ± 0.027, 1.388 ± 0.089 vs 1.313 ± 0.039, 1.393 ± 0.108 vs 1.270 ± 0.041, all P < 0.001). Patients with HOCM showed significantly higher max apical FD than patients with NOHCM (1.432 ± 0.100 vs 1.355 ± 0.102, P < 0.001). The increased global FD was associated with reduced myocardial deformation across all 3 measures of global strain (GCS: r = 0.529, P < 0.001; GLS: r = 0.54, P < 0.001; GRS: r = −0.253, P = 0.002). Max apical FD yielded an area under the curve of 0.73 (95% CI: 0.63-0.83) for discriminating HOCM from NOHCM.

Conclusions:

LV trabecular complexity is compensatively increased in patients with HCM and the max apical FD was more pronounced in patients with HOCM. The increased LV global trabecular complexity might be correlated with LV systolic dysfunction.
Lipid droplets deposition in perihematoma tissue is associated with neurological dysfunction after intracerebral hemorrhage
Authors: Wu Zhangze , Zhao Quan , Hu Ziqi , Jiao Dongsheng
Published: February 2025

Secondary brain injury following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) significantly reduces patients’ quality of life due to impaired neurological function. Lipid droplets are implicated in secondary brain injury in various central nervous system diseases. Thus, the role and mechanisms of lipid droplets in secondary brain injury post-ICH require further investigation. We analyzed the changes of genes related to lipid metabolism in brain tissue of ICH mice. Lipid droplets around the hematoma were detected by BODIPY staining. Mice received intraperitoneal injections of Triacsin C (10 mg/kg, once daily) after ICH. Subsequently, neuronal damage was evaluated using TUNEL and Nissl staining, and ethological tests assessed sensorimotor function. After ICH, notable changes occurred in lipid metabolism pathways and genes (Plin2, Ucp2, Apoe), and a large number of lipid droplets accumulated around the hematoma. Triacsin C significantly reduced lipid droplets deposition, decreased neuronal damage, and improved sensory and motor functions. Peripheral administration to prevent lipid droplets formation can greatly reduce nerve damage and enhance nerve function. Our findings indicate that targeting lipid droplets could be a promising treatment for ICH.
Dynamic and static brain functional abnormalities in autism patients at different developmental stages
Authors: Li Haonan , Han Mingxing , Tang Shaoting , Yang Yaqian
Published: February 2025

To date, most studies on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have focused on specific age ranges, while the mechanisms underlying the entire developmental process of autism patients remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the alterations in brain function in autistic individuals at different developmental stages by resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). We obtained rs-fMRI data from 173 ASD and 178 typical development (TD) individuals in Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange, spanning child, adolescent, and adult groups. We characterized local brain activity using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFFs), regional homogeneity (ReHo), dynamic ALFF (dALFF), and dynamic ReHo (dReHo) metrics. Pearson correlation analyses were conducted on relationships between Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule scores and activity measures in abnormal brain regions. We found abnormal ALFF values in the medial and lateral orbitofrontal gyrus and right insula cortex with ASD compared with the TD group. In addition, compared with adolescents with ASD, we found that adults with ASD exhibited an increase in dReHo values in the posterior lateral frontal lobe. We also found that changes in ALFF were associated with the severity of autism. We found abnormal activity in multiple brain regions in individuals with autism and correlated it with clinical characteristics. Our results may provide some help for further exploring the age-related neurobiological mechanisms of ASD patients.
Asexual versus sexual women: a test–retest study on differences in brain activity
Authors: Nessling Hannes , Mathis Laura , Wood Guilherme , Koschutnig Karl , Koten Jan Willem
Published: February 2025

Asexuality has a prevalence of approximately 1% in the population and should not be confused with hypoactive sexual desire disorder as defined in the DSM-5. Asexuality is characterized by minimal to no sexual attraction to others. The neural correlates of asexuality remain largely unknown, and the test–retest reliability of sexually induced brain activity is still elusive. In this functional MRI study, we used the Asexual Identification Scale to identify 14 asexual women (mean score ~ 46) and 21 sexual women (mean score ~ 14). We modeled brain activity in response to sexual stimuli using the canonical hemodynamic response function and performed voxel-wise test–retest reliability analysis on contrast weight maps. Additionally, we applied pattern recognition methods to distinguish asexual from sexual women. The voxel-wise test–retest reliability of brain activity in response to sexual stimuli was remarkably robust for sexuality relevant brain areas (mean ICC(2,1) = 0.66). The conjunction analysis comparing sexual stimuli to baseline showed that group brain activity was reproducible at a Bonferroni-corrected P value of 1.78e−6. The direct contrast between asexual and sexual women yielded no significant differences at the single-voxel level. A support vector machine, however, identified 71% (P < 0.03) of asexual and sexual women correctly when test and retest runs were combined. In conclusion, although our sample size is small, our findings suggest that differences between asexual and sexual women may have their neural roots in subtle variations in brain activity across extensive brain regions, which might be identified using classification methods.
Phylodynamics beyond neutrality: the impact of incomplete purifying selection on viral phylogenies and inference
Authors: Koelle Katia , Rasmussen David A.
Published: February 2025

