bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An effective semilocal model for wave turbulence in two-dimensional nonlinear optics
Authors: Skipp Jonathan , Laurie Jason , Nazarenko Sergey V.
Published: July 2023

The statistical evolution of ensembles of random, weakly interacting waves is governed by wave kinetic equations (WKEs). To simplify the analysis, one frequently works with reduced differential models of the wave kinetics. However, the conditions for deriving such reduced models are seldom justified self-consistently. Here, we derive a reduced model for the wave kinetics of the Schrödinger–Helmholtz equations in two spatial dimensions, which constitute a model for the dynamics of light in a spatially nonlocal, nonlinear optical medium. This model has the property of sharply localizing the frequencies of the interacting waves into two pairs, allowing for a rigorous and self-consistent derivation of what we term the semilocal approximation model (SLAM) of the WKE. Using the SLAM, we study the stationary spectra of Schrödinger–Helmholtz wave turbulence, and characterize the spectra that carry energy downscale, and waveaction upscale, in a forced-dissipated setup. The latter involves a nonlocal transfer of waveaction, in which waves at the forcing scale mediate the interactions of waves at every larger scale. This is in contrast to the energy cascade, which involves local scale-by-scale interactions, familiar from other wave turbulent systems and from classical hydrodynamical turbulence.
Characterization and in vitro antibacterial activity of sulfated polysaccharides from freshwater alga Cladophora crispata
Authors: Jasem Mohanad Khaled , Merai Abd-Alwahab , Nizam Adnan Ali
Published: July 2023

Graphical Abstract

Sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) from Cladophora crispata were extracted by ultrasonic bath: purify the crude SPs. Compounds of SPs were identified, and we investigated the effect of SPs as antibacterial agents.
Complete genome sequence of Staphylococcus casei strain DSM 15096
Authors: Wildsmith Caitlin , Thomas Jonathan C. , Negus David
Published: July 2023

We present the first complete genome sequence of the species

Staphylococcus casei

. Strain DSM 15096 was sequenced with a hybrid approach using Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read sequencing and Illumina short-read sequencing. The assembled sequences produced a 2 808 898 bp chromosomal molecule containing 2705 predicted genes, plus eight plasmids.
Bradyrhizobium commune sp. nov., isolated from nodules of a wide range of native legumes across the Australian continent
Authors: Lafay Bénédicte , Coquery Elina , Oger Philippe M.
Published: July 2023

Bradyrhizobia are particularly abundant in Australia, where they nodulate native legumes growing in the acidic and seasonally dry soils that predominate in these environments. They are essential to Australian ecosystems by helping legumes to compensate for nutrient deficiencies and the low fertility of Australian soils. During a survey of Australian native rhizobial communities in 1994–1995, several

Bradyrhizobium

genospecies were identified, among which genospecies B appeared to be present in various edaphic and climatic conditions and associate with a large range of leguminous hosts across the whole continent. We took advantage of the recent sequencing of the genome of strain BDV5040T, representative of

Bradyrhizobium

genospecies B, to re-evaluate the taxonomic status of this lineage. We further characterized strain BDV5040T based on morpho-physiological traits and determined its phylogenetic relationships with the type strains of all currently described

Bradyrhizobium

species using both small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene and complete genome sequences. The digital DNA–DNA hybridization relatedness with any type strain was less than 35 % and both SSU rRNA gene and genome phylogenies confirmed the initial observation that this strain does not belong to any formerly described species within the genus

Bradyrhizobium

. All data thus support the description of the novel species Bradyrhizobium commune sp. nov. for which the type strain is BDV5040T (=CFBP 9110T=LMG 32898T), isolated from a nodule of Bossiaea ensata in Ben Boyd National Park in New South Wales, Australia.
Climate influences scrub typhus occurrence in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India: Analysis of a 15 year dataset
Authors: D’Cruz Solomon , Sreedevi Kotamreddy , Lynette Cheryl , Gunasekaran Karthik , Prakash JAJ
Published: July 2023

Background

Climate is one of the major factors determining the prevalence and seasonality of vector borne diseases like scrub typhus (ST). We analyzed, the association of the meteorological factors like temperature, rainfall and humidity with scrub typhus using the 15 years scrub typhus data from a tertiary care hospital in Vellore, South India.

Methods

Demographic data of permanent residents of Vellore, who had IgM ELISA results for scrub typhus for the time period of May 2005 to April 2020were included. Meteorological data was correlated with the monthly scrub typhus cases; negative binomial regression model was used to predict the relation between scrub typhus occurrence and climate factors.

