bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What makes a self-deprecating advertisement more persuasive? The role of self-uncertainty
Authors: Liu Cong , Gao Jiahui
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the interesting but largely unexamined impact of self-uncertainty on the persuasiveness of self-deprecating advertisement.

Design/methodology/approach

In the present research, the experimental design and survey methods are used to collect data. Furthermore, the ANOVA and bootstrap analysis methods are adopted to verify whether a self-deprecating advertisement is more persuasive for consumers experiencing self-uncertainty and explore the mediating role of self-verification.

Findings

Study 1 indicates that people experiencing self-uncertainty are more likely to engage in actual self-verification. Study 2 demonstrates that consumers experiencing self-uncertainty are more likely to purchase products in a self-deprecating advertisement (vs. self-enhancing advertisement), and actual self-verification motive underlies this effect. In Study 3, a novel boundary condition for the main effect–product type (hedonic vs. utilitarian) is found, and it further reveals that the impact of self-uncertainty on the persuasiveness of self-deprecating advertisement will attenuate when the advertised product is utilitarian.

Practical implications

This research reveals that self-deprecating advertising is more desirable for consumers who experience self-uncertainty. Based on the conclusions in this paper, the self-deprecating advertising is more attractive and desirable for consumers who are reminded about their personal uncertainties. Thus, marketers could employ self-deprecating (vs. self-enhancing) advertisement to promote products. For example, in order to promote the waterproof function of iPhone 12, Apple China released a self-deprecating advertisement of “Splash proof and water resistant. Don't worry, iPhone.”

Originality/value

First, this research not only sheds new light on the relationship between self-uncertainty and the persuasiveness of self-deprecating advertisement but also verifies the mediating role of self-verification motive in this relationship. Moreover, this research reveals that self-uncertainty is a significant factor in how people react to the self-deprecating advertisement. It is noteworthy that the self-uncertainty effect is more likely to be found when the advertised product is related to hedonic or experiential consumption as opposed to utilitarian consumption.
Material recognition for construction quality monitoring using deep learning methods
Authors: Mahamivanan Hadi , Ghassemi Navid , Tayarani Darbandy Mohammad , Shoeibi Afshin , Hussain Sadiq , Nasirzadeh Farnad , Alizadehsani Roohallah , Nahavandi Darius , Khosravi Abbas , Nahavandi Saeid
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a new deep learning technique to detect the type of material to improve automated construction quality monitoring.

Design/methodology/approach

A new data augmentation approach that has improved the model robustness against different illumination conditions and overfitting is proposed. This study uses data augmentation at test time and adds outlier samples to training set to prevent over-fitted network training. For data augmentation at test time, five segments are extracted from each sample image and fed to the network. For these images, the network outputting average values is used as the final prediction. Then, the proposed approach is evaluated on multiple deep networks used as material classifiers. The fully connected layers are removed from the end of the networks, and only convolutional layers are retained.

Findings

The proposed method is evaluated on recognizing 11 types of building materials which include 1,231 images taken from several construction sites. Each image resolution is 4,000 × 3,000. The images are captured with different illumination and camera positions. Different illumination conditions lead to trained networks that are more robust against various environmental conditions. Using VGG16 model, an accuracy of 97.35% is achieved outperforming existing approaches.

Practical implications

It is believed that the proposed method presents a new and robust tool for detecting and classifying different material types. The automated detection of material will aid to monitor the quality and see whether the right type of material has been used in the project based on contract specifications. In addition, the proposed model can be used as a guideline for performing quality control (QC) in construction projects based on project quality plan. It can also be used as an input for automated progress monitoring because the material type detection will provide a critical input for object detection.

Originality/value

Several studies have been conducted to perform quality management, but there are some issues that need to be addressed. In most previous studies, a very limited number of material types were examined. In addition, although some studies have reported high accuracy to detect material types (Bunrit et al., 2020), their accuracy is dramatically reduced when they are used to detect materials with similar texture and color. In this research, the authors propose a new method to solve the mentioned shortcomings.
Improving the accuracy for amplitude and frequency of analytical equation of single-ended ring oscillators based on circuit and transistor parameters
Authors: Moradnezhad Mehrdad , Miar Naimi Hossein
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to find a closed-form expression for the frequency and amplitude of single-ended ring oscillators when transistors experience all regions.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the analytical relationships presented for ring oscillator amplitude and frequency are approximately derived due to the nonlinear nature of this oscillator, taking into account the differential equation that governs the ring oscillator and its output waveform.

