bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular recognition and dynamics of linear poly-ubiquitins: integrating coarse-grain simulations and experiments
Authors: Jussupow Alexander , Messias Ana C. , Stehle Ralf , Geerlof Arie , Solbak Sara M. Ø. , Bach Anders , Sattler Michael , Camilloni Carlo
Published: April 2020

Poly-ubiquitin chains are flexible multidomain proteins, whose conformational dynamics enable their molecular recognition by a large number of partners in multiple biological pathways. By using alternative linkage, it is possible to obtain poly-ubiquitin molecules with different dynamical properties. This flexibility is further increased by the possibility to tune the length of poly-ubiquitin chains. Characterizing the dynamics of poly-ubiquitins as a function of their length is thus relevant to understand their biology. Structural characterization of poly-ubiquitin conformational dynamics is challenging both experimentally and computationally due to increasing system size and conformational variability. Here, by developing highly efficient and accurate small-angle X-ray scattering driven Martini coarse-grain simulations, we characterize the dynamics of linear M1-linked di-, tri- and tetra-ubiquitin chains. Our data show that the behavior of the di-ubiquitin subunits is independent of the presence of additional ubiquitin modules. We propose that the conformational space sampled by linear poly-ubiquitins, in general, may follow a simple self-avoiding polymer model. These results, combined with experimental data from small angle X-ray scattering, biophysical techniques and additional simulations show that binding of NEMO, a central regulator in the NF-κB pathway, to linear poly-ubiquitin obeys a 2:1 (NEMO:poly-ubiquitin) stoichiometry in solution, even in the context of four ubiquitin units. Eventually, we show how the conformational properties of long poly-ubiquitins may modulate the binding with their partners in a length-dependent manner.

Significance

Protein conformational dynamics plays an essential role in molecular recognition mechanisms. The characterization of conformational dynamics is hampered by the conformational averaging of observable in experimental structural biology techniques and by the limitations in the accuracy of computational methods. By developing an efficient and accurate approach to combine small-angle X-ray scattering solution experiments and coarse-grain Martini simulations, we show that the conformational dynamics of linear poly-ubiquitins can be efficiently determined and to rationalize the role of poly-ubiquitin dynamic in the molecular recognition of the UBAN domain upon binding to the signaling regulator NEMO. The analysis of the conformational ensembles allows us to propose a general model of the dynamics of linear poly-ubiquitin chains where they can be described as a self-avoiding polymer with a characteristic length associated with their specific linkage.
Genetic Variability of Human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (hACE2) Among Various Ethnic Populations
Authors: Li Quan , Cao Zanxia , Rahman Proton
Published: April 2020

There appears to be large regional variations for susceptibility, severity and mortality for Covid-19 infections. We set out to examine genetic differences in the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) gene, as its receptor serves as a cellular entry for SARS- CoV-2. By comparing 56,885 Non-Finnish European and 9,197 East Asians (including 1,909 Koreans) four missense mutations were noted in the hACE2 gene. Molecular dynamic demonstrated that two of these variants (K26R and I468V) may affect binding characteristics between S protein of the virus and hACE2 receptor. We also examined hACE2 gene expression in eight global populations from the HapMap3 and noted marginal differences in expression for some populations as compared to the Chinese population. However, for both of our studies, the magnitude of the difference was small and the significance is not clear in the absence of further in vitro and functional studies.
Genome based Evolutionary study of SARS-CoV-2 towards the Prediction of Epitope Based Chimeric Vaccine
Authors: Nazneen Akhand Mst Rubaiat , Azim Kazi Faizul , Hoque Syeda Farjana , Moli Mahmuda Akther , Joy Bijit Das , Akter Hafsa , Afif Ibrahim Khalil , Ahmed Nadim , Hasan Mahmudul
Published: April 2020

