bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of neurobehavioural traits under axenic conditions: an approach for multiple longitudinal analyses in the same mouse
Authors: Rutsch Andrina , Iachizzi Monica , Kirundi Jorum , Kantsjö Johan B. , Planchette Arielle L. , Müller Terry , Schmitz Werner , Radenovic Aleksandra , Doenlen Raphaël , de Agüero Mercedes Gomez , Ronchi Francesca
Published: November 2024

The gut-microbiota-brain axis influences neuroinflammation, neural development and behaviour such as sociability, memory and anxiety. To study these traitsin vivo, especially during development or disease, it is crucial to analyse them over time and with multiple analyses in the same animal. With a growing understanding of the role of specific bacteria in neurodegenerative disease and behaviour, the demand for gnotobiotic mouse models has increased. However, maintaining stable hygienic conditions during behavioural testing is challenging, as exposure to conventional environments can alter the hygienic status of mice and affect behaviour. We established protocols to perform behavioural tests assessing memory, anxiety, exploration, learning and recognition under axenic conditions using flexible film isolators. Our study compared the behaviour of germ-free mice with mice carrying a defined minimal or moderately diverse microbiota. The results showed no effect of the microbiota on short- and long-term memory or novel object recognition. However, we showed for the first time that mice colonised with defined commensal bacteria exhibited more anxiety-like behaviour than germ-free mice. In addition, we showed that microbiota complexity is important, as only mice colonised with moderately diverse microbiota exhibited anxiety-like behaviour, allowing us to disentangle the contribution of specific microbial species or community interactions to this phenotype. This phenotype correlated with differences in hippocampal and serum metabolic profiles between colonised and germ-free mice. We propose a novel approach to study rodent behaviour at different physiological and pathological stages in their life without compromising hygiene, thus promoting the refinement and reduction of mice used in experiments.
Astrocyte-specific secretome profiling reveals its correlation with neurological disorders
Authors: Liu Jie , Gao Jing , Guo Lin , Ma Guoming , Guan Mingfeng , Xia Congcong , He Jia , Yang Yufang , Wu Yi , Xu Jun , Xiong Liulin , Yu Chang-Yin , Pei Gang , Zhao Jian , He Jianchen , Zhang Yaoyang , Wang Wenyuan
Published: November 2024

Secreted proteins mediate intercellular communication throughout the lives of multicellular organisms. However, due to the lack of new technology for secreted protein capturing, the progress of “secretomics’’ lags behind. Here, we report a two-step secretome enrichment method (tsSEM) combining unnatural amino acid labeling and click chemistry-based biorthogonal reaction, which enablesin vitrosecretome profiling in the presence of serum. Using this novel method, we systematically investigated the secretome of human iPSCs-derived astrocytes (iAst) in different disease models and identified a panel of astrocyte-secreted proteins that are responsible for its non-cell autonomous toxicity under disease conditions. Furthermore, we validated two astrocytes-derived novel neurotrophic proteins, FAM3C and KITLG, which we identified from disease models, and found that they could boost neurite outgrowth, protect neurons, and promote neural progenitor proliferation. Our study highlights the utility of secretome profiling of iAst and demonstrates its applications in disease study and target identification and validation in drug development.
Transient histone deacetylase inhibition induces cellular memory of gene expression and three-dimensional genome folding
Authors: Paldi Flora , Szalay Michael F , Di Stefano Marco , Jost Daniel , Reboul Hadrien , Cavalli Giacomo
Published: November 2024

Epigenetic memory enables the stable propagation of gene expression patterns in response to transient developmental and environmental stimuli. Although three-dimensional (3D) organisation is emerging as a key regulator of genome function, it is unknown whether it contributes to cellular memory. Here, we establish that acute perturbation of the epigenome can induce cellular memory of gene expression in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Specifically, we uncover how a pulse of histone deacetylase inhibition translates to changes in histone acetylation and methylation, as well as global and local genome folding. While most epigenomic and transcriptional changes are readily reversible once the perturbation is removed, genome architecture partially maintains its perturbed conformation. This is significant, as a second transient pulse of hyperacetylation induces continued gene expression deregulation at hundreds of loci. Using ultra-deep Micro-C, we associate memory of gene expression with enhancer-promoter contacts and repressive chromatin topology mediated by Polycomb. These results demonstrate how cells are able to record a transient stress in their 3D genome architecture, enabling them to respond more robustly in a second bout of the same perturbation.
Multiplexed PCR to measurein situgrowth rates of uropathogenicE. coliduring experimental urinary tract infection
Authors: Paudel Santosh , Severin Geoffrey B. , Pirani Ali , Snitkin Evan S. , Mobley Harry L.T.
Published: November 2024