Results

Maximum number of ST cases were reported between the months August and February with October recording the highest number of cases. Elderly people, farmers, agricultural workers and housewives were associated with ST positivity significantly. For an increase of 1°C in mean temperature, the monthly ST cases reduced by 18.78% (95% CI: −24.12, −13.15%). On the contrary, for 1 percent increase in mean relative humidity (RH), there is an increase of 7.57% (95% CI: 5.44, 9.86%) of monthly ST cases. Similarly, an increase of 1mm of rainfall contributed to 0.50 to 0.70% of monthly ST cases (after two months) depending on the variables included in the analysis.

Conclusion

This study provides further information on the role of rainfall, temperature and humidity on the seasonality of scrub typhus in Vellore, South India. This baseline data will be useful for further analysis using spatio-temporal tools to better understand the seasonality in other parts of India.
A framework for quantifying the coupling between brain connectivity and heartbeat dynamics: Insights into the disrupted network physiology in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Candia-Rivera Diego , Vidailhet Marie , Chavez Mario , de Vico Fallani Fabrizio
Published: July 2023

Parkinson’s disease (PD) often shows disrupted brain connectivity and autonomic dysfunctions, progressing alongside with motor and cognitive decline. Recently, PD has been linked to a reduced sensitivity to cardiac inputs, i.e., cardiac interoception. Altogether, those signs suggest that PD causes an altered brain-heart connection whose mechanisms remain unclear. Our study aimed to explore the large-scale network disruptions and the neurophysiology of disrupted interoceptive mechanisms in PD. We focused on examining the alterations in brain-heart coupling in PD and their potential connection to motor symptoms. We developed a proof-of-concept method to quantify relationships between the co-fluctuations of brain connectivity and cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic activities. We quantified the brain-heart couplings from EEG and ECG recordings from PD patients on and off dopaminergic medication, as well as in healthy individuals at rest. Our results show that the couplings of fluctuating alpha and gamma connectivity with cardiac sympathetic dynamics are reduced in PD patients, as compared to healthy individuals. Furthermore, we show that PD patients under dopamine medication recover part of the brain-heart coupling, in proportion with the reduced motor symptoms. Our proposal offers a promising approach to unveil the physiopathology of PD and promoting the development of new evaluation methods for the early stages of the disease.
Mammalian cells-based platforms for the generation of SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles
Authors: Elfayres Ghada , Paswan Ricky Raj , Sika Laura , Girard Marie-Pierre , Khalfi Soumia , Letanneur Claire , Milette Kéziah , Singh Amita , Kobinger Gary , Berthoux Lionel
Published: July 2023

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of COVID-19. Though many COVID-19 vaccines have been developed, most of them are delivered via intramuscular injection and thus confer relatively weak mucosal immunity against the natural infection. Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) are self-assembled nanostructures composed of key viral structural proteins, that mimic the wild-type virus structure but are non-infectious and non-replicating due to the lack of viral genetic material. In this study, we efficiently generated SARS-CoV-2 VLPs by co-expressing the four SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins, specifically the membrane (M), small envelope (E), spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins. We show that these proteins are essential and sufficient for the efficient formation and release of SARS-CoV-2 VLPs. Moreover, we used lentiviral vectors to generate human cell lines that stably produce VLPs. Because VLPs can bind to the virus natural receptors, hence leading to entry into cells and viral antigen presentation, this platform could be used to develop novel vaccine candidates that are delivered intranasally.

Highlights

Identification of protein requirements for SARS-CoV-2 VLP production by transient transfection

Lentiviral transduction to create cells stably producing SARS-CoV-2 VLPs

Isolation of cell clones for the production of SARS-CoV-2 VLPs

New putative platforms for vaccine development
RNA and FUS act in concert to prevent TDP-43 spatial segregation
Authors: Demongin Clément , Tranier Samuel , Joshi Vandana , Ceschi Léa , Desforges Bénédicte , Pastré David , Hamon Loïc
Published: July 2023

FUS and TDP-43 are two self-adhesive aggregation-prone mRNA-binding proteins whose pathological mutations have been linked to neurodegeneration. While TDP-43 and FUS form reversible mRNA-rich compartments in the nucleus, pathological mutations promote their respective cytoplasmic aggregation in neurons with no apparent link between the two proteins except their intertwined function in mRNA processing. By combining analyzes in cellular context and at high-resolutionin vitro, we unraveled that TDP-43 is specifically recruited in FUS assemblies to form TDP-43 rich sub-compartments but without reciprocity. The presence of mRNA provides an additional scaffold to promote the mixing between TDP-43 and FUS. Accordingly, we also found that the pathological truncated form of TDP-43, TDP-25, which has an impaired RNA binding ability, no longer mixes with FUS. Together, these results suggest that the binding of FUS along nascent mRNAs enables TDP-43, which is highly aggregation-prone, to mix with FUS phase in order to form mRNA-rich sub-compartments. A functional link between FUS and TDP-43 may explain their common implication in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
Cobalt-sulfur coordination chemistry drives B12loading onto methionine synthase
Authors: Mascarenhas Romila , Guha Arkajit , Li Zhu , Ruetz Markus , An Sojin , Seravalli Javier , Banerjee Ruma
Published: July 2023