SARS-CoV-2 is known to infect the neurological, respiratory, enteric, and hepatic systems of human and has already become an unprecedented threat to global healthcare system. COVID-19, the most serious public condition caused by SARS-CoV-2 leads the world to an uncertainty alongside thousands of regular death scenes. Unavailability of specific therapeutics or approved vaccine has made the recovery of COVI-19 more troublesome and challenging. The presentin silicostudy aimed to predict a novel chimeric vaccines by simultaneously targeting four major structural proteins via the establishment of ancestral relationship among different strains of coronaviruses. Conserved regions from the homologous protein sets of spike glycoprotein (S), membrane protein (M), envelope protein and nucleocapsid protein (N) were identified through multiple sequence alignment. The phylogeny analyses of whole genome stated that four proteins (S, E, M and N) reflected the close ancestral relation of SARS-CoV-2 to SARS-COV-1 and bat coronavirus. Numerous immunogenic epitopes (both T cell and B cell) were generated from the common fragments which were further ranked on the basis of antigenicity, transmembrane topology, conservancy level, toxicity and allergenicity pattern and population coverage analysis. Top putative epitopes were combined with appropriate adjuvants and linkers to construct a novel multiepitope subunit vaccine against COVID-19. The designed constructs were characterized based on physicochemical properties, allergenicity, antigenicity and solubility which revealed the superiority of construct V3 in terms safety and efficacy. Essential molecular dynamics and Normal Mode analysis confirmed minimal deformability of the refined model at molecular level. In addition, disulfide engineering was investigated to accelerate the stability of the protein. Molecular docking study ensured high binding affinity between construct V3 and HLA cells, as well as with different host receptors. Microbial expression and translational efficacy of the constructs were checked using pET28a(+) vector ofE. colistrain K12. The development of preventive measures to combat COVID-19 infections might be aided the present study. However, thein vivoandin vitrovalidation might be ensured with wet lab trials using model animals for the implementation of the presented data.
TMPRSS2 and furin are both essential for proteolytic activation and spread of SARS-CoV-2 in human airway epithelial cells and provide promising drug targets
Authors: Bestle Dorothea , Heindl Miriam Ruth , Limburg Hannah , van Thuy Van Lam , Pilgram Oliver , Moulton Hong , Stein David A. , Hardes Kornelia , Eickmann Markus , Dolnik Olga , Rohde Cornelius , Becker Stephan , Klenk Hans-Dieter , Garten Wolfgang , Steinmetzer Torsten , Böttcher-Friebertshäuser Eva
Published: April 2020

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2 first reported in Wuhan, China, emerged and rapidly spread to numerous other countries globally, causing the current pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 causes acute infection of the respiratory tract (COVID-19) that can result in severe disease and lethality. Currently, there is no approved antiviral drug for treating COVID-19 patients and there is an urgent need for specific antiviral therapies and vaccines.

In order for SARS-CoV-2 to enter cells, its surface glycoprotein spike (S) must be cleaved at two different sites by host cell proteases, which therefore represent potential drug targets. In the present study we investigated which host cell proteases activate the SARS-CoV-2 S protein in Calu-3 human airway epithelial cells. We show that S can be cleaved by both the proprotein convertase furin at the S1/S2 site and the transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) at the S2’ site. We demonstrate that TMPRSS2 is essential for activation of SARS-CoV-2 S in Calu-3 cells through antisense-mediated knockdown of TMPRSS2 expression. Further, we show that SARS-CoV-2 replication can be efficiently inhibited by two synthetic inhibitors of TMPRSS2 and also by the broad range serine protease inhibitor aprotinin. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2 replication was also strongly inhibited by the synthetic furin inhibitor MI-1851. Combining various TMPRSS2 inhibitors with MI-1851 produced more potent antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 than an equimolar amount of any single serine protease inhibitor. In contrast, inhibition of endosomal cathepsins by E64d did not affect virus replication.

Our data demonstrate that both TMPRSS2 and furin are essential for SARS-CoV-2 activation in human airway cells and are promising drug targets for the treatment of COVID-19 either by targeting one of these proteases alone or by a combination of furin and TMPRSS2 inhibitors. Therefore, this approach has a high therapeutic potential for treatment of COVID-19.
Automated docking refinement and virtual compound screening with absolute binding free energy calculations
Authors: Heinzelmann Germano , Gilson Michael K.
Published: April 2020

Absolute binding free energy calculations with explicit solvent molecular simulations can provide estimates of protein-ligand affinities, and thus reduce the time and costs needed to find new drug candidates. However, these calculations can be complex to implement and perform. Here, we introduce the software BAT.py, a Python tool that invokes the AMBER simulation package to fully automate the calculation of binding free energies for a protein with a series of ligands. We report encouraging initial test applications of this software both to re-rank docked poses and to estimate overall binding free energies. We also show that it is practical to carry out these calculations cheaply by using graphical processing units in common machines that can be built for this purpose. The combination of automation and low cost allows this procedure to be applied in a relatively high-throughput mode, and thus enables new applications in early-stage drug discovery.
Systems consolidation impairs behavioral flexibility
Authors: Sathiyakumar Sankirthana , Skromne Carrasco Sofia , Saad Lydia , Richards Blake A.
Published: April 2020

