bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Grad-seq view of RNA and protein complexes inPseudomonas aeruginosaunder standard and bacteriophage predation conditions
Authors: Gerovac Milan , Wicke Laura , Chihara Kotaro , Schneider Cornelius , Lavigne Rob , Vogel Jörg
Published: December 2020

The Gram-negative rod-shaped bacteriumPseudomonas aeruginosais not only a major cause of nosocomial infections but also serves as a model species of bacterial RNA biology. While its transcriptome architecture and post-transcriptional regulation through the RNA-binding proteins Hfq, RsmA and RsmN have been studied in detail, global information about stable RNA–protein complexes is currently lacking in this human pathogen. Here, we implement Gradient profiling by sequencing (Grad-seq) in exponentially growingP. aeruginosacells to comprehensively predict RNA and protein complexes, based on glycerol gradient sedimentation profiles of >73% of all transcripts and ∼40% of all proteins. As to benchmarking, our global profiles readily reported complexes of stable RNAs ofP. aeruginosa, including 6S RNA with RNA polymerase and associated pRNAs. We observe specific clusters of non-coding RNAs, which correlate with Hfq and RsmA/N, and provide a first hint thatP. aeruginosaexpresses a ProQ-like FinO domain containing RNA-binding protein. To understand how biological stress may perturb cellular RNA/protein complexes, we performed Grad-seq after infection by the bacteriophage ΦKZ. This model phage, which has a well-defined transcription profile during host takeover, displayed efficient translational utilization of phage mRNAs and tRNAs, as evident from their increased co-sedimentation with ribosomal subunits. Additionally, Grad-seq experimentally determines previously overlooked phage-encoded non-coding RNAs. Taken together, thePseudomonasprotein and RNA complex data provided here will pave the way to a better understanding of RNA-protein interactions during viral predation of the bacterial cell.

IMPORTANCE

Stable complexes by cellular proteins and RNA molecules lie at the heart of gene regulation and physiology in any bacterium of interest. It is therefore crucial to globally determine these complexes in order to identify and characterize new molecular players and regulation mechanisms. Pseudomonads harbour some of the largest genomes known in bacteria, encoding ∼5,500 different proteins. Here, we provide a first glimpse on which proteins and cellular transcripts form stable complexes in the human pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosa. We additionally performed this analysis with bacteria subjected to the important and frequently encountered biological stress of a bacteriophage infection. We identified several molecules with established roles in a variety of cellular pathways, which were affected by the phage and can now be explored for their role during phage infection. Most importantly, we observed strong co-localization of phage transcripts and host ribosomes, indicating the existence of specialized translation mechanisms during phage infection. All data are publicly available in an interactive and easy to use browser.
Global elongation and high shape flexibility as an evolutionary hypothesis of accommodating mammalian brains into skulls
Authors: Weisbecker Vera , Rowe Timothy , Wroe Stephen , Macrini Thomas E. , Garland Kathleen L. S. , Travouillon Kenny J. , Black Karen , Archer Michael , Hand Suzanne J. , Berlin Jeri , Beck Robin M.D. , Ladevèze Sandrine , Sharp Alana C. , Mardon Karine , Sherratt Emma
Published: December 2020

Little is known about how the large brains of mammals are accommodated into the dazzling diversity of their skulls. It has been suggested that brain shape is influenced by relative brain size, that it evolves or develops according to extrinsic or intrinsic mechanical constraints, and that its shape can provide insights into its proportions and function. Here, we characterise the shape variation among 84 marsupial cranial endocasts of 57 species including fossils, using 3D geometric morphometrics and virtual dissections. Statistical shape analysis revealed four main patterns: over half of endocast shape variation ranges between elongate and straight to globular and inclined; little allometric variation with respect to centroid size, and none for relative volume; no association between locomotion and endocast shape; limited association between endocast shape and previously published histological cortex volumes. Fossil species tend to have smaller cerebral hemispheres. We find divergent endocast shapes in closely related species and within species, and diverse morphologies superimposed over the main variation. An evolutionarily and individually malleable brain with a fundamental tendency to arrange into a spectrum of elongate-to-globular shapes – possibly mostly independent of brain function - may explain the accommodation of brains within the enormous diversity of mammalian skull form.
Genetically Engineered Proportional-Integral Feedback Controllers for Robust Perfect Adaptation in Mammalian Cells
Authors: Frei T. , Chang C.-H. , Filo M. , Arampatzis A. , Khammash M.
Published: December 2020

