bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Mathematical Model of Exploration and Exploitation in Natural Scene Viewing
Authors: Malem-Shinitski Noa , Opper Manfred , Reich Sebastian , Schwetlick Lisa , Seelig Stefan A. , Engbert Ralf
Published: April 2020

Understanding the decision process underlying gaze control is an important question in cognitive neuroscience with applications in diverse fields ranging from psychology to computer vision. The decision for choosing an upcoming saccade target can be framed as a dilemma: Should the observer further exploit the information near the current gaze position or continue with exploration of other patches within the given scene? While several models attempt to describe the dynamics of saccade target selection, none of them explicitly addresses the underlying Exploration–Exploitation dilemma. Here we propose and investigate a mathematical model motivated by the Exploration–Exploitation dilemma in scene viewing. The model is derived from a minimal set of assumptions that generates realistic eye movement behavior. We implemented a Bayesian approach for model parameter inference based on the model’s likelihood function. In order to simplify the inference, we applied data augmentation methods that allowed the use of conjugate priors and the construction of an efficient Gibbs sampler. This approach turned out to be numerically efficient and permitted fitting interindividual differences in saccade statistics. Thus, the main contribution of our modeling approach is two–fold; first, we propose a new model for saccade generation in scene viewing. Second, we demonstrate the use of novel methods from Bayesian inference in the field of scan path modeling.

Author summary

The Exploration–Exploitation dilemma is general concept that has been investigated in human information processing. We investigate whether the Exploration–Exploitation trade–off is a viable approach to model sequences of fixations generated by a human observer in a free viewing task with natural scenes. Variants of the basic model are used to predict to the experimental data based on Bayesian inference. Results indicate a high predictive power for both aggregated data and individual differences across observers. The combination of a novel model with state-of-the-art Bayesian methods lends support to the Exploration–Exploitation framework in the field of eye-movement research.
Novel Deep Learning Methodology for Automated Classification of Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma Using a Small Radiographic Dataset
Authors: Prince Eric , Whelan Ros , Mirsky David M. , Hankinson Todd C.
Published: April 2020

Modern Deep Learning (DL) networks routinely achieve classification accuracy superior to human experts, leveraging scenarios with vast amounts of training data. Community focus has now seen a shift towards the design of accurate classifiers for scenarios with limited training data. Such an example is the uncommon pediatric brain tumor, Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma (ACP). Recent work has demonstrated the efficacy of Transfer Learning (TL) and novel loss functions for the training of DL networks in limited data scenarios. This work describes a DL approach utilizing TL and a state-of-the-art custom loss function for predicting ACP diagnosis from radiographic data, achieving performance (CT AUPR=0.99±0.01, MRI AUPR=0.99±0.02) superior to reported human performance (0.87).
Do Weather Temperature and Median-age affect COVID-19 Transmission?
Authors: Elabdeen Kassem Aly Zein
Published: April 2020

It was observed that the coldest countries and the eldest in terms of median-age were most distressed by COVID-19 pandemic, while the warmest countries and that have younger-aged population were the least affected. Therefore, this study utilized the non-linear least squares method to estimate the impact of weather temperatures and median age on COVID-19 cases per million in thirty-nine countries divided into two groups. The first group composed of twenty-four countries that announced the first COVID-19 case in January 2020, while the second group contains fifteen countries that witnessed the pandemic for the first time in February of the same year. The study revealed some major findings, which are: COVID-19 cases per million were not significantly affected by weather temperature or the median age in “January-group” countries (after 72.67 days on average), while COVID-19 cases per million increased significantly by decreasing temperatures, and increasing the median age in case of “February-group” countries (after an average of 44.80 days). This means that weather temperature and median age may influence the transmission rates of COVID-19 in its early stages, while weather temperature or median age no longer have effects in the advanced stages of the pandemic.
Links between air pollution and COVID-19 in England
Authors: Travaglio Marco , Yu Yizhou , Popovic Rebeka , Selley Liza , Leal Nuno Santos , Martins Luis Miguel
Published: April 2020

