bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single-cell RNA-seq of the Developing Cardiac Outflow Tract Reveals Convergent Development of the Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells at the Base of the Great Arteries
Authors: Liu Xuanyu , Chen Wen , Li Wenke , Priest James R. , Wang Jikui , Zhou Zhou
Published: November 2018

Rationale

Cardiac outflow tract (OFT) is a major hotspot for congenital heart diseases (CHDs). A thorough understanding of the cellular diversity, transitions and regulatory networks of normal OFT development is essential to decipher the etiology of OFT malformations.

Objective

We sought to explore the cellular diversity and transitions between cell lineages during OFT development.

Methods and Results

We performed single-cell transcriptomic sequencing of 55,611 mouse OFT cells from three developmental stages that generally correspond to the early, middle and late stages of OFT remodeling and septation. We identified 17 cell clusters that could be assigned to six cell lineages. Among these lineages, the macrophage and VSMC lineages of the developing OFT have seldom been previously described. Known cellular transitions, such as endothelial to mesenchymal transition, have been recapitulated. In particular, we identified convergent development of the VSMC lineage, where intermediate cell subpopulations were found to be involved in either myocardial to VSMC trans-differentiation or mesenchymal to VSMC transition. Through single-moleculein situhybridization, we observed that cells expressing the myocardial markerMyh7co-expressed the VSMC marker geneCxcl12in OFT walls, thus confirming the existence of myocardial to VSMC trans-differentiation. Moreover, we found that thePenk+cluster c8, a relatively small mesenchymal subpopulation that was undergoing mesenchymal to VSMC transition, was associated with the fusion of OFT cushions. We also uncovered the expression dynamics and critical transcriptional regulators potentially governing cell state transitions. Finally, we developed web-based interactive interfaces to facilitate further data exploration.

Conclusions

We provide a single-cell reference map of cell states for normal OFT development, which will be a valuable resource for the CHD community. Our data support the existence of myocardial to VSMC trans-differentiation and convergent development of the VSMC lineage at the base of the great arteries.
Virus genomes from deep sea sediments expand the ocean megavirome and support independent origins of viral gigantism
Authors: Bäckström Disa , Yutin Natalya , Jørgensen Steffen L. , Dharamshi Jennah , Homa Felix , Zaremba-Niedwiedzka Katarzyna , Spang Anja , Wolf Yuri I. , Koonin Eugene V. , Ettema Thijs J. G.
Published: November 2018

The Nucleocytoplasmic Large DNA Viruses (NCLDV) of eukaryotes (proposed order ”Megavirales”) include the familiesPoxviridae, Asfarviridae, Iridoviridae, Ascoviridae, Phycodnaviridae, Marseilleviridae,andMimiviridae, as well as still unclassified Pithoviruses, Pandoraviruses, Molliviruses and Faustoviruses. Several of these virus groups include giant viruses, with genome and particle sizes exceeding those of many bacterial and archaeal cells. We explored the diversity of the NCLDV in deep-sea sediments from the Loki’s Castle hydrothermal vent area. Using metagenomics, we reconstructed 23 high quality genomic bins of novel NCLDV, 15 of which are closest related to Pithoviruses, 5 to Marseilleviruses, 1 to Iridoviruses, and 2 to Klosneuviruses. Some of the identified Pitho-like and Marseille-like genomes belong to deep branches in the phylogenetic tree of core NCLDV genes, substantially expanding the diversity and phylogenetic depth of the respective groups. The discovered viruses have a broad range of apparent genome sizes including putative giant members of the familyMarseilleviridae, in agreement with multiple, independent origins of gigantism in different branches of the NCLDV. Phylogenomic analysis reaffirms the monophyly of the Pitho-Irido-Marseille branch of NCLDV. Similarly to other giant viruses, the Pitho-like viruses from Loki’s Castle encode translation systems components. Phylogenetic analysis of these genes indicates a greater bacterial contribution than detected previously. Genome comparison suggests extensive gene exchange between members of the Pitho-like viruses andMimiviridae. Further exploration of the genomic diversity of “Megavirales” in additional sediment samples is expected to yield new insights into the evolution of giant viruses and the composition of the ocean megavirome.