Cobalt-sulfur (Co-S) coordination is labile to both oxidation and reduction chemistry and is rarely seen in Nature. Cobalamin (or vitamin B12) is an essential cobalt-containing organometallic cofactor in mammals, and is escorted via an intricate network of chaperones to a single cytoplasmic target, methionine synthase. In this study, we report that the human cobalamin trafficking protein, MMADHC, exploits the chemical lability of Co-S coordination, for cofactor off-loading onto methionine synthase. Cys-261 on MMADHC serves as the β-axial ligand to cobalamin. Complex formation between MMADHC and methionine synthase is signaled by loss of the lower axial nitrogen ligand, leading to five-coordinate thiolato-cobalamin. Nucleophilic displacement by the vicinal thiolate, Cys-262, completes cofactor transfer to methionine synthase and release of a cysteine disulfide-containing MMADHC. The physiological relevance of this mechanism is supported by clinical variants of MMADHC, which impair cofactor binding and off-loading, explaining the molecular basis of the associated homocystinuria.
LifeSoaks: a tool for analyzing solvent channels in protein crystals and obstacles for soaking experiments
Authors: Pletzer-Zelgert Jonathan , Ehrt Christiane , Fender Inken , Griewel Axel , Flachsenberg Florian , Klebe Gerhard , Rarey Matthias
Published: July 2023

Due to the structural complexity of proteins, their corresponding crystal arrangements generally contain a significant amount of solvent-occupied space. These areas allow a certain degree of intracrystalline protein flexibility and mobility of solutes. Therefore, knowledge of the geometry of solvent-filled channels and cavities is essential whenever the dynamics inside a crystal are of interest. Especially in soaking experiments for structure-based drug design, ligands must be able to traverse the crystal solvent channels and reach the corresponding binding pockets. Unsuccessful screenings are sometimes attributed to the geometry of the crystal packing, but the underlying causes are often difficult to understand. This work presents LifeSoaks, a novel tool for analyzing and visualizing solvent channels in protein crystals. LifeSoaks uses a Voronoi diagram-based periodic channel representation which can be efficiently computed. The size and location of channel bottlenecks, which might hinder molecular diffusion, can be directly derived from this representation. This work presents the calculated bottleneck radii for all crystal structures in the PDB and the analysis of a new, hand-curated data set of structures obtained by soaking experiments. The results indicate that the consideration of bottleneck radii and the visual inspection of channels are beneficial for planning soaking experiments.
Tetrel bond in the triphenyltin(IV) chloride–cyclohexyldiphenylphosphane oxide (1/1) cocrystal
Authors: Liyanage Sachin , Ovens Jeffrey S. , Bryce David L.
Published: July 2023

The single-crystal X-ray diffraction structure of the title compound, [SnCl(C6H5)3]·C18H21OP, is reported. The 1:1 cocrystal features a short and directional tetrel bond between tin and oxygen. The tin–oxygen distance is 2.346 (4) Å, representing 62% of the sum of the van der Waals radii of Sn and O. The Cl—Sn...O angle is 174.0 (1)° and this nearly linear arrangement is consistent with a tetrel bond formed via a σ-hole opposite the tin–chlorine covalent bond. Some weak C—H...Cl interactions are noted between adjacent molecules.
Steady state modeling of autotrophic membrane bioreactor – a new approach to quantify biomass
Authors: Gasmi Aicha , Heran Marc , Elboughdiri Noureddine , Kolsi Lioua , Ghernaout Djamel , Hannachi Ahmed , Grasmick Alain
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The main purpose of this study resides essentially in the development of a new tool to quantify the biomass in the bioreactor operating under steady state conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

Modeling is the most relevant tool for understanding the functioning of some complex processes such as biological wastewater treatment. A steady state model equation of activated sludge model 1 (ASM1) was developed, especially for autotrophic biomass (XBA) and for oxygen uptake rate (OUR). Furthermore, a respirometric measurement, under steady state and endogenous conditions, was used as a new tool for quantifying the viable biomass concentration in the bioreactor.

Findings

The developed steady state equations simplified the sensitivity analysis and allowed the autotrophic biomass (XBA) quantification. Indeed, the XBA concentration was approximately 212 mg COD/L and 454 mgCOD/L for SRT, equal to 20 and 40 d, respectively. Under the steady state condition, monitoring of endogenous OUR permitted biomass quantification in the bioreactor. Comparing XBA obtained by the steady state equation and respirometric tool indicated a percentage deviation of about 3 to 13%. Modeling bioreactor using GPS-X showed an excellent agreement between simulation and experimental measurements concerning the XBA evolution.