To support their survival, cells adapt to environmental disturbances by maintaining a constant internal milieu. Robust perfect adaptation is a strategy that utilizes integral feedback to promote adaptation by robustly driving regulated physiological variables to their pre-disturbance levels. Present in natural systems, this stringent regulatory strategy promises to enable the engineering of sophisticated genetic programs with diverse applications. Here, we present the first synthetic implementations of integral and proportional-integral feedback controllers in mammalian cells. We show that the integral controller robustly and precisely maintains a desired level of a transcription factor, in spite of induced disturbances and network perturbations. Augmenting proportional feedback reduces stochastic variability while maintaining robust perfect adaptation. We demonstrate the benefits of these controllers in mitigating the impact of resource burden and investigate their use in cell therapy. The synthetic biological realization of robust perfect adaptation holds promise for substantial advances in industrial biotechnology and cell-based therapies.
The Crown Pearl: a draft genome assembly of the European freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Gomes-dos-Santos André , Lopes-Lima Manuel , Machado André M. , Ramos António Marcos , Usié Ana , Bolotov Ivan N. , Vikhrev Ilya V. , Breton Sophie , Castro L. Filipe C. , da Fonseca Rute R. , Geist Juergen , Österling Martin E. , Prié Vincent , Teixeira Amílcar , Gan Han Ming , Simakov Oleg , Froufe Elsa
Published: December 2020

Since historical times, the inherent human fascination with pearls turned the freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera (Linnaeus, 1758) into a highly valuable cultural and economic resource. Although pearl harvesting in M. margaritifera is nowadays residual, other human threats have aggravated the species conservation status, especially in Europe. This mussel presents a myriad of rare biological features, e.g. high longevity coupled with low senescence and Doubly Uniparental Inheritance of mitochondrial DNA, for which the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly known. Here, the first draft genome assembly of M. margaritifera was produced using a combination of Illumina Paired-end and Mate-pair approaches. The genome assembly was 2,4 Gb long, possessing 105,185 scaffolds and a scaffold N50 length of 288,726 bp. The ab initio gene prediction allowed the identification of 35,119 protein-coding genes. This genome represents an essential resource for studying this species’ unique biological and evolutionary features and ultimately will help to develop new tools to promote its conservation.
vHULK, a new tool for bacteriophage host prediction based on annotated genomic features and deep neural networks
Authors: Amgarten Deyvid , Iha Bruno Koshin Vázquez , Piroupo Carlos Morais , da Silva Aline Maria , Setubal João Carlos
Published: December 2020

The experimental determination of a bacteriophage host is a laborious procedure. For this reason, there is a pressing need for reliable computational predictions of bacteriophage hosts in phage research in general and in phage therapy in particular. Here, we present a new program called vHULK for phage host prediction based on 9,504 phage genome features. These features take into account alignment significance scores between predicted-protein sequences in the phage genomes and a curated database of viral protein families. The features were fed to a deep neural network, and four distinct models were trained to predict 61 different host genera and 52 host species. In random controlled test sets, the program obtained 99% and 98% accuracy values at the genus and species levels, respectively. On a validation dataset with 2,178 phage genomes, mean accuracies were 82% and 52% at the genus and species levels, respectively. When compared against other phage host prediction programs on the same validation dataset, vHULK achieved substantially better performance, therefore demonstrating that the program is an advance on the state-of-art in phage host prediction. vHULK is freely available at https://github.com/LaboratorioBioinformatica/vHULK.
Host-Microbe Interactions in Manifestation of Tuberculosis: A System Biology Study in Implicated Compartments
Authors: Hiva Sharebiani , Shadi Abbasnia , Saman Soleimanpour , Sar Rezaee
Published: December 2020

Mycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb) has been a dilemma for over a century. Thus the bacteria-host interactions seem to be implicated in the manifestation of the disease. Here, the behavioral activities of theMtband host responses were evaluated in this system biology analyses, according to the compartmental immune responses in the lung and local lymph node. Differential expression analyses were conducted between tuberculosis (TB) and the healthy group in the aforementioned compartments, to identify the hub genes and functional gene ontology (GO) terms, using KEGG, Enrichr and DAVID databases.

