bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Higher anhedonia during withdrawal from initial opioid exposure is protective against subsequent opioid self-administration in rats
Authors: Swain Yayi , Muelken Peter , Skansberg Annika , Lanzdorf Danielle , Haave Zachary , LeSage Mark G. , Gewirtz Jonathan C. , Harris Andrew C.
Published: November 2019

Understanding factors contributing to individual differences in vulnerability to opioid addiction is essential for developing more effective preventions and treatments, yet few reliable behavioral predictors of subsequent opioid self-administration have been identified in rodents. Sensitivity to the acute effects of initial drug exposure predicts later addiction vulnerability in both humans and animals, but the relationship of sensitivity to withdrawal from initial drug exposure and later drug use vulnerability is unclear. The goal of the current study was to evaluate whether the degree of anhedonia experienced during withdrawal from early opioid exposure predicts subsequent vulnerability to opioid addiction. Rats were first tested for withdrawal sensitivity following acute injections of morphine (i.e., “acute dependence”), measured as elevations in intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) thresholds (anhedonia-like behavior) during naloxone-precipitated and spontaneous withdrawal. Rats were then tested for addiction vulnerability using various measures of i.v. morphine self-administration (MSA) including acquisition, demand, extinction, and reinstatement induced by morphine, stress, and/or drug-associated cues. Greater naloxone-precipitated withdrawal across repeated morphine injections and greater peak spontaneous withdrawal severity following a single morphine injection were associated with lower addiction vulnerability on multiple MSA measures. Withdrawal-induced anhedonia predicted a wider range of MSA measures than did any individual measure of MSA itself. These data suggest that high anhedonia during withdrawal from initial opioid exposure is protective against subsequent opioid addiction vulnerability in rodents, thereby establishing one of the first behavioral measures to predict individual differences in opioid SA. This model promises to be useful for furthering our understanding of behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms underlying vulnerability to opioid addiction.
Secondary motifs enable concentration-dependent regulation by Rbfox family proteins
Authors: Begg Bridget E. , Jens Marvin , Wang Peter Y. , Burge Christopher B.
Published: November 2019

The Rbfox family of splicing factors regulate alternative splicing during animal development and in disease, impacting thousands of exons in the maturing brain, heart, and muscle. Rbfox proteins have long been known to bind to the RNA sequence GCAUG with high affinity, but just half of Rbfox CLIP peaks contain a GCAUG motif. We incubated recombinant RBFOX2 with over 60,000 transcriptomic sequences to reveal significant binding to several moderate-affinity, non-GCAYG sites at a physiologically relevant range of RBFOX concentrations. We find that many of these “secondary motifs” bind Rbfox robustlyin vivoand that several together can exert regulation comparable to a GCAUG in a trichromatic splicing reporter assay. Furthermore, secondary motifs regulate RNA splicing in neuronal development and in neuronal subtypes where cellular Rbfox concentrations are highest, enabling a second wave of splicing changes as Rbfox levels increase.
Cervicovaginal microbiome composition drives metabolic profiles in healthy pregnancy
Authors: Oliver Andrew , LaMere Brandon , Weihe Claudia , Wandro Stephen , Lindsay Karen L. , Wadhwa Pathik D. , Mills David A. , Pride David , Fiehn Oliver , Northen Trent , de Raad Markus , Li Huiying , Martiny Jennifer B.H. , Lynch Susan , Whiteson Katrine
Published: November 2019

Background

Microbes and their metabolic products influence early-life immune and microbiome development, yet remain understudied during pregnancy. Vaginal microbial communities are typically dominated by one or a few well adapted microbes, which are able to survive in a narrow pH range. In comparison to other human-associated microbes, vaginal microbes are adapted to live on host-derived carbon sources, likely sourced from glycogen and mucin present in the vaginal environment.

Methods

Using 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing, we characterized the cervicovaginal microbiomes of 18 healthy women throughout the three trimesters of pregnancy. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing permitted refinement of the taxonomy established by amplicon sequencing, and identification of functional genes. Additionally, we analyzed saliva and urine metabolomes using GC-TOF and LC-MS/MS lipidomics approaches for samples from mothers and their infants through the first year of life.