Originality/value

These results confirmed the importance of respirometric measurements as a simple and available tool for quantifying biomass.
Analyzing the impact of GLSS implementation over sustainability in Pakistani SMEs
Authors: Wassan Rano Khan , Shaikh Shakeel Ahmed , Marri Hussain Bux , Memon Muhammad Saad , Shah Syed Feroz
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Green, lean and six sigma (GLSS) practices are widely used and well accepted techniques that have the capability to improve the economic, social and environmental performance of Pakistani small and medium enterprises (SMEs). However, implementation of these practices in an integrated approach has not yet been witnessed in Pakistani SMEs due to a variety of challenges. To overcome the implementation challenges, this study has analyzed the impact of GLSS implementation over the sustainability in Pakistani SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

This study consists of two phases. In phase 1, interviews were conducted to scrutinize the elements of GLSS implementation to simplify the model and in phase 2, a questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the data from the SMEs. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach is used to analyze the relationships among the latent variables and constructs.

Findings

Results showed that, leadership for GLSS, understanding GLSS techniques and technology upgradation are considered the most important elements for GLSS implementation in Pakistani SMEs. The environmental and social perspectives have been given more weightage compared to economical perspective. This inferred that there is a need to focus more on environmental and social perspectives in SMEs as compared to economic perspectives to achieve sustainable growth. Moreover, the results of the hypothesis testing revealed that GLSS implementation has a significant positive impact over the sustainability in SMEs considering the Pakistani scenario (β = 0.529, STDEV = 0.078, t = 6.81, p = < 0.001).

Originality/value

This study is the first of its kind for Pakistani SMEs. The structural model developed in this study for Pakistani SMEs will help practitioners to understand the important elements of GLSS implementation and sustainability dimensions.
Corporate social responsibility, brand value and corporate governance: new evidence from a 3SLS model
Authors: Ke Di , Jia Ximeng , Li Yuanyuan , Wang Peipei
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Taking a dynamic endogenous perspective, this study aims to examine neglected endogeneity issues in the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and brand value and the relationship’s moderation by corporate governance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses the three-stage least squares (3SLS) method on 990 samples of the 110 most valuable listed companies published by the World Brand Lab for 2013–2021 to empirically test the two-way interactive endogenous relationship between CSR and brand value.

Findings

The findings reveal that increasing investment in CSR increases brand value in the current period, which prompts companies to reduce investment in social responsibility, resulting in a decline in future brand value. Concerning the moderating effect of corporate governance variables, the size of the board of directors and the board’s proportion of independent directors positively regulate the relationship between CSR and brand value. By contrast, the proportion of executive shareholdings has a negative impact.

Originality/value

This study’s findings complement previous studies on endogeneity in the relationship between CSR and brand value, and enrich the literature on corporate governance, CSR and brand value as a whole. In addition, the study uses the 3SLS method, which avoids endogeneity problems and eliminates the one-sidedness of the subjective selection of instrumental variables.
A study on the key drivers of national construction project audit risk and evolvement mechanism
Authors: Yang Mianzhi , Hui Qing , Yang Qingru , Fan Mengwei , Li Xin
Published: July 2023

Purpose

China has recently introduced a new audit law that aims to increase the scope of audit supervision and raise the standards for preventing risks in auditing national public projects. This paper presents a systematic research study on the causes of audit risks in national public projects and discusses the process by which these causes contribute to the emergence of such risks. Furthermore, the paper investigates the core risk sources in various types of national construction project audit. This paper aims to provide theoretical support for auditors of national construction projects in risk avoidance when conducting audits.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the authors carefully selected five national public audit projects from China and performed a comprehensive analysis of 85 relevant audit documentation. The textual analysis was conducted using Nvivo12 software, and the grounded theory approach was adopted for generalization purposes.

Findings

Based on the research results, the findings suggest that there are five key causes contributing to the audit risk of national construction projects: professional competence, risk awareness, management capacity, level of attention and deliberate fraud. The most critical factor identified is management capability, with 59.93% of the data supporting this view. This conclusion was based on an analysis of state-owned enterprises, administrative organs and public institutions. Building upon this, a framework titled “the mechanism of audit risk factors with management capability as the core” was constructed.