Importance

Genomics and evolution of giant viruses is one of the most vigorously developing areas of virus research. Lately, metagenomics has become the main source of new virus genomes. Here we describe a metagenomic analysis of the genomes of large and giant viruses from deep sea sediments. The assembled new virus genomes substantially expand the known diveristy of the Nucleo-Cytoplasmic Large DNA Viruses of eukaryotes. The results support the concept of independent evolution of giant viruses from smaller ancestors in different virus branches.
Deep Unfolded Robust PCA with Application to Clutter Suppression in Ultrasound
Authors: Solomon Oren , Cohen Regev , Zhang Yi , Yang Yi , Qiong He , Luo Jianwen , Sloun Ruud J.G. van , Eldar Yonina C.
Published: November 2018

Contrast enhanced ultrasound is a radiation-free imaging modality which uses encapsulated gas microbubbles for improved visualization of the vascular bed deep within the tissue. It has recently been used to enable imaging with unprecedented subwavelength spatial resolution by relying on super-resolution techniques. A typical preprocessing step in super-resolution ultrasound is to separate the microbubble signal from the cluttering tissue signal. This step has a crucial impact on the final image quality. Here, we propose a new approach to clutter removal based on robust principle component analysis (PCA) and deep learning. We begin by modeling the acquired contrast enhanced ultrasound signal as a combination of a low rank and sparse components. This model is used in robust PCA and was previously suggested in the context of ultrasound Doppler processing and dynamic magnetic resonance imaging. We then illustrate that an iterative algorithm based on this model exhibits improved separation of microbubble signal from the tissue signal over commonly practiced methods. Next, we apply the concept of deep unfolding to suggest a deep network architecture tailored to our clutter filtering problem which exhibits improved convergence speed and accuracy with respect to its iterative counterpart. We compare the performance of the suggested deep network on both simulations and in-vivo rat brain scans, with a commonly practiced deep-network architecture and the fast iterative shrinkage algorithm, and show that our architecture exhibits better image quality and contrast.
Covalent Aurora A regulation by the metabolic integrator coenzyme A
Authors: Tsuchiya Yugo , Byrne Dominic P , Burgess Selena G , Bormann Jenny , Bakovic Jovana , Huang Yueyan , Zhyvoloup Alexander , Peak-Chew Sew , Tran Trang , Bellany Fiona , Tabor Alethea , Chan AW Edith , Guruprasad Lalitha , Garifulin Oleg , Filonenko Valeriy , Ferries Samantha , Eyers Claire E , Carroll John , Skehel Mark , Bayliss Richard , Eyers Patrick A , Gout Ivan
Published: November 2018

Aurora A is a cell cycle protein kinase implicated in multiple human cancers, and several Aurora A-specific kinase inhibitors have progressed into clinical trials. In this study, we report structural and cellular analysis of a novel biochemical mode of Aurora A inhibition, which occurs through reversible covalent interaction with the universal metabolic integrator coenzyme A (CoA). Mechanistically, the CoA 3’-phospho ADP moiety interacts with Thr 217, an Aurora A selectivity filter, which permits the formation of an unprecedented covalent bond with Cys 290 in the kinase activation segment, lying some 15 Å away. CoA modification (CoAlation) of endogenous Aurora A is rapidly induced by oxidative stresses at Cys 290 in human cells, and microinjection of CoA into mouse embryos perturbs meitoic spindle formation and chromosome alignment. Aurora A regulation by CoA reveals how targeting of Aurora A might be accomplished in the future by development of a ‘double-anchored’ covalent inhibitor.
Dual cryo-radiofrequency ablation enhances lesion depth in beating human left ventricular preparations
Authors: Sulkin Matthew S. , Laughner Jacob I. , Rogge Michael , Philpott Jonathan M. , Efimov Igor R.
Published: November 2018

Thermally-mediated ablation has utilized various energy sources, including cryothermal, radiofrequency (RF), microwave, laser, and high-frequency ultrasound with the goal of creating lesions to terminate focal sources or block reentrant wavefronts. RF- and cryo-ablation (CR) cause cell death through different mechanisms, and leave behind tissue with altered thermal-electric properties. We aimed to assess the effect of sequential RF and CR combinations on lesion size. Left ventricular (LV) wedge preparations (n=17) were dissected from ten donated human hearts and four epicardial ablation protocols were compared: 1) RF-RF (n=7); 2) CR-CR (n=7); 3) RF-CR (n=7); and 4) CR-RF (n=7). Preparations were continuously paced and perfused with oxygenated Tyrode solution. Ablated tissue was perfused for 3 hours, sectioned, and stained with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride to delineate necrosis. The effect of initial thermal-electric tissue properties on lesion depth during RF application was determined using a finite element method (FEM). CR-RF generated the deepest lesion (p<0.05) compared to protocols 1-3, while lesion width and area were similar among protocols. No energy combination produced a transmural lesion (n=0 of 28) in LV preparations. FEM showed that electrical conductivity plays a more significant role in lesion creation compared to thermal conductivity. A 33% increase in the initial thermal and electrical tissue conductivity generated a 21% deeper lesion. We conclude that sequential application of CR followed by RF created the deepest lesion in beating human LV preparations. This increase in lesion depth may translate into improved therapeutic outcomes for arrhythmias with intramural origins.
Proliferation Saturation Index in an adaptive Bayesian approach to predict patient-specific radiotherapy responses
Authors: Sunassee Enakshi D. , Tan Dean , Ji Tianlin , Brady Renee , Moros Eduardo G. , Caudell Jimmy J. , Yartsev Slav , Enderling Heiko
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Radiotherapy prescription dose and dose fractionation protocols vary little between individual patients having the same tumor grade and stage. To personalize radiotherapy a predictive model is needed to simulate radiation response. Previous modeling attempts with multiple variables and parameters have been shown to yield excellent data fits at the cost of nonidentifiability and clinically unrealistic results.