Measuring bacterial growth ratesin vitrois routine, however, determining growth rates during infection in host has been more challenging. Peak-to-trough ratio (PTR) is a technique for studying microbial growth dynamics, calculated using the ratio of replication origin (ori) copies to that of the terminus (ter), as originally defined by whole genome sequencing (WGS). WGS presents significant challenges in terms of expense and data analysis complexity due to the presence of host DNA in the samples. Here, we used multiplexed PCR with fluorescent probes to estimate bacterial growth rates based on the abundance ofori– andter-adjacent loci, without the need for WGS. We establish the utility of this approach by comparing growth rates of the uropathogenicEscherichia coli(UPEC) strain HM86 by WGS (PTR) and qPCR to measure the equivalentori:ter(O:TPCR). We found that PTR and O:TPCRwere highly correlated and that O:TPCRreliably predicted growth rates calculated by conventional methods. O:TPCRwas then used to calculate thein situ E. coligrowth rates in urine, bladder, and kidneys collected over the course of a week from a murine model of urinary tract infection (UTI). These analyses revealed that growth rate of UPEC strains gradually increased during the early stages of infection (0–6h), followed by a slow decrease in growth rates during later time points (1-7 days). This rapid and convenient method provides valuable insights into bacterial growth dynamics during infection and can be applied to other bacterial species in both animal models and clinical infections.

Importance

Accurately measuring bacterial growth rates in the host, which plays a crucial role in determining the success of pathogens in establishing infections, poses significant challenges. To address this, bacterial replication rate has been measured as a proxy for growth rate estimation. While whole genome sequencing (WGS) has been used for this purpose, it comes with drawbacks such as high costs and difficulties in analyzing bacterial sequences due to the overwhelming presence of host DNA. In this study, we validate a more accessible PCR-based approach compared to the established WGS method and confirmed the reliability of our PCR-based technique. We then applied it to measure the growth rate ofEscherichia coliduring an experimental urinary tract infection in a mouse model. This study provides a cost-effective and efficient alternative to WGS for studying bacterial replication dynamics during infection, potentially offering new insights into pathogen behavior and host-microbe interactions.
Machine Learning Identifies Genes Linked to Neurological Disorders Induced by Equine Encephalitis viruses (EEV), Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), and Organophosphorus nerve agents (OPNA)
Authors: Yin Liduo , VanderGiessen Morgen , Kumar Vinoth , Conacher Benjamin , Chao Po-Chien Haku , Theus Michelle , Johnson Erik , Kehn-Hall Kylene , Wu Xiaowei , Xie Hehuang
Published: November 2024

Venezuelan, eastern, and western equine encephalitis viruses (collectively referred to as equine encephalitis viruses---EEV) cause serious neurological diseases and are a significant threat to the civilian population and the warfighter. Likewise, organophosphorus nerve agents (OPNA) are highly toxic chemicals that pose serious health threats of neurological deficits to both military and civilian personnel around the world. Consequently, only a select few approved research groups are permitted to study these dangerous chemical and biological warfare agents. This has created a significant gap in our scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying neurological diseases. Valuable insights may be gleaned by drawing parallels to other extensively researched neuropathologies, such as traumatic brain injuries (TBI). By examining combined gene expression profiles, common and unique molecular characteristics may be discovered, providing new insights into medical countermeasures (MCMs) for TBI, EEV infection and OPNA neuropathologies and sequelae. In this study, we collected transcriptomic datasets for neurological disorders caused by TBI, EEV, and OPNA injury, and implemented a framework to normalize and integrate gene expression datasets derived from various platforms. Effective machine learning approaches were developed to identify critical genes that are associated, either shared among the three neuropathologies or to either TBI, EEV, and OPNA. With the aid of deep neural networks, we were able to extract important association signals for accurate prediction of different neurological disorders by using integrated gene expression datasets of VEEV, OPNA, and TBI samples. Gene ontology and pathway analyses further identified neuropathologic features with specific gene product attributes and functions, shedding light on the fundamental biology of these neurological disorders. Collectively, we highlight a workflow to analyze published transcriptomic data using machine learning, which can be used for both identification of gene biomarkers that are unique to specific neurological conditions, as well as genes shared across multiple neuropathologies. These shared genes could serve as potential neuroprotective drug targets for conditions like EEV, TBI, and OPNA.
Elevated EGR1 Binding at Enhancers in Excitatory Neurons Correlates with Neuronal Subtype-Specific Epigenetic Regulation
Authors: Yin Liduo , Xu Xiguang , Conacher Benjamin , Lin Yu , Carrillo Gabriela L. , Cun Yupeng , Fox Michael A. , Lu Xuemei , Xie Hehuang
Published: November 2024