Originality/value

This paper employs qualitative analysis methods to examine national construction projects in China, contributing new literature to the theoretical study of audit risk management. The article also provides practical recommendations for auditors on how to mitigate audit risks and improve the quality of audit services in national project governance.
Unsustainable competitive advantage: a case of Exalta
Authors: Agarwal Ruchi
Published: July 2023

Learning outcomes

The case deals with the issue of gaining a sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) in the solar energy market. After completing the case, the student will be able to– develop and apply conventional models of competitive advantage and core competency;– comprehend each step of the business process from a core competency viewpoint;– consider the value of sustainability solutions from a strategic standpoint; and– offer practical templates for creating and implementing a strategy.

Case overview/synopsis

This case depicts the challenges faced by Exalta in gaining a SCA because of the imitation of its products by competitors. Exalta, formed in 2008, was among the well-known innovative companies in the solar energy industry in India. In the first 12 years, the company focused primarily on unmet customer demand and developed innovative solar products to address those demands. Overall, over 300 products were launched in the initial years to address the new emerging customer demands. Solar AC, bikes and ventilators were among the popular ones. However, all of its product technology was copied by competitors. In 2021, troubled Exalta was incubated at IIT-Kanpur primarily for a single product, “Magic Inverter,” with substantial funding and IP protection. Despite attempts, Exalta could not capture a recognized market share. In this case, the company’s founder and CEO, Ashutosh Verma, is contemplating two options to gain an SCA: hold the existing and new products or fold the old ones and continue with one or two flagship products, i.e. Magic Inverter and Solar AC.

Complexity academic level

Graduate, postgraduate level and executive-level courses.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 11: Strategy.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/EEMCS-12-2022-0526/
Knowledge absorption pathways for eco-innovation: an empirical analysis of small and medium-sized enterprises in the European Union
Authors: Yoshino Miyana , Sadlek Benjamin , Yarime Masaru , Ali Adnan
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study contributes to the literature on eco-innovation (EI) and the circular economy (CE) by providing insights into the factors of external knowledge absorption that facilitate the adoption of a subset of EIss called proactive-EIs. Proactive-EIs involve collaborations among multiple stakeholders, the use of technical knowledge and a greater level of investment than other innovations. In this study, the environmental actions taken by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in resource-intensive sectors in the European Union (EU) were observed, and elements related to the national context were compared.

Design/methodology/approach

The national innovation system (NIS) perspective was adopted using a multilevel framework to assess the determinants of proactive-EIs among SMEs in the EU. The framework involves three levels: micro- (environmental awareness), meso- (external collaboration and intra-industry agglomeration) and macro- (economic complexity, trade openness and government research and development [R&D]). The survey data of 6,188 SMEs in resource-intensive sectors were analysed using a binary logistic regression.

Findings

The results showed that public awareness, economic complexity and public sector R&D positively influenced SMEs' adoption of proactive-EIs, whereas external collaboration and sectoral agglomeration negatively influenced adoption.

Originality/value

Among the existing empirical studies on EI, areas related to external knowledge-based innovations and systematic assessments of heterogeneity among EU member states remain underexplored. This study contributed to the literature by assessing the conditions surrounding external knowledge absorption. The findings contribute to the green entrepreneurship literature in the context of developed economies and offer insights for managers and policymakers seeking to promote EIs.
Do corruption and inequality shape sustainable development? Evidence from the post-soviet countries
Authors: Badur M. Mesut , Yılmaz Ekrem , Sensoy Fatma
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the role of corruption and income inequality in three-dimensional sustainable development in the post-Soviet countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology is based on dynamic panel regression with the fixed effects approach.

Findings

The authors' findings depict that increasing corruption and income inequality undermine sustainable development. Specifically, increasing corruption and income inequality negatively affect sustainable development. Moreover, unemployment and trade liberalization negatively impact sustainable development, whereas foreign direct investments (FDIs) positively affect sustainable development.

Practical implications

Policy implications enclose galvanizing strong institutions and redistributive policy mechanisms that the bottom income groups enjoy in promoting sustainable development to keep away the distressful phase of corruption and income inequality.

Originality/value

This is the first paper on corruption, income inequality and sustainable development in the post-Soviet countries employing a sustainable development index (SDI), which is calculated by considering three factors including economic, social and environmental development.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-01-2023-0065
Unboxing the paradox of social media user-generated content (UGC) information qualities and tourist behaviour: moderating effect of perceived travel risk
Authors: Asyraff Muhammad Aliff , Hanafiah Mohd Hafiz , Zain Nur Adilah Md , Hariani Dina
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study utilised Mehrabian and Russel's stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model to investigate the inter-relationship between perceived social media information qualities (IQ) of online UGC, destination image, perceived travel risk and behavioural intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 255 responses from international tourists were collected. The data collection via an online survey was performed from October 2020 to February 2021. The study model and hypotheses were examined using partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

The result indicated that social media intrinsic, representational, and social IQ significantly influenced tourists perceived cognitive image, while only contextual and social IQ significantly predicted the perceived affective image. This study also confirms the significant effect of cognitive image on the affective image. In addition, the authors found that both destination image components, cognitive and affective, significantly affect tourists' behavioural intentions. However, surprisingly, tourists' perceived travel risk did not moderate the effect of destination image components on behavioural intentions.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the body of knowledge by extending Mehrabian and Russel's SOR model in the tourism behaviour context.

