bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shifting levels of ecological network's analysis reveals different system properties
Authors: Niquil Nathalie , Haraldsson Matilda , Sime-Ngando Télesphore , Huneman Philippe , Borrett Stuart R.
Published: February 2020

Network analyses applied to models of complex systems generally contain at least three levels of analyses. Whole-network metrics summarize general organizational features (properties or relationships) of the entire network, while node-level metrics summarize similar organization features but consider individual nodes. The network- and node-level metrics build upon the primary pairwise relationships in the model. As with many analyses, sometimes there are interesting differences at one level that disappear in the summary at another level of analysis. We illustrate this phenomenon with ecosystem network models, where nodes are trophic compartments and pairwise relationships are flows of organic carbon, such as when a predator eats a prey. For this demonstration, we analysed a time-series of 16 models of a lake planktonic food web that describes carbon exchanges within an autumn cyanobacteria bloom and compared the ecological conclusions drawn from the three levels of analysis based on inter-time-step comparisons. A general pattern in our analyses was that the closer the levels are in hierarchy (node versus network, or flow versus node level), the more they tend to align in their conclusions. Our analyses suggest that selecting the appropriate level of analysis, and above all regularly using multiple levels, may be a critical analytical decision.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Unifying the essential concepts of biological networks: biological insights and philosophical foundations'.
Analysing brain networks in population neuroscience: a case for the Bayesian philosophy
Authors: Bzdok Danilo , Floris Dorothea L. , Marquand Andre F.
Published: February 2020

Network connectivity fingerprints are among today's best choices to obtain a faithful sampling of an individual's brain and cognition. Widely available MRI scanners can provide rich information tapping into network recruitment and reconfiguration that now scales to hundreds and thousands of humans. Here, we contemplate the advantages of analysing such connectome profiles using Bayesian strategies. These analysis techniques afford full probability estimates of the studied network coupling phenomena, provide analytical machinery to separate epistemological uncertainty and biological variability in a coherent manner, usher us towards avenues to go beyond binary statements on existence versus non-existence of an effect, and afford credibility estimates around all model parameters at play which thus enable single-subject predictions with rigorous uncertainty intervals. We illustrate the brittle boundary between healthy and diseased brain circuits by autism spectrum disorder as a recurring theme where, we argue, network-based approaches in neuroscience will require careful probabilistic answers.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Unifying the essential concepts of biological networks: biological insights and philosophical foundations’.
What drives the assembly of plant-associated protist microbiomes?
Authors: Dumack Kenneth , Feng Kai , Flues Sebastian , Sapp Melanie , Schreiter Susanne , Grosch Rita , Rose Laura , Deng Ye , Smalla Kornelia , Bonkowski Michael
Published: February 2020

In a field experiment we investigated the influence of the environmental filters soil type and plant species identity on rhizosphere community assembly of Cercozoa, a dominant group of (mostly bacterivorous) soil protists. The experiment was set up with two plant species, lettuce and potato, grown in an experimental plot system with three contrasting soils. Plant species (14%) and rhizosphere origin (vs. bulk soil) with 13%, together explained four times more variation in cercozoan beta diversity than the three soil types (7% explained variation in beta diversity). Our results clearly confirm the existence of plant species-specific protist communities. Network analyses of bacteria-Cercozoa rhizosphere communities identified scale-free small world topologies, indicating mechanisms of self-organization. While the assembly of rhizosphere bacterial communities is bottom-up controlled through the resource supply from root (secondary) metabolites, our results support the hypothesis that the net effect may depend on the strength of top-down control by protist grazers. Since grazing of protists has a strong impact on the composition and functioning of bacteria communities, protists expand the repertoire of plant genes by functional traits, and should be considered as ‘protist microbiomes’ in analogy to ‘bacterial microbiomes’.

Highlight

Microbiomes of rhizosphere protists are plant species-specific and tightly co-evolving with their bacterial prey, thereby extending and modifying the functional repertoire of the bacterial-plant symbiosis.
Potential T-cell and B-cell Epitopes of 2019-nCoV
Authors: Fast Ethan , Altman Russ B. , Chen Binbin
Published: February 2020

As of early March, 2019-nCoV has infected more than one hundred thousand people and claimed thousands of lives. 2019-nCoV is a novel form of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and has high similarity with SARS-CoV. No approved vaccine yet exists for any form of coronavirus. Here we use computational tools from structural biology and machine learning to identify 2019-nCoV T-cell and B-cell epitopes based on viral protein antigen presentation and antibody binding properties. These epitopes can be used to develop more effective vaccines and identify neutralizing antibodies. We identified 405 viral peptides with good antigen presentation scores for both human MHC-I and MHC-II alleles, and two potential neutralizing B-cell epitopes near the 2019-nCoV spike protein receptor binding domain (440-460 and 494-506). Analyzing mutation profiles of 68 viral genomes from four continents, we identified 96 coding-change mutations. These mutations are more likely to occur in regions with good MHC-I presentation scores (p=0.02). No mutations are present near the spike protein receptor binding domain. Based on these findings, the spike protein is likely immunogenic and a potential vaccine candidate. We validated our computational pipeline with SARS-CoV experimental data.