Viral phylodynamics focuses on using sequence data to make inferences about the population dynamics of viral diseases. These inferences commonly include estimation of growth rates, reproduction numbers and times of most recent common ancestor. With few exceptions, existing phylodynamic inference approaches assume that all observed and ancestral viral genetic variation is fitness-neutral. This assumption is commonly violated, with a large body of analyses indicating that fitness varies substantially among genotypes circulating in viral populations. Here, we focus on fitness variation arising from deleterious mutations, asking whether incomplete purifying selection of deleterious mutations has the potential to bias phylodynamic inference. We use simulations of an exponentially growing population to explore how incomplete purifying selection distorts tree shape and shifts the distribution of mutations over trees. We find that incomplete purifying selection strongly shapes the distribution of mutations while only weakly impacting tree shape. Despite incomplete purifying selection shifting the distribution of deleterious mutations, we find little discernible bias in estimates of viral growth rates and times of the most recent common ancestor. Our results reassuringly indicate that existing phylodynamic inference approaches that assume neutrality may nevertheless yield accurate epidemiological estimates in the face of incomplete purifying selection. More work is needed to assess the robustness of these findings to alternative epidemiological parametrizations.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘'"A mathematical theory of evolution": phylogenetic models dating back 100 years’.
Leveraging DAGs to improve context-sensitive and abundance-aware tree estimation
Authors: Dumm Will , Ralph Duncan , DeWitt William , Vora Ashni , Araki Tatsuya , Victora Gabriel D. , Matsen IV Frederick A.
Published: February 2025

The phylogenetic inference package GCtree uses abundance of sampled sequences to improve the performance of parsimony-based inference, using a branching process model. Our previous work showed that GCtree performs competitively on B-cell receptor data, compared with other similar tools. In this article, we describe recent enhancements to GCtree, including an efficient tree storage data structure that discovers additional diversity of parsimonious trees with negligible additional computational cost. We also describe a suite of new objective functions that can be used to rank these trees, including a Poisson context likelihood function that models sequence evolution in a context-sensitive way. We validate these additions to GCtree with simulated B-cell receptor data, and benchmark performance against other phylogenetic inference tools.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘"A mathematical theory of evolution": phylogenetic models dating back 100 years’.
The Human Cerebello-Hippocampal Circuit Across Adulthood
Authors: Hicks Tracey H. , Magalhães Thamires N. C. , Bernard Jessica A.
Published: February 2025

Direct communication between the hippocampus and cerebellum has been shown via coactivation and synchronized neuronal oscillations in animal models. Further, this novel cerebello-hippocampal circuit may be impacted by sex steroid hormones. The cerebellum and hippocampus are dense with estradiol and progesterone receptors relative to other brain regions. Females experience up to a 90% decrease in ovarian estradiol production after the menopausal transition. Postmenopausal women show lower cerebello-cortical and intracerebellar FC compared to reproductive aged females. Sex hormones are established modulators of both memory function and synaptic organization in the hippocampus in non-human animal studies. However, investigation of the cerebello-hippocampal (CB-HP) circuit has been limited to animal studies and small homogeneous samples of young adults as it relates to spatial navigation. Here, we investigate the CB-HP circuit in 138 adult humans (53% female) from 35-86 years of age, to define its FC patterns, and investigate its associations with behavior, hormone levels, and sex differences therein. We established robust FC patterns between the CB and HP in this sample. We predicted and found negative relationships between age and CB-HP FC. As expected, estradiol levels exhibited positive relationships with CB-HP. We found lower CB-HP FC with higher levels of progesterone. We provide the first characterization of the CB-HP circuit across middle and older adulthood and demonstrate that connectivity is sensitive to sex steroid hormone levels. This work provides the first clear CB-HP circuit mapping in the human brain and serves as a foundation for future work in neurological and psychiatric diseases.
Timing matters: modeling the effects of gestational cannabis exposure on social behavior and microglia in the developing amygdala
Authors: Pham Aidan L. , Marquardt Ashley E. , Montgomery Kristen R. , Sobota Karina N. , McCarthy Margaret M. , VanRyzin Jonathan W.
Published: February 2025

