bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal investigation of changes in resting-state co-activation patterns and their predictive ability in the zQ175 DN mouse model of Huntington’s disease
Authors: Adhikari Mohit H. , Vasilkovska Tamara , Cachope Roger , Tang Haiying , Liu Longbin , Keliris Georgios A. , Munoz-Sanjuan Ignacio , Pustina Dorian , Van der Linden Annemie , Verhoye Marleen
Published: October 2022

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by expanded (≥40) glutamine-encoding CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene, which leads to dysfunction and death of predominantly striatal and cortical neurons. While the genetic profile and behavioural signs of the disease are better known, changes in the functional architecture of the brain, especially before the behavioural symptoms become apparent, are not fully and consistently characterized. In this study, we sought markers at pre, early and late manifest states of phenotypic progression in the heterozygous (HET) zQ175 delta-neo (DN) mouse model, using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI). This mouse model shows molecular, cellular and circuitry alterations that resemble those seen in HD in humans. Specifically, we investigated, longitudinally, changes in co-activation patterns (CAPs) that are the transient states of brain activity constituting the resting-state networks (RSNs). Most robust changes in the temporal properties of CAPs occurred at the late manifest state; the durations of two anti-correlated CAPs, characterized by simultaneous co-activation of default-mode like network (DMLN) and co-deactivation of lateral-cortical network (LCN) and vice-versa, were reduced in the zQ175 DN HET animals compared to the wild-type mice. Changes in the spatial properties, measured in terms of activation levels of different brain regions, during CAPs were found at all three states and became progressively more pronounced at the manifest states. We then assessed the cross-validated predictive power of CAP metrics to distinguish HET animals from controls. Spatial properties of CAPs performed significantly better than the chance level at all three states with 80% classification accuracy at the early and late manifest states.
The effects of biological sex on estimates of persistent inward currents in the human lower limb
Authors: Jenz Sophia T. , Beauchamp James A. , Gomes Matheus M. , Negro Francesco , Heckman CJ , Pearcey Gregory E.P.
Published: October 2022

Non-invasive recordings of motor unit (MU) spike trains help us understand how the nervous system controls movement and how it adapts to various physiological conditions. The majority of study participants in human and non-human animal physiology studies are male, and it is assumed mechanisms uncovered in these studies are shared between males and females. However, sex differences in neurological impairment and physical performance warrant the study of sex as a biological variable in human physiology and performance. To begin addressing this gap in the study of biophysical properties of human motoneurons, we quantified MU discharge rates and estimates of persistent inward current (PIC) magnitude in both sexes by quantifying ΔF. We decomposed MU spike trains from the tibialis anterior (TA), medial gastrocnemius (MG), and soleus (SOL) using high-density surface electromyography and blind source separation algorithms. Ten participants of each sex performed slow triangular (10s up and down) isometric contractions to a peak of 30% of their maximum voluntary contraction. We then used linear mixed effects models to determine if peak discharge rate and ΔF were predicted by the fixed effects of sex, muscle, and their interaction. Despite a lack of significant sex-differences in peak discharge rates across all muscles, ΔF was larger (χ2(1)= 6.26,p= 0.012) in females (4.73 ± 0.242 pps) than males (3.81 ± 0.240 pps). These findings suggest that neuromodulatory drive, inhibitory input, and/or biophysical properties of motoneurons differ between the sexes and may contribute to differences in MU discharge patterns.

KEY POINTS

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Sex differences in motor unit studies have been revealed with greater inclusion of female participants, however, mechanisms for these differences remain unclear.

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Estimates of persistent inward currents (i.e., ΔF)were greater in females than males in the tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles.

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This suggests that neuromodulatory drive, monoaminergic signaling, or descending control may differ between the sexes.

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Therefore, sex differences in estimates of PICs may provide a mechanism behind previously reported sex differences in motoneuron discharge patterns..
DNA segment capture by Smc5/6 holo-complexes
Authors: Taschner Michael , Gruber Stephan
Published: October 2022