Behavioral flexibility is important in a changing environment. Previous research suggests that systems consolidation, a long-term poststorage process that alters memory traces, may reduce behavioral flexibility. However, exactly how systems consolidation affects flexibility is unknown. Here, we tested how systems consolidation affects: (1) flexibility in response to value changes and (2) flexibility in response to changes in the optimal sequence of actions. Mice were trained to obtain food rewards in a Y-maze by switching nose pokes between three arms. During initial training, all arms were rewarded and mice simply had to switch arms in order to maximize rewards. Then, after either a 1 or 28 d delay, we either devalued one arm, or we reinforced a specific sequence of pokes. We found that after a 1 d delay mice adapted relatively easily to the changes. In contrast, mice given a 28 d delay struggled to adapt, especially for changes to the optimal sequence of actions. Immediate early gene imaging suggested that the 28 d mice were less reliant on their hippocampus and more reliant on their medial prefrontal cortex. These data suggest that systems consolidation reduces behavioral flexibility, particularly for changes to the optimal sequence of actions.
Synchrotron X-ray diffraction investigation of the surface condition of artefacts from King Henry VIII's warship the Mary Rose
Authors: Dowsett Mark G. , Sabbe Pieter-Jan , Alves Anjos Jorge , Schofield Eleanor J. , Walker David , Thomas Pam , York Steven , Brown Simon , Wermeille Didier , Adriaens Mieke
Published: April 2020

Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) measured on the XMaS beamline at the ESRF was used to characterize the alloy composition and crystalline surface corrosion of three copper alloy Tudor artefacts recovered from the undersea wreck of King Henry VIII's warship the Mary Rose. The XRD method adopted has a dynamic range ∼1:105 and allows reflections <0.002% of the height of major reflections in the pattern to be discerned above the background without smoothing. Laboratory XRD, scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy, synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and X-ray excited optical luminescence–X-ray near-edge absorption structure were used as supporting techniques, and the combination revealed structural and compositional features of importance to both archaeology and conservation. The artefacts were brass links believed to be fragments of chainmail and were excavated from the seabed during 1981 and 1982. Their condition reflects very different treatment just after recovery, viz. complete cleaning and conservation, chemical corrosion inhibition and chloride removal only, and distilled water soaking only (to remove the chlorides). The brass composition has been determined for all three at least in the top 7 µm or so as Cu(73%)Zn(27%) from the lattice constant. Measurement of the peak widths showed significant differences in the crystallite size and microstrain between the three samples. All of the links are found to be almost chloride-free with the main corrosion products being spertiniite, sphalerite, zincite, covellite and chalcocite. The balance of corrosion products between the links reflects the conservation treatment applied to one and points to different corrosion environments for the other two.
Autonomous performance maximization of research-based hybrid unmanned aerial vehicle
Authors: Çoban Sezer
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the autonomous performance optimization of a research-based hybrid unmanned aerial vehicle (i.e. HUAV) manufactured at Iskenderun Technical University.

Design/methodology/approach

To maximize the autonomous performance of this HUAV, longitudinal and lateral dynamics were initially obtained. Then, the optimum magnitudes of the autopilot system parameters were estimated by considering the vehicle’s dynamic model and autopilot parameters.

Findings

After determining the optimum values of the longitudinal and lateral autopilots, an improved design for the autonomously controlled (AC) HUAV was achieved in terms of real-time flight.

Practical implications

Simultaneous improvement of the longitudinal and lateral can be used for better HUAV operations.

Originality/value

In this paper, the autopilot systems (i.e. longitudinal and lateral) of an HUAV are for the first time simultaneously designed in the literature. This helps the simultaneous improvement of the longitudinal and lateral flight trajectory tracking performances.
Discussion of Troubled Asset Relief Program and earnings informativeness
Authors: Zhou Nan
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Vega et al. (2020) find that incentives in executive compensation result in higher earnings informativeness. The discussion focuses on two areas for improvement. First, the authors could look into additional measures of earnings quality. This further analysis could help us understand whether the enhanced earning informativeness stems from capital market effects or real effects. Second, the authors could consider replacing their main earnings response coefficient (ERC) model with one of the alternative ERC models in the literature. Three different ERC models are discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper discusses capital market effects versus real effects and illustrates different ERC models.

Findings

The discussed paper could differentiate between capital market effects and real effects and use an alternative ERC model.

Originality/value

An accounting audience could be interested in the discussion on capital market effects versus real effects and the illustration on various ERC models.
What determines the adoption of employee empowerment practices by MNE subsidiaries in China?
Authors: Yin Yishuai
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how institutional factors determine the adoption of employee empowerment practices by multinational enterprises (MNEs) subsidiaries in China.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines the effects of MNE subsidiaries’ external and internal institutional factors on the degree of employee empowerment practices adopted by these subsidiaries. Using hierarchical regression analysis, hypotheses were tested with a sample of 99 MNE subsidiaries operating in China.