Cannabis is the most frequently used illicit drug during pregnancy, with use steadily increasing in the United States as legalization and decriminalization expand to more states. Many pregnant individuals use cannabis to reduce adverse symptoms of pregnancy, considering it to be less harmful than other pharmaceuticals or alcohol. The primary psychoactive component of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), acts on the endocannabinoid (eCB) system, yet whether it perturbs neural development of the fetus is poorly understood. Previously we have shown that androgen mediated eCB tone in the developing amygdala promotes microglial phagocytosis of newborn astrocytes which has enduring consequences on the neural circuits regulating sex differences in social behavior. Microglia are the resident immune cells of the brain and express both receptors of the eCB system, CB1R and CB2R, making them likely targets of modulation by THC. It is also plausible that exposure to THC at differing gestational timepoints can result in distinct outcomes, as is the case with alcohol exposure. To model human cannabis use during either late or early pregnancy, we exposed rodents to THC either directly during the early postnatal period via intraperitoneal (IP) injection or in utero during the prenatal period via dam IP injection respectively. Here we show that postnatal THC exposure results in sex specific changes in microglial phagocytosis during development as well as social behavior during the juvenile period. Interestingly prenatal exposure to THC resulted in inverse changes to phagocytosis and social behavior. These findings highlight the differential effects of THC exposure across gestation.
Mechanics of the Spatiotemporal Evolution of Sulcal Pits in the Folding Brain
Authors: Solhtalab Akbar , Guo Yanchen , Gholipour Ali , Dai Weiying , Razavi Mir Jalil
Published: February 2025

Understanding the development of complex brain surface morphologies during the fetal stage is essential for uncovering mechanisms behind brain disorders linked to abnormal cortical folding. However, knowledge of the spatiotemporal evolution of fetal brain landmarks is limited due to the lack of longitudinal data capturing multiple timepoints for individual brains. In this study, we develop and validate a true-scale, image-based mechanical model to explore the spatiotemporal evolution of brain sulcal pits in individual fetal brains. Our model, constructed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from the first timepoint of longitudinal data, predicts the brain’s surface morphology by comparing the distribution of sulcal pits between predicted models and MRI scans from a later timepoint. This dynamic model elucidates how a smooth fetal brain with primary folds evolves to form secondary and tertiary folds. Our results align with imaging data, showing that sulcal pits are stable during brain development and can serve as key markers linking prenatal and postnatal brain characteristics. The model provides a robust platform to study the evolution of sulcal pits in both healthy and disordered brains, which is crucial as altered sulcal pits patterns are seen in disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), polymicrogyria, down syndrome, and agenesis of the corpus callosum. This research represents a significant advancement in understanding fetal brain development and its connection to disorders that manifest as abnormal sulcal pit patterns later in life.
The aftermath of greenwashing in the fashion industry: Chinese consumer responses to different types of greenwashing
Authors: Wang Yue , Jung Sojin
Published: February 2025

Purpose

An increasing number of fashion firms face criticism for “greenwashing” due to the industry’s longstanding negative environmental and social impacts. This experimental study, in the fashion industry context, evaluated consumers’ perceptions of hypocrisy, demonstrated by false labeling, vague information and downsizing negative environmental impacts in corporate social responsibility initiatives. This study also investigated how these perceptions influence consumers’ evaluations of the firm’s moral inequity and their likelihood of engaging in complaint behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey company recruited Chinese consumers to participate in a between-subjects experimental study. Three types of news articles were developed – false labeling, vague information and downsizing of negative aspects – reporting on a fictitious fashion firm’s greenwashing practices. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the stimuli and completed a corresponding survey.

Findings

Analysis of the 210 collected responses revealed that false labeling had the highest level of corporate hypocrisy perceptions, whereas the downsizing of negative aspects resulted in the lowest level. Moreover, perceived hypocrisy increased moral inequity, which subsequently influenced consumer complaint behaviors. Specifically, when consumers’ expectations toward a firm’s morality were violated – whether through false labeling, vague claims or selective omission – they felt deceived, leading to perceptions of moral hypocrisy. Upon detecting hypocritical behavior in corporate greenwashing, consumers felt moral inequity and took various complaint actions.

Originality/value

This study’s findings provide valuable insights into greenwashing within the fashion industry, addressing industry-specific issues. Academically, this study suggests new classifications of customer complaint behaviors by relating the current circumstances of customer complaints to previous classifications.
Exploring the causes of sunk cost fallacy in the construction industry: case of mega projects
Authors: Demirkesen Sevilay
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study aims to reveal the main causes of the sunk cost fallacy in construction projects. Thus, it is expected that sunk costs can be avoided, which have a big impact on construction costs.

