bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inflammatory Arthritis Induced by Anti-Programmed Death-1 Shown in 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT in a Patient With Esophageal Carcinoma
Authors: Luo Yaping , Pan Qingqing , Yang Huaxia , Li Fang , Zhang Fengchun
Published: March 2021

A 30-year-old woman with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma experienced joint pain and swelling in bilateral knees, wrists, and hand joints during the course of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy. She underwent 18F-FDG and 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT for response assessment of the tumor and evaluating her arthritis. 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT detected intense uptake in multiple joints, consistent with her polyarthritis. However, these joints showed only mild FDG uptake. The tumor was in complete response, and her polyarthritis was considered as inflammatory arthritis induced by anti-PD1.
A biomimetic shock model on the effect of endothelial aging on vascular barrier properties
Authors: Carge Michael J. , Liberati David M. , Diebel Lawrence N.
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

Aging is characterized by a decline in cellular function, which has an adverse effect on the biologic response to injury. Both aging and trauma/hemorrhagic shock (T/HS) increase oxidative stress which impairs the vascular endothelium (EC) and glycocalyx (EG). The additive effect of aging on EC and EG damage following T/HS are unknown. This was studied in an in vitro model.

METHODS

Confluent endothelial cell monolayers from primary aortic endothelial cells from 10-week-old mice (“young” cells) or primary aortic cells from 65-week-old mice (“aged” cells) were established in microfluidic devices (MFDs) and perfused at constant shear conditions overnight. Mouse endothelial cell monolayers were then exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation alone and/or epinephrine or norepinephrine. Endothelial glycocalyx degradation was indexed as well as subsequent endothelial injury/activation.

RESULTS

Aged endothelial cells showed increase glycocalyx shedding and subsequent loss of glycocalyx thickness. This lead to a more pronounced level of EC injury/activation compared with young endothelial cells. Although exposure to biomimetic shock conditions exacerbated both endothelial glycocalyx shedding and endothelial injury in both aged and young endothelial cells, the effect was significantly more pronounced in aged cells.

CONCLUSION

Advanced age is associated with worse outcomes in severely injured trauma patients. Our study demonstrates that there is increased EG shedding and a diminished EG layer in aged compared to “young” endothelial cell layers. Biomimetic shock conditions lead to an even greater impairment of the endothelial glycocalyx in aged versus young endothelial cell monolayers. It appears that these effects are a consequence of aging related oxidative stress at both baseline and shock conditions. This exacerbates shock-induced endotheliopathy and may contribute to untoward effects on patient outcomes in this population.
A patient satisfaction survey and educational package to improve the care of people hospitalised with COVID-19: an observational study, Liverpool, UK
Authors: Ahmed Muhammad Shamsher , Hicks Scott Rory , Watson Rebecca , Ahmed Rajia Akter , Jones Lewis , Vaselli Marcella , Wu Meng-San , Hayat Fatima , Ratcliffe Libuse , McKenna Mark , Hine Paul , Defres Sylviane , Wingfield Tom
Published: March 2021

The experiences of people hospitalised with COVID-19 are under-researched. We designed a COVID-19 patient satisfaction survey and collected responses (n=94) during Liverpool’s first wave (April-June 2020). Although care was generally rated highly, including among people of BAME background, sleep-quality and communication about medications and discharge-planning were identified as areas for improvement. In response, we implemented an education and training package for healthcare professionals working on COVID-19 wards. During Liverpool’s second/third COVID-19 wave, survey responses (n=101) suggested improvement in patient satisfaction across all care domains except discharge-planning and sleep-quality. These UK-first findings are informing local strategies to improve COVID-19 care.
KinaFrag explores the kinase-ligand fragment interaction space for selective kinase inhibitor discovery
Authors: Wang Zhi-Zheng , Shi Xing-Xing , Wang Fan , Hao Ge-Fei , Yang Guang-Fu
Published: March 2021

Protein kinases play a crucial role in many cellular signaling processes, making them one of the most important families of drug targets. But selectivity put a barrier at the design of kinase inhibitors. Fragment-based drug design strategies have been successfully applied to develop novel selective kinase inhibitors. However, the complicate kinase-fragment interaction and fragment-to-lead process pose challenges to fragment-based kinase discovery. Here, we developed a web source KinaFrag to investigate kinase-fragment interaction space and perform fragment-to-lead optimization. KinaFrag contained 31464 fragments from reported kinase inhibitors, which involved 3244 crystal fragment structures and 7783 crystal kinase-fragment complexes. These crystal fragments were classified by their binding cleft and subpockets, and their 3D structure and interactions were displayed in KinaFrag. In addition, the structural information, physicochemical information, similarity information, and substructure relationship information were contained in KinaFrag. Moreover, a computational fragment growing strategy obviously developed by our group was implemented in the KinaFrag. We test this fragment growing strategy using our fragment libraries, and obtained a lead compound of c-Met with ~1000-foldin vitroactivity improvement compared with the hit compound. We hope KinaFrag could become a powerful tool for the fragment-based kinase inhibitor design. KinaFrag is freely available athttp://chemyang.ccnu.edu.cn/ccb/database/KinaFrag/.