Significance Statement

The novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV has affected more than 100 countries and continues to spread. There is an immediate need for effective vaccines that contain antigens which trigger responses from human T-cells and B-cells (known as epitopes). Here we identify potential T-cell epitopes through an analysis of human antigen presentation, as well as B-cell epitopes through an analysis of protein structure. We identify a list of top candidates, including an epitope located on 2019-nCoV spike protein that potentially triggers both T-cell and B-cell responses. Analyzing 68 samples, we observe that viral mutations are more likely to happen in regions with strong antigen presentation, a potential form of immune evasion. Our computational pipeline is validated with experimental data from SARS-CoV.
Effects of substituents on anticancer activity of thiosemicarbazone against MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line
Authors: Sibuh Belay Zeleke , Taneja Pankaj , Khanna Sonia
Published: February 2020

Background/Aim

Breast cancer is one of the world’s leading cause of deaths in women. This study evaluated the in-vitro anticancer activity of different thiosemicarbazones (HacTSc, HSTsc, 3-MBTSc, 4-NBTSc and 4-HBTSc) against MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line and MCF-10 normal cell.

Materials and Methods

The ligands were prepared and characterized by UV vis, IR,1H NMR. MTT assay was used to determine cell viability. Then data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc test. Result: The ligands have IC50value ranging from 2.271µg/ml to 7.081µg/ml. Acetone thiosemicarbazone and 3-Methoxybenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone, were identified as the most potent against MCF-7 breast cancer cells with IC50value of 2.271µg/ml and 2.743µg/ml respectively. Whereas 4-Nitrobenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone was the least potent. Also, the IC50of the normal MCF-10 cell indicated their activity were selective. Conclusion: The activity of the ligands were dose, position and substituents dependent. Acetone thiosemicarbazone and 3-Methoxybenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone are promising anticancer agents for further study.
Genomic risk scores for juvenile idiopathic arthritis and its subtypes
Authors: Cánovas Rodrigo , Cobb Joanna , Brozynska Marta , Bowes John , Li Yun R. , Smith Samantha L , Hakonarson Hakon , Thomson Wendy , Ellis Justine , Abraham Gad , Munro Jane , Inouye Michael
Published: February 2020

Aims

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is an autoimmune disease and a common cause of chronic disability in children. Diagnosis of JIA is based purely on clinical symptoms, leading to treatment delays. Despite JIA having substantial heritability, the construction of genomic risk scores (GRSs) to aid or expedite diagnosis has not been assessed. Here, we generate GRSs for JIA and its subtypes and evaluate their performance.

Methods

We examined three case/control cohorts (UK, US, and Australia) with genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes. We trained GRSs for JIA and its subtypes using lasso-penalised linear models in cross-validation on the UK cohort, and externally tested in the Australian and US cohorts.

Results

The JIA GRS alone achieved cross-validated AUC=0.670 in the UK cohort and externally validated AUCs of 0.657 and 0.671 in US-based and Australian cohorts, respectively. In logistic regression of case/control status, the corresponding odds ratios per standard deviation (s.d.) of GRS were 1.831 [1.685-1.991] and 2.008 [1.731-2.345], and were unattenuated by adjustment for sex or the top 10 genetic principal components. Extending our analysis to JIA subtypes revealed that enthesitis-related JIA had both the longest time-to-referral and the subtype GRS with the strongest predictive capacity overall across datasets: AUCs 0.80 in UK; 0.83 Australian; 0.69 US-based. The particularly common oligoarthritis JIA subtype also had a subtype GRS outperformed those for JIA overall, with AUCs of 0.71, 0.75 and 0.77, respectively.

Conclusions

A genomic risk score for JIA has potential to augment purely clinical JIA diagnosis protocols, prioritising higher-risk individuals for follow-up and treatment. Consistent with JIA heterogeneity, subtype-specific GRSs showed particularly high performance for enthesitis-related and oligoarthritis JIA.
Differential Disease Severity and Whole Genome Sequence Analysis for Human Influenza A/H1N1pdm Virus in 2015-2016 Influenza Season
Authors: Liu Hsuan , Gong Yu-Nong , Shaw-Saliba Kathryn , Mehoke Thomas , Evans Jared , Liu Zhen-Ying , Lewis Mitra , Sauer Lauren , Thielen Peter , Rothman Richard , Chen Kuan-Fu , Pekosz Andrew
Published: February 2020