Practical implications

From a practical perspective, this study proves that UGC significantly affects destination image and plays an integral part in luring tourists to visit a destination.

Originality/value

Previous research in this area is limited, making this study particularly novel. This study represents one of the initial attempts to evaluate the dimensions of information quality in UGC on social media and online review platforms, particularly within the field of tourism. Treating online travel UGC seriously could assist organisations in leveraging tourist behaviour and enhancing destination image.
How do consumers interact with social media influencers in extraordinary times?
Authors: Saldanha Natalya , Mulye Rajendra , Japutra Arnold
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Consumers are increasingly spending more time on social media platforms to cope with anxiety and loneliness resulting from the recent pandemic. The extraordinary times, characterised by isolation and lockdown, has placed increasing dependence on online technology as a coping mechanism in which social media influencers (SMIs) served as the human face of brands, helping both consumers and brands maintain human connection. How should practitioners navigate their social media campaigns in this changing environment?

Design/methodology/approach

To answer this question, the Source Connectedness Pyramid is proposed to help explain and compare the interactions between consumers and SMIs in ordinary and extraordinary times.

Findings

In their interactions with influencers during ordinary times, consumers are satiated with influencer source characteristics of attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise. However, during extraordinary times, consumers substitute their usual preference to focus on connectedness, characterised by relatedness, belongingness and attachment.

Originality/value

The empirical study within this paper lends support to this proposition and offers additional insights. The proposed Source Connectedness Pyramid contributes to influencer communication theoretically and has strategic implications for practitioners when navigating their social media campaigns in these extraordinary times.
Corporate strategic positioning and environmental information disclosure under circular economy: evidence from China
Authors: Gu Yiyang , Wu Peng , Du Ruixue
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The authors intend to investigate the relations between corporate strategic positioning and environmental information disclosure (EID) behaviors in the context of the circular economy. The authors argue that the development of the circular economy is crucial to address environmental issues and achieve sustainable development, and companies play a vital role in this process as micro-entities. By examining corporate EID behaviors, the authors could understand their adoption of circular practices to a certain extent.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct a content analysis of companies' annual fiscal reports, social responsibility reports and environmental reports and develop text-based proxies for both strategic positioning and EID quality to explore the relationship between them.

Findings

The authors find that corporate strategic positioning does affect corporate EID behaviors. Specifically, firms that implement a prospector strategy are more likely to engage in high-quality EID. Furthermore, the results suggest that green innovation is one of the mediators through which strategic positioning affects EID. Compared with defenders, prospectors are more likely to engage in green innovation, which, in turn, leads to higher-quality EID and demonstrates a more active approach to the circular economy.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on strategic positioning and corporate EID by providing empirical evidence on the impact of corporate strategic positioning on EID behaviors. Moreover, the study employs a textual analysis approach to measure corporate strategy and EID, which is a relatively new research method in this field.
The development and validation of the Indian social media addiction scale
Authors: Saqib Natasha , Amin Faseeh
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Millions of social media users over the last two decades have become dependent on social media that has negatively affected their lives, both physically and mentally. Earlier attempts on social media addiction (SMA) scale development have not been made in India which makes it essential to undertake such a study in this region. One of the objectives of this study was to explore and identify the relevant dimensions of the SMA in the literature. The main study objective was to develop and validate a scale on SMA in India.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design applied in this work was both qualitative and quantitative. Based on the literature review, some themes of SMA were recognized that were used to conduct semi-structured interviews with the concerned subjects. The interviews conducted were then transcribed, and using NVivo software application, content analysis was carried out. This helped in the identification of relevant themes that were used for preparing the questionnaire. After that an exploratory study was conducted to explore the factors of SMA. This was followed by a confirmatory analysis on a different sample that validated the instrument.

Findings

This work developed and validated a six-factor measure of SMA. The total numbers of items in the final instrument are 22. Salience, Tolerance, Mood Modification, Relapse, Withdrawal and Conflict are the six factors of the final scale.

Practical implications

The current designed instrument can be exceptionally functional for evaluating the occurrence and level of the SMA. This can also serve to assist in the handling and management of such online addictive behavior. A lot of productivity is lost due to the unwarranted time spent on the social media. By better understanding the dimensions of SMA, one can limit one's time on such networks.