Brain development and neuronal cell specification are accompanied with epigenetic changes to achieve diverse gene expression regulation. Interacting with cell-type specific epigenetic marks, transcription factors bind to different sets of cis-regulatory elements in different types of cells. Currently, it remains largely unclear how cell-type specific gene regulation is achieved for neurons. In this study, we generated epigenetic maps to perform comparative histone modification analysis between excitatory and inhibitory neurons. We found that neuronal cell-type specific histone modifications are enriched in super enhancer regions containing abundant EGR1 motifs. Further CUT&RUN data validated that more EGR1 binding sites can be detected in excitatory neurons and primarily located in enhancers. Integrative analysis revealed that EGR1 binding is strongly correlated with various epigenetic markers for open chromatin regions and associated with distinct gene pathways with neuronal subtype-specific functions. In inhibitory neurons, the majority of genomic regions hosting EGR1 binding sites become accessible at early embryonic stages. In contrast, the super enhancers in excitatory neurons hosting EGR1 binding sites gained their accessibility during postnatal stages. This study highlights the significance of transcription factor binding to enhancer regions, which may play a crucial role in establishing cell-type specific gene regulation in neurons.
Weak
G2
manifolds and scale separation in M-theory from type IIA backgrounds
Authors: Van Hemelryck Vincent
Published: November 2024

This work provides evidence for the existence of supersymmetric and scale-separated AdS4 vacua in M-theory of the Freund-Rubin type. The internal space has weak G2-holonomy, which is obtained from the lift of AdS (anti–de Sitter) vacua in massless type IIA on a specific SU(3) structure with O6-planes. Such lifts require a local treatment of the O6-planes, therefore going beyond the usual smeared approximation. The setup is analyzed by solving the pure spinor equations and the Bianchi identities perturbatively in a small backreaction parameter, preserving supersymmetry manifestly and therefore extending on previous work. This approach is applicable to lifts of other type IIA vacua on half-flat SU(3) structures, including those with D6-brane sources. The resulting 7D manifold presented here exhibits singularities originating from the O6-planes loci in type IIA theory. Additionally, scale separation in M-theory arises from a decoupling between the Ricci curvature and the first eigenvalue of the Laplacian of the proposed 7D manifold, thereby challenging certain conjectures in the swampland program.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Eel-like robot swims more efficiently with increasing joint amplitudes compared to constant joint amplitudes
Authors: Anastasiadis Alexandros , Rossi Annalisa , Paez Laura , Melo Kamilo , Tytell Eric D. , Ijspeert Auke J. , Mulleners Karen
Published: November 2024

This paper is associated with a video winner of a 2023 American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD) Gallery of Fluid Motion Award for work presented at the DFD Gallery of Fluid Motion. The original video is available online at the Gallery of Fluid Motion, marker GFM.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Striped-phase germanene confirmed by photoemission final-state effect
Authors: Chen Ting-Yu , Chen Chin-Hsuan , Mikolas David , Chiniwar Santosh , Huang Angus , Lin Chung-Huang , Cheng Cheng-Maw , Komori Fumio , Matsuda Iwao , Mou Chung-Yu , Jeng Horng-Tay , Pai Woei Wu , Tang S.-J.
Published: November 2024

The formation of germanene on Ag(111) has been extensively studied and confirmed. However, the nature of the transition stage between the initial Ag2Ge alloy phase at 1/3 monolayer (ML) and the final quasifreestanding phase germanene phase at coverage ≥1 ML still remains elusive. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, scanning-tunneling microscopy (STM), and low-energy electron diffraction, we confirm the existence of striped-phase (SP) germanene in the transition stage. Along the armchair direction of SP, the period of higher-order coincidence corresponds to 11aAC=31aAg(111), which accommodates four stripes on the bridge sites of the underlying Ag(111) lattice, as manifested in STM topography. On the electronic-structure side, the splitlike surface band of Ag2Ge centered at the surface zone boundary M¯Ag(111) evidently evolves to a steep, V-shaped interfacial-state band, characteristic of SP germanene. Moreover, an anomalous broad Ag bulk-state band was observed to fully develop upon formation of SP germanene. The bulk-state band originates from the direct transition to the final-state bands of originally d character at ∼22–23eV above the Fermi level. Because of the strong hybridization between germanene and Ag

d

orbitals, the unoccupied Ag bulk final-state d bands near the interface take on pz character, inducing the direct transition from the Ag bulk occupied pz-valence band, following the selection rule for the photoemission cross section. A germanene identity of SP is thus confirmed. Our result indicates a very important missing segment of the evolution from the initial surface alloy phase to the final Xene layer, which is the coexistence of both in a common stripe lattice during a continuous transition.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Stimulated emission tomography for efficient characterization of spatial entanglement
Authors: Xu Yang , Choudhary Saumya , Boyd Robert W.
Published: November 2024