The different phases of immune responses againstMtboccur in three compartments, lung, local lymph nodes and blood. Due to the occurrence of hypoxia within granuloma in the lung, angiogenesis was increased despite the HIF1-α down-regulation via inhibition of EP300 and HDAC1. Proliferation by MYC, CDK2 and NF-κB pathways activated in the granuloma, while at the same time apoptosis was induced by P53 activation, and PI3K/Akt inhibited P53 in the lymph node. Furthermore, DNA damages suppressed by the over-expression of BRCA1, CDK1 and BCR/ABL in the lymph node, as well as FBXO6, CDK2 and CDC5A in both compartments. In the lymph node, RTK (EGFR) and calmodulin, the consequent NFAT formation and Erk/MAPK pathway down-regulated and suppressed Th1 cell activation and differentiation. Inflammation was induced in both compartments, but the antigen (Ag) presentation was suppressed through the XPO1 suppression and ubiquitination. More studies inMtb-host interactions are needed to specify the effective mechanisms for reducing this re-emerging life-threatening disease.

Importance

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most widespread reemerging infectious diseases in the world, which has remained a global health problem. Approximately, 10 million people are infected withMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb), causing 1.2 million deaths every year. Therefore, interactions between the host and the pathogen inMtbinfection are a major challenge for the control of the disease. Typically, there are thousands of genes and ten times more interactions between any stages of the conflicts. This urged us to bring “systemic approaches” for a better understanding of such highly orchestrated systems. A holistic view of theMtb-host interaction paves the way for a higher insight into the biology of the organism, as well as rationale solutions for the design of therapeutic agents. This study specifies the nominated disease-related genes and related signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of TB in two different compartments, lung and lymph node.
Capturing and Selecting Senescence Variation in Wheat
Authors: Chapman Elizabeth A. , Orford Simon , Lage Jacob , Griffiths Simon
Published: December 2020

Senescence is a highly quantitative trait, but in wheat the genetics underpinning senescence regulation remain relatively unknown. To select senescence variation, and ultimately identify novel genetic regulators, accurate characterisation of senescence phenotypes is essential. When investigating senescence, phenotyping efforts often focus on, or are limited to, visual assessment of the flag leaves. However, senescence is a whole plant process, involving remobilisation and translocation of resources into the developing grain. Furthermore, the temporal progression of senescence poses challenges regarding trait quantification and description, whereupon the different models and approaches applied result in varying definitions of apparently similar metrics.

To gain a holistic understanding of senescence we phenotyped flag leaf and peduncle senescence progression, alongside grain maturation. Reviewing the literature, we identified techniques commonly applied in quantification of senescence variation and developed simple methods to calculate descriptive and discriminatory metrics. To capture senescence dynamism, we developed the idea of calculating thermal time to different flag leaf senescence scores, for which between year Spearman’s rank correlations ofr≥ 0.59,P< 4.7 × 10−5(TT70), identify as an accurate phenotyping method. Following our experience of senescence trait genetic mapping, we recognised the need for singular metrics capable of discriminating senescence variation, identifying Thermal Time to Flag Leaf Senescence score of 70 (TT70) and Mean Peduncle senescence (MeanPed) scores as most informative. Moreover, grain maturity assessments confirmed a previous association between our staygreen traits and grain fill extension, illustrating trait functionality.

Here we review different senescence phenotyping approaches and share our experiences of phenotyping two independent RIL populations segregating for staygreen traits. Together, we direct readers towards senescence phenotyping methods we found most effective, encouraging their use when investigating and discriminating senescence variation of differing genetic bases, and to aid trait selection and weighting in breeding and research programs alike.
Exploiting prior knowledge about biological macromolecules in cryo-EM structure determination
Authors: Kimanius Dari , Zickert Gustav , Nakane Takanori , Adler Jonas , Lunz Sebastian , Schönlieb Carola-Bibiane , Öktem Ozan , Scheres Sjors H. W.
Published: December 2020

Three-dimensional reconstruction of the electron-scattering potential of biological macromolecules from electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) projection images is an ill-posed problem. The most popular cryo-EM software solutions to date rely on a regularization approach that is based on the prior assumption that the scattering potential varies smoothly over three-dimensional space. Although this approach has been hugely successful in recent years, the amount of prior knowledge that it exploits compares unfavorably with the knowledge about biological structures that has been accumulated over decades of research in structural biology. Here, a regularization framework for cryo-EM structure determination is presented that exploits prior knowledge about biological structures through a convolutional neural network that is trained on known macromolecular structures. This neural network is inserted into the iterative cryo-EM structure-determination process through an approach that is inspired by regularization by denoising. It is shown that the new regularization approach yields better reconstructions than the current state of the art for simulated data, and options to extend this work for application to experimental cryo-EM data are discussed.
“Behind the white curtain”: Indian students and researchers in Australia, 1901–1950
Authors: Sarwal Amit , Lowe David
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Academic scholarship on the White Australia Policy (WAP) has highlighted the history of Asian migration, early perceptions and policy-making initiatives. Prominent scholars have also pointed out the impact of the British Empire and WAP on Australia–India relations and early Indian migrants in Australia. Drawing on the debate concerning international students in Australia, our purpose in this article is to recover the role of Indian students in the story of Australian–Indian connections.