In December 2019, a novel disease, coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), emerged in Wuhan, People’s Republic of China. COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) presumed to have jumped species from another mammal to humans. This virus has caused a rapidly spreading global pandemic. To date, thousands of cases of COVID-19 have been reported in England, and over 25,000 patients have died. While progress has been achieved in managing this disease, the factors in addition to age that affect the severity and mortality of COVID-19 have not been clearly identified. Recent studies of COVID-19 in several countries identified links between air pollution and death rates. Here, we explored potential links between major air pollutants related to fossil fuels and SARS-CoV-2 mortality in England. We compared current SARS-CoV-2 cases and deaths recorded in public databases to both regional and subregional air pollution data monitored at multiple sites across England. We show that the levels of multiple markers of poor air quality, including nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide, are associated with increased numbers of COVID-19-related deaths across England, after adjusting for population density. We expanded our analysis using individual-level data from the UK Biobank and showed that particulate matter contributes to increased infectivity. We also analysed the relative contributions of individual fossil fuel sources on key air pollutant levels. The levels of some air pollutants are linked to COVID-19 cases and adverse outcomes. This study provides a useful framework to guide health policies in countries affected by this pandemic.
Leveraging mouse chromatin data for heritability enrichment informs common disease architecture and reveals cortical layer contributions to schizophrenia
Authors: Hook Paul W. , McCallion Andrew S.
Published: April 2020

Genome-wide association studies have implicated thousands of noncoding variants across common human phenotypes. However, they cannot directly inform the cellular context in which disease-associated variants act. Here, we use open chromatin profiles from discrete mouse cell populations to address this challenge. We applied stratified linkage disequilibrium score regression and evaluated heritability enrichment in 64 genome-wide association studies, emphasizing schizophrenia. We provide evidence that mouse-derived human open chromatin profiles can serve as powerful proxies for difficult to obtain human cell populations, facilitating the illumination of common disease heritability enrichment across an array of human phenotypes. We demonstrate that signatures from discrete subpopulations of cortical excitatory and inhibitory neurons are significantly enriched for schizophrenia heritability with maximal enrichment in cortical layer V excitatory neurons. We also show that differences between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are concentrated in excitatory neurons in cortical layers II-III, IV, and V, as well as the dentate gyrus. Finally, we leverage these data to fine-map variants in 177 schizophrenia loci nominating variants in 104/177. We integrate these data with transcription factor binding site, chromatin interaction, and validated enhancer data, placing variants in the cellular context where they may modulate risk.
Arabidopsis retrotransposon virus-like particles and their regulation by epigenetically activated small RNA
Authors: Lee Seung Cho , Ernst Evan , Berube Benjamin , Borges Filipe , Parent Jean-Sebastien , Ledon Paul , Schorn Andrea , Martienssen Robert A.
Published: April 2020

In Arabidopsis, LTR retrotransposons are activated by mutations in the chromatin gene DECREASE in DNA METHYLATION 1 (DDM1), giving rise to 21- to 22-nt epigenetically activated siRNA (easiRNA) that depend on RNA DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE 6 (RDR6). We purified virus-like particles (VLPs) from ddm1 and ddm1rdr6 mutants in which genomic RNA is reverse transcribed into complementary DNA. High-throughput short-read and long-read sequencing of VLP DNA (VLP DNA-seq) revealed a comprehensive catalog of active LTR retrotransposons without the need for mapping transposition, as well as independent of genomic copy number. Linear replication intermediates of the functionally intact COPIA element EVADE revealed multiple central polypurine tracts (cPPTs), a feature shared with HIV in which cPPTs promote nuclear localization. For one member of the ATCOPIA52 subfamily (SISYPHUS), cPPT intermediates were not observed, but abundant circular DNA indicated transposon “suicide” by auto-integration within the VLP. easiRNA targeted EVADE genomic RNA, polysome association of GYPSY (ATHILA) subgenomic RNA, and transcription via histone H3 lysine-9 dimethylation. VLP DNA-seq provides a comprehensive landscape of LTR retrotransposons and their control at transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and reverse transcriptional levels.
Quantitative three-dimensional nondestructive imaging of whole anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria
Authors: Peng Meng-Wen , Guan Yong , Liu Jian-Hong , Chen Liang , Wang Han , Xie Zheng-Zhe , Li Hai-Yan , Chen You-Peng , Liu Peng , Yan Peng , Guo Jin-Song , Liu Gang , Shen Yu , Fang Fang
Published: April 2020

Anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria play a key role in the global nitrogen cycle and in nitrogenous wastewater treatment. The anammox bacteria ultrastructure is unique and distinctly different from that of other prokaryotic cells. The morphological structure of an organism is related to its function; however, research on the ultrastructure of intact anammox bacteria is lacking. In this study, in situ three-dimensional nondestructive ultrastructure imaging of a whole anammox cell was performed using synchrotron soft X-ray tomography (SXT) and the total variation-based simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (TV-SART). Statistical and quantitative analyses of the intact anammox bacteria were performed. High soft X-ray absorption composition inside anammoxosome was detected and verified to be relevant to iron-binding protein. On this basis, the shape adaptation of the anammox bacteria response to iron was explored.
The ePix10k 2-megapixel hard X-ray detector at LCLS
Authors: van Driel Tim Brandt , Nelson Silke , Armenta Rebecca , Blaj Gabriel , Boo Stephen , Boutet Sébastien , Doering Dionisio , Dragone Angelo , Hart Philip , Haller Gunther , Kenney Christopher , Kwaitowski Maciej , Manger Leo , McKelvey Mark , Nakahara Kaz , Oriunno Marco , Sato Takahiro , Weaver Matt
Published: April 2020

The ePix10ka2M (ePix10k) is a new large area detector specifically developed for X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) applications. The hybrid pixel detector was developed at SLAC to provide a hard X-ray area detector with a high dynamic range, running at the 120 Hz repetition rate of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). The ePix10k consists of 16 modules, each with 352 × 384 pixels of 100 µm × 100 µm distributed on four ASICs, resulting in a 2.16 megapixel detector, with a 16.5 cm × 16.5 cm active area and ∼80% coverage. The high dynamic range is achieved with three distinct gain settings (low, medium, high) as well as two auto-ranging modes (high-to-low and medium-to-low). Here the three fixed gain modes are evaluated. The resulting dynamic range (from single photon counting to 10000 photons pixel−1 pulse−1 at 8 keV) makes it suitable for a large number of different XFEL experiments. The ePix10k replaces the large CSPAD in operation since 2011. The dimensions of the two detectors are similar, making the upgrade from CSPAD to ePix10k straightforward for most setups, with the ePix10k improving on experimental performance. The SLAC-developed ePix cameras all utilize a similar platform, are tailored to target different experimental conditions and are designed to provide an upgrade path for future high-repetition-rate XFELs. Here the first measurements on this new ePix10k detector are presented and the performance under typical XFEL conditions evaluated during an LCLS X-ray diffuse scattering experiment measuring the 9.5 keV X-ray photons scattered from a thin liquid jet.
Synthesis and characterization of ZA-27/SiC nanocomposites and study of its anticorrosion performance in a 3.5% NaCl medium
Authors: Hayajneh Mohammed T. , Almomani Mohammed Ali , Alelaumi Shrouq M.
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of incorporating SiC nanoparticles into ZA-27 alloy on the corrosion behavior of the produced nanocomposites.

Design/methodology/approach

The nanocomposites were fabricated by a double-step stir casting technique. The corrosion behavior of the produced ZA-27 nanocomposites was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization test in a 3.5% NaCl medium. The surfaces of the fabricated metal matrix nanocomposites (MMNCs) before and after corrosion tests were imaged and analyzed using an optical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM) to examine the microstructure of the produced MMNCs and morphology of its surface before and after corrosion.

Findings

The corrosion test results reveal that the fabricated nanocomposites have an improved uniform corrosion resistance when compared with the corresponding monolithic matrix alloy. On the other hand, the base monolithic alloy is less susceptible to the pitting phenomenon than the nanocomposites. The electrochemical results are consistent with the pits morphology of the corroded MMNCs.

