bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developmental transcriptomic analysis of the cave-dwelling crustacean,Asellus aquaticus
Authors: Gross Joshua B. , Sun Dennis A. , Carlson Brian M. , Brodo-Abo Sivan , Protas Meredith E.
Published: November 2019

Cave animals are a fascinating group of species often demonstrating characteristics including reduced eyes and pigmentation, metabolic efficiency, and enhanced sensory systems.Asellus aquaticus, an isopod crustacean, is an emerging model for cave biology. Cave and surface forms of this species differ in many characteristics, including eye size, pigmentation and antennal length. Existing resources for this species include a linkage map, mapped regions responsible for eye and pigmentation traits, sequenced adult transcriptomes, and comparative embryological descriptions of the surface and cave forms. Our ultimate goal is to identify genes and mutations responsible for the differences between the cave and surface forms. To advance this goal, we decided to use a transcriptomic approach. Because many of these changes first appear during embryonic development, we sequenced embryonic transcriptomes of cave, surface, and hybrid individuals at the stage when eyes and pigment become evident in the surface form. We generated a cave, a surface, a hybrid, and an integrated transcriptome to identify differentially expressed genes in the cave and surface forms. Additionally, we identified genes with allele-specific expression in hybrid individuals. These embryonic transcriptomes are an important resource to assist in our ultimate goal of determining the genetic underpinnings of the divergence between the cave and surface forms.
Development and Optimisation of a Defined High Cell Density Yeast Medium
Authors: Roberts Tania Michelle , Kaltenbach Hans-Michael , Rudolf Fabian
Published: November 2019

Saccharomyces cerevisiaecells grown in a small volume of a defined media neither reach the desired cell density nor grow at a fast enough rate to scale down the volume and increase the sample number of classical biochemical assays, as the detection limit of the readout often requires a high number of cells as an input. To ameliorate this problem, we developed and optimised a new high cell density (HCD) medium forS. cerevisiae. Starting from a widely-used synthetic medium composition, we systematically varied the concentrations of all components without the addition of other compounds. We used response surface methodology (RSM) to develop and optimise the five components of the medium: glucose, yeast nitrogen base, amino acids, mono-sodium glutamate and inositol. We monitored growth, cell number and cell size to ensure that the optimisation was towards a greater density of cells rather than just towards an increase in biomass (i.e larger cells). Cells grown in the final medium, HCD, exhibit growth more similar to the complex medium YPD than to the synthetic medium SD, while the final cell density prior to the diauxic shift is increased about three- and tenfold, respectively. We found normal cell-cycle behaviour throughout the growth phases by monitoring DNA content and protein expression using fluorescent reporters. We also ensured that HCD media could be used with a variety of strains and that they allow selection for all common yeast auxotrophic markers.
A nanobody-based fluorescent reporter reveals human α-synuclein in the cell cytosol
Authors: Gerdes Christoph , Waal Natalia , Offner Thomas , Fornasiero Eugenio F. , Wender Nora , Verbarg Hannes , Manzini Ivan , Trenkwalder Claudia , Mollenhauer Brit , Strohäker Timo , Zweckstetter Markus , Becker Stefan , Rizzoli Silvio O. , Basmanav Buket , Opazo Felipe
Published: November 2019

Aggregation and spreading of α-Synuclein (αSyn) are hallmarks of several neurodegenerative diseases, thus monitoring human αSyn (hαSyn) in animal models or cell cultures is vital for the field. However, the detection of native hαSyn in such systems is challenging. We found that the nanobody NbSyn87, previously-described to bind hαSyn, also shows cross-reactivity for the proteasomal subunit Rpn10. As such, when the NbSyn87 is expressed in the absence of hαSyn, it is continuously degraded by the proteasome, while it is stabilized when it binds to hαSyn. Here, we exploited this feature to design a new Fluorescent Reporter for hαSyn (FluoReSyn) by coupling NbSyn87 to fluorescent proteins, which results in fluorescence signal fluctuations depending on the presence and amounts of intracellular hαSyn. We characterized this biosensor in cells and tissues, and finally, revealed the presence of transmittable αSyn in human cerebrospinal fluid demonstrating the potential of FluoReSyn for clinical research and diagnostics.
HIV-1 RNA genomes initiate host protein packaging in the cytosol independently of Gag capsid proteins
Authors: Becker Jordan T. , Evans Edward L. , Benner Bayleigh E. , Pritzl Stephanie L. , Smith Laura E. , Bates Andra E. , Sherer Nathan M.
Published: November 2019