Three distinct SMC complexes facilitate chromosome folding and segregation in eukaryotes, presumably by DNA translocation and loop extrusion. How SMCs interact with DNA is however not well understood. Among the SMC complexes, Smc5/6 has dedicated roles in DNA repair and in preventing a lethal buildup of aberrant DNA junctions. Here, we describe the reconstitution of ATP-dependent topological DNA loading by Smc5/6 rings. By inserting cysteine residues at selected protein interfaces, we obtained covalently closed compartments upon chemical cross-linking. We show that two SMC subcompartments and the kleisin compartment topologically entrap a plasmid molecule, but not the full SMC compartment. This is explained by a looped DNA segment inserting into the SMC compartment with the kleisin neck gate locking the loop in place when passing between the two DNA flanks and closing. This DNA segment capture strictly requires the Nse5/6 loader, which opens the neck gate prior to DNA passage. Similar segment capture events without gate opening may provide the power stroke for DNA translocation/loop extrusion in subsequent ATP hydrolysis cycles. Our biochemical experiments thus offer a unifying principle for SMC ATPase function in loading and translocation/extrusion, which is likely relevant to other members of the family of SMC proteins too.
Structural insights into the complex of oncogenic KRas4BG12Vand Rgl2, a RalA/B activator
Authors: Tariq Mishal , Ikeya Teppei , Togashi Naoyuki , Fairall Louise , Kamei Syun , Mayooramurugan Sannojah , Abbott Lauren R. , Hasan Anab , Bueno-Alejo Carlos , Sukegawa Sakura , Romartinez-Alonso Beatriz , Muro Campillo Miguel Angel , Hudson Andrew J. , Ito Yutaka , Schwabe John W.R. , Dominguez Cyril , Tanaka Kayoko
Published: October 2022

About a quarter of total human cancers carry mutations in Ras isoforms. Accumulating evidence suggests that small GTPases, RalA and RalB, and their activators, Ral guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RalGEFs), play an essential role in oncogenic Ras-induced signalling. We studied the interaction between human KRas4B and the Ras association (RA) domain of Rgl2 (Rgl2RA), one of the RA-containing RalGEFs. We show that the G12V oncogenic KRas4B mutation changes the interaction kinetics with Rgl2RA. The crystal structure of the KRas4BG12V: Rgl2RAcomplex shows a 2:2 heterotetramer where the Switch I and Switch II regions of each KRasG12Vinteract with both Rgl2RAmolecules. This structural arrangement is highly similar to the HRasE31K:RALGDSRAcrystal structure and is distinct from the well-characterised Ras:Raf complex. Interestingly, the G12V mutation was found at the dimer interface of KRas4BG12Vwith its partner. Our study reveals a potentially distinct mode of Ras:effector complex formation by RalGEFs, and offers a possible mechanistic explanation for how the oncogenic KRas4BG12Vhyperactivates the RalA/B pathway.
Statistical analysis of hard X-ray radiation at the PAL-XFEL facility performed by Hanbury Brown and Twiss interferometry
Authors: Kim Young Yong , Khubbutdinov Ruslan , Carnis Jerome , Kim Sangsoo , Nam Daewoong , Nam Inhyuk , Kim Gyujin , Shim Chi Hyun , Yang Haeryong , Cho Myunghoon , Min Chang-Ki , Kim Changbum , Kang Heung-Sik , Vartanyants Ivan A.
Published: October 2022

A Hanbury Brown and Twiss interferometry experiment based on second-order correlations was performed at the PAL-XFEL facility. The statistical properties of the X-ray radiation were studied within this experiment. Measurements were performed at the NCI beamline at 10 keV photon energy under various operation conditions: self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE), SASE with a monochromator, and self-seeding regimes at 120 pC, 180 pC and 200 pC electron bunch charge. Statistical analysis showed short average pulse duration from 6 fs to 9 fs depending on the operational conditions. A high spatial degree of coherence of about 70–80% was determined in the spatial domain for the SASE beams with the monochromator and self-seeding regime of operation. The obtained values describe the statistical properties of the beams generated at the PAL-XFEL facility.
Usability evaluation of two new presentation modes of scientific articles for academic reading
Authors: Niu Lihui , Ou Shiyan
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study developed two presentation modes of scientific articles and evaluated their usability with user experiments.

Design/methodology/approach

Two presentation modes of scientific articles, simply referred to as “genre presentation mode” and “argument presentation mode”, were constructed based on their genre structure and argument structure respectively. Their usability was evaluated by being compared against the existing RichHTML presentation mode in the experiments using eye-tracking and questionnaire methods.

Findings

The participants who were going to find the specific information of scientific articles rated the genre presentation mode higher than they did with either the argument or the RichHTML presentation mode for effectiveness. In contrast, those who were going to understand the general idea of scientific articles rated both the genre and argument presentation mode higher than they did with the RichHTML mode. In terms of efficiency, the participants took less reading time when the articles of non-native language were presented with the genre mode than they did when the articles were presented with the argument mode. When reading the articles in native language to understand the general idea, the participants took less reading time for the articles presented with the argument mode than they did for the articles presented with the genre mode. In comparison, they took less reading time when the articles were presented with the argument mode if they were going to find specific information. For satisfaction, the genre presentation mode was more popular than the argument mode and the RichHTML mode. However, the participants were less satisfied with the argument presentation mode than the other two when reading in native language and intending to find specific information.

