bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impacts of Taxon-Sampling Schemes on Bayesian Molecular Dating under the Unresolved Fossilized Birth-Death Process
Authors: Luo Arong , Zhang Chi , Zhou Qing-Song , Ho Simon Y.W. , Zhu Chao-Dong
Published: November 2021

Evolutionary timescales can be estimated using a combination of genetic data and fossil evidence based on the molecular clock. Bayesian phylogenetic methods such as tip dating and total-evidence dating provide a powerful framework for inferring evolutionary timescales, but the most widely used priors for tree topologies and node times often assume that present-day taxa have been sampled randomly or exhaustively. In practice, taxon sampling is often carried out so as to include representatives of major lineages, such as orders or families. We examined the impacts of these diversified sampling schemes on Bayesian molecular dating under the unresolved fossilized birth-death (FBD) process, in which fossil taxa are topologically constrained but their exact placements are not inferred. We used synthetic data generated by simulation of nucleotide sequence evolution, fossil occurrences, and diversified taxon sampling. Our analyses show that increasing sampling density does not substantially improve divergence-time estimates under benign conditions. However, when the tree topologies were fixed to those used for simulation or when evolutionary rates varied among lineages, the performance of Bayesian tip dating improves with sampling density. By exploring three situations of model mismatches, we find that including all relevant fossils without pruning off those inappropriate for the FBD process can lead to underestimation of divergence times. Our reanalysis of a eutherian mammal data set confirms some of the findings from our simulation study, and reveals the complexity of diversified taxon sampling in phylogenomic data sets. In highlighting the interplay of taxon-sampling density and other factors, the results of our study have useful implications for Bayesian molecular dating in the era of phylogenomics.
Senescent stroma induces nuclear deformations in cancer cells via the inhibition of RhoA/ROCK/myosin II-based cytoskeletal tension
Authors: Aifuwa Ivie , Philip Jude M. , Kim Byoung Choul , Luperchio Teresa R. , Jimenez Angela , Perestrelo Tania , Lee Sang-Hyuk , Longe Nick , Reddy Karen , Ha Taekjip , Wirtz Denis
Published: November 2021

The presence of senescent cells within tissues has been functionally linked to malignant transformations. Here, using tension-gauge tethers technology, particle-tracking microrheology, and quantitative microscopy, we demonstrate that senescent associated secretory phenotype (SASP) derived from senescent fibroblasts impose nuclear lobulations and volume shrinkage on malignant cells, which stems from the loss of RhoA/ROCK/myosin II-based cortical tension. This loss in cytoskeletal tension induces decreased cellular contractility, adhesion, and increased mechanical compliance. These SASP-induced morphological changes are in part mediated by lamin A/C. These findings suggest that SASP induces a defective outside-in mechanotransduction, from actomyosin fibers in the cytoplasm to the nuclear lamina, thereby triggering a cascade of biophysical and biomolecular changes in cells that associate with malignant transformations.
Gene expression based inference of drug resistance in cancer
Authors: Chawla Smriti , Rockstroh Anja , Lehman Melanie , Rather Ellca , Jain Atishay , Anand Anuneet , Gupta Apoorva , Bhattacharya Namrata , Poonia Sarita , Rai Priyadarshini , Das Nirjhar , Majumdar Angshul , Jayadeva  , Ahuja Gaurav , Hollier Brett G. , Nelson Colleen C. , Sengupta Debarka
Published: November 2021

Inter and intra-tumoral heterogeneity are major stumbling blocks in the treatment of cancer and are responsible for imparting differential drug responses in cancer patients. Recently, the availability of large-scale drug screening datasets has provided an opportunity for predicting appropriate patient-tailored therapies by employing machine learning approaches. In this study, we report a predictive modeling approach to infer treatment response in cancers using gene expression data. In particular, we demonstrate the benefits of considering integrated chemogenomics approach, utilizing the molecular drug descriptors and pathway activity information as opposed to gene expression levels. We performed extensive validation of our approach on tissue-derived single-cell and bulk expression data. Further, we constructed several prostate cancer cell lines and xenografts, exposed to differential treatment conditions to assess the predictability of the outcomes. Our approach was further assessed on pan-cancer RNA-sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) archives, as well as an independent clinical trial study describing the treatment journey of three melanoma patients. To summarise, we benchmarked the proposed approach on cancer RNA-seq data, obtained from cell lines, xenografts, as well as humans. We concluded that pathway-activity patterns in cancer cells are reasonably indicative of drug resistance, and therefore can be leveraged in personalized treatment recommendations.
Integrative Omics Analysis Reveals the Immunomodulatory Effects of the Parasitic Dinoflagellate Hematodinium on Crustacean Immunity
Authors: Li Meng , Huang Qian , Lv Xiaoyang , Small Hamish J. , Li Caiwen
Published: November 2021