Results

Amplicon sequencing revealed most women had either a simple community with one highly abundant species of Lactobacillus or a more diverse community characterized by a high abundance of Gardnerella, as has also been previously described in several independent cohorts. Integrating GC-TOF and lipidomics data with amplicon sequencing, we found metabolites that distinctly associate with particular communities. For example, cervicovaginal microbial communities dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus also have high mannitol levels, which contradicts the basic characterization of L. crispatus as a homofermentative Lactobacillus species. It may be that fluctuations in which Lactobacillus dominate a particular vaginal microbiome are dictated by the availability of host sugars, such as fructose, which is the most likely substrate being converted to mannitol. Furthermore, indole-3-lactate (ILA) was also indicative of L. crispatus specifically. ILA has immunomodulatory properties through binding the human aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which may maintain the especially low diversity of L. crispatus dominated communities.

Conclusions

Overall, using a multi-‘omic approach, we begin to address the genetic and molecular means by which a particular vaginal microbiome becomes vulnerable to large changes in composition.
ComHub: Community predictions of hubs in gene regulatory networks
Authors: Åkesson Julia , Lubovac-Pilav Zelmina , Magnusson Rasmus , Gustafsson Mika
Published: November 2019

Hub transcription factors, regulating many target genes in gene regulatory networks (GRNs), play important roles as disease regulators and potential drug targets. However, while numerous methods have been developed to predict individual regulator-gene interactions from gene expression data, few methods focus on inferring these hubs. We have developed ComHub, a tool to predict hubs in GRNs. ComHub makes a community prediction of hubs by averaging over predictions by a compendium of network inference methods. Benchmarking ComHub to the DREAM5 challenge data and an independent data set of human gene expression, proved a robust performance of ComHub over all data sets. Lastly, we implemented ComHub to work with both predefined networks and to do standard network inference, which we believe will make it generally applicable.

Availability

Code is available at https://gitlab.com/Gustafsson-lab/comhub

Contact

mika.gustafsson@liu.se, rasmus.magnusson@liu.se
Temporally-precise disruption of prefrontal cortex informed by the timing of beta bursts impairs human action-stopping
Authors: Hannah Ricci , Muralidharan Vignesh , Sundby Kelsey K , Aron Adam R
Published: November 2019

Human action-stopping is thought to rely on a prefronto-basal ganglia-thalamocortical network, with right inferior frontal cortex (rIFC) posited to play a critical role in the early stage of implementation. Here we sought causal evidence for this idea in experiments involving healthy human participants. We first show that action-stopping is preceded by bursts of electroencephalographic activity in the beta band over prefrontal electrodes, putatively rIFC, and that the timing of these bursts correlates with the latency of stopping at a single-trial level: earlier bursts are associated with faster stopping. From this we reasoned that the integrity of rIFC at the time of beta bursts might be critical to successful stopping. We then used fMRI-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to disrupt rIFC at the approximate time of beta bursting. Stimulation prolonged stopping latencies and, moreover, the prolongation was most pronounced in individuals for whom the pulse appeared closer to the presumed time of beta bursting. These results help validate a model of the neural architecture and temporal dynamics of action-stopping. They also highlight the usefulness of prefrontal beta bursts to index an apparently important sub-process of stopping, the timing of which might help explain within- and between-individual variation in impulse control.
Oxidative and non-oxidative active turnover of genomic methylcytosine in distinct pluripotent states
Authors: Spada Fabio , Schiffers Sarah , Kirchner Angie , Zhang Yingqian , Arista Gautier , Kosmatchev Olesea , Korytiakova Eva , Rahimoff René , Ebert Charlotte , Carell Thomas
Published: November 2019

Epigenetic plasticity underpins cell potency, but the extent to which active turnover of DNA methylation contributes to such plasticity is not known and the underlying pathways are poorly understood. Here we use metabolic labelling with stable isotopes and mass spectrometry to quantitatively address the global turnover of genomic methylcytidine (mdC), hydroxymethylcytidine (hmdC) and formylcytidine (fdC) across mouse pluripotent cell states. High rates of mdC/hmdC oxidation and fdC turnover characterize a formative-like pluripotent state. In primed pluripotent cells the global mdC turnover rate is about 3-6% faster than can be explained by passive dilution through DNA synthesis. While this active component is largely dependent on Tet-mediated mdC oxidation, we unveiled an additional mdC oxidation-independent turnover process based on DNA repair. This process accelerates upon acquisition of primed pluripotency and returns to low levels in lineage committed cells. Thus, in pluripotent cells active mdC turnover involves both mdC oxidation-dependent and -independent processes.
The impact of advertising self-presentation style on customer purchase intention
Authors: Zeng Fue , Li Wenjie , Wang Valerie Lynette , Guo Chiquan
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose the self-presentation styles of advertising influence consumer self-image, which in turn influence purchase intention.