HIV-1 RNA genomes interact with diverse RNA binding proteins (RBPs) in the cytoplasm including antiviral factor APOBEC3G (A3G) that, in the absence of viral Vif proteins, is packaged into virions. Where and when HIV-1-A3G interactions are initiated for packaging inside the cell is unknown, and the relative contributions of genome vs. Gag capsid proteins to this process remains controversial. Here we visualized A3G responses to HIV-1 infection over an entire replication cycle using long-term (up to 72 h) live single cell imaging. We show that Vif-deficient HIV-1 dramatically shifts A3G and a second RNA surveillance factor, MOV10, from the cytoplasm to virus particle assembly sites with little to no net discernible effects on general markers of cytoplasmic processing bodies (DCP1A), stress granules (TIA-1), or a marker of the nonsense-mediated decay machinery (UPF1). Using a new live cell RNA-protein interaction assay based on RNA tethering (the in-cell RNA-protein interaction protocol, or IC-IP), we provide evidence that A3G- and MOV10- genome interactions are selective, strong, occur in presence or absence of Gag, and are initiated in the cytosol soon if not immediately after genome nuclear export. Finally, although Gag is sufficient to package A3G into virions even in the absence of genomes, single virion imaging indicates that selective A3G-genome interactions promote much more consistent per virion delivery of A3G to assembly sites. Collectively, these studies suggest a paradigm for early, strong, and persistent cytosolic detection of select HIV-1 RNA signatures by A3G, MOV10 and other host RBPs that are enriched in virions.

IMPORTANCE

Host-pathogen interactions determine the success of viral replication. While extensive work has identified many interactions between HIV-1 and cellular factors, our understanding of where these interactions in cells occur during the course of infection is incomplete. Here, we show that multiple RNA-binding proteins (including the antiviral restriction factor, APOBEC3G, and MOV10 helicase) bind HIV-1 RNA genomes in the cytoplasm and co-traffic with them into progeny virions. Furthermore, we show that these interactions with HIV-1 RNA occur in the absence of Gag and are sufficiently strong to recruit these to otherwise non-native subcellular locales. Together, these data begin to illuminate the intracellular trafficking pathways shared by host RNA binding proteins and the viral RNAs they preferentially bind.
Inferring transcriptional regulators through integrative modeling of public chromatin accessibility and ChIP-seq data
Authors: Qin Qian , Fan Jingyu , Zheng Rongbin , Wan Changxin , Mei Shenglin , Wu Qiu , Sun Hanfei , Zhang Jing , Brown Myles , Meyer Clifford A. , Shirley Liu X.
Published: November 2019

We developed Lisa (http://lisa.cistrome.org) to predict the transcriptional regulators (TRs) of differentially expressed or co-expressed gene sets. Based on the input gene sets, Lisa first uses compendia of public histone mark ChIP-seq and chromatin accessibility profiles to construct a chromatin model related to the regulation of these genes. Then using TR ChIP-seq peaks or imputed TR binding sites, Lisa probes the chromatin models using in silico deletion to find the most relevant TRs. Applied to gene sets derived from targeted TF perturbation experiments, Lisa boosted the performance of imputed TR cistromes, and outperformed alternative methods in identifying the perturbed TRs.
The substrate-dependent stereoselectivity of the multicopper oxidase (MCO)-catalyzed oxidative coupling in the biosynthesis of the bisnaphthopyrone viriditoxin
Authors: Hu Jinyu , Flematti Gavin R. , Chooi Yit-Heng
Published: November 2019

VdtB, the multiple-copper oxidase (MCO) from the bisnaphthopyrone (M)-viriditoxin biosynthetic pathway inPaecilomyces variotii, was shown to catalyze regioselective 6,6′-coupling of semi-viriditoxin (1). The stereoselectivity of the oxidative coupling reaction for the production of the atropisomer (M)-viriditoxin, however, was controlled by VdtD, a non-catalytic dirigent protein from the pathway. In this work, VdtB either alone or together with VdtD were investigated for its stereoselective control upon coupling of other monomeric naphthopyrone derivatives from the pathway with different minor structural variations in terms of presence/absence ofO-methylation at C7-position and C3-C4Δ2double bond on the pyrone ring, and the different side-chain modifications. We showed that VdtB could favour eitherM- orP-form coupling in a substrate-dependent manner. For some substrates, VdtB could catalyze oxidative coupling in an enantiomerically selective manner. The efficiency of the VdtD in exerting stereoselective control of the oxidative coupling reaction also varies between substrates. The results point to a model whereby VdtB and VdtD form a VdtB-ligand-VdtD complex in which the stereochemical outcome of the coupling reaction depends on how the substrate interacts with both proteins, based on the substrate structure. Our findings contributed to a more comprehensive understanding of dirigent protein-mediated MCO-catalyzed stereoselective oxidative coupling reactions in fungi.
FastFeatGen: Faster parallel feature extraction from genome sequences and efficient prediction of DNA N6-methyladenine sites
Authors: Rahman Md. Khaledur
Published: November 2019