Parasitic dinoflagellates in genus Hematodinium have caused substantial economic losses to multiple commercially valuable marine crustaceans around the world. In the present study, comprehensive omics approaches (miRNA transcriptomics, iTRAQ-based proteomics) were applied to investigate the host-parasite interaction between hemocytes from Portunus trituberculatus and Hematodinium perezi. The parasitic dinoflagellate remodeled the miRNome and proteome of hemocytes from challenged hosts, modulated the host immune response at both post-transcriptional and translational levels and caused post-transcriptional regulation to the host immune response. Multiple important cellular and humoral immune-related pathways (ex. Apoptosis, Endocytosis, ECM-receptor interaction, proPO activation pathway, Toll- like signaling pathway, Jak-STAT signaling pathway) were significantly affected by Hematodinium parasites. Through modulation of the host miRNome, the host immune responses of nodulation, proPO activation and antimicrobial peptides were significantly suppressed. Cellular homeostasis was imbalanced via post-transcriptional dysregulation of the phagosome, peroxisome, and lysosome pathways. Cellular structure and communication was seriously impacted by post-transcriptional downregulation of ECM-receptor interaction and focal adhesion pathways.

Author summary

The parasitic dinoflagellate Hematodinium infects many economically important marine crustaceans. Recent efforts to better understand the life cycle and biology of the parasite have improved our understanding of the disease ecology. However, studies on the host-parasite interaction, especially how Hematodinium parasites evade the host immune response are lacking. To address this shortfall, we used miRNA transcriptomics and iTRAQ-based proteomic approaches to explore the immune responses of Portunus trituberculatus when challenged with Hematodinium perezi. Striking changes in the miRNome and proteome of hemocytes were observed, and the parasite exhibited multifaceted immunomodulatory effects and potential immune-evasion mechanisms in this crustacean host.
Suppressed prefrontal neuronal firing variability and impaired social representation in IRSp53-mutant mice
Authors: Kim Woohyun , Noh Young Woo , Lee Seungjoon , Choi Woochul , Paik Se-Bum , Jung Min Whan , Lee Eunee , Kim Eunjoon
Published: November 2021

Social deficit is a major feature of neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, but its neural mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we examined neuronal discharge characteristics in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of IRSp53-mutant mice, which show social deficits, during social approach. IRSp53-mutant excitatory mPFC neurons displayed an increase in baseline neuronal firing and decreases in variability and dynamic range of firing rates and burst firing during social and non-social target approaches compared to wild-type controls. As a consequence, their firing activity was less differential between social and non-social targets. In addition, there was a decrease in the proportion of excitatory mPFC neurons encoding social information but not that of those encoding non-social information. These results suggest that insufficient neuronal activity dynamics may underlie impaired cortical encoding of social information and social behaviors in IRSp53-mutant mice.
Epoxidized graphene grid for high-throughput high-resolution cryoEM structural analysis
Authors: Fujita Junso , Makino Fumiaki , Asahara Haruyasu , Moriguchi Maiko , Kumano Shota , Anzai Itsuki , Kishikawa Jun-ichi , Matsuura Yoshiharu , Kato Takayuki , Namba Keiichi , Inoue Tsuyoshi
Published: November 2021

Many specimens suffer from low particle density and/or preferred orientation in cryoEM specimen grid preparation, making data collection and structure determination time consuming. We developed an epoxidized graphene grid (EG-grid) that effectively immobilizes protein particles by applying an oxidation reaction using photoactivated ClO2• and further chemical modification. The particle density and orientation distribution are both dramatically improved, having enabled us to reconstruct the density map of GroEL and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), at 1.99 and 2.16 Å resolution from only 504 and 241 micrographs, respectively. A low concentration sample solution of 0.1 mg ml−1 was sufficient to reconstruct a 3.10 Å resolution density map of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein from 1,163 micrographs. The density maps of V1-ATPase, β-galactosidase, and apoferritin were also reconstructed at 3.03, 1.81, and 1.29 Å resolution, respectively. These results indicate that the EG-grid will be a powerful tool for high-throughput cryoEM data collection to accelerate high-resolution structural analysis of biological macromolecules.
Bacterial competition systems share a domain required for inner membrane transport of the nuclease bacteriocin pyocin G
Authors: Atanaskovic Iva , Sharp Connor , Press Cara , Kaminska Renata , Kleanthous Colin
Published: November 2021

