bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of semiquantitative and differential time to positivity methods for the diagnosis of central line-associated bloodstream infections in an intensive care unit
Authors: Karampatakis Theodoros , Tsergouli Katerina , Karantani Ekaterini , Diamantopoulou Anna , Mouloudi Eleni , Roilides Emmanuel , Karyoti Angeliki
Published: June 2019

Introduction. Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) adversely affect patients’ hospitalization.

Aim. We compared semiquantitative roll plate (SQRP) and differential time to positivity (DTP) culture methods in diagnosing CLABSIs.

Methodology. A retrospective study was conducted in an intensive care unit (ICU) from January 2013 to August 2014. All ICU patients with suspected CLABSIs were included. Blood cultures were taken, while central venous catheter (CVC) tips were cultured using the roll-tip method. DTP was considered positive if CVC lumen blood cultures became positive at least 2 h prior to concurrently drawn peripheral blood cultures with an identical micro-organism. SQRP method was considered positive when ≥15 c.f.u. of a micro-organism identical to that of blood cultures grew. Measures of diagnostic accuracy were calculated.

Results. SQRP displayed high sensitivity (94.7 %), while DTP showed high specificity (82.5 %). SQRP combined with DTP displayed 100  % sensitivity and negative predictive value.

Conclusion. SQRP and DTP methods should be evaluated in combination.
Transcranial focused ultrasound to rIFG improves response inhibition through modulation of the P300 onset latency
Authors: Fine Justin M. , Fini Maria E. , Mysore Archana S. , Tyler William J. , Santello Marco
Published: June 2019

Response inhibition is important to avoid undesirable behavioral action consequences. Neuroimaging and lesion studies point to a locus of inhibitory control in right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG). Electrophysiology studies have implicated a downstream event-related potential from rIFG, the fronto-central P300, as a putative neural marker of the success and timing of inhibition over behavioral responses. However, it remains to be established whether rIFG effectively drives inhibition as represented by the P300 activity, and whether rIFG contributions to inhibition are conveyed through either the P300 timing or amplitude. Here, we aimed to causally uncover the connection between rIFG and P300 for inhibition by using transcranial focused ultrasound (tfUS) to target rIFG of human subjects while they performed a Stop-Signal task. By applying tFUS simultaneous with different task events, we found behavioral inhibition was improved only when applied to rIFG simultaneous with a ‘stop’ signal. Applying tFUS simultaneous with the ‘go’ signal or control regions had no impact on behavior. The improvement in inhibition performance caused by tFUS to rIFG during stop conditions occurred through faster stopping times that were paired with significantly shorter P300 latencies, whereas amplitude was not affected. These results reveal a causal connection between rIFG in driving response inhibition in that it may regulate the speed of stopping directly, as indexed by the reduced P300 onset latency during tFUS. Our tFUS-EEG approach provides a causal connection, in healthy humans, between prefrontal rIFG regions and downstream P300 production in service of inhibitory control.
Eating in a losing cause: limited benefit of modified macronutrient consumption following infection in the oriental cockroachBlatta orientalis
Authors: Sieksmeyer Thorben , He Shulin , Esparza-Mora M. Alejandra , Jiang Shixiong , Petrašiūnaitė Vesta , Kuropka Benno , Banasiak Ronald , Julseth Mara Jean , Weise Christoph , Johnston Paul R. , Rodríguez-Rojas Alejandro , McMahon Dino P.
Published: June 2019

Background

Host-pathogen interactions can lead to dramatic changes in host feeding behaviour. One aspect of this includes self-medication, where infected individuals consume substances such as toxins or alter their macronutrient consumption to enhance immune competence. Another widely adopted animal response to infection is illness-induced anorexia, which is thought to assist host immunity directly or by limiting the nutritional resources available to pathogens. Here, we recorded macronutrient preferences of the global pest cockroach,Blatta orientalisto investigate how shifts in host macronutrient dietary preference and quantity of carbohydrate (C) and protein (P) interact with immunity following bacterial infection.

Results

We find thatB. orientalisavoids diets enriched for P under normal conditions, and that high P diets reduce cockroach survival in the long term. However, following bacterial challenge, cockroaches significantly reduced their overall nutrient intake, particularly of carbohydrates, and increased the relative ratio of protein (P:C) consumed. Surprisingly, these behavioural shifts had a limited effect on cockroach immunity and survival, with minor changes to immune protein abundance and antimicrobial activity between individuals placed on different diets, regardless of infection status.