Design/methodology/approach

Using virtual brands as stimuli in a series of experiments, this study collects data on consumer self-image and purchase intention in the conditions of different advertising styles.

Findings

While consumer self-image mediates the relationship between advertising self-presentation style and purchase intention, the consumption situation (public vs private) moderates the relationship between self-presentation style, consumer self-image and purchase intention. That is, self-enhancing advertising promotes customers’ ideal self, which in turn increases their purchase intention for publicly consumed products, whereas self-deprecating advertising solicits customers’ real self, which in turn increases their purchase intention for privately consumed products.

Practical implications

This study informs product/brand managers and marketers of the importance of aligning the self-presentation style of advertising with the consumption situation of the product being advertised.

Originality/value

Based on self-consistency theory, this study not only finds a relationship between the self-presentation style of advertising and purchase intention, but also uncovers the mediating role of self-image in this relationship. Furthermore, the relationship chain of “self-presentation style of advertising – self-image – purchase intention” is moderated by the consumption situation of the product. This is one of the first studies to explore the intricacies of these relationships.
University student attitudes to prosocial bystander behaviours
Authors: Hennelly Sarah E. , Hussain Sofia , Hale Tristan , Cadle Martha , Brooke Joanne , Davies Emma
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Half of British university students experience assault and harassment behaviours; few report them. Bystander intervention training has been recommended as a means of reducing these behaviours, but there is little evidence about their potential effectiveness in UK contexts. The purpose of this paper is to understand UK students’ attitudes towards reporting and intervening in sexual assault, harassment and hate crimes.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methods cross-sectional survey (n=201; 75.6 per cent women) was conducted in one British university. Open text data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

Students considered harassment and assault unacceptable, and were confident to intervene in and likely to report incidents. However, fear of backlash was a barrier to intervening and reporting, and they felt that victims should decide whether to report incidents. Students perceived perpetrators as being ignorant about what constitutes consent, harassment and assault. They identified a need for university community education about this and how to report incidents and support peers.

Research limitations/implications

This cross-sectional survey was conducted at one UK University. The data might not reflect other students’ attitudes, and may be subject to response bias. University community bystander training should be acceptable, report and support systems might be utilised by students. This may have potential to reduce prevalence and increase reporting.

Practical implications

University community bystander training should be acceptable, report and support systems might be utilised by students. This may have potential to reduce prevalence and increase reporting.

Originality/value

This is the first study to investigate UK student attitudes to prosocial bystander behaviours.
Agro-food projects: analysis of procedures within digital revolution
Authors: Sagarna Garcia Juan Maria , Pereira Jerez David
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights about the approaches and techniques of professionals that nowadays are designing Digital Products and Services (DPS) in the European agriculture. The emphasis is paid on the integration of end-users and participatory approaches such as agile, considering its current influence.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted to professionals of businesses and entities from 14 European countries. A balanced sample of replies was achieved between private–public background, size of the business or experience of experts. Afterwards, the collection of answers and the opinions of professionals were compared with the state of the art referred in the literature. It allowed checking its soundness and critically discusses the results.

Findings

From the raw analysis of responses, professionals show awareness about the importance of end-user involvement and they are eager to incorporate innovative farmers and early adopters to collect the best requirements for products and services. They also declare knowledge and uptake in their companies of new approaches, such as agile. Confronting results with literature, the discussion highlights some inconsistencies and possibilities for leveraging. Types of end-users considered should be enlarged. Their superficial participation must also be avoided.

Originality/value

There is a lack of research on procedures for projects in agro-food sector. Due to the momentum in the digital transformation of agriculture, there are many project teams working in developing DPS and are relevant to discuss about proper methodologies for improving success.
Standardized management systems and risk management in the supply chain
Authors: Zimon Dominik , Madzík Peter
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of standardized management systems (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000 and ISO 28000) on minimizing selected aspects of risk in the supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was used to explore this topic. Respondents were divided into two group regarding organization type – logistic service providers and focal companies. Basic data analysis was based on descriptive statistics and on analysis of variance with organization type as a stratification factor. Deeper data analysis was based on factor analysis with principal component analysis and varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization.

Findings

Research shows that standardized management systems turn out to be useful in supply chain risk management (SCRM) regardless of the role that the organization plays in the supply chain. However, the strength of their positive impact varies. There were few respondents among logistic operators who were low in assessing the legitimacy of implementing standardized management systems in the examined context. Having this in mind, especially representatives of logistic operators with a limited budget should consider making the decision to implement standardized management systems.