Bacteria exploit a variety of attack strategies to gain dominance within ecological niches. Prominent amongst these are contact-dependent inhibition (CDI), type VI secretion (T6SS) and bacteriocins. The cytotoxic endpoint of these systems is often the delivery of a nuclease to the cytosol. How such nucleases translocate across the cytoplasmic membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is unknown. Here, we identify a small, conserved, 15-kDa domain, which we refer to as the inner membrane translocation (IMT) domain that is common to T6SS and bacteriocins and linked to nuclease effector domains. Through fluorescence microscopy assays using intact and spheroplasted cells, we demonstrate that the IMT domain of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa specific bacteriocin pyocin G (PyoG) is required for import of the toxin nuclease domain to the cytoplasm. We also show that translocation of PyoG into the cytosol is dependent on inner membrane proteins FtsH, a AAA+ATPase/protease, and TonB1, the latter more typically associated with transport of bacteriocins across the outer membrane. Our study reveals that the IMT domain directs the cytotoxic nuclease of PyoG to cross the cytoplasmic membrane and, more broadly, has been adapted for the transport of other toxic nucleases delivered into Gram-negative bacteria by both contact dependent- and contact-independent means.

Importance

Nuclease bacteriocins are potential antimicrobials for the treatment of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections. While the mechanism of outer membrane translocation is beginning to be understood, the mechanism of inner membrane transport is not known. This study uses PyoG as a model nuclease bacteriocin and defines a conserved domain which is essential for inner membrane translocation and which is widespread in other bacterial competition systems. Additionally, the presented data links two membrane proteins, FtsH and TonB1, with inner membrane translocation of PyoG. These findings point to the general importance of this domain to the cellular uptake mechanisms of nucleases delivered by otherwise diverse and distinct bacterial competition systems. The work is also of importance for the design of new protein antibiotics.
Geographic patterns of koala retrovirus genetic diversity, endogenization and subtype distributions
Authors: Blyton Michaela D. J. , Young Paul , Moore Ben D. , Chappell Keith
Published: November 2021

Koala retrovirus subtype A is the youngest endogenized retrovirus, providing a unique system to elucidate retroviral-host co-evolution. We characterised KoRV geography using faecal DNA from 192 samples across 20 populations throughout the koala’s range. We reveal an abrupt change in KoRV genetics and incidence at the Victoria/NSW state border. In northern koalas,polgene copies were ubiquitously present at greater than 5 per-cell, consistent with endogenous KoRV. In southern koalas,polcopies were detected in only 25.8% of koalas and always at copy numbers less than one, while theenvgene was detected in all animals and in a majority at copy numbers of greater than one per-cell. These results suggest that southern koalas carry partial endogenous KoRV-like sequences. Deep sequencing of theenvhypervariable region revealed three putatively endogenous KoRV-A sequences in northern koalas and a single, distinct sequence present in all southern koalas. Among northern populations,envsequence diversity decreased with distance from the equator, suggesting infectious KoRV-A invaded the koala genome in northern Australia and then spread south. The previously described exogenous KoRV subtypes (B-K), two novel subtypes (L and M), and intermediate or hybrid subtypes were detected in all northern koala populations but strikingly absent from all southern animals tested. Apart from KoRV-D, these exogenous subtypes were generally locally prevalent but geographically restricted, producing KoRV genetic differentiation among northern populations. This suggests that sporadic evolution and local transmission of the exogenous subtypes has occurred within northern Australia, but this has not extended into animals within southern Australia.

Author Summary

Retrovirus infection is generally synonymous with disease; however, retroviruses can also become endogenous (incorporated into the germline) and thereby directly contribute to the genetic makeup of a species. This has occurred in all vertebrates, yet little is known about the endogenization process. As the youngest virus known to be endogenized, koala retrovirus (KoRV) offers a unique opportunity to study these early stages of co-evolution. This study reveals a comprehensive picture of KoRV biogeography that informs our understanding of how host population history, host suppression and transmission dynamics can influence retroviral evolution. KoRV is also associated with chlamydiosis and neoplasia in the vulnerable koala. Our improved understanding of how KoRV variants are distributed should guide conservation management to help limit disease.
Mechanics of cell integration in vivo
Authors: Ventura Guilherme B. , Amiri Aboutaleb , Thiagarajan Raghavan , Tolonen Mari , Doostmohammadi Amin , Sedzinski Jakub
Published: November 2021