During the 2015-16 winter, the US experienced a relatively mild influenza season compared to Taiwan which had a higher number of total and severe cases. While H1N1pdm viruses dominated global surveillance efforts that season, the global distribution of genetic variants and their contributions to disease severity have not been investigated. Samples collected from influenza A positive patients by the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (JH-CEIRS) active surveillance in the emergency rooms in Baltimore, Maryland, USA and northern Taiwan between November 2015 and April 2016, were processed for influenza A virus whole genome sequencing. In Baltimore, the majority of the viruses were the H1N1pdm clade 6B.1 and no H1N1pdm clade 6B.2 viruses were detected. In northern Taiwan, more than half of the H1N1pdm viruses were clade 6B.1 and 38% were clade 6B.2, consistent with the global observation that most 6B.2 viruses circulated in Asia and not North America. Whole virus genome sequence analysis identified two genetic subgroups present in each of the 6B.1 and 6B.2 clades and one 6B.1 intraclade reassortant virus. Clinical data showed 6B.2 patients had more disease symptoms including higher crude and inverse probability weighted odds of pneumonia than 6B.1 patients, suggesting 6B.2 circulation may contribute to the severe flu season in Taiwan. Local surveillance efforts linking H1N1pdm virus sequences to patient clinical and demographic data improve our understanding of influenza circulation and disease potential.
Human complex exploration strategies are extended via noradrenaline-modulated heuristics
Authors: Dubois M , Habicht J , Michely J , Moran R , Dolan RJ , Hauser TU
Published: February 2020

An exploration-exploitation trade-off, the arbitration between sampling a lesser-known against a known rich option, is thought to be solved using computationally demanding exploration algorithms. Given known limitations in human cognitive resources, we hypothesised the presence of additional cheaper strategies. We examined for such heuristics in choice behaviour where we show this involves a value-free random exploration, that ignores all prior knowledge, and a novelty exploration that targets novel options alone. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled drug study, assessing contributions of dopamine (400mg amisulpride) and noradrenaline (40mg propranolol), we show that value-free random exploration is attenuated under the influence of propranolol, but not under amisulpride. Our findings demonstrate that humans deploy distinct computationally cheap exploration strategies and where value-free random exploration is under noradrenergic control.

Data and materials availability

Data and code will be provided upon acceptance.
Loss-of-function myeloperoxidase mutations are associated with increased neutrophil counts and pustular skin disease
Authors: Vergnano Marta , Grys Katarzyna , Benzian-Olsson Natashia , Mahil Satveer K , Chaloner Charlotte , Barbosa Ines A , August Suzannah , Burden A David , Choon Siew-Eng , Cooper Hywel , Reynolds Nick , Wahie Shyamal , Warren Richard B , Wright Andrew ,   The APRICOT and PLUM study team, Huffmeier Ulrike , Baum Patrick , Visvanathan Sudha , Barker Jonathan , Smith Catherine , Capon Francesca
Published: February 2020

The identification of disease alleles underlying human autoinflammatory diseases can provide important insights into the mechanisms that maintain neutrophil homeostasis. Here, we focused on generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a potentially life-threatening disorder presenting with cutaneous and systemic neutrophilia. Following the whole exome sequencing of 19 unrelated cases, we identified one affected individual harbouring a homozygous splice-site mutation (c.2031-2A>C) inMPO. The same homozygous change was subsequently identified in a further subject suffering from acral pustular psoriasis, a disease phenotypically related to GPP.

MPOencodes myeloperoxidase, an essential component of neutrophil azurophil granules. Of interest, the c.2031-2A>C allele was previously described as a genetic determinant of myeloperoxidase deficiency (MPOD), a condition which can causes recurrent infections. Here, a systematic literature review identified four individuals suffering from MPOD and pustular skin disease, further strengthening the link betweenMPOand pustular inflammation.

A subsequent analysis of the UK Biobank cohort demonstrated that the c.2031-2A>C allele was associated with increased neutrophil abundance in the general population (P=5.1×10−6). The same applied to three further MPOD mutations for which genotype data was available, with two alleles generating p-values <10−10. Finally, treatment of healthy neutrophils with an MPO inhibitor reduced cell apoptosis, highlighting a mechanism wherebyMPOmutations affect granulocyte numbers.