Findings

In the case where the transistors experience the cut-off region, the relationships presented so far have no connection between the frequency and the dimensions of the transistor, which is not valid in practice. The relationship is presented for the frequency, including the dimensions of the transistor. Also, a simple and approximately accurate relationship for the oscillator amplitude is provided in this case.

Originality/value

The validity of these relationships has been investigated by analyzing and simulating a single-ended oscillator in 0.18 µm technology.
Green transformational leadership and green innovation in megaprojects: is green knowledge sharing a missing link?
Authors: Chen Xiaoyan , Chen Yajiao , Zhang Xinyue , He Qinghua
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Green innovation (GI) in megaprojects has become a significant research topic that attracts both megaproject management scholars' and practitioners' attention. Green transformational leadership (GTL) is acknowledged as an important antecedent to GI in the permanent context. However, limited research investigates the mechanism and condition of how GTL effectively affects GI in the temporary (i.e. megaproject) context. This study seeks to examine the mechanism and condition of GTL in improving GI by assessing the mediating role of green knowledge sharing (GKS) and the moderating effect of innovation climate (IC).

Design/methodology/approach

Regression analysis was performed on data obtained from 303 experts who have been involved in megaprojects.

Findings

GTL has a significant positive impact on two aspects of GI, including green product innovation (GPDI) and green process innovation (GPCI). Besides, GKS mediates the relationship between GTL and the two aspects of GI. Moreover, IC plays a significantly positive moderating role in the relationship between GTL and GKS and the relationship between GKS and the two aspects of GI.

Originality/value

This study adds knowledge to the theory and practice by unveiling the “black box” between GTL and GI in the temporary (i.e. megaproject) context. First, this study extends the continuing discussion on the direct effect of GTL on GI to the temporary (i.e. megaproject) context. Second, this study facilitates the understanding of the mechanism to generate better GI performance considering the mediating role of GKS and the moderating effect of IC in the temporary (i.e. megaproject) context. The results can illuminate megaproject practitioners on generating better GI performance.
Evaluation of rural tourism development level based on entropy-weighted grey correlation analysis: the case of Jiangxi Province
Authors: Yan Xiaoyan , Luo Min , Zhong Changbiao
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish a more reasonable evaluation system and model for the development level of rural tourism, and provides a method for quantifying the development level of regional rural tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper provides a method for evaluating the development level of rural tourism, constructs an evaluation index system according to the connotation of rural tourism, then calculates the index weight by entropy method, and makes a comprehensive evaluation by grey relational analysis. Taking the development of rural tourism in 11 cities in Jiangxi Province as the research object, the ranking results of 11 cities were obtained by using grey relational analysis.

Findings

The overall development level of rural tourism in Jiangxi Province is positive, but the spatial distribution is uneven, showing the characteristics of “low-level aggregation and high-level dispersion”. The barrier model diagnoses that the degree of financial input is the biggest constraint to the development level of rural tourism in Jiangxi Province.

Originality/value

This study puts forward an evaluation model based on entropy weight and grey relational analysis, which is an important supplement to the grey relational analysis method system and has a positive role in promoting the quantitative evaluation of regional rural tourism level.
Marketplace or reseller: the channel strategy analysis for e-commerce platforms considering brand differentiation
Authors: Shi Yuan , Qu Ting , Shi Jia , Huang Lan
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The paper aims to clarify the effects of brand differentiation on the platform's formulation of channel strategy and help the online platform formulate the optimal channel strategy, which involves selecting a proper selling mode for each brand.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper develops a multistage game model consisting of one online platform and two competing manufacturers with differentiated brands and examines the effects of brand differentiation on these three channel members' profits under each candidate channel strategy.

Findings

The results show that the platform prefers to offer the reselling mode for both brands when the brand differentiation is low, and this preference will be enhanced by the decrease in order fulfilment cost. By contrast, when the brand differentiation is high, it will offer the reselling mode for the premium brand but the marketplace service for the economy brand if the order fulfilment cost is not high; or the marketplace mode will be offered to both brands if this cost is high.

Research limitations/implications

This study assumes that the order fulfilment costs of platform and manufacturer are fixed and symmetric. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to consider asymmetric costs of order fulfilment.

Practical implications

The paper guides the online platform to formulate the optimal channel strategy for differentiated brands and provides managerial insights for differentiated brands entering online markets.