Practical implications

The obtained research results may be helpful for managers who consider to implement standardized management systems in the context of using obtain guidelines to develop procedures to improve supply chain management and ensure the repeatability of ongoing processes.

Originality/value

Although the number of studies on the SCRM increases, it is worth noting that in the literature there is still a lack of research and studies addressing the impact of standardized management systems on SCRM (especially from the perspective of organizations with various functions in supply chains such as focal companies and logistic service providers). Therefore, there is a need for comprehensive research in this area. According to the authors, the study carried out, at least to some extent, will fill this gap.
Robots in the offshore oil and gas industries: a review of recent developments
Authors: Bogue Robert
Published: November 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to provide details of recent developments in robots aimed at applications in the offshore oil and gas industries.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a short introduction, this first discusses developments to remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). It then describes the Total-sponsored Autonomous Robot for Gas and Oil Sites (ARGOS) robot challenge. This is followed by a discussion of the Offshore Robotics for Certification of Assets (ORCA) programme. Finally, brief concluding comments are drawn.

Findings

Subsea residency and other techniques are being developed that will enhance the availability and capabilities of AUVs and ROVs and reduce their operating costs. Mobile robots that can operate in harsh topside rig environments to monitor and detect hazards arose from ARGOS and are being developed further prior to commercialisation. Bringing together academics and users, the collaborative ORCA programme is making significant progress in the development of aerial, topside and underwater robotic and sensing technologies for rig asset inspection and maintenance.

Originality/value

This paper identifies and describes key development activities that will stimulate the use of robots by the offshore industries.
Try-on experience with augmented reality comforts your decision
Authors: Song Hyo Kyung , Baek Eunsoo , Choo Ho Jung
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand how augmented reality (AR) try-on experiences facilitate consumers’ shopping decision. Focusing on the immersion and psychological ownership, the study investigated how the properties of AR experiences (environmental embedding (EE) and simulated physical control (SPC)) affect decision comfort.

Design/methodology/approach

This research theoretically and empirically analyzes how each property of AR experiences affects consequential psychological states and then further increases decision comfort by employing an existing AR try-on mobile application. A total of 99 valid responses were used for the partial least square structural equation modeling analysis. One’s prior AR try-on experience was predicted as a moderator and analyzed using SPSS-based PROCESS macro.

Findings

The results demonstrated that EE and SPC evoke immersion and the feeling of ownership of a virtual product, which increased decision comfort. The moderating effect of one’s prior AR try-on experience showed that the impact of EE and SPC on immersion was attenuated for those with prior experience. Further, immersion mediated the effect of EE but SPC on the feeling of ownership, which corroborated the direct effect of SPC on the feeling of ownership.

Practical implications

Firms must consider technological and user-experience features that can induce users to perceive high levels of AR characteristics such as EE and SPC. Practitioners should develop realistic content that can correctly place virtual products on users to enhance EE. Including more interactive features is encouraged to provide users with a feeling of control toward the virtual product that directly leads to ownership and positively affects decision making. Further, practitioners need to be cautious about consumers getting used to the new technology; retailers and marketers need to focus on creating new and innovative content to continually engage customers.

Originality/value

This study adopted EE and SPC to determine how each property of AR experience forms the consequential psychological states, particularly depending on one’s prior experience. Methodologically, the study provided external validity in conducting an experiment by adopting an existing AR mobile application available in the market and employing an objective measure of respondents (e.g. prior AR try-on experience).
Stressed decision makers and use of decision aids: a literature review and conceptual model
Authors: Adya Monica , Phillips-Wren Gloria
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Decision making is inherently stressful since the decision maker must choose between potentially conflicting alternatives with unique hazards and uncertain outcomes. Whereas decision aids such as decision support systems (DSS) can be beneficial in stressful scenarios, decision makers sometimes misuse them during decision making, leading to suboptimal outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between stress, decision making and decision aid use.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct an extensive multi-disciplinary review of decision making and DSS use through the lens of stress and examine how stress, as perceived by decision makers, impacts their use or misuse of DSS even when such aids can improve decision quality. Research questions examine underlying sources of stress in managerial decision making that influence decision quality, relationships between a decision maker’s perception of stress, DSS use/misuse, and decision quality, and implications for research and practice on DSS design and capabilities.

