bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Remote Deep Brain Stimulation by Transgene-free Magnetomechanical Approach
Authors: Su Chih-Lun , Yen Ping-Hsiang , Cheng Chao-Chun , Chiang Po-Han
Published: November 2021

Various physical stimulation methods are developed to minimize the invasiveness of deep brain stimulation (DBS)1–3. Among them, only magnetic field can penetrate into the biological tissues without scattering or absorption4, which makes it ideal for untethered DBS. Recently developed magnetogenetics have shown the potential of developing treatments for neurological disorders5. However, magnetogenetic approaches have potential side effects from overexpression of exogenous ion channels and gene delivery with viral vectors6,7. Here, we demonstrated that the iron oxide magnetic nanodiscs (~270 nm) can be used as transducers to trigger calcium responses in the wild-type cultured neurons during the application of slow varying weak magnetic fields (50 mT at 10 Hz). Moreover, we identified that the intrinsic mechanosensitive ion channel transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC), which were widely expressed in the brain8, plays the main roles in this magnetomechanical stimulation. Finally, when we applied magnetic fields to the awake mice with magnetic nanodiscs injecting into subthalamic nucleus, the magnetomechanical stimulation triggered neuronal activities in the targeted region and the downstream region. Overall, this research demonstrated a magnetomechanical approach that can be used for wireless neuronal stimulation in vitro and untethered DBS in awake mice in vivo without implants or genetic manipulation.
Therapeutic downregulation of neuronal PAS domain 2 (Npas2) promotes surgical skin wound healing
Authors: Shibuya Yoichiro , Hokugo Akishige , Okawa Hiroko , Kondo Takeru , Khalil Daniel , Wang Lixin , Roca Yvonne , Clements Adam , Sasaki Hodaka , Berry Ella , Nishimura Ichiro , Jarrahy Reza
Published: December 2021

Attempts to minimize scarring remain among the most difficult challenges facing surgeons, despite the use of optimal wound closure techniques. Previously, we reported improved healing of dermal excisional wounds in circadian clock neuronal PAS domain 2 (Npas2)-null mice. In this study, we performed high-throughput drug screening to identify a compound that downregulates Npas2 activity. The hit compound (Dwn1) suppressed circadian Npas2 expression, increased murine dermal fibroblast cell migration, and decreased collagen synthesis in vitro. Based on the in vitro results, Dwn1 was topically applied to iatrogenic full-thickness dorsal cutaneous wounds in a murine model. The Dwn1-treated dermal wounds healed faster with favorable mechanical strength and developed less granulation tissue than the controls. The expression of type I collagen, Tgfβ1, and α-smooth muscle actin was significantly decreased in Dwn1-treated wounds, suggesting that hypertrophic scarring and myofibroblast differentiation are attenuated by Dwn1 treatment. NPAS2 may represent an important target for therapeutic approaches to optimal surgical wound management.
Using a Champion-Oriented Mindset to Overcome the Challenges of Graduate School
Authors: Marshall Andrea G. , Palavicino-Maggio Caroline B. , Neikirk Kit , Vue Zer , Beasley Heather , Garza-Lopez Edgar , Murray Sandra , Martinez Denise , Davis Jamaine , Shuler Haysetta , Spencer Elsie C. , Morton Derrick , Hinton Antentor
Published: December 2021

Despite efforts to increase diversity, a glaring underrepresentation of minorities (URM) persists in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Graduate school can be a stressful step in the STEM pipeline, especially for students previously unaware of the structure and challenges of post-graduate education. To promote successful minority participation in STEM and prepare prospective students for the impending challenges of graduate school, we developed a workshop based on the mentoring and fostering of a champion-oriented mindset entitled, “The Trials and Tribulations of Graduate School: How Do You Make an Impact?”. We administered the workshop to a cohort of university undergraduates and conducted pre- and post-workshop surveys to measure students’ perceived need for instruction on specific workshop topics. The results suggest that the workshop was well received by the students and provided information that they considered helpful to help navigate the graduate school process.
Mapping nationally and globally at-risk species to identify hotspots for (and gaps in) conservation
Authors: Hardouin Marie E , Hargreaves Anna L
Published: December 2021