Originality/value

This paper explores platforms' optimal channel strategy by jointly considering the effects of brand differentiation and investigates the impacts of brand differentiation on the optimal decision making under four candidate options. Moreover, this paper has been extended to examine the case when the manufacturers' production costs cannot be neglected.
The impact of big five personality trait in predicting student academic performance
Authors: Shaninah Fathi Said Emhemed , Mohd Noor Mohd Halim
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The study aims to propose a predictive model that combines personality and demographic factors to predict student academic performance (SAP). This research study works on understanding, enhancing and applying techniques to enhance the prediction of SAP.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors gathered information from 305 university students from Al-Zintan University Libya. The study uses a survey questionnaire to collect data on essential variables. The purpose of the questionnaire is to discover variables that affect students' academic performance. The survey questionnaire has 44 closed questions with Likert scale designs that were distributed to a variety of college students at the start of the first semester of 2022. It includes questions about demographics, personality, employment and institutional aspects. The authors proposed a predictive model to identify the main fundamental components, consisting of one dependent variable (SAP) and five independent constructs. The suggested model is tested using partial least squares (PLS) and structural equation modeling (SEM), which perform better than covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM). PLS-SEM performs well with smaller sample sizes, even for complicated models.

Findings

The study results show that the proposed model accurately predicted the student's academic performance. The personality trait variables are a key factor that determines the actual student's academic performance. The student's academic performance is significantly impacted by each variable in the personality trait variables as well.

Originality/value

The process of validating research was done empirically through the accuracy and efficiency of model performance. The study differs from previous studies in that it accumulated a wide range of factors from different dimensions, including student demographics and personality trait factors. The authors developed a structural equation model to predict students' academic performance.
Comparison of the trading strategies and market impact costs of the National Pension Service's internal and external management
Authors: Eom Yunsung , Woo Mincheol
Published: July 2023

As of May 2022, the National Pension Service of Korea is the world's third-largest pension fund, with assets worth KRW912tn (approximately $US800bn). Of the KRW152tn (approximately $US133bn) invested in domestic equities, 45% is outsourced to external asset managers. Given the absence of prior research on the National Pension Service's (NPS's) management method, this study analyzes its trading strategies and market impact according to the fund management method from 2005 to 2022. The results are as follows: First, the stock characteristics selected by internal management using passive strategies are different from those selected by external management, in which various strategies are combined. Second, the contrarian investment strategy, which acts as a market stabilizer, is a characteristic of the external management trading pattern, while internal management increases volatility and does not improve liquidity. Third, there has been a change in the internal management strategy since 2016, when the fund management headquarters was relocated. This study is practically significant and distinctive in that it confirms the differences between the NPS's two investment methods in terms of trading strategies and market impact.
An inquiry into the health and safety management practices of construction firms in South Korea
Authors: Park Taeho , Mahamadu Abdul-Majeed , Agyekum Kofi , Adade-Boateng Anita Odame , Manu Patrick , Adinyira Emmanuel , Adukpo Selorm
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) management practices of construction companies in South Korea to ascertain specific components and practices that need improvement for successful OSH performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research strategy was adopted. A close-ended questionnaire survey covering 45 OSH management practices was sent to 324 contractors; 108 responses were gathered, representing a response rate of 33.3%. Data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and Pearson’s chi-square test.

Findings

The findings revealed that there is a moderate level of implementation of OSH management practices among construction firms in South Korea. However, there is a significant disparity in terms of implementation between large enterprises on the one hand and small to medium enterprises on the other. Furthermore, a few of the business characteristics (i.e. the size of companies and certification to OHSAS 18001) were closely associated with the extent of the implementation of OSH management practices.

Practical implications

This research uncovers the OSH management practices that are poorly implemented and lays the foundation for appropriate measures to improve OSH in South Korean construction companies. It suggests an effective strategy for communicating health and safety issues to workers, training safety managers, reviewing risk assessments, reviewing the health and safety plan, incentivising workers by rewarding good behaviour and having a penal mechanism for employees not adhering to the rules.

Originality/value

The study provides insights into an under-investigated South Korean construction industry topic. It offers additional insight into state-of-the-art health and safety management practices in the construction industry in South Korea. Furthermore, it establishes which components of OSH management practice require improvement in the Korean context. This is also one of the few studies in OSH which establishes the association between the construction business characteristics and OSH management in the South Korean construction domain.
Is financial technology a complement or substitute for domestic financial institutions in Ghana?
Authors: Antwi-Wiafe Kwadwo , Asante Grace Nkansa , Takyi Paul Owusu
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether financial technology is complementing the performance of domestic financial institutions or substituting their performance in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper used data from the Bank of Ghana Payment System Statistics and Time Series Data of the Bank of Ghana from 2012 to 2021, by using autoregressive distributive lags estimation technique.