N6-methyladenine is widely found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. It is responsible for many biological processes including prokaryotic defense system and human diseases. So, it is important to know its correct location in genome which may play a significant role in different biological functions. Few computational tools exist to serve this purpose but they are computationally expensive and still there is scope to improve accuracy. An informative feature extraction pipeline from genome sequences is the heart of these tools as well as for many other bioinformatics tools. But it becomes reasonably expensive for sequential approaches when the size of data is large. Hence, a scalable parallel approach is highly desirable. In this paper, we have developed a new tool, called FastFeatGen, emphasizing both developing a parallel feature extraction technique and improving accuracy using machine learning methods. We have implemented our feature extraction approach using shared memory parallelism which achieves around 10× speed over the sequential one. Then we have employed an exploratory feature selection technique which helps to find more relevant features that can be fed to machine learning methods. We have employed Extra-Tree Classifier (ETC) in FastFeatGen and performed experiments on rice and mouse genomes. Our experimental results achieve accuracy of 85.57% and 96.64%, respectively, which are better or competitive to current state-of-the-art methods. Our shared memory based tool can also serve queries much faster than sequential technique. All source codes and datasets are available at https://github.com/khaled-rahman/FastFeatGen.
Decentralized multi-site VBM analysis during adolescence shows structural changes linked to age, body mass index, and smoking: A COINSTAC analysis
Authors: Gazula Harshvardhan , Holla Bharath , Zhang Zuo , Xu Jiayuan , Verner Eric , Kelly Ross , Schumann Gunter , Calhoun Vince D.
Published: November 2019

In the recent past, there has been an upward trend in developing frameworks that enable neuroimaging researchers to address challenging questions by leveraging data across multiple sites all over the world. One such framework, Collaborative Informatics and Neuroimaging Suite Toolkit for Anonymous Computation (COINSTAC), provides a platform to analyze neuroimaging data stored locally across multiple organizations without the need for pooling the data at any point during the analysis. In this paper, we perform a decentralized voxel-based morphometry analysis of structural magnetic resonance imaging data across two different sites to understand the structural changes in the brain as linked to age, body mass index and smoking. Results produced by the decentralized analysis are contrasted with similar findings in literature. This work showcases the potential benefits of performing multi-voxel and multivariate analyses of large-scale neuroimaging data located at multiple sites.
UFMylation of MRE11 is essential for maintenance of telomere length and hematopoietic stem cell survival
Authors: Lee Lara , Perez Oliva Ana Belen , Churikov Dmitri , Martinez-Balsalobre Elena , Peter Joshua , Rahmouni Dalicya , Audoly Gilles , Azzoni Violette , Audebert Stephane , Camoin Luc , Mulero Victoriano , Cayuela Maria L. , Geli Vincent , Kulathu Yogesh , Lachaud Christophe
Published: November 2019

Genetic studies using knockout mouse models provide strong evidence for the essential role of the ubiquitin-like protein UFM1 for hematopoiesis, especially erythroid development, yet its biological roles in this process are largely unknown. Here we have identified a UFL1-dependent UFMylation of the MRE11 nuclease on the K281 and K282 residues. We show that Hela cells lacking the specific UFM1 E3 ligase display severe telomere shortening. We further demonstrate either by deleting UFM1 or by mutating MRE11 UFMylation sites that preventing MRE11 UFMylation impacts its interaction with the telomere protein TRF2. However, the MRE11 function in double-strand-break repair remains intact. We validate these resultsin vivoby showing that Zebrafish knockouts for the genesufl1andufm1have shorter telomeres in hematopoietic cells. Here we present UFMylation has a new mechanisms of regulation for telomere length maintenance with a role in hematopoiesis.

Key points

Modification of MRE11 by UFM1 regulates telomere maintenance and cell death in HSCs

Scientific category

UFMylation, telomere maintenance, hematopoietic stem cell survival.
Hepatocytic Prominin-1 protects against liver fibrosis by stabilizing the SMAD7 protein
Authors: Lee Hyun , Yu Dong-Min , Um Min Jee , Yoon Seo Yeon , Kim Ki-Tae , Kwon Young Jae , Lee Sungsoo , Bahn Myeong-Seok , Koo Seung-Hoi , Jung Ki Hoon , Lee Jae-Seon , Ko Young-Gyu
Published: November 2019

Background and Aims

Prominin-1 (PROM1) is known to be upregulated in hepatocytic progenitor cells (HPCs) and cholangiocytes of fibrotic livers. To understand the function of upregulated PROM1 during liver fibrosis, we analyzed liver fibrosis from global and liver-specific Prom1 knockout mice and investigated the molecular mechanism of how Prom1 protects the liver against liver fibrosis.

Methods

We analyzed PROM1 expression from human liver with mild and severe liver fibrosis (n=4-9). Liver fibrosis was induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) treatment and bile duct ligation (BDL) from wild type and global and liver-specific knockout mice (n=3-13). The severity of liver fibrosis was determined by qRT-PCR, immunostaining and immunoblotting for fibrotic markers such as αSMA, collagen. TGFβ signaling was also analyzed from fibrotic liver and primary hepatocytes of wild type and global and liver-specific knockout mice (n=3-5). Molecular interaction between PROM1 and SMAD7 was determined by endogenous and exogenous co-immunoprecipitation.