Design/methodology/approach

The article aims to highlight the reasons behind the involvement of the Australian government in the provision of scholarships and fellowships to Indian students and researchers at Australian universities during the period of WAP. To achieve this, it uses contemporary Australian newspaper reports to explore the popular representations of sponsored Indian students and researchers in Australia from 1901 to 1950.

Findings

The article concludes that the prevalence of this racially discriminatory immigration policy created a dissatisfaction among Indians, and some Australian sources of agitation, that helped chip away at the Australian government’s admission policies and the gradual demise of WAP.

Originality/value

This article contributes to the historiography and the effects of colonialism on Australian–Indian relations and debates on policy formation based on ideas of whiteness.
Contactless hospitality in a post-Covid-19 world
Authors: Rahimizhian Sima , Irani Foad
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of consumer innovativeness in the relationship between tourism inclinations and revisit intention. This study focuses on the significance of innovative technologies that help to reduce physical contact and optimize operations and services to offer a direct added value to hospitality businesses and their customers.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a self-reported survey design using an online questionnaire to collect data from randomly selected potential tourists. The survey was in English. Data collection was carried out from June to July 2020, and a valid sample of 272 responses was obtained for data analysis.

Findings

The data were analyzed using ADANCO software. The study suggested that tourism inclination has both direct and indirect impacts on revisit intention through innovativeness.

Originality/value

This study allows a deeper understanding of the importance of contactless and low laborer-interaction technologies that help hospitality industry to win back pandemic-sensitive customers once this outbreak is over. To do this, the mediating effect of consumer innovativeness on their intention to revisit a tourist destination post-Covid-19 was investigated.
Sound absorption of weft knitted fabrics: influence of fibers cross-section shape, stitch density and mechanical modification of surface
Authors: Saffari Mohammad-Reza , Kamali Dolatabadi Mehdi , Rashidi Abosaeed , Yazdanshenas Mohammad Esmail
Published: December 2020

Purpose

One of the recent applications of fabrics is to use them for sound insulation. Accordingly, due to their low production cost and low relative density, fabrics have drawn attention in some of the industries such as the automotive and aircraft industries. The present study is aimed to investigate the effects of the fiber cross-section, porosity, thickness of samples and fuzzing of the knitted fabric on the sound absorption coefficient.

Design/methodology/approach

In the present study, fabrics with three different stitch densities were knitted by yarns consist of three different forms of fiber cross-section shapes (circular, elliptical and plus-shaped). In this work, the sound absorption coefficient of knitted fabrics was investigated with regard to the different fiber cross-sections and structural parameters using an impedance tube.

Findings

As indicated by the obtained results, the cross-section, porosity, thickness and mass per unit area of the fabrics were the determinant factors for the sound absorption coefficient. In addition to, the sound absorption coefficient and porosity were shown to have an inverse relationship.

Originality/value

A section of the present paper has been allocated to the investigation of the effect of the fiber cross-section and fuzzing of fabric on the sound absorption of plain knitted fabrics.
Does the first job affect current youth working status in Bangladesh?
Authors: Mussida Chiara , Sciulli Dario
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper evaluates how the first job when individuals entered the labor market affects the probability of youth being currently employed in formal or informal work in Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is based on data from the ILO School-to-Work Transition Surveys. The authors use a full-information maximum likelihood approach to estimate a two-equation model, which accounts for selection into the labor market when estimating the impact of entry status on current work outcomes. The main equation outcome follows a multinomial distribution thus avoiding a priori assumptions about the level of individual’s utility associated with each work status.

Findings

The authors find that entering the labor market in a vulnerable employment position (i.e. contributing family work or self-employment) traps into vulnerable employment and prevents the transition to both informal and, especially, formal paid work. This finding holds when accounting for endogeneity of the entry status and it is valid both in the short and in the long run. Young women are less likely to enter the labor market, and once entered they are less likely to access formal paid wok and more likely to being inactive than young men. Low education anticipates the entry in the labor market, but it is detrimental for future employment prospects.