Design/methodology/approach

The construction industry is fragmented and dynamic. Therefore, it is vulnerable to several risks such as time, cost and labor-related risks. The complexity and fragmented nature of construction projects brings up the need for high financial investment funds. In some cases, this results in sunk costs that cannot be recovered. A considerable amount of sunk costs occurs due to the sunk cost fallacy meaning that construction practitioners feel responsible for completing the projects despite unsuccessful project performance indicators due to various reasons such as client pressure, restricting regulations and the need to develop a good reputation considering future projects. However, the sunk cost fallacy can sometimes result in irrecoverable losses, which can badly affect a firm’s reputation regarding future projects.

Findings

In this respect, a total of 207 industry practitioners were surveyed to determine the main causes of the sunk cost fallacy. The causes were then ranked based on the order of importance, and weights were assigned for each cause determined. Concerning such ranking and weighting, the most essential causes were revealed. Moreover, the study presents a total of 4 case studies, which are mega projects that came up with sunk costs. The cases are presented to support the main causes of the sunk cost fallacy exploring from which the sunk cost fallacy stems.

Originality/value

The lack of research on sunk cost fallacy in the construction industry makes this study novel in the fact that a large sample provides data regarding the causes of sunk cost fallacy. The findings of this study can guide both industry practitioners and policymakers in terms of developing strategies to avoid sunk costs and experience higher success rates in their projects.
The impact of green innovation on corporate social behaviour: longitudinal analysing of the mixed effects on stakeholder relationships
Authors: Rubino Michele , Mastrorocco Ilaria
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Considering the growing emphasis on sustainability, companies are developing green innovation strategies for creating new products and processes that reduce environmental effects. The impact of green innovation on firm performance is well established in the literature; however, the relationship between a firm’s adoption of green innovation and its social behaviour has not yet been explored. This study aimed to fill this gap by analysing the impact of green innovation on companies’ social behaviour, at both the overall and sub-dimensions levels.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted on a sample of 191 companies worldwide between 2016 and 2019. Company data were extracted from the Joint Research Centre database established by the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. In contrast, data on corporate social behaviour was taken from the LSEG Workspace database. We applied a panel regression using a fixed effects model to test the research hypotheses.

Findings

The results support the positive impact of green innovations on corporate social behaviour in the immediate and subsequent periods. However, the empirical results do not provide significant evidence for some dimensions of corporate social behaviour, such as respect for human rights and product responsibility.

Originality/value

The study’s novelty lies in its emphasis on how green innovation shapes corporate social behaviour and enhances stakeholder relationships. Green innovation is introduced as a strategic instrument for meeting social duties and increasing trust, loyalty and ethical engagement with important stakeholders.
Effects of employer brand on employee retention in small startup high-tech companies: the moderation of agile value
Authors: Tai Chun-Shan , Uen Jin-Feng , Lu Szu-Hsien
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Most small- and medium-sized high-tech companies lack resources compared to large corporations, making it challenging to fully develop an employer brand. Therefore, identifying the subdimensions of employer branding that are important to talent in startup tech companies is crucial. Additionally, startups have higher organisational agility. Integrating this agility into an employer’s brand can enhance the unique value of startups, which is vital for employee retention.

Design/methodology/approach

Taiwan has many high-technology companies, and the competition to acquire talent is fierce. Hierarchical linear modelling is used. Data are collected from 219 employees of 51 high-technology startup companies.

Findings

The subcomponents of employer brand, “healthy work atmosphere”, “training and development” and “compensation and benefits”, significantly influence employee retention in high-tech startups. Additionally, agile values positively influence employee retention and positively moderate the relationship between the employer brand’s “healthy working atmosphere” and “training and development” with employee retention.

Originality/value

This study expands the theoretical content of employer branding. In resource-constrained small startup tech companies, greater focus should be placed on developing the three sub-dimensions. Although employee growth needs can compensate for some of the shortcomings of employer brands, employees still expect high salaries and benefits. Additionally, this study discusses agile values through empirical research, filling the gap in past research on agile values, which primarily focused on qualitative studies. We use the organisational culture perspective to determine whether agile values can enhance employee retention in rapidly changing environments. Agile values positively affect work environments.
Artificial intelligence in the kitchen: can humans be replaced in recipe creation and food production?
Authors: Kim Hyunsu , Choi Sungwoo , Shin Hyejo Hailey
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly involved in idea generation and production processes. To understand AI’s pivotal roles in the back-of-house operations of restaurants, this study aims to examine the effects of AI involvement in recipe creation and food production on consumers’ willingness to order food.