Biographical note

Zhi-Zheng Wang is a PhD student at College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University (CCNU), and the direction of his thesis is computational molecular simulation.

Xing-Xing Shi is PhD student at College of Chemistry, of CCNU, and the direction of her thesis is computational molecular simulation.

Fan Wang is a lecturer at College of Chemistry of CCNU. He received the PhD degree in Computational Chemistry from University of Amiens, France.

Ge-Fei Hao is Professor in Bioinformatics in College of Chemistry of CCNU. He received his PhD in Pesticide Science from CCNU.

Guang-Fu Yang is Professor in Chemical Biology. He is the group leader and has been the Dean at College of Chemistry of CCNU. He received the PhD degree in Pesticide Science from Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
A lipid nanoparticle RBD-hFc mRNA vaccine protects hACE2 transgenic mice against lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Elia Uri , Rotem Shahar , Bar-Haim Erez , Ramishetti Srinivas , Naidu Gonna Somu , Gur David , Aftalion Moshe , Israeli Ma’ayan , Bercovich-Kinori Adi , Alcalay Ron , Makdasi Efi , Chitlaru Theodor , Rosenfeld Ronit , Israely Tomer , Melamed Sharon , Ionita Inbal Abutbul , Danino Dganit , Peer Dan , Cohen Ofer
Published: March 2021

The current global COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented effort to develop effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. mRNA vaccines were developed very rapidly during the last year, and became the leading immunization platform against the virus, with highly promising phase-3 results and remarkable efficacy data. Since most animal models are not susceptible to SARS CoV-2 infection, pre-clinical studies are often limited to infection-prone animals such as hamsters and non-human primates. In these animal models, SARS-CoV-2 infection results in viral replication and a mild disease disease. Therefore, the protective efficacy of the vaccine in these animals is commonly evaluated by its ability to elicit immunologic responses, diminish viral replication and prevent weight loss. Our lab recently reported the design of a SARS-CoV-2 human Fc-conjugated receptor-binding domain (RBD-hFc) mRNA vaccine delivered via lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). These experiments demonstrated the development of a robust and specific immunologic response in RBD-hFc mRNA-vaccinated BALB/c mice. In the current study, we evaluated the protective effect of this RBD-hFc mRNA vaccine by employing the K18-hACE2 mouse model. We report that administration of RBD-hFc mRNA vaccine to K18-hACE2 mice led to a robust humoral response comprised of both binding and neutralizing antibodies. In accordance with the recorded immunologic immune response, 70% of vaccinated mice were protected against a lethal dose (3000 plaque forming units) of SARS-CoV-2, while all control animals succumbed to infection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first non-replicating mRNA vaccine study reporting protection of K18-hACE2 against a lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Genetic Architecture of Kernel Compositional Variation in a Maize Diversity Panel
Authors: Renk Jonathan S. , Gilbert Amanda M. , Hattery Travis J. , O’Connor Christine H. , Monnahan Patrick J. , Anderson Nickolas , Waters Amanda J. , Eickholt David P. , Flint-Garcia Sherry A. , Yandeau-Nelson Marna D. , Hirsch Candice N.
Published: March 2021

Maize (Zea maysL.) is a multi-purpose row crop grown worldwide, which overtime has often been bred for increased yield at the detriment of lower composition grain quality. Some knowledge of the genetic factors that affect quality traits has been discovered through the study of classical maize mutants. However, much of the underlying genetic architecture controlling these traits and the interaction between these traits remains unknown. To better understand variation that exists for grain compositional traits in maize, we evaluated 501 diverse temperate maize inbred lines in five unique environments and predicted 16 compositional traits (e.g. carbohydrates, protein, starch) based on the output of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Phenotypic analysis found substantial variation for compositional traits and the majority of variation was explained by genetic and environmental factors. Correlations and trade-offs among traits in different maize types (e.g. dent, sweetcorn, popcorn) were explored and significant differences and correlations were detected. In total, 22.9-71.1% of the phenotypic variation across these traits could be explained using 2,386,666 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers generated from whole genome resequencing data. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using these same markers and found 70 statistically significant loci for 12 compositional traits. This study provides valuable insights in the phenotypic variation and genetic architecture underlying compositional traits that can be used in breeding programs for improving maize grain quality.

Core Ideas

Understanding kernel compositional variation is important for food grade corn improvement.

Genetic and environmental factors account for most of the variation in compositional traits.

A broad range in trait heritabilities was observed across compositional traits.