Originality/value

The findings indicate the presence of labor market segmentation between vulnerable and non-vulnerable employment and suggest the endpoint quality of the school-to-work transition is crucial for later employment prospects of Bangladeshi youth.
The impact of technological-organizational-environmental (TOE) factors on firm performance: merchant’s perspective of mobile payment from Thailand’s retail and service firms
Authors: Mahakittikun Thipa , Suntrayuth Sid , Bhatiasevi Veera
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aims to identify the impact of mobile payment on firm performance by developing a model based on the technology, organization and environment framework (TOE framework) including relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, innovativeness, mobile payment knowledge, critical mass, competitive pressure and external support.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from the retail and service firms in Bangkok, Thailand (n = 387). Multiple regression analysis was applied to test the proposed model and carried out in SPSS version 25.

Findings

The results indicated that the TOE factors, including relative advantage, innovativeness, mobile payment knowledge, critical mass, competitive pressures and external supports, can predict firm performance. While innovativeness is the strongest predictor of positive firm performance, on the other hand, critical mass is found to be negatively significant on firm performance.

Practical implications

This research suggests that firms that accept mobile payment can identify the positive impact on firm performance and it is important for payment service providers and the government to work closely with firms.

Originality/value

As some merchants still refuse to implement mobile payment services in their business, this current study seeks to understand the impact of mobile payment. However, not many studies are reported its impact in Southeast Asia. This study is probably the first in Thailand to examine the impact of mobile payment on firm performance in the retail and service firms.
Funding sources and performance management systems: an empirical study
Authors: Alam Manzurul , Paull Megan , Peachey Anne , Holloway David , Griffiths John
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how performance management systems in nonprofit organizations are influenced by their funding sources. It explains how resources motivate organizations to diversify their strategies with attended performance management systems.

Design/methodology/approach

It adopts a qualitative case study approach involving semi-structured interviews with key informants in a nonprofit organization to understand the evolving nature of performance management systems associated with different funding sources.

Findings

The findings suggest that the case study organization changed its revenue base along with its performance management systems to satisfy the reporting and accountability requirements of different funding sources. Despite external funding sources detailing different restrictions and requirements, the overall performance management system was able to manage these different expectations.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on a single case study, and its findings need to be interpreted with care, as there are differences between nonprofit organizations because they differ in their environments, services and funding.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to extant knowledge on how organizational performance management is influenced by funding sources, providing insights at the operational and governance levels.
Promoting university students' receptive skills through extensive reading in multimedia-based instruction
Authors: Rezaee Mehrdad , Farahian Majid , Mansooji Hani
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The present study focused on examining the effects of a multimedia-based Internet extensive reading program on promoting the receptive skills of Iranian university students.

Design/methodology/approach

In the quantitative section of this explanatory sequential mixed-method study, a pretest-posttest design was used to compare the performance of three groups of Iranian university students in terms of their degrees of improvement in receptive proficiency. Besides, the differences in the levels of motivation among the learners were sought. The three classes under study included linear text extensive reading for the first experimental group, a multimedia-based Internet extensive reading group for the other and a control group. The qualitative phase of this study included a semi-structured interview and an open-ended questionnaire.

Findings

Analysis of the results revealed that the multimedia-based Internet extensive reading group outperformed the two other groups in terms of proficiency in receptive skills. They also had a higher level of motivation for reading. The findings of the qualitative phase showed that the participants preferred working with multimedia material rather than working with linear texts, or, in other words, printed books. University EFL instructors may be the most beneficiaries of the present study, as they can gain insights into applying Internet-based extensive reading programs into their courses.

Originality/value

Although some studies have been carried out in this area, the paper provides its readers with a new procedure and methodology.
Rules for a coherent real estate risk scoring
Authors: Lausberg Carsten , Krieger Patrick
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Scoring is a widely used, long-established, and universally applicable method of measuring risks, especially those that are difficult to quantify. Unfortunately, the scoring method is often misused in real estate practice and underestimated in academia. The purpose of this paper is to supplement the literature with general rules under which scoring systems should be designed and validated, so that they can become reliable risk instruments.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper combines the rules, or axioms, for coherent risk measures known from the literature with those for scoring instruments. The result is a system of rules that a risk scoring system should fulfil. The approach is theoretical, based on a literature survey and reasoning.