Stimulated-emission tomography (SET) is an excellent tool for characterizing the process of spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC), which is commonly used to create pairs of entangled photons for use in quantum information protocols. The use of stimulated emission increases the average number of detected photons by several orders of magnitude compared to the spontaneous process. In a SET measurement, the parametric down conversion is seeded by an intense signal field prepared with specified mode properties rather than by broadband multimodal vacuum fluctuations, as is the case for the spontaneous process. The SET process generates an intense idler field in a mode that is the complex conjugate to the signal mode. In this work we use SET to estimate the joint spatial mode distribution (JSMD) in the Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) basis of the two photons of an entangled photon pair. The pair is produced by parametric down conversion in a beta barium borate (BBO) crystal with type-II phase matching pumped at a wavelength of 405 nm along with a 780 nm seed signal beam prepared in a variety of LG modes to generate an 842 nm idler beam of which the spatial mode distribution is measured. We observe strong idler production and good agreement with the theoretical prediction of its spatial mode distribution. Our experimental procedure should enable the efficient determination of the photon-pair wavefunctions produced by low-brightness SPDC sources and the characterization of high-dimensional entangled-photon pairs.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Constructions and Performance of Hyperbolic and Semi-Hyperbolic Floquet Codes
Authors: Higgott Oscar , Breuckmann Nikolas P.
Published: November 2024

We construct families of Floquet codes derived from color-code tilings of closed hyperbolic surfaces. These codes have weight-two check operators, a finite encoding rate and can be decoded efficiently with minimum-weight perfect matching. We also construct semi-hyperbolic Floquet codes, which have improved distance scaling, and are obtained via a fine-graining procedure. Using a circuit-based noise model that assumes direct two-qubit measurements, we show that semi-hyperbolic Floquet codes can be 48 times more efficient than planar honeycomb codes and therefore over 100 times more efficient than alternative compilations of the surface code to two-qubit measurements, even at physical error rates of 0.3% to 1%. We further demonstrate that semi-hyperbolic Floquet codes can have a teraquop footprint of only 32 physical qubits per logical qubit at a noise strength of 0.1%. For standard circuit-level depolarizing noise at p=0.1%, we find a 30 times improvement over planar honeycomb codes and a 5.6 times improvement over surface codes. Finally, we analyze small instances that are amenable to near-term experiments, including a Floquet code derived from the Bolza surface that encodes four logical qubits into 16 physical qubits.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
3,5,6-Trichloropyridin-2-ol
Authors: Vaughn Tashonda M. , Soheil Saneei , Ogundele Olalekan M. , Fronczek Frank R. , Uppu Rao M.
Published: November 2024

The title compound, C5H2Cl3NO, is almost planar. In the crystal, the molecules form centrosymmetric hydrogen-bonded dimers through pairwise O—H...N interactions to generate R
2
2(8) loops.
Beyond replacement and absorption: exploring integrative pathways to accounting colonisation
Authors: Borell Anton
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Prior studies have treated colonisation as a process whereby traditional values in public sector settings are replaced by economic ones, driven by the extensive use and visibility of accounting instruments. This paper challenges this conceptualisation by proposing that colonisation can also be integrative, rather than merely a replacing process.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a qualitative research approach, utilising interviews, observations and documents obtained in a Swedish municipality. The primary focus is on the introduction of economic, market-oriented reforms in a compulsory school setting, a site traditionally guided by welfare values.

Findings

The paper demonstrates that a range of situations has emerged wherein actors attempted to integrate market-oriented and welfare values through various accounting techniques. It also shows how this integration led to colonising outcomes, stemming from an underlying premise of aligning welfare values with a market-like agenda.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to existing research by exploring the complexities and nuances of colonisation and the role of accounting in the interplay between economic and traditional values in public sector settings. It particularly adds to recent studies by outlining a specific form of integrative colonisation, which focusses on a calculative and technical approach to reconciling seemingly disparate values.
Does the proportion of female director influence corporate sustainability disclosure? Evidence from the emerging market firms with two-tier system
Authors: Zulvina Desi , Setiawan Doddy
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study aims to explore the influence of critical mass of female directors on corporate sustainability disclosure in emerging market firms with two-tier boards system. Critical mass of female director presented by three types of female director proportion, there are women on board of director (BOD) that are less than 20%, between 20% and 40% and more than 40%.

Design/methodology/approach

The observation comprises 456 firm-year firms listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the period from 2017 to 2022. This study used the static panel data model and dynamic panel data model based on generalize method of moments.