Findings

The study presents a conceptual model that provides an integrative behavioral view of the impact of a decision maker’s perceived stress on their use of a DSS and the quality of their decisions. The authors identify critical knowledge gaps and propose a research agenda to improve decision quality and use of DSS by considering a decision maker’s perceived stress.

Originality/value

This study provides a previously unexplored view of DSS use and misuse as shaped by the decision and job stress experienced by decision makers. Through the application of four theories, the review and its findings highlight key design principles that can mitigate the negative effects of stressors on DSS use.
Impact of employee satisfaction with facilities on self-assessed productivity support
Authors: Groen Brenda , van der Voordt Theo , Hoekstra Bartele , van Sprang Hester
Published: November 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the relationship between satisfaction with buildings, facilities and services and perceived productivity support and to test whether the findings from a similar study of Batenburg and Van der Voordt (2008) are confirmed in a repeat study after 10 years with more recent data.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were traced from a database with data on user satisfaction and perceived productivity support. These data were collected through the work environment diagnostic tool WODI light. The data include responses from 25,947 respondents and 191 organisations that have been analysed by stepwise multiple-regression analyses.

Findings

In total 38% of the variation of office employees’ satisfaction with support of productivity can be explained by employee satisfaction with facilities, the organisation, current work processes and personal- and job-related characteristics. The most important predictor of self-assessed support of productivity is employee satisfaction with facilities. In particular, psychological aspects, i.e. opportunities to concentrate and to communicate, privacy, level of openness, and functionality, comfort and diversity of the workplaces are very important. The findings confirm that employee satisfaction with facilities correlates significantly with perceived productivity support. Other factors that are not included in the data set, such as intrinsic motivation, labour circumstances and human resource management may have an impact as well.

Originality/value

This research provides a clear insight in the relation between employee satisfaction with facilities and the perceived support of productivity, based on survey data collected over almost 10 years in 191 organisations.
Intellectual capital efficiency and organisational performance
Authors: Chowdhury Leena Afroz Mostofa , Rana Tarek , Azim Mohammad Istiaq
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to, the first of its kind, investigate the relationship between the intellectual capital efficiency and organisational performance of the pharmaceutical sector in Bangladesh, an emerging economy that enjoys Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) relaxation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used hand-picked data from annual reports for five years. The relationship between efficient use of intellectual capital and corporate performance was examined through the practical use of human capital, structural capital and capital employed. Multiple regressions were used to assess their impact on financial performance – specifically, return on assets, return on equity, asset turnover and market-to-book value.

Findings

Value-added intellectual coefficient components (i.e. human capital, structural capital and capital employed) significantly explained asset turnover and return on assets but failed to predict the return on equity outcome. Additionally, asset turnover was negatively influenced by structural capital and positively influenced by capital employed. The return on assets was mostly affected by variation in human capital. Intellectual capital did not predict market-to-book value or investment decisions.

Practical implications

This paper provides useful resources for evaluating the financial performance and value creation of companies in emerging economies that enjoy TRIPS exemptions; this research could also be extended using cross-industry comparisons. The findings have theoretical and practical implications, particularly for the pharmaceutical industry in emerging economy contexts, and for managers globally.

Originality/value

This study is among only a few that have reported on the relationship between intellectual capital efficiency and value creation in emerging economy contexts.
Using a game-based learning approach in teaching overall equipment effectiveness
Authors: Bengtsson Marcus
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a novel training material for the performance indicator overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) in the form of a game-based learning (GBL) approach to be used in Industry and University context. The paper will present the development of the game as well as results from tests of the game with Industry employees and University students.

Design/methodology/approach

The data that are used in the game have been acquired from real OEE data logs of a reference company. The game has been refined iteratively using feedback from the participants of the tests.

Findings

The paper presents the game with its components and learning objectives. A comparison of various theoretical factors on GBL and the novel training material is performed and future improvements are suggested.

Research limitations/implications

The game has been developed based on OEE data logs from only one reference company.

Practical implications

The training material and specifically the game can be used to train Industrial workers and University students to better envision OEE as a performance indicator.

Originality/value

Serious games on lean manufacturing have been developed and played for a long time. While some of these games include OEE as an important result parameter, none really demonstrates how it is measured and analyzed.
Fault detection for parallel operating machines
Authors: Helm Dustin , Timusk Markus
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that by utilizing the relationship between redundant hardware components, inherent in parallel machinery, vibration-based fault detection methods can be made more robust to changes in operational conditions. This work reports on a study of fault detection on bearings operating in two parallel subsystems that experience identical changes in speed and load.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was carried out using two identical subsystems that operate on the same duty cycle. The systems were run with both healthy and a variety of common bearing faults. The faults were detected by analyzing the residual between the features of the two vibration signatures from the two subsystems.