Findings

At first, the paper clarifies that a risk score should express the variation of a property’s yield and not of its quality, as it is often done in practice. Then the axioms for a coherent risk scoring are derived, e.g. the independence of the risk factors. Finally, the paper proposes procedures for valid and reliable risk scoring systems, e.g. the out-of-time validation.

Practical implications

Although it is a theoretical work, the paper also focuses on practical applicability. The findings are illustrated with examples of scoring systems.

Originality/value

Rules for risk measures and for scoring systems have been established long ago, but the combination is a first. In this way, the paper contributes to real estate risk research and risk management practice.
Suitability of forensic accounting in uncovering bank frauds in India: an opinion survey
Authors: Gangwani Mayank
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Economic robustness is the heart of any country’s prosperity. It is no wonder that economic progression is a crucial force that keeps a nation rolling on its wheels. As economic well-being is such an important piece in the jigsaw of a country’s health, economic shocks must be kept at a bare minimum. India in recent years has experienced various banking failures and scams that put the financial system at stake and crushed investor confidence. There are examples aplenty of banks collapsing because of siphoning and diversion of funds in risky propositions that ultimately put the depositors and financial institutions at the receiving end. As per Reserve Bank of India’s latest annual report, it has been reported that there have been bank frauds worth a whopping Rs 72,000 crore in the financial year 2019. Therefore, this study aims to obtain the perception of Academicians and Practitioners regarding forensic accounting’s suitability in uncovering bank frauds.

Design/methodology/approach

A strategically constructed Likert scale questionnaire was designed to obtain perception of Academicians and Practitioners regarding forensic accounting’s suitability in uncovering bank frauds. The analysis was performed by applying the “non-parametric test” on the data gathered from the questionnaire.

Findings

By testing the relevant hypotheses, it has been found that insiders working in the bank team up with outsiders in perpetrating fraudulent activities resulted in bank failures, that both forensic accountant and traditional accountant were different from each other and that adoption of forensic accounting in India will aid regulatory authorities in doing their job more efficiently.

Research limitations/implications

This study uses purposive sampling, as it only takes the perception of college and professional course students (chartered accountants/company secretary/certified management accountant) and teachers having knowledge in accounting which made sample size quite small (156). This study only covers frauds that were conjured in the banking industry and hence does not touch upon scams that occurred in other financial institutions. This study is confined to Indian banks only. This study uses an opinion survey to ensure the suitability of forensic accounting in uncovering bank frauds.

Originality/value

The originality of this study has been checked through Turnitin plagiarism software in which the similarity was 8%.
Fraud in the documents and the underlying contract in letters of credit under Jordanian and English law: a new prerequisite?
Authors: Alawamleh Kamal Jamal , Abu Helo Shadi Helo
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aims to examine the application of the fraud exception to the autonomy principle that governs the work of letters of credit in both Jordanian and English law. While it has been reiterated that the application of such exception before the English courts is difficult, this study highlights and critically analyzes some of the reasons that lie behind such a difficulty. Moreover, this study compares the English approach with the Jordanian approach to this specific area of law to find out what each can benefit from the approach of the other. The extent to which both approaches have been successful in applying such an exception will be examined thoroughly in this paper.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine how effective is the approaches followed by the English and Jordanian Courts in applying the fraud exception in this context, this work makes use of the secondary data available in this regard as the main method to complete such an examination. By critically analyzing and comparing the various data contained in these sources, this work identifies the problems associated with such approaches.

Findings

This work suggests that while the autonomy principle in letters of credit has what shall maintain its role as an important principle, the fraud exception application shall be facilitated. It further submits that the English Courts attitude to this specific area of law is somehow ambiguous and intertwined as it does not distinguish between two different stages that are existent in this context, namely, the submission of the documents stage “the prerequisite” that in case of submitting genuine, truthful and complying documents would activate the autonomy principle and the following stage which starts after activating the autonomy principle and which to it a fraud exception can be applied.

Originality/value

This work proposes that a beneficiary of a letter of credit shall satisfy a prerequisite before it can be said that he is protected under the autonomy principle. Such a prerequisite dictates that he shall submit genuine, truthful and complying documents to activate the autonomy principle and once the beneficiary submits such documents it can be said that the autonomy principle, which fraud is an exception to it, has been activated. Furthermore, this work proposes that English Courts shall adopt an approach similar to the Jordanian approach in relation to the application of the fraud exception, whereas the latter requires proving neither the beneficiary’s fraudulent intent nor his knowledge of it but rather applies a more realistic test concerned merely with the goods’ quality and quantity.
Exploring the role of corruption and money laundering (ML) on banking profitability and stability: a study of Pakistan and Malaysia
Authors: Zaman Qamar Uz , Aish Kinza , Akhter Waheed , Zaidi Syed Anees Haidder
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the effect of corruption and money laundering (ML) on banking profitability and stability.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the panel data of 72 banks of Pakistan and Malaysia from 2012–2018. This paper uses fixed effect (FE) and random effect (RE) regression techniques for empirical testing and generalized methods of moment (GMM) technique for robustness tests.