Design/methodology/approach

We conduct three experiments in the context of casual dining restaurants. The authors examine the main effect of AI involvement in recipe creation and food production on the willingness to order food in a hypothetical restaurant (Study 1) and a real restaurant (Study 2). In addition, the authors also investigate the mediating role of uniqueness neglect. The authors explore whether the negative effect of AI involvement in recipe creation is attenuated in the presence of cues of uniqueness consideration (Study 3).

Findings

We demonstrate that AI involvement in food production does not elicit negative responses to a menu but that consumers show unfavorable responses when AI is involved in recipe creation. The authors also identify the mediating role of uniqueness neglect. Furthermore, the authors reveal a way to mitigate the negative perceptions of AI involvement in tasks requiring intuition and instinctive decision-making (i.e. recipe creation) by incorporating cues that emphasize uniqueness considerations.

Originality/value

We deliver causal evidence for the significant impacts of AI involvement in recipe creation and food production, using multiple experimental designs involving both hypothetical and real restaurants. The findings, thus, can tackle an ongoing challenge in the tourism and hospitality industry – the deficit of human resources in back-of-house operations.
Religiosity and resilience in entrepreneurship: uncovering the underlying mechanism through the lens of spiritual capital
Authors: Haddoud Mohamed Yacine , Al-Aalawi Alamir , Al-Jubari Ibrahim , Amjed Sohail , Elbaz Ahmed Mohamed
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Drawing on the resilience theory and espousing the spiritual capital approach, the purpose of this study is to assess the indirect effect of religiosity on entrepreneurs’ psychological resilience through the intervening roles of coping with failure, perseverance, locus of control and optimism.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a quantitative design and gathers data from 125 entrepreneurs in Oman through questionnaires. A structural equation modelling approach is used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The study finds that entrepreneurs’ religiosity influences resilience indirectly through coping with failure, perseverance and locus of control. Surprisingly, optimism played a trivial role in this dynamic.

Originality/value

It has been well acknowledged that religiosity provides a pool of resources crucial to entrepreneurs’ survival and success. However, despite this intuitive link, the mechanism whereby religiosity enhances entrepreneurial resilience remains misunderstood. This is problematic as entrepreneurs’ psychological resilience is an important attribute for survival, especially during challenging times. Hence, this study advances the current understanding of the religiosity-resilience nexus by uncovering its underlying mechanism.
Why do consumers continue with e-grocery shopping? The role of motivations and environmental concerns in shaping behaviour
Authors: Hyun Hyowon , Park Jungkun , Ahn Suhyoung
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study investigates the impact of psychological perception on environmental pollution from over-packaging on consumer behaviours in the online grocery retail market.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a quantitative survey to assess the impact of shopping motivations on satisfaction and behaviours in online grocery retailing, while also examining the moderating effects of psychological perceptions of environmental pollution (environmental consciousness, regret and eco-guilt).

Findings

Results indicate that online grocery shopping motivations (informative, convenience and excitement) influence consumer satisfaction, which in turn enhances recommendation and repurchase intentions. Furthermore, environmental consciousness, regret and eco-guilt slightly moderate the relationship between various shopping motives and consumer satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the understanding of how environmental considerations influence online shopping behaviour. It highlights the potential for psychological perception regarding over-packaging to drive changes in consumer behaviour.
Perceived objectivity? Findings on the use of perceptual and objective measures in IS research
Authors: Kayser Ina , Hardin Andrew , Davison Robert M.
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The use of perceptual and objective measures in information systems is an ongoing discussion in IS research, primarily due to different conceptions about objective measures. This research, therefore, empirically tests truly objective measures along with perceptual measures to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the role of perceptual and objective independent variables as predictors of user satisfaction and continuance intention.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper developed an integrated research model that examines perceptual and objective measures as predictors of satisfaction and continuance intention. The approach was then empirically tested with survey-based perceptual variables and corresponding objective variables in the context of a mobile network operator (n = 998). Specifically, we used serial mediation analysis with PROCESS to test our hypotheses.

Findings

The results showed that the different objective variables show insignificance as predictors of satisfaction and continuance intention, contrasting with previous research calling for objective measures.

Originality/value

Our results contribute to IS literature by indicating that perceptual measures are superior to objective measures in predictive relevance. Hence the “silent acceptance” of potential conceptual weaknesses is indeed justified by the results of this research.
The public sphere in a Luhmannian perspective: a contribution to the concepts of observation and differentiation
Authors: Palmieri Emerson
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The objective of this work is to explore possible relationships of theoretical affinity that the concept of public sphere (understood in its original German formulation: Öffentlichkeit) can establish with Luhmann’s concepts of observation and differentiation. In this way, we aim to demonstrate that it can occupy a central place within the author’s theory.