Findings

This work found that by utilizing this relationship in parallel operating machinery the fault detection process can be improved. The study looked at several different types of feature vector and found that, in this case, features based on envelope analysis or autoregressive model work the best, whereas basic statistical features did not work as well.

Originality/value

The proposed method can be a computationally efficient and simple solution to monitoring non-stationary machinery where there is hardware redundancy present. This method is shown to have some advantages over non-parallel approaches.
A zero-one integer programming for preventive maintenance scheduling for electricity and distiller plants with production
Authors: Alhamad Khaled , Alhajri Mohammad
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a method that has been set up to schedule preventive maintenance (PM) tasks for power and water plants with all constraints such as production and maintenance.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed methodology relies on the zero-one integer programming model that finds the maximum number of power and water units available in separate generating units. To verify this, the model was implemented and tested as a case study in Kuwait for the Cogeneration Station.

Findings

An effective solution can be achieved for scheduling the PM tasks and production at the power and water cogeneration plant.

Practical implications

The proposed model offers a practical method to schedule PM of power and water units, which are expensive equipment.

Originality/value

This proposed model is an effective decision-making tool that provides an ideal solution for preventive maintenance scheduling problems for power and water units in a cogeneration plant, effectively and complies with all constraints.
The Lean Discovery Process: the case of raiserve
Authors: Carroll Ryall , Casselman R. Mitch
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Uncertainty in the early development of digital business startups can benefit from data-driven testing of hypotheses. Startups face uncertainty not only in product development, but also over the structure of the business model and the nature of the customer or market to address. The authors conceptualize a new model, the Lean Discovery Process (LDP), which focuses on market-based testing from the early business idea through to fully realized product stages of an innovation. The purpose of this paper is to highlight a methodology to help digital business reduce uncertainty and apply lean principles as early as possible in the development of a business concept.

Design/methodology/approach

Examining literature in lean startups, lean user experience and lean software development, the authors highlight underlying assumptions of existing lean models. The authors then examine the LDP using the case of raiserve, a social entrepreneurship startup that focuses on the management of cause-based voluntary service.

Findings

Existing literature focuses on product development against an assumed customer base. Early hypothesis testing can be applied to business concept development to substantially reduce cost and time to market.

Research limitations/implications

Further investigation of different forms of uncertainty in digital startups can open up opportunities to further apply lean methodologies. A more extensive empirical study to measure the potential impact is warranted.

Originality/value

The authors conceptualize the minimum viable customer and support early testing with concepts from market research and collective intelligence. The authors demonstrate early opportunities to apply lean principles and rigorous hypothesis testing in an LDP that results in significant reductions in time and expense of product development.
Why pay? An empirical study of paid-for SQA sites in China
Authors: Zhang Faming , Hu Qifan , Fang Xupeng
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The once failed paid-for social question and answer (SQA) service is in full swing in China. The traditional profit model, which typically relies on advertising, is abandoned in this case. Instead, users have to pay for content and service. The purpose of this paper is to explore why users are willing to pay in paid-for SQA sites.

Design/methodology/approach

This study carried out 14 valid semi-structured interviews to investigate “why did they pay.” The interviewees are users of three popular paid-for SQA sites. The qualitative data were obtained from valid interviews and processed through thematic analysis.

Findings

The analysis revealed five overarching themes: paying for the answerer’s heterogeneous resource, paying for more credible answer, the cognition of the question, the price is affordable and expecting potential revenue. The five themes and their sub-themes constitute the motivation for why users would pay in paid-for SQA.

Practical implications

As a new business model for online information services, paid-for SQA sites are facing fierce competition from traditional ones. The findings not only indicate the importance of establishing a reciprocal network relationship among users, but also provide a better understanding of users’ needs and demands for paid-for SQA services. The results are helpful for paid-for SQA sites to conduct a differential competitive strategy according to the user’s paying motivation.

Originality/value

To authors’ knowledge, this is the first study, which provides primary-source data and valuable insights into users’ paying motivation in the context of new paid-for SQA sites in China.
The relationship between ethical leadership and employees’ internal and external community citizenship behaviors
Authors: Eva Nathan , Newman Alexander , Zhou Abby Jingzi , Zhou Steven Shijin
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Community citizenship behaviors (CCBs) of employees help organizations to promote a socially conscious image. However, there is still a significant gap in the knowledge as to how to foster CCBs amongst employees. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether ethical leadership, as a prosocial leadership approach, fosters CCBs amongst employees, both at work and when they leave the office, through enhancing their prosocial motivation.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 160 employees across 48 small- and medium-sized enterprises in China. Multi-level modeling using maximum likelihood estimation in MPlus was utilized to analyze the two-level model simultaneously and the significance of the multi-level indirect effects was tested using the Monte Carlo method with 20,000 replications.