Originality/value

The two presentation modes of scientific articles are found to improve the accuracy of information acquisition, shorten the total reading time and be more acceptable by readers.
Digital 3D modeling for preconstruction real-time visualization of home interior design through virtual reality
Authors: Joy Emmanuel , R. Aadhithian , Raja Christhu
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the investigation on contemporary applications of game design in architectural visualization, urban environmental planning and the results to address the problems of traditional methods specifically in terms of interactivity and visualization. The authors present the prototype that incorporates information modeling and virtual reality (VR) into interactive architectural visualization.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed system supports a virtual walkthrough process that allows users to navigate in an architectural space of their imagination and design. The immersion in the design of living space or environment has been made possible through the inclusion of VR through the use of WebVR technology to deploy the design to be experienced.

Findings

This study investigates and establishes a framework that explores the intricacies of 3 imensional (3D) Architectural Visualization in a real-time engine by designing a visual experience with a better level of user interaction and then deploying it through VR.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the few experimental frameworks which perfectly integrates VR for visualization in digital home design environments. The prospective applications of this framework are in several fields of construction innovation, architectural design, 3D modeling, virtual and augmented reality.
Addressing the interplay of the Sendai Framework with sustainable development goals in Latin America and the Caribbean: moving forward or going backwards?
Authors: Lucatello Simone , Alcántara-Ayala Irasema
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The 2030 agenda for sustainable development and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) constitute an overarching global milestone for creating a better sustainable future worldwide. The risk component of the agenda under the SFDRR must be better embedded into the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and integrating disaster risk management policy with broader development objectives at national and subnational levels in many countries is still a work in progress. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the progress between the SDGs and the SFDRR in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and its complementary features

Design/methodology/approach

Comprehensive and contextualized analyses of the progress of SFDRR and SDGs related to the LAC region need to be fully addressed to examine synergies and trade-offs with the two global agendas. Based on empirical evidence from United Nations global reports, a literature review of DRR and DRM, as well as development planning evidence, this paper addresses the implications of building coherence between the SDGs and the SFDRR in the region.

Findings

Interplay and connections of the two agendas are highlighted together with an analysis of coherence among indicators. Despite the richness of several indicators, the examined evidence suggests that derived from the current progress, indicators are unable to completely reflect the dynamics among disaster risk drivers for both the SFDRR and the SDGs in the region.

Research limitations/implications

Data availability at UNIDSR as well as at the regional level can limit the scope of the research. When comparing and matching the agendas, results could be further improved upon new releases of data. SFDRR and SDGs have also ground for improvement and countries are doing well but still slow.

Practical implications

The paper offers new insights and findings for decision/policy makers in Latina America and the Caribbean.

Originality/value

The paper offers an overall understanding of the progress and coherence among SFDRR and SDGs global frameworks and provides insights to identify the gaps and opportunities that need to be addressed to integrate disaster risk reduction into sustainable development planning at national and regional scales in LAC.
Impact of team voice on employee voice behavior: role of felt obligation for constructive change and supervisor expectations for voice
Authors: Um-e-Rubbab  , Irshad Muhammad , Naqvi Sayyed Muhammad Mehdi Raza
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Promotive and prohibitive voice behavior is essential for effective team performance and organizational sustainability. However, the existing literature is limited on the role of team voice in predicting employee voice behavior. The authors proposed that team members' voices serve as a cue for engagement in felt obligation for constructive change, which sets the path for employees' engagement in promotive and prohibitive voice behavior. This study further proposed that supervisor expectation for voice may alter the relationship between team voice and felt obligation for constructive change of employees. The authors' proposed model is based on social information processing theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from 313 telecommunication sector employees and the companies supervisors through a multi-source time-lagged design. Linear regression analysis and the Preacher and Hayes Process for mediation and moderation were used to test the proposed hypothesis.

Findings

The results support the direct effect of team voice on promotive and prohibitive voice behavior, and the indirect effect of team voice on promotive voice behavior through the mediation of felt obligation for constructive change was also supported. However, mediation of felt obligation for constructive change between team voice and prohibitive voice behavior was not supported. The results also support the moderation of supervisor expectation for voice between team voice and felt obligation for constructive change.