Design/methodology/approach

We made a literature review of Luhmann’s writings and some of its readers in order to compare the concept of public sphere with two main concepts of his work: observation and differentiation.

Findings

For each one of the concepts (differentiation and observation), we have postulated and developed a theoretical proposition that demonstrates the deep connection between the respective concept and the concept of public sphere.

Originality/value

Luhmann’s concept of public sphere never received much attention. The author developed it only in a few pages, and it never achieved a theoretical centrality alongside other main concepts such as contingency, differentiation, meaning, communication, etc. Nevertheless, we argue here that, despite being little developed by the author, the concept of public sphere has an unexplored potential that allows it to be placed alongside other central concepts in his work.
Information asymmetry and the commitment role of debt financing
Authors: Doh Hyun Soo
Published: February 2025

Purpose

We show that debt financing can increase firm value by serving as a commitment device in the presence of information asymmetry.

Design/methodology/approach

We develop a model in which firms privately learn the true quality of their investment projects over time, which can cause adverse selection when these firms seek to raise additional capital for new investments in later stages. Using this framework, we investigate the optimal capital structure of firms that can mitigate the adverse selection that is expected to arise in the future.

Findings

We find that each firm’s owner may choose to issue debt ex ante to avoid the adverse selection in the future because the intentionally created debt burden will hurt firms with low-quality investment projects more severely, discouraging these firms from mimicking high-quality firms to raise additional capital for new investments. Our model also predicts that equity or enterprise values of firms in the industry with higher leverages will diverge more significantly over time.

Originality/value

Our paper contributes to the capital structure literature by providing a novel mechanism to show that debt financing can improve firm value by acting as a commitment device in the presence of information asymmetry.
Evaluation of architecture and engineering students’ attitudes towards online education in Türkiye with technology acceptance model
Authors: Demirel Abdullah Eren , Top Semahat Merve , İlerisoy Zeynep Yeşim , Kınacı Esra Betül
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study examines the influence of disciplinary differences and applied practices between architecture and engineering on students’ cognitive and affective responses to online education systems by employing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire addressing the aimed TAM constructs is conducted with 483 architecture and engineering students. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is used to test the direct and indirect relationships between students’ attitudes towards using (ATU), perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU) and system quality (SQ) based on disciplines’ diverse learning methods and approaches.

Findings

This research shows that online education systems’ quality (SQ) influences students’ attitudes toward using (ATU) directly and indirectly. The strongest relationship is observed between system quality (SQ) and perceived ease of use (PEOU), proving that online education adoption is strongly linked to the environment’s quality where applied practices are conducted. Architecture students’ attitude is significantly shaped by the system’s visual and interactional attributes parallel to constructivist and experiential learning. Oriented towards multidimensional problem-solving, engineering students’ attitude is mainly influenced by their efficiency and productivity.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the knowledge of technology acceptance in online education by exploring students’ attitudes and the less-examined differences between architecture and engineering disciplines. Emphasizing the impact of system quality on online education concerning applied practices, the study also underlines the possible shortcomings of the generalization of approaches. The findings offer insights into tailoring online education more inclusively and effectively by considering discipline-specific applied learning methods.
Digital human resource management influence on the organizational resilience
Authors: Ahmić Azra , Ćosić Muhamed
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Given the substantial challenges and disruptions that companies often encounter from within the organization and the broader market landscape – such as market turbulence, technological advancements and regulatory changes – developing robust organizational resilience and transitioning to digital business practices have become top priorities. This paper aimed to explore if digital human resource management (HRM) significantly influences the organizational resilience within the context of emerging economy.

Design/methodology/approach

To analyze data collected from HRM experts active in the business sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we utilized in this paper multiple regression analysis. This approach allowed us to explore the relationships and impacts within this specific regional context.

Findings

The study findings revealed that digital HRM significantly enhances organizational resilience, positively impacting its three key components: the ability to anticipate, the capacity to cope and the capability to adapt.

Practical implications

This study offers digital HRM strategies for enhancing organizational resilience, guiding HR professionals in using digital tools to boost employee adaptability, streamline crisis communication and improve flexibility and readiness for future disruptions.