During embryonic development, regeneration and homeostasis, cells have to physically integrate into their target tissues, where they ultimately execute their function. Despite a significant body of research on how mechanical forces instruct cellular behaviors within the plane of an epithelium, very little is known about the mechanical interplay at the interface between migrating cells and their surrounding tissue, which has its own dynamics, architecture and identity. Here, using quantitative in vivo imaging and molecular perturbations, together with a theoretical model, we reveal that multiciliated cell (MCC) precursors in the Xenopus embryo form dynamic filopodia that pull at the vertices of the overlying epithelial sheet to probe their stiffness and identify the preferred positions for their integration into the tissue. Moreover, we report a novel function for a structural component of vertices, the lipolysis-stimulated lipoprotein receptor (LSR), in filopodia dynamics and show its critical role in cell intercalation. Remarkably, we find that pulling forces equip the MCCs to remodel the epithelial junctions of the neighboring tissue, enabling them to generate a permissive environment for their integration. Our findings reveal the intricate physical crosstalk at the cell-tissue interface and uncover previously unknown functions for mechanical forces in orchestrating cell integration.
Evasion of Toll-like Receptor Recognition by Escherichia coli is mediated via Population Level Regulation of Flagellin Production
Authors: Lanz M , Birchall C , Drage L , Picton D , Mowbray C , Alsenani Q , Tan A. , Ali A , Harding C , Pickard R , Hall J , Aldridge PD
Published: November 2021

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is a major cause of urinary tract infections. Analysis of the innate immune response in immortalised urothelial cells suggests that the bacterial flagellar subunit, flagellin, is key in inducing host defences. A panel of 40 clinical uro-associated Escherichia coli isolates recovered from either asymptomatic bacteruria (ASB), cystitis or pyelonephritis patients, were characterised for motility and their ability to induce an innate response in urothelial cells stably transfected with a NFκB luciferase reporter. Twenty-four isolates (60%) were identified as motile with strains recovered from cystitis patients exhibiting a bipolar motility distribution pattern (P < 0.005) and associated with a 2-5 fold increase in NFκB signalling. Although two isolates were associated with swarm sizes of >7 cm and NFκB activities of >30 fold (P = 0.029), data overall suggested bacterial motility and the NFκB signalling response were not directly correlated. To explore whether the signalling response reflected antigenic variation flagellin was purified from 11 different isolates and the urothelial cell challenges repeated. Purified flagellin filaments generated comparable (30.4±1.8 to 46.1±2.5 fold, P = NS) NFκB signalling responses, irrespective of either the source of the isolate or H-serotype. These data argued against any variability between isolates being related to flagellin itself. To determine the roles, if any, of flagellar abundance in inducing these responses flagellar hook numbers of a range of cystitis and ABU isolates were quantified using a plasmid encoded flagellar hook gene flgEA240C. Foci data suggested isolates were averaging between 1 and 2 flagella per cell, while only 10 to 60% each isolates population exhibited foci. These data suggested selective pressures exist in the urinary tract that allow uro-associated E. coli strains to maintain motility exploiting population heterogeneity to prevent host TLR5 recognition.
Adapting to novel environments together: evolutionary and ecological correlates of the bacterial microbiome of the world’s largest cavefish diversification
Authors: Zhou Shipeng , Rajput Amrapali Prithvisingh , Liu Yewei , Mao Tingru , Yang Jian , Herath Jayampathi , Meegaskumbura Madhava
Published: November 2021

The symbiosis between a host and its microbiome is essential for host fitness, and this association is a consequence of the host’s physiology and habitat. Sinocyclocheilus, the largest cavefish diversification of the world, an emerging multi-species model system for evolutionary novelty, provides an excellent opportunity for examining correlates of host evolutionary history, habitat, and gut-microbial community diversity. From the diversification-scale patterns of habitat occupation, major phylogenetic clades (A–D), geographic distribution, and knowledge from captive-maintained Sinocyclocheilus populations, we hypothesize habitat to be the major determinant of microbiome diversity, with phylogeny playing a lesser role. For this, we subject environmental water samples and fecal samples (representative of gut-microbiome) from 24 Sinocyclocheilus species, both from the wild and after being in captivity for six months, to bacterial 16S rRNA gene profiling using Illumina sequencing. We see significant differences in the gut microbiota structure of Sinocyclocheilus, reflective of the three habitat types; gut microbiomes too, were influenced by host-related factors. There is no significant association between the gut microbiomes and host phylogeny. However, there is some microbiome related structure at clade level, with the most geographically distant clades (A and D) being the most distinct, and two geographically overlapping clades (B and C) being similar. Microbes inhabiting water were not a cause for significant differences in fish-gut microbiota, but water quality parameters was. Transferring from wild to captivity, the fish microbiomes changed significantly and became homogenized, signifying adaptability and highlighting the importance of environmental factors (habitat) in microbiome community assembly. The core microbiome of this group closely resembled that of other teleost fishes. Our results suggest that divergent selection giving rise to evolutionary novelties also includes the microbiome of these fishes, which provides a functional advantage for life in the resource-depleted cave environment.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