Results

PROM1 was found in the plasma membranes of both healthy and fibrotic hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. Global Prom1 knockout aggravated BDL- and CCl4-induced liver fibrosis.Prom1-/-hepatocytes showed increased TGFβ signaling due to reduced SMAD7 protein expression compared to that in wild-type hepatocytes. PROM1 prevented SMURF2-induced SMAD7 ubiquitination and degradation by interfering with the molecular association of SMAD7 with SMURF2. We also demonstrated that liver-specific Prom 1 knockout aggravated BDL-induced liver fibrosis due to reduced levels of SMAD7.

Conclusion

Hepatocytic PROM1 stabilizes SMAD7, preventing TGFβ signaling. Thus, PROM1 is necessary for the negative regulation of TGFβ signaling during liver fibrosis.
Quantitative Analysis of 1300-nm Three-photon Calcium Imaging in the Mouse Brain
Authors: Wang Tianyu , Wu Chunyan , Ouzounov Dimitre G. , Gu Wenchao , Xia Fei , Kim Minsu , Yang Xusan , Warden Melissa R. , Xu Chris
Published: November 2019

1300-nm three-photon calcium imaging has emerged as a useful technique to allow calcium imaging in deep brain regions. Application to large-scale neural activity imaging entails a careful balance between recording fidelity and tissue heating. We calculated and experimentally verified the excitation pulse energy to achieve the minimum photon count required for the detection of calcium transients in GCaMP6s-expressing neurons for 920-nm two-photon and 1320-nm three-photon excitation, respectively. Brain tissue heating by continuous three-photon imaging was simulated with Monte Carlo method and experimentally validated with immunohistochemistry. We observed increased immunoreactivity with 150 mW excitation power at 1.0- and 1.2-mm imaging depths. Based on the data, we explained how three-photon excitation achieves better calcium imaging fidelity than two-photon excitation in the deep brain and quantified the imaging depth where three-photon microscopy should be applied. Our analysis presents a translatable model for the optimization of three-photon calcium imaging based on experimentally tractable parameters.
Bridging of nucleosome-proximal DNA double-strand breaks by PARP2 enhances its interaction with HPF1
Authors: Gaullier Guillaume , Roberts Genevieve , Muthurajan Uma M. , Bowerman Samuel , Rudolph Johannes , Mahadevan Jyothi , Jha Asmita , Rae Purushka S. , Luger Karolin
Published: November 2019

Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase 2 (PARP2) is one of three DNA-dependent PARPs involved in the detection of DNA damage. Upon binding to DNA double-strand breaks, PARP2 uses nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide to synthesize poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) onto itself and other proteins, including histones. PAR chains in turn promote the DNA damage response by recruiting downstream repair factors. These early steps of DNA damage signaling are relevant for understanding how genome integrity is maintained and how their failure leads to genome instability or cancer. There is no structural information on DNA double-strand break detection in the context of chromatin. Here we present a cryo-EM structure of two nucleosomes bridged by human PARP2 and confirm that PARP2 bridges DNA ends in the context of nucleosomes bearing short linker DNA. We demonstrate that the conformation of PARP2 bound to damaged chromatin provides a binding platform for the regulatory protein Histone PARylation Factor 1 (HPF1), and that the resulting HPF1•PARP2•nucleosome complex is enzymatically active. Our results contribute to a structural view of the early steps of the DNA damage response in chromatin.
Cinema:Bandit: a visualization application for beamline science demonstrated on XFEL shock physics experiments
Authors: Orban Daniel , Banesh Divya , Tauxe Cameron , Biwer Christopher M. , Biswas Ayan , Saavedra Ramon , Sweeney Christine , Sandberg Richard L. , Bolme C. A. , Ahrens James , Rogers David
Published: November 2019

A new visualization tool, Cinema:Bandit, and its demonstration with a continuous workflow for analyzing shock physics experiments and visually exploring the data in real time at X-ray light sources is presented. Cinema:Bandit is an open-source, web-based visualization application in which the experimenter may explore an aggregated dataset to inform real-time beamline decisions and enable post hoc data analysis. The tool integrates with experimental workflows that process raw detector data into a simple database format, and it allows visualization of disparate data types, including experimental parameters, line graphs, and images. Use of parallel coordinates accommodates the irregular sampling of experimental parameters and allows for display and filtering of both experimental inputs and measurements. The tool is demonstrated on a dataset of shock-compressed titanium collected at the Matter in Extreme Conditions hutch at the Linac Coherent Light Source.
Gender and wine consumption: sociodemographic profiles
Authors: Rodríguez-Donate María Carolina , Romero-Rodríguez Margarita Esther , Cano-Fernández Víctor Javier , Guirao-Pérez Ginés
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The globalization of wine markets together with a prolonged decline in wine consumption, especially in traditional wine-producing countries such as Spain, make it more relevant than ever to study population segments such as female wine consumers. Such segments could contribute to increasing consumption. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the distinctive features of wine consumption according to gender, identifying sociodemographic profiles of female wine consumers and non-consumers in Tenerife (Canary Islands). The Canarian archipelago is one of the Spanish regions with a long tradition in wine production.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses data from a survey carried out on a representative sample of 1,028 Tenerife residents. Independent tests and correspondence analyses were performed. Moreover, an ordered mixed logit model was estimated.