Originality/value

Findings of the study may help organizational practitioners and managers about the value of promotive and prohibitive voice behavior for better team functioning through team voice. The study also highlights the importance of supervisor expectations for voice to strengthen the association between team voice and felt obligation for constructive change among employees. Both dimensions of voice behavior, i.e. promotive and prohibitive voice, are crucial for improved organizational functioning and preventing the organization from harm and loss. Organizations should create environments high on voice behavior to remain competitive and meet the challenges of dynamic business environments.
Implementation of corporate governance principles to support sustainable development goals in Yogyakarta’s traditional markets
Authors: Pahlevi Reza Widhar , Alam Md. Mahmudul , Harjito Dwipraptono Agus , Said Jamaliah
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Traditional market revitalisation is an important policy designed to reduce unfair competition between traditional markets and modern businesses. This study aims to determine, analyse and illustrate the implementation of corporate governance principles so that traditional markets can be revived in accordance with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs) program, with specific reference to the Yogyakarta Special Region.

Design/methodology/approach

The study relied on primary and secondary data sources. Data were collected through interviews, observations, analysis of documentation and review of the literature. The research was conducted in Yogyakarta Special Region, specifically Bantul Regency, Kranggan Market in Yogyakarta City, Sentolo Market in Kulonprogo Regency, Gentan Market in Sleman Regency and Argosari Market in Gunungkidul Regency. The data were analysed using the qualitative research method and a descriptive approach.

Findings

Traditional markets play a vital role in strengthening the national economy and preserving an old culture that reflects local traditions. Good collaboration between parties in the implementation of corporate governance is evident, despite market revitalisation proving to be highly costly. In some places market development has simply resulted in marginalising the old traders who cannot improve their livelihoods. Therefore, the revitalisation program of traditional markets must not only improve the facilities but all aspects of traditional markets.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is an original study based on primary observation, and it has implications for all emerging economies where traditional markets are being replaced by modern markets.
Source location privacy preservation in IoT-enabled event-driven WSNs
Authors: Sharma Nidhi , Bhatt Ravindara
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Privacy preservation is a significant concern in Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled event-driven wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Low energy utilization in the event-driven system is essential if events do not happen. When events occur, IoT-enabled sensor network is required to deal with enormous traffic from the concentration of demand data delivery. This paper aims to explore an effective framework for safeguarding privacy at source in event-driven WSNs.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper discusses three algorithms in IoT-enabled event-driven WSNs: source location privacy for event detection (SLP_ED), chessboard alteration pattern (SLP_ED_CBA) and grid-based source location privacy (GB_SLP). Performance evaluation is done using simulation results and security analysis of the proposed scheme.

Findings

The sensors observe bound events or sensitive items within the network area in the field of interest. The open wireless channel lets an opponent search traffic designs, trace back and reach the start node or the event-detecting node. SLP_ED and SLP_ED_CBA provide better safety level results than dynamic shortest path scheme and energy-efficient source location privacy protection schemes. This paper discusses security analysis for the GB_SLP. Comparative analysis shows that the proposed scheme is more efficient on safety level than existing techniques.

Originality/value

The authors develop the privacy protection scheme in IoT-enabled event-driven WSNs. There are two categories of occurrences: nominal events and critical events. The choice of the route from source to sink relies on the two types of events: nominal or critical; the privacy level required for an event; and the energy consumption needed for the event. In addition, phantom node selection scheme is designed for source location privacy.
A professional money laundering scandal; a narrative-based exploration of undocumented foreign workers in a large construction project
Authors: Mohd Latif Hafizah , Mohamed Norazida , Handley-Schachler Morrison , Jalaludin Azhan
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Money laundering weakens the role of the construction industry in stimulating economic growth. The purpose of this paper is to explore the connection between money laundering on the construction sites and undocumented foreign workers, based on a narrative drawn from a qualitative research.

Design/methodology/approach

Throughout the study, qualitative methods, i.e. interviews, site visits and document analysis, were used. However, the data for this paper was primarily derived from an interview. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Findings

The findings show that construction personnel who have access to the business’s financial affairs are the most likely to engage in illicit transactions. The size of the project as well as the multiple layers of organisations involved made it easy for launderers to operate. The appealing commission provided incentives to opportunistic personnel. In this regard, the wages for undocumented workers, which were primarily paid in cash, provided a considerable opportunity for the subcontracting organisations to engage in money laundering.

Research limitations/implications

While the single narrative method with an omniscient narrator allows for the conceptualisation of a human experience with money laundering, the depth of information and interpretations is limited. Emerging qualitative research methods may be incorporated in the future to provide a more extensive information due to the fact that money laundering data is complex and sensitive that few people want to discuss.