Protecting habitat of species-at-risk is critical to their recovery, but can be contentious. For example, protecting species that are locally imperilled but globally common (e.g. species that only occur in a jurisdiction at the edge of their geographic range) is often thought to distract from protecting globally-imperilled species. However, such perceived trade-offs are based on the assumption that threatened groups have little spatial overlap, which is rarely quantified. Here, we compile range maps of terrestrial species-at-risk in Canada to assess the geographic overlap of nationally and globally at-risk species with each other, among taxonomic groups, and with protected areas. While many nationally-at-risk taxa only occurred in Canada at their northern range edge (median=4% of range in Canada), nationally-at-risk species were not significantly more peripheral in Canada than globally-at-risk species. Further, 56% of hotspots of nationally-at-risk taxa were also hotspots of globally-at-risk taxa in Canada, undercutting the perceived trade-off in their protection. Hotspots of nationally-at-risk taxa also strongly overlapped with hotspots of individual taxonomic groups, though less so for mammals. While strong spatial overlap across threat levels and taxa should facilitate efficient habitat protection, <7% of the area in Canada’s at-risk hotspots is protected, and more than 70% of nationally and globally-at-risk species in Canada have <10% of their Canadian range protected. Our results counter the perception that protecting nationally vs. globally at-risk species are at odds, and identify critical areas to target as Canada strives to increase its protected areas and promote species-at-risk recovery.
Oxytocin signaling in the posterior hypothalamus prevents hyperphagic obesity in mice
Authors: Inada Kengo , Tsujimoto Kazuko , Yoshida Masahide , Nishimori Katsuhiko , Miyamichi Kazunari
Published: December 2021

Decades of studies have revealed molecular and neural circuit bases for body weight homeostasis. Neural hormone oxytocin (OT) has received attention in this context because it is produced by neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH), a known output center of hypothalamic regulation of appetite. OT has an anorexigenic effect, as shown in human studies, and can mediate satiety signals in rodents. However, the function of OT signaling in the physiological regulation of appetite has remained in question, because whole-body knockout (KO) ofOTorOT receptor (OTR)has little effect on food intake. We herein show that acute conditional KO (cKO) of OT selectively in the adult PVH, but not in the supraoptic nucleus, markedly increases body weight and food intake, with an elevated level of plasma triglyceride and leptin. Intraperitoneal administration of OT rescues the hyperphagic phenotype of the PVH OT cKO model. Furthermore, we show that cKO of OTR selectively in the posterior hypothalamic regions, especially the arcuate hypothalamic nucleus, a primary center for appetite regulations, phenocopies hyperphagic obesity. Collectively, these data reveal that OT signaling in the arcuate nucleus suppresses excessive food intake.
Micronized curcumin causes hyperlocomotion in zebrafish larvae
Authors: Sachett Adrieli , Benvenutti Radharani , Reis Carlos G. , Gallas-Lopes Matheus , Bastos Leonardo M. , Aguiar Gean Pablo S. , Herrmann Ana P. , Oliveira J. Vladimir , Siebel Anna M. , Piato Angelo
Published: December 2021

Zebrafish larvae have been widely used in neuroscience and drug research and development. In the larval stage, zebrafish present a broad behavioral repertoire and physiological responses similar to adults. Curcumin (CUR), a major component of Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae), has demonstrated the ability to modulate several neurobiological processes relevant to mental disorders in animal models. However, the low bioavailability of this compound can compromise its in vivo biological potential. Interestingly, it has been shown that micronization can increase the biological effects of several compounds. Thus, in this study, we compared the effects of acute exposure for 30 minutes to the following solutions: water (control), 0.1% DMSO (vehicle), 1 μM CUR, or 1 μM micronized curcumin (MC) in zebrafish larvae 7 days post-fertilization (dpf). We analyzed locomotor activity (open tank test), anxiety (light/dark test), and avoidance behavior (aversive stimulus test). Moreover, we evaluated parameters of oxidative status (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and non-protein thiols levels). MC increased the total distance traveled and absolute turn angle in the open tank test. There were no significant differences in the other behavioral or neurochemical outcomes. The increase in locomotion induced by MC may be associated with a stimulant effect on the central nervous system, which was evidenced by the micronization process.
Neuropeptide signalling shapes feeding and reproductive behaviours in male C. elegans
Authors: Gadenne Matthew J. , Hardege Iris , Suleski Djordji , Jaggers Paris , Beets Isabel , Schafer William R , Chew Yee Lian
Published: December 2021

Sexual dimorphism occurs where different sexes of the same species display differences in characteristics not limited to reproduction. For the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, in which the complete neuroanatomy has been solved for both hermaphrodites and males, sexually dimorphic features have been observed both in terms of the number of neurons and in synaptic connectivity. In addition, male behaviours, such as food-leaving to prioritise searching for mates, have been attributed to neuropeptides released from sex-shared or sex-specific neurons.