Materials and Methods

We develop a mathematical model based on a proliferation saturation index (PSI) that is a measurement of pre-treatment tumor volume-to-carrying capacity ratio that modulates intrinsic tumor growth and radiation response rates. In an adaptive Bayesian approach, we utilize an increasing number of data points for individual patients for predicting response to subsequent radiation doses.

Results

Model analysis shows that using PSI as the only patient-specific parameter, model simulations can fit longitudinal clinical data with high accuracy (R2=0.84). By analyzing tumor response to radiation using daily CT scans early in the treatment, response to the remaining treatment fractions can be predicted after two weeks with high accuracy (c-index=0.89).

Conclusion

The PSI model may be suited to forecast treatment response for individual patients and offer actionable decision points for mid-treatment protocol adaptation. The presented work provides an actionable image-derived biomarker prior to and during therapy to personalize and adapt radiotherapy.
IL-11 neutralising therapies target hepatic stellate cell-induced liver inflammation and fibrosis in NASH
Authors: Widjaja Anissa A. , Singh Brijesh K. , Adami Eleonora , Viswanathan Sivakumar , D’Agostino Giuseppe A. , Dong Jinrui , Ng Benjamin , Tan Jessie , Paleja Bhairav S. , Tripathi Madhulika , Lim Sze Yun , Chothani Sonia P. , Lim Wei Wen , Rabes Anne , Sombetzki Martina , Bruinstroop Eveline , Sinha Rohit A. , Albani Salvatore , Yen Paul M. , Schafer Sebastian , Cook Stuart A.
Published: November 2018

The transformation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) into myofibroblasts is the defining pathobiology in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Here we show that key NASH factors induce IL-11, which drives an autocrine and ERK-dependent activation loop to initiate and maintain HSC-to-myofibroblast transformation, causing liver fibrosis. IL-11 is upregulated in NASH andIl11ra1-deleted mice are strongly protected from liver fibrosis, inflammation and steatosis in murine NASH. Therapeutic inhibition of IL11RA or IL-11 with novel neutralizing antibodies robustly inhibits NASH pathology in preclinical models and reverses established liver fibrosis by promoting HSC senescence and favourable matrix remodelling. When given early in NASH, IL-11 inhibition prevents liver inflammation and steatosis, reverses severe hepatocyte damage and reduces hepatic immune cells and TGFβ1 levels. Our findings show an unappreciated and central role for IL-11 in HSCs and prioritise IL-11 signalling as a new therapeutic target in NASH while revealing an unexpected pro-inflammatory function for IL-11 in stromal immunity.
The Toll pathway inhibits tissue growth and regulates cell fitness in an infection-dependent manner
Authors: Germani Federico , Hain Daniel , Sternlicht Denise , Moreno Eduardo , Basler Konrad
Published: November 2018

The Toll pathway regulates the cellular response to infection via the transcriptional upregulation of antimicrobial peptides. Apart from its role in innate immunity, this pathway has also been reported to be important for the elimination of loser cells in a process referred to as cell competition, which can be locally triggered by secreted factors released from winner cells. In this work we provide evidence that the inhibition of Toll signaling not only increases the fitness of loser cells, but also bestows a clonal growth advantage on wild-type cells. We further demonstrate that this growth advantage depends on basal infection levels since it is no longer present under axenic conditions but exacerbated upon intense pathogen exposure. Thus, the Toll pathway functions as a fine-tuned pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative regulator, underlining the existence of a trade-off between innate immunity and growth during development.
Comparative transcriptome and proteome profiling of the chlorophyll metabolism pathway in four cultivars ofMagnolia officinalis
Authors: Wu Qinahua , Wei Dan , Liu Yuping , Ren Chaoxiang , Liu Qianqian , Chen Cuiping , chen Jiang , Pei Jin
Published: November 2018