Findings

The results showed that in both the long run and short run, financial technology has a significant negative impact on bank performance, indicating that fintech serves as substitutes rather than complements for Ghanaian banks. These results suggest that there must be a critical review on the interoperability policy in Ghana and that banks should take advantage of the financial technology to increase profit.

Originality/value

Based on the authors’ study, no empirical work has been extensively done in the Ghanaian context by examining how financial technology serves as either a complement or substitute for domestic banking institutions. This paper focuses on exploring the key definition of financial technology in Ghana and how transactions through these media are affecting or improving the performance of banks.
Employee ownership in the USA: lessons to consider in creating more inclusive capitalism
Authors: Rosen Corey
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the key lessons to learn from the US employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)-model. The lessons are, broad-based employee ownership is difficult to attain and sustain if employees have to use their own money to purchase shares. The paper works better when the shares are held in trust rather than being held individually. Broad-based employee ownership improves corporate performance and employee financial security. Employees care more about how employee ownership affects the stability of their jobs and retirement than having governance rights. If laws require democratic governance there will not be widespread employee ownership. Tax incentives are critical to induce companies and their owners to share ownership.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on results from National Center for Employee Ownership research, a review of other research in the field, and the author’s own 45 years of experience in this field.

Findings

About one-quarter of the private sector workforce in the USA participates in some kind of employee ownership plan. There are 6,700 ESOPs in the USA with 14 million participants. The ESOPs hold over $1.4 trillion in assets. About 6,000 of these plans are in non-listed companies and the companies employ about two million people. Public companies ESOPs generally own under 10% of company stock; private company ESOPs usually own at least 30% of the stock and a majority of the plans own 100% of the stock. Most of these companies have between 20 and 500 employees.

Originality/value

The article gives a practitioner's overview over the main reasons behind the success of the ESOP model in the USA.
Exploring lead users' continued participation intention in crowdsourcing innovation community in China: the effects of network externalities
Authors: Liang Ruoyu , Ye Zi , Zhang Jing , Du Wenbin
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Lead users are essential participants in crowdsourcing innovation events; their continuance intention significantly affects the success of the crowdsourcing innovation community (CIC). Although researchers have acknowledged the influences of network externalities on users' sustained participation in general information systems, limited work has been conducted to probe these relationships in the CIC context; particularly, the predictors of lead users' continued usage intention in such context are still unclear. Hence, this paper aims to explore the precursors of lead users' continuance intention from a network externalities perspective in CIC.

Design/methodology/approach

This work ranked users' leading-edge status to recognize lead users in the CIC. And then, the authors proposed a research model based on the network externalities theory, which was examined utilizing the partial least squares (PLS) technique. The research data were collected from an online survey of lead users (n = 229) of a CIC hosted by a China handset manufacturer.

Findings

Results revealed that the number of peers, perceived complementarity and perceived compatibility significantly influence lead users' continuance intention through identification and perceived usefulness.

Originality/value

This work contributes to the crowdsourcing innovation research and provides views regarding how lead users' sustained participation can be developed in the CICs. This work also offers an alternative theoretical framework for further research on users' continued intention in open innovation activities.
Police burnout and organizational stress: job and rank associations
Authors: Baker Lucas D. , Richardson Elizabeth , Fuessel-herrmann Dianna , Ponder Warren , Smith Andrew
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Burnout is an issue affecting not only individual officers, but also the agencies they work for and the communities they serve. Despite its prevalence, there is limited evidence for effective interventions that address officer burnout. This study aims to advance this area of study by identifying organizational factors associated with police burnout. By identifying these factors, stakeholders interested in officer wellness will have more clearly defined targets for intervention.

Design/methodology/approach

Self-report data were gathered from US police officers partitioned into command staff (n = 125), detective (n = 41), and patrol officer (n = 191) samples. Bootstrapped correlations were calculated between 20 organizational stressors and officer burnout.

Findings

Findings revealed several shared organizational stressors associated with burnout regardless of role (command staff, detective, patrol officer), as well as several role-specific organizational stressors strongly associated with burnout. Together, these findings suggest utility in considering broad-based organizational interventions and role-specific interventions to affect burnout amidst varying job duties.

Research limitations/implications

Primary limitations to consider when interpreting these results include sample homogeneity, unequal subsample sizes, cross-sectional data limitations, and the need for implementation of interventions to test the experimental effects of reducing identified organizational stressors.

