bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of berberine on growth performance, intestinal microbial, SCFAs, and immunity for Ira rabbits
Authors: Lu Jianing , Ye Xiaoxing , Jiang Xinghui , Gu Mingming , Ma Zhiyi , Gan Qianfu
Published: November 2023

Berberine (BBR), recognized for its anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties, has been extensively studied for its effects on mammalian gut microbiota. This study specifically addresses the need for more research on the regulatory effects of BBR on the gut microbiota of Ira rabbits. To fill this gap, we administered varying concentrations of BBR to weaned Ira rabbits to assess its impact on their growth and gut microbiota. In our experiment, 245 healthy weaned rabbits, aged 33 days, were randomly assigned into five groups. The CG group received a standard diet, while groups I, II, III, and IV were given diets supplemented with BBR at doses of 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, and 40 mg/kg, respectively. A 7-day pre-feeding period was implemented for acclimatization, followed by a 30-day experimental phase. The results revealed that BBR significantly improved the Average Daily Feed Intake (ADFI) and Average Daily Gain (ADG) of the rabbits. Notably, group III showed a significantly higher final weight compared to other groups (P<0.05). BBR supplementation also increased serum levels of GSH-Px, SOD, and T-AOC, while decreasing MDA levels compared to the control group (P<0.05). It also upregulated pro-inflammatory mediators IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, and downregulated anti-inflammatory mediators IL-10 and TGF-β1. Furthermore, BBR treatment led to a significant increase in Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs), specifically acetic and butyric acids (P<0.05). Regarding gut microbiota, BBR significantly enhanced the relative abundance of Bacteroidota and Verrucomicrobiota at the phylum level and reduced Firmicutes (P<0.05). At the genus level, there was a significant increase inAkkermansiaandAlistipesand a decrease inRuminococcus(P<0.05). Overall, BBR appears to promote the growth of Ira rabbits by enriching beneficial bacteria, modulating inflammatory mediators in the TLR4/NF-κB pathway, and reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. Among the tested dosages, 20 mg/kg BBR had the most substantial impact.
Bone elongation in the embryo occurs without column formation in the growth plate
Authors: Rubin Sarah , Agrawal Ankit , Seewald Anne , Villoutreix Paul , Baule Adrian , Zelzer Elazar
Published: November 2023

Chondrocyte columns, which are a hallmark of growth plate architecture, play a central role in bone elongation. Columns are formed by clonal expansion following rotation of the division plane, resulting in a stack of cells oriented parallel to the growth direction. However, despite decades of research, column structure has thus far been studied only in two dimensions. To fill this knowledge gap, we analyzed hundreds of Confetti multicolor clones in growth plates of mouse embryos using a pipeline comprising 3D imaging and algorithms for morphometric analysis. Surprisingly, analysis of the elevation angles between neighboring pairs of cells revealed that most cells did not display the typical stacking pattern associated with column formation, implying incomplete rotation of the division plane. Morphological analysis revealed that although embryonic clones were elongated, they formed clusters oriented perpendicular to the growth direction. Analysis of growth plates of postnatal mice revealed both complex columns, composed of both ordered and disordered cell stacks, and small, disorganized clusters located in the outer edges. Our finding that embryonic growth plates function without forming columns suggests that longitudinal bone growth is regulated by different cellular mechanisms during pre- and postnatal development. Moreover, the observed complex columnar and cluster arrangements may serve other, yet unknown morphogenetic functions. More broadly, our findings provide a new understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying growth plate activity and bone elongation during development.
SARS-CoV-2 nsp15 endoribonuclease antagonizes dsRNA-induced antiviral signaling
Authors: Otter Clayton J. , Bracci Nicole , Parenti Nicholas A. , Ye Chengjin , Tan Li Hui , Asthana Abhishek , Pfannenstiel Jessica J. , Jackson Nathaniel , Fehr Anthony R. , Silverman Robert H. , Cohen Noam A. , Martinez-Sobrido Luis , Weiss Susan R.
Published: November 2023