In this study, we show that the lury-1 neuropeptide gene shows a sexually dimorphic expression pattern; being expressed in pharyngeal neurons in both sexes but displaying additional expression in tail neurons only in the male. We also show that lury-1 mutant animals show sex differences in feeding behaviours, with pharyngeal pumping elevated in hermaphrodites but reduced in males. LURY-1 also modulates male mating efficiency, influencing motor events during contact with a hermaphrodite. Our findings indicate sex-specific roles of this peptide in feeding and reproduction in C. elegans, providing further insight into neuromodulatory control of sexually dimorphic behaviours.
Socioeconomics drive population change in the world’s largest carnivores
Authors: Johnson Thomas F. , Isaac Nick J. B. , Paviolo Agustin , González-Suárez Manuela
Published: December 2021

Land-use1,2and climate change3–5have been linked to wildlife population declines, but the role of socioeconomic factors in driving declines, and promoting population recoveries, remains relatively unexplored despite its likely importance. Here, we evaluate a comprehensive array of potential drivers of population changes observed in some of the world’s most charismatic species – large mammalian carnivores. Our results reveal a strong role of human socioeconomic development, which we find has a greater impact on population change than habitat loss and climate change. Increases in socioeconomic development are linked to sharp population declines but, importantly, once development is high, carnivore populations have the potential to recover. These links between human development and wildlife population health highlight the challenges ahead to achieve the different UN Sustainable development goals.
TOPOVIBL-REC114 interaction regulates meiotic DNA double-strand breaks
Authors: Nore Alexandre , Juarez-Martinez Ariadna B , Clément Julie , Brun Christine , Diagouraga Boubou , Grey Corinne , Bourbon Henri Marc , Kadlec Jan , Robert Thomas , de Massy Bernard
Published: December 2021

Meiosis requires the formation of programmed DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), essential for fertility and for generating genetic diversity. DSBs are induced by the catalytic activity of the TOPOVIL complex formed by SPO11 and TOPOVIBL. To ensure genomic integrity, DNA cleavage activity is tightly regulated, and several accessory factors (REC114, MEI4, IHO1, and MEI1) are needed for DSB formation in mice. How and when these proteins act is not understood. Here, we show that REC114 is a direct partner of TOPOVIBL, and identified their conserved interacting domains by structural analysis. We then analysed the role of this interaction by monitoring meiotic DSBs in female and male mice carrying point mutations in TOPOVIBL that decrease or disrupt its binding to REC114. In these mutants, DSB activity was strongly reduced genome-wide in oocytes, and only in sub-telomeric regions in spermatocytes. In addition, in mutant spermatocytes, DSB activity was delayed in autosomes. These results provide evidence that REC114 is a key member of the TOPOVIL catalytic complex, and that the REC114/TOPOVIBL interaction ensures the efficiency and timing of DSB activity.
Modelling the effect of ephaptic coupling on spike propagation in peripheral nerve fibres
Authors: Schmidt Helmut , Knösche Thomas R.
Published: December 2021

Experimental and theoretical studies have shown that ephaptic coupling leads to the synchronisation and slowing down of spikes propagating along the axons within peripheral nerve bundles. However, the main focus thus far has been on a small number of identical axons, whereas realistic peripheral nerve bundles contain numerous axons with different diameters. Here, we present a computationally efficient spike propagation model, which captures the essential features of propagating spikes and their ephaptic interaction, and facilitates the theoretical investigation of spike volleys in large, heterogeneous fibre bundles. The spike propagation model describes an action potential, or spike, by its position on the axon, and its velocity. The velocity is primarily defined by intrinsic features of the axons, such as diameter and myelination status, but it is also modulated by changes in the extracellular potential. These changes are due to transmembrane currents that occur during the generation of action potentials. The resulting change in the velocity is appropriately described by a linearised coupling function, which is calibrated with a biophysical model. We first lay out the theoretical basis to describe how the spike in an active axon changes the membrane potential of a passive axon. These insights are then incorporated into the spike propagation model, which is calibrated with a biophysically realistic model based on Hodgkin-Huxley dynamics. The fully calibrated model is then applied to fibre bundles with a large number of axons and different types of axon diameter distributions. One key insight of this study is that the heterogeneity of the axonal diameters has a dispersive effect, and that with increasing level of heterogeneity the ephaptic coupling strength has to increase to achieve full synchronisation between spikes. Another result of this study is that in the absence of full synchronisation, a subset of spikes on axons with similar diameter can form synchronised clusters. These findings may help interpret the results of noninvasive experiments on the electrophysiology of peripheral nerves.
An atlas of the developing Tribolium castaneum brain reveals conserved anatomy and divergent timing to Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Farnworth Max S. , Bucher Gregor , Hartenstein Volker
Published: December 2021