Findings

The research discovered that the proportion of female director has positive effect on corporate sustainability disclosure in emerging market firms with two-tier boards system. The mass of female director with at least 20% but less than 40% has positive relationship on corporate sustainability disclosure. Moreover, the mass of female with balance proportion on BOD has stronger positive impact on corporate sustainability disclosure. However, there is insignificant impact between the mass of female directors and corporate sustainability disclosure with less than 20% proportion of female director.

Practical implications

The companies must facilitate the involvement of women on the board of directors to promote pro-sustainability disclosure initiatives. The findings indicate that corporations should deliberately examine the ratio of female directors to enhance corporate sustainability disclosure.

Originality/value

The research studies will add value to the limited literature and addressed the dynamic nature of the relationship and mitigated the endogeneity bias.
Algorithmic solutions, subjectivity and decision errors: a study of AI accountability
Authors: P.R. Biju , O. Gayathri
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges of implementing accountable artificial intelligence (AI) systems in India, focusing on the need for algorithms to justify their decisions, especially in subjective and complex scenarios. By analyzing various government projects, documented biases and conducting empirical case studies and experiments, the study highlights the limitations of AI in recognizing the nuances of India’s unique social landscape. It aims to underscore the importance of integrating political philosophy to ensure that AI systems are held accountable within India’s sociopolitical context, urging policymakers to develop frameworks for responsible AI decision-making.

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopts a mixed-methods approach to address the five research questions. It begins with an extensive literature review, focusing on AI’s transformative potential, algorithmic bias and accountability in the Indian context. Data is collected from 15 AI use cases in health care, education and public safety, 13 government automated decision tools and five bias cases, including facial recognition and caste-based discrimination. Additionally, ten case studies and three experiments on ChatGPT are analyzed. Content analysis is used to interpret and categorize the data, identifying patterns and themes. Specific case studies and experiments on autocompletion in search engines further support the findings.

Findings

The study revealed significant limitations in current AI systems when applied to India’s complex socio-cultural landscape. Analyzing 15 AI applications and 13 government projects, the research identified multiple instances of algorithmic bias. Experiments with Google’s autocomplete and ChatGPT showed that these systems often reinforce social stereotypes and struggle with nuanced, subjective situations. The findings emphasize the accountability gap in AI-driven decisions, highlighting the need for rigorous oversight, particularly in welfare projects where errors could lead to severe consequences. The study recommends developing regulatory frameworks, improving AI design and raising public awareness to address these challenges.

Originality/value

In the context of complex societies like India, a pressing concern arises: who should assume responsibility for the repercussions stemming from algorithmic failures to comprehend subjective complexities? To this end, there exist no serious scholarly works toward which present paper tries to shed new insights. It draws upon insights from the corpus of political philosophy literature, encompassing both classical and contemporary notions of responsibility, and seeks to establish connections between these concepts and the unique sociopolitical structure of India. The work is unique in the focus of the paper and is original in the direction projected.
Surprise me with the visual representation of the brand in social commerce! An eye-tracking study based on user characteristics
Authors: Muñoz-Leiva Francisco , Herzallah Doaa , Sánchez-Borrego Ismael Ramón , Liébana-Cabanillas Francisco
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study examines the role of logotypes in advertising effectiveness on s-commerce platforms by analyzing the visual attention paid by the consumer to fashion branding – wordmarks or combination marks – and their subsequent recall.

Design/methodology/approach

The study examines the main areas of visual representation of the brand (VRB) on the Instagram network and the user’s corresponding areas of interest on a mobile-device screen. Attention and recall of the VRB are assessed in light of different classification variables (users’ gender, age and level of experience in s-commerce tools) to better understand how VRB may be leveraged by fashion retailers to encourage purchasing behavior. To achieve this objective, a mixed experiment design based on the eye-tracking methodology and a self-administered questionnaire is carried out.

Findings

The results indicate that visual attention, gender, age and s-commerce experience all contribute to determining users’ recall of the brand logo to which they are exposed on-screen. By considering the different s-commerce user profiles that exhibit different visualization behaviors, fashion retailers will be better placed to improve their online advertising campaigns and, ultimately, increase brand sales. The findings also point to promising future research directions on the effectiveness of branding strategies.

Originality/value

This highly innovative study provides in-depth insights into advertising effectiveness in terms of attention and recall, according to the main types of VRB for two specific s-commerce tools used by a high-street fashion brand, namely, its profile on Instagram Shop and its profile on Instagram Stories.
Assessing how pro-environmental perspectives impact participation in rooftop organic agriculture in urban neighborhoods
Authors: Hoque Mohammad Enamul , Al Mamun Abdullah , Susanto Perengki
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Global warming and climate change are significant barriers to food production due to rising temperatures and extreme weather events. Thus, some households have taken to producing organic food on their rooftop gardens to mitigate the aforementioned challenges, which could improve the green environment and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Given the emergence of this trend, this study aims to predict organic food production intention and behaviour within urban rooftop home gardens using an integrated model of the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory and theory of planned behaviour (TPB).