Findings

Gender is a determining factor when analysing the frequency of wine consumption. The profiles of female consumers and female non-consumers differ substantially. Considering unobserved heterogeneity in the estimated model also allows us to verify the variability of the effects on the probability of women with the same sociodemographic characteristics having the same consumption pattern.

Research limitations/implications

Non-sociodemographic variables could be considered in this paper.

Practical implications

Marketing strategies should not consider women as a homogenous group.

Originality/value

This study examines in depth the sociodemographic factors that influence the frequency of wine consumption according to gender. It is relevant given the scarcity of studies that analyse these factors. Likewise, unobserved heterogeneity in consumer decisions is taken into account, an aspect that has not been sufficiently considered in wine consumption literature so far.
Effect of information on consumer preferences and willingness-to-pay for sparkling mock wines
Authors: Naspetti Simona , Alberti Francesca , Mozzon Massimo , Zingaretti Sara , Zanoli Raffaele
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of information about alcohol content, organic labelling and packaging on consumer preferences and willingness-to-pay (WTP) of non-alcoholic sparkling mock wines.

Design/methodology/approach

In a two-step study, the consumer’s expectations and overall liking of two novel brands of mock wines were investigated by focus groups followed by a common hedonic test combined with a choice experiment aimed at measuring consumer WTP. A total of 240 consumers were assigned to two tasting groups of equal size: all were presented at least one brand of mock wine, while drinkers also tasted a familiar brand of low-alcohol sweet sparkling wine. A paper-and-pencil choice experiment followed the tasting sessions.

Findings

The results demonstrate that participants in blind or manipulated “informed” conditions are not able to discriminate among mock wines and wine, whereas significant differences in preferences for brands under investigation appeared when labels and other information were disclosed. In effect, drinkers and non-drinkers did not differ in hedonic scores of mock wines. While younger participants exhibited the highest scores in blind liking, the overall expected liking is significantly higher for non-drinkers and women if compared, respectively, to drinkers and men. WTP for mock wines is influenced by taste, glass bottle packaging and the organic label, while mock-wine colour is not relevant.

Research limitations/implications

Although limited in sample size and representativeness, this study has brought some new insights into the consumption of non-alcoholic mock wines. In this study, a significant influence of blind sensory liking on WTP is demonstrated. This result has theoretical implications: while the effect of product information on WTP is well established, the relationship between hedonic scores and WTP – while theoretically consistent – is not so clear-cut in the literature. Further research is needed to confirm/disconfirm these findings.

Practical implications

Sparkling no-alcohol mock wines, despite their sweetness, appear not different in taste to medium-to-low APV (7.5 per cent) sweet wines.

Originality/value

The paper suggests that marketing of mock (no-alcohol) wines needs careful branding to elicit significant hedonic effects, while interacting sensory (blind liking) scores with price information in choice models may help to represent taste heterogeneity in WTP estimates in a better way.
Pure donation or hybrid donation crowdfunding
Authors: Zhao Liang , Sun Zhe
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Despite the growing research exploring the possibility and feasibility of financing socially oriented projects through crowdfunding, relatively little research examines which crowdfunding model is better to serve such purpose. The purpose of this paper is to offer novel insights to mitigate this research gap.

Design/methodology/approach

A unique data set collected from the largest Chinese crowdfunding platform is used to test the hypotheses. To solve the perceived self-selection problem, the propensity score matching method is adopted in this paper. Based on this approach, the results of similar prosocial campaigns in two different models (pure donation and hybrid donation) are compared.

Findings

The empirical results show that the hybrid donation model is negatively associated with the status of success and the extent of success of prosocial campaigns. Specifically, compared to the pure donation model, hybrid donation model leads to a lower probability of success, fewer contributors, a lower funding amount and a lower completion ratio.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to a relatively understudied theme in crowdfunding, namely, donations. It does so by introducing the concepts of pure vs hybrid donation models and investigates the model selection problem in financing social projects through crowdfunding based on cognitive evaluation theory.
CRM campaigns with choice for enhanced business process performance
Authors: Christofi Michael , Thrassou Alkis , Chebbi Hela , Ahmed Zafar U. , Grandhi Balakrishna , Iaia Lea
Published: November 2019

Purpose

A substantial body of research evidence has now accumulated in the cause-related marketing (CRM) literature. Yet, research on positive word of mouth (WOM) in the CRM domain is scarce. Based on this, the purpose of this paper is to present a framework that enhances positive WOM persuasion in a CRM context.