Magnolia officinalisis an important herb in Chinese medicine that has good therapeutic effects on gastrointestinal motility and helps regulate the spleen and stomach.Magnolia officinalisRehd.et Wils. (abbreviated as CH)、Magnolia officinalisRehd.et Wils. var. biloba’ DaAoye’ (abbreviated as DA)、Magnolia officinalisRehd.et Wils. var. biloba‘XiaoAoye’ (abbreviated as XA)、Magnolia officinalisRehd.et Wils. var. biloba‘Liuye’ (abbreviated as LY) are the four main cultivars in Dujiangyan city, Sichuan province in China, and DA has better medicinal effects and higher levels of green pigment than the other three cultivars. Proteomics research not only provides new insights into protein expression patterns but also enables the identification of many attractive candidates for further research on the effects of pesticides on chlorophyll metabolism inMagnolia officinalis. Transcriptome and proteome analysis of the four mainMagnolia officinaliscultivars in Sichuan province in China identified 125,100 unigenes and 6,012 proteins. Proteomic data and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) revealed that porphobilinogen deaminase, uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase, oxygen-dependent coproporphyrinogen-III oxidase, protoporphyrinogen oxidase 1, magnesium protoporphyrin IX methyltransferase, magnesium-protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester oxidative cyclase, and protochlorophyllide reductase-like protein, all of which are involved in chlorophyll synthesis, have higher expression levels in DA than in the other three cultivars. This finding is consistent with the observation that DA has the highest concentration of chlorophyll (37.56 mg/g Fw) of the four cultivars. This research is beneficial to the understanding of the differences in the growth of the four cultivars on the molecular level.
From an “idea generator” to a “solution facilitator”
Authors: Lee Pui Yuen , Lau Kung Wong
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The rise of social media marketing has brought significant implications for advertising industry and its organizations. The traditional role of advertising professionals had been changing from a clear identity to an unclear one. However, previous research has studied relatively little about advertising professionals’ roles and identities or how they may be changing in the social media marketing era. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative, interpretive approach was taken in this study. It involved 32 in-depth interviews with advertising professionals in advertising organizations differing in size, digital focus and ownership in different multinational full-service advertising organizations and digital organizations.

Findings

The findings indicated that the role of advertising professionals is innovating from a traditional “idea generator” to a “solution facilitator” in response to the social media marketing.

Originality/value

This study identified the key experiences of advertising professionals that they were found to have divergent role identities linked to their identification with traditional and digital organizations.
Market moods: an investor sentiment event study
Authors: French Jordan
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide insight to practitioners who wish to forecast market returns based on event occurrences.

Design/methodology/approach

Using 64 distinct events that reoccurred from 2007 to 2016 in six different nations of both developing and developed economies, this study used an event study methodology to test whether or not sentiment impacted market returns.

Findings

This study found that investor sentiment did impact market returns. Furthermore, events that were in developed economies or were negative impacted the market returns more than events that are in developing economies or positive. The study also provides important information on the speed of price adjustment to new information. The events selected include festive holidays, bombings, natural disasters and sports matches, among other events which had been found to alter mood. This paper also found no empirical difference between using the statistical mean and economic capital asset pricing models. However, the Wilcoxon rank test did provide more significant events than the more conservative Corrado rank test.

Originality/value

Most comprehensive investor sentiment impact on market returns paper using an event study methodology. The results have implications for those who wish to forecast market returns based on event occurrences.
A scientometric analysis of e-participation research
Authors: Qi Tuotuo , Wang Tianmei , Ma Yanlin , Zhang Wei , Zhu Yanchun
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Due to the increasing demand for public services, as a new form of public governance, e-participation has emerged. Scholars from various disciplines have published plenty of research results on e-participation. This paper aims to reveal the research status frontiers directly by mapping knowledge domains.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors take 1,322 articles on e-participation published in Web of Science from 2001 to 2017 as research object. They then run the information visualization software CiteSpace to drill deeper into the literature data.

Findings

The study found that e-participation research has the obvious interdisciplinary feature; the author and institution cooperation networks with less internal cooperation are relatively sparse; the USA ranks first in the field of e-participation research, followed by the UK, with the other countries lagged behind; and e-participation through social media is gradually becoming the new research focus.

Originality/value

Based on the objective data and information visualization technology, the research intuitively reveals the research status and development trend of e-participation.
Practical relevance of theory-driven supply chain management research
Authors: Liu Xiaohong , McKinnon Alan C.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which theory-driven supply chain management (SCM) research is of practical relevance. It does this on the basis of empirical research in China.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-pronged approach was adopted. First, 57 theory-driven SCM studies based in China published in ten leading journals between 2006 and 2015 were surveyed. Second, a questionnaire survey of Chinese managers identified their practical concerns and assessed their alignment with the content of the academic papers.

Findings

Some academic research on SCM does probe industry-relevant problems. From an academic perspective, this confirms that theory-driven SCM research can be of practical value. Overall, however, the survey found that much of the SCM research works do not translate into actionable knowledge for practitioners. Academic research in this field could pursue a more pragmatic path and enhance its practical utility. Two critical components of this path, “practical observation” and “practical verification,” are highlighted.