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 has caused millions of deaths since emerging in 2019. Innate immune antagonism by lethal CoVs such as SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for optimal replication and pathogenesis. The conserved nonstructural protein 15 (nsp15) endoribonuclease (EndoU) limits activation of double-stranded (ds)RNA-induced pathways, including interferon (IFN) signaling, protein kinase R (PKR), and oligoadenylate synthetase/ribonuclease L (OAS/RNase L) during diverse CoV infections including murine coronavirus and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV. To determine how nsp15 functions during SARS-CoV-2 infection, we constructed a mutant recombinant SARS-CoV-2 (nsp15mut) expressing a catalytically inactive nsp15. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 nsp15mutled to increased activation of the IFN signaling and PKR pathways in lung-derived epithelial cell lines and primary nasal epithelial air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures as well as significant attenuation of replication in ALI cultures compared to wild-type (WT) virus. This replication defect was rescued when IFN signaling was inhibited with the Janus activated kinase (JAK) inhibitor ruxolitinib. Finally, to assess nsp15 function in the context of minimal (MERS-CoV) or moderate (SARS-CoV-2) innate immune induction, we compared infections with SARS-CoV-2 nsp15mutand previously described MERS-CoV nsp15 mutants. Inactivation of nsp15 had a more dramatic impact on MERS-CoV replication than SARS-CoV-2 in both Calu3 cells and nasal ALI cultures suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 can better tolerate innate immune responses. Taken together, SARS-CoV-2 nsp15 is a potent inhibitor of dsRNA-induced innate immune response and its antagonism of IFN signaling is necessary for optimal viral replication in primary nasal ALI culture.

SIGNIFICANCE

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 causes a spectrum of respiratory disease ranging from asymptomatic infections to severe pneumonia and death. Innate immune responses during SARS-CoV-2 infection have been associated with clinical disease severity, with robust early interferon responses in the nasal epithelium reported to be protective. Thus, elucidating mechanisms through which SARS-CoV-2 induces and antagonizes host innate immune responses is crucial to understanding viral pathogenesis. CoVs encode various innate immune antagonists, including the conserved nonstructural protein 15 (nsp15) which contains an endoribonuclease (EndoU) domain. We demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 EndoU is a crucial interferon antagonist, by providing further evidence for the role of the conserved CoV nsp15 in antagonizing innate immune activation, thereby optimizing CoV replication.
AMPK regulates small RNA pathway prevalence to mediate soma-to-germ line communication and establish germline stem cell quiescence
Authors: Jurczak Elena M. , Wong Christopher , Li Shaolin , Braukmann Fabian , Sawh Ahilya N. , Duchaine Thomas F. , Miska Eric A. , Roy Richard
Published: November 2023

It is well established that cells communicate with each other via signaling molecules and pathways. Recent work has further indicated that this transfer of information can breach the soma-to-germ line barrier, thus permitting changes in germline gene expression in response to cellular decisions made in somatic lineages. We show that during periods of extended energy stress AMPK alters small RNA biogenesis in somatic cells, which non-autonomously regulates the quiescence of germline stem cells. By combining both genetic analyses and a novel method of miRNA imaging, we show that AMPK-mediated phosphorylation acts as a molecular switch that drives the re-allocation of the key RNA endonuclease Dicer to the miRNA synthesis pathway during the dauer stage ofC. elegans. By modifying Dicer and other components of the miRNA synthesis machinery, AMPK fine-tunes the production of a population of somatic miRNAs that act as a “pro-quiescence” signal to maintain germline integrity during periods of extended energy stress, thus bridging the gap between the soma and the germ line by altering small RNA homeostasis.
Computational Tools for the Analysis of Meiotic Prophase I Images
Authors: Crichton James H , Adams Ian R
Published: November 2023

Prophase I is a remarkable stage of meiotic division during which homologous chromosomes pair together and exchange DNA by meiotic recombination. Fluorescence microscopy of meiotic chromosome spreads is a central tool in the study of this process, with chromosome axis proteins being visualised as extended filaments upon which recombination proteins localise in focal patterns.

Chromosome pairing and recombination are dynamic processes, and hundreds of recombination foci can be present in some meiotic nuclei. As meiotic nuclei can exhibit significant variations in staining patterns within and between nuclei, particularly in mutants, manual analysis of images presents challenges for consistency, documentation, and reproducibility. Here we share a combination of complementary computational tools which can be used to partially automate the quantitative analysis of meiotic images. 1) The segmentation of axial and focal staining patterns, to automatically measure chromosome axis length and count axis-associated (and non-axis associated) recombination foci; 2) Quantification of focus position along chromosome axes to investigate spatial regulation; 3) Simulation of random distributions of foci within the nucleus or along the chromosome axes to statistically investigate observed foci-axis associations and foci-foci associations; 4) Quantification of chromosome axis proximity to investigate relationships with chromosome synapsis/asynapsis; 5) Quantification of and orientation of focus-axis distances. Together these tools provide a framework to perform routine documentation and analysis of meiotic images, as well as opening up routes to build on this initial output and perform more detailed analyses.
Chronic alcohol induces subcircuit-specific striatonigral plasticity shifting action control to the sensorimotor striatum
Authors: Sitzia Giacomo , Bariselli Sebastiano , Gracias Alexa , Lovinger David M.
Published: November 2023