Findings

The results show that both the informal institutions of the host country and the subsidiary’s characteristics play an important role in shaping the degree of empowerment practices adopted by MNE subsidiaries in China.

Originality/value

Employee empowerment practices have been increasingly used by MNEs to leverage human resources for organizational competitive advantage. Although a large body of work has studied a bundle of HRM practices as a whole adopted in MNE subsidiaries, there is a paucity of research on the specific empowerment practices in MNE subsidiaries. This research fills this important gap in the literature by investigating the institutional forces that influence the empowerment practices in MNE subsidiaries in China.
Employability skills for 21st-century STEM students: the employers' perspective
Authors: McGunagle Doreen , Zizka Laura
Published: April 2020

Purpose

One of the goals of educational institutions is to prepare their graduates to be workplace-ready. The purpose of this paper is to identify the employability skills lacking in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) industry from employers' perspectives to assist STEM educational institutions in creating more relevant programs inclusive of employability skills.

Design/methodology/approach

This study addresses 16 job-specific skills based on data deriving from the responses of 250 Human Resource Managers (HRMs) who represent five manufacturing industries (Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Consumer Products, Electronics and Industrial Manufacturing) located in five regions (Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, West-Mountain and Pacific) of the United States.

Findings

The median scores for all 16 skills confirmed their importance for employability in the five manufacturing industries. The five highest ranking skills were team player, self-motivation, verbal communication, problem-solving and being proactive, which align with previous studies on workplace skills.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is a call to all STEM educational institution stakeholders, both internal and external, to re-assess current curriculum and programs and collaborate to narrow the gap between graduate competencies and the practical needs of the workplace.

Originality/value

This paper attempts to bridge the gap between the competencies gained in STEM educational institutions and the competencies needed for the future workplace, as confirmed by HRM professionals. Although this study is focused on STEM educational institutions in the United States, it will be of interest to all STEM educational institutions worldwide who play a significant role in preparing the next generation of employees for the global workplace.
Children as customers in luxury hotels
Authors: Ben Lahouel Béchir , Montargot Nathalie
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This purpose of this study was to explore two key issues in experiential marketing from an organizational perspective: the management of “strategic experiential modules” and the management of “service encounters” specific to a memorable experience for children in urban luxury hotels.

Design/methodology/approach

An integrated model combining managerial and practice-oriented frameworks was used to study how luxury hotel managers design and create memorable experiences for children. The study took a qualitative approach in collecting in-depth data and interviewed 35 managers of five-star luxury hotels in Paris. The data were processed using the Alceste software, an automated lexical program that analyzed the co-occurrence of words and sentences.

Findings

With regard to the integrated model, the analysis of the interviews distinguished four main dimensions, which accounted for more than 84 per cent of the original textual data. Three dimensions, related to emotional-sensorial-physical experiential modules, described how managers strategically managed the child experience and journey while at their hotel. A fourth dimension was also identified in relation to the upstream of the service encounter. The findings highlighted a significant gap in how hotel managers were managing the experiences of children under 12 years of age and that further incorporation of various touchpoints is needed to improve the management of the service design.

Research limitations/implications

This study demonstrated the applicability of the proposed integrated model, which offers valuable marketing implications for luxury hotel managers. It is suggested that more research on the management of the child experience and journey is conducted in the future.

Originality/value

To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study to combine these two frameworks to study the management of the child experience and journey in the luxury hospitality sector.
Institutional determinants of financial inclusion: evidence from world economies
Authors: Eldomiaty Tarek , Hammam Rasha , El Bakry Rawan
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Financial inclusion is an approach for mobilizing saving and facilitating investments that help promote economic development and pave the way for sustainable development. This paper aims to examine the impact of world governance indicators (WGIs) on the improvement of financial inclusion across world economies.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses the global database of financial inclusion indicators (global findex) for the years 2011, 2014 and 2017. The WGIs are used as proxies for the effects of governmental institutional arrangements. Using panel data analysis, a fixed generalized linear model is estimated for four common financial indicators; namely, borrowed from a financial institution, saved at a financial institution, credit card and debit card ownership.