Findings

This study founds consistent evidence that corruption has a positive and ML has a negative relationship with the banking profitability of Pakistan and Malaysia while the empirical evidence suggests that corruption and ML have a diverse impact on the banking stability of Pakistan and Malaysia. Further, this paper also founds that corruption and ML moderates the relationship between risk and banking profitability and stability.

Practical implications

The results reveal that the banks of the highly corrupt environment are more affected by corruption and ML than the least corrupt environment. Thus, it is recommended that the Government of Pakistan should formulate strong anti-corruption and anti-money laundering policies.

Originality/value

As per the knowledge of the authors, this research contributes to understanding the role of corruption and money laundering on the stability and profitability of Pakistan and, in general, it is the first attempt investigating the moderating role of corruption and ML between risk and banking profitability and stability.
“Maddie is online”: an educational video cartoon series on digital literacy and resilience for children
Authors: Martzoukou Konstantina
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper examines children's development of digital literacy, resilience and citizenship in the online environment, addressing active engagement and participation via cartoon videos. Previous research has emphasised the positive role of cartoons in different educational contexts, as important agents of attracting children's attention and interest with opportunities to engage in contextual and collaborative learning.

Design/methodology/approach

The work describes the design and an initial pilot study of the animated cartoon video series, with a group of 30 children in an S1 class, at a secondary school in Scotland as part of workshop addressing digital resilience themes. Children worked individually and in teams in a series of interactive activities, which were evaluated by means of a short questionnaire survey.

Findings

The majority of the children enjoyed the cartoon videos which addressed a story of cyberbullying and, in teams, they chose different copying strategies. Children's verbalisations included expressions of positive feelings when connecting online, linked to socialising, creative and playful activities and they expressed a preference towards speaking to their parents and friends rather than their teachers when dealing with online challenges.

Research limitations/implications

Children not only enjoyed watching the cartoon story but had an interest to learn more about how other children deal with the pressures and challenges of the online world, how to manage their own digital footprint and, particularly, how easy it is to spread personal information online.

Practical implications

Cartoon animations present an opportunity to act as a basis for encouraging children to exchange ideas and engage in dialogue in class and at home by means of creating a point of reference which creates an environment, where pressure is taken away from the “self”. The cartoon character can be the focal point for discussion on issues that may be difficult to address directly and on a personal level because of insecurity or fear.

Social implications

Both teachers and parents have a responsibility to offer support and advice to children and ensure their online safety and resilience. Engaging with children in open further dialogue via fun and interactive cartoon-based activities may help to further explore and understand their perspectives.

Originality/value

The work addresses everyday life issues encountered online and aims to offer educators and parents an engaging and fun series of activities, harnessing the advantages of cartoon video animation as a didactical resource that can utilised as a supplementary learning tool inside the classroom and at home.
Corporate social responsibility and the nonprofit sector: exploring the common ground
Authors: Valentinov Vladislav
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Many nonprofit missions and the goals of socially responsible corporations are often found to refer to similar moral ideals related to improving the quality of human life. To take account of this salient fact, the paper aims to theorize the functional equivalence between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the nonprofit sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The argumentative strategy is to draw on the conceptual construct of the complexity-sustainability trade-off to develop a systems-theoretic interpretation of Roger Lohmann’s vision of the commons as an embodiment of collective voluntary action.

Findings

The emerging conceptual imagery is that of corporations and nonprofits as social systems continually seeking to sustain themselves by processing and codifying their societal environment which includes the commons in which Lohmann took a central interest. The possible functional equivalence of corporations and nonprofits is traced back to their struggling to develop and improve their responsiveness to the respective commons.