Originality/value

This study highlights the use of SiC nano-particulates for controlling of ZA alloy corrosion behavior and enhancing its anti-corrosion characteristics which will open a new route for industrial applications. The corrosion behavior of ZA-27 alloy-based composite reinforced with different weight fractions of nano-SiC particles have an improved uniform corrosion behavior as compared with the corresponding matrix alloy.
Enablers of halal food purchase among Muslim consumers in an emerging economy: an interpretive structural modeling approach
Authors: Khan Waseem , Akhtar Asif , Ansari Saghir Ahmad , Dhamija Aruna
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This study aims at identifying a set of determinants that affect halal food purchase intention and measures the relative ranks of these determinants in purchasing halal food among Muslim consumers in India.

Design/methodology/approach

Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach has been employed in the research, which is an expert opinion-based approach. The opinions of experienced academicians and marketing professionals have been recorded for reaching to the conclusions. Matrice d' impacts croises multiplication appliqué an classement (MICMAC) analysis has also been applied to examine the driving and dependent power of these determinants.

Findings

Driver power–dependence matrix reveals that although knowledge of halal and attitude are weak drivers, yet they are strongly dependent upon other determinants. These two variables are at the top of the ISM digraph hierarchy. Food safety and halal labeling have strong driving power, as well as strong dependence. Three determinants, namely brand origin, religiosity and price, have strong driving powers and weak dependence. These variables lay at the bottom level of the ISM model.

Practical implications

This study provides a better understanding of the determinants of halal food purchase intention. This will help the marketers for making appropriate and effective product design and other marketing strategies suited to the needs of the consumer.

Originality/value

This is the first study that examines the interrelationships between determinants and relative rank of these determinants in halal food purchase, using ISM approach and MICMAC analysis.
Attitudes toward food fraud in Israel and Germany
Authors: Levy Inna , Kerschke-Risch Pamela
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The current research focused on attitudes toward food fraud (AFF) and examined the impact of types of food fraud, gender differences, and country of residence.

Design/methodology/approach

A convenience sample of German (n = 151) and Israeli (n = 496) participants was recruited through an online survey. They filled out a sociodemographic questionnaire and AFF scale, which includes three subscales: organic fraud, kosher fraud, and spraying fraud.

Findings

The results indicate that there is a significant effect of type of fraud, country of residence, and gender. German participants expressed more negative attitudes toward organic food fraud and less negative attitudes toward kosher fraud than Israeli participants. Women expressed more negative attitudes toward organic and kosher food frauds than men.

Originality/value

This study offers insight into cross-cultural and gender differences in attitudes toward food fraud. The findings suggest that public attitudes toward food fraud represent not just severity of possible consequences, but also environmental and religious aspects of consumption, norms and culture.
Evaluation of the shelf-life extension and sensory properties of mahewu–A non-alcoholic fermented beverage by adding Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) powder
Authors: Mashau Mpho Edward , Jideani Afam Israel Obiefuna , Maliwichi Lucy Lynn
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the effect of adding Aloe vera powder (AVP) in the production of mahewu with the aim of determining its shelf-life and sensory qualities.

Design/methodology/approach

Mahewu was produced at home (Sample B) and in the laboratory (Sample C) using a standard home-made procedure with the addition of AVP. A control mahewu (Sample A) was produced without AVP. Shelf-life was determined by following the chemical, microbiological, physical properties at 36 ± 2 °C for 60 days and the sensory properties of the products were also evaluated.

Findings

Physicochemical analysis revealed decreases in pH ranging between 3.3 and 2.4 from day 15–60 days of storage in all three samples. There was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in titratable acidity (0.2–1.8%) of all mahewu samples during storage. Total soluble solids were different amongst the samples from day 15 to day 60. The colour of the products was significantly different (p = 0.05) with respect to L*, a* and b* throughout the storage period. Microbiological results revealed an increase in coliforms bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeast during storage. Sensory analysis showed that the control mahewu was more preferred than AVP added mahewu.

Practical implications

The study may help small-scale brewers to increase the shelf-life of mahewu.