Originality/value

The multidisciplinary approach of this research provides a pedagogical way that focuses primarily on the disciplines of construction management and business ethics to demonstrate real-world money laundering practice. Understanding such phenomenon on sites opens up key avenues for future research into developing an anti-money laundering regime for the construction industry.
Service design in healthcare: a segmentation-based approach
Authors: Engström Jon , Norin Olof , de Gosson de Varennes Serge , Valtakoski Aku
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The study aims to explore how segmentation as a methodology can be adapted to the healthcare context to provide a more nuanced understanding of the served population and to facilitate the design of patient-centric services.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was based on a collaborative project with a national healthcare organization following the principles of action design research. The study describes the quantitative segmentation performed during the project, followed by a qualitative interview study of how segments correspond with patient behaviors in an actual healthcare setting, and service design workshops facilitated by segments. A number of design principles are outlined based on the learnings of the project.

Findings

The segmentation approach increased understanding of patient variability within the service provider organization and was considered an effective foundation for modular service design. Patient characteristics and life circumstances were related to specific patterns of health behaviors, such as avoidance or passivity, or a persistent proactivity. These patterns influenced the patients' preferred value co-creation role and what type of support patients sought from the care provider.

Practical implications

The proposed segmentation approach is immediately generalizable to further healthcare contexts and similar services: improved understanding of patients, vulnerable patients in particular, improves the fit and inclusivity of services.

Originality/value

The segmentation approach to service design was demonstrated to be effective in a large-scale context. The approach allows service providers to design service options that improve the fit with individual patients' needs for support and autonomy. The results illuminate how patient characteristics influence health and value co-creation behaviors.
Take heed of those you reject: a candidate’s view of employer reputation
Authors: Chen Shuai , Wang Weiwen , Zhou Juan , Zhang Shuyue , Ge Anqi , Feng Juan , Zhou Yun
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a novel candidate view of research on employer reputation. The authors examine how candidates evaluate a company’s employer reputation after failing in the job application process.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were mainly collected from Chinese university students. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the proposed hypotheses (n = 246).

Findings

The study reveals how candidates vary in their attributions of job-hunting failures and evaluations of employer reputation considering their different personalities (i.e. extraversion) and corporations’ procedural justice in the selection process. The empirical results show that rejected candidates’ trait extraversion and procedural justice in the selection process combine to influence internal attributions and thus affect their evaluations of employer reputation.

Originality/value

Understanding how rejected candidates evaluate employer reputation is vital to advancing employer reputation theory. This is one of the few studies to pursue this line of research. The research may also help companies develop more effective strategies to manage the candidates they reject and to maintain their employer reputations.
Market discipline and bank risk through new regulations: evidence from Asia–Pacific
Authors: Le Anh Ngoc Quynh
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to show the presence of market discipline and provide an explanation for bank risk nondisclosure behavior, specifically market risk (MR), credit risk (CR), operational risk (OR) and counterparty credit risk (CCR). The response of market discipline when banks comply with Basel III capital and liquidity restrictions is also investigated in this study.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used the Lasso regression method to give accurate results with the lowest error when using small observational data with a large number of features.

Findings

First, theoretically, the study points to the presence of market discipline and its sensitivity to the risks disclosed by the bank, especially when applying capital regulations under Basel III. In addition, the study also shows differences between the developed and emerging countries in the sensitivity of market discipline to factors when considering banking regulations. Finally, an interesting result that the study shows is that the higher the index of economic freedom, the weaker the market discipline is, especially for emerging countries.

Practical implications

The study’s findings have several important implications: (1) help regulators devise policies to manage banks' risk and meet liquidity and capital requirements according to the Basel III framework. The effectiveness of market discipline is reduced, and banking regulators need to compensate by strengthening their supervisory functions. (2) Showed the reasons why banks ignore the disclosure of bank risks according to the provisions of the third pillar of the Basel III framework. Because when following the Basel III framework, depositors demand higher interest rates or increase market discipline towards riskier banks.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to assess market discipline under the new capital and liquidity regulations using the Lasso regression model as suggested by Tibshirani (1996, 2011), Hastie et al. (2009, 2015). This is also the first study to look at the impact of four different forms of risk on market discipline (as required by the Basel regulatory framework to improve disclosure).
Entrepreneurial strategies for coping with supply chain disruptions in the grocery-retail sector
Authors: Yang Ying , Kobbacy Youssef , Onofrei George , Nguyen Hung
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study aims to explore business strategies adopted by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK’s grocery-retail industry to cope with supply chain (SC) disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted two phases of research methods. In Phase 1, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten SMEs from England. Whilst abiding by national guidelines on the travel restrictions imposed by the government, in Phase 2 email-based interviews were conducted with 22 SMEs across the UK’s grocery-retail industry. The thematic analysis technique was adopted to analyse the data.

Findings

This study reveals that SMEs need clearer avenues of communication with the government and better resources for learning and training. SMEs also need to expand their implementation of information technology to improve SC collaboration. In the meantime, they need to improve their power positions in SCs and reduce dependence on SC partners.

Originality/value

SMEs in the grocery-retailer industry have been increasingly under pressure to compete with bigger grocery retailers. During the pandemic they have faced great challenges and been looking for strategies to improve their performance. While a major proportion of participants in the grocery-retailer industry are fragmented SMEs, the majority of studies have focussed on larger retailers and end consumers. With the help of the social exchange theory, this research reveals new insights into business strategies to cope with SC disruptions, and offer the foundation for a new line of research on preparation for future disruptions.
Optimal pricing strategy considering consumer sensitivity to water-saving and advertising in the apparel supply chains
Authors: Wang Zongxian
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Motivated by consumers' concerns about water resources, this paper studies the interactive impact of advertising efforts and water-saving on corporate profits in apparel supply chains. Moreover, this study attempts to find an effective way to improve the profit of supply chain members under different game scenarios. Therefore, this study explores the game scenarios with considering the cost-sharing contract.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper constructs two basic game models considering different market power in the apparel supply chains, and explores the Pareto improvement combined with cost-sharing contracts based on the basic models. Furthermore, this study extends the models by considering cost-saving and non-linear demand.

Findings

In this paper, it can be found that advertising efforts and water-saving have complex interactive relationships. Counter-intuitively, the increase in advertising efforts may increase water savings. Furthermore, it presents a Pareto improvement when considering cost-sharing contracts, and both the manufacturer and the retailer's profits may improve simultaneously. Moreover, it does not affect the main conclusions when consider the effects of cost-saving and non-linear demand.

Research limitations/implications

Although some important findings have been reached, this paper can be extended in many ways in the future. For example, the coordination mechanism among supply chain members can be considered and the fair distribution of profits can be studied. Moreover, the influence of the government policies on the optimal strategy, as well as changes in social welfare can be considered.

Practical implications

This study offers supply chain members the guidelines on coordinating water-saving investment and advertising efforts which provided new insight into the interaction of these two factors in the apparel supply chains. Moreover, it can provide a coordination mechanism for the supply chain members to improve their profits.

Social implications

This paper explores the interactive relationship between water-saving and advertising efforts. It can not only save more water resources but also enable consumers to enjoy more environmentally friendly apparel products.

Originality/value

The current literature mainly focuses on the impact of advertising efforts on firm profit. However, this paper studies the interaction between advertising efforts and water-saving in apparel supply chains. Furthermore, this study explores the optimal pricing strategies and Pareto improvement by considering cost-sharing contracts. It can provide theoretical and practical guidance for the decision-maker in deciding on advertising and water-saving investment.
Online brand advocacy for sustainable brands: a study in an emerging market
Authors: Abdelrazek Nour Adham , El-Bassiouny Noha
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The main aim of this study is to integrate the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to examine consumers' intention to advocate for sustainable brands, whilst incorporating the moderating role of pro-environmental self-identity. Consumer sustainability orientation is also added as an antecedent for attitudes to determine the degree to which consumers' personal convictions and attitudes toward sustainability impact their attitude toward sustainable brands. The importance of using the TPB to study online brand advocacy lies in the accumulated evidence that shows that this theory is useful in explaining most kinds of social behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

Quantitative research with the use of web-surveys is employed to test the research hypotheses with a total sample size of 536 respondents. Millennials have been chosen for the current paper to be studied.

Findings

Results of the study showed that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) were positively related to consumers' advocacy intentions. The findings of this study demonstrated that the TPB is applicable to measuring consumers' advocacy intentions. In addition, the results indicated that two dimensions of sustainability orientation, economic and social orientation, are significant predictors of attitudes. The study also found that pro-environmental self-identity does not moderate the relationship between the TPB core components and online brand advocacy.

Originality/value

This study is considered the first to employ the TPB as a theoretical foundation to test the antecedents of online brand advocacy (OBA) in relation to sustainable brands with the inclusion of consumer sustainability orientation as a predictor of attitudes with respect to the three dimensions of sustainability and the moderating effect of pro-environmental self-identity.
Agency Cost of Debt and Inside Debt: The Role of CEO Overconfidence
Authors: Galariotis Emilios , Louca Christodoulos , Petmezas Dimitris , Wang Shuhui
Published: October 2022

This study extends our understanding of CEO inside debt compensation under an agency problem perspective by considering the impact of a behavioural trait, namely CEO overconfidence. Using a sample of US firms in Standard & Poor's ExecuComp for the period 2006–2019, we find that overconfident CEOs exhibit greater inside debt incentives (i.e. incentives arising from defined‐benefit pensions and deferred compensation). This relationship is more pronounced among firms with higher CEO overconfidence‐induced agency cost of debt (e.g. financially unconstrained firms) managed by CEOs who are less able to align compensation with their own preferences (e.g. less powerful CEOs). The results are robust to endogeneity, self‐selection concerns and alternative explanations. We contribute to the inside compensation literature that deals with agency problems under overconfident CEOs, and optimal contracting and managerial power theories.
‘Pointing the way’: Alex Bloom and A.S. Neill on the enduring necessity and enacted possibility of radical democratic education as ‘a method of life’
Authors: Fielding Michael
Published: October 2022

Prompted by the centenary of the founding of Summerhill, in my contribution to this JOPE Suite on Democratic Education, I briefly explore both the admiring reciprocity and the subsidiary but significant differences of praxis between A.S. Neill and Alex Bloom, two remarkable pioneers of education in and for participatory democracy as a way of life. Because A.S. Neill's work is internationally renowned and Alex Bloom's has yet to re-establish the worldwide recognition it had in his own lifetime, my emphasis is on the contribution of Alex Bloom, in large part because he is amongst the most radical pioneers of democratic education the UK state sector has ever known. To a significant degree, the aspirations and actualities of Bloom's work rebutted Neill's insistence that pioneers within the state sector of education could not innovate in ways that would significantly challenge the status quo. Indeed, Alex Bloom extended participatory democratic educational aspirations in ways which Neill did not. Most importantly, these not only entailed a commitment to community engagement, they did so in conditions of abject poverty and profound psychological trauma following the ravages of the Second World War London Blitz with its attendant evacuation and subsequent return to the ruins of their former homes.

In the first section, I take as my starting point Alex Bloom's strongly supportive review of A.S. Neill's book The Problem Family and Neill's visit to Bloom's school in the East End of London, some five years later. Foregrounding the dialectic of practice and aspiration, I touch on some of the key issues that emerged for both Neill and Bloom at that time.

Challenging Neill's later affirmation that the only significant freedom one can introduce into a state school is ‘a free attitude on the teacher's part, his or her being on the side of the child’ and his reported view that Bloom and others might be able to experiment in methods of teaching or ways of organising the timetable, ‘but not in methods of living’, the second section explores the nature and interrelationship of six key strands woven into the fabric of Alex Bloom's truly remarkable work that exemplified the grounded possibility and vibrant actuality of participatory democracy as a way of living and learning together that prefigures a more just, creative and caring form of human engagement.

Locating the foundation of Alex Bloom's praxis within the 20th-century personalist philosophical tradition and its Adlerian psychological counterpart, the brief concluding section draws in particular on the work of John Macmurray who argues, as did Bloom in his own writing and his daily praxis, that ‘The first priority in education—if by education we mean learning to be human—is learning to live in personal relation to other people. Let us call it learning to live in community’.
Listening to patients: Opportunities to improve reproductive wellness for women with chronic conditions
Authors: Verbiest Sarah , Cené Crystal , Chambers Erica , Pearsall Marina , Tully Kristin , Urrutia Rachel Peragallo
Published: October 2022

Objective

To understand how Black and Native American women with chronic conditions experience reproductive health care and identify patient‐centered strategies to improve care.

Study Setting and Participants

We held a series of virtual focus groups between February 2021 and December 2021 with 34 women who self‐identified as Black or Native American, were of childbearing age, had one or more chronic conditions, and lived in North Carolina.

Study Design and Analysis

This qualitative, community‐engaged study reviewed notes, video recordings, and graphic illustrations from the focus group sessions. Content analysis was used to iteratively identify themes. Emerging themes were reviewed by community and patient partners.