Conclusions

We show that cockroach feeding behaviour can be modulated by a pathogen, resulting in an illness-induced anorexia-like feeding response and a shift from a C-enriched to a more P:C equal diet. However, our results also indicate that such responses do not provide significant immune protection inB. orientalis, suggesting that the host’s dietary shift might also result from random rather than directed behaviour. The lack of an apparent benefit of the shift in feeding behaviour highlights a possible reduced importance for diet in immune regulation in these invasive animals, although further investigations employing pathogens with alternative infection strategies are warranted.
Precapillary sphincters control cerebral blood flow
Authors: Grubb Søren , Cai Changsi , Hald Bjørn O. , Khennouf Lila , Fordsmann Jonas , Murmu Reena , Jensen Aske G. K. , Zambach Stefan , Lauritzen Martin
Published: June 2019

Active nerve cells produce and release vasodilators that increase their energy supply by dilating local blood vessels, a mechanism termed neurovascular coupling, which is the basis of the BOLD (blood-oxygen-level-dependent) functional neuroimaging signals. We here reveal a unique mechanism for cerebral blood flow control, a precapillary sphincter at the transition between the penetrating arteriole and the first capillary that links blood flow in capillaries to the arteriolar inflow. Large NG2-positive cells, containing smooth muscle actin, encircle the sphincters and rises in nerve cell activity cause astrocyte and neuronal Ca2+ rises that correlate to dilation and shortening of the sphincter concomitant with substantial increases in the RBC flux. Global ischemia and cortical spreading depolarization constrict sphincters and cause vascular trapping of blood cells. These results reveal precapillary sphincters as bottlenecks for brain capillary blood flow.
Assessing aneuploidy with repetitive element sequencing
Authors: Douville Christopher , Cohen Joshua D. , Ptak Janine , Popoli Maria , Schaefer Joy , Silliman Natalie , Dobbyn Lisa , Schoen Robert E. , Tie Jeanne , Gibbs Peter , Goggins Michael , Wolfgang Christopher L. , Wang Tian-Li , Shih Ie-Ming , Karchin Rachel , Lennon Anne Marie , Hruban Ralph H. , Tomasetti Cristian , Bettegowda Chetan , Kinzler Kenneth W. , Papadopoulos Nickolas , Vogelstein Bert
Published: June 2019

We report a sensitive PCR-based assay that can detect aneuploidy in samples containing as little as 3 picograms of DNA. Using a single primer pair, we amplified ∼750,000 amplicons distributed throughout the genome Aneuploidy was detected in 49% of liquid biopsies from a total of 883 non-metastatic cancers of eight different types. Combining aneuploidy with somatic mutation detection and eight standard protein biomarkers yielded a median sensitivity of 80% at 99% specificity.
Stress-Induced Expression is Enriched for Evolutionarily Young Genes in Diverse Budding Yeasts
Authors: Doughty Tyler W. , Domenzain Iván , Millan-Oropeza Aaron , Montini Noemi , de Groot Philip A. , Pereira Rui , Nielsen Jens , Henry Céline , Daran Jean-Marc G. , Siewers Verena , Morrissey John P.
Published: June 2019

The Saccharomycotina subphylum (budding yeasts) spans more than 400 million years of evolution and includes species that thrive in many of Earth’s harsh environments. Characterizing species that grow in harsh conditions could enable the design of more robust yeast strains for biotechnology. However, tolerance to stressful conditions is a multifactorial response, which is difficult to understand since many of the genes involved are as yet uncharacterized. In this work, three divergent yeast species were grown under multiple stressful conditions to identify stress-induced genes. For each condition, duplicated and non-conserved genes were significantly enriched for stress responsiveness compared to single-copy conserved genes. To understand this further, we developed a sorting method that considers evolutionary origin and duplication timing to assign an evolutionary age to each gene. Subsequent analysis of the sets of genes that changed expression revealed a relationship between stress-induced genes and the youngest gene set, regardless of the species or stress in question. These young genes are rarely essential for growth and evolve rapidly, which may facilitate their functionalization for stress tolerance and may explain their stress-induced expression. These findings show that systems-level analyses that consider gene age can expedite the identification of stress tolerance genes.
Transcriptional profiling of the murine airway response to acute ozone exposure
Authors: Tovar Adelaide , Smith Gregory J. , Thomas Joseph M. , Harkema Jack R. , Kelada Samir N. P.
Published: June 2019