The largest diversification of cavefishes of the world, Sinocyclocheilus, not only show that habitat, and phylogenetic clade is important in determining their gut microbiome, but also that they reach a common microbiome in captivity irrespective of their phylogenetic position, region of origin and habitat, indicating that they are adaptable in the context of microbe related changes in their environment.
Landscape structure and dispersal rate drive large scale catastrophic shifts in spatially explicit metapopulations
Authors: Saade Camille , Fronhofer Emanuel A. , Pichon Benoît , Kéfi Sonia
Published: November 2021

Even when environments deteriorate gradually, ecosystems may shift abruptly from one state to another. Such catastrophic shifts are difficult to predict and reverse (hysteresis). While well studied in simplified contexts, we lack a general understanding of how catastrophic shifts spread in realistic spatial contexts. For different types of landscape structure, including typical terrestrial modular and riverine dendritic networks, we here investigate landscape-scale stability in metapopulations made of bistable patches. We find that such metapopulations usually exhibit large scale catastrophic shifts and hysteresis, and that the properties of these shifts depend strongly on metapopulation spatial structure and dispersal rate: intermediate dispersal rates and a riverine spatial structure can largely reduce hysteresis size. Interestingly, our study suggests that large-scale restoration is easier with spatially clustered restoration efforts and in populations characterized by an intermediate dispersal rate.
COVID-19 operational disruption and SMEs' performance: the moderating role of disruption orientation and government support
Authors: Mahmoud Mahmoud Ahmad , Mahmoud Ahmed , Abubakar Shamsu Lawan , Garba Abubakar Salisu , Daneji Bashir Ahmad
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Despite the growing unforeseen and catastrophic events that disrupt business operations, empirical studies on the impact of operational disruption (OD) on small and medium enterprises' (SMEs) performance dimensions are limited. The study aims to investigate the moderating effect of disruption orientation (DO) and government support (GS) on the relationship between coronavirus disease (COVID-19) OD and SMEs' performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Quantitative survey method was used to collect data from 170 SMEs in Nigeria, through hand-delivery questionnaires. Partial least square (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data.

Findings

The result shows no significant relationship between COVID-19 OD, DO and GS with SMEs' financial performance (FP). However, the relationship between COVID-19 OD and non-financial performance (NFP) is negatively significant. The relationship between DO and NFP is positively significant. DO and GS have insignificant relationship with FP. Finally, DO and GS does not moderate any of the relationships between COVID-19 OD and the dimensions of SMEs' performance.

Practical implications

The result implies that health-related disruptions such as COVID-19 affect only the NFP of SMEs. However, supply chain managers and SMEs are encouraged to adopt DO to enhance NFP of firms.

Originality/value

The current study is the first to evaluate the impact of health-related disruptions on the two major dimensions of SMEs' performance (FP and NFP) by incorporating the moderating role of internal (DO) and external (GS) factors in to a single framework. However, the paper revealed new theoretical and practical knowledge by illuminating the absence of significant relationship between COVID-19 OD and SMEs' FP, implying that COVID-19 disruption does not significantly affect SMEs' FP.
The dark shadow of corruption on new product development
Authors: Banerjee Saikat
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The study examines the effects of corruption activities on new product development of firms. The roles of senior managers in the relationship between corruption activities and new product development are also studies.

Design/methodology/approach

The data of Indian firms are collected from the Enterprise Survey conducted by World Bank in 2014. Variables on corruption, new product development, and other firm level factors are considered in the study. Logistic regression is used to examine the effect of firm's engagement in corruption activities on new product development.

Findings

Corruption activities of firms is negatively related to new product development. Senior manager's industry experience and engagement in regulatory activities weaken the negative relationship between firm's engagement in corruption activities and new products development.

Practical implications

With the increased focus on innovation, organizational managers have to work on the development of new products, and understanding of the negative relationship between engagement in corruption activities and new product development will help them to achieve the desired organizational goals.

Originality/value

The study contributes in three ways. Firstly, the paper extends the theoretical understanding of the implication of a non-market strategy, corruption on new product development. Secondly, the study contributes to the existing literature on the antecedents of new product development. Finally, the roles of senior managers helps to understand the importance of their industry and regulatory experience in the main relationship.
Governance quality, administrative values and disaster risk management
Authors: Kasdan David Oliver
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study explores the relationships between governance quality and disaster risk in respect to the pillar values of public administration. The objective is to strengthen the focus and resolve of bureaucratic institutions to engage with disaster risk management (DRM) as a core function.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple correlation analysis is conducted using data from global indices of disaster risk and governance quality. This is situated in the argument for the importance of public administration to conduct DRM under the auspices of core values for governance.