Originality/value

This research adds to the existing literature and ensures practical implication on digital HRM and organizational resilience by empirically demonstrating how digital HRM strengthens organizational capabilities to foresee potential disruptions, respond effectively to crises and adapt to changing circumstances. These capabilities help organizations maintain stability and continue operations smoothly during unexpected events, thereby safeguarding their long-term sustainability and competitive edge.
The impact of electronic word-of-mouth on purchase intention through brand image and brand trust in the fashion industry: evidence from a developing country
Authors: Tafolli Festim , Qema Elkjer , Hameli Kujtim
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study aims to examine the impact of electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) on purchase intention, focusing on the mediating roles of brand image and brand trust among Albanian consumers in the fashion industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 302 consumers who had purchased fashion products in Albania in the past year was conducted. Structural equation modeling using Amos v.26 was used to analyze the relationships between e-WOM, brand image, brand trust and purchase intention.

Findings

The results show that e-WOM has no significant direct effect on purchase intention. However, e-WOM has a significant influence on brand image and brand trust, which act as important mediators in the relationship between e-WOM and purchase intention.

Research limitations/implications

While this study enriches the understanding of e-WOM in a developing market context, the reliance on structured questionnaires may limit the depth of insights into consumer perceptions. Practically, the findings underscore the importance of leveraging e-WOM to strengthen brand image and trust, providing actionable insights for marketers seeking to optimize online platforms for engagement and sales in the fashion industry.

Originality/value

This study offers a new perspective on the mediating role of brand image and brand trust in the relationship between e-WOM and purchase intention. By focusing on these mediators, the study extends existing knowledge on how consumer perceptions and trust are influenced by digital word of mouth. The results of the study contribute to a deeper understanding of the indirect pathways through which e-WOM influences purchase decisions and provide actionable insights for brand managers and marketers in the dynamic context of the fashion industry.
Optimizing risk management in the Iberian natural gas market: strategies for price volatility
Authors: de Paula Leite Ana Catarina , Monteiro Leandro , Pimentel Liliana Marques
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of cross-hedging strategies in the Iberian natural gas market by leveraging international benchmarks. These strategies aim to mitigate local price volatility amid significant market disruptions, including geopolitical events and fluctuating demand and supply dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses futures prices from the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) and the UK National Balancing Point (NBP) as proxies for cross-hedging strategies in the Iberian natural gas market. The hedging ratios are estimated using minimum variance, a specification proposed by Ederington and Salas (2008), and the BEKK model. Furthermore, a cross-hedging model is used to evaluate combinations of incumbent and alternative futures contracts.

Findings

TTF and NBP are effective in mitigating price volatility in the Iberian natural gas market. TTF is identified as the more robust option due to its high liquidity and integration within European markets. Both TTF and NBP demonstrate a strong influence on local spot prices, with Granger causality results.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study presents the first empirical evidence on the effectiveness of using TTF and NBP futures contracts as hedging tools in the Iberian natural gas market, a region characterized by lower liquidity and unique regional challenges. It addresses a gap in the existing literature by focusing on cross-hedging strategies in less mature European markets.
Testing space‐for‐time transferability of climate effects on occupancy and abundance
Authors: Lovell Rebecca S. L. , Powney Gary D. , Botham Marc S. , Phillimore Albert B.
Published: February 2025

Species distribution models (SDMs) are frequently used to project species' ranges under future climate conditions. Such space‐for‐time substitutions rely on the assumptions that spatial climate‐distribution relationships are causal and that relationships are equivalent over space and time. These assumptions have rarely been tested.

Using UK populations of the Orange‐tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) as a case study, we demonstrate an approach to test whether these key assumptions are met. First, we identified the seasonal periods over which temperature and precipitation variables best explained the Orange‐tip butterfly's abundance. Then, we compared the effects of climate variables on both occupancy and abundance over space versus time.

We found that, over both space and time, temperature in the previous year's flight period has a positive effect on the occupancy (i.e. presence) and abundance of the Orange‐tip butterfly, whereas precipitation appeared not to have a causal effect. We found that temporal effects of temperature on abundance did not differ from spatial effects at colder sites, but at warmer UK sites, the magnitude of these effects significantly differed. Conversely, spatial and temporal effects of temperature on occupancy did not differ at warmer (mid‐range) sites, with effect magnitudes significantly differing at colder sites.

Our results demonstrate the importance of identifying causal climate‐distribution relationships before making projections. We also show that the reliability of SDM projections over time can be highly context dependent, even when considering a single species. Therefore, where data are available over space and time, the space versus time modelling approach presented here should be incorporated into the SDM statistical repertoire to improve the reliability of projections.