Social implications

This work can provide valuable insight into this domain and help in understanding and treatment of this malaise. It can also help parents and other stakeholders at large to comprehend the danger linked with the excessive social media use and therefore, contribute towards the society. These dimensions can also help counsellors and psychologists to better understand the addiction behavior and accordingly counsel the concerned individual.

Originality/value

Although many instruments have been developed in the past by researchers to measure SMA,still some aspects of the concept remain under-researched. Moreover, most of such research has been confined to the developed world regions.
Examination of stress–turnover relationship through perceived employee's exploitation at workplace
Authors: Bhat Mohd Abass , Tariq Shagufta , Rainayee Riyaz Ahmad
Published: July 2023

Purpose

In the purview of stress–turnover relationship, the present study aims to explore the endogenous and exogenous aspects of stress and employees' turnover intentions. Further, it also intends to evaluate the mediating role of perceived employee's exploitation between stressors and employee turnover intentions. For that matter, antecedents of stressors were identified and classified into endogenous and exogenous stressors: endogenous stressors relate to the employees' negative psychological contact within an organization and exogenous stressors are various macro-economic factors which have a considerable influence on employees' workplace behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

For the purpose of this study, this study choses private school teachers as respondents working in the economically depressed state of India. Thus, data for the present study has been collected from 628 private school teachers of J&K (India) which were randomly selected. In order to ensure valid and reliable statistical inferences from the study, data collected has been validated using confirmatory factor analysis and hypothesis testing has been carried out through structural equation modeling.

Findings

It was found that both types of stressors were contributing negatively toward employee's psychological state resulting in undesirable employee organizational relationships manifested as turnover intentions among employees. Moreover, perceived employee's exploitation was found to intensify the relationship of employee turnover as a dependent variable regressed on endogenous, exogenous and occupational stress by fully mediating the stress–turnover intricacies.

Research limitations/implications

The implications of the study include the identification of employees' stressor needs in order to gauge the understanding of the mechanism by which employees react to their environment and develop attitudes toward their jobs. The present study includes a small sample size obtained from private educational institutions only. Therefore, there is a need to take a geographically diverse sample that is inevitable for universal inferences and validity.

Originality/value

Very little research has been conducted to explore endogenous, exogenous and unique stressors such as economic stress and perceived external opportunities which constitute the overall stress. Moreover, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study which tests the model empirically that examines the effect of stress–turnover relationship through perceived employee's exploitation in the teaching and educational sector.
The effect of household corrosive substances on latent fingermark development in the context of deliberate corrosive substance attacks
Authors: Croxton Ruth , Joyce Holly
Published: July 2023

Corrosive substance attacks (CSA) are a prevalent issue in the UK with 525 offenses involving a corrosive substance reported to the police in the year ending March 2022. Easy availability, low cost, and concealability in public are common reasons for choosing a corrosive substance as a weapon. The Metropolitan Police revealed that 68% of 1849 CSA cases resulted in no suspect identified or evidential difficulties. There is limited research into the effect of corrosive substances on latent fingermarks. This study aimed to determine the potential for fingermarks to be recovered from surfaces exposed to a household corrosive substance within the context of a deliberate CSA. Natural and sebaceous‐loaded fingermarks were exposed to Domestos bleach, Harpic limescale remover (hydrochloric acid‐based) and lemon juice. Harpic limescale remover had the most detrimental effect, with only 7.1% of fingermarks (n = 378) exposed being identifiable (defined as sufficient clear ridge detail for identification) after enhancement, followed by bleach with only 10.3% of fingermarks (n = 378) identifiable. Lemon juice had the least detrimental effect on fingermarks, with 40.5% fingermarks (n = 378) identifiable compared to 53.4% for the controls (not exposed to any substance; n = 378). Throughout the study, fewer natural fingermarks were identifiable after exposure to corrosive substances compared to sebaceous fingermarks which was as expected. Overall, this study demonstrated that there is potential to recover latent fingermarks, depending on their composition, following exposure to a household corrosive substance. This area warrants further research to establish best practice to maximize the potential to recover identifiable fingermarks.
Use of coconut sugar as an alternative agent in osmotic dehydration of strawberries
Authors: Macedo Leandro Levate , Corrêa Jefferson Luiz Gomes , Araújo Cintia da Silva , Oliveira Daniela da Silva , Teixeira Luciano José Quintão
Published: July 2023