Practical implications

This study may provide command staff and consulting parties with targets to improve departmental conditions and officer burnout.

Originality/value

This represents the first study to evaluate organizational stressors by their strength of association with burnout across a stratified police sample.
Is student internship still beneficial today? The views of multi-parties in Ghana
Authors: Arthur Patrick , Koomson Samuel
Published: July 2023

Purpose

There is evidence of country-level contextual variations regarding the benefits of practical experience acquired by students during higher education. This paper, therefore, analyses the benefits of student internships in the Ghanaian context.

Design/methodology/approach

In Study 1, two structured but distinct surveys were distributed to senior members and students of six specialised technical education institutions (TIs). Study 2 involved in-depth interviews with the heads of organisations in the tertiary education sector, including trade groups, industries and government agencies.

Findings

Internship provides soft skills, confidence, career development, sense of responsibility, employability, income, knowledge sharing and networking for students/interns. For TIs, it contributes to the professional development of faculty supervisors and helps them to update the content they teach. For employers, it unveils talented and promising students who can be employed immediately after graduation at a relatively cheaper cost.

Research limitations/implications

There is still the need for additional research in different contexts: both developed and developing economies to clear doubts on the controversies surrounding the relevance of internship in the 21st century.

Practical implications

TIs should continue to champion student internship programmes. This study highlights the need for employers to place internship students in areas that relate to their fields of study. It also underscores the need for students to embrace internship since it is the cornerstone to their employability in the labour market.

Social implications

Undeniably, student internships provide a critical platform for career beginners.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to knowledge by offering contextual literature in Ghana on the benefits of student internship programme for interns/students, TIs and employers, all together.
Contextual factors influencing investment decision making: a multi group analysis
Authors: Sachdeva Muskan , Lehal Ritu
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Stock markets are considered as the largest and most important units for the development and growth of the economy. The present study attempts to provide a comprehensive view of factors influencing investment decision making process of stock market investors. A multi group analysis of gender is also carried out on the proposed model.

Design/methodology/approach

The data of 402 valid responses are collected through structured questionnaires from individual investors of North India. SPSS 23 is used to do the descriptive analysis and AMOS 22 is used to establish the validity of the constructs and for hypotheses testing. For performing multi group analysis, several invariance tests have also been conducted to check the robustness of the model.

Findings

The results reveal that all the factors such as firm image, accounting information, neutral information, advocate recommendation and personal financial needs significantly influence investment decision making concluding image of the firm being the most influential factor and advocate recommendation being the least influential factor for investment decisions. No significant differences between males and females were found.

Research limitations/implications

The current study suffers from the limitation of restricted geographical area of North India. Moreover, there is also a scope to incorporate more demographic factors for predicting investment decisions.

Originality/value

This study incorporates a range of factors which covers all the aspects of investment decision making. This study also highlights the notion of signaling theory, thus contributing to the limited literature in Indian context.
Employing criteria scoring matrix in appraising the economic return of transcending to a circular built environment
Authors: Atapattu A.M.D.S. , Hadiwattage Chandanie , Perera B.A.K.S. , Rajaratnam Dilakshan
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The circular economy concept emerged as the resolution to the destructive linear economy practices. Nevertheless, the transition to a circular built environment is hindered due to the ambiguities of the economic value of the concept. Conversely, numerous decision-making tools are applied in the construction industry in assessing economic alternatives, even if there is a gap in utilising these tools in appraising circular economic practices. Hence, this study investigates the potential benefits of applying proven decision-making practices, particularly criteria scoring matrices, in developing circular built environments.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was followed to achieve the aim of the study. A conceptual design of a criteria scoring matrix was developed with a comprehensive literature survey. Semi-structured interviews of a three-round Delphi expert survey were employed to assess the matrix qualitatively and develop the matrix further. Data were analysed using the content analysis method.

Findings

The lack of a value assessment tool in economically assessing the circular economy principles is a key barrier to transcending to a circular built environment. In addressing this issue, this study develops a criteria scoring matrix for circularity value assessment during the design stage of a construction project.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the theory by developing a criteria scoring matrix to measure the economic contribution of circular economy principles. Further, this research contributes to the practice by allowing construction alternatives to be selected, balancing the potential economic return options of a project with the project's contribution to a circular economy.
Cultivating post-acquisition employee engagement: the Danaher business system
Authors: Durand Muriel , Hansen Gregory , Thomas Mark
Published: July 2023

Purpose

One of major concerns of serial acquirers is to ensure value creation. However, mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are well known for the key management problems they generate such as change management, cultural clashes and increased managerial turnover. Despite this, M&As also offer opportunities for integrating best practices. This paper aims to demonstrate how Danaher attempts to cultivate employee engagement in companies it has recently acquired.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a single-case approach to show how Danaher implements its in-house method – the Danaher Business System – a management system during the take over and the postacquisition phase.