Research limitations/implications

As the literature review was confined to ten leading journals, relevant papers in other journals were possibly excluded. The research was confined to China and so the results are not necessarily generalizable to other countries.

Practical implications

Chinese academics and practitioners could collaborate in defining research agendas and directions. This would help researchers direct their theory building to issues of relevance to business.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the relevance of theory-driven SCM research from academic and practitioner perspectives in China. It shows how this research might have greater impact on business practice.
Emergency evacuation planning in natural disasters under diverse population and fleet characteristics
Authors: Baou Evangelia , Koutras Vasilis P. , Zeimpekis Vasileios , Minis Ioannis
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to formulate and solve a new emergency evacuation planning problem. This problem addresses the needs of both able and disabled persons who are evacuated from multiple pick-up locations and transported using a heterogeneous fleet of vehicles.

Design/methodology/approach

The problem is formulated using a mixed integer linear programming model and solved using a heuristic algorithm. The authors analyze the selected heuristic with respect to key parameters and use it to address theoretical and practical case studies.

Findings

Evacuating people with disabilities has a significant impact on total evacuation time, due to increased loading/unloading times. Additionally, increasing the number of large capacity vehicles adapted to transport individuals with disabilities benefits total evacuation time.

Research limitations/implications

The mathematical model is of high complexity and it is not possible to obtain exact solutions in reasonable computational times. The efficiency of the heuristic has not been analyzed with respect to optimality.

Practical implications

Solving the problem by a heuristic provides a fast solution, a requirement in emergency evacuation cases, especially when the state of the theater of the emergency changes dynamically. The parametric analysis of the heuristic provides valuable insights in improving an emergency evacuation system.

Social implications

Efficient population evacuation studied in this work may save lives. This is especially critical for disabled evacuees, the evacuation of whom requires longer operational times.

Originality/value

The authors consider a population that comprises able and disabled individuals, the latter with varying degrees of disability. The authors also consider a heterogeneous fleet of vehicles, which perform multiple trips during the evacuation process.
Conditions of caring for the elderly and family caregiver stress in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Authors: Tamdee Decha , Tamdee Patrapan , Greiner Chieko , Boonchiang Waraporn , Okamoto Nahoko , Isowa Tokiko
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The family caregivers play an important role in the good quality of life for the elderly, but most of them can easily have an emotional and psychological effect on caregiving. The purpose of this paper is to explore the correlation between conditions of caring for the elderly in the family and caregiver stress in a community setting, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional exploratory descriptive research was conducted in Ban Klang Subdistrict, San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai Province. Simple random sampling was used to collect data by using a structured interview via a questionnaire with 103 elderly caregivers. The χ2 test was used to explain the conditions related to stress as being a caregiver.

Findings

Most of the caregivers were female and still in good health, but at the same time, underwent little stress. However, they did not receive any training beforehand for taking care of the elderly but mainly done by experience, relationship and gratitude. The conditions correlated with stress as being a caregiver were health status of caregivers, confidence of care, the relationship between caregiver and elderly person, and economic burden of care.

Originality/value

A necessary resource such as body of knowledge in elderly caregiving, long-term care system at the community level and social support from family and intimate persons will encourage confidence in taking care of the elderly in the family and also relieve caregivers’ stress.
The need for Islamic accounting standards: the Malaysian Islamic financial institutions experience
Authors: Mohammed Nor Farizal , Mohd Fahmi Fadzlina , Ahmad Asyaari Elmiza
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine views of financial statements preparers with regard to the practices in reporting Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs), thereby contributing to answer whether there is indeed a need for a separate set of Islamic accounting standards for IFIs.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon seven in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with IFIs’ leading officers who are highly involved in preparing financial statements in Malaysia, the paper offers evidence on the current stance of reporting the operation of IFIs, the influence of AAOIFI accounting standards and the feasible application of IFRSs in reporting IFIs.

Findings

While it is shown that most of the interviewees admit the feasibility of IFRSs in reporting IFIs, many interviewees placed greater emphasis on the spirit of Islam based on Islamic contract. In that case, the findings show that to convince the public that they offer Shariah compliance products approved by Shariah Advisory Council, there is a need for specificity guidelines or standards for IFIs within the IFRS framework. The main concern raised in the paper is that separate Islamic accounting standard is not needed, instead the option needs to be within the IFRS framework with the collaboration work of Accounting and Auditing for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) and the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB).

Originality/value

With the recent rapid growth of IFIs, this paper contributes regarding the inconclusive stance on the need for specificity accounting standards for IFIs such as the ones issued by AAOIFI. It adds to the current body of knowledge by highlighting the collaboration of the AAOIFI and the IASB for the intended specific guidelines for IFIs to be accepted globally.
Measurement challenges of supply chain performance in complex shipping environments
Authors: Panayides Photis , Borch Odd Jarl , Henk Anastasiya
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Logistics service performance measurement (PM) is a fundamental activity pertaining to the achievement of logistics goals and the improvement of services. The choice of logistics PM criteria depends on stakeholder goals and expectations, including logistics service providers, customers and government and regulatory institutions. PM is especially challenging in areas where high values are at stake, several actors are involved and uncertainty about cause-and-effect relations is high. This paper aims to examine the measurement of performance in offshore oil and gas logistics, which has unique characteristics such as a supply chain (SC) exposed to a harsh environment, the presence of several independent carriers and a highly specialised and costly set of vessels involved in long-distance transport legs.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is designed as a multiple case study of two Norwegian shipping companies and two international oil and gas companies. Data were collected from several parts of the offshore service SC in several Arctic oil and gas fields.

Findings

This paper sheds light on the performance of the SC and presents key performance indicators for logistics operations. It concludes that the measurement of SC performance must be context-specific and emphasis needs to be placed on the degree of uncertainty and inter-dependency related to the SC in question.

Originality/value

The study suggests a list of context-specific key performance indicators for offshore logistics with a special emphasis on the peculiarities of a harsh operational environment.
Impact of carbon emissions on cost of debt-evidence from India
Authors: Kumar Praveen , Firoz Mohammad
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between carbon emissions and a firm’s cost of debt (COD) in the Indian context.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study is based on the Indian firms who disclose their emissions data under the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) during the period 2011 to 2014. The selection model is being used to remove the problem of endogeneity and sample selection bias. Further, the testing model is being used to examine the impact of carbon emissions on the COD.

Findings

The present study found that the coefficient of carbon emissions is positively and significantly associated with the COD. Moreover, the outcomes of the robustness test further show that the COD will be higher for polluting firms than environmentally friendly firms in India.

Research limitations/implications

The study has covered all the companies from India who are disclosing their emissions data under the CDP, London. The study will be most relevant for financial planning and capital structure design by the Indian companies. However, in designing the capital structure, the only COD is being covered in this study.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, the present study is a first of its kind to investigate the relationship between firms’ carbon emissions level and COD in the Indian context.
The impact of board secretaries’ excess compensation on corporate disclosure quality
Authors: Peng Qing , Tang Xuesong , Zheng Yuxin
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Extensively public concern on “Huge Executive Compensation” makes it urgent to investigate the reasonability of high executive compensation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of compensation contracting based on the specific responsibility of executives. More specifically, this paper is to examine whether high compensation is helpful to mitigate agency problems.

Design/methodology/approach

Considering that board secretaries of listed companies are responsible for information disclosure in China, this paper examines the effect of board secretaries’ excess compensation on firms’ disclosure quality using listed company data from 2007 to 2015. The first measure of disclosure quality is based on the disclosure violation behavior of firms, and the second is KV value that represents the extent to which the investors relay on the stock trading volume. To provide additional confidence that the findings are robust, this paper further conducts two indirect tests based on rumors and cost of equity capital.

Findings

The results show that board secretaries’ excess compensation is negatively associated with the probability of information disclosure violation and also negatively associated with firms’ KV value, suggesting firms that pay high compensation to their information providers are more likely to provide high-quality disclosures. Besides, this paper further finds that board secretaries’ excess compensation is negatively related to the incidence of rumors, the number of rumors incurred or the cost of equity capital.

Research limitations/implications

Overall, the findings provide support to the efficient contracting of executive compensation, which implies that highly paid board secretaries would be better information providers than those poorly paid.

Practical implications

This paper provides empirical evidence that firms’ disclosure quality can be improved by modifying the compensation contract of information providers. This may indicate a new way to improve the quality of disclosures, so as to mitigate the agency problem.

Social implications

In spite of the public criticism on executive excess compensation, the high compensation is not always a signal of manipulation, collusion and self-interest. It also can be a signal of individual talents and great efforts. Board secretaries are worth to be highly paid if they can improve firms’ disclosures, thereby reducing the incidence of rumors and reducing the cost of equity capital.

Originality/value

This paper is the first research to examine the effectiveness of compensation contracting based on information providers’ disclosure responsibility in the Chinese context. It documents a positive relation between board secretaries’ excess compensation and corporate disclosure quality.
The key is ownership of agility
Authors: Ong Eu Chin , Tan Cheng Ling , Amran Azlan
Published: November 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight a limitation of the understanding of agility within organizations, while providing the reasoning and anecdotal example of an effective setting where agility exists, and how this affects firms’ productivity through focusing on the principle of ownership motivation.

Design/methodology/approach

The contemporary thoughts and historical research with anecdotal evidence are gathered from small business owners in the insurance industry.