While cortico-striatal circuit deficits contribute to Alcohol Use Disorder, the impact of alcohol on synaptic function in the basal ganglia output, the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr), remains unclear. Here, we found that the inputs from the dorsomedial (DMS) and dorsolateral striatum (DLS) differ in their presynaptic properties and target molecularly distinct subpopulations of SNr neurons. We also discovered that indirect pathway subthalamic (STN) inputs to the medial and lateral SNr have different presynaptic properties and that STN inputs are stronger in the lateral SNr. Chronic alcohol exposure (CIE) potentiated DLS inputs but did not affect the strength and presynaptic release properties of DMS and subthalamic inputs to SNr neurons. Chemogenetic inhibition of DLS direct pathway projection neurons impaired action performance in an operant conditioning task in CIE mice but not control mice. Overall, our work identifies a synaptic mechanism whereby chronic alcohol induces a gain of function for action control in direct pathway neurons in the dorsolateral striatum.

Teaser

Chronic alcohol selectively potentiates DLS synaptic inputs to the SNr, enhancing their role in action control.
Semantic search using protein large language models detects class II microcins in bacterial genomes
Authors: Kulikova Anastasiya V. , Parker Jennifer K. , Davies Bryan W. , Wilke Claus O.
Published: November 2023

Class II microcins are antimicrobial peptides that have shown some potential as novel antibiotics. However, to date only ten class II microcins have been described, and discovery of novel microcins has been hampered by their short length and high sequence divergence. Here, we ask if we can use numerical embeddings generated by protein large language models to detect microcins in bacterial genome assemblies and whether this method can outperform sequence-based methods such as BLAST. We find that embeddings detect known class II microcins much more reliably than does BLAST and that any two microcins tend to have a small distance in embedding space even though they typically are highly diverged at the sequence level. In datasets ofEscherichia coli,Klebsiellaspp., andEnterobacterspp. genomes, we further find novel putative microcins that were previously missed by sequence-based search methods.
tRNA-derived small RNAs are embedded in the gene regulatory network instructingDrosophilametamorphosis
Authors: Shi Junling , Xu Jiaqi , Ma Jun , He Feng
Published: November 2023

A class of noncoding RNAs, referred to as tsRNAs, is emerging with a potential to exert a new layer in gene regulation. These RNAs are breakdown products of tRNAs, either through active processing or passive cleavage or both. Since tRNAs are part of the general machinery for translation, their expression levels and activities are tightly controlled, raising the possibility that their breakdown products, tsRNAs, may provide a link between the overall translational status of a cell to specific changes in gene regulatory network. We hypothesize thatDrosophilapupation, being a special developmental stage during which there is a global limitation of nutrients, represents a system in which such a link may readily reveal itself. We show that specific tsRNAs indeed show a dynamic accumulation upon entering the pupal stage. We describe experiments to characterize the mode of tsRNA action and, through the use of such gained knowledge, conduct a genome-wide analysis to assess the functions of dynamically expressed tsRNAs. Our results show that the predicted target genes are highly enriched in biological processes specific to this stage of development including metamorphosis. We further show that tsRNA action is required for successful pupation, providing direct support to the hypothesis that tsRNAs accumulated during this stage are critical to the gene expression program at this stage of development.
Structural mechanism of Escherichia coli cyanase
Authors: Kim Jihan , Kim Youngchang , Park Jaehyun , Nam Ki Hyun , Cho Yunje
Published: November 2023

Cyanase plays a vital role in the detoxification of cyanate and supplies a continuous nitrogen source for soil microbes by converting cyanate to ammonia and carbon dioxide in a bicarbonate-dependent reaction. The structures of cyanase complexed with dianion inhibitors, in conjunction with biochemical studies, suggest putative binding sites for substrates. However, the substrate-recognition and reaction mechanisms of cyanase remain unclear. Here, crystal structures of cyanase from Escherichia coli were determined in the native form and in complexes with cyanate, bicarbonate and intermediates at 1.5–1.9 Å resolution using synchrotron X-rays and an X-ray free-electron laser. Cyanate and bicarbonate interact with the highly conserved Arg96, Ser122 and Ala123 in the active site. In the presence of a mixture of cyanate and bicarbonate, three different electron densities for intermediates were observed in the cyanase structures. Moreover, the observed electron density could explain the dynamics of the substrate or product. In addition to conformational changes in the substrate-binding pocket, dynamic movement of Leu151 was observed, which functions as a gate for the passage of substrates or products. These findings provide a structural mechanism for the substrate-binding and reaction process of cyanase.
Changes in food consumption behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: a dual process approach on female college students in China
Authors: Liu Rongduo , Grunert Klaus G.
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate changes in food consumption during the COVID-19 lockdown period in a sample of female college students in China. The study employed a dual processing approach that simultaneously investigates the effects of students' beliefs about the importance of healthy eating and the effect of emotional eating due to anxiety induced by the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 645 female college students in China using a self-administered questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used for the data analysis.