Findings

The empirical results reveal that control of corruption, government effectiveness, political stability and voice and accountability are the significant WGIs that influence financial inclusion significantly.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature in two ways. First, this paper offers validating the results previously reported in related studies. Second, this paper offers robust estimates of the effects of the institutional WGIs on the promotion of financial inclusion.
Product market competition, oil uncertainty and corporate investment
Authors: Abdoh Hussein , Maghyereh Aktham
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of product market competition on the oil uncertainty–investment relation.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use firm-level financial data from the COMPUSTAT database, competition proxies from Hoberg and Phillips (2016) and macroeconomic data on crude oil price uncertainty. Corporate investment is measured as capital expenditure scaled by total assets or as the annual change in (net) total fixed assets plus depreciation. Since our panel data covers a short period (22 years) and the regressions include a combination of a lagged dependent variable and firm fixed effects, the authors apply Blundell and Bond’s (1998) GMM system when regressing corporate investment on the interaction between oil uncertainty and competition.

Findings

Consistent with the theories in the irreversible investment literature, the authors first show that investments are negatively related to oil uncertainty. Second, they show that firms in competitive industries decrease their investments in response to heightened uncertainty by a higher degree than firms in concentrated industries, suggesting that competition can exacerbate negative investment outcomes when success is uncertain. The authors also examine how competition relates to investment asymmetric reactions to positive and negative oil price return volatilities and find a stronger negative relationships between competition and investment-positive oil price volatility, indicating that increasing the probability of a negative outcome due to uncertainty leads firms to reduce investment to a larger extent.

Practical implications

The findings provide useful insights to guide corporate investment decisions under oil price change uncertainty. In particular, if firms can wait for the resolution of uncertainty before deciding to pursue irreversible investment in a competitive market, they can avoid potentially large losses by foregoing investment when the outcomes are unfavorable. This is because competition brings a greater uncertainty to firm performance if the investment outcome is poor, as firms in competitive industries share a large proportion of industry-wide profits with rivals and, thus, competition could erode profit margins and increases the likelihood of being driven out of the market. Hence, firms in competitive markets should balance between strategic preemptive motives and waiting for the resolution of uncertainty before deciding to pursue investment.

Originality/value

This study is the first to examine the effect of competition on the relationship between investment and oil price uncertainty. Moreover, it is the first to examine the effect of competition on the asymmetric response of investment to oil price uncertainty emanating from positive and negative changes in oil price.
Lending relationships, credit ratings and bank loan spreads: evidence from Indonesian listed companies
Authors: Chandera Yane , Setia-Atmaja Lukas
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This study examines the impact of firm-bank relationships on bank loan spreads and the mitigating role of firm credit ratings on that impact.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sample consists of Indonesian publicly listed companies for the period 2006 to 2016; bank-loan data was extracted from the Loan Pricing Corporation Dealscan database. For the degree of firm-bank relationships, the data on each loan is manually computed, using five different methods taken from Bharath et al. (2011) and Fields et al. (2012). All of the regression analyses are controlled for the year fixed effects, heteroscedasticity, and firm-level clustering. To address the endogeneity issues, this study uses several methods, including partitioning the sample, running nearest-neighbour and propensity score matching tests, and using instrumental variables in two-staged least-squares regression models.

Findings

In line with relationship theory and in opposition to the hold-up argument, this study finds that lending relationships reduce bank loan spreads and that the impact is more noticeable among non-rated Indonesian firms. Specifically, each additional unit in the total number of years of a firm-bank relationship and the number of previous loan contracts with the same bank are associated with 7.34 and 9.15 basis-point decreases, respectively, in these loan spreads.

Practical implications

Corporations and banks should maintain close, long-term relationships to reduce the screening and monitoring costs of borrowing. Regulators should create public policies that encourage banks to put more emphasis on relationships in their lending practices, especially in relation to crisis-prone companies.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the impact of lending relationships on bank loan spreads in Indonesia. The study offers insights on banking relationships in emerging markets with concentrated banking industries, underdeveloped capital markets and prominent business-group affiliations.
Embracing the organic way: is consumer preference the same for all brands?
Authors: Mehta Ritu , Agrawal Sanket
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The growing market for organic products presents a tremendous opportunity for marketers to extend their existing brands. However, there is hardly any research that investigates the factors extension from an organic parent brand is preferred over extension into same product category for success of such brand extensions. This paper investigates the role of two different bases consumers may use to evaluate the extension into organic product – organic status of the parent brand and its similarity to the extended product category.

Design/methodology/approach

The study involved a 2 × 2 (organic versus regular parent brand and same versus different product category) between-subjects factorial design. Data collected from 164 postgraduate students presented with one of the four scenarios were analysed using ANOVA.