Design/methodology/approach

Specifically, the authors explore collectivism as a contextual dimension for positive WOM persuasion in a CRM setting and discusses three novel constructs for effectively designing such campaigns, namely, cause proximity, choice of donation type and choice variety of donation types in a single offering frame. Based on conceptual logic and drawing on literature from a variety of disciplines, this framework should provide deeper insight into achieving positive WOM persuasion with CRM strategy and implementation.

Findings

Additionally, the analysis leads to specific research questions regarding the associations between these contrasts and positive WOM persuasion in a CRM context.

Originality/value

Finally, the managerial and theoretical contributions are discussed, as well as directions for further research.
To invest or to harvest?
Authors: Rossi Matteo , Festa Giuseppe , Fiano Fabio , Giacobbe Rosa
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Recently, corporate venture capital (CVC) has been gaining increasing attention worldwide as a special form of venturing through which non-financial corporations invest in target companies, usually technological firms, as start-ups. These investments mostly aim not at financial goals but constitute a strategic way for the corporation to obtain access to new technologies and innovations through financing entrepreneurial initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the connections between the core business of the parent company and its venturing investments, investigating, in particular, its “ambidexterity,” i.e., the ability of the CVC company to invest in ventures close to its core activities, exploiting internal resources and exploring new markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Stemming from the results of previous studies, this research has applied a discriminating analysis methodology to the 18 most active CVC companies in the world, all of which have technology innovation as the core business of the corporation, in the 2015/2017 period.

Findings

An evident correlation between the Financing Round (as the independent variable) and the Entrepreneurial Intensity (as the dependent variable) influences the CVCs investment policies and their behavior with respect to their ambidexterity. This link could also influence the strategic orientation of the CVC policy, forcing the company to appropriately govern and manage the starting nature and/or the variable nature of the CVC (ambidextrous, hybrid, dis-ambidextrous or random).

Research limitations/implications

The current research has used only secondary data to explore the behavior of only 18 CVCs in a relatively short period. Thus, it would be advisable to extend the number of observations, to enlarge the period under investigation, and to retrieve field data to obtain more detailed and reliable results.

Originality/value

The main objective/contribution of this study is to understand if there is a correlation between the Financing Round (as the independent variable) and the Entrepreneurial Intensity (as the dependent variable) for the 18 most active CVCs in the world, according to CB Insights, in 2015–2017, adopting and further confirming the model by Rossiet al.(2019). The statistical investigation, based on the conclusions of that linear regression model, has highlighted a total or large correlation between these two variables for the current research perimeter, which includes CVC companies with technology as the core business of the corporation.
Organizational lifecycle and strategic management accounting
Authors: Pasch Timur
Published: November 2019

Purpose

This study aims to examine the relationship between organizational lifecycle stages, the adoption of strategic management accounting (SMA) practices and the performance consequences of SMA adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is based on survey data from 377 firms operating in German speaking countries.

Findings

The author finds that the firms’ adoption rates of SMA increase from the birth to the revival lifecycle stages and drop at the decline stage. Firms that deviate from the optimal SMA profile have lower performance compared to the firms that do not deviate. The negative performance effect, however, is only significant for firms that have too little SMA practices and is not significant for firms that adopt too much SMA practices.

Research limitations/implications

These results suggest that firms that fail to implement a sufficient level of SMA suitable for their development stage will not develop as fast as their competitors. This study is subject to general limitations of survey research, particularly with respect to the operationalization of the variables, the number of contextual variables in the empirical model and sample coverage.

Practical implications

The implication for managerial practice is that greater efforts should be directed toward eliminating underfit than overfit regarding the implementation of management control systems.

Originality/value

This is the first analysis of the adoption of SMA at different life cycle stages and the consequences of misfitted adoption.
The effect of fiscal transparency on government spending efficiency
Authors: De Simone Elina , Bonasia Mariangela , Gaeta Giuseppe Lucio , Cicatiello Lorenzo
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Making citizens able to monitor and evaluate public spending activities is a fundamental issue in public financial management literature. The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether fiscal transparency, measured by the Open Budget Index, has an effect on public spending performance, measured by the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report data.

Design/methodology/approach

Research methods rely on random-effects panel regression models on a country-level panel data set of 82 world countries observed in the 2008–2015 time interval.

Findings

Results show that the potential positive effects of fiscal transparency are mediated by the level of democracy of the country. In detail, in democratic countries, a higher degree of disclosure of fiscal information is correlated with a higher efficiency of government spending while, in non-democratic countries, fiscal transparency does not seem to provide any effect.

Social implications

The results suggest that fiscal transparency can be a powerful device where politicians can be held accountable for their actions, while it could fail to provide positive results where a strong and effective vertical accountability is missing.