Findings

The findings from this paper demonstrate best practice management and strategies needed to ensure successful M&As. Almost 40 years after serial acquisitions, Danaher is cited as one of the most successful serial acquirers. Its human approach to takeovers has been a central part of this.

Originality/value

This paper offers a concise and clear outline of the management strategies used by Danaher to ensure successful acquisitions relying on Kaizen and LEAN with a strong focus on the human side. During the takeover and postacquisition integration, Danaher’s human approach would appear to be a key differentiating element.
Predicting transfer of training through the unified model of task-specific motivation
Authors: Jansen in de Wal Joost , de Jong Bas , Cornelissen Frank , Brabander Cornelis de
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the merits of the unified model of task-specific motivation (UMTM) in predicting transfer of training and to investigate (relationships between) changes in UMTM components over time. In doing so, this study takes the multidimensionality of transfer motivation into account.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected data among 514 employees of the judiciary who filled in the UMTM questionnaire directly after the training and after three weeks. The data were analyzed by means of structural equation modelling.

Findings

The outcomes show that transfer motivation predicts transfer intention and transfer of training over time. Moreover, the study shows that (change in) transfer motivation is predicted by (change in) personal and contextual factors identified by the UMTM as antecedents of motivation.

Originality/value

This study describes the first longitudinal evaluation of the UMTM in the literature and shows its applicability for predicting transfer of training. It is also one of the few studies that investigate transfer motivation multidimensionally and the role it plays for transfer of training. As such, this study informs other transfer of training models about the nature of transfer motivation and how transfer of training could be predicted.
Beyond trait distances: Functional distinctiveness captures the outcome of plant competition
Authors: Mahaut Lucie , Violle Cyrille , Shihan Ammar , Pélissier Rémi , Morel Jean‐Benoit , de Tombeur Félix , Rahajaharilaza Koloina , Fabre Denis , Luquet Delphine , Hartley Susan , Thorne Sarah J. , Ballini Elsa , Fort Florian
Published: July 2023

Functional trait distances between coexisting organisms reflect not only complementarity in the way they use resources, but also differences in their competitive abilities. Accordingly, absolute and relative trait distances have been widely used to capture the effects of niche dissimilarity and competitive hierarchies, respectively, on the performance of plants in competition. However, multiple dimensions of the plant phenotype are involved in these plant–plant interactions (PPI), challenging the use of relative trait distances to predict their outcomes. Furthermore, estimating the effects of competitive hierarchy on the performance of a group of coexisting plants remains particularly difficult since relative trait distances relate to the effects of a focal plant on another.

We argue that trait distinctiveness, an emerging facet of functional diversity that characterizes the eccentric position of a species (or genotype) in a phenotypic space, can reveal the unique role played by a given individual plant in a group of competing plants. We used the model crop species Oryza sativa spp. japonica to evaluate the ability of trait distances and trait distinctiveness to predict the outcome of intraspecific PPI on the performance of single genotype and genotype mixtures. We performed a screening experiment to characterize the phenotypic space of 49 rice genotypes based on 11 above‐ground and root traits. We selected nine genotypes with contrasting positions in the phenotypic space and grew them in pots following a complete pairwise interaction design.

Relative distances and distinctiveness based on traits associated with light competition were by far the best predictors of the performance of single genotypes—taller genotypes that acquired resource faster being the best competitors—while absolute trait distances had no effect. These results indicate that competitive hierarchy for light dominates PPI in this experiment. Consistently, trait distinctiveness in plant height and age at flowering had the strongest, positive effects on mixture performance, confirming that functional distinctiveness captures the effects of trait hierarchies and asymmetric PPI at this scale.