Findings

The results reveal that extensions from organic parent brand versus regular brand, and in the same product category versus different category, are evaluated more favourably. Moreover, extension from an organic parent brand is preferred over extension into same product category.

Originality/value

The research contributes to the extant literature on branding and retailing by building on categorisation theory to explain consumer preference for brand extension when launching a new organic product. The findings provide valuable insights to practitioners to launch a new organic product using brand extension.
Investigating sponsor decision-making: the role of schema theory, agency conflicts, and signaling theory in the persistence of naming rights agreements
Authors: Jensen Jonathan A. , Head David , Mergy Christopher
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Naming rights sponsorships of sport facilities are among the most highly visible marketing agreements in the world. However, factors that may lead one sponsorship to persist for decades, while others end after just a few years, have yet to be investigated. Thus, this study examines the decision-making of brand marketers by investigating the predictors of a sponsoring brand's decision to either continue or dissolve such agreements.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing a global data set of 219 naming rights agreements, an empirical approach is utilized to isolate whether a variety of factors increase or decrease the probability of sponsorship dissolution.

Findings

Results indicate that agreements entered into with new, as of yet-unnamed facilities lead to a reduction in the probability of dissolution, with a high level of brand equity also reducing the probability of dissolution. Agency conflicts may also play a role, as the sponsoring firm being headquartered in the same metropolitan area as the facility also contributes to the persistence of such agreements.

Originality/value

These results are intended to assist both sides of what is ideally a long-term relationship in better understanding the factors that may either contribute to or inhibit longer-term partnerships.
Drivers of consumer-based brand equity: a two-country analysis of perceived brand origin and identity expressiveness
Authors: Cho Eunjoo , Hwang Jiyoung
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether and how the effects of cognitive, sensory and affective brand associations on brand love (a core driver of brand loyalty) differ by perceived brand origin (domestic vs imported) and identity expressiveness (low vs high) in two different national contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for this study were collected through an online survey in the US and China. A total of 711 responses (n = 362 for the US, n = 349 for China) were used for data analysis. A multiple-group structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Cognitive and sensory associations are significant drivers of US consumers' brand love while affective associations are important for Chinese consumers' brand love. Also, perceived brand origin and identity expressiveness moderate the three brand associations–brand love relationship. For US consumers, cognitive associations significantly influence brand love for both domestic and imported brands, but sensory associations are important for domestic brand love. For Chinese consumers, affective associations significantly influence brand love for both domestic and imported brands, but cognitive associations are important for imported brand love. The impacts of the three brand associations on brand love differ by the degree of identity expressiveness.

Research limitations/implications

This empirical study offers important insights into the differing effects of perceived brand origin and identity expressiveness in enhancing brand love across cultures in order to establish strong international brand equity.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the scarce cross-cultural research on brand equity by testing the extended brand equity model. The findings provide more specific, meaningful insights into the role of perceived brand origin and identity expressiveness, leading to more effective international brand management.
Decision-aids for non-expert decision makers
Authors: Beck Grant , Farkas Maia , Wheeler Patrick , Arunachalam Vairam
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This study extends prior accounting research on decision aids (DAs) relating to face validity. Specifically, this study aims to examine the effects of face validity through the presence of two levels of bias in DA output. The presence of bias in a DA will not affect how statistically informative an aid is but will decrease the face validity. The findings suggest that non-expert DA users recognize the bias in the DA’s suggestions as evidenced by users’ low agreement with the aid; however, they do not adjust for the bias in their performance, suggesting that non-expert users do not learn from the DA.

Design/methodology/approach

This repeated-measures experimental design allows us to examine performance effects over time in response to different levels of bias in the DA output. The participants in the study are provided with outcome feedback to examine learning effects.

Findings

The findings suggest that non-expert DA users recognize the bias in the DA’s suggestions as evidenced by users’ low agreement with the aid; however, they do not adjust for the bias in their performance, suggesting that non-expert users do not learn from the DA. Although users of an unbiased DA strongly agree with the DA’s output, individual performance deteriorates over time. Initially, the users of an unbiased DA perform better than those who use a biased DA; however, over time, the performance of users of an unbiased aid deteriorates and the performance of users of the biased aid does not improve.

Practical implications

Companies developing DAs may need to consider the effects of using a DA under circumstances different from those under which the aid was developed and that may lead to the biased DA output. This study has implications for firms that design, develop and use DAs.