Findings

There are strong relationships between measures of disaster risk and various qualities of governance that adhere to the administrative theories of public welfare management, particularly through measures for mitigation and preparedness.

Research limitations/implications

This study is conducted at the national level and may obscure regional effects of governance quality and disaster risk that occur in larger and environmentally diverse countries.

Originality/value

There are few studies that champion the value of public administration's qualities and values in the efforts of DRM. This research provides support for such a position by connecting governance quality to disaster risk and overlaying the influence of the core administrative values of efficiency, effectiveness, the economy and equity.
Reach for the sky: analysis of behavioral competencies linked to project success
Authors: Sampaio Suzana , Wu Qiong , Cormican Kathryn , Varajão João
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The issue of project managers’ competencies has gained much traction in practice and more recently in academic debate. However, they have become analogous to extensive wish lists where a project manager is expected to have an exhaustive list of aptitudes and capabilities. Therefore, identifying and defining the most critical competencies for project success is urgently needed. Moreover, although the vast number of studies emphasize the significance of behavioral competencies, there is a dearth of empirical research and studies within the context of information systems (IS) are scarce. Consequently, the present study aims to investigate the influence of project manager's behavioral competencies for the successful delivery of IS projects.

Design/methodology/approach

This research conducted a systematic literature review (2009–2019) of 27 relevant studies incorporating 179 competencies. The authors also collected data from 121 professional IS project managers and used regression analysis and dominance analysis to test the hypotheses proposed.

Findings

The results confirm that behavioral competencies (including leadership, communication, result orientation, emotional intelligence, ethics, creativity and motivation) are significantly and positively related to IS project success. Furthermore, the findings show that emotional intelligence (resilience, stress management and self-control), creativity (resourcefulness, creativity thinking and imagination) and ethics (transparency, honesty and integrity) are the most influential behavioral competencies for IS project success.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is among the first to use a quantitative analysis to empirically investigate project manager's behavioral competencies for project success in the IS discipline. It brings much-needed empirical evidence for the most important competencies for IS project managers.
Does the country’s religion affect the financial performance of conventional and Islamic banks? Comparative study in the international framework
Authors: Haddad Achraf
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to compare the impact of religion on the financial performance of conventional and Islamic banks in the framework of stakeholders’ theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Few studies have focused on studying the impact of religion on banking performance. Although religion represents an external governance mechanism for financial institutions, by using the generalized method of moments (GMM), this topic constitutes a research opportunity. The already modeled variables are collected from 76 countries located on 5 continents. The data were collected from DATASTREAM, banks’ annual reports, WIKIPEDIA and World Bank. It concerns 210 banks of each type during the period (2010–2020).

Findings

The author retained that religion negatively affects the financial performance of both conventional and Islamic banks. More specifically, results showed that religion affected the liquidity and solvency of two bank types. It also affected conventional banks’ profitability and efficiency.

Research limitations/implications

I summarized the theoretical contribution in the integration of a new original governance category to enhance its presence with impacts directly affecting the banks’ financial performance. Empirically, the study can be seen as a compass for all stakeholders to consider environmental, behavioral and doctrinal factors in studying the financial performance evolution and to become more competitive in the banking market.

Originality/value

Although conventional banks located in developed countries are different from those existing in emerging countries and Islamic banks located in developed countries are different from those existing in emerging countries, I carried out a diversified study in the global context. Referring to the comparative literature review between conventional and Islamic banks, the study was the first conditional research that compared the impacts of religion on the financial performance of conventional and Islamic banks.
The impact of COVID-19 on online product reviews
Authors: Kutlubay Omer Cem , Cicek Mesut , Yayla Serdar
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led to drastic changes in the lives of customers. Social isolation, financial difficulties, fear of being infected and many other factors have caused the psychological well-being of customers to deteriorate. By taking up the role of online reviews in the regulation of consumers’ moods, this study aims to examine the changes that have occurred in online product ratings, as well as the negative tone and word counts of product reviews during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This study examines the online reviews of 321 products in the pre-COVID, immediate COVID and extended COVID periods. This paper compares the changes that have taken place in product evaluations via various analysis of variance analyses. The authors also test the effect of COVID-related deaths on product evaluations via regression analyses.

Findings

The results indicate that online product ratings decreased sharply just after the outbreak of COVID-19. The study also found that the tone of reviews was found to be more negative and the length of reviews appeared to be longer in comparison to the pre-COVID-19 period. The results also revealed that the product type (experience vs search) moderated the effect of the pandemic in online reviews and the impact of COVID-19 on online product reviews diminished in the later stages of the ongoing pandemic.