Insect brains are formed by conserved sets of neural lineages whose fibres form cohesive bundles with characteristic projection patterns. Within the brain neuropil these bundles establish a system of fascicles constituting the macrocircuitry of the brain. The overall architecture of the neuropils and the macrocircuitry appear to be conserved. However, variation is observed e.g., in size and shape and timing of development. Unfortunately, the developmental and genetic basis of this variation is poorly understood although the rise of new genetically tractable model organisms such as the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum allows the possibility to gain mechanistic insights. To facilitate such work, we present an atlas of the developing brain of T. castaneum, covering the first larval instar, the prepupal stage and the adult, by combining wholemount immunohistochemical labelling of fibre bundles (acetylated tubulin) and neuropils (synapsin) with digital 3D reconstruction using the TrakEM2 software package. Upon comparing this anatomical dataset with the published work in D. melanogaster, we confirm an overall high degree of conservation. Fibre tracts and neuropil fascicles, which can be visualized by global neuronal antibodies like anti-acetylated tubulin in all invertebrate brains, create a rich anatomical framework to which individual neurons or other regions of interest can be referred to. The framework of a largely conserved pattern allowed us to describe differences between the two species with respect to parameters such as timing of neuron proliferation and maturation. These features likely reflect adaptive changes in developmental timing that govern the change from larval to adult brain.
Strategic behavior of nontraditional lenders in agricultural credit markets
Authors: Tetteh Iuliia , Boehlje Michael , Giri Anil K. , Sharma Sankalp
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This paper examines credit products, operational performance and business models employed by nontraditional lenders (NTLs) in agricultural credit markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Two research methods were employed in this study: (1) an executive interview to collect primary data and (2) a case study approach to analyze the findings and develop insights.

Findings

The findings indicate the presence of significant differences among lenders across and within three categories of NTLs (large volume, vendor financing and collateral-based NTLs). For example, collateral-based NTLs employ different strategies focusing on types of loans, funding sources, commodities they support and geographic coverage to further segment the market. NTLs in this study were able to capture market by successfully identifying gaps in the supply side of agricultural credit and developing products that meet the needs of that niche (e.g. heavy renters, large operations, producers seeking fixed interest rates for term loans, financially fragile producers). Most of the interviewed NTLs had credit standards comparable to those of traditional lenders and consider them both competitors and partners since many NTLs partner with traditional lenders on participation loans, loan servicing and/or sourcing funds.

Originality/value

The supply side of a nontraditional lending has not been studied extensively due to the proprietary nature of data. The executive interviews conducted in this study allowed for accumulation of industry data, which is not available otherwise.
The effects of environmental factors on the social interaction of children in need of protection in outdoor living spaces
Authors: Kara Ecem , Yildiz Ozkan Dilek
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Social interaction has a vital role in the healthy development of children. Growing up without a family for children – who are called “children in need of protection” (CNP) in this study – can cause developmental disorders. Social interaction with their peers and with society is important for their well-being, as well as for the whole society. So, for the good of both, more appropriate and supportive living environments should be produced. In this study, the authors will try to answer the question: How do environmental factors affect the social interaction of CNP in outdoor spaces within a village-type settlement?

Design/methodology/approach

A children's village is chosen as the case area since the children's village typology provides a strong relation between indoor and outdoor spaces. Data are gathered through the review of visual and written materials and systematic observation in order to analyze the issue in a natural setting.

Findings

The output of this study underlays the effects of location, layout and characteristics of residential areas at the neighborhood scale, as well as the spatial, physical and functional factors at the singular-space scale. The intentional social function of the space was found to be the strongest factor in enhancing social interaction.

Originality/value

There are no adequate studies focusing holistically on environmental factors in outdoor living spaces, including spatial, physical and functional dimensions, that affect the social interaction of children in need of protection.
Implementation of the sliding-line technique in a MEC model of a linear bistable actuator
Authors: Utegenova Shinara
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study is to investigate the implementation of the sliding-line technique (SLT) in a generic two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear adaptive magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) model predicting the electromagnetic force evolution of a linear bistable electromagnetic actuator technology.

Design/methodology/approach

The developed MEC model considers the saturation effect and the auto-adjustability of the spatial discretisation. The connection between static and mobile zones is ensured by an approach known as “air-gap sliding-line technique”, which is widely used for rotary electric motor models. To the best of the author’s knowledge, that is the first time that the SLT is implemented on an electromagnetic structure with linear motion.

Findings

It was found that, in case of a linear actuator with a relatively small working stroke, the implementation of the SLT could lead to some non-negligible inaccuracies.

Originality/value

To solve the above-mentioned problem, it was proposed to investigate the implementation of a single SLT vs double SLT. The results of the MEC models were compared with the 2D finite-element analysis (FEA) as well as with the experimental test results. The developed semi-analytical models can be easily adapted to other topologies of linear electromagnetic machines.
Exploring construction workers' attitudinal ambivalence: a system dynamics approach
Authors: Xu Sheng , Zhang Mengge , Xia Bo , Liu Jiangbo
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study aimed to identify driving factors of safety attitudinal ambivalence (AA) and explore their influence. Construction workers' intention to act safely can be instable under conflicting information from safety management, co-workers and habitual unsafe behaviour. Existing research explained the mechanism of unsafe behaviours as individual decisions but failed to include AA, as the co-existence of both positive and negative attitude.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applied system dynamics to explore factors of construction workers' AA and simulate the process of mitigating the ambivalence for less safety behaviour. Specifically, the group model building approach with eight experts was used to map the causal loop diagram and field questionnaire of 209 construction workers were used to collect empirical data for initiating parameters.