Findings

Beliefs about the importance of healthy eating have a greater impact on changes in food consumption than anxiety. Emotional eating was positively associated with changes in vegetable consumption. The findings reveal that a shift from “food as health” to “food as well-being” in the role of food in the food-related life of Chinese consumers is underway. “Food as health” remains important in food-related decision-making in China during the pandemic. Concurrently, a well-being centered or a more holistic perspective, including the psychological and emotional aspects of food, should be included in food-related research and health promotion in China.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic by simultaneously investigating both the cognitive impact of beliefs regarding the importance of healthy eating and the affective impact of anxiety on changes in food consumption due to COVID-19.
Technological innovation under trade disputes: how does product market competition matter?
Authors: Hu Shuchuan , Xia Qinghua , Xie Yi
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study investigates firms' innovation behaviour under environmental change. Therefore, it examines the effect of trade disputes on corporate technological innovation and how product market competition moderates this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This research tests the hypotheses using the fixed effects model based on panel data of publicly listed enterprises in China from 2007–2020.

Findings

The empirical results validate the positive association between trade disputes and corporate research and development (R&D) intensity as well as the U-shaped relationship between trade disputes and radical innovation. Additionally, the moderating effect of product market competition is verified: a concentrated market with less competition flattens the U-shaped curve of radical innovation induced by trade disputes; as the market becomes more concentrated and less competitive, the U-shaped relationship eventually turns into an inverted U.

Originality/value

First, this study contributes to the corporate innovation and trade dispute literature by expanding the environmental antecedents of technological innovation and the firm-level consequences of trade disputes. Second, this study enriches the theoretical framework of the environment–innovation link through an integrated perspective of contingency theory and dynamic capabilities view. Third, instead of the traditional linear mindset which had led to contradictory results, this study explores a curvilinear effect in the environment–innovation relationship.
Influence of task-related diversity of R&D employees on the development of organisational innovations: a gender perspective
Authors: Testera Fuertes Adrian , Herrera Liliana
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to analyse the influence of workforce diversity on the firm’s likelihood to develop organisational innovations. Operationalising human resources diversity is not straightforward, and its effect has been rather overlooked in the context of non-technological innovations. This study analyses the impact of task-related diversity among research and development (R&D) unit workers and women R&D workers, in particular.

Design/methodology/approach

To estimate the impact of task-related diversity on firm propensity to undertake organisational innovation, this study uses a generalised linear model (GLM) – with a binomial family and log–log extension. GLMs are used to control problems of over-dispersion, which, in models with binary response variables, could generate inaccurate standard error estimates and provide inconsistent results.

Findings

This paper provides three important results. Firstly, employee diversity increases the firm’s propensity to engage in organisational innovations. Secondly, the influence of each facet of task-related diversity varies depending on the type of organisational innovation considered. Thirdly, gender has an effect on the innovation process; this study shows that women play a different role in the production of non-technological innovations.

Originality/value

This paper makes several contributions to the literature. Firstly, it makes a theoretical contribution to research on innovation management by considering the influence of human resources diversity on the development of non-technological innovations. Secondly, this study analyses the role of workforce diversity in an R&D department context to clarify the contribution made by women R&D workers.
A win-win situation: uncovering the relationship between CSR reporting and financial performance in Indian companies
Authors: Singhania Shubham , Arora Akshita , Sardana Varda
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the relationship of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting with the financial performance of firms using various market and accounting-based parameters in a developing economy, India.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses content analysis to develop a CSR reporting index for the Indian firms listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The two-step system generalized methods of moments has been used for the estimation of the panel data.

Findings

The results from the study suggest that the CSR reporting-based activities of the firms may impact the financial performance of the firms, but at the same time, the need of the hour is to create awareness among the investors and market players so that they realize the relevance of CSR reporting, which can further improve other dimensions of financial performance as well.