Our findings shed new light on the role of trait diversity in regulating PPI and ecosystem processes and call for a greater consideration of functional distinctiveness in studies of coexistence mechanisms.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Potential persistence of high‐mountain lizards
Authors: Moreira Matthew Owen , Fonseca Carlos , Rojas Danny
Published: July 2023

Climate change will impact environments globally. These changes, however, can affect species or regions differently. The upward limitation of high‐mountain species suggests these are especially prone to the effects of climate change. We assess the impact of future climate scenarios on high‐mountain species' suitable climatic niches. We gathered 1351 occurrence records of high‐mountain (>2000 m asl) squamates and assessed species distribution models for those species occupying more than 10 unique grid‐cells. Afterwards, for each species we ensemble climatic‐niche suitability models for historic (1981–2010) and future climate scenarios (2011–2040, 2041–2070, 2071–2100) for two representative concentration pathways (RCP 2.6 and 8.5). We identified 252 high‐elevation squamate species that occur in Africa, Asia, North America and South America. When we examined species distribution models for the 17 lizard species occupying more than 10 unique grid‐cells, we found a consistent negative effect of future climate change on suitable climatic‐niche models: we inferred species' climatic‐niche losses for 16 species and species' climatic‐niche gains for 1 species. Regardless of future scenarios, two species of lizards will likely lose at least 80% of their suitable climatic niche, and seven species will likely see their suitable climatic niche completely disappear. Climate change will likely have a negative impact on species' suitable climatic‐niche availability. High altitude and associated environmental factors may accelerate local extinctions of mountain reptiles. We highlight the importance of identifying high‐risk species for better conservation efforts.
ESG Reputational Risk, Corporate Payouts and Firm Value
Authors: Chasiotis Ioannis , Gounopoulos Dimitrios , Konstantios Dimitrios , Patsika Victoria
Published: July 2023

This study explores the relationship between ESG reputational risk, corporate payouts and firm value. Using a sample of 2021 US‐listed firms between 2007 and 2019, we provide robust evidence that ESG reputational risk relates to higher payouts, and that free cash flows amplify this relationship. Turning to payout composition, we document that ESG reputational risk associates with a payout mix comprising a higher analogy of share repurchases versus dividends; and that this relationship is more pronounced under financial constraints. Furthermore, we show that the market places a premium on payouts from high ESG reputational risk firms. Our findings are in line with the notion that ESG reputational risk represents agency problems and raises financial risk, inducing firms to disgorge cash via a more flexible payout regime. Results are robust to several estimation techniques that address endogeneity, self‐selection and censored observations.
Family socioeconomic status and sibling correlations in upper secondary education. An empirical analysis of educational inequalities in Italy
Authors: Zhelenkova Antonina , Panichella Nazareno
Published: July 2023

The study examines the educational inequalities in upper secondary education in Italy, with a focus on the vertical dimension of school enrolment and the horizontal dimension of track and curriculum choice. To measure the importance of family background, we use the estimation of sibling correlations, which has seldom been used in the analysis of track choice in upper secondary education. Using data from the Italian Labor Force Survey 2005–2020 (ILFS), which includes detailed information on household characteristics such as the gender composition of siblings and parental education and occupational status, we find that around half of the variation in the probability of attending upper secondary school in Italy is related to the family of origin. We also show that comparing sibling correlations on binary outcomes should be complemented by additional statistics, such as variances at the individual and family levels and proportions of enrolled sibling pairs. For upper secondary school enrolment, advantaged families have a relatively lower sibling correlation due to minor variations at both individual and family levels. However, in terms of track choice, the sibling correlation is relatively higher for enrolment in the academic track compared to the technical and vocational tracks. Additionally, with respect to the attendance of science/technical curricula within each track, the results indicate a lower sibling correlation for the academic track than for the other two tracks, which suggests that individual characteristics have a greater impact than family background when these outcomes are considered.
Chemical antifouling strategies in sensors for food analysis: A review
Authors: Gu Ying , Li Yonghui , Wu Qiyue , Wu Zhongdong , Sun Liping , Shang Ying , Zhuang Yongliang , Fan Xuejing , Yi Lunzhao , Wang Shuo
Published: July 2023

Surface biofouling induced by the undesired nonspecific adsorption of foulants (e.g., coexisting proteins and cells) in food matrices is a major issue of sensors for food analysis, hindering their reliability and accuracy of sensing. This issue can be addressed by developing antifouling strategies to prevent or alleviate nonspecific binding. Chemical antifouling strategies involve the use of chemical modifiers (i.e., antifouling materials) to strongly hydrate the surface and reduce surface biofouling. Through appropriate immobilization approaches, antifouling materials can be tethered onto sensors to form antifouling surfaces with well‐ordered structures, balanced surface charges, and appropriate surface density and thickness. A rational antifouling surface can reduce the matrix effect, simplify sample pretreatment, and improve analytical performance. This review summarizes recent developments in chemical antifouling strategies in sensing. Surface antifouling mechanisms and common antifouling materials are described, and factors that may influence the antifouling effects of antifouling surfaces and approaches incorporating antifouling materials onto sensing surfaces are highlighted. Moreover, the specific applications of antifouling sensors in food analysis are introduced. Finally, we provide an outlook on future developments in antifouling sensors for food analysis.
Research on detection techniques for pattern modifications of playing cards used in illegal gambling operations
Authors: Lee Joong , Kim Hongseok , Kang Tae‐Yi , Yook Simyub
Published: July 2023