Originality/value

The novelty of the paper is twofold. First, it provides new additional evidence about the positive effect that fiscal transparency has on public spending efficiency by advancing previous research on this topic (Porumbescu, 2017; Monteset al., 2019). Second, the paper investigates conceptually and empirically how the positive effect on public spending efficiency determined by fiscal transparency depends on the degree of democracy present in the institutional environment in which fiscal information disclosure is implemented.
The influences of attitude, subjective norm and adherence to Islamic professional ethics on fraud intention in financial reporting
Authors: Awang Yunita , Abdul Rahman Abdul Rahim , Ismail Suhaiza
Published: November 2019

Purpose

This study aims to examine the influence of attitude, subjective norm and adherence to Islamic professional ethics on fraud intention in financial reporting among Muslim accounting practitioners in the Malaysian banking institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was used for a sample of 121 Muslim accounting practitioners who are participants in the financial reporting process of Malaysian banking institutions. The data are analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.

Findings

The study found that attitude and subjective norms are positively significant in influencing fraud intention in financial reporting. In other words, the more the respondents were in favour of fraud and perceived that their referent groups would approve or support the behaviour, the stronger their intentions to commit fraud. On the other hand, the result for Islamic professional ethics is insignificant, which indicates that the Muslim accounting practitioners may not be significantly influenced by the Islamic code of professional ethics on their intention towards fraud in financial reporting.

Research limitations/implications

The study adds to the scant literature investigating factors influencing Malaysian accounting practitioners’ intentions for fraud in financial reporting in the banking sector. The limitations include the use of scenario leading to the issue of social desirability bias and the use of purposive sampling technique that limits the generalizability of the results.

Practical implications

The findings provide potential avenues for Malaysian banking sector managers to enhance their recruitment and training programmes and give some insights to the public, especially the banks shareholders and depositors, into the fraud in financial reporting intention of the actual participants in the financial reporting process.

Originality/value

To the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first to examine, in the Malaysian banking setting, the influence of attitude, subjective norms and adherence to Islamic professional ethics on the fraud intention in financial reporting among accounting practitioners. There are few investigations to date on the factors of influencing or mitigating the accounting practitioners’ intention to commit fraudulent reporting.
Informational role of ownership concentration: evidence from the Casablanca stock exchange
Authors: Farooq Omar , Aktaruzzaman Khondker
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence on the informational role played by ownership concentration.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use bivariate vector autoregressive models to document the informational role of ownership concentration.

Findings

The findings suggest that the returns of firms with concentrated ownership structure lead the returns of firms with dispersed ownership structure in Morocco during the period between 2004 and 2014. The authors argue that this lead-lag relationship arises because a better information environment in firms with concentrated ownership structure enables quick incorporation of relevant information. The results are robust under different information regimes.

Originality/value

The authors believe that this paper is one of the first evidence on the informational role of ownership concentration in Morocco.
Employee emotional displays in the extended service encounter
Authors: Soderlund Magnus , Berg Hanna
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of happiness expressed by service firm employees when they are depicted in marketing communications materials, such as printed ads and videos.

Design/methodology/approach

Two experiments were conducted in a fitness service setting, in which employee display of happiness was manipulated (low vs high).

Findings

Both experiments showed that expressions of high levels of happiness produced a more positive attitude toward the service employee than expressions of low levels of happiness. Moreover, the impact of the expression of happiness on the evaluation of the employee was mediated by several variables, which suggests that the influence of depicted employees’ emotional expressions can take several routes.

Practical implications

The results imply that service firms should not only be mindful about which specific employee they select for appearing in marketing communications materials, they should also pay attention to the emotional displays of selected employees.

Originality/value

The present study contributes to previous research by assessing a set of potential mediators to explain why displays of happiness influence consumers, and by examining these effects in a marketing communications setting in which the customer is exposed to still images or video-based representations of the employee. The present study also focuses explicitly on happiness rather than on smiles.
Police department perceptions of the mobility and safety of online vs offline prostitutes
Authors: Marcum Catherine , Sparks Elicka , Clevenger Shelly , Sedlacek Jeffrey
Published: November 2019

Purpose

To date, there is a gap in the literature exploring the perceptions and experiences of law enforcement regarding enforcement of online and offline prostitution. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the perceptions of law enforcement in the USA regarding the safety and mobility of individuals who prostitute online compared to those who sell sexual services offline. The next section will explain the methodology of the exploratory study, including the method of original data collection.

Design/methodology/approach

All police departments in the USA located in a jurisdiction of 50,000 people or more were requested participation in the study (n=689). Respondents were sent an initial mailing of a cover letter and survey, followed by an e-mail reminder and a second mailing of a cover letter and survey. Individual respondents were asked questions about their own perceptions of behaviors and lifestyles of offline vs online prostitutes.

Findings

The majority of law enforcement respondents did not feel as if online prostitutes were safer compared to offline prostitutes. However, the majority of respondents did believe that online prostitutes are afforded a better lifestyle and are more mobile.