Research limitations/implications

The study relies on Tobin’s Q and return on assets while measuring financial performance, though there are various other parameters that can be used to gauge the performance. The outcomes of this study have practical implications for the practitioners as well as policymakers, incentivizing them to integrate CSR aspects into their decision-making frameworks.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first Indian study to develop a unique index for CSR reporting and linking it with financial performance. This study shall assist the researchers in broadening the scope of CSR studies in India and can be used to draw a systematic comparison with developed nations.
Howdo organizational career management activities influence employees’ career outcomes? The mediating role of career capital
Authors: Yildiz Didem , Bozbura F. Tunc , Tatoglu Ekrem , Zaim Selim
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study addresses a critical research gap by examining the pivotal role of organizational career management (OCM) in shaping employees’ career outcomes while also investigating the mediating influence of career capital in this relationship. This study aims to shed light on the importance of OCM as a strategic approach for enhancing employees’ career trajectories, filling a significant gap in the existing literature.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a cross-sectional research design, primary data were gathered through a structured questionnaire administered to a diverse sample of 426 Turkish working adults representing various organizations. The study uses structural equation modelling with AMOS to analyse the direct and indirect relationships within the proposed research model.

Findings

The study findings underscore the essential connection between OCM and employees’ career outcomes, revealing its positive influence on subjective career success, employability and innovative work behaviour. Moreover, career capital emerges as a critical intermediary mechanism that mediates the impact of OCM on these career outcomes, further highlighting the strategic significance of OCM practices.

Research limitations/implications

It is important to note that this study relies on self-report surveys to gauge employees’ perceptions about their career outcomes and OCM. Additionally, the study data are confined to the Turkish context, which may influence the generalizability of the findings to other contexts.

Practical implications

Organizations can bolster career outcomes through strategic investment in OCM. Industries can customize approaches, leveraging insights to optimize workforce potential. Policymakers should integrate career development principles, cultivating a culture of perpetual learning, thus fortifying organizational resilience and fostering sustainable success.

Originality/value

This study adds substantial value to the current body of knowledge by investigating the mediating role of career capital in the relationship between OCM and individual career outcomes, particularly within the context of emerging economies like Turkey. The study’s comprehensive approach to understanding careers from both individual and organizational perspectives contributes to a more nuanced and holistic understanding of career dynamics.
Understanding and assessing sustainable behavior among the academics in higher education institutions of Bangladesh
Authors: Zaman Sameera , Sara Serat Ahmed , Tabassum Taranna , Tabassum Tahsin , Selim Samiya A. , Irfanullah Haseeb Md.
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Considering that knowledge, skills and behavior can influence sustainability efforts, this study aims to assess which personality traits influence one’s sense of feeling connected to nature and presumably make more sustainable choices. The study also explores the situational factors that might pose barriers, despite an individual's preference for a sustainable lifestyle.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 54 faculty members from six Higher Education Institutions in Bangladesh were interviewed based on a semi-structured questionnaire on the barriers to a sustainable lifestyle in Dhaka city, while their personality traits were assessed using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, the Big Five Factors and the Connectedness to Nature Scale through a survey.

Findings

The results state that Empathic Concern and Fantasy, as dimensions of empathy, have strong positive correlations with feeling connected to nature. The physical, social and psychological challenges also cause fewer people to lead a sustainable lifestyle, despite feeling highly connected to nature.

Research limitations/implications

Sustainability efforts need to be context-specific due to localized challenges the people face. While educators play a key role in mainstreaming sustainability, generalizing the findings of the study to the wider population is limited. Further investigation to explore demographic and socioeconomic factors will provide key insights to the determinants of sustainable behavior.

Practical implications

The findings highlight that educational institutions can play a key role in the development of empathy and sustainability education, while addressing the need for good governance and policies in mainstreaming sustainability for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030.

Originality/value

Few studies have been conducted to understand sustainable behavior in Bangladesh and identify effective methods to promote sustainability. This study provides insights to sustainable behavior in the context of a least-developed country. Additionally, it will support educational institutions to work toward sustainable development by enabling empathic skills development in curricula, leading to more concrete sustainability efforts.
Interdisciplinarity of information science: an evolutionary perspective of theory application
Authors: Zhang Chao , Wang Fang , Huang Yi , Chang Le
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to reveal the interdisciplinarity of information science (IS) from the perspective of the evolution of theory application.

Design/methodology/approach

Select eight representative IS journals as data sources, extract the theories mentioned in the full texts of the research papers and then measure annual interdisciplinarity of IS by conducting theory co-occurrence network analysis, diversity measure and evolution analysis.

Findings

As a young and vibrant discipline, IS has been continuously absorbing and internalizing external theoretical knowledge and thus formed a high degree of interdisciplinarity. With the continuous application of some kernel theories, the interdisciplinarity of IS appears to be decreasing and gradually converging into a few neighboring disciplines. Influenced by big data and artificial intelligence, the research paradigm of IS is shifting from a theory centered one to a technology centered one.

Research limitations/implications

This study helps to understand the evolution of the interdisciplinarity of IS in the past 21 years. The main limitation is that the data were collected from eight journals indexed by the Social Sciences Citation Index and a small amount of theories might have been omitted.