Originality/value

This study considers a yet unexamined face validity issue – observable bias in DA output. This study examines deterministic DAs designed to assist the decision-maker through their ability to combine multiple cues in a systematic and consistent manner. This study has implications for firms that design, develop and use DAs. Firms need to consider the effects of using a DA under circumstances different from those under which the aid is developed, thereby, potentially leading to biased DA output. Each additional variable added to the DA will be associated with an incremental cost in a DA’s development, use and modification. The results of this study provide insights contributing to the information available for cost–benefit analyses conducted when developing a DA or when considering the modification of existing aid. Failure to change a DA because of face validity issues alone may result in a decline in user performance. Thus, the cost of modifying a DA must be weighed against the benefits resulting from improved performance. This study contributes insights into how users’ responses to DA bias could affect the assessments of the benefits of including an omitted variable in a DA.
Strategising identity in the accounting profession:
Authors: Tomo Andrea , Spanò Rosanna
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how accountants manage the processes of identity (re)construction after identity crisis, resulting from increasing pressures and regulatory requirements, considering both introspective and the extrospective issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The study drew on an integrated framework drawing on Luigi Pirandello’s views about identity crises and the search for individual coherence and possible representation strategies. It used an ethnographic approach based on photo-elicitation, conversations and documentary sources to explore the identity reconstruction processes of Italian Commercialisti.

Findings

Several conditions caused an identity crisis among Commercialisti, including regulatory requirements, public administration demands and increasing power of IT providers. Commercialisti reacted to these circumstances by re-constructing their image through strategies designed to impress both themselves and others.

Practical implications

The paper has implications for the accounting profession in general and in Italy, suggesting that further pressure may result in rapid change efforts among accountants. It provides a broader and more systematic understanding of the threats to the role of accountants and suggests how they can manage complexity to create new opportunities. It also encourages accountants to focus on alternative roles as a possible new strategy that few have tried.

Originality/value

The paper provides a novel contribution to the understanding of identity crisis issues and related representation strategies in the accounting profession. Unlike past contributions, it made a full assessment of both the dynamics of an identity crisis and the micro-level responses to it, in a new, non-Anglo-Saxon context.
The Magellan effect – training future naval officers for mission command
Authors: Sjøvold Endre , Nissestad Odd Arne
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Officers in post-cold war military operations frequently encounter situations that are not easily handled through central control and chain of command, but demand a more flexible leadership style and the ability to yield some control to subordinates. This study aims to investigate what it takes to train military leaders to master such Maneuver Warfare skills in a culture that still, unconsciously, fosters a chain of command structure.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a quasi-experimental pre-post design, the authors studied 30 teams of naval cadets (n= 228) in three separate Leadership Development Programs, each of 12 months full time duration. In the three otherwise identical programs, the authors varied one of the major exercises (sailing) both in duration and degree of structure and challenge. Parameters of team interaction were measured using the Systematizing the Person-Group Relation method and summarized in a construct labeled synergy.

Findings

One of the cohorts showed a significant positive effect. This cohort sailed a barque for ten weeks, crossing the Atlantic during winter storms. Apart from the clear mission of sailing the ship safely back to its home haven, they received no further instructions or training. Although the duration and the challenge likely count for part of the result, the authors argue that the lack of initial structure combined with a shared mission were more important.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the cost and time involved in each program, it was not possible to independently vary duration, structure and mission. As a result, conclusions as to the reason for the greater positive effect seen in one of the programs cannot be definitively determined.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the understanding of the effect of unstructured situations on building Maneuver Warfare skills.
The effects of tropical secondary forest regeneration on avian phylogenetic diversity
Authors: Hughes Emma C. , Edwards David P. , Sayer Catherine A. , Martin Philip A. , Thomas Gavin H.
Published: April 2020

The conversion of tropical forests to farmland is a key driver of the current extinction crisis. With the present rate of deforestation unlikely to subside, secondary forests that regenerate on abandoned agricultural land may provide an option for safeguarding biodiversity. While species richness (SR) may recover as secondary forests get older, the extent to which phylogenetic diversity (PD)—the total amount of evolutionary history present in a community—is conserved is less clear. Maximizing PD has been argued to be important to conserve both evolutionary heritage and ecosystem function.

Here, we investigate the effects of secondary forest regeneration on PD in birds. The regeneration of secondary forests could lead to a community of closely related species, despite maintaining comparable SR to primary forests, and thus have diminished biodiversity value with reduced evolutionary heritage.

We use a meta‐dataset of paired primary and secondary forest sites to show that, over time, forest specialist species returned across all sites as secondary forest age increased. Forest specialists colonize secondary tropical forests in both the Old World and the New World, but recovery of PD and community composition with time is only evident in the Old World.