Findings

Counter to the expectations, the authors found that although ethical leadership increased employees’ prosocial motivation, this only translated to higher levels of employees’ CCBs at work, but not once they left the office.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that ethical leaders play a critical role in developing the prosocial motivation of employees and encouraging them to engage in CCBs that are supported by the organization. To that end, organizations should consider hiring leaders with high levels of ethical leadership and provide ethical leadership training to senior management.

Originality/value

The authors make a theoretical contribution by explaining the process by which ethical leaders influence employees to engage in CCBs, addressing calls to understand how social learning theory can be used to understand how people learn to become socially responsible.
Perceived overqualification and job crafting: the moderating role of positive psychological capital
Authors: Sesen Harun , Ertan Senay Sahil
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between perceived overqualification and job crafting, which has the ability to drive satisfaction, loyalty and performance; drawing on the broaden-and-build theory, the study tests the positive psychological capital (PsyCap) moderation role in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained from 320 white-collar employees in Northern Cyprus. Data on perceived overqualification and positive PsyCap were gathered in the first survey, and job crafting was measured as a follow up. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression.

Findings

Perceived overqualification has a significantly negative effect on all dimensions of job crafting. However, considering PsyCap as a moderator, the study demonstrates that the negative impact of perceived overqualification on job crafting lessens when positive PsyCap is high rather than low.

Research limitations/implications

Self-reported surveys are used and results were collected from only Northern Cyprus.

Practical implications

The study has important practical implications for managing and reaping benefits from employees who perceive themselves as overqualified. Specifically, organizations need to implement efficient activities that increase positive PsyCap among these employees (e.g. inspirational videos and other learning), which can thereby boost their job-crafting behavior and result in better organizational performance.

Originality/value

This research is the first to investigate positive PsyCap among employees who feel overqualified. The findings further point to what can be done to encourage job-crafting behavior by using positive PsyCap to increase passion and motivation among overqualified employees.
Does supervisors’ mindfulness keep employees from engaging in cyberloafing out of compassion at work?
Authors: Zoghbi-Manrique-de-Lara Pablo , Viera-Armas Mercedes , De Blasio García Gabriel
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the appearance of cyberloafing at work, that is, the use of the company’s internet connection for personal purposes, may be due to a workplace that lacks mindfulness and compassion. The authors first hypothesize that supervisors’ mindfulness is related to the mindfulness of their direct followers, and that both are related to employees’ compassion at work. The authors also hypothesize that compassion mediates the link between supervisors’ and followers’ mindfulness and cyberloafing, and that empathic concern mediates the link from compassion to cyberloafing.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was distributed to followers working in groups of three with the same leader in all of the 100 banks in London (UK). Supervisors and their direct reports (n=100) and 100 triads of followers (n=300) participated. The authors applied structural equation modeling (SEM) for analyses.

Findings

Results showed that supervisors’ and followers’ mindfulness were significantly related to each other and to compassion at work, but compassion acted as a mediator only in the case of supervisors’ mindfulness. Empathic concern mediated the compassion-cyberloafing link.

Research limitations/implications

The study could suffer from mono-method/source bias and specificities of banks and their work processes can raise concerns about the generalizability of the results.

Practical implications

Findings suggest that mindfulness training may facilitate compassion at work, which, in turn, will restrain the occurrence of cyberloafing at work.

Originality/value

This is the first study to analyze how and why employees refrain from harming their organizations out of compassion.
Investigating learning and diffusion strategies for sustainable mobility
Authors: Papageorgiou George , Demetriou Gregoris
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the concepts of learning and diffusion within the context of urban development and sustainable active mobility. A model is proposed, which treats learning as a diffusion process in a dynamic way, so that key strategies and their effects are investigated over time. Specifically, the question being examined is how learning and information technology strategies can change the mindset of people to be more physically active in their mobility around a city. This is carried out by developing a system dynamics (SD) computer simulation model, where learning strategies that promote walking can be tested prior to implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the specific key stages of knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation and confirmation, the proposed SD model incorporates individual citizen and group level learning and diffusion processes in a unified integrated approach. The SD model gives a clear picture on how learning and changing mindsets occur in the context of a city, whereby we can explore the main drivers to learn new sustainability related habits. A case study is used to contextualize and demostrate the active mobility issue, in order to develop practical scenarios for promoting a walking mindset. This is done in order to demonstrate the capabilities of the model and show its practicality. Through the model we investigate the relationships among variables such as awareness, contact, communication and adoption and evaluate their impact on city policies to promote a walking mindset.