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The Making and Breaking of Jacinda Ardern's Labour Government, 2017–2023
Authors: Duncan Grant
Published: February 2025

New Zealand's former prime minister Jacinda Ardern has been an inspiration to the left. As leader of a coalition government formed in 2017, she gave hope to social democrats and women. Her compassionate leadership was widely praised, while her scientifically robust approach to the Covid‐19 pandemic was exemplary. New Zealand Labour was rewarded at the ballot box in 2020 with a single‐party majority. Ardern stepped down mid‐term as prime minister in January 2023, however, and Labour was heavily defeated in the subsequent election. What drove Labour from unprecedented success to humiliation? An effective pandemic response had been both the making and the breaking of Ardern's prime ministership. Labour hadn't anticipated a political backlash against lockdown and vaccine‐mandate policies and it introduced social and administrative reforms that lacked wide public support. Some political lessons can be drawn from Ardern's career.
Host specificity and host stage preference of Psyllaephagus species (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) towards invasive eucalypt psyllids (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae)
Authors: Makunde Privilege T. , Slippers Bernard , Bush Samantha J. , Hurley Brett P.
Published: February 2025

Invasive eucalypt psyllids pose a threat to the long‐term production of eucalypts worldwide. In order to reduce their economic impact, classical biological control using Psyllaephagus species has been used successfully.

The objectives of this study were to determine the host specificity and host stage preference of Psyllaephagus blastopsyllae, Psyllaephagus pilosus and Psyllaephagus bliteus using related eucalypt‐feeding psyllids, Blastopsylla occidentalis, Ctenarytaina eucalypti, Glycaspis brimblecombei and Spondyliaspis cf. plicatuloides.

To determine host specificity, three Psyllaephagus species were collected locally from their hosts. Five‐day‐old parasitoids were exposed to all five developmental stages (I–V) of host and non‐host psyllids in choice and non‐choice tests. Similar bioassays were used to assess parasitoid preferences for specific nymphal stages, identifying their preferred developmental stages of potential hosts.

Glycaspis brimblecombei was identified as a potential host for P. blastopsyllae, and S. cf. plicatuloides as an alternate host for P. bliteus, though emergence rates were three to four times lower than for their known hosts. Psyllaephagus pilosus showed no interest in non‐host psyllids. Female parasitoids displayed stage‐specific preferences for both known and newly identified hosts.

The current findings indicate that some Psyllaephagus species attack hosts within an ecological niche, whereas others are highly host specific. Additionally, the distinction between potential host range observed in laboratory conditions and ecological host range in field conditions should be considered, as laboratory tests typically exhibit a broader host range.
Point‐of‐Care Blood Eosinophils to Predict Preschool Wheeze Attacks
Authors: Hillson Kushalinii , Fontanella Sara , Almeida Hernani , Pavlou Barbara , Lajunen Katariina , Irving Samantha , Testa Ilaria , Bingham Yvonne , Oritz Karina Mayoral , Lacbay Shane , Hay Sophie , Gore Mindy , Scotney Elizabeth , Paraskakis Emmanouil , Sonnappa Samatha , Fleming Louise , Bush Andrew , Saglani Sejal
Published: February 2025

Background

Post hoc analysis of clinical trials shows blood eosinophil counts (BEC) predict future preschool wheeze attacks; however, prospective usefulness in a clinical setting is unreported. We assessed the feasibility of point‐of‐care (POC) eosinophil measurements in preschool wheezers and related BEC to symptoms, lung function, and utility in predicting attacks.

Methods

Children aged 1–5 years with recurrent wheeze underwent finger‐prick sampling during the outpatient clinic for POC eosinophils, forced oscillation technique (FOT) and/or spirometry, and symptom score (TRACK questionnaire). The utility of BEC and/or the other tests in predicting wheeze attacks in the subsequent 3 months was analysed by comparing those with and without an attack and using a predictive decision tree (DT) model.

Results

Seventy‐three children (median age 4.27 years) were recruited; BEC were higher in atopic children (median 0.5 × 109/L vs. 0.3 × 109/L non‐atopic, p < 0.01). BEC moderately correlated with FOT reactance bronchodilator reversibility z‐score changes (r = 0.495, p = 0.005), but no other lung function measures or TRACK score.

68/73 (93%) children were followed up at 3 months. 29/68 (43%) children had > 1 wheeze attack requiring unscheduled healthcare attendance. Absolute and %eosinophils at the baseline visit were higher in those who had an attack (median 0.5 × 109/L vs. 0.3 × 109/L, p = 0.03 and median 6% vs. 4%, p < 0.01). The DT model showed children with BEC ≥ 4% and TRACK score < 75 were more likely to have a future attack (probability 0.63).

Conclusion

POC blood eosinophils were feasible in a clinical setting. Our preliminary data suggest elevated BEC with a low symptom score predicts a wheeze attack within 3 months.