Findings

Agility implementation in firms today is mainly top-down team focused. While bottom-up input approaches are prescribed for firm organizational agility implementation, the mantle of ownership and drive are not imparted to employees. The example of a service industry highlights the possibilities of having agility within the organization implemented by direct ownership of most if not all the operations and functions.

Practical implications

This paper shares a working example of implemented agility and proposes the application within the broader scope of firm operations, particularly for smaller firms looking for sustainable advantages.

Originality/value

It re-looks at actual implementable agile practices by re-imaging the role of employees into functional business units from the bottom-up, rather than from the top-down, as a different perspective of agility.
Enhancingshitsuke: a planned change intervention model for convenience stores in Japan
Authors: Ito Shiro
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of good management and well-disciplined workforce in convenience store operations as well as improve organizational performance using the 5S method. This study would be beneficial to convenience stores in Japan considering that it addresses some of the major issues involved in the maintenance of employee productivity. Specific objectives of the study were: determination ofshitsuke’s importance in employee behavior; and examination of the effects ofshitsukeon the performance of convenience stores.

Design/methodology/approach

For this study, three convenience stores in Tokyo, Japan with a total of 23 respondent employees were selected as subjects. A qualitative research method was used, and the responses obtained before and after the 5S implementation were compared.

Findings

The results showed the following:shitsuke(discipline) was significantly important in maintaining store cleanliness, especially for toilets; the steps for undertaking a planned change to improveshitsukeinvolved developing a shared outlook for the business and reaching an agreement on basic processes; and enforcement of 5S and development of effective managers were deemed necessary.

Originality/value

The results of this research would provide substantial insights into various human resource management practices necessary to enhance work culture and organizational performance. In addition, this study may also be applicable to other small and medium business enterprises.
Do spatial scale and life history affect fish–habitat relationships?
Authors: Hale Robin , Colton Madhavi A. , Peng Po , Swearer Stephen E.
Published: November 2018

Understanding how animals interact with their environment is a fundamental ecological question with important implications for conservation and management. The relationships between animals and their habitat, however, can be scale‐dependent. If ecologists work at suboptimal spatial scales, they will gain an incomplete picture of how animals respond to the landscape. Identifying the scale at which animal–landscape relationships are strongest (the “scale of effect”) will improve our ability to better plan management and conservation activities.

Several recent studies have greatly enhanced our knowledge about the scale of effect, and the potential drivers of interspecific variability, in particular life‐history traits. However, while many marine systems are inherently multiscalar, research into the scale of effect has been mainly focussed on terrestrial taxa. As the scales of observation in fish–habitat association studies are often selected based on convention rather than biological reasoning, they may provide an incomplete picture of the scales where these associations are strongest.

We examined fish–habitat associations across four nested spatial scales in a temperate reef system to ask: (a) at what scale are fish–habitat associations the strongest, (b) are habitat elements consistently important across scales, and (c) do scale‐dependent fish–habitat associations vary in relation to either body size, geographic range size or trophic level?

We found that: (a) the strongest fish–habitat associations were observed when these relationships were examined at considerably larger spatial scales than usually investigated; (b) the importance of environmental predictors varied across spatial scales, indicating that conclusions about the importance of habitat elements will depend on the scales at which studies are undertaken; and (c) scale‐dependent fish–habitat associations were consistent across all life‐history traits.

Our results highlight the importance of considering how animals relate to their environment and suggest the small scales often chosen to examine fish–habitat associations are likely to be suboptimal. Developing a more mechanistic understanding of animal–habitat associations will greatly aid in predicting and managing responses to future anthropogenic disturbances.
Introduced garden plants are strong competitors of native and alien residents under simulated climate change
Authors: Haeuser Emily , Dawson Wayne , van Kleunen Mark
Published: November 2018

Most invasive plants have been originally introduced for horticultural purposes. Still, most alien garden plants have not naturalized yet, probably due in part to inadequate climatic conditions. Climate change may alter this, but few experimental studies have addressed this for non‐naturalized alien garden plants, and those that have, addressed only singular aspects of climate change.

In a greenhouse experiment, we examined the performance of nine non‐naturalized alien herbaceous garden plants of varying climatic origins in response to simulated climate warming and reduced water availability, in a factorial design, as projected for southern Germany. To assess their invasion potential, we grew the species in competition with resident native and already‐naturalized alien species.

Reduced watering negatively affected non‐naturalized garden plants, as well as the native and naturalized competitors, particularly at higher temperatures. However, non‐naturalized aliens performed better relative to competitors when temperatures increased. Naturalized and native resident competitor responses to climate change were both negative, but across climate treatments, non‐naturalized aliens, irrespective of their climatic origins, performed better against native than against naturalized competitors.