Practical implications

Managers should be aware of the detrimental impact of pandemics on online product reviews and be more responsive to customer problems during the early stages of pandemics.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that analyzes the effects of a pandemic on online product ratings and review content. As such, this study offers a timely contribution to the marketing literature.
Self-disclosure in public and private groups of people with mental illnesses in Facebook
Authors: Rothschild Nava , Aharony Noa
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The Internet enables various voices and opinions that previously did not participate in the community discourse to express themselves. People with mental illnesses make use of social networks to advance their special needs in varied ways. The study aims to examine the nature of the discourse that takes place in public and private groups of people with mental illnesses.

Design/methodology/approach

The research corpus consisted of the content of 615 messages taken from public and private groups of people with mental illnesses in Facebook. Linguistic parameters (the total number of words, the number of words in the first person) were examined for each message. Two skilled judges classified the messages on a self-disclosure scale to determine the degree of disclosure of personal information, thoughts and emotions.

Findings

The results of the study indicate that the messages published in public groups are longer than the messages in private groups; however, the level of personal disclosure in messages written in private groups is deeper than in messages written in public groups. In addition, the level of self-disclosure in opening posts was found to be greater than the level of self-disclosure in comments.

Practical implications

In the study, the authors focus on the ways people in excluded populations make use of virtual tools to advance both their personal and social needs.

Originality/value

The study is innovative, as it explores the discourse of people with mental illnesses in public and private groups on Facebook.
Understanding heuristics-based financial decision-making using behavioral portfolio strategies
Authors: Quddus Kamran , Banerjee Ashok
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Through a portfolio choice model, the study empirically examines the influence of the heuristic simplification through peak-end rule (PER) and the associated neglect of the duration of the experience. The portfolio strategy adopted involves optimizing portfolios to capture the impact of heuristic-driven investors' experience of good and bad states. The study attempts to validate PER in an empirical context and is expected to generate trading rules, which would exploit pricing errors emerging out of the use of heuristics by investors.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical approach adopted in the study primarily examines returns to portfolios sorted according to various hedonic evaluation rules. Behavioral portfolios are constructed using hedonic experiences as conditioning variables.

Findings

The results imply that there is continued investor demand for such assets in the short run. An equal weight portfolio based on a three-month hedonic evaluation earns an average monthly return of 2.77% over the next 12 months.

Originality/value

The authors’ study may perhaps be the first attempt to use the peak-end heuristic in portfolio construction.
Beyond survey measures: exploring international male graduate students’ sense of belonging in electrical engineering
Authors: Antonio Anthony Lising , Baek Chanwoong
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Although a student’s sense of belonging is a key factor of persistence in higher education, research on international students’ belonging tends to rely on domain-agnostic survey measures and promote interpretations that focus mainly on social integration and adjustment. This paper aims to examine how male international graduate students in engineering understand and describe their sense of belonging and how they perceive its development at their institution.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted in-depth interviews with 12 male electrical engineering doctoral students at a selective research university in the USA. This interpretive approach allowed students to articulate their subjective understanding of belonging within a specific disciplinary context.

Findings

Contrary to the broad notion that the social domain is the primary locus of students’ sense of belonging, participants emphasized the academic domain when referring to their struggles with, and attempts to develop, a sense of belonging. Results suggest that the meritocratic culture of engineering education may influence students to prioritize the academic domain when conceptualizing and developing their belonging. Moreover, the strong academic motivation endemic to international students pursuing graduate education at a top American research university intensified this mechanism.

Originality/value

This study argues that universities seeking to enhance international graduate students’ sense of belonging can be more intentional in providing opportunities for students to establish positive academic identities. Furthermore, addressing students’ non-academic identity and marginalization as relevant and essential topics in engineering will expand their understanding of what means to belong.
Variation in the location and timing of experimental severing demonstrates that the persistent rhizome serves multiple functions in a clonal forest understorey herb
Authors: Eisen Katherine E. , Siegmund Gregor‐Fausto , Watson Maxine A. , Geber Monica A.
Published: November 2021

In clonal plants, persistent rhizomes can serve multiple purposes, including resource storage, modulation of heterogeneous resource distributions, maintenance of bud banks and promotion of recovery from disturbance. Clonal plants are commonly long‐lived and, in temperate zones, often exhibit organ preformation. Thus, investigations of how the timing of disturbance to the rhizome affects plant performance must occur over multiple growing seasons, but these types of studies are rare.

We conducted a field experiment to examine how the persistent rhizome supports the existing shoot, new ramet production and recovery from damage using mayapple Podophyllum peltatum (Berberidaceae), a common herbaceous perennial of low‐light forest understories in Eastern North America. Mayapple maintains a long‐lived rhizome and exhibits a developmentally programmed seasonal pattern of resource transport and new ramet initiation. We varied both the position and timing of rhizome severing in rhizome systems with terminal sexual or vegetative shoots, and tracked plants for 2 years following severing.