Design/methodology/approach

Study data were collected from 352 households in two major Bangladeshi cities and analysed through SEM-PLS for model assessment and prediction.

Findings

Resultantly, biospheric and egoistic values led to an improved ecological worldview (EP). The EP, awareness of consequences (ACs) and social norms (SNs) predicted personal norms (PNs). In addition, PNs and SNs forecasted the intention to produce organic food in urban-area rooftop gardens. Strong intentions could promote and predict the adoption of organic food production in rooftop gardens. Based on the study outcomes, PN partially mediated the relationship between SN and the intention to produce organic food. Furthermore, the value–behaviour nexus performed serial mediation through beliefs, norms and intentions.

Practical implications

In this vein, the VBN framework provided a comprehensive guideline to encourage the intention and behaviour of organic food production in urban-area rooftops. Education and public policies potentially leveraged public beliefs and norms to engage in climate-friendly activities.

Originality/value

Cultivating organic herbs and vegetables on rooftop reduces dependency on industrially produced food and fertilised crops, making it a sustainable food choice and climate-mitigating activity. Thus, this study focuses on rooftop organic food production as a lens to examine pro-environmental intentions and behaviours. In addition, past studies have not emphasised the mediating roles of environmental beliefs, PN and intentions between the value–pro-environmental behaviour nexus. Such paths could be interesting to observe and add value to the VBN model. This study investigated the mediating roles of environmental beliefs, PN and intentions between the value–pro-environmental behaviour nexus and the role of PN between SN and pro-environmental behavioural intention with VBN farmwork.
Marketing healthcare services in Jordan: examining the elements influencing women’s intention to get early breast cancer screening
Authors: Almrafee Mohammad Nabeel
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study aims to understand the potential influence of several factors that may affect females’ intentions to undergo breast cancer screening (BCS) in Jordan.

Design/methodology/approach

A positivistic research methodology was used with the aim of gathering and interpreting the data quantitatively. A questionnaire was created and given to the selected respondents. Females who were at least 18 years old made up the study’s population. In addition, using a sample size of n = 237 was warranted and appropriate. Data were collected from Karak, Tafilah, Aqaba and Ma’an, four cities in southern Jordan. Smart partial least squares version 4.0.9.2 and SPSS version 26 have been used for data analysis.

Findings

The findings showed that attitudes, subjective norms, disease susceptibility and cues-to-action among females have a significant impact on their intention to undergo BCS. Whilst, the benefits of using BCS have not been shown to have a substantial impact on females’ intentions to undergo BCS. Furthermore, this study indicated that there were no significant differences between females’ intention to conduct BCS and the control variables (age and education).

Research limitations/implications

There are specific restrictions in place. First, although the study’s sample size of respondents was adequate, it would be advantageous to have a larger sample size in the future to improve the reliability of the results. Second, the BCS behavior in Jordan’s southern cities was the sole subject of this study. Therefore, it would be beneficial to also explore other areas of Jordan. Third, only female candidates for BCS were examined in this study. It might be necessary to do a more thorough investigation to find the obstacles preventing them from performing the test. Fourth, the current study did not analyze the actual behavior required to perform the BCS test; instead, it sought to understand females’ intentions for undergoing the test. Therefore, it would be beneficial to research actual female behavior toward BCS in the future. The current study also used a quantitative research methodology. Therefore, more study is required using qualitative techniques like focus groups, interviews and brainstorming to better understand females’ intentions toward BCS.

Originality/value

According to the author’s best knowledge, this study marks the first effort to highlight behavioral intentions toward performing BCS in the Jordanian context. In addition, by incorporating extra factors obtained from the health belief model within the context of BCS behavior, the current study broadens the theory of reasoned action. This can be viewed as a significant contribution to the subject’s theoretical foundations. Besides, the current study incorporated demographic characteristics and used them as a control variable. This can be seen as another contribution to the literature on health-care marketing in the case of BCS.
Innovative practices, where performance flourishes! Enhancing restaurant performance through location and innovative restaurant practices
Authors: Ringo Denis Samwel , Elias Ruth
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study examines the influence of restaurant location and innovative restaurant practices on the performance of restaurant. The study further explores the moderating role of innovative restaurant practices in the relationship between restaurant location and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a cross-sectional survey design. Data were gathered via structured questionnaires from 281 restaurant managers in Tanzania. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to assess the validity of the measurement model, while hypotheses were tested with the PROCESS macro.

Findings

The results indicate that both restaurant location and innovative practices significantly influence restaurant performance. Moreover, the implementation of innovative practices not only directly enhances performance but also strengthens the positive effect of a location on performance. This highlights the critical role of innovation in optimizing the benefits of a strategic location.