Compositional trade-offs will be important to consider when conducting multitrait breeding.

Compositional traits are mostly controlled by a large number of small effect loci.
Bioinformatic and cell-based tools for pooled CRISPR knockout screening in mosquitos
Authors: Viswanatha Raghuvir , Mameli Enzo , Rodiger Jonathan , Merckaert Pierre , Feitosa-Suntheimer Fabiana , Colpitts Tonya M. , Mohr Stephanie E. , Hu Yanhui , Perrimon Norbert
Published: March 2021

Mosquito-borne diseases present a worldwide public health burden. Genome-scale screening tools that could inform our understanding of mosquitos and their control are lacking. Here, we adapt a recombination-mediated cassette exchange system for delivery of CRISPR sgRNA libraries into cell lines from several mosquito species and perform pooled CRISPR screens in anAnophelescell line. To implement this method, we engineered modified mosquito cell lines, validated promoters and developed bioinformatics tools for multiple mosquito species.
Structural characterization of NORAD reveals a stabilizing role of spacers and two new repeat units
Authors: Chorostecki Uciel , Saus Ester , Gabaldón Toni
Published: March 2021

Long non-coding RNAs (IncRNAs) can perform a variety of key cellular functions by interacting with proteins and other RNAs. Recent studies have shown that the function of IncRNAS are largely mediated by their structures. However, our structural knowledge for most IncRNAS is limited to sequence-based computational predictions. Non-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) is an atypical IncRNA due to its abundant expression and high sequence conservation. NORAD regulates genomic stability by interacting with proteins and microRNAs. Previous sequence-based characterization has identified a modular organization of NORAD composed of several NORAD repeat units (NRUs). These units comprise the protein-binding elements and are separated by regular spacers of unknown function. Here, we experimentally determine for the first time the secondary structure of NORAD using the nextPARS approach. Our results suggest that the spacer regions provide structural stability to NRUs. Furthermore, we uncover two previously-unreported NRUs, and determine the core structural motifs conserved across NRUs. Overall, these findings will help to elucidate the function and evolution of NORAD.
Human brain organoids assemble functionally integrated bilateral optic vesicles
Authors: Gabriel Elke , Albanna Walid , Pasquini Giovanni , Ramani Anand , Josipovic Natasia , Mariappan Aruljothi , Schinzel Friedrich , Karch Celeste M. , Bao Guobin , Gottardo Marco , Hescheler Jürgen , Persico Veronica , Rizzoli Silvio O. , Altmüller Janine , Callaini Giuliano , Papantonis Argyris , Goureau Olivier , Busskamp Volker , Schneider Toni , Gopalakrishnan Jay
Published: March 2021

During embryogenesis, optic vesicles develop from the diencephalon via a complex process of organogenesis. Using iPSC-derived human brain organoids, we attempted to simplify the complexities and demonstrate the formation of forebrain-associated bilateral optic vesicles, cellular diversity, and functionality. Around day thirty, brain organoids could assemble optic vesicles, which progressively develop as visible structures within sixty days. These optic vesicle-containing brain organoids (OVB-Organoids) constitute a developing optic vesicle’s cellular components, including the primitive cornea and lens-like cells, developing photoreceptors, retinal pigment epithelia, axon-like projections, and electrically active neuronal networks. Besides, OVB-Organoids also display synapsin-1, CTIP-positive, myelinated cortical neurons, and microglia. Interestingly, various light intensities could trigger photoreceptor activity of OVB-Organoids, and light sensitivities could be reset after a transient photo bleach blinding. Thus, brain organoids have the intrinsic ability to self-organize forebrain-associated primitive sensory structures in a topographically restricted manner and can allow conducting interorgan interaction studies within a single organoid.
Multimodal genomic markers predict immunotherapy response in the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Kumar Gaurav , South Andrew P. , Curry Joseph M. , Linnenbach Alban , Harshyne Larry A , Ertel Adam , Fortina Paolo , Luginbuhl Adam
Published: March 2021

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has had a major impact on the clinical management of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, clinical responses to ICB are observed in only a fraction of patients. In the present paper, we used multimodal approaches to a) evaluate the utility of existing ICB biomarkers including tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and a T-cell specific signature in predicting therapy response in HNSCC using TCGA cohort, and; b) identify a novel molecular signature to predict ICB therapy response using an ICB clinical trial of HNSCC. Our results confirm previous reports showing TMB efficacy as a biomarker and its outcome can be influenced by age, tumor sub-site, and smoking status; and that High-TMB and high-MSI tumors are associated with T-cell signature, and better survival probability in the HNSCC. We go on to demonstrate that High-TMB and high-MSI utilizes cell-cycle/cell proliferation processes for their molecular functionality; and identify a novel Cell Proliferation ICB-therapy Predicting (CPIP) signature capable of predicting ICB therapy response in HNSCC, retrospectively, where traditional biomarkers of ICB response were insufficient. In summary, the present study defines strategies and novel signatures that can be appropriately used for patient selection for ICB therapy that can improve the clinical outcomes of HNSCC patients.
A UHV MOKE magnetometer complementing XMCD-PEEM at the Elettra Synchrotron
Authors: Genuzio Francesca , Giela Tomasz , Lucian Matteo , Menteş Tevfik Onur , Brondin Carlo Alberto , Cautero Giuseppe , Mazalski Piotr , Bonetti Stefano , Korecki Jozef , Locatelli Andrea
Published: March 2021