The location and timing of severing affected both plant persistence (production of new shoots) and performance (leaf area), with effects differing for new shoots that developed at the front versus the back of the rhizome system. Across years, severing location and past years’ shoot size influenced plant persistence and performance, while the effect of timing of severing diminished. Initial sexual status had little effect on rhizome system response that was not accounted for by initial leaf area. Severing generally led to the establishment of two independent rhizome systems. Relative to unmanipulated control systems, these two systems had more total leaf area, but less average leaf area per system.

Synthesis. Our results point to the rhizome as a resource integrator that affects plant responses to disturbance immediately following damage and in subsequent growing seasons. Rhizome bud age and/or subtending rhizome size, and developmental programme influence responses to disturbance. While the effects of experimental disturbance on plant performance decreased 2 years after disturbance, further long‐term investigation is needed to fully understand the demographic consequences of damage to persistent rhizomes.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Directional selection shifts trait distributions of planted species in dryland restoration
Authors: Balazs Kathleen R. , Munson Seth M. , Havrilla Caroline A. , Butterfield Bradley J.
Published: November 2021

The match between species trait values and local abiotic filters can restrict community membership. An often‐implicit assumption of this relationship is that abiotic filters select for a single locally optimal strategy, though difficulty in isolating effects of the abiotic environment from those of dispersal limitation and biotic interactions has resulted in few empirical tests of this assumption. Similar constraints have made it difficult to assess whether the type and intensity of abiotic filters shift along gradients of environmental harshness, as predicted by the stress‐dominance hypothesis.

We planted 9,216 plants of 29 perennial grass and forb species that had a range of functional trait values and were assigned to a warm, intermediate or cool temperature tolerance pool across eight sites on the Colorado Plateau. We compared the distributions of traits of surviving individuals to null distributions to evaluate whether there were shifts in trait means and variation. Borrowing from phenotypic selection concepts in evolutionary biology, we assessed support for stabilizing, directional and disruptive abiotic filtering of trait distributions and whether these types of filtering varied with initial species pool.

Functional composition was significantly different from null distributions for nearly all traits at all sites, with trait variation more restricted in harsher abiotic conditions, supporting the stress‐dominance hypothesis. Contrary to expectations, we primarily found evidence for directional selection, which increased in frequency in warm species pools while disruptive selection was found more often in cool and intermediate species pools.

Synthesis. This study provides a controlled experimental approach to test the effect of the abiotic environment on plant trait filtering. We found that opportunistic strategies allowing for rapid water acquisition during favourable periods improved survival at warmer sites. Species with these strategies may be expected to benefit from increasing aridity and may be selected for active management efforts. More generally, the prevalence of directional selection may have important implications for dynamic vegetation models that rely on trait distributions for translating environmental variation into ecosystem processes.
Technological and nutritional properties of amaranth‐fortified yellow cassava pasta
Authors: Lawal Oluranti M. , van Stuijvenberg Louka , Boon Nienke , Awolu Olugbenga , Fogliano Vincenzo , Linnemann Anita R.
Published: November 2021

Yellow cassava is an affordable starting material to design a healthy food, having high β‐carotene content. White and yellow cassava functional pasta were fortified with 50 g/kg (w/w) amaranth dry leaf powder and analyzed to evaluate the impact of cultivar difference, processing, and addition of amaranth leaf powder on the physicochemical, functional, pasting, antioxidant, and cooking properties of the white and yellow cassava pasta samples. Significant differences were observed among the cassava pasta samples. Leaf powder addition significantly enhanced the dietary fiber (7.6–9.1 g/100 g) and protein (1.41–4.69 g/100 g) contents of formulated cassava pasta. Yellow cassava‐amaranth pasta had higher β‐carotene (2.07 µg/g), iron (59 mg/kg), and zinc (9 mg/kg) contents than the white cassava‐amaranth pasta. The addition of amaranth leaf powder also enhanced the antioxidant capacities of pasta products. Cooking time and gruel solid loss were reduced upon the addition of amaranth leaf powder, which is beneficial to the consumers. Data showed the potential of amaranth‐fortified yellow cassava pasta in contributing to a healthy diet in low‐ and middle‐income countries by combining a biofortified crop with leafy vegetables via food‐to‐food fortification.

Practical Application: This work demonstrates the feasibility of a cassava‐based pasta fortified with amaranth vegetables as an affordable and nutritious food to benefit micronutrient deficient consumers in countries with high cassava consumption but low vegetable intake. The inclusion of amaranth leaf powder enhanced the developed pasta's nutritional and technological properties, thus presenting a healthy food choice with the potentials for scaling up commercially.