Originality/value

Results of this study showed that the addition of AVP extended shelf-life of mahewu up to 15 days at 36 ± 2 °C.
Impact of career shocks on Indian MBA careers: an exploratory study
Authors: Nair Vivek G. , Chatterjee Leena
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The study explores career shocks in the Indian context and examines their impact on the career development of people with MBAs.

Design/methodology/approach

In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 41 Indian MBA graduates were thematically analysed to identify career shocks that resulted in different types of transitions. Eight themes were identified based on ongoing and iterative comparison of these instances.

Findings

Outcomes relating to competitive examinations that determined entry into various occupations were the first career shock experienced by participants. Geographical considerations were salient in the deliberations involving events relating to marriage, eldercare and spouse relocation. Events at the workplace that signalled uncertainty, a fall-out with one's boss or a request to relocate, prompted participants to switch employers. Some of the observed differences were gender based. While female MBA graduates adapted to handle both spousal and parental responsibilities, male MBA graduates did the same to shoulder eldercare responsibilities.

Research limitations/implications

The study's retrospective design could have led to concerns regarding memory recall. The use of open-ended questions partially mitigated this, by giving participants the freedom to recount their experiences, to the extent that they could remember.

Practical implications

Organisations in India could customise and strengthen policies to support employees who have maternity and eldercare responsibilities. Managers should make greater efforts to have open communication with their subordinates to overcome the challenges of operating in a culture with high power distance and indirect communication styles.

Originality/value

This study explored different types of career shocks and associated transitions. The Indian context, with its growing economy, large population, collectivistic culture and strong influence of family on careers, enabled a deeper examination of novel career shocks. The study also highlighted the dissimilar impact of career shocks for men and women and people at different career stages.
The influence of the tax system on the location of holding companies in Spain
Authors: Cardenas Cardenas Gilberto , Gámez Sofía García , Suarez Álvaro Salas
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to determine the influence of the tax system on the location of holding companies in Spain.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve this purpose, we have used an analysis of cointegration in time series. The independent variable used was the number of holding companies under Régimen de Entidades de Tenencia de Valores Extranjeros Spanish regime. The dependent variables were divided into two groups: fiscal and non-fiscal variables. The dependent fiscal variables are effective tax rate and double taxation convention, whereas the non-fiscal dependent variables are government effectiveness and business freedom.

Findings

The study concludes that the fiscal variables are relevant to establish a holding company in Spain, but there are other variables such as government effectiveness and business freedom that show as well as influence on the location of holding companies.

Originality/value

In the year 2015, the article The influence of the tax system on the location of holding companies in Switzerland was published in the Competitiveness Review. In this article, the influence of taxation on the decision to locate a holding company in Switzerland was analyzed. Now that the Spanish holding regime is consolidated, thanks to more than twenty years of application in our tax legislation, we consider it important to carry out an analysis of the influence of taxation in the decision to locate a holding company in our country. As already mentioned in the article published in 2015, the study of the taxation of holding companies is a topic related more to law firms and/or tax advisors than to academic research, and it is for this reason that there are few empirical studies on this topic. Hence, the research developed in this paper is important.
An isogeometric analysis approach for solving the Reynolds equation in textured piston ring – cylinder liner contacts
Authors: Liu Wei , Huang Zhengdong , Liu Yunhua
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to propose an isogeometric analysis (IGA) approach for solving the Reynolds equation in textured piston ring cylinder liner (PRCL) contacts.

Design/methodology/approach

The texture region is accurately and conveniently expressed by non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) besides hydrodynamic pressure and the oil film density ratio is represented in this mathematical form. A quadratic programming method combined with a Lagrange multiplier method is developed to address the cavitation issue.

Findings

The comparison with the results solved by an analytical method has verified the effectiveness of the proposed approach. In the study of the PRCL contact with two-dimensional circular dimple textures, the solution of the IGA approach shows high smoothness and accuracy, and it well satisfies the complementarity condition in the case of cavitation presence.