Research limitations/implications

The majority of the respondents were from the Northeast and Southwest may mean that their perceptions could be different from those that are not located within either region. In addition, since almost 80 percent of the agencies were in a jurisdiction with a population between 50,000 and 249,000, this too may have influenced their perceptions. Law enforcement in a smaller or larger area may have felt differently or have had different experiences to report.

Originality/value

This study is very unique as to date, another study with the same methodology and question content was not found.
Stock hunting or blue chip investments?
Authors: Shiva Atul , Singh Manjit
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the individual investors’ preferences towards stock selection in social media environments. The study is conducted to understand the implications and conceptual directions for the corporates and financial advisors to understand the choices of individual investors applied in financial markets. Further, this study aims to examine the selection of the most preferred social media platform and behavioral intentions of investors towards selection of investment portfolios in Indian stock markets.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was designed based on the technique of conjoint analysis and was responded by 428 respondents belonging to the Northern region of India. The estimation of preference functions in Conjoint Analysis was designed by using orthogonal arrays and was calculated using the ordinary least square regression technique.

Findings

This study reveals that while making selection of desired investment portfolios, the investors give highest preference to social media platforms in terms of highest utility value and range followed by their preference for behavioral intentions to invest. Among different social media platforms, the investors preferred Twitter the most, followed by Facebook and the primary interest of investors was observed towards Intra-day trading purposes and balanced portfolio investments in financial markets. The major reason behind opting the social media platforms was selection of speculative stocks.

Research limitations/implications

The actual individual investment behavior cannot be observed through the survey, which limits the external validity of the study.

Practical implications

The paper presents a very important practical tool that can help financial advisors, opinion leaders and corporates in defining their target audience more sharply for investment-related advice. The findings revealed by the study will put them in a better position to understand how investors differ behaviorally and they will get acquainted with their choices and preferences while making investment decisions in the backdrop of social media environments. The preferences of the investors based on social media usage discovered by the study will not only enable the individual investors understand their own preferences, but those of the other investors as well in terms of planned investment decisions and choices.

Originality/value

The paper is a first of its kind to empirically identify the individual investors and their preferences and choices by applying conjoint analysis in the new social media environment. The study thus integrates the gap between marketing theories and emerging theories of behavioral finance to understand the investor behavior in a better way.
Reputation in travel and tourism: a perspective article
Authors: Inversini Alessandro
Published: November 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss the evolution of the concept of reputation towards online reputation and real time reputation assessment and management. It starts by outline the role of reputation within the branding literature and explains the advantages of having a good (online) reputation. The final section looks into the future of reputation assessment and analysis introducing the concept of real time reputation assessment and management.

Design/methodology/approach

To compile this study, secondary research was conducted; relevant literature was presented in a narrative way to outline core concepts about past and future perspectives on reputation.

Findings

State-of-the-art literature indicates the importance of reputation and the shift towards online reputation. Building on this, the aggregation of social media along with the growing computational power is actually giving the possibility of real-time reputation assessment grasping reputation breakdowns in an instantaneous way.

Originality/value

Literature presents a series of review about the topic of reputation from different angles. This contribution aims at bridging the gap between reputation and online reputation opening the floor for possible discussions about the future of real-time reputation management.
Artificial light at night erases positive interactions across trophic levels
Authors: Maggi Elena , Bongiorni Lucia , Fontanini Debora , Capocchi Antonella , Dal Bello Martina , Giacomelli Andrea , Benedetti‐Cecchi Lisandro
Published: November 2019

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is one of the most recently recognized sources of anthropogenic disturbance, with potentially severe effects on biological systems that are still to be fully explored. Among marine ecosystems, high‐shore habitats are those more likely to be impacted by ALAN, due to a more intense exposition to outdoor nocturnal lightings (mostly from lamps along coastal streets and promenades, or within harbours, ports and marinas).

By performing in situ nocturnal manipulations of a direct source of white LED light and presence of herbivores in a Mediterranean high‐shore habitat, we assessed the interactive effects of light pollution and grazing on two key functional components of the epilithic microbial community (the cyanobacteria, as the main photoautotrophic component, and the other bacteria, mainly dominated by heterotrophs) developing on rocky shores.

Results showed an unexpected increase in the diversity of epilithic bacterial biofilm at unlit sites in the presence of grazers, that was more evident on the other (mainly heterotrophic) bacterial component, when giving weight to more abundant families. This effect was likely related to the mechanical removal of dead cells through the grazing activity of consumers. ALAN significantly modified this scenario, by reducing the density of grazers and thus erasing their effects on bacteria, and by increasing the diversity of more abundant cyanobacterial families.

Overall, direct and indirect effects on ALAN resulted in a significant increase in the diversity of the photoautotrophic component and a decrease in the heterotrophic one, likely affecting key ecosystem functions acting on rocky shore habitats.

ALAN may represent a threat for natural systems through the annihilation of positive interactions across trophic levels, potentially impairing the relationship between biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems and interacting with other global and local stressors currently impinging on coastal areas.

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