This study aimed to evaluate coconut sugar (CS) as an alternative osmotic agent to sucrose for the osmotic dehydration (OD) of strawberries. OD was performed by immersing strawberries cut into 13.6 ± 0.4 mm edge cubes in osmotic solutions of CS or sucrose, at two different concentrations (40% and 60%, w/w), with and without application of vacuum (AV) in the first 20 min of the process. The total OD time was 300 min. Evaluations of the kinetics of solid gain (SG), water loss (WL), and weight reduction (WR) were performed at 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 min. SG, WL, and WR increased over the OD time and showed values of up to 7.94%, 63.40%, and 55.94%, respectively. AV increased WL, WR, shrinkage, pH, and total color difference and decreased anthocyanin, ascorbic acid (AA), phenolic, and antioxidant contents. The higher concentration led to higher SG, WL, WR, shrinkage, hardness, and lower moisture content, water activity, anthocyanin, AA, phenolic, and antioxidant contents. The use of CS instead of sucrose had little influence on strawberry properties, except pH and color responses. The optimal treatment was using a 60% CS solution without AV, showing a very distinct color change, hardness increased by approximately 4.5 times and maintenance of acidity, anthocyanins, AA, total phenolics, and antioxidants of 38.0%, 39.6%, 11.8%, 30.0%, 31.1%, and 30.3%, respectively, compared to fresh strawberries.

Practical Application

Osmotic dehydration of fruit is a process traditionally carried out using sucrose. However, increasing health concerns have made consumers seek alternative sugars to sucrose. The use of coconut sugar made it possible to produce osmo‐dehydrated strawberries different from the traditional one, maintaining product quality and process efficiency.
Persistence of monoclonal B‐cell expansion and intraclonal diversification despite virus eradication in patients affected by hepatitis C virus‐associated lymphoproliferative disorders
Authors: Mazzaro Cesare , Visentini Marcella , Gragnani Laura , Vit Filippo , Tissino Erika , Pozzo Federico , Papotti Robel , Casato Milvia , Zignego Anna Linda , Bittolo Tamara , Zucchetto Antonella , Degan Massimo , Bomben Riccardo , Gattei Valter
Published: July 2023

We investigated 23 hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐infected patients with overt lymphoproliferative diseases (15 cases) or monoclonal B lymphocytosis (8 cases) treated with direct agent antiviral (DAAs) per clinical practice. DAA therapy yielded undetectable HCV‐RNA, the complete response of cryoglobulinemia vasculitis and related signs, whilst the presence of B‐cell clones (evaluated by flow cytometry, IGHV, and BCL2‐IGH rearrangements), detected in 19/23 cases at baseline, was maintained (17/19). Similarly, IGHV intraclonal diversification, supporting an antigen‐driven selection mechanism, was identified in B‐cell clones at baseline and end of follow‐up. DAA therapy alone, despite HCV eradication and good immunological responses, was less effective on the pathological B‐cell clones.
Market orientation, restructuring and collaboration: The impact of digital design on organizational competitiveness
Authors: Dabić Marina , Stojčić Nebojša , Afawubo Komivi , Chouki Mourad , Huck Nicolas
Published: July 2023

Design is commonly understood as a key element of products, contributing to their distinctiveness, usability and aesthetics. The success of a product is increasingly related to the user experience or the aesthetics of the user interface, meaning that design is increasingly important in the digital environment. The shift in competitive focus to the customer induced by digital design encourages companies to innovate and can also lead to changes in internal operations, market orientation and the reconfiguration of external collaboration procedures. This dimension of digital design‐induced effects has to date seen very little research. The objective of this study is to investigate how digital design‐induced changes in market orientation, internal restructuring and external cooperation affect firms' competitive orientation. The simultaneous equation framework was applied to a survey of 515 user interface and experience designers from France. Our results suggest that market orientation is not the only channel through which digital design influences firm competitiveness. Digital design leads to organizational change and the reconfiguration of external relationships that directly and indirectly help companies build competitive advantages and increase customer satisfaction.
ModalNeRF: Neural Modal Analysis and Synthesis for Free‐Viewpoint Navigation in Dynamically Vibrating Scenes
Authors: Petitjean Automne , Poirier‐Ginter Yohan , Tewari Ayush , Cordonnier Guillaume , Drettakis George
Published: July 2023

Recent advances in Neural Radiance Fields enable the capture of scenes with motion. However, editing the motion is hard; no existing method allows editing beyond the space of motion existing in the original video, nor editing based on physics. We present the first approach that allows physically‐based editing of motion in a scene captured with a single hand‐held video camera, containing vibrating or periodic motion. We first introduce a Lagrangian representation, representing motion as the displacement of particles, which is learned while training a radiance field. We use these particles to create a continuous representation of motion over the sequence, which is then used to perform a modal analysis of the motion thanks to a Fourier transform on the particle displacement over time. The resulting extracted modes allow motion synthesis, and easy editing of the motion, while inheriting the ability for free‐viewpoint synthesis in the captured 3D scene from the radiance field. We demonstrate our new method on synthetic and real captured scenes.