Findings

The developed SD model exhibits important dimensions, such as social learning, motivation to change behaviour and an analysis of the effects of plausible strategies for promoting sustainable active mobility. The authors have proven that through simulation experimentation, we can significantly accelerate the shaping and diffusion of a walking mindset, by influencing individual and community learning via the introduction of Information and Communication Technology in conjunction with an awareness campaign strategy.

Research limitations/implications

The diagrammatic representation and the quantification of the factors that contribute to active mobility give rise to better understanding of how policy makers could promote a walking culture in a city. The implications are that the proposed SD model could be used by city planning authorities as a framework for shaping mindsets towards active and sustainable mobility.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the further understanding of learning, diffusion of new ideas and strategic planning within the city context. Through the proposed SD model, a number of strategies are formulated and tested using scenario planning, sensitivity analysis and optimization, in order to develop a walking mindset and an urban culture of sustainability.
Buy Me a River: Purchasing Water Rights to Restore River Flows in the Western USA
Authors: Richter Brian D. , Andrews Stephen , Dahlinghaus Rhaude , Freckmann Gabriella , Ganis Sam , Green James , Hardman Ian , Palmer Marissa , Shalvey Jessica
Published: November 2019

In recent decades, public and private environmental entities have been purchasing or leasing water rights across the Western United States (U.S.) in efforts to restore river flows and aquatic ecosystems. The need to pay for flow restoration arises from the fact that state governments did not begin to reserve water for instream purposes until the 1970s, long after water rights had become over‐appropriated and flows were substantially depleted in most rivers. As a consequence, flow depletion has become the leading cause of fish endangerment in the U.S., including the imperilment of two‐thirds of all native fish species in the Colorado River system. This paper takes stock of the progress made in buying water for the environment, specifically by reviewing and analyzing more than 50 transactions executed by public and private entities and the sources of funding underpinning these transactions. We conclude that nongovernmental actors — such as environmental organizations and state water trusts — are integral to regional efforts to restore river flows; these nongovernmental actors executed more than two‐thirds of the transactions we documented. However, we also conclude that the long‐term success of these nongovernmental actors depends upon the availability of sustained public funding that enables them to build capacity and engage in the large number of transactions needed to restore flows across each state.
Comparison of methods of quantifying global synovial metabolic activity with FDG‐PET/CT in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Raynor William Y. , Jonnakuti Venkata S. , Zirakchian Zadeh Mahdi , Werner Thomas J. , Cheng Gang , Zhuang Hongming , Høilund‐Carlsen Poul Flemming , Alavi Abass , Baker Joshua F.
Published: November 2019

Aim

2‐deoxy‐2‐[18F]fluoro‐d‐glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG‐PET/CT) can portray increased glycolysis due to inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the reliability and construct validity of two methods of quantifying RA disease activity using FDG‐PET/CT.

Method

Nineteen RA patients and 19 healthy controls matched to sex and age underwent prospective FDG‐PET/CT imaging. Metabolic and volumetric metrics were calculated using fixed and adaptive thresholding techniques and partial volume correction. Fixed thresholds segmented regions above average maximum physiological uptake in controls. Differences of means between RA and controls were assessed using t tests, and discrimination was assessed using receiver operating characteristics. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess associations between FDG‐PET/CT measures and clinical assessments of disease activity.

Results

All FDG‐PET/CT measures were substantially different and nearly non‐overlapping between RA and controls (all P < .001). Area under the curve (AUC) for adaptive threshold parameters ranged from 0.986 to 0.997, and AUC for fixed threshold parameters ranged from 0.898 to 0.945. PET parameters were found to correlate positively with various clinical features, namely C‐reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐1, and swollen joint count.

Conclusion

All FDG‐PET/CT parameters reflecting global RA disease activity differentiated between RA and controls, indicating high clinical utility to diagnose and assess RA. Adaptive thresholds can be used in a wider setting without control data, but methods utilizing fixed thresholds were more reproducible and more closely associated with indications of inflammation.