These findings identifyMPOmutations as genetic determinants of pustular skin disease and neutrophil abundance. Given the recent interest in the development of MPO antagonists for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease, our results also suggest that the pro-inflammatory effects of these agents should be closely monitored.
Efficient Retroelement-Mediated DNA Writing in Bacteria
Authors: Farzadfard Fahim , Gharaei Nava , Citorik Robert J. , Lu Timothy K.
Published: February 2020

The ability to efficiently and dynamically change information stored in genomes would enable powerful strategies for studying cell biology and controlling cellular phenotypes. Current recombineering-mediated DNA writing platforms in bacteria are limited to specific laboratory conditions, often suffer from suboptimal editing efficiencies, and are not suitable forin situapplications. To overcome these limitations, we engineered a retroelement-mediated DNA writing system that enables efficient and precise editing of bacterial genomes without the requirement for target-specific elements or selection. We demonstrate that this DNA writing platform enables a broad range of applications, including efficient, scarless, andcis-element-independent editing of targeted microbial genomes within complex communities, the high-throughput mapping of spatial information and cellular interactions into DNA memory, and the continuous evolution of cellular traits.

One Sentence Summary

Highly-efficient, dynamic, and conditional genome writers are engineered for DNA memory, genome engineering, editing microbial communities, high-resolution mapping of cellular connectomes, and modulating cellular evolution.
Telomerase inhibition causes premature senescence of fetal guinea pig muscle cells
Authors: Hallows Stephanie E. , Regnault Timothy R.H. , Betts Dean H.
Published: February 2020

Premature senescence in low birth weight rodents is associated with later life metabolic disease, including the development of insulin resistance. Telomerase, a reverse transcriptase enzyme with telomeric and non-telomeric functions, is present at high levels during development to maintain and repair long telomere lengths and to protect cells from oxidative stress-induced growth arrest. AdverseIn uteroenvironments are often associated with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), and ROS have been documented to impair/alter telomerase function. We postulate that telomerase protects cells against oxidative stress-induced damage, and its inhibition could lead to premature senescence. A primary cell line of fetal guinea pig muscle cells was differentiated under high (20%) and low (1-2%) oxygen concentrations and telomerase activity was pharmacologically inhibited using a synthetic tea catechin. Following 48 hours, ROS detection was conducted with MitoSOX, Mitotracker and 6-carboxy-2’,7’-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate staining. Cells cultured at 20% O2and treated with a telomerase activity inhibitor displayed reduced cell growth rates and increased levels of senescence markers, including p21 and p53. Telomeric DNA damage, measured by phosphorylated-γH2A.X staining at telomeres, was significantly increased in cells cultured at all oxygen concentrations with telomerase inhibition. Telomerase inhibition altered metabolic signaling (e.g. mTOR, p66Shc) and increased mitochondrial ROS levels. Telomerase may protect cells during development from adversein uteroenvironments that cause premature senescence.
Derivation of Airway Basal Stem Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Hawkins Finn J. , Suzuki Shingo , Beermann Mary Lou , Barillà Cristina , Wang Ruobing , Villacorta-Martin Carlos , Berical Andrew , Jean J.C. , Suer Jake Le , Simone-Roach Chantelle , Tang Yang , Schlaeger Thorsten M. , Crane Ana M. , Huang Sarah X. L. , Randell Scott H. , Rab Andras , Sorscher Eric J. , Horani Amjad , Brody Steven L. , Davis Brian R. , Kotton Darrell N.
Published: February 2020

The derivation of self-renewing tissue-specific stem cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) would shorten the time needed to engineer mature cell typesin vitroand would have broad reaching implications for the field of regenerative medicine. Here we report the directed differentiation of human iPSCs into putative airway basal cells (“iBCs”), a population resembling the epithelial stem cell of lung airways. Using a dual fluorescent reporter system (NKX2-1GFP;TP63tdTomato) we track and purify these cells over time, as they first emerge from iPSC-derived foregut endoderm as developmentally immature NKX2-1GFP+lung progenitors which then augment a TP63 program during subsequent proximal airway epithelial patterning. These cells clonally proliferate, initially as NKX2-1GFP+/TP63tdTomato+immature airway progenitors that lack expression of the adult basal cell surface marker NGFR. However, in response to primary basal cell medium, NKX2-1GFP+/ TP63tdTomato+cells upregulate NGFR and display the molecular and functional phenotype of airway basal stem cells, including the capacity to clonally self-renew or undergo multilineage ciliated and secretory epithelial differentiation in air-liquid interface cultures. iBCs and their differentiated progeny recapitulate several fundamental physiologic features of normal primary airway epithelial cells and model perturbations that characterize acquired and genetic airway diseases. In an asthma model of mucus metaplasia, the inflammatory cytokine IL-13 induced an increase in MUC5AC+ cells similar to primary cells. CFTR-dependent chloride flux in airway epithelium generated from cystic fibrosis iBCs or their syngeneic CFTR-corrected controls exhibited a pattern consistent with the flux measured in primary diseased and normal human airway epithelium, respectively. Finally, multiciliated cells generated from an individual with primary ciliary dyskinesia recapitulated the ciliary beat and ultrastructural defects observed in the donor. Thus, we demonstrate the successfulde novogeneration of a tissue-resident stem cell-like populationin vitrofrom iPSCs, an approach which should facilitate disease modeling and future regenerative therapies for a variety of diseases affecting the lung airways.
No more business as usual: agile and effective responses to emerging pathogen threats require open data and open analytics
Authors:   Galaxy and HyPhy developments teams, Nekrutenko Anton , Kosakovsky Pond Sergei L
Published: February 2020