We report on a custom-built UHV-compatible Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect (MOKE) magnetometer for applications in surface and materials sciences, operating in tandem with the PhotoEmission Electron Microscope (PEEM) endstation at the Nanospectroscopy beamline of the Elettra synchrotron. The magnetometer features a liquid-nitrogen-cooled electromagnet that is fully compatible with UHV operation and produces magnetic fields up to about 140 mT at the sample. Longitudinal and polar MOKE measurement geometries are realized. The magneto-optical detection is based on polarization analysis using a photoelastic modulator. The sample manipulation system is fully compatible with that of the PEEM, making it possible to exchange samples with the beamline endstation, where complementary X-ray imaging and spectroscopy techniques are available. The magnetometer performance is illustrated by experiments on cobalt ultra-thin films, demonstrating close to monolayer sensitivity. The advantages of combining in situ growth, X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism imaging (XMCD-PEEM) and MOKE magnetometry into a versatile multitechnique facility are highlighted.
Development of the Soft X-ray AGM–AGS RIXS beamline at the Taiwan Photon Source
Authors: Singh A. , Huang H. Y. , Chu Y. Y. , Hua C. Y. , Lin S. W. , Fung H. S. , Shiu H. W. , Chang J. , Li J. H. , Okamoto J. , Chiu C. C. , Chang C. H. , Wu W. B. , Perng S. Y. , Chung S. C. , Kao K. Y. , Yeh S. C. , Chao H. Y. , Chen J. H. , Huang D. J. , Chen C. T.
Published: March 2021

We report on the development of a high-resolution and highly efficient beamline for soft X-ray resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) located at the Taiwan Photon Source. This beamline adopts an optical design that uses an active grating monochromator (AGM) and an active grating spectrometer (AGS) to implement the energy compensation principle of grating dispersion. Active gratings are utilized to diminish defocus, coma and higher-order aberrations, as well as to decrease the slope errors caused by thermal deformation and optical polishing. The AGS is mounted on a rotatable granite platform to enable momentum-resolved RIXS measurements with scattering angles over a wide range. Several high-precision instruments developed in-house for this beamline are described briefly. The best energy resolution obtained from this AGM–AGS beamline was 12.4 meV at 530 eV, achieving a resolving power of 4.2 × 104, while the bandwidth of the incident soft X-rays was kept at 0.5 eV. To demonstrate the scientific impact of high-resolution RIXS, we present an example of momentum-resolved RIXS measurements on a high-temperature superconducting cuprate, i.e. La2–x
Sr
x
CuO4. The measurements reveal the A1g
buckling phonons in superconducting cuprates, opening a new opportunity to investigate the coupling between these phonons and charge-density waves.
Three-dimensional fast elemental mapping by soft X-ray dual-energy focal stacks imaging
Authors: Ma Limei , Xu Zijian , Guo Zhi , Watts Benjamin , Lin Jinyou , Zhang Xiangzhi , Tai Renzhong
Published: March 2021

The three-dimensional (3D) dual-energy focal stacks (FS) imaging method has been developed to quickly obtain the spatial distribution of an element of interest in a sample; it is a combination of the 3D FS imaging method and two-dimensional (2D) dual-energy contrast imaging based on scanning transmission soft X-ray microscopy (STXM). A simulation was firstly performed to verify the feasibility of the 3D elemental reconstruction method. Then, a sample of composite nanofibers, polystyrene doped with ferric acetylacetonate [Fe(acac)3], was further investigated to quickly reveal the spatial distribution of Fe(acac)3 in the sample. Furthermore, the data acquisition time was less than that for STXM nanotomography under similar resolution conditions and did not require any complicated sample preparation. The novel approach of 3D dual-energy FS imaging, which allows fast 3D elemental mapping, is expected to provide invaluable information for biomedicine and materials science.
Adaptive Cartesian and torsional restraints for interactive model rebuilding
Authors: Croll Tristan Ian , Read Randy J.
Published: March 2021

When building atomic models into weak and/or low-resolution density, a common strategy is to restrain their conformation to that of a higher resolution model of the same or similar sequence. When doing so, it is important to avoid over-restraining to the reference model in the face of disagreement with the experimental data. The most common strategy for this is the use of `top-out' potentials. These act like simple harmonic restraints within a defined range, but gradually weaken when the deviation between the model and reference grows beyond that range. In each current implementation the rate at which the potential flattens at large deviations follows a fixed form, although the form chosen varies among implementations. A restraint potential with a tuneable rate of flattening would provide greater flexibility to encode the confidence in any given restraint. Here, two new such potentials are described: a Cartesian distance restraint derived from a recent generalization of common loss functions and a periodic torsion restraint based on a renormalization of the von Mises distribution. Further, their implementation as user-adjustable/switchable restraints inISOLDEis described and their use in some real-world examples is demonstrated.
Leishmania major biotin protein ligase forms a unique cross-handshake dimer
Authors: Rajak Manoj Kumar , Bhatnagar Sonika , Pandey Shubhant , Kumar Sunil , Verma Shalini , Patel Ashok Kumar , Sundd Monica
Published: March 2021

Biotin protein ligase catalyses the post-translational modification of biotin carboxyl carrier protein (BCCP) domains, a modification that is crucial for the function of several carboxylases. It is a two-step process that results in the covalent attachment of biotin to the ɛ-amino group of a conserved lysine of the BCCP domain of a carboxylase in an ATP-dependent manner. In Leishmania, three mitochondrial enzymes, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase and propionyl-CoA carboxylase, depend on biotinylation for activity. In view of the indispensable role of the biotinylating enzyme in the activation of these carboxylases, crystal structures of L. major biotin protein ligase complexed with biotin and with biotinyl-5′-AMP have been solved. L. major biotin protein ligase crystallizes as a unique dimer formed by cross-handshake interactions of the hinge region of the two monomers formed by partial unfolding of the C-terminal domain. Interestingly, the substrate (BCCP domain)-binding site of each monomer is occupied by its own C-terminal domain in the dimer structure. This was observed in all of the crystals that were obtained, suggesting a closed/inactive conformation of the enzyme. Size-exclusion chromatography studies carried out using high protein concentrations (0.5 mM) suggest the formation of a concentration-dependent dimer that exists in equilibrium with the monomer.
Cryo-EM of kinesin-binding protein: challenges and opportunities from protein-surface interactions
Authors: Atherton Joseph , Moores Carolyn A.
Published: March 2021

Kinesin-binding protein (KBP) is an important selective inhibitor of specific kinesin family members and its genetic disruption causes Goldberg–Shprintzen syndrome. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has recently been used to reveal the structure of KBP alone (72 kDa) and in complex with the motor domain of the mitotic kinesin-12 KIF15 (110 kDa). KBP is an α-solenoid, tetratricopeptide-repeat protein that interacts with the microtubule-binding region of the kinesin motor domain and blocks microtubule attachment. Numerous challenges arose relating to the behavior of KBP and KBP–kinesin complexes during cryo-EM sample preparation. These included the partial denaturation of KBP by air–water interfaces, protein aggregation resulting from carbon interaction and preferential orientation. Sample preparation with a graphene oxide substrate enabled the eventual structure determination. Here, experiences with preparing these samples are detailed, bringing attention to some of the challenges and opportunities that are likely to arise from protein-surface interactions.
Assessing the cost of competitive tendering in Ghana using transaction cost theory
Authors: Ameyaw Collins , Abaitey Blondel Akun , Mensah Sarfo , Manu Emmanuel
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the transaction cost (TC) contractors incur when tendering for a project as well as establish a correlation between the TC of tender and tender amount of projects procured through the national competitive bidding procurement method.

Design/methodology/approach

The research draws extensively documentary analysis, observation and interviews to collect cost data on 14 different tenders submitted by a D1/K1 contractor. Using TC theory, the data are analyzed and the actual cost is determined. Further, Spearman rank correlation is employed to establish a relationship between tender price (TP) and the cost of tender by the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences.

Findings

The research developed a tender preparation conceptual framework highlighting the components of TC in competitive tendering in Ghana and also revealed that, apart from the emotional and psychological costs, contractors in Ghana incur approximately Gh₵ 4,625 (US$ 925)–Gh₵ 2,520 (US$ 504) to prepare and submit a competitive tender. In relation to the tender figure, the TC of tender in Ghana ranges from 0.05% to 0.65% and an average of 0.33%. Also, there is an inverse correlation between TP and the percentage cost of tender.

Research limitations/implications

The research relied on 14 competitive tenders and also limited to public sector works. Findings from the study should therefore be applied with caution.

Originality/value

This study is the only known research that has focused on assessing the TC of public sector competitive tendering from a contractor's perspective and within a developing sub-Saharan African context.
Consumers' perceptions of risks associated with the use of Airbnb before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Lee Seung Hyun , Deale Cynthia
Published: March 2021

Purpose

After the COVID-19 outbreak began, travel demand dropped sharply and the potential impact of COVID-19 on sharing accommodations appears to be significant. Thus, it would be meaningful to investigate how travelers have changed their perceptions of staying at sharing accommodations in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The purpose of this research was to compare consumers' perceived risks of using sharing accommodations, such as Airbnb, before and during the coronavirus pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

Paired sample t-tests were applied, using two surveys collected in 2017 (pre-pandemic) and 2020 (peri-pandemic). The effects of stress levels from COVID-19 and previous experience with sharing lodging services on risk perception changes were also examined.

Findings

Consumers showed higher social, physical, performance and convenience risk perceptions during the pandemic. Not surprisingly, those respondents who were more conscious of the pandemic in terms of concern and anxiety had higher changes in their risk perceptions. In addition, changes in risk perception differed by consumers' usage experience.

Originality/value

The results of this study add to the body of knowledge about consumers' risk perceptions of the sharing economy, particularly in connection with a huge disruption such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Organizational culture and project management methodology: research in the financial industry
Authors: Piwowar-Sulej Katarzyna
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Organizational culture has an impact on various activities in organizations, including project management (PM). The aim of the study is to answer the following research questions: RQ1: what significance is attributed to organizational culture compared to the objective project characteristics when choosing the dominant PM methodology in organizations? RQ2: which type of organizational culture is preferred for successful implementation of different PM methodologies? RQ3: what kind (if any) of relationship exists between the dominant type of organizational culture in organizations and the dominant PM methodology?

Design/methodology/approach

The author surveyed 100 project managers working in the financial industry in Poland with the use of personal structured interviews. The competing values framework (CVF) concept authored by Cameron and Quinn was used.

Findings

Project managers find organizational culture more important than objective project characteristics when choosing the dominant PM methodology in an organization. Although statistical analysis revealed a significant relationship between the preferred type of organizational culture and PM methodology, there is no significant relationship between the existing type of organizational culture and the PM methodology which prevails in the company.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should investigate other industries and other typologies of organizational culture.

Practical implications

The paper provides recommendations for management practice on how to shape organizational culture in the context of successful PM with the application of different PM methodologies.

Originality/value

This study fills a gap in the theory of PM by identifying and empirically verifying the theoretical linkage between the type of organizational culture and PM methodology.
University students' level of knowledge, attitude and behavior toward sustainable development: a comparative study by GAMES
Authors: Pouratashi Mahtab , Zamani Asghar
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This study aimed to understand university students' knowledge, attitude and behavior (KAB) toward sustainable development.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 567 students studying humanities, agriculture or engineering at public universities of Iran participated in this study. A survey was administered to investigate KAB of the respondents according to their gender, membership in academic associations, academic major, educational and informing activities and social units; abbreviated as GAMES.

Findings

The results indicated that students had a medium level of KAB, with mean scores of 55.15 out of 75 (for knowledge), 45.68 out of 65 (for attitude) and 36.03 out of 50 (for behavior). Differences and similarities were found on students' KAB by GAMES. The results suggest that education and social units are useful to improve individuals' KAB toward sustainable development. In addition, positive correlations were identified between knowledge, attitude and behavior toward sustainable development.

Originality/value

The findings confirmed the key role of education for sustainable development in addressing sustainable development (SD).
Online teaching practicum during COVID-19: the case of a teacher education program in Greece
Authors: Brinia Vasiliki , Psoni Paraskevi
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Through the present study, the authors investigate whether online practicum in teaching, with fellow teacher-candidates acting as students, can be effective and whether the teacher-candidates actually developed skills useful for their future teachings, through this form of practicum, which is necessary when, out of necessity, like in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no other option for universities.

Design/methodology/approach

The method selected was qualitative research through in-depth interviews, since the present research question and the research topic in general have not been examined in the past. The authors gathered 45 teacher-candidates' journals on this experience, and, then, they interviewed them through semi-structured interviews.

Findings

The findings indicated that the teacher-candidates got acquainted with new technologies in education to a great extent. Moreover, they developed skills that will be proven useful for their future teachings, like adaptability, flexibility and handling of students' interaction in online settings.

Originality/value

The present case study consists of a paradigm of international value, since it fills in a gap in literature on an online alternative of practicum in teaching in cases of crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Valuable insights are gained for researchers, practitioners and policymakers and best-practices for online teaching practicum have derived for future use.
Effect of eWOM review on beauty enterprise: a new interpretation of the attitude contagion theory and information adoption model
Authors: Hsu Li-Chun
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This study developed a new interpretation of the attitude contagion theory, with the information adoption model (IAM) as the theoretical basis. A review of electronic word-of-mouth studies was conducted by using informational and individual determinants to develop an integrated empirical model that identified the antecedents and consequences of consumer attitude toward online reviews.

Design/methodology/approach

This study recruited 750 members of Facebook beauty fan pages in Taiwan and used the structural equation model to test research hypotheses.

Findings

Results revealed that perceived “ electronic word-of mouth (eWOM) credibility of online reviews” and “product involvement” could be used to explain the effects of attitude toward online reviews. Regarding the attitude contagion effect, the effect of “attitude toward online review” on both “attitude toward a product” and “attitude toward a brand” is stronger than that on “eWOM adoption.”

Originality/value

This paper provides valuable insights into the antecedents, consequences and mediating mechanisms that determine consumer attitude toward online reviews.
At the heart of family businesses: how copreneurs craft work-life balance
Authors: Dreyer Romana , Busch Christine
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand how experienced copreneurs of small family business (SFB), as the smallest unit and heart of their family business (FB), may create work-life balance (WLB). Copreneurs evince highly intertwined life-domains and often struggle to respite while managing their high business demands.

Design/methodology/approach

In this couple interview study with 18 experienced copreneurial couples of SFBs (N = 36), we investigated strategies copreneurs use to create their WLB by merging a resource perspective (Hobfoll, 1989) with the concept of WLB crafting (Sturges, 2012).

Findings

A key strategy in copreneurial couples was the structural establishment of microdomains, such as periods of personal resource recreation within a macrodomain (e.g. work) via individual physical and cognitive WLB crafting. Copreneurs used relational WLB crafting with a strong emphasis on seeking support and mainly to protect their microdomains by relying on their spouses as boundary keepers. Women more often expressed the importance of health and time for respite, as cognitive WLB crafting, and they were more active in creating (joint) recovery opportunities. Dyadic WLB crafting strategies were used when goal congruency for work or private activities was high.

Originality/value

This research applies WLB crafting research to the smallest unit of SFBs, namely copreneurs. The study provides in-depth insights into the strategies copreneurs of SFB use to create a satisfying WLB.
To disclose or not to disclose? Fashion brands' strategies for transparency in sustainability reporting
Authors: Jestratijevic Iva , Uanhoro James Ohisei , Creighton Rachel
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this quantitative study is to identify disclosure strategies for transparency in sustainability reporting to support strategic thinking around transparency in the fashion industry. This research has two specific research objectives: to capture progress towards greater transparency across sustainability reporting areas, across fashion brands and years, and to identify strategic approaches for transparency in sustainability reporting by revealing common patterns in business disclosure.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors cross-sectionally analyzed secondary data using four consecutive Fashion Transparency Indices (2017–2020). Brands' strategies for transparency in sustainability reporting were examined through the stakeholder theory lens.

Findings

Findings confirm the presence of four approaches to disclosure: measurable, ambiguous, policy-only and secretive strategy. The disclosure was disproportionally distributed between 30% brands as transparency leaders and 70% brands as transparency laggards. The most transparent brands were not necessarily those rated highest by the index but those whose progress toward transparency was traceable over the years.

Research limitations/implications

The study has overcome the limitation of the verifiability approach, supporting the requirement for diachronic and strategic disclosure assessments.

Practical implications

As most brands hesitantly disclose sustainability information, stakeholders cannot know whether business policies equate to more than a corporate wish list. If there is no inspection for mandatory business disclosure, and if there is no penalty for disclosure violations, some fashion retailers will continue to generate profits while operating in an uncompliant and “opaque” manner.

Originality/value

The framing of disclosure strategies for transparency in sustainability reporting is the first scholarly effort to investigate diachronically sustainability disclosure among a big sample of major fashion brands.
E-commerce in the internet-enabled foreign expansion of Polish fashion brands owned by SMEs
Authors: Witek-Hajduk Marzanna Katarzyna , Grudecka Anna Małgorzata , Napiórkowska Anna
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to identify ways and motives of application of e-commerce in the foreign expansion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) fashion brands.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple case study was used as the research method. Data were obtained from primarily in-depth interviews with managers of four Polish SMEs –fashion brands owners, whose products are sold in the foreign markets using e-commerce, and secondary sources.

Findings

Through this study the authors identified both strategic-proactive and market-reactive motives of e-commerce applications in SMEs’ fashion brands in the internet-enabled foreign expansion and three different models of usage of e-commerce in the foreign expansion of SMEs.

Research limitations/implications

The research was based on the multiple case study of only Polish SMEs in the fashion industry. The conclusions of this study can be applied by fashion companies in their internet-based foreign expansion.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing body of literature on the internationalization process of SMEs, and particularly on the application of cross-border e-commerce in the foreign internet-enabled expansion of fashion SMEs by identifying three various models of applying e-commerce, in the internet-enabled foreign expansion and their both proactive and reactive motives.
Virtual site visits for meeting and event planning: are US convention facilities ready?
Authors: Soifer Inna , Berezina Katerina , Ciftci Olena , Mafusalov Alexander
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This study aims to explore virtual site visit adoption patterns of US convention facilities based on the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory. Additionally, it offers predictive models of virtual site visit tool adoption by applying probability distributions.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used content analysis of 369 US convention facility websites. Data collected from the websites recorded the presence or absence of the following tools facilitating virtual site visits: photos, floor plans, videos, 360-photos, 360-tours and virtual reality (VR)-optimized tours. The website content analysis was followed by application of the DOI theory and predictive modeling.

Findings

According to the DOI theory, the use of VR-optimized tours (4.34%) is still in the early adoption stage, followed by 360-degree tours (12.74%) and standard videos (17.89%) that have transitioned into the early majority stage of adoption and photos (72.09%) and floor plans (84.82%) that represent a late majority stage. Three predictive models with shifted Gompertz, Gumbel and Bass distributions forecasted that convention centers would achieve a 50% adoption rate of 360-degree tools (photos and tours) in 4.67, 4.2 and three years, respectively. The same models predicted a 50% adoption rate of 360-degree tours in 6.62, 5.81 and 4.42 years.

Practical implications

The research indicates that most US convention facilities have not taken full advantage of their websites as a sales and marketing tool.

Originality/value

This study is the first comprehensive attempt to evaluate the adoption rate of VR and other technologies enabling virtual site visits by using content analysis of US convention facility websites. Additionally, it is the first attempt to apply probability distributions to predict technology adoption in the convention industry context.
How old is your soul? Differences in the impact of eWOM on Generation X and millennials
Authors: Ruiz-Equihua Daniel , Casaló Luis V. , Romero Jaime
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Online reviews have received research attention in recent years, as they work as precursors of consumer behaviors. Previous studies have suggested that the influence of online reviews may vary across generations. However, the previous literature has not analyzed yet whether millennials and Generation X react differently to online reviews. This study aims to shed light on this by analyzing whether the attitudes and behavioral intentions generated by online reviews are different for these two generational cohorts.

Design/methodology/approach

An experimental procedure was designed to manipulate online review valence; data were collected from 351 respondents in two samples, Generation X and millennial participants.

Findings

Results suggested that positive online reviews generate more positive customer attitudes and booking intentions than negative online reviews. In addition, Generation X vs millennials moderates the link among online review valence, attitudes and booking intentions. The resultant behaviors from online reviews are more intense among Generation X than for millennials.

Practical implications

Managers should be aware of online review valence and their customers' generational cohort, that is, whether they are millennials or Generation X, as they react differently to online reviews.

Originality/value

This research examines the moderating role of millennials and Generation X in the relationship between online reviews, consumer attitudes and behavioral intentions. The aim is to explain how millennial and Generation X consumers react to eWOM, that is, whether generational cohort mitigates or enhances the effects of positive vs negative online reviews on consumer reactions.
Development of an organizational coolness concept from an examination of millennial perceptions of cool and uncool employer organizations
Authors: Carraher Wolverton Colleen , Credo Keith , Matherne Curtis
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Considering the growing prominence of millennials in the workforce, the current work explores the idea of cool employers as perceived, particularly by millennials.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing a mixed methods approach, the authors explore the polar concepts of cool and uncool potential employing organizations through a two-phase study that examined millennial's and nonmillennials’ perceptions of the components that constitute a cool or uncool organization to work.

Findings

The findings of the study indicate a difference between millennial and nonmillennial perceptions regarding the characteristics of a cool or uncool employing organization. Additionally, the authors discuss the dimensions of the cool and uncool organization concepts as perceived by millennials in the context of pertinent organizational theory.

Originality/value

Based upon the tenets of attraction–selection–attrition (ASA) theory and social identity theories, an organizational coolness concept is developed.
Managing higher education for a changing regulatory environment
Authors: Scott Colin
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This article addresses the relationship of universities to their changing regulatory environments internationally.

Design/methodology/approach

This article updates analysis published in 2004 exploring the contrasting modes of, and key trends in, regulation of higher education across eight OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) states. The article offers a wider analysis of the changing patterns of regulation rooted in mutuality, oversight, competition and design, and the implications for the management of higher education institutions.

Findings

Since 2004, higher education has seen more growth in oversight-based and competition-based regulation, but also some decentralization of regulation as an increasing cast of actors, many international and transnational in character, have asserted themselves in key aspects of the regulatory environment. This article explores the implications of these changes in the regulatory mix over higher education for the ways that universities manage their regulatory environment, arguing first, that there is significant evidence of meta-regulatory approaches to regulating universities, and second, that such a meta-regulatory approach is consistent with an emphasis on university autonomy, raising a challenge for universities in how to use the autonomy (variable by country) they do have to manage their environment.

Originality/value

This article offers an original analysis of how universities might most appropriately respond, deploying their autonomy, however variable, to address their external regulatory environment. The author suggests we might increasingly see the external regulatory environment as meta-regulatory in character and universities making more use of reflexive governance processes.