Synthesis. We conclude that relative performance compared to resident species may increase for non‐naturalized alien garden plants under climate change, as resident species become less competitive. Ongoing climate change is therefore likely to promote naturalization of commonly planted alien herbaceous species.
Aging with financial insecurity: social resilience and adaptation in urban areas of the United States
Authors: Rakhimova Nelya
Published: November 2018

In American metropolitan areas, many elderly people will have limited financial resources, leading to a growing number of seniors who struggle with poverty and financial insecurity. At the same time, federal funding for social services is shrinking, and local organizations will play a key role in supporting the low‐income elderly in American metropolitan areas. The concept of social resilience offers a useful starting point for understanding the mechanisms that hinder or enable local communities and individuals, in order to recognize and cope with the slow, continuous changes that these demographic shifts present. The objective of the study is to understand how metropolitan areas (by example of Phoenix, AZ) deal with the demographic changes of an aging population and increasing financial insecurity and inequality. The major findings for the research period from 2012 to 2014 show that local actors from the public and nonprofit sectors demonstrated involvement in the network of support for the aging population, where nonprofit actors are mainly dependent on the decisions and funding of the public sector, and increasingly rely on volunteer support.
Estimating Supply Functions for Residential Real Estate Attributes
Authors: Coulson N. Edward , Dong Zhi , Sing Tien Foo
Published: November 2018

This article is the first to identify and estimate developers’ supply functions for real estate attributes. It introduces instruments that separate the demand side effects of real estate attributes and capture the nature of developers upon their initial business establishment into a two‐stage estimation model. We construct a unique data set by merging the data sets containing characteristics of projects and developers with the data set of new private nonlanded residential sales in Singapore. The study covers the period from January 1995 to March 2009. The supply functions for unit area and floor level are concave with developers’ building experience, and convex with developers’ business age. Developers enjoy marginal cost reductions on the two attributes after they have developed 1,000 or more units; and young developers have steeper “learning curve” than other developers. Old and experienced developers demonstrate less elasticity in their supply functions than young and inexperienced developers. This study provides new empirical evidence on corporate learning curve and knowledge diffusion processes with regard to the supply of real estate attributes.
Overcoming obstacles on the peri‐urban fringe: young people making new geographies
Authors: Robertson Margaret , Montuoro Paul , Burston Mary
Published: November 2018

Understanding contemporary youth lifestyles is a challenge for urban planners and geographers. Young people's everyday needs are complex, and urban spaces in new outer city developments offer unique spaces for shaping their identities. Juxtaposed with affordances of digital technologies, the physical location of home exists in a fluid landscape. Overcoming obstacles, such as access to public transport, places to socialise, and meet their peers, is characteristic of the everyday young person's experience. Knowing how young people decide where to go for personal space, as well as who to ask for personal advice, was the aim of this study. The study was conducted with samples of young people growing up in the rapidly growing peri‐urban northern suburbs of the Australian city of Melbourne. A survey questionnaire was administered to a gender‐balanced sample aged 12–15 years (n = 523) with follow‐up interviews to better inform the results. Logistic regression and factorial analyses of variance reveal their favourite places to be ‘my’ bedroom, being with friends, the park, and the café. Although not the focus of this study, some gender differences were noted. In addition to innovative use of space, the results show the positive influences on their well‐being of trusted family and friends. Young people's geographies offer transdisciplinary insights that highlight their creative usage of these new urban spaces. They offer a new imaginary for geographical education and research.
Morita therapy for the treatment of emetophobia: A case report
Authors: Nakamura Mitsuhiro , Kitanishi Kenji
Published: November 2018

Until recently, the treatments for emetophobia (the fear of vomiting) have not been well studied. In Japan, Morita therapy is a known, excellent treatment option for emetophobia, but to our knowledge, there is currently no case report of Morita therapy for the treatment of emetophobia in English. Here, we present a case of emetophobia that was treated with Morita therapy and discuss its effectiveness and characteristics.
New Statistical Approaches to Intra‐individual Isotopic Analysis and Modelling of Birth Seasonality in Studies of Herd Animals
Authors: Chazin H. , Deb S. , Falk J. , Srinivasan A.
Published: November 2018

This paper introduces improved methods for statistically assessing birth seasonality and intra‐annual variation in δ18O from faunal tooth enamel. The first method estimates input parameters for use with a previously developed parametric approach by C. Tornero et al. The second method uses a non‐parametric clustering procedure to group individuals with similar time‐series data and estimate birth seasonality. This method was successful in analysing data from a modern sample with known season of birth, as well as two heterogeneous archaeological data sets. Modelling indicates that the non‐parametric approach estimates birth seasonality more successfully than the parametric method when less of the tooth row is preserved. The new approach offers a high level of statistical rigour and flexibility in dealing with the time‐series data produced through intra‐individual sampling in isotopic analysis.