Synthesis and applications. While preserving primary tropical forests remains a core conservation goal, our results emphasize the important role of secondary forest in maintaining tropical forest biodiversity. Biodiversity recovery differs between Old and New World secondary forests and with proximity to primary forest, highlighting the need to consider local or regional differences in landscape composition and species characteristics, especially resilience to forest degradation and dispersal capability. While farmland abandonment is increasing across marginal areas in the tropics, there remains a critical need to provide long‐term management and protection from reconversion to maximize conservation benefits of secondary forests. Our study suggests such investments should be focused on land in close proximity to primary forests.
Long non‐coding RNA DDX11‐AS1 promotes non‐small cell lung cancer development via regulating PI3K/AKT signalling
Authors: Feng Xuegang , Yang Shengsheng , Zhou Shunkai , Deng Shilong , Xie Yongwei
Published: April 2020

Non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been considered to be the most common category of lung cancer, comprising approximately 80% of lung cancers. Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were diffusely documented to modulate carcinogenesis or progression of tumours. However, the role of DDX11‐AS1 was still unclear in NSCLC. Bioinformatics analysis and experimental assays including hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, RT‐qPCR, colony formation, CCK‐8, flow cytometry, western blot and xenograft assays were applied to investigate the biological role and molecular mechanism of DDX11‐AS1 in NSCLC. The level of lncRNA DDX11‐AS1 was up‐regulated in NSCLC tumour tissues and cells. In function aspect, knockdown of DDX11‐AS1 caused an apparent inhibitive effect on cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. DDX11‐AS1 inhibition promoted cell apoptosis in vitro. In mechanism, the protein level of phosphorylated AKT was reduced by DDX11‐AS1 inhibition but increased by DDX11‐AS1 overexpression. These results indicated that DDX11‐AS1 exacerbated NSCLC progression via activating PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. All in all, DDX11‐AS1 promotes NSCLC development via regulating PI3K/AKT signalling.
Effects of balancing selection and microhabitat temperature variations on heat tolerance of the intertidal black mussel Septifer virgatus
Authors: HAN Guodong , WANG Wei , DONG Yunwei
Published: April 2020

Realistic assessments of the impacts of global warming on population extinction risk are likely to require an integrated analysis of the roles of standing genetic variation, microhabitat thermal complexity, and the inter‐individual variation of heat tolerance due to both genetic differences and seasonal acclimatization effects. Here, we examine whether balancing selection and microhabitat temperature heterogeneity can interact to enhance the population persistence to thermal stress for the black mussel Septifer virgatus. We deployed biomimetic data loggers on the shore to measure the microhabitat‐specific thermal variation from June 2014 to April 2016. Thermal tolerance of specimens was indexed by measuring effects of temperature on heart rate. Genotyping of specimens was performed using double digestion restriction association RADSeq (ddRADseq). Our results show that inter‐individual variations in thermal tolerance correlate significantly with genetic differences at some specific gene loci, and that heterozygotes have higher thermal tolerances than homozygotes. The observed seasonal changes in genotype frequency suggest that these loci are under balancing selection. The ability of thermally resistant heterozygotes to survive in sun‐exposed microhabitats acts to balance the loss of homozygotes during summer and enable the persistence of genetic polymorphisms. Population persistence of the mussel is also facilitated by the micro‐scale variation in temperature, which provides refugia from thermal stress. Our results emphasize that inter‐individual variation in thermal tolerance and in microhabitat heterogeneity in temperature are important for the persistence of populations in rocky shore habitats.
A first comparison of bone histomorphometry in extant domestic horses (Equus caballus) and a Pleistocene Indian wild horse (Equus namadicus)
Authors: ZEDDA Marco , SATHE Vijay , CHAKRABORTY Prateek , PALOMBO Maria Rita , FARINA Vittorio
Published: April 2020

The microstructural features of the tissue of long bones subjected to different biomechanical stresses could be a helpful tool for a better understanding of locomotor behavior in extant and extinct mammals, including equids. However, few researches have attempted to describe the bone tissue of extinct horses. In our study, we analyze and compare the histomorphometric features of the bone tissue in extant modern horses, Equus caballus, and Equus namadicus, a Pleistocene Indian extinct wild horse. The number, position, and size of the osteons and Haversian canals of the bone tissue, classifiable as dense Haversian tissue, were considered for the comparison. The results obtained highlight some differences between the analyzed species, E. caballus having fewer and bigger osteons than E. namadicus. The microstructural differences may depend on the different lifestyles and environmental conditions characterizing the two species. The results obtained suggest that comparing the biomechanical properties of extinct and modern horse species may provide indirect information on their paleoenvironment.