Originality/value

This argument is shown to cut across a range of issues in the modern nonprofit sector scholarship, while shedding new light on the ongoing debates on CSR and stakeholder theory.
Overt or covert? Effect of different digital nudging on consumers’ customization choices
Authors: Lu Shouwang , Chen Gong (Gordon) , Wang Kanliang
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explore the effect of two digital nudging technologies that is overt digital nudging (ODN) and covert digital nudging (CDN), on consumers’ choices of nudged options in the context of online customization systems (OCS).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper designed a 2 (ODN: yes/no) by 2 (CDN: yes/no) full factor between-subject lab experiment in the context of online travel package customization. This paper collected and analyzed the number of nudged options (the intermediate options) of choices among consumers in these four scenarios.

Findings

ODN and CDN have positive effects on consumers’ choices of nudged options in online customization (OC). In addition, mixed nudge (a combination of ODN and CDN) has a more significant effect on consumers’ choices of nudged options in OC than using CDN only.

Research limitations/implications

This study focused only on the choice behavior of consumers in the customization context and did not analyze their attitude change. The present study used vendor recommendation as the proxy variable of ODN and default option as the proxy variable of CDN. A future study could explore other instances of ODN and CDN.

Practical implications

This study explores the effects of digital nudging technologies in the context of OCS. The study provides clear guidance for customization vendors on whether to use digital nudging tools and their combinations, and which tools should be preferred.

Social implications

Vendors can adopt digital nudging technology to persuade consumers to choose nudged options. This nudging effect can make consumers’ choices predictable and less uncertain, thus adding profits for vendors.

Originality/value

First, the study focuses on the impact of digital nudging on consumers’ choices and enriches the understanding of the impact of customization system design on consumers’ choices. Second, this paper put forward a new classification method for digital nudging and proposed, respectively, the effect mechanisms on consumers’ customization choices. Third, this study explores the effect of combining multiple nudging tools in OC context on consumers’ choices, which deepens the understanding of the interactive effects of different types of nudging tools.
POE of public higher education facilities in Saudi Arabia: lessons learned from three case studies
Authors: Hassanain Mohammad A. , Iftikhar Ali , Al-Hammad Abdul-Mohsen , Alshibani Adel , Ibrahim Ahmed M. , Abdallah Abdullatif
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper provides an exemplary systematic conduct of post‐occupancy evaluation (POE) on higher education facilities in Saudi Arabia.

Design/methodology/approach

The research study utilized several qualitative and quantitative POE techniques which were systematically comprising (1) scoping and reviewing the facilities-related documents, (2) identification of performance indicators through the review of literature, (3) development and collection of questionnaire survey responses from stakeholders, (4) collection of physical measurements and (5) assessing the facilities by walk-throughs. Then, the data were analyzed and the findings were reported to representative samples of users through focus group meetings. Then, recommendations were drawn for improving the occupational conditions of the case study facilities.

Findings

The synthesis of literature led to three main categories of performance elements that are relevant for higher education facilities. These include technical, functional and behavioral elements, in which each of the elements has specific performance indicators, 97 in total. The research study exemplifies a systematic conduct of POE. The stakeholders' perspectives on the performance elements through surveys, measurements and walk-throughs were collected. The assessment led to recommendations toward satisfactory and quality occupation of the case study facilities.

Originality/value

This research aims to standardize POE by introducing its methods as a tool for evaluating higher education facilities and by elaborating the most prominent performance indicators for ensuring higher education core functions, namely, teaching, research and community collaboration.
The role of collaborative interorganizational relationships in supply chain risks: a systematic review using a social capital perspective
Authors: Daghar Anis , Alinaghian Leila , Turner Neil
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review, synthesize and critically evaluate the current research status on the role of collaborative interorganizational relationships (CIRs) in supply chain risks (SCRs) from a social capital perspective and provide an organizing lens for future scholarship in this area.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a systematic literature review approach to investigate 126 articles from 27 peer-reviewed journals between 1995 and 2020.

Findings

This paper investigates supply chain CIRs using a social capital perspective to explain the role of structural, relational and cognitive capital that resides in these relationships in various SCRs (i.e. environmental, supply, manufacturing, demand, information, financial and transportation). The review reveals that the three social capital dimensions uniquely and both positively and negatively affect different SCRs. The findings further suggest that the perceived SCRs can influence the structural and relational capital.

Practical implications

This study calls for practitioners to consider the cognitive alignment with their supply network partners, their relational investments, as well as the interorganizational processes and systems in managing and alleviating SCRs.

Originality/value

This review offers a theoretical articulation of how various aspects of CIRs affect SCRs. Specifically, this study extends the existing understanding of the role of social capital in SCRs through offering a synthesis of dominant findings and discourses, and avenues for future research.