Exposure to ambient ozone (O3) pollution causes airway inflammation, epithelial injury, and decreased lung function. Long-term exposure is associated with increased mortality and exacerbations of respiratory conditions. While the adverse health effects of O3 exposure have been thoroughly described, less is known about the molecular processes that drive these outcomes. The aim of this study was to describe the cellular and molecular alterations observed in murine airways after exposure to either 1 or 2 ppm O3. After exposing adult, female C57BL/6J mice to filtered air, 1 or 2 ppm O3 for 3 hours, we assessed hallmark responses including airway inflammatory cell counts, epithelial permeability, cytokine secretion, and morphological alterations of the large airways. Further, we performed RNA-seq to profile gene expression in two critical tissues involved in O3 responses: conducting airways (CA) and airway macrophages (AM). We observed a concentration-dependent increase in airway inflammation and injury, and a large number of genes were differentially expressed in both target tissues at both concentrations of O3. Genes that were differentially expressed in CA were generally associated with barrier function, detoxification processes, and cellular proliferation. The differentially expressed genes in AM were associated with innate immune signaling, cytokine production, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Overall, our study has described transcriptional responses to acute O3 exposure, revealing both shared and unique gene expression patterns across multiple concentrations of O3 and in two important O3-responsive tissues. These profiles provide broad mechanistic insight into pulmonary O3 toxicity, and reveal a variety of targets for refined follow-up studies.
VIRGO, a comprehensive non-redundant gene catalog, reveals extensive within community intraspecies diversity in the human vagina
Authors: Ma Bing , France Michael , Crabtree Jonathan , Holm Johanna B. , Humphrys Mike , Brotman Rebecca , Ravel Jacques
Published: June 2019

Background

Analysis of metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data is complicated and typically requires extensive computational resources. Leveraging a curated reference database of genes encoded by members of the target microbiome can make these analyses more tractable. Unfortunately, there is no such reference database available for the vaginal microbiome.

Results

In this study, we assembled a comprehensive human vaginal non-redundant gene catalog (VIRGO) from 264 vaginal metagenomes and 416 genomes of urogenital bacterial isolates. VIRGO includes 0.95 million non-redundant genes compiled from a total of 5.5 million genes belonging to 318 unique bacterial species. We show that VIRGO covers more than 95% of the vaginal bacterial gene content in metagenomes from North American, African, and Chinese women. The gene catalog was extensively functionally annotated from 17 diverse protein databases, and importantly taxonomy was assigned throughin silicobinning of genes derived from metagenomic assemblies. To further enable focused analyses of individual genes and proteins, we also clustered the non-redundant genes into vaginal orthologous groups (VOG). The gene-centric design of VIRGO and VOG provides an easily accessible tool to comprehensively characterize the structure and function of vaginal metagenome and metatranscriptome datasets. To highlight the utility of VIRGO, we analyzed 1,507 additional vaginal metagenomes, uncovering an as of yet undetected high degree of intraspecies diversity within and across vaginal microbiota.

Conclusions

VIRGO offers a convenient reference database and toolkit that will facilitate a more in-depth understanding of the role of vaginal microorganisms in women’s health and reproductive outcomes.
Structural insights into ligand efficacy and activation of the glucagon receptor
Authors: Hilger Daniel , Kumar Kaavya Krishna , Hu Hongli , Pedersen Mie Fabricius , Giehm Lise , Mathiesen Jesper Mosolff , Skiniotis Georgios , Kobilka Brian K.
Published: June 2019

The glucagon receptor family comprises Class B G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that play a crucial role in regulating blood sugar levels. Receptors of this family represent important therapeutic targets for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. Despite intensive structural studies, we only have a poor understanding of the mechanism of peptide hormone-induced Class B receptor activation. This process involves the formation of a sharp kink in transmembrane helix 6 that moves out to allow formation of the nucleotide-free G protein complex. Here, we present the cryo-EM structure of the glucagon receptor (GCGR), a prototypical Class B GPCR, in complex with an engineered soluble glucagon derivative and the heterotrimeric G-protein, Gs. Comparison with the previously determined crystal structures of GCGR bound to a partial agonist reveals a structural framework to explain the molecular basis of ligand efficacy that is further supported by mutagenesis data.
Non-coding RNAs control metabolic state in mycobacteria
Authors: Mehta Dolly , Anjali K , Achuthan A , Gupta Ritu , Ramesh Arati
Published: June 2019

Non-coding RNAs play pivotal roles in bacterial signaling. However, RNAs from certain phyla (specially high-GC actinobacteria) remain elusive. Here, by revamping existing approaches we discover a family of structurally conserved RNAs in actinobacteria. These RNAs function by the recruiting ANTAR proteins to select transcripts; regulating them via translational repression. By overlapping with ORF start sites, these RNAs provide mechanisms by which even leader-less transcripts are regulated. In mycobacteria, transcripts marked by ANTAR-target RNAs are few but encode important redox enzymes especially involved in lipid metabolism. Notably, the cellular response to ANTAR-regulation is hierarchical, wherein immediate metabolic changes induced by ANTAR-RNA binding are amplified through a global transcriptomic response. This includes several genes from oxidative/reductive pathways; ultimately switching cells towards reductive metabolism. This discovery of ANTAR-target RNAs and associated regulation places RNAs as crucial players in controlling metabolic flexibility of mycobacteria, proposing a prominent role for ANTAR regulation across actinobacteria.
ADrosophilaInsulator Interacting Protein Suppresses Enhancer-Blocking Function and Modulates Replication Timing
Authors: Stow Emily C. , An Ran , Schoborg Todd A. , Davenport Nastasya M. , Simmons James R. , Labrador Mariano
Published: June 2019

Insulators play important roles in genome structure and function inDrosophilaand mammals. More than six different insulator proteins are required inDrosophilafor normal genome function, whereas CTCF is the only identified protein contributing to insulator function in mammals. Interactions between a DNA binding insulator protein and its interacting partner proteins define the properties of each insulator site. The different roles of insulator protein partners in theDrosophilagenome and how they confer functional specificity remain poorly understood. Functional analysis of insulator partner proteins inDrosophilais necessary to understand how genomes are compartmentalized and the roles that different insulators play in genome function. InDrosophila, the Suppressor of Hairy wing [Su(Hw)] insulator is targeted to the nuclear lamina, preferentially localizes at euchromatin/heterochromatin boundaries, and is associated with theGypsyretrotransposon. The properties that the insulator confers to these sites rely on the ability of the Su(Hw) protein to bind the DNA at specific sites and interact with Mod(mdg4)-67.2 and CP190 partner proteins. HP1 and insulator partner protein 1 (HIPP1) is a recently identified partner of Su(Hw), but how HIPP1 contributes to the function of Su(Hw) insulators has not yet been elucidated. Here, we find that mutations in the HIPP1 crotonase-like domain have no impact on the function of Su(Hw) enhancer-blocking activity but do exhibit an impaired ability to repair double-strand breaks. Additionally, we find that the overexpression of each HIPP1 and Su(Hw) causes defects in cell proliferation by limiting the progression of DNA replication. We also find that HIPP1 overexpression suppresses the Su(Hw) insulator enhancer-blocking function.
Combined EGFR and ROCK inhibition in TNBC leads to cell death via impaired autophagic flux
Authors: Rontogianni Stamatia , Iskit Sedef , van Doorn Sander , Peeper Daniel S. , Altelaar A. F. Maarten
Published: June 2019

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with very limited therapeutic options. We have recently shown that the combined inhibition of EGFR and ROCK in TNBC cells results in cell death, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To investigate this, here we applied a mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach to identify proteins altered upon single and combination treatments. Our proteomic data revealed autophagy as the major molecular mechanism implicated in the cells’ response to combinatorial treatment. In particular, we here show that EGFR inhibition by gefitinib treatment alone induces autophagy, a cellular recycling process that acts as a cytoprotective response for TNBC cells. However, combined inhibition of EGFR and ROCK leads to autophagy blockade and accumulation of autophagic vacuoles. Our data show impaired autophagosome clearance as a cause of antitumor activity. We propose that the inhibition of the autophagic flux upon combinatorial treatment is attributed to the major cytoskeletal changes induced upon ROCK inhibition, given the essential role the cytoskeleton plays throughout the various steps of the autophagy process.
Electron microscopy characterization of minerals formed in vitro by human bone cells and vascular smooth muscle cells
Authors: Tsolaki Elena , Didierlaurent Louis , Müller Eike , Rottmar Markus , Latif Najma , Chester Adrian H. , Herrmann Inge K. , Bertazzo Sergio
Published: June 2019

Soft tissue mineralization has been found to be a major component of diseases such as aortic valve stenosis and rheumatic heart disease. Cardiovascular mineralization has been suggested to follow mechanisms similar to those of bone formation with several cell culture models been developed over the years to provide mechanistic insights. These cell models have been characterized by a wide range of biochemical and molecular methods, which identified the presence of osteogenic markers and bone-like cells. However, there is a surprisingly small number of studies where the mineral formed in these cell culture models has been characterized by physico-chemical methods, and even fewer studies have compared this mineral to the one produced by bone cells in cultures. Here we investigated the morphology and composition of the minerals formed in cell cultures of vascular smooth muscle cells and bone cells. Electron microscopy and traditional cell mineralization assays were applied, revealing that vascular cells are indeed able to form calcified nodules of elemental composition similar to bone, however with different morphology. Comparison of morphologies of the two minerals to that found in cardiovascular tissue shows that some of tissue calcification resembles the calcified fibers produced by bone cells in vitro. These results suggest that the characterization of the mineral is of utmost importance and its morphology and chemical properties can contribute an important piece of information in the comprehensive analysis of soft tissue mineralization mechanisms, both in in vitro cell culture as well as in clinical samples.
Challenges and changes in Indian rural credit market: a review
Authors: Ray Sougata
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Post-independence, the rural credit market in India has undergone significant structural changes in order to enhance the availability and efficient use of credit. The purpose of this paper is to understand the challenges and changes in the Indian rural credit market in the post-independence period.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from the All India Debt and Investment Survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation of the Government of India from 1971–1972 to 2012 and Reserve Bank of India in 1951–1952 and 1961–1962, the study focuses on three important aspect of rural credit market, i.e. the availability, sources and uses of credit. The analysis is based on both the national and state level data and uses the decadal growth rates to explain the changes in the rural credit market.

Findings

Availability of credit, in terms of volume and number of households indebted, has increased substantially. However, the sharp rise in outstanding debt is a matter of concern. The share of credit from institutional agencies has seen a continuous decline post liberalisation. The non-institutional agencies, particularly the professional moneylenders, continue to be the most preferred sources of credit owing to their flexible nature of operation. Interesting, microfinance has emerged as a major source of credit particularly for the poor rural households. The rise in credit usage for non-income generating activities amongst poor households is another important concern.

Originality/value

The study highlights some of the most important features and characteristics associated with the Indian rural credit market. An understanding of these issues would provide valuable insight for shaping the future policy responses.
Meshfree algorithms based on radial basis functions for numerical simulation and to capture shocks behavior of Burgers’ type problems
Authors: Jiwari Ram , Kumar Sanjay , Mittal R.C.
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop two meshfree algorithms based on multiquadric radial basis functions (RBFs) and differential quadrature (DQ) technique for numerical simulation and to capture the shocks behavior of Burgers’ type problems.

Design/methodology/approach

The algorithms convert the problems into a system of ordinary differential equations which are solved by the Runge–Kutta method.

Findings

Two meshfree algorithms are developed and their stability is discussed. Numerical experiment is done to check the efficiency of the algorithms, and some shock behaviors of the problems are presented. The proposed algorithms are found to be accurate, simple and fast.

Originality/value

The present algorithms LRBF-DQM and GRBF-DQM are based on radial basis functions, which are new for Burgers’ type problems. It is concluded from the numerical experiments that LRBF-DQM is better than GRBF-DQM. The algorithms give better results than available literature.
Developing a knowledge-based safety culture instrument for construction industry
Authors: M.D. Deepak , Mahesh Gangadhar
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Harnessing the power of knowledge management is important for minimizing accidents occurring at construction projects. Yet, knowledge management is a neglected dimension when developing safety culture in the construction industry. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop a knowledge-based safety culture questionnaire and examine its validity and reliability in the Indian context.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was formulated after identifying 69 influencing factors from a thorough literature review. In total, 210 valid responses were obtained from key stakeholders operating in Indian construction industry. Reliability and validity of the measurement scale were examined by factor analysis and inter-item correlation test. Comparison of knowledge-based safety culture scores across several demographic profiles of the respondents was utilized for testing discriminant validity.

Findings

Results suggest that the new instrument appears to be a reliable, valid and sensitive instrument that will contribute in examining the effect of key factors that influence the importance of the knowledge dimension toward developing safety culture in the construction industry.

Originality/value

The measurement tool developed in this study focuses on considering the importance of knowledge management in enhancing safety culture of the construction industry. This instrument can be utilized to compare the level of safety culture among key stakeholders of construction projects. This paper can contribute to the promotion of safety theory in Indian construction industry and provide practical implications for construction enterprises when they engage in improving safety conditions in their organizations.
Effects of information sources for new customers and suppliers on the immediate innovation output of firms
Authors: Medhi Pankaj Kumar , Jain Palakh , Jain Tinu
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a typology of the information sources for new customers or suppliers on the basis of their existing relational linkage with the acquiring firm and to further explore whether various types of information sources for new customers and suppliers have any differential effect on a firm’s immediate innovation output.

Design/methodology/approach

The research sample was taken from the data collected by WB enterprise surveys (2005). The WB enterprise survey is considerably comprehensive for firm-level data. Relevant questions for the study were extracted from the survey. Simultaneously, EFA, CFA and SEM using AMOS 6.0 was run for the analysis.

Findings

The findings confirm that sources for a new customer and supplier with a strong relational aspect have a significant positive effect on a firm’s innovation output in the immediately following period.

Research limitations/implications

The research acknowledges the need to measure the effect of new supplier/customer on innovation depending on the type of information sources separately for product and process innovation as one of the major limitations.

Practical implications

This research can help managers obtain information of holistic and critical nature to incorporate in decision making for improving firm performance in innovation.

Originality/value

Customers and suppliers are well-established external sources of innovation ideas and information. But to what extant new customers or suppliers may be effective resources for innovation may depend largely on the sources through which they themselves are acquired by a firm, which is relatively unexplored. This study addresses the gap is the first of its kind to explore the role of the sources of information for new customer/supplier on a firm’s innovation output in the immediately following period.
The finance of innovation in Africa
Authors: Ayalew Misraku Molla , Xianzhi Zhang , Hailu Demis Hailegebreal
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how firms in developing countries finance innovation. Notably, the study seeks to investigate whether innovative firms exhibit financing patterns different from those of non-innovative ones. It also examines the effect of financing sources on firm’s probability to innovate.

Design/methodology/approach

The study utilizes firm-level data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey. From 28 African countries, 11,173 firms have been included in the sample. A statistical t-test is used for two independent samples and logistic regression models.

Findings

The results show that innovative firms, specifically innovative small- and medium-size firms exhibit financing patterns different from non-innovative peers. Further analysis indicates that there is no statistically significant difference between the financing patterns of innovative and non-innovative large firms. In Africa, innovation is mostly financed using internal sources and bank finance. Equity finance and bank finance have shown a higher effect followed by internal finance, finance from non-bank financial institutions and trade credit finance on firms’ probability to innovate.

Practical implications

The management of innovative firms should reduce dependency on short-term and retained earning financing and increase the use of long-term instruments improve innovation performance.

Social implications

A pending policy task for African leaders is to design and evaluate reforms to create a strong financial sector that willing to support the innovation process.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existent literature on finance of innovation by examining how firms finance innovation activities in developing countries. This study provides evidence on how innovative firms exhibit financing patterns different from non-innovative ones from developing countries.
The allure of celebrities: unpacking their polysemic consumer appeal
Authors: Wohlfeil Markus , Patterson Anthony , Gould Stephen J.
Published: June 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to explain a celebrity’s deep resonance with consumers by unpacking the individual constituents of a celebrity’s polysemic appeal. While celebrities are traditionally theorised as unidimensional semiotic receptacles of cultural meaning, the authors conceptualise them here instead as human beings/performers with a multi-constitutional, polysemic consumer appeal.

Design/methodology/approach

Supporting evidence is drawn from autoethnographic data collected over a total period of 25 months and structured through a hermeneutic analysis.

Findings

In rehumanising the celebrity, the study finds that each celebrity offers the individual consumer a unique and very personal parasocial appeal as the performer, the private person behind the public performer, the tangible manifestation of either through products and the social link to other consumers. The stronger these constituents, individually or symbiotically, appeal to the consumer’s personal desires, the more s/he feels emotionally attached to this particular celebrity.

Research limitations/implications

Although using autoethnography means that the breadth of collected data is limited, the depth of insight this approach garners sufficiently unpacks the polysemic appeal of celebrities to consumers.

Practical implications

The findings encourage talent agents, publicists and marketing managers to reconsider underlying assumptions in their talent management and/or celebrity endorsement practices.

Originality/value

While prior research on celebrity appeal has tended to enshrine celebrities in a “dehumanised” structuralist semiosis, which erases the very idea of individualised consumer meanings, this paper reveals the multi-constitutional polysemy of any particular celebrity’s personal appeal as a performer and human being to any particular consumer.
The interplay between market intelligence activities and sales strategy as drivers of performance in foreign markets
Authors: Katsikea Evangelia , Theodosiou Marios , Makri Katerina
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Exporting is a popular foreign market entry mode, especially among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The success of SME exporters depends on their ability to establish and maintain profitable long-term relationships with foreign customers. This study aims to propose that the development of an effective export sales strategy can contribute greatly toward this aim. The study also demonstrates that export market intelligence generation and export market intelligence dissemination activities are important drivers of export sales strategy. Export sales strategy comprises three dimensions, which are expected to have a positive influence on export performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses survey data obtained from 168 exporting firms based in Greece, to test a set of research hypotheses. Structural equation modeling procedures are used.

Findings

Findings indicate that export market intelligence generation and dissemination activities support and facilitate the development of effective export sales strategies, tailored to serve individual foreign accounts. Furthermore, all strategic dimensions of export sales strategy demonstrate significant positive effects on export performance.

Research limitations/implications

The research underlines the importance of incorporating export sales strategy in studies that aim to investigate the drivers of export performance.

Practical implications

The findings also indicate that exporting firms must actively engage in market intelligence activities to reinforce their strategic decision-making process.

Originality/value

The study emphasizes the crucial importance of export sales strategy in achieving superior export performance. The study provides a theory-driven conceptualization and operationalization of export sales strategy and offers an empirical assessment of a comprehensive model that includes the key antecedents and performance outcomes of export sales strategy.
Signaling effects and the role of culture: movies in international auxiliary channels
Authors: Sinha Ashish , Gu Haodong , Kim Namwoon , Emile Renu
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Given the high uncertainty in the quality perception of experiential products, manufacturers use signals to influence consumers’ decisions. In the movie industry, literature shows that performance of the main channel (e.g. cinema) strongly influences the performance of auxiliary channels (e.g. DVDs). The success of a movie in the home country is also to be resonated by its good performance in host countries. However, the cultural contingency of these success-breeds-success (SBS) effects has not been examined. This paper aims to test the influence of cultural values on the SBS effects across channels and countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Borrowing concepts from the signaling literature and analyzing DVD sales data from six international markets using a multilevel mixed-effects model, the study finds that culture plays a significant role to influence both SBS effects.

Findings

In countries with low power distance, short-term orientation and high indulgence, consumers who purchase from auxiliary channels are more likely to be influenced by the box office performance of movies. Meanwhile, cultural distance between the home and host nations significantly decreases the cross-national SBS effect.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are likely to be generalized to online auxiliary channels of movies, but empirical testing is required to ensure that no major adaptation is required in the process. Future research can also extend the framework of this paper to include more countries into the analysis and investigate cultural variables beyond Hofstede’s dimensions.

Practical implications

This paper suggests that the SBS effects may vary across nations. When managers plan for the sequential distributions of experiential products, the cultural values of target markets should be considered to decrease the uncertainty in sales prediction.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the existing literature by investigating the international auxiliary channels of movies and incorporating cultural values into the framework of sequential distributions. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to test the links between the main and auxiliary channels from an international marketing perspective.
A comprehensive methodology for setting up rural electrifications with minimum budgets on indigenous villages in Malaysia
Authors: Soon Kok Yew , Chua Kein Huat , Lim Yun Seng , Wang Li
Published: June 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a comprehensive methodology for setting up rural electrifications for indigenous villages with minimum budgets and the lowest possible cost of electricity (COE). The electricity accessibility of rural area in Malaysia is not fully covered and the cost of extending the grid to these areas can be high as RM 2.7m per km. Lack of vigorous policies and economic attraction of the rural areas are also the main barriers to rural electrification. Electricity is an essential element of economic activities and the lack of electricity exacerbates poverty and contributes to its perpetuation. Therefore, a hybrid standalone power system can be an alternative solution for the rural electrification. A hybrid standalone power system is studied to investigate the potential of the implementation and the budget required.

Design/methodology/approach

A site survey has been carried out in a village in Peninsular Malaysia, namely, Kampung Ulu Lawin Selatan. A standalone hybrid system is modeled in HOMER Pro software and the data collected from the selected site are used to obtain the system configuration with the lowest COE. The load following and cycle charging energy dispatch methods are compared to identify the optimal system configuration that yields the lowest COE. The diesel generator-only system is chosen as a benchmark for comparisons.

Findings

The results show that the hybrid system constituted from the diesel generator, photovoltaic (PV), micro-hydro and energy storage using the load following energy dispatch method yields the lowest COE of RM 0.519 per kWh. The COE of the hybrid system is 378 per cent lower than that of the diesel generator-only system. The lead-acid energy storage system (ESS) is able to reduce 40 per cent of COE as compared to the system without ESS.

Originality/value

The results indicate that the COE of the diesel-micro hydro-PV-ESS system with load following dispatch strategy is RM 0.519 per kWh, and this value is 35 per cent higher than the average electricity price in Malaysia. However, it is important to note that the costs of extending the grid to the rural area are not taken into account. If this cost is considered into the electricity price, then the standalone hybrid power system proposed by this study is still a competitive alternative for rural electrification.
Forecasting the wind power generation using Box–Jenkins and hybrid artificial intelligence
Authors: Jafarian-Namin Samrad , Goli Alireza , Qolipour Mojtaba , Mostafaeipour Ali , Golmohammadi Amir-Mohammad
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to forecast wind power generation in an area through different methods, and then, recommend the most suitable one using some performance criteria.

Design/methodology/approach

The Box–Jenkins modeling and the Neural network modeling approaches are applied to perform forecasting for the last 12 months.

Findings

The results indicated that among the tested artificial neural network (ANN) model and its improved model, artificial neural network-genetic algorithm (ANN-GA) with RMSE of 0.4213 and R2 of 0.9212 gains the best performance in prediction of wind power generation values. Finally, a comparison between ANN-GA and ARIMA method confirmed a far superior power generation prediction performance for ARIMA with RMSE of 0.3443 and R2 of 0.9480.

Originality/value

Performance of the ARIMA method is evaluated in comparison to several types of ANN models including ANN, and its improved model using GA as ANN-GA and particle swarm optimization (PSO) as ANN-PSO.
Impact mechanism of direct supervisor’s leadership behaviors on employees’ extended use of information technologies
Authors: Shao Zhen
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of job autonomy on the relationship between direct supervisor’s transformational leadership behaviors and employees’ extended use of information technologies (IT). In addition, this study considers IT innovativeness as a significant moderator in the research model, in order to examine if the relative influences of leadership behaviors on IT extended use are contingent upon employees’ IT innovativeness.

Design/methodology/approach

A field survey was conducted in China and empirical data were collected from 299 employees who use IT in support of daily work. Structural equation modeling technique was used to examine the research model and corresponding hypotheses.

Findings

The empirical results indicate that: three dimensions of transformational leadership, specifically interpersonal consideration, intellectual stimulation and inspirational motivation, are significant antecedents of employees’ IT extended use; perceived job autonomy partially mediates the relationships between transformational leadership behaviors and IT extended use; and employees’ IT innovativeness positively moderates the effects of transformational leadership behaviors on IT extended use.

Practical implications

This study can provide first-line managers with a better understanding of how to stimulate employees to make an extended use of IT by granting them more freedom in job assignments. Furthermore, the managers also need attend to subordinates’ personal IT innovativeness when exhibiting transformational leadership behaviors.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the extant literature of IT extended use through the lens of transformational leadership and job characteristics theory. In particular, this study identifies the boundary condition of the proposed research model by uncovering the moderating effect of IT innovativeness between transformational leadership behaviors and IT extended use.
Determinants of halal-food consumption in Indonesia
Authors: Vanany Iwan , Soon Jan Mei , Maryani Anny , Wibawa Berto Mulia
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world and represents a significant global-market opportunity for halal food producers. Surprisingly, halal-food consumption in Indonesia remains under-researched. Thus, this study aims to investigate the factors influencing consumers’ halal-food consumption, using an extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB) model.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire distributed among 418 consumers in Surabaya, Indonesia. Multiple regression analysis was used to describe the TPB relationship and halal-food consumption.

Findings

This study successfully extended the TPB to include additional predictors: perceived awareness, habit, religious self-identity (RSI), moral obligations and trust to determine consumers’ intention in halal-food consumption. Attitudes, RSI and moral obligations were significant predictors of intention to consume halal food.

Practical implications

The findings can be used by the government and food producers to target specific factors, especially positive attitudes, RSI and moral obligations. Indonesia Ulama Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia), the food industry and the media play a critical role in sustaining consumers’ positive attitude towards halal-food consumption. It is critical for food manufacturers to tailor their marketing strategies and consider promoting Islamic dietary rules when promoting their food products.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first attempts to investigate the determinants of halal-food consumption, using an extended TPB in Indonesia.
Analysing barriers towards management of Halal supply chain: a BWM approach
Authors: Khan Mohd Imran , Khan Shahbaz , Haleem Abid
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Assurance of Halal integrity up to the consumption point requires a supply chain approach. Credence quality attributes of Halal products make adoption and management of Halal practices along the whole supply chain a challenging task. This paper aims to explore and evaluate the barriers in the management of the Halal supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews the contemporary literature regarding Halal and management of Halal supply chain and subsequently identifies significant barriers towards managing the Halal supply chain. Further, these barriers are examined quantitatively using Best Worst Method.

Findings

This study has established significant barriers to Halal supply chain management. Moreover, prioritisation of barriers gives a hierarchy to mitigate these significant barriers. The analysis suggests that reduced demand for Halal products is the highly weighted barrier. Improper laws to regulate the Halal industry and lack of policy framework are hindering the effective management of the Halal supply chain.

Research limitations/implications

This study explored a limited number of barriers; it may be possible that some barriers might not have captured. Further, the identified barriers are generic and validated in the context of multicultural societies. Expert opinion has been used to obtain the weight of barriers which may be biased.

Originality/value

To the best of author’s knowledge, no study has categorically explored and presented a holistic framework to mitigate barriers of managing Halal practices in the supply chain.
Anti-money laundering developments in Iran
Authors: Salehi Mahdi , Molla Imeny Vahid
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Money laundering has become a global concern in recent years, and many countries attempt to employ some preventive measures to cope with this phenomenon. Anti-money laundering (AML) controls vary in different countries, and consequently many studies, to date, have taken account of these differences along with the AML efforts. In this regard, financial institutions play an important role to tackle money laundering by involving in all three stages of money laundering (placement, layering and integration). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the AML situation of the Iranian banks and also study some related variables.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the Wolfsberg questionnaire, a survey consisting of 24 Iranian authorized banks in 2017 was conducted.

Findings

We conclude that Iranian banks have proper AML controls in place. Furthermore, it is concluded that banks with more staffs and more experienced employees are more likely to establish strong AML controls; conversely, banks with more branches are less likely to set up strong AML controls.

Originality/value

The present study is the first study conducted in Iran, and the outcomes of the study may be helpful to the Iranian and also International Banking System to establish stronger AML controls.