Findings

The group model building identified five direct factors of AA, namely the organisational safety support, important others' safety attitude, emotional arousal, safety production experience and work pressure, with seven feedback paths. The questionnaire survey obtained the initial values of the factors in the SD model, with the average ambivalence at 0.389. The ambivalence between cognitive and affective safety attitude was the highest. Model simulation results indicated that safety experience and work pressure had the most significant effects, and safety experience and positive attitude of co-workers could compensate the pressure from tight schedule and budget.

Originality/value

This study provided a new perspective of the dynamic safety attitude under the co-existence of positive and negative attitude, identified its driving factors and their influencing paths. The group model building approach and field questionnaire surveys were used to provide convincible suggestions for empirical safety management with least and most effective approaches and possible interventions to prevent unsafe behaviour with tight schedule and budget.
A between-subject design to evaluate students' employability in the Lebanese labor market
Authors: Kertechian Kevin Sevag , Karkoulian Silva , Ismail Hussein N. , Aad Makhoul Samar Samir
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of experience abroad, academic success and university reputation on students' employability in the Lebanese labor market.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a between-subject design to identify whether academic success, university reputation and experience abroad have an impact on how potential recruiters (i.e. employers) are perceiving student employability. The study uses 16 fictitious applications of business graduates, which differed in grade-point average, university reputation and experience abroad, rated by 784 Lebanese professionals.

Findings

The results suggest that high-performing students with experience abroad and high-performing students from a reputable university are perceived to be more employable. For low-performing students, having completed an experience abroad results in a lower reward in terms of employability.

Research limitations/implications

The present study offers an analysis of students' employability through employers' lens; it offers insights for students on how to be perceived as more employable in a context where competition among future workers is fierce.

Practical implications

The results of this research provide a roadmap for graduates for enhancing their employability in Lebanese markets and offer actionable insights to employers.

Originality/value

The most original contribution of this study is the analysis of university reputation impact on the likelihood of receiving positive feedback during the evaluation process. The impact of two Lebanese universities, one ranked in the QS ranking and one not, was investigated.
Barriers to the implementation of cloud computing for sustainable construction in a developing economy
Authors: Oke Ayodeji Emmanuel , Farouk Kineber Ahmed , Abdel-Tawab Maged , Abubakar Abdurrahman Salihu , Albukhari Ibraheem , Kingsley Chukwuma
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the applicability of cloud computing (CC) and the challenges that contribute to more successful projects with a major sustainable construction development.

Design/methodology/approach

The previous studies provided information on CC implementation barriers, which were then evaluated by 104 construction stakeholders through a questionnaire survey. As a result, the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) approach was used to investigate these barriers. Furthermore, a partial least square structural equation model was used to build a model of these barriers (PLS-SEM).

Findings

The EFA results revealed that the above-noted factors are in a close relation with three key components, i.e. social, economic and communication. In addition, the proposed model results found the social barrier a key challenge to the implementation of CC.

Research limitations/implications

The results from this study can help decision-makers to improve the approaches regarding data fragmentation that has great effects on the execution of all construction projects. The focus of the paper is to enhance the data fragmentation processes. In addition, the results would be useful to strengthen the sustainability of existing construction projects by enhancing the implementation of CC.

Originality/value

The novelty of this research work will provide a solid foundation for critically assessing and appreciating the different barriers affecting the adoption of CC.
Performance, job crafting and work context: practical implications from a multilevel perspective
Authors: Queiroga Fabiana , Franco Gabriel Carvalho , Valentini Felipe , Andrade Érika G.S.A.
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Effort by managers and academics have been applied to understand elements that improving organizational performance and results. This study aims to analyze the relationship among job performance, job crafting, work complexity and learning support. The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey in a study with a regression hierarchical (i.e. multilevel) design.

Design/methodology/approach

Sample included 530 respondents of both sexes with ages ranging from 17 to 68 (M = 33.9; SD = 9.75). Participants were employees from 53 public and private organizations located in the Southeast of Brazil. They answered the scales: General Self-Assessment Scale of Job Performance, Job Crafting Behaviors, Learning Support and Subjective Task Complexity.

Findings

The results indicated that variance in job performance due to the differences among the organizations and learning support can explain 22% of variance at this level. Job crafting explained 22% of the job performance variance at level 1 (worker). It is concluded that the development of actions concerning job crafting and the relationship with the work context predict performance at work. Thus, the authors highlight the importance of maintaining individual-focused management practices, meaning that focusing on workers development promotes good results at the organization.

Originality/value

Results revealed practical implications through individual performance considered in a multilevel perspective both in Levels 1 and 2, which is not the most common for this variable. They could be especially important in scenarios that will demand adaptability and work modification, as the actual ones were observed in the contemporary world of work.
The importance of incorporating relevant-added value into esports sponsorships
Authors: Freitas Bruno Duarte Abreu , Contreras-Espinosa Ruth Sofia , Correia Pedro Álvaro Pereira
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This research aims to identify how important it is that brands incorporate relevant-added value into their esports sponsorships.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory research applied a convergent-parallel mixed method with equal status. Data were collected by interviewing 22 experts in esports sponsorships and having 5,638 esports fans fill out an online survey. SPSS 25 was used to analyze quantitative data and NVIVO 10 to process qualitative data. Each dataset was analyzed separately and then compared with both having the same level of importance.

Findings

The results revealed that all experts considered the creation of relevant-added value as an essential strategy for successful esports sponsorships and the large majority of fans want sponsors to apply this tactic. Interestingly, while the experts mostly emphasized ways to directly benefit the fan-base, the fans prefer that sponsors focus on directly supporting the esports industry.

Practical implications

Brands should incorporate relevant-added value into their esports sponsorships as it greatly decreases fan resistance to the promotional message, catches the fans' attention and engagement much more easily, has a much higher probability of leading to high positive return on investments (ROIs) and makes for a much more cost-effective investment.

Originality/value

The field of esports sponsorships has received little academic attention and the results are highly significant and relevant for all current and potential esports sponsors looking to increase the effectiveness of their esports sponsorships.
Capital structure, stock exchanges in Chile: 2007 to 2016
Authors: Henrique Marcelo Rabelo , Silva Sandro Braz , Saporito Antonio
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The article consists of analyzing the behavior of the determinants of the capital structure of Chilean companies between 2007 and 2016. The objective of this study was achieved through a typology of research based on bibliographic, documentary, exploratory and explanatory, considering annual financial reports from Economática in the chosen period.

Design/methodology/approach

As this is a research study with a quantitative approach, the statistical tools used were descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation, variance inflation factor (VIF) and panel regression.

Findings

The results show that Chilean companies (240) have higher and costly long-term debt. These companies have high averages in current liquidity, return to shareholders, growth in sales and assets and market-to-book (MTB). Long-term debt was highlighted with an explanatory power of 85%. Current liquidity was highlighted as being significant in most of the indebtedness proposed in the survey, failing to register brands like this in expensive short-term and long-term indebtedness. It is noticed that flip flops companies are more prone to the pecking order theory (POT). The gap occupied by this study is linked to research involving South American countries, especially the Chilean market, and the determinants of the capital structure.

Originality/value

As future research, it is suggested to include other types of variables related to indebtedness and the same action for its determinants, in addition to the speed technique of adjusting corporate debts.
Does the low-risk anomaly exist in the Indian equity market? A test using alternative risk measures
Authors: Ali Asgar , Badhani K.N. , Kumar Ashish
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the risk-return trade-off in the Indian equity market at both the aggregate equity market level and in the cross-sections of stock return using alternative risk measures.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses weekly and monthly data of 3,085 Bombay Stock Exchange-listed stocks spanning over 20 years from January 2000 to December 2019. The study evaluates the risk-return trade-off at the aggregate equity market level using the value-weighted and the equal-weighted broader portfolios. Eight different risk proxies belonging to the conventional, downside and extreme risk categories are considered to analyse the cross-sectional risk-return relationship.

Findings

The results show a positive equity premium on the value-weighted portfolio; however, the equal-weighted portfolio of these stocks shows an average return lower than the return on the 91-day Treasury Bills. The inverted size premium mainly causes this anomaly in the Indian equity market as the small stocks have lower returns than big stocks. The study presents a strong negative risk-return relationship across different risk proxies. However, under the subsample of more liquid stocks, the low-risk anomaly regarding other risk proxies becomes moderate except the beta-anomaly. This anomalous relationship seems to be caused by small and less liquid stocks having low institutional ownership and higher short-selling constraints.

Practical implications

The findings have important implications for investors, managers and practitioners. Investors can incorporate the effects of different highlighted anomalies in their investment strategies to fetch higher returns. Managers can also use these findings in their capital budgeting decisions, resource allocations and other diverse range of direct and indirect decisions, particularly in emerging markets such as India. The findings provide insights to practitioners while valuing the firms.

Originality/value

The study is among the earlier attempts to examine the risk-return trade-off in an emerging equity market at both the aggregate equity market level and in the cross-sections of stock returns using alternative measures of risk and expected returns.
Legacies of the COVID-19 pandemic for language education: focusing on institutes managers’ lived experiences
Authors: Tafazoli Dara , Atefi Boroujeni Samira
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to compare the use of technology in language institutes before and amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, the authors illustrate the legacies of the COVID-19 pandemic for language institutes from the managers’ perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

In the current study, the authors went through a systematic process of collecting qualitative data, discovering sub-categories, forming categories out of them and explaining the topic under investigation using selected categories.

Findings

The findings showed that the use of technology has dramatically changed from limited usage for administrative purposes and computer-assisted language learning to building the future of an institute based on online education. Also, the health and education pandemics had positive legacies for language education in making a decision to move to fully online education for having a more sustainable organization, solving the potential problems of an organization with collaboration and cooperation between the managers and employees based on integrity, developing teachers’ knowledge, literacy and skills which lead to the best practices in online language teaching and shifting to flexible schedule based on the students’ needs and timetable which increases the accessibility of language education.

Originality/value

Based on the review, none of the previous research focused on the critical role of managers in language institutes facing the pandemic. Thus, the relationship between managerial decisions in technology integration, readiness for transformation and moving to online language education is still vague.
Impact of corporate tax aggressiveness on firm value: evidence from India
Authors: Arora Taruntej Singh , Gill Suveera
Published: December 2021

Purpose

There is mixed evidence in the extant literature on the firm value implications of corporate tax aggressiveness in the developed economies. There are, however, limited studies that discuss this relationship in the case of emerging economies. The present study aims to bridge this research gap by exploring the relationship between corporate tax aggressiveness and firm value in context of the Indian economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprises 547 S&P BSE 500 (Standard and Poor's Bombay Stock Exchange 500) Index companies for Financial Year (FY) 2009–10 through FY 2018–19. A fixed-effects panel model has been used to discern the impact of corporate tax aggressiveness on firm value with and without the moderating effect of a proxy for corporate governance strength.

Findings

The results highlight a significant negative relationship between corporate tax aggressiveness and firm value in India, whilst the analysis on the moderating effect of corporate governance strength on this relationship revealed a mix of significant and insignificant results. These results were robust to an alternate specification of the corporate governance strength proxy, the system GMM estimation employed to deal with endogeneity and a change in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) regulation brought into effect by the Companies Act, 2013.

Originality/value

The study reveals a firm value discount associated with corporate tax aggressiveness in India which is likely due to its ability to increase opportunities for wealth expropriation by managers. This can further be attributed to the ineffective corporate governance mechanisms that make agency problems more severe in the case of emerging economies like India.
Microstructural and compositional evolution of SAC305/TiN composite solder under thermal stressing
Authors: Chen Guang , Wu Yao-Feng
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of titanium nitride (TiN) on microstructure and composition of 96.5Sn3Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) lead-free solder joints under a large temperature gradient.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, SAC305 lead-free composite solder containing 0.05 Wt.% TiN was prepared by powder metallurgy method. A temperature gradient generator was designed and the corresponding samples were also prepared. The microstructural evolution, internal structure and elemental content of SAC305 and SAC305/TiN solder joints before and after thermal loading were comparatively studied.

Findings

The experimental results show that the addition of the TiN reinforcing phase can effectively inhibit the diffusion and migration of copper atoms and, therefore, affect the distribution of newly formed Cu-Sn IMC in solder joints under the condition of thermal migration (TM). Compared with the SAC305 solder joint, the interconnection interface and internal structure of the composite solder joint after 600 h of TM are also relatively complete.

Originality/value

The TiN reinforcing phase is proven effective to mitigate the TM behavior in solder joints under thermal stressing. Specifically, based on the observation and analysis results of microstructure and internal structure of composite solder joint, the TiN particle can change the temperature gradient distribution of the solder joint, so as to suppress the diffusion and migration of Sn and Cu atoms. In addition, the results of Micro-CT and compositional analysis also indicate that the addition of TiN reinforcement is very helpful to maintain the structural integrity and the compositional stability of the solder joint. Different from other ceramic reinforcements, TiN has good thermo- and electro-conductivity and the thermal-electrical performance of composite solder will not be significantly affected by this reinforcement, which is also the main advantage of selecting TiN as the reinforcing phase to prepare composite solder. This study can not only provide preliminary experimental support for the preparation of high reliability lead-free composite solder but also provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent study (such as electro-thermo distribution in solder joints), which has important application significance.
f‐Statistics estimation and admixture graph construction with Pool‐Seq or allele count data using the R package poolfstat
Authors: Gautier Mathieu , Vitalis Renaud , Flori Laurence , Estoup Arnaud
Published: November 2021

By capturing various patterns of the structuring of genetic variation across populations, ‐statistics have proved highly effective for the inference of demographic history. Such statistics are defined as covariances of SNP allele frequency differences among sets of populations without requiring haplotype information and are hence particularly relevant for the analysis of pooled sequencing (Pool‐Seq) data. We here propose a reinterpretation of the (and ) parameters in terms of probability of gene identity and derive from this unified definition unbiased estimators for both Pool‐Seq data and standard allele count data obtained from individual genotypes. We implemented these estimators in a new version of the R package poolfstat, which now includes a wide range of inference methods: (i) three‐population test of admixture; (ii) four‐population test of treeness; (iii) ‐ratio estimation of admixture rates; and (iv) fitting, visualization and (semi‐automatic) construction of admixture graphs. A comprehensive evaluation of the methods implemented in poolfstat on both simulated Pool‐Seq (with various sequencing coverages and error rates) and allele count data confirmed the accuracy of these approaches, even for the most cost‐effective Pool‐Seq design involving relatively low sequencing coverages. We further analysed a real Pool‐Seq data made of 14 populations of the invasive species Drosophila suzukii, which allowed refining both the demographic history of native populations and the invasion routes followed by this emblematic pest. Our new package poolfstat provides the community with a user‐friendly and efficient all‐in‐one tool to unravel complex population genetic histories from large‐size Pool‐Seq or allele count SNP data.
Chromosome‐level de novo genome assembly and whole‐genome resequencing of the threatened species Acanthochlamys bracteata (Velloziaceae) provide insights into alpine plant divergence in a biodiversity hotspot
Authors: Xu Bo , Liao Min , Deng Heng‐ning , Yan Chao‐chao , Lv Yun‐yun , Gao Yun‐dong , Ju Wen‐bin , Zhang Jun‐yi , Jiang Li‐sha , Li Xiong , Gao Xin‐fen
Published: November 2021

The Hengduan Mountains region is an important hotspot of alpine plant diversity and endemism. Acanthochlamys bracteata is a species of a threatened monotypic genus endemic to the Hengduan Mountains. In this study, we present a high‐quality, chromosome‐level reference genome for A. bracteata, constructed using long reads, short reads and Hi‐C technology. We characterized its genetic diversity, population structure, demographic history and gene flow by resequencing individuals collected across its distribution. Comparative genomics analyses based on sequence information from single‐copy orthologous genes revealed that A. bracteata and Dioscorea rotundata diverged ~104.5 million years ago. Whole‐genome resequencing based on population genetic analysis revealed that the division of the 14 populations into 10 distinct clusters reflected geographical divergence, and three separate high levels of gene flow occurred sequentially between isolated populations of the Hengduan Mountains, a finding which is consistent with the turnover between ice ages and interglacial periods. Our findings indicate that Quaternary climatic changes played an important role in shaping the genetic structure and demographic trajectories of A. bracteata, and provide critical insights into the genetic status and evolutionary history of this poorly understood species, and possibly other alpine plants with a similar distribution. This study demonstrates the usefulness of population genomics for evaluating the effects of past climatic changes and identifying conservation units for the conservation and management of threatened species. Our high‐quality genome represents a valuable resource for future studies of the underlying molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution and provides insight for further comparative genomic analysis with other Velloziaceae species.
Clinical outcome, long‐term survival and tolerability of sequential therapy of first‐line crizotinib followed by alectinib in advanced ALK+NSCLC: A multicenter retrospective analysis in China
Authors: Zou Zihua , Hao Xuezhi , Zhang Cuiying , Li Haojing , Dong Guilan , Peng Yumei , Ma Kewei , Guo Ye , Shan Li , Zhang Yan , Liang Li , Gu Yangchun , Xing Puyuan , Li Junling
Published: December 2021

Background

There is limited data on the clinical outcome, long‐term survival and tolerability of sequential therapy of first‐line crizotinib followed by alectinib in a real‐world setting for Chinese patients with advanced ALK+ NSCLC.

Methods

The medical records of patients who received sequential therapy with first‐line crizotinib followed by alectinib (no intermittent systemic therapy was allowed between the two ALK‐TKIs) were collected from six centers in China. Combined time treatment to failure (C‐TTF) was defined as the period from the start of crizotinib to the complete discontinuation of alectinib due to any cause.

Results

A total of 61 patients were included in our study. Fifty‐two patients were switched to alectinib due to disease progression, seven as a result of toxicity, and two due to patient preference. At the time of data cutoff, alectinib treatment was discontinued in 31 patients on account of disease progression while severe adverse events resulted in cessation of alectinib in another two patients. Rebiopsy was conducted in 21 patients following disease progression on alectinib in whom ALK secondary mutation was found in 13 patients. Patients with ALK secondary mutation demonstrated better PFS during treatment with subsequent ALK‐TKIs compared with those without (10.4 vs. 3.1 m, p = 0.0018, HR = 0.08). With a median follow‐up of 34.3 months, C‐TTF was 39.2 months and estimated 5‐year OS was 68.6% in the overall population.

Conclusion

Sequential therapy with first‐line crizotinib followed by alectinib demonstrated long‐term benefits. Different efficacy in subsequent ALK‐TKI between patients with or without ALK secondary mutation further emphasized the importance of rebiopsy to guide targeted therapy more precisely.