The current state of much of the Wuhan pneumonia virus (COVID-19) research shows a regrettable lack of data sharing and considerable analytical obfuscation. This impedes global research cooperation, which is essential for tackling public health emergencies, and requires unimpeded access to data, analysis tools, and computational infrastructure. Here we show that community efforts in developing open analytical software tools over the past ten years, combined with national investments into scientific computational infrastructure, can overcome these deficiencies and provide an accessible platform for tackling global health emergencies in an open and transparent manner. Specifically, we use all COVID-19 genomic data available in the public domain so far to (1) underscore the importance of access to raw data and to (2) demonstrate that existing community efforts in curation and deployment of biomedical software can reliably support rapid, reproducible research during global health crises. All our analyses are fully documented athttps://github.com/galaxyproject/SARS-CoV-2.
Smartphone-based m-shopping behavior and innovative entrepreneurial tendency among women in emerging Asia
Authors: Hossain Syed Far Abid , Nurunnabi Mohammad , Hussain Khalid , Shan Xu
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the ubiquitous role of the smartphone in expanding entrepreneurial opportunity among women in emerging Asia. This study attempted to explore the hidden issues behind increased innovative entrepreneurial tendency.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a mixed research methodology. First, prior research based on different aspects of entrepreneurial tendency was reviewed in a systematic way. Second, a person-administered survey was conducted based on 265 women who are involved in entrepreneurial activities in different regions in Asia. Structural equation modeling (Amos) is used to analyze the person-administered survey.

Findings

Results show a significant relationship among the independent and dependent variables of the study which indicates a significant entrepreneurship opportunity for women in emerging Asia.

Research limitations/implications

This study was conducted with a limited number of entrepreneurs from a few Asian countries which may affect the generalizability of the result.

Originality/value

This study fulfills the gap in the current literature by analyzing innovativeness in entrepreneurship with the usage of smartphones and increased tendency among women to conduct business.
Exploring the barriers to SMEs’ open innovation adoption in Ghana
Authors: Oduro Stephen
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Open innovation (OI) is now recognized as one essential innovation paradigm to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) quell their liability of newness and smallness. However, little is known about SMEs’ OI barriers, particularly in emerging economies. Drawing on both network and transaction cost theory, this study aims to explore the barriers to SMEs’ OI adoption in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted an exploratory sequential research design that involved both qualitative and quantitative study methodologies. A total of 644 responses (21 survey interviews and 623 usable questionnaires) across SMEs in Ghana were collected and analyzed in the study. A qualitative analysis involving quotations extracted from the respondent’s statement was used to present the qualitative findings, whereas SEM-partial least square, co-variance approach, was used to analyze the formulated hypotheses.

Findings

Results show that significant barriers to SMEs OI adoption are collaboration barriers – difficulty in finding the right partners and problems of cooperation and coordination of operational functions; organizational barriers – lack of flexible internal procedures and structures and organizational inertia; and strategic barriers – opportunistic behavior of partners and lack of strategic and resource fit. Contrary to existing findings, financial and knowledge barriers were disclosed as driving factors, rather than barriers, to SMEs’ OI adoption; these findings challenge conventional thinking about SMEs’ major OI barriers.

Research limitations/implications

This study focuses on only SMEs in one emerging economy, namely, Ghana, which may limit the generalization of the findings.

Practical implications

The findings of this study, while limited to Ghana, offer useful insights to SMEs managers, development practitioners and policymakers respecting the overall importance of the OI model, its associated impediments, as well as the strategic measures to quell those barriers.

Originality/value

This study provides a pioneering empirical investigation into the main barriers to SMEs’ OI adoption in a less-explored emerging market context through a mixed research approach.
Does collective bargaining influence the way the size of the firm impacts wage dispersion? Spanish evidence
Authors: Canal Domínguez Juan Francisco , Rodríguez Gutiérrez César
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This paper analyses the relationship between wage dispersion and firm size within a “two-tier” system of collective bargaining (firm bargaining and multi-employer bargaining levels). Collective bargaining has a decisive role in setting wages in Spain, and its regulation highly limits the possibility for smaller firms to negotiate their own collective agreement.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the Spanish Structure of Earnings Survey 2006, 2010 and 2014, the authors use variance decomposition in order to deeply analyse the effect of bargaining level on wage dispersion and compare the value of each decile of the distribution of wages for the purposes of identifying the quantitative differences in wage compression.

Findings

In general, the outcomes positively linked firm size and firm bargaining to wage dispersion. However, if firm size is taken into account, the effect of firm bargaining is limited among small firm workers because this type of firm is not usually covered by firm bargaining. On the other hand, the time analysis allows observing a wage compression that follows different patterns depending on firm size, compressing the higher part of the distribution in case of small firms and the lower part in case of large firms. This should be explained by the fact that wage negotiation is dependent on firm size.

Social implications

Firm size has determined firm adjustment strategies to face the recent economic crisis and allows to evaluate the impact that changes in collective bargaining can have on wage distribution

Originality/value

There is no research that has tried to analyse the relationship between wage dispersion and firm size in a context where collective bargaining is essential to understand the wage structure. Normally, firm size plays a decisive role in wage policy given that the capacity of a company to negotiate an agreement is closely linked to its size.
Health and self-control: promoting unconscious healthy food choices inside the store
Authors: Grandi Benedetta , Cardinali Maria Grazia , Bellini Silvia
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The wide literature about healthy behaviours posits that a high level of self-control is required in order to make healthy choices. This work intends to demonstrate that retailers, through the management of in-store marketing levers, can influence shopping behaviour, no matter which is the individual tendency to engage in cognitive behaviours. For this specific purpose, we have considered participants' “Need for Cognition” as a proxy of self-control.

Design/methodology/approach

With reference to a specific category (cookies), we created a new display based on benefits (healthy eating) rather than products' attributes. A pre-test was conducted before the main experiment in order to assess the potential ability of the new nutritional display to help customers selecting healthier products, by testing participants' awareness and comprehension of the stimuli proposed. Then, an online between-subjects experiment was conducted by simulating the shoppers' expedition in the cookies' aisle inside a store with the aim to demonstrate that healthy choices can be also made on impulse.

Findings

Our findings showed that when both communication and visual cues are provided, people low in need for cognition (NFC) are more willing to select healthy products from the shelf, compared with people high in NFC.

Originality/value

While there is a wide literature explaining the mechanisms supporting healthy choices, fewer are the contributions about the role of retailers in promoting healthy eating through in-store marketing levers. More important, there is no contribution about how to promote health among people with low level of self-control.
ToF-SIMS analysis of boundary layers formed under zinc-free antiwear
Authors: Mallach Dennis , Pape Florian , Lipinsky Dieter , Arlinghaus Heinrich F.
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The structure and chemical composition of boundary layers built under tribological stress affect the friction and wear of solid-state surfaces in a major way. Therefore, information about the chemical composition of the outermost surface and boundary layer are of great importance. Preliminary time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) investigations have shown that metal surfaces that have been immersed at high temperatures in phosphonium phosphate-containing oils contain at least some characteristic signals for phosphate containing anti-wear layers. The purpose of this work is to investigate the influence of additive concentration and oil temperature on the formation of phosphate containing layers.

Design/methodology/approach

To investigate the formation of phosphate containing layers as a function of temperature, samples of rolling bearing steel 100Cr6 were first heated in a furnace to selected temperatures of 200, 300, 400 and 500 °C, respectively. Then, they were immersed in a model fluid containing ionic liquids as additive in PAO-2 and analysed by ToF-SIMS.

Findings

100Cr6 surfaces immersed in trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate additive oil show characteristic signals of phosphate-like layers at temperatures of 400-500 °C. In addition, characteristic surface signals show a decrease in these ionic liquids at these temperatures.

Originality/value

Ionic liquids could be an alternative to zinc dialkyldithiophosphates as an oil additive. Targeted investigations under friction load could provide information on whether wear-reducing layers are formed.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-10-2019-0436
Is boredom proneness related to social media overload and fatigue? A stress–strain–outcome approach
Authors: Whelan Eoin , Najmul Islam A.K.M. , Brooks Stoney
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Social media overload and fatigue have become common phenomena that are negatively affecting people's well-being and productivity. It is, therefore, important to understand the causes of social media overload and fatigue. One of the reasons why many people engage with social media is to avoid boredom. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how boredom proneness relates to social media overload and fatigue.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on the stress–strain–outcome framework, this paper tests a model hypothesizing the relationships between a social media user's boredom proneness, information and communication overload, and social media fatigue. The study tests the model by collecting data from 286 social media users.

Findings

The results suggest a strong association between boredom proneness and both information and communication overload, which, in turn, are strongly associated with social media fatigue. In addition, social media usage was found to amplify the effects of information overload on social media fatigue, but, unexpectedly, attenuates the effects of communication overload.

Originality/value

Prior research has largely overlooked the connection between boredom and problematic social media use. The present study addresses this important gap by developing and testing a research model relating boredom proneness to social media overload and fatigue.
Stigmatized products: how conflicting laws can influence decisions to proceed
Authors: Geiger-Oneto Stephanie , Gelb Betsy D. , Simkins Travis
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offers the authors’ perspective on a problem rarely considered by those making strategic decisions: conflicting laws at different levels of jurisdiction, specifically those related to stigmatized products.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use as examples of product categories from marijuana to single-use plastic bags, describing the conflicting laws that add to costs for marketers and consumers.

Findings

The authors find that conflicting laws add to the uncertainty, legal expenses, and therefore, the cost of marketing a stigmatized product, whether stigmatized because of its impact on the environment, on health or on moral grounds.

Research limitations/implications

The examples are not exhaustive, but their implications are significant: that as state legislatures are preempting local bans, Congress may preempt state laws.

Originality/value

This paper adds one more complexity to decision-making in the area of products to offer and/or merger/acquisition decisions that may bring company products that face conflicting laws.
US economic policy uncertainty spillover on the stock markets of the GCC countries
Authors: Istiak Khandokar , Alam Md Rafayet
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the nature and degree of US economic policy uncertainty spillover on the stock markets of a group of non-conventional economies like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, where a risk-sharing-based financial system is prominent and foreign investment, risk-free interest, derivatives, etc. are not as widespread as in the western economies.

Design/methodology/approach

the monthly data of 1992–2018, linear and nonlinear structural vector autoregression (VAR) model, and an impulse response-based test to explore the nature and degree of US economic policy uncertainty spillover on the stock markets of the GCC countries.

Findings

This study finds that an unexpected increase in the US economic policy uncertainty significantly decreases the stock market index of all the GCC countries. This study also gets this relationship symmetric, meaning that the GCC stock market indices decrease and increase by the same amount when the US economic policy uncertainty increases and decreases, respectively.

Originality/value

This study investigates the characteristics of economic policy uncertainty spillover from the biggest economy of the world to the stock markets of the GCC region, which is new to the literature. The study results provide the first evidence that a risk-sharing based financial system does not necessarily protect the stock market from US uncertainty shock. However, the abundance of local investors, risk-sharing investment activities, the absence of derivatives, etc. may be responsible for the symmetric behavior of a stock market.
Corporate environmental management
Authors: Al-Minhas Usman , Ndubisi Nelson Oly , Barrane Fatima Zahra
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Green human resource management (GHRM) and sustainable green logistics (SGLOG) are some of the mechanisms by which sustainable corporate environmental management could be consummated. However, prior studies linking GHRM and green logistics are lacking in the literature. This paper extends prior efforts by developing a model linking GHRM and SGLOG.

Design/methodology/approach

An integrative review of extant literature on green human resource management and sustainable green logistics was conducted, and an integrative model developed.

Findings

Improving environmental performance is a key way that businesses can improve their corporate social responsibility and brand image. The resulting model includes expanded components of GHRM (training, development, compensation, awards and recognition, recruitment, and performance management) and of SGLOG (transportation and shipping, warehousing, packaging, and reverse logistics). Categories of shipping and transportation include the following facets: transportation intensity, modal split, emissions intensity, energy efficiency, and vehicle utilization efficiency. The model also highlights the mediating role of management and employee attitudes, knowledge, and skills in the GHRM-SGLOG link, as well as their interaction.

Research limitations/implications

Green human resource management is associated with sustainable green logistics. This association is theoretically mediated by management and employee attitudes, knowledge, and skills. Top management support and influence of other stakeholders are key facilitators.

Practical implications

The paper suggests potential barriers to GHRM and SGLOG adoption/diffusion and panaceas. It also proposes some key drivers of sustainable green logistics and corporate environmental management.

Firms must carry out their operations in ways that do not compromise societal and environmental well-being. High economic performance alone no longer suffice. A balanced performance that also emphasizes social and environmental well-being (the triple bottom line, 3BL) can be achieve through the implementation of the proposed model.

Originality/value

The integrative model presented in the paper advances the current understanding of the link between GHRM and SGLOG. The paper adds additional value by unveiling some key future research directions.
Public awareness of psychological problems in Pakistan
Authors: Husain Waqar , Faize Fayyaz Ahmed
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Awareness of psychological problems is essential to address the problems adequately. It also contributes positively in the overall psychosocial well-being of a society. The rates of mental health literacy have been investigated in many countries and have been found to be lower than expected. The purpose of this study was to explore public awareness of psychological problems and psychological treatment in Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study explored the latest levels of public awareness of psychological problems in the country by involving 3,500 respondents from five major cities. The sample of the study was sufficiently rich to represent Pakistanis based on gender, age, education, profession and income. Data were gathered from 3,500 respondents through interviews and a self-respondent questionnaire.

Findings

The study revealed that the awareness of psychological problems in Pakistan was 36 per cent. Several significant variations were also found based on different demographic factors. The study also revealed that 42.17 per cent of the respondents were aware of psychotherapy as a possible way of treating psychological problems followed by their awareness of social support (17.29 per cent), medicine (16.74 per cent), supernatural practices (6.29 per cent), religious practices (5.60 per cent) and self-help (3.57 per cent).

Practical implications

As a result of the findings of unsatisfactory levels of public awareness of psychological problems, this paper has implications for mental health practitioners and policymakers to play their active part in improving the situation.

Originality/value

The current study is the first large-scale study in the country.
Online Community Value Co-creation
Authors: Pan Haili
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Many companies strengthen their interaction with consumers by establishing online communities and bring convenience to value co-creation with consumers. Some companies use economic and social strategies to stimulate consumer value creation. However, the way to increase the effectiveness of such corporate strategies remains unclear. To address this challenge, this study investigates the impact patterns of economic and social strategies that influence consumers' value co-creation behaviour in firm-hosted online communities (FOCs). Moreover, the effective conditions for the value co-creation of the two strategies are explored.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from an FOC were collected for electronic communications products. A total of 1,305 second-hand data records on value co-creation activities were obtained. Then, an econometric model was built and Stata14.0 software was used for data analysis.

Findings

The effect of economic interaction strategy on the value co-creation in online communities is an inverted U-shaped model, and that of social interaction strategy is relatively stable and is not an inverted U-shaped model. Value creation initiatives introduced by enterprise personnel adopt economic strategies to improve effectiveness. On the contrary, value co-creation activities initiated by consumers use social strategies for the same purpose. Economic strategies are effective for large teams, whereas social strategies may lead to a “free rider” mentality.

Research limitations/implications

This study finds two important factors affecting the value co-creation in FOCs and their effective boundaries. However, other factors may also affect the online community value co-creation. Future research can further explore the intrinsic mechanisms of these strategies for value co-creation.

Practical implications

This article mainly discusses the influence of stimulation strategies on the value co-creation in an actual company community and exhibits good practical significance for the value co-creation activity and management in online communities. Firstly, corporate strategy is effective in communities, but this strategy requires proper control. Secondly, the company strategy must consider appropriate application conditions.

Originality/value

This study deepens the understanding of the impact of economic and social strategies on the value co-creation in FOCs and the effective boundaries of these impact patterns.
Financial technology: a review of extant literature
Authors: Sangwan Vikas , Harshita Harshita , Prakash Puneet , Singh Shveta
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to undertake a thematic review of academic papers on financial technology (FinTech) to identify three broad categories for the purpose of classifying extant literature. The paper summarizes the research and findings in this emerging field. Thereafter, it identifies the gaps and provides directions for further research. Simultaneously, the paper collates technical terms related to FinTech that appear repeatedly in each category and explains them. Finally, the study highlights the lessons that growing FinTech firms and their regulators can learn from the experiences of their counterparts across the globe.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic review of literature consisting of 130 studies (social science research network [SSRN]-29 papers, Scopus-81, other sources-20) on FinTech is carried out in this thematic paper.

Findings

This thematic paper divides FinTech into three themes, i.e. financial industry, innovation/technology and law/regulation. The paper suggests that a thorough impact of FinTech on various stakeholders can be understood using three dimensions, namely, consumers, market players and regulatory front. It is noted that FinTech is in its nascent phase and is undergoing continuous development and implementation through product and process innovation, disruption and transformation.

Research limitations/implications

The paper reports that FinTech promises huge potential for further study by various stakeholders in the FinTech industry – from academia to practitioners to regulators.

Practical implications

The paper summarizes lessons that could be of significance for FinTech users, producers, entrepreneurs, investors, policy designers and regulators.

Originality/value

The paper is believed to add value to the understanding of FinTech in light of the emerging threats and opportunities for its various stakeholders.
Courageous leadership – what defines it in the modern organisation
Authors: Chapman Mandy
Published: February 2020

Purpose

It is important to challenge the popular image of courageous leadership, which in the public imagination is inextricably interlinked with the exercise of power and authority. People often paint a picture in their mind of somebody who knows all the answers and can drive and communicate decisions through their own sense of certainty and will. In nearly every case, especially in an HR context, that is a false picture.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper looks to highlight that the best leaders are in fact often those that do not make all the decisions, do not have all the right answers and are prepared to admit that. It takes great strength to admit vulnerability and acknowledge that you do not know everything.

Findings

The paper highlights that it is important to have a vision and give direction, but it is genuinely courageous to turn to the intelligent teams you have within the organisation and draw on their help.

Originality/value

The paper takes a distinctive stance on the question of courageous leadership, arguing that good leadership is about acknowledging what you do not know and reaching out to your people to fill in the gaps, and it is also about learning when to move on. Being able to acknowledge when you can add little further value to the business and allow someone else to take the reins is perhaps, in senior leadership, the most courageous act of all.