Originality/value

This paper proposes an IGA approach for solving the Reynolds equation in textured PRCL contacts. Its novelty is reflected in three aspects. First, NURBS functions are simultaneously used to express the solution domain, texture shape, hydrodynamic pressure and oil density ratio. Second, the streamline upwind/Petrov–Galerkin method is adopted to create a weak form for the Reynolds equation that takes the oil density ratio as a first-order unknown variable. Third, a quadratic programming approach is developed to impose the complementarity conditions between the hydrodynamic pressure and the oil density ratio.
Parametric geometry model design of a wingsuit
Authors: Ansari Nazanin , Krzywinski Sybille
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce a process chain spanning from scanned data to computer-aided engineering and further required simulations up to the subsequent production. This approach has the potential to reduce production costs and accelerate the procedure.

Design/methodology/approach

A parametric computer-aided design (CAD) model of the flyer wearing a wingsuit is created enabling easy changes in its posture and the wingsuit geometry. The objective is to track the influence of geometry changes in a timely manner for following simulation scenarios.

Findings

At the final stage, the two-dimensional (2D) pattern cuts were derived from the developed three-dimensional (3D) wingsuit, and the results were compared with the conventional ones used in the first stages of the wingsuit development.

Originality/value

Proposing a virtual development process chain is challenging; apart from the fact that the CAD construction of a wingsuit flyer – in itself posing a complicated task – is required at a very early stage of the procedure.
Resource-aware load balancing model for batch of tasks (BoT) with best fit migration policy on heterogeneous distributed computing systems
Authors: Alam Mahfooz , Haidri Raza Abbas , Shahid Mohammad
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Load balancing is an important issue for a heterogeneous distributed computing system environment that has been proven to be a nondeterministic polynomial time hard problem. This paper aims to propose a resource-aware load balancing (REAL) model for a batch of independent tasks with a centralized load balancer to make the solution appropriate for a practical heterogeneous distributed environment having a migration cost with the objective of maximizing the level of load balancing considering bandwidth requirements for migration of the tasks.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the effective schedule, load balancing issues should be addressed and tackled through efficient workload distribution. In this approach, the migration has been carried out in two phases, namely, initial migration and best-fit migration. Using the best-fit policy in migrations helps in the possible performance improvement by minimizing the remaining idle slots on underloaded nodes that remain unentertained during the initial migration.

Findings

The experimental results reveal that the proposed model exhibits a superior performance among the other strategies on considered parameters such as makespan, average utilization and level of load balancing under study for a heterogeneous distributed environment.

Originality/value

Design of the REAL model and a comparative performance evaluation with LBSM and ITSLB have been conducted by using MATLAB 8.5.0.
Information technology and risk management in supply chains
Authors: Fischer-Preßler Diana , Eismann Kathrin , Pietrowski Rafael , Fischbach Kai , Schoder Detlef
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This paper reviews and classifies research connecting supply chain risk management (SCRM) and information technology (IT) and derives a structured proposal for fruitful research directions.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a systematic literature review of the interplay of SCRM and IT, drawing from major journals in the relevant fields. These findings are enriched by experiences from a three-year international research project.

Findings

Current research focuses on the role of IT for risk reduction, rather than for risk identification, analysis and monitoring. While much research has investigated operational supply chain risk, fewer insights into disruption risk are available. There is little research on the role of IT in SCRM beyond its potential to enhance information sharing among supply chain partners. To address these gaps, the paper proposes a two-dimensional framework to categorize IT potential for SCRM according to the source and impact of disruption risk on physical supply chain flows, which suggests promising directions for future research.

Originality/value

The paper offers a systematic review to further our understanding of the relationship of SCRM and IT. In addition, it presents and discusses nine areas for further research aimed at mitigating the gaps identified at the intersection of SCRM and IT.
Manifestations of expert power in gatekeeping: a conceptual study
Authors: Savolainen Reijo
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This study aims to elaborate the picture of the relationships between information and power by examining how expert power appears in the characterizations of gatekeeping presented in the research literature.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses conceptual analysis for examining how expert power is constitutive of the construct of gatekeeper and how people subject to the influence of gatekeeping trust or challenge the expert power attributed to gatekeepers. The study draws on the analysis of 40 key studies on the above issues.

Findings

Researchers have mainly constructed the gatekeepers' expert power in terms of superior knowledge and skills applicable to a specific domain, coupled with an ