bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Markov chain model of cancer treatment
Authors: Bayer Péter , Brown Joel S. , Dubbeldam Johan , Broom Mark
Published: June 2021

This paper develops and analyzes a Markov chain model for the treatment of cancer. Cancer therapy is modeled as the patient’s Markov Decision Problem, with the objective of maximizing the patient’s discounted expected quality of life years. Patients choose the number of treatment rounds they wish to administer based on the progression of the disease as well as their own preferences. We obtain a powerful analytic decision tool by which patients may select their preferred treatment strategy. In a second model patients may make choices on the timing of treatment rounds as well. By delaying a round of therapy the patient forgoes the gains of therapy for a time in order to delay its side effects. We obtain an analytic tool that allows numerical approximations of the optimal times of delay.
Phase separation versus aggregation behavior for model disordered proteins
Authors: Rana Ushnish , Brangwynne Clifford P. , Panagiotopoulos Athanassios Z.
Published: June 2021

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is widely utilized by the cell to organize and regulate various biochemical processes. Although the LLPS of proteins is known to occur in a sequence dependent manner, it is unclear how sequence properties dictate the nature of the phase transition and thereby influence condensed phase morphology. In this work, we have utilized grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations for a simple coarse-grained model of disordered proteins to systematically investigate how sequence distribution, sticker fraction and chain length influence the phase behavior and regulate the formation of finite-size aggregates preempting macroscopic phase separation for some sequences. We demonstrate that a normalized sequence charge decoration (SCD) parameter establishes a “soft” criterion for predicting the underlying phase transition of a model protein. Additionally, we find that this order parameter is strongly correlated to the critical density for phase separation, highlighting an unambiguous connection between sequence distribution and condensed phase density. Results obtained from an analysis of the order parameter reveals that at sufficiently long chain lengths, the vast majority of sequences are likely to phase separate. Our results predict that classical LLPS should be the dominant phase transition for disordered proteins and suggests a possible reason behind recent findings of widespread phase separation throughout living cells.
Mapping the signatures of inflammatory pain and its relief
Authors: Bohic Manon , Pattison Luke A. , Jhumka Z. Anissa , Rossi Heather , Thackray Joshua K. , Ricci Matthew , Foster William , Arnold Justin , Mossazghi Nahom , Tischfield Max A. , Yttri Eric A. , Smith Ewan St. John , Abdus-Saboor Ishmail , Abraira Victoria E.
Published: June 2021

Ongoing pain is often driven by direct activation of pain-sensing neurons and neuroimmune mediated sensitization. These heightened states of pain alter physiology, reduce motor function, and alter motivation to engage in normal behaviors. The complexity of the pain state has evaded a comprehensive definition, especially in nonverbal animals. Here in mice, we capture the physiological state of sensitized pain neurons at different time points post-inflammation and used computational tools to automatically map behavioral signatures of evoked and spontaneous displays of pain. First, retrograde labeling coupled with electrophysiology of neurons innervating the site of localized inflammation defined critical time points of pain sensitization. Next, we used high-speed videography combined with supervised and unsupervised machine learning tools and uncovered sensory-evoked defensive coping postures to pain. Using 3D pose analytics inspired by natural language processing, we identify movement sequences that correspond to robust representations of ongoing pain states. Surprisingly, with this analytical framework, we find that a commonly used anti-inflammatory painkiller does not return an animal’s behavior back to a pre-injury state. Together, these findings reveal the previously unidentified signatures of pain and analgesia at timescales when inflammation induces heightened pain states.
Minicells from Highly Genome Reduced Escherichia coli: Cytoplasmic and Surface Expression of Recombinant Proteins and Incorporation in the Minicells
Authors: Yu Hanna , Khokhlatchev Andrei V , Chew Claude , Illendula Anuradha , Conaway Mark , Dryden Kelly , Maeda Denicar Lina Nascimento Fabris , Rajasekaran Vignesh , Kester Mark , Zeichner Steven L.
Published: June 2021

Minicells, small cells lacking a chromosome, produced by bacteria with mutated min genes, which control cell division septum placement, have many potential uses. Minicells have contributed to basic bacterial physiology studies and can enable new biotechnological applications, including drug delivery and vaccines. Genome-reduced (GR) bacteria are another informative area of investigation. Investigators identified that with even almost 30% of the E. coli genome deleted, the bacteria still live. In biotechnology and synthetic biology, GR bacteria offer certain advantages. With GR bacteria, more recombinant genes can be placed into GR chromosomes and fewer cell resources are devoted to purposes apart from biotechnological goals. Here, we show that these two technologies can be combined: min mutants can be made in GR E. coli. The minCminD mutant GR E. coli produce minicells that concentrate engineered recombinant proteins within these spherical delivery systems. We expressed recombinant GFP protein in the cytoplasm of GR bacteria and showed that it is concentrated within the minicells. We also expressed proteins on the surfaces of minicells made from GR bacteria using a recombinant Gram-negative AIDA-I autotransporter expression cassette. As some autotransporters, like AIDA-I, are concentrated at the bacterial poles, where minicells bud, and because the surface-to-volume ratio of the small minicells is higher than bacteria, recombinant proteins expressed on surfaces of the GR bacteria are concentrated on the minicells. Minicells made from GR bacteria can enable useful biotechnological innovations, such as drug delivery vehicles and vaccine immunogens.
Long distance homing in the cane toad (Rhinella marina) in its native range
Authors: Shaykevich Daniel A. , Pašukonis Andrius , O’Connell Lauren A.
Published: June 2021

Many animals exhibit complex navigation over different scales and environments. Navigation studies in amphibians have largely focused on species with life histories that require advanced spatial capacities, such as territorial poison frogs and migratory pond-breeding amphibians that show fidelity to mating sites. However, other species have remained relatively understudied, leaving the possibility that well-developed navigational abilities are widespread. Here, we measured short-term space use in non-territorial, non-migratory cane toads (Rhinella marina) in their native range in French Guiana. After establishing home range, we tested their ability to return to home following translocations of 500 and 1000 meters. Toads were able to travel in straight trajectories back to home areas, suggesting map-like navigational abilities similar to those observed in amphibians with more complex spatial behavior. These observations break with the current paradigm of amphibian navigation and suggest that navigational abilities may be widely shared among amphibians.
Increase of both bottom-up and top-down attentional processes in high dream recallers
Authors: Ruby Perrine , Masson Rémy , Chatard Benoit , Hoyer Roxane , Bottemanne Laure , Vallat Raphael , Bidet-Caulet Aurélie
Published: June 2021

Event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with the involuntary orientation of (bottom-up) attention towards an unexpected sound are of larger amplitude in high dream recallers (HR) than in low dream recallers (LR) during passive listening, suggesting different attentional functioning. We measured bottom-up and top-down attentional performance and their cerebral correlates in 18 HR (11 women, age = 22.7 ± 4.1 years, dream recall frequency = 5.3 ± 1.3 days with a dream recall per week) and 19 LR (10 women, age = 22.3, DRF = 0.2 ±0.2) using EEG and the Competitive Attention Task. Between-group differences were found in ERPs but not in behavior. The results confirm that HR present larger ERPs to distracting sounds than LR during active listening, suggesting enhanced bottom-up processing of irrelevant sounds. HR also presented a larger contingent negative variation during target expectancy and a larger P3b response to target sounds than LR, speaking for an enhanced recruitment of top-down attention. Enhancement of both top-down and bottom-up processes in HR leads to an apparently preserved attentional balance since similar performance were observed in the two groups. Therefore, different neurophysiological profiles can result in similar cognitive performance, with some profiles possibly costlier in term of resource/energy consumption.
Designing a Novel Multi-Epitope Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2; Implication for Viral Binds and Fusion Inhibition through Inducing Neutralizing Antibodies
Authors: Moghri Seyed Amir Hossein Mohammadzadeh Ho , Ranjbar Mojtaba , Hassannia Hadi , Khakdan Fatemeh
Published: June 2021

Recently the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a pervasive threat to public health so it is an emergency to vaccine development. The SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein plays a vital role in binds and fusion to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The multi-epitope peptide vaccines are capable of inducing the specific humoral or cellular immune responses. In this regard, the RBD and spike cleavage site is the most probable target for vaccine development to inducing binds and fusion inhibitors neutralizing antibodies. In the present study, several immunoinformatics tools are used for analyzing the spike (S) glycoprotein sequence including the prediction of the potential linear B-cell epitopes, B-cell multi-epitope design, secondary and tertiary structures, physicochemical properties, solubility, antigenicity, and allergenicity for the promising vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2.
Bacterial factors drive the differential targeting of Guanylate Binding Proteins toFrancisellaandShigella
Authors: Valeva Stanimira V. , Michal Fanny , Degabriel Manon , Rohde John R. , Randow Felix , Ernst Robert K. , Lagrange Brice , Henry Thomas
Published: June 2021

Guanylate-Binding Proteins (GBPs) are interferon-inducible GTPases that play a key role in cell autonomous responses against intracellular pathogens. Seven GBPs are present in humans. Despite sharing high sequence similarity, subtle differences among GBPs translate into functional divergences that are still largely not understood. A key step for the antimicrobial activity of GBPs towards cytosolic bacteria is the formation of supramolecular GBP complexes on the bacterial surface. Such complexes are formed when GBP1 binds lipopolysaccharide (LPS) fromShigellaandSalmonellaand further recruits GBP2, 3, and 4.

Here, we investigated GBPs recruitment onFrancisella novicida, a professional cytosol-dwelling pathogen with an atypical tetra-acylated LPS. Co-infection experiments demonstrated that GBPs target preferentiallyS. flexnericompared toF. novicida.F. novicidawas coated by GBP1 and GBP2 in human macrophages but escaped targeting by GBP3 and GBP4. GBP1 and GBP2 features that drive recruitment toF. novicidawere investigated revealing that GBP1 GDPase activity is required to initiate GBP recruitment toF. novicidabut facultative to targetS. flexneri. Furthermore, analysis of chimeric GBP2/5 proteins identified a central domain in GBP2 necessary and sufficient to targetF. novicida.Finally, aF. novicidaΔlpxFmutant with a penta-acylated lipid A was targeted by GBP3 suggesting that lipid A tetra-acylation contributes to escape from GBP3. Altogether our results indicate that GBPs have different affinity for different bacteria and that the repertoire of GBPs recruited onto cytosolic bacteria is dictated by GBP-intrinsic features and specific bacterial factors, including the structure of the lipid A.

IMPORTANCE

Few bacteria have adapted to thrive in the hostile environment of the cell cytosol. As a professional cytosol-dwelling pathogen,S. flexnerisecretes several effectors to block cytosolic immune effectors, including GBPs. This study illustrates a different approach of adapting to the host cytosol: the stealth strategy developed byF. novicida.F. novicidabears an atypical hypoacylated LPS, which does not elicit neither TLR4 nor caspase-11 activation. Here, this atypical LPS was shown to promote escape from GBP3 targeting. Furthermore, the lower affinity of GBPs forF. novicidaallowed to decipher the different domains that govern GBP recruitment to the bacterial surface. This study illustrates the importance of investigating different bacterial models to broaden our understanding of the intricacies of host-pathogen interactions.
A response-locked classification image analysis of the perceptual decision making : contrast detection
Authors: Maruyama Hironori , Ueno Natsuki , Motoyoshi Isamu
Published: June 2021

In many situations, humans make decisions based on serially sampled information through the observation of visual stimuli. To quantify the critical information used by the observer in such dynamic decision making, we here applied a classification image (CI) analysis locked to the observer’s reaction time (RT) in a simple detection task for a luminance target that gradually appeared in dynamic noise. We found that the response-locked CI shows a spatiotemporally biphasic weighting profile that peaked about 300 ms before the response, but this profile substantially varied depending on RT; positive weights dominated at short RTs and negative weights at long RTs. We show that these diverse results are explained by a simple perceptual decision mechanism that accumulates the output of the perceptual process as modelled by a spatiotemporal contrast detector. We discuss possible applications and the limitations of the response-locked CI analysis.
Modelling hCDKL5 heterologous expression in bacteria
Authors: Fondi Marco , Gonzi Stefano , Dziurzynski Mikolaj , Turano Paola , Ghini Veronica , Calvanese Marzia , Colarusso Andrea , Lauro Concetta , Parrilli Ermenegilda , Tutino Maria Luisa
Published: June 2021

hCDKL5 refers to the human cyclin-dependent kinase that is primarily expressed in the brain where it exerts its function in several neuron districts. Mutations in its coding sequence are often causative of hCDKL5 deficiency disorder. The large-scale recombinant production of hCDKL5 is desirable to boost the translation of current therapeutic approaches into the clinic. However, this is hampered by the following features: i) almost two-thirds of hCDKL5 sequence are predicted to be intrinsically disordered, making this region more susceptible to proteolytic attack; ii) the cytoplasmic accumulation of the enzyme in eukaryotic host cells is associated to toxicity. The bacterium Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis TAC125 (PhTAC125) is the only prokaryotic host in which the full-length production of hCDKL5 has been demonstrated. To date, a system-level understanding of the metabolic burden imposed by hCDKL5 production is missing, although it would be crucial for the upscaling of the production process. Here, we have combined experimental data on protein production and nutrients assimilation with metabolic modelling to infer the global consequences of hCDKL5 production in PhTAC125 and to identify potential overproduction targets. Our analyses showed a remarkable accuracy of the model in simulating the recombinant strain phenotype and also identified priority targets for optimized protein production.
Development of a semi-automated method for tumor budding assessment in colorectal cancer and comparison with manual methods
Authors: Fisher Natalie C , Loughrey Maurice B , Coleman Helen G , Gelbard Melvin D , Bankhead Peter , Dunne Philip D
Published: June 2021

Tumor budding is an established prognostic feature in multiple cancers but routine assessment has not yet been incorporated into clinical pathology practice. Recent efforts to standardize and automate assessment have shifted away from haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained images towards cytokeratin (CK) immunohistochemistry. In this study, we compare established manual H&E and cytokeratin budding assessment methods with a new, semi-automated approach built within the QuPath open-source software. We applied our method to tissue cores from the advancing tumor edge in a cohort of stage II/III colon cancers (n=186).

The total number of buds detected by each method, over the 186 TMA cores, were as follows; manual H&E (n=503), manual CK (n=2290) and semi-automated (n=5138). More than four times the number of buds were detected using CK compared to H&E. A total of 1734 individual buds were identified both using manual assessment and semi-automated detection on CK images, representing 75.7% of the total buds identified manually (n=2290) and 33.7% of the total buds detected using our proposed semi-automated method (n=5138). Higher bud scores by the semi-automated method were due to any discrete area of CK immunopositivity within an accepted area range being identified as a bud, regardless of shape or crispness of definition, and to inclusion of tumor cell clusters within glandular lumina (“luminal pseudobuds”). Although absolute numbers differed, semi-automated and manual bud counts were strongly correlated across cores (ρ=0.81, p<0.0001). Despite the random, rather than “hotspot”, nature of tumor core sampling, all methods of budding assessment demonstrated poorer survival associated with higher budding scores.

In conclusion, we present a new QuPath-based approach to tumor budding assessment, which compares favorably to current established methods and offers a freely-available, rapid and transparent tool that is also applicable to whole slide images.
Interspecific interactions regulate plant reproductive allometry in cereal-legume intercropping systems
Authors: Gaudio Noémie , Violle Cyrille , Gendre Xavier , Fort Florian , Mahmoud Rémi , Pelzer Elise , Médiène Safia , Hauggaard-Nielsen Henrik , Bedoussac Laurent , Bonnet Catherine , Corre-Hellou Guénaëlle , Couëdel Antoine , Hinsinger Philippe , Jensen Erik Steen , Journet Etienne-Pascal , Justes Eric , Kammoun Bochra , Litrico Isabelle , Moutier Nathalie , Naudin Christophe , Casadebaig Pierre
Published: June 2021

Calls for ecological principles in agriculture have gained momentum. Intercropping systems have long been designed by growing two, or more, annual crop species in the same field, aiming for a better resource use efficiency. However, assembly rules for their design are lacking. Notably, it is still unknown whether species performances are maximized during both the vegetative and reproductive phases given the sensitivity of reproductive allocation rules to resource limitation. Interestingly, ecological theory provides expectations regarding putative invariance of plant reproductive allometry (PRA) under non-limiting conditions for plant growth. Here we examined whether and how PRA changes in response to plant-plant interactions in intercropping systems, which can inform both ecological theory and the understanding of the functioning of intercropping systems.

We analyzed a dataset of 28 field cereal-legume intercropping trials from various climatic and management conditions across Western Europe. PRA was quantified in both mixing and single-species situations.

PRA was positively impacted in specific management conditions, leading to a greater increase in yield for a given increase in plant size. Variations in PRA were more beneficial for legumes grown in unfertilized mixture, which explains their use as a key component in actual intercrop systems. The response for cereals was similar but less pronounced in magnitude, and was greater under limiting resource conditions. Focusing on intercropping conditions, hierarchical competition (indicated by biomass difference between intercropped species) appears as a strong driver of the reproductive output of a given species.

Synthesis and applications. Plant reproductive allometry behaves in crop species in the same way as it does in wild species. However, contrary to theoretical expectations about an overall invariance of PRA, we highlighted taxon-specific and context-dependent effects of plant-plant interactions on PRA. This systematic deviation to PRA expectations could be leveraged to cultivate each species up to its reproductive optimum while accounting for the performance of the other, whether farmer’s objective is to favor one species or to reach an equilibrium in seed production. Sowing density and cultivar choice could regulate the biomass of each component, with specific targets derived from allometric relationships, aiming for an optimal reproductive allocation in mixtures.
Fixed-target serial femtosecond crystallography using in cellulo grown microcrystals
Authors: Lahey-Rudolph J. Mia , Schönherr Robert , Barthelmess Miriam , Fischer Pontus , Seuring Carolin , Wagner Armin , Meents Alke , Redecke Lars
Published: June 2021

The crystallization of recombinant proteins in living cells is an exciting new approach in structural biology. Recent success has highlighted the need for fast and efficient diffraction data collection, optimally directly exposing intact crystal-containing cells to the X-ray beam, thus protecting the in cellulo crystals from environmental challenges. Serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) at free-electron lasers (XFELs) allows the collection of detectable diffraction even from tiny protein crystals, but requires very fast sample exchange to utilize each XFEL pulse. Here, an efficient approach is presented for high-resolution structure elucidation using serial femtosecond in cellulo diffraction of micometre-sized crystals of the protein HEX-1 from the fungus Neurospora crassa on a fixed target. Employing the fast and highly accurate Roadrunner II translation-stage system allowed efficient raster scanning of the pores of micro-patterned, single-crystalline silicon chips loaded with living, crystal-containing insect cells. Compared with liquid-jet and LCP injection systems, the increased hit rates of up to 30% and reduced background scattering enabled elucidation of the HEX-1 structure. Using diffraction data from only a single chip collected within 12 min at the Linac Coherent Light Source, a 1.8 Å resolution structure was obtained with significantly reduced sample consumption compared with previous SFX experiments using liquid-jet injection. This HEX-1 structure is almost superimposable with that previously determined using synchrotron radiation from single HEX-1 crystals grown by sitting-drop vapour diffusion, validating the approach. This study demonstrates that fixed-target SFX using micro-patterned silicon chips is ideally suited for efficient in cellulo diffraction data collection using living, crystal-containing cells, and offers huge potential for the straightforward structure elucidation of proteins that form intracellular crystals at both XFELs and synchrotron sources.
Accounting in and for hybrids. Observations of the power of disentanglements
Authors: Weichselberger Gustaf Kastberg , Lagström Cristian
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The authors argue that the mainstream scholarly discourse on hybridity and accounting is thus far primarily interested in the use and effects of accounting “in” hybrid organizations. Consequently, the literature has to a lesser extent explored how accounting mediates hybrid settings (while also being mediated), and the role of disentanglements in such processes. In hybrid settings, objects are difficult to define, and measures and tools difficult to agree upon. However, the literature on hybrid accounting is inconclusive and indicates that accounting can potentially both stabilize and de-stabilize relations in a hybrid setting. The authors address the research question of how accounting emerges and manifests itself in a process of entangling and disentangling in a heterogeneous emerging hybrid setting.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a longitudinal qualitative case study of the implementation of social investments, a public sector calculative framework based on the logic of measuring long term and social and economic impact of prevention. Methodologically, the study was guided by actor-network theory. In total, 18 observations and 48 interviews were conducted.

Findings

The observation the authors make in their case study is that much effort was spent on both keeping things apart and tying elements together. What the authors add to the literature is an illumination of how the interplay between entanglements and disentanglements facilitated the design idea of social investments to be enacted as multiple semi-integrated and purified hybridizations. The authors describe different translation points, each representing a specific hybridization where elements were added, recombined and disentangled. Still, the translation points were not completely compartmentalized, but rather semi-integrated where associations were facilitated through active mediation, likeness and productiveness for each other.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation is the single case approach. A second limitation arises from the ANT approach to hybridity.

Practical implications

A practical implication of this paper is that in hybrid settings, the semi-integrated character may be interpreted as a strength because it allows the mobilization of heterogenous actors. However, this may also come at the cost of governability and raises further questions of managerial practices in hybrid settings.

Social implications

The paper suggests the potentially productive role of disentanglements in allowing multiple hybridizations to evolve in hybrid accounting settings.

Originality/value

The paper suggests the potentially productive role of disentanglements in allowing multiple stabilized hybridizations to evolve in hybrid accounting settings.
Safety analysis of the optionally-piloted airplane landing
Authors: Pieniazek Jacek , Ciecinski Piotr
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study aims to optionally-piloted aircraft is useful for in-flight tests of new automatic controller’s concepts. The safety of this kind of experiment is an issue addressed in this paper. The prediction of possible safety-influencing factors makes it possible to assess the pilot’s ability to effectively prevent safety risks.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis in this research paper focusses on two cases of monitoring; similar control standards for both pilot in command and the monitoring pilot or technical systems in one of these tasks and dissimilar control standard when monitoring pilot is not familiar with a control manner of the pilot in command or of the automatic control system. The increased workload is expected in the last case as the result of additional activities determined theoretically in the presented analysis. Details of the possible threats are obtained by simulation tests with various factors influencing the safety of landing. In addition to determining threats, the analysis includes the possibility of in time threat detection and preserving action.

Findings

The results show that the safety pilot has a different task than the pilot in command and needs to be familiar with the general principles of automatic controller operations and the particular algorithm being tested. Although commonly used landing procedure is relatively error-tolerant, new landing procedures for use in some specific conditions need more precise control and additional safety pilot preparation. Additional information presented to both the pilot in command and the safety pilot may increase mode and state awareness and reduce reaction time in an emergency condition.

Practical implications

In-flight tests of non-standard control algorithms there is a need to include additional preparation of the equipment and safety pilot. The research in this paper illustrates how to determine threats and safety-critical moments during the experimental flight can be observed. The danger is mitigated by the safety pilot, if familiar with both proper and improper operations of the controller and how the pilot in command should detect and predict danger caused by the tested control system.

Originality/value

The presented method of analysis combines the human factor with various technical aspects. The results obtained illustrate the real tasks of the person supervising the operation of the automatic control system and the role of a human as a safety pilot.
Numerical simulation method of lines together with a pseudospectral method for solving space-time partial differential equations with space left- and right-sided fractional derivative
Authors: Ali Mushtaq , Almoaeet Mohammed , Albuohimad Basim Karim
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study aims to use new formula derived based on the shifted Jacobi functions have been defined and some theorems of the left- and right-sided fractional derivative for them have been presented.

Design/methodology/approach

In this article, the authors apply the method of lines (MOL) together with the pseudospectral method for solving space-time partial differential equations with space left- and right-sided fractional derivative (SFPDEs). Then, using the collocation nodes to reduce the SFPDEs to the system of ordinary differential equations, which can be solved by the ode45 MATLAB toolbox.

Findings

Applying the MOL method together with the pseudospectral discretization method converts the space-dependent on fractional partial differential equations to the system of ordinary differential equations.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to gain choosing the shifted Jacobi functions basis with special parametersa,band give the authors this opportunity to obtain the left- and right-sided fractional differentiation matrices for this basis exactly. The results of the examples are presented in this article. The authors found that the method is efficient and provides accurate results, and the authors found significant implications for success in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics domain.
Understanding the antecedents and outcomes of brand community-swinging in a poly-social-media context: a perspective of channel complementarity theory
Authors: Liao Junyun , Chen Jiawen , Dong Xuebing
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study aims to examine the increasingly widespread phenomenon of brand community-swinging, which refers to a user's routine use of multiple brand communities of a brand across different social media. Drawing from channel complementarity theory, this study examines whether the complementarity of gratifications in four values (i.e. information value, entertainment value, social interaction value and self-presentation value) influences brand community-swinging and, in turn, cultivates brand loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was developed to collect relevant data from users of a well-known smartphone brand. The survey yielded a total of 351 useable responses, and a structural equation model approach was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate that three types of gratification complementarity (information value, social interaction value and self-presentation value) have a significantly positive impact on consumers' brand community-swinging, which further fosters brand loyalty.

Originality/value

Previous research predominantly focused on the motivations and outcomes of consumers' participation within a single-brand community, but little is known about the antecedents and outcomes of brand community-swinging in a poly-social-media context. This study contributes to the brand community literature by addressing this research gap.
Farmers' choice between endogenous vs. exogenous e-commerce: alignment with resources and performance goals
Authors: Song Ying , Wu Wenyu , Miocevic Dario
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The literature shows that e-commerce adoption brings many benefits to farmers and agricultural businesses. However, the literature offers very limited guidance on the most effective ways for them to utilize e-commerce platforms. In this study, we unfold how a farmer's choice between endogenous (their own) vs. exogenous (third-party) e-commerce platforms should be aligned with the external (support from agricultural cooperative) and internal (usage of quality labels) resources they can leverage and the performance goals they want to achieve (market expansion vs. price premium).

Design/methodology/approach

Our study draws on transaction cost economics (TCE) and resource-based theory (RBT) to test the conceptual model with data from a cross-sectional survey of 324 farmers from two provinces in PR China.

Findings

Our findings show that external and internal resources shed additional light on the effectiveness of endogenous vis-à-vis exogenous e-commerce platforms. For farmers who rely on exogenous e-commerce, support from an agricultural cooperative appears to be critical in increasing their market expansion. On the other hand, farmers seeking to earn a price premium should focus on developing their own e-commerce platforms, while at the same time emphasizing the quality labels of their agricultural products.

Practical implications

Farmers should pay close attention to the value-added benefits provisioned through farmers' cooperatives, as well as the benefits of acquiring quality labels for their agricultural products. However, the decision to utilize these resources should be aligned with the chosen e-commerce platform (endogenous vs. exogenous) as well as with the performance goal the farmer wants to achieve.

Originality/value

Our work goes beyond the traditional focus on transaction costs and efficiency of e-commerce channels and provides specific insights into when an endogenous or exogenous e-commerce model might provide benefits for farmers. On top of this, we argue and show that this decision should reside with the farmer's ability to leverage external and internal resources, envisioned through support from an agricultural cooperative and the quality labels of agricultural products.
Couples experiencing private life constraints to their career: understanding home-to-career interference from a couple's perspective
Authors: Op de Beeck Silke , Verbruggen Marijke , Abraham Elisabeth , De Cooman Rein
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This paper examines home-to-career interference (HCI), i.e., the extent to which employees perceive that their private life has constrained their career decisions to date, from a couple perspective. Building on scarcity theory, the authors expect higher levels of HCI among couples that need more and have less resources and, within couples, among the partner who is most likely to take care of home demands. Therefore, the authors explore the role of children and social support as between-couple differences and gender, relative resources and work centrality as within-couple differences. Moreover, the authors examine how one partner's HCI is related to both partners' life satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses are tested using hierarchical linear modeling and APIM-analysis with a sample of 197 heterosexual dual-earner couples (N = 394).

Findings

As hypothesized, employees in couples with more children and less social support reported more HCI. No support was found for within-couple differences in gender, educational level or work centrality. Next, HCI was negatively related to employees' own life satisfaction but not to their partner's life satisfaction.

Originality/value

The authors enrich the understanding of HCI by examining this phenomenon from a couple perspective and shed light on couple influences on career experiences.
How does paradoxical leadership promote bootlegging: a TPB-based multiple mediation model
Authors: Jia Jianfeng , Liu Zhi , Zheng Yuyan
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study aims to explore the antecedents of bootlegging from the perspective of paradoxical leadership. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), it examines a multiple mediation model with harmonious innovation passion, role breadth self-efficacy and perceived error management culture as mediators, to interpret why paradoxical leadership influences employee bootlegging.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the theoretical model, data were collected from 218 full-time employees from enterprises in Chinese cities using a three-wave time-lagged design. Path-analysis and a bootstrapping approach in Mplus7 were used to examine the hypotheses of the theoretical model.

Findings

The results show that paradoxical leadership has a positive influence on bootlegging. In the multiple mediation model, the effect paths of harmonious innovation passion and role breadth self-efficacy are significant but there is an insignificant difference in their power, while the effect path of perceived error management culture is insignificant, although it has a significant simple mediating effect and sequential mediating effect.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to show the influence of paradoxical leadership on bootlegging, responding to the research call to use the paradoxical factors to capture the antecedents of innovative behaviors. Second, this study enriches the outcomes of paradoxical leadership, that of bootlegging. Third, this study provides a TPB-based mechanism of how paradoxical leadership promotes bootlegging by increasing employees’ harmonious innovation passion, role breadth self-efficacy and perceived error management culture. This provides a new theoretical perspective to explain the relationship between paradoxical leadership and employee bootlegging. It also responds to the call for exploration of the multiple pathways of leadership.
Networks as a moderating factor of the effect of institutional distance on export performance
Authors: Escolá Manuel Chabier , Serrano Raul , Ferrer Juan Ramón
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating effect of business networks on the export performance of firms.

Design/methodology/approach

Following recent studies conducted from a network perspective, this moderating effect is studied for different types of business networks. To do this, a two-step Heckman-probit model is implemented for a sample of more than 2,000 manufacturing companies with information from the years 2006 to 2012. This study analyses the effect of nine variables of institutional distance between Spain and four geographical areas for collaborating and non-collaborating firms.

Findings

The main contribution of this paper is suggesting that vertical networks reduce the negative effects of institutional distance faced by the company in the early stages of its export process.

Practical implications

According to the results of this paper, managers should make a greater effort to expand their networks when they want to start exporting to further markets, as some networks reduces the negative effect of distance on export propensity. Moreover, the results also suggest that participating within a network may not be sufficient to increase the propensity to export of a firm, being important the kind of network in which companies participate.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper lies in providing empirical evidence that distinct kind of networks have different effect on the internationalisation process of companies, and that they affect not only directly as previous studies showed but also indirectly moderating the negative effect of the differences between markets.
Factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions the most for university students in Vietnam: educational support, personality traits or TPB components?
Authors: Maheshwari Greeni
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the influence of personality traits, individual factors and theory of planned behaviour (TPB) components (personal attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control) on entrepreneurial intentions of university students. The study further aims to determine which factors have a higher influence on the entrepreneurial intentions of the students.

Design/methodology/approach

The data was collected using an online survey from 164 students studying in universities in Vietnam. The study used confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical regression to analyse the data.

Findings

Results suggested that educational support has no impact on entrepreneurial intentions but individual factors such as self-efficacy, risk propensity and need for power and all the TPB components influenced entrepreneurial intentions. The TPB components had a higher influence on entrepreneurial intentions of students as compared to individual factors.

Originality/value

Only a few studies have been conducted to determine the strength of factors affecting entrepreneurial intensions of the students. This study demonstrates that TPB components have the highest influence on entrepreneurial intentions. Moreover, the study introduces an independent variable, need for power which is rarely used in any such studies and this adds a new component to the already existing research framework and in academic literature.
Sustainability potential awareness among built environment stakeholders: experience from Tanzania
Authors: Kongela Sophia Marcian
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Sustainability in the built environment is rapidly gaining attention worldwide, although many developing countries have not accomplished much on the ground as many sustainability aspects still remain untreated. Despite their low greenhouse gas contributions to the globe, the high rate of construction activities that do not embrace sustainable practices in these countries pose challenges to the environment. Using the case of Tanzania, this study assesses the level of sustainability awareness among key stakeholders in the built environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a mixed-method research approach where primary data was collected using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with key informants comprising engineers, architects, property managers, property owners, property users and academicians from institutions of higher learning.

Findings

Results show that despite the potential for a sustainable built environment, there is a low level of awareness among key stakeholders. Whereas few architects, who were aware, admitted to have not incorporated sustainability aspects in their building design, other stakeholders did not have active roles in decision-making involving building construction projects. Compared to the rest, the awareness level of property users was the lowest. Lack of a specific policy or policy statement on sustainable building, high initial costs of sustainable building, few skilled professionals and lack of a broad choice of building materials are some of the factors accounting for the low level of sustainability adoption in the built environment.

Originality/value

The significance of this study lies within the objective of showing awareness levels of sustainability aspects among key built environment stakeholders and policymakers, which is important in devising strategies for promoting sustainable construction practices.
Monitoring dynamic breast measurements obtained from 4D body scanning
Authors: Pei Jie , Griffin Linsey , Ashdown Susan P. , Fan Jintu
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the shape change of breast during movement to inform product development of bras and other female wearable products.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the latest 4D body scanning technology, the authors monitored the change of seven non-circumferential breast measurements, including four linear measurements (widths, depth, etc.) and three angular measurements, across nine dynamic scans of a complete gait cycle during running. A series of statistical analysis were conducted to thoroughly investigate the measurement values in dynamic states compared with values extracted from static 3D scans.

Findings

Major findings are as follows: (1) For width-underbust, chest-depth, vertical-acromion and angle ABD, more than half of the dynamic frames presents a significant difference with the static frame. (2) Width-underbust and chest-depth measured in static can underestimate the actual values under motion. (3) vertical-acromion presents a W-shaped general trend for the nine dynamic frames with peaks observed at the keyframes (i.e. when a participant's right or left knee bends the most and rises to its highest level) and lows at the intermediate frames. (4) Angle ABD and angle BAD both present an M-shaped general trend, the exact opposite of a W-shaped trend.

Originality/value

While 3D body scanning and motion capture systems have both contributed significantly to the study of breast, 4D body scanning incorporates the advantages of both technologies and captures the 3D surface of the body during movement at each instant moment. This is one of the first studies that adopt the new technology for apparel applications.
Big data analyses on key terms of wearable robots in social network services
Authors: Han Ru , Koo Sumin Helen
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This research was to understand people's perceptions and trends in wearable robots and the research questions were as follows: (1) investigating key terms related to wearable robots that were frequently used by and exposed to people and (2) analyzing relationships among those key terms.

Design/methodology/approach

Textom, a big data collection and analysis software system, was used to collect data using the keyword – wearable robot.

Findings

The frequency-inverse document frequency, term frequency and central analyses were investigated, and the major key terms related to wearable robots and their connectivity were identified. After performing network analysis and convergence of iterated correlations analyses using UCINET and NetDraw programs, the major key term categories were identified.

Originality/value

It is important to understand how people think and perceive about wearable robots before developing wearable robots. The results of the research are expected to be helpful to better understand how people perceive and what key terms are mainly discussed by people in both countries and ultimately help when developing wearable robots with better market targeting approach methods.