We investigated pattern‐modified marked cards used in fraudulent gambling cases in Korea. These cards are printed with modifications to some of the repeated marks on the back, revealing the hand on the front and enabling fraudsters to deceive their victims. We proposed a method for identifying the modified part by first enhancing the card's color difference using an image processing technique and then calculating the similarity between the repeated basic patterns with a Siamese network. This method is fast and convenient, as it can determine the deformation with only 1 or 2 cards and can be implemented in mobile applications, allowing law enforcement officers to investigate quickly. The proposed method serves as a useful tool to aid document examiners in making judgments, as it does not require expensive equipment and effectively visualizes the alterations.
The intestinal microbiota and metabolic profiles of Strauchbufo raddei underwent adaptive changes during hibernation
Authors: CAO Hanwen , SHI Yongpeng , WANG Ji , NIU Zhanyu , WEI Li , TIAN Huabing , YU Feifei , GAO Lan
Published: July 2023

The intestinal microbiota help regulate hibernation in vertebrates. However, it needs to be established how hibernation modulates the gut microbiome and intestinal metabolism. In the present study, we used an artificial hibernation model to examine the responses of the gut microbiota of the Strauchbufo raddei to the environmental changes associated with this behavior. Hibernation significantly lowered the diversity of the microbiota and altered the microbial community of the gut. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota were the major bacterial phyla in the intestines of S. raddei. However, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria predominated in the gut of active and hibernating S. raddei, respectively. Certain bacterial genera such as Pseudomonas, Vibrio, Ralstonia, and Rhodococcus could serve as biomarkers distinguishing hibernating and non‐hibernating S. raddei. The gut microbiota was more resistant to environmental stress in hibernating than active S. raddei. Moreover, metabolomics revealed that metabolites implicated in fatty acid biosynthesis were highly upregulated in the intestines of hibernating S. raddei. The metabolites that were enriched during hibernation enabled S. raddei to adapt to the low temperatures and the lack of exogenous food that are characteristic of hibernation. A correlation analysis of the intestinal microbiota and their metabolites revealed that the gut microbiota might participate in the metabolic regulation of hibernating S. raddei. The present study clarified the modifications that occur in the intestinal bacteria and their symbiotic relationship with their host during hibernation. These findings are indicative of the adaptive changes in the metabolism of amphibians under different environmental conditions.
Optimizing extraction conditions and isolation of bound phenolic compounds from corn silk (Stigma maydis) and their antioxidant effects
Authors: Khan Ummara , Hayat Faisal , Khanum Fakhara , Shao Yuting , Iqbal Shahid , Munir Sadia , Abdin Mohamed , Li Longxiang , Ahmad Ramala Masood , Qiu Jiarong , Xin Zhihong
Published: July 2023

During the processing of maize, Stigma maydis, also known as corn silk, is normally discarded as waste. Phytochemical research was carried out on the S. maydis to use it as a valuable source of bioactive components. This research aimed to maximize the recovery of free and bound phenolic compounds from corn silk under optimal experimental conditions. Response surface design was operated to optimize the alkaline hydrolysis extraction of bound phytochemicals from corn silk based on total phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity. The optimum conditions (i.e., NaOH concentration 2 M, digestion time 135 min, digestion temperature of 37.5°C, the solid‐to‐solvent ratio of 1:17.5, and acetone) were obtained. The optimum parameters were used to extract the corn silk. The structures of two compounds isolated from ethyl acetate extracts were then identified as friedelin (1) and (E)‐4‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenyl) but‐3‐en‐2‐one (2). The DPPH, H2O2, and ABTS % inhibition of the compounds is as follows: compound (1) 74.81%, 76.8%, 70.33% and compound (2) 70.37%, 56.70% and 57.46%, respectively. The current study has opened previously unexplored perspectives of the composition of bound compounds in corn silk and established the foundations for more effective processing and utilization of corn waste.

Practical Application

Bound phenolic compounds from corn silk under optimal experimental conditions were obtained. Corn silk can be utilized as a type of medicinal herb as well as a source of inexpensive natural antioxidants.