Originality/value

This study identifies the kernel theories in IS research, measures the interdisciplinarity of IS based on the evolution of the co-occurrence network of theory source disciplines and reveals the paradigm shift being happening in IS.
The relationship between intellectual capital and audit report readability and audit report tone
Authors: Saeedi Fatemeh , Salehi Mahdi , Yaghoubi Nour Mahmoud
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Financial reports are the basis of economic decisions that affect organizational interests and shareholders. However, there is a severe research gap concerning the factors affecting the quality of financial information (such as audit report readability and tone). Therefore, considering the importance of presenting high-quality financial information, this study aims to investigate the impact of intellectual capital (IC) and its components on the audit report's readability and tone.

Design/methodology/approach

The multivariate regression model tests research hypotheses. Then, hypotheses are tested via a sample of 824 observations of the listed companies on the Tehran Stock Exchange (103 companies) from 2014 to 2021, using the multivariate regression model based on pooled data and fixed effects.

Findings

Results determine that customer capital (CC) and structural capital (SC) are likely to influence the audit report tone positively. In general, the IC and human capital (HC) negatively impact auditors' tone. More analyses also document that IC and its CC, HC and SC components positively and significantly affect audit report readability based on two readability indices, including FOG and text length. Finally, findings pertaining to the third readability index (Flesch index) reveal that only HC and SC are robust based on this measurement, whereas the IC and CC have a negative and significant impact on the readability of auditors’ reports.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to address this issue in emerging markets, and it provides helpful insights for users, analysts and legal institutions regarding IC, which significantly affects audit report readability and tone.
Foreign direct investment and local interpretable model-agnostic explanations: a rational framework for FDI decision making
Authors: Singh Devesh
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine foreign direct investment (FDI) factors and develops a rational framework for FDI inflow in Western European countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and Austria.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study were collected from the World development indicators (WDI) database from 1995 to 2018. Factors such as economic growth, pollution, trade, domestic capital investment, gross value-added and the financial stability of the country that influence FDI decisions were selected through empirical literature. A framework was developed using interpretable machine learning (IML), decision trees and three-stage least squares simultaneous equation methods for FDI inflow in Western Europe.

Findings

The findings of this study show that there is a difference between the most important and trusted factors for FDI inflow. Additionally, this study shows that machine learning (ML) models can perform better than conventional linear regression models.

Research limitations/implications

This research has several limitations. Ideally, classification accuracies should be higher, and the current scope of this research is limited to examining the performance of FDI determinants within Western Europe.

Practical implications

Through this framework, the national government can understand how investors make their capital allocation decisions in their country. The framework developed in this study can help policymakers better understand the rationality of FDI inflows.

Originality/value

An IML framework has not been developed in prior studies to analyze FDI inflows. Additionally, the author demonstrates the applicability of the IML framework for estimating FDI inflows in Western Europe.
An inventory model of e-marketplace with a promotional program
Authors: Hasan Md Rakibul , Daryanto Yosef , Triki Chefi , Elomri Adel
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The rapidly growing e-commerce industry with its special characteristics brings new challenges to the optimization of the supply chain and inventory management. This study aims to investigate the inventory-related optimization of an e-marketplace official store that works on a business-to-customer system when cashback promotion is used to attract more customers. Also, it proposes a new inventory model to maximize the e-commerce profit by optimizing the cashback amount and delivery period.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model assumes that customer demand is a function of price and delivery time and that price is affected by the cashback amount. The e-commerce operator has a profit-sharing contract with an e-payment company that facilitates the payment. E-commerce also builds collaboration under a cost-sharing contract with a supplier to ensure product delivery. A mathematical model is developed and the related theories are investigated. A numerical example illustrates the validity of the model and a sensitivity analysis is carried out to give useful insights.

Findings

A new inventory model for an e-market system has been introduced which shows the impact of a cashback promotion on the e-commerce business. This study shows that managers can optimize the cashback amount and its delivery time to get the maximum profit. In certain cases, the manager may set a high cashback amount (e.g. 100%) to attract customers to place more orders.

Originality/value

This study presents a new inventory model for today’s fast-growing e-commerce business; therefore, the results contribute to the understanding of promotion program practices and inventory management and provide insights to develop efficient e-commerce managerial decisions.

Graphical abstract
Not inspired enough: the mediating role of customer engagement between YouTube’s perceived advertising value and customer inspiration
Authors: Fayyaz Muhammad Shahzeb , Abbasi Amir Zaib , Altaf Khurram , Alqahtani Nasser , Ting Ding Hooi
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study investigates two important research questions. First, does YouTube advertising create value for customers to activate their inspired-by state (motivation), or does customer engagement in advertised brands have a mediating role? Second, does the inspired-by state influence customers’ inspired-to state (action) to purchase the advertised brand?