Practical implications

Restaurant owners should carefully choose locations for their business to enhance performance. They should also prioritize innovation through unique menu items, technology and creative marketing strategies to enhance performance. Additionally, owners and managers should focus on integrating innovation with location strategy, as innovative practices strengthen the effect of location on overall restaurant performance.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the limited empirical evidence on the influence of location and innovative practices on restaurant performance. Additionally, the study adds to the existing literature by examining the moderating effect of innovative restaurant practices on the relationship between restaurant location and performance, an aspect not previously explored in prior research.
Influence of platform governance on users’ value co-creation: empirical evidence from crowdsourcing logistics platform in China
Authors: Ke Tongping , Xiao Liang
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Users’ active participation in platform value co-creation is the key to the development of crowdsourcing logistics platforms, especially the active participation of the crowdsourcee who provide logistics services. However, driven by self-interest, coupled with loose links among subjects on the platform ecological chain, it is difficult for users to effectively form value co-creation intentions. This study aims to explore how platform governance affects crowdsourcees’ intention to participate in value co-creation on the platform through individual cognition.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on social cognitive theory (SCT), this study built a research model and took the crowdsourcee on China’s well-known crowdsourcing logistics platforms as the investigation object, using the collected 302 valid survey data to test the model.

Findings

The results showed that platform governance mechanisms have a significant influence on crowdsourcees’ intention to participate in value co-creation on the platform, either directly or through crowdsourcee cognition, and the impact is different. The crowdsourcee cognition plays a mediating role between platform governance mechanisms and crowdsourcees’ intention to participate in value co-creation on the platform, and the mediating effect of value acquisition perception (VAP) is significantly higher than self-efficacy (SE).

Originality/value

The results provided references for crowdsourcing logistics platforms to develop a targeted governance mechanism to promote the platform to achieve value co-creation.
Are you a loyal diner? Enhancing post-consumption behaviors in full-service settings through personalization, friendliness and motivation
Authors: Othman Nurul Amirah , Hashim Nik Mohd Hazrul Nik , Abdul Aziz Norzalita
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Personalization is a key element of restaurant innovation. Few studies in the business literature have examined its influence on table-service consumer behavior, including the factors that strengthen or weaken domain relations. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of personalization on brand identification and repurchase intention by providing a contingent view of several crucial factors.

Design/methodology/approach

Online surveys were distributed to restaurant customers who received personalized menus, services and promotions. The authors collected data using purposive sampling and tested this study’s hypotheses using regression analysis.

Findings

The results indicate that personalization influences brand identification and loyalty behaviors. Not all aspects of employee friendliness, notably conversational skills, strengthen the links between personalization and consumer behavior. In fact, informal frontline employee attitudes negatively moderated customer brand identification. The results, however, suggest that humorous and approachable behaviors of frontline employees are essential in enhancing the effects of personalization on brand identification and revisiting intentions.

Originality/value

Drawing on self-categorization theory, this study introduces personalization as a key factor in improving brand identification and repeat purchase intentions in full-service restaurant settings. This study incorporated social exchange theory and motivational theory to construct a contingency view of frontline employee friendliness and customer motivation to better understand how customers’ dining experiences impact their post-consumption behaviors. By investigating the potential interactions between the three theoretical perspectives, this study demonstrates the relevance of personalization, cultural sensitivity and intrinsic motivation as vital components for Asian restaurants.
Against all odds – migrant entrepreneurs in entrepreneurial ecosystems with constraints
Authors: David Alexandra , Terstriep Judith
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The study aims to explore the entrepreneurial agency, focusing on migrant entrepreneurs’ ability to reshape societal structures and initiate endeavours despite limitations in entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) with constraints.

Design/methodology/approach

Through 23 qualitative interviews in an EE with constraints and using a grounded theory-inspired abductive approach, the study uncovers coping mechanisms and responses to barriers and imitations and explores entrepreneurial agency within these EEs.

Findings

The findings show that migrant entrepreneurs overcome constraints through a bricolage approach involving seizing opportunities, leveraging family and friend networks, collaborating strategically, adapting and innovating. Moreover, they exhibit a strong “entrepreneurial gene”, displaying resilience and determination to succeed despite challenges.

Research limitations/implications

Interviewees’ subjective perceptions and language barriers may bias the results due to the narrow spatial focus. Advancing the understanding of entrepreneurial agency in EEs with constraints helps practitioners design training programmes fostering adaptive capabilities and forward-thinking mindsets. At the same time, ecosystem actors can implement inclusive practices and strategies to mitigate regulatory hurdles, promote cultural competence and facilitate collaborative initiatives among entrepreneurs.

Originality/value

Delving into the entrepreneurial agency of migrant entrepreneurs reveals the importance of inclusive EEs in fully exploiting migrant entrepreneurs’ economic and societal value.
How entrepreneurial orientation influences innovation performance? The effect of knowledge coupling
Authors: Liu Gang , Wang Wannan , Duan Yunlong , Chin Tachia , Mirone Francesco
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Digital technologies have transformed business management practices and adapted them to shorter product lifecycles. As a result, firms are shifting their approach to building new competitive advantage from cost-oriented to entrepreneurial orientation (EO). This study aims to analyze the innovation performance (IP) in the context of EO from a knowledge management perspective. It constructs the functional path of the relationships among EO, knowledge coupling (KC) and IP of Chinese manufacturing firms to achieve business success.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from 157 listed Chinese manufacturing firms from 2012 to 2021, the authors construct a panel data model to test the effect of EO on IP. This study classifies KC into existing knowledge coupling (EKC) and new and existing knowledge coupling (NKC) and analyzes their mediating effects in the above relationships.

Findings

This study finds that EO has an insignificant, inverted U-shaped relationship with IP. Both EKC and NKC have a significant, inverted U-shaped relationship with IP; in other words, if EKC and NKC increase, the IP of Chinese manufacturing firms first increases and then decreases, and EKC and NKC have a complete mediating effect on the relationship between EO and IP.

Originality/value

This study provides an in-depth analysis of IP from an EO perspective. The study’s findings enrich and extend the theoretical relationship between EO and IP. The authors also propose a knowledge management perspective for entrepreneurship research. These findings improve the current understanding of the role and function of KC in EO.
Development and validation of omni- channel shopping value scale in Iran
Authors: Fathali Matineh , Heidarzadeh Hanzaee Kambiz , Khounsiavash Mohsen , Zaboli Rouhollah
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Today, the transition of retailers from multi-channel and cross-channel to omni-channel has become a necessity. Customers’ perceived shopping value is also one of the most important factors for retailers’ success. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop and validate the omni-channel shopping value scale.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on 40 interviews (X = 18, Y = 22) and a literature review, items were generated for shopping value dimensions (utilitarian, hedonic and social) at four touchpoints. Then exploratory factor analysis was performed for scale purification (n = 562). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed (n = 528) for initial scale validation. A second CFA was conducted to validate the final scale (n = 302). To check the nomological validity of the scale, the effect of omni-channel shopping value on customer engagement (n = 455) was investigated in both generations.

Findings

According to the results of the qualitative study, 73 items were identified. Based on the results of exploratory and CFA, nine components (50 items) were extracted and confirmed: utilitarian, hedonic and social shopping values for offline touchpoint and utilitarian and hedonic shopping values for online, application and social networks touchpoints. The results of nomological validity of the scale confirmed the effect of omni-channel shopping value on customer engagement in both generations.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to develop and validate an omni-channel shopping value scale based on customers’ shopping experiences with omni-channel brands. Therefore, this study provides a useful tool for researchers and marketing managers to measure omni-channel shopping value.
Modified risk calculator for the Pakistani population based on perceived versus actual risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Shoukat Noshaba , Zahir Izma , Khalid Nauman
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to develop the modified risk calculator for the Pakistani population based on differences in perceived versus actual risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2-DM).

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study design was developed to assess the study sample of 296 individuals from the Pakistani population. The data was collected using a questionnaire divided into three parts: general health, the validated Risk Perception Survey for Developing Diabetes (RPS-DD) and actual T2-DM risk assessment.

Findings

The study findings showed that among the total participants, 70.27% reported a low perceived risk of developing T2-DM, whereas 29.72% reported a high perceived risk when considering their family history. Regarding actual risk, males showed a 59% higher likelihood of developing T2-DM than females, who have a 50% higher risk. The modified calculator includes physical activity, fatty food consumption, age 34–65 and over 65, depression and artificially sweetened beverages.

Research limitations/implications

This study experienced limited representativeness; many participants provided incomplete nutritional and knowledge information. It involved 296 individuals, mostly from one province and a few from other provinces of Pakistan. Therefore, the results can be generalized to the whole Pakistani population.

Practical implications

This study underscores the need for targeted interventions to enhance risk perception, inform preventive strategies and further investigate the interplay between perceived and actual risks in T2-DM in Pakistan.

Social implications

The outcomes of this study can help Pakistani individuals who perceive themselves at an elevated risk of developing T2-DM. There is a general awareness among the Pakistani population regarding T2-DM. In contrast to perceived risk, the data on actual risk reveals a significant disconnect.

Originality/value

In Pakistan, there is a lack of research on perceived versus actual risk factors for developing T2-DM. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that evaluates the actual risk factors of developing T2-DM based on culture and dietary diversity in Pakistan.