Principal Findings

There were six thematic areas that emerged on the current state of reproductive health care for people with chronic conditions: (1) lack of trust in health care providers and institutions, (2) lack of health care provider knowledge, (3) uncoordinated care, (4) need for self‐advocacy, (5) provider bias, and (6) mental health strain from coping. Six approaches for care improvement emerged: (1) build on models of coordinated health care services from other conditions to design more comprehensive care clinics, (2) involve care coordinators or navigators, (3) improve educational materials for patients, (4) train clinicians to increase their capacity to be trustworthy and provide quality, equitable, person‐focused care, (5) design scripts to improve clinicians' ability to talk with women about infertility, miscarriage, infant loss, and (6) all interventions and research should be co‐designed to address patient priorities.

Conclusions

Engaging Black and Native American patient partners with chronic conditions in research planning is feasible, necessary, and beneficial using methods that support connection, respect, and bi‐directional learning. Patient partners defined actionable strategies to improve reproductive care and wellness including comprehensive care clinics with patient navigators, trust‐enhancing interventions, and better provision of reproductive health related education.
The Big Four and corporate tax governance: From global dis‐harmony to national regulatory incrementalism
Authors: Elbra Ainsley , Mikler John , Murphy‐Gregory Hannah
Published: October 2022

The Big Four professional services firms – PwC, Deloitte, KPMG and EY – promote, sanction, and regularise the behaviour and practices of business and government. This is especially the case in the area of multinational tax avoidance. This large, and growing, sector of the Big Four's business model places them at the centre of both causing and addressing the problem. Their role is not limited to advising MNCs on complex tax structures. They also advise governments and international organisations on regulatory reform of the global tax system. This article examines their role in so doing through an analysis of Australian Senate Inquiry hearings and responses to the OECD reform programme on the digitalisation of the economy. We show that advice provided by the Big Four is not purely technical, but is intended to achieve a global corporate tax system that is either globally dis‐harmonised or a matter of national regulatory incrementalism. This is despite their claims of supporting global regulation based on multilateral agreements. Ultimately, we demonstrate that the Big Four use their significant structural power to discursively undermine the ideals of the OECD, the leading international organisation working to reform global taxation.
Delayed monsoon, irrigation and crop yields
Authors: Amale Hardeep Singh , Birthal Pratap Singh , Negi Digvijay Singh
Published: October 2022

Most of the empirical literature assessing the impacts of climate change on agriculture has modeled crop yields as a function of the levels or deviations in the growing‐period rainfall. However, an aspect that has received little attention in the empirical literature relates to the relationship between the timing of monsoon rains and crop yields. Using a pan‐India district‐level panel dataset for 50 years, this article investigates two interrelated issues critical to understanding the impacts of weather‐induced agricultural risks and their management. It first examines the impact of the timing of monsoon onset on crop yields and then assesses the role of irrigation in mitigating its effects. The article finds that the delayed onset of monsoon is detrimental to crops, and its effects are realized beyond the rainy season. The findings also demonstrate that irrigation helps mitigate the harmful effects of delayed monsoon. Finally, to link these findings to farm‐level adjustments, the article shows that farmers explicitly adjust the timing of irrigation in response to delays in monsoon rains.
A five‐year retrospective cohort study of carpal tunnel surgery complications in an Australian population
Authors: Zhou Mengqi (Adele) , Deek Roland , Crittenden Tamara , Dean Nicola R.
Published: October 2022

Background

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common compressive neuropathy. There is a lack of comprehensive studies evaluating carpal tunnel release (CTR) complications in Australia. This study aimed to evaluate complication rates associated with open and endoscopic CTR in an Australian population, and to identify associated risk factors.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of 1287 CTR from 2015 to 2020. Methods of release were endoscopic, open and surgery concomitant with synovectomy or other. Outcomes included wound infection, dehiscence, nerve injury, complex regional pain syndrome, incomplete release, and re‐operation. Statistical analysis included Chi‐squared test, Fisher's exact test, Odds ratio and logistic regression.

Results

There were 71 total complications (5.5%), including 35 Clavien–Dindo IIIb complications. There was no difference in complication rates for endoscopic (3.3%) versus open (8.3%) CTR (P = 0.18). The overall rate of complications was higher in CTR with concomitant surgery (8.5%) compared to CTR alone (5.2%), though this was not statistically significant (P = 0.058). There was no association between rates of complications and immune suppression (p = 0.55), rheumatoid disease (P = 0.61), or smoking status (P = 0.72). Diabetes mellitus was associated with an increased risk of Clavien‐Dindo IIIb complications (P = 0.028, OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.07–4.32). There was no association between surgical experience and complication rate (P = 0.55).

Conclusion

Open and endoscopic CTR surgeries have similar rates of complications. Diabetes is associated with higher rates of Clavien‐Dindo IIIb complications. Identification of high‐risk patients allows for the application of risk‐mitigation strategies in the perioperative setting.