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs Ducoffe’s advertising value model to investigate how customers’ engagement mediates perceived advertising value and their inspired-by state. The authors split customer inspiration into two primary states: inspired-by (i.e. the early interest in taking action) and inspired-to (i.e. the intention to act), demonstrating that the latter is positively influenced by the former. The study employs SmartPLS V3.2.9 to analyze survey data from 360 respondents in Pakistan – an emerging market.

Findings

This study found that informativeness, entertainment, creativity and incentives exerted a significant positive impact on perceived advertising value. The perceived advertising value of YouTube ads fails to influence customers’ inspired-by state directly; however, customer engagement positively mediates the relationship between the perceived advertising value of YouTube and customers’ inspired-by state. Finally, the customers’ inspired-by state is successfully converted into an inspired-to state.

Practical implications

This study has numerous practical implications for advertisers and marketers seeking to optimize social media advertising and marketing performance.

Social implications

YouTube ads shape consumer behavior, empowering informed choices; authentic engagement transforms the advertising landscape.

Originality/value

This study is the first to examine the perceived advertising value of YouTube ads for eliciting customers’ inspired-by state, assessing the mediating role of customer engagement as a mechanism. Moreover, the authors examine the role of customers’ inspired-by state as a predictor of the inspired-to state.
Effectiveness of educational leadership through directors' performance in online higher education. The biggest online university in Spain
Authors: Palomino Fernández José Manuel , Cáceres Reche María Pilar , Lara Lara Fernando , Berral Ortiz Blanca
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The study aims to analyze pedagogical e-leadership in online higher education in Spain through the application of VAL-ED at the International University of La Rioja.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used to achieve the objectives has been a descriptive and quantitative methodology through a cross-sectional study based on the implementation of the questionnaire: Adaptation of the VAL-ED to the university context, developed by Palomino et al. (2022a).

Findings

Indeed, the data obtained allow the authors to affirm how both directors and supervisors, as well as teachers, have been able to evaluate the leadership behavior of directors, compared to the competence standards of VAL-ED, having obtained very positive results that show how their leadership is, without a doubt, oriented to students. Given the fact that in the second specific objective the study sets out to determine to what extent the three groups of respondents (faculty, supervisors and directors) coincide in the effective performance of the pedagogical leadership of the directors, it can be highlighted that no great differences have been found in the responses of effectiveness obtained from directors, supervisors and teachers, since the results of the resulting scores among these three groups of respondents were reasonably similar.

Originality/value

The research is original as the sample was collected personally by the authors of this article.
The impact of financial performance and corporate reputation on customer purchases: the role of stakeholders and brand value in the automotive sector
Authors: Sánchez-Iglesias Nuria , García-Madariaga Jesús , Jerez Miguel
Published: November 2023

Purpose

When customers make their purchase decisions, they use all the available information from all the initiatives and behaviors that companies carry out with their stakeholders. This research aims to identify whether a company's financial performance and reputation determine the customer's perception of the company, which affects their engagement. This study is based on the theories of engagement, stakeholder and signalling. Are customers engaged solely based on their feeling of satisfaction, or do employees and brand value play a role in this engagement?

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary data was collected from 14 automotive companies and empirically tested through a longitudinal study over the period 2010–2018. For panel data analysis this study used weighted least squares.

Findings

The variables proposed in this research, firm value and corporate reputation, were significant for the analysed panel sample. Furthermore, employee satisfaction influences customer engagement as an independent and moderating variable, just like brand value.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the emerging stream of customer engagement research by combining insight as a company-initiated resource, with the sheer transaction, integrating data obtained from employees and customers in an international context.
Distinguishing between normative and non-normative motivations to obey the police: furthering the development of a police legitimacy scale
Authors: Reisig Michael D. , Trinkner Rick
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Measuring the normative obligation to obey the police, a key component of police legitimacy, has proven difficult. Pósch et al.’s (2021) proposed scales appear to overcome the problems associated with traditional measures. This study introduces new items for these scales and empirically assesses whether such additions have the desired effects on scale performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses data from a national online survey administered in July 2022 (N = 1,494). Measures of internal consistency and factor analysis were used to evaluate the properties of the obligation to obey scales. Linear regression was used to test the hypothesized effects.

Findings

The results show that adding the new items to the existing scales increased the level of internal consistency and improved how well the factor model fit the data. In terms of antecedents, procedural justice and bounded authority concerns were correlated with normative and non-normative obligations to obey the police in the expected direction and relative magnitude, findings that held for both the original and expanded scales. Although both normative obligation scales were significantly associated with willingness to cooperate with the police and significantly mediated the effect of procedural justice on cooperation, the relationship for the expanded scale was stronger and the mediation more pronounced.

Originality/value

This study extends previous research working to overcome some of the setbacks associated with measuring a crucial feature of police legitimacy. Effectively navigating this challenge will help advance legitimacy studies in criminal justice settings.
External shocks and macroeconomic volatility in Nigeria: does financial development moderate the effect?
Authors: Abanikanda Ezekiel Olamide , Dada James Temitope
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Motivated by the negative effect of external shocks on the domestic economy, this study explores the role of financial sector development in absorbing the effect of external shocks on macroeconomic volatility in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

Autoregressive distributed lag and fully modify ordinary least square are used to examine the moderating effect of financial development in the link between external shocks and macroeconomic volatilities in Nigeria between 1986Q1 and 2019Q4. External shock is proxy using oil price shock, and financial development is proxy by domestic credit to the private sector and market capitalisation. At the same time, macroeconomic volatility is proxy by output and inflation volatilities. Macroeconomic volatilities are generated using generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH 1,1).

Findings

The results indicate that domestic credit to the private sector significantly reduces output and inflation volatilities in Nigeria in the short and long run. However, market capitalisation promotes macroeconomic volatility. More specifically, financial development indicators play different roles in curtaining macroeconomic volatilities. The results also reveal that external shocks stimulate macroeconomic volatility in Nigeria in the short and long run. Nevertheless, the effects of external shocks on macroeconomic volatilities are reduced when the role of financial development is incorporated.

Practical implications

This study, therefore, concludes that strong financial sector development serves as a significant shock absorber in reducing the adverse effect of external shock on the domestic economy.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the extant studies by introducing a country-specific analysis into the empirical examination of how financial development can moderate the influence of external shock on macroeconomic volatilities.
Plant–soil feedbacks among boreal forest species
Authors: Štraus Dora , Redondo Miguel Ángel , Castaño Carles , Juhanson Jaanis , Clemmensen Karina E. , Hallin Sara , Oliva Jonàs
Published: November 2023

Plant–microbial interactions in soils are considered to play a central role in regulating biodiversity in many global ecosystems. However, studies on plant–soil feedbacks (PSFs) and how these affect forest stand patterns in boreal regions are rare.

We conducted a fully reciprocal PSF glasshouse experiment using four boreal tree species. Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula, Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris seedlings were grown under controlled conditions in sterilised soil with or without soil inoculum collected under mature trees of each of the four species. Bacterial, fungal and oomycete communities in the rhizosphere were investigated using metabarcoding and correlated with differences in plant biomass.

Alder grew best in conspecific soil, whereas birch grew equally well in all soil types. Pine and spruce grew best in heterospecific soil, particularly in soil from their successional predecessor. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) enhanced the growth of most seedlings, and Actinomycetota supported alder and birch growth and fungal plant pathogens hampered pine growth. Increased growth was linked to the ability of trees to recruit specific EMF and root‐associated fungi in heterospecific soils.

Synthesis. This study experimentally examines the influence of root‐associated microbiota on the growth of boreal tree species. The observed plant–soil feedbacks mirror the successional patterns found in boreal forests, suggesting a possible contribution of soil microbiota to the successional progression. Species‐specific ectomycorrhizal fungi and a few bacteria rather than fungal plant pathogens or oomycetes seem to drive the feedbacks by promoting seedling growth in heterospecific soils.
The face of the government: presence and responsibility in the Colombian peace process with the FARC‐EP
Authors: Burnyeat Gwen
Published: November 2023

The face of the government is the interface through which citizens come into contact with and perceive the government via representation and face‐to‐face encounters. This article focuses on Colombian government officials in charge of delivering ‘peace pedagogy’ to explain to society the peace negotiations with the FARC guerrillas, before and after a polarizing referendum which narrowly rejected the 2016 peace agreement that sought to end fifty years of war. It builds on their idiom of ‘giving face’ (dar la cara), denoting the work of representing the government to society in face‐to‐face encounters and assuming responsibility as the government, and explores its resonance with academic and popular discourses about the state having many ‘faces’. It brings this idiom, and theories of the face, into the anthropology of the state, calling for the study of governments as discrete entities within states, and examining the way that a government's overarching character or ‘face’ is interactively co‐produced in the public gaze through embodied acts of representation by officials with their audiences, and intertwined with people's macro‐political opinions. It offers a framework for analysing government‐society relations, giving insight into how all governments ‘face’ society, and highlights presence and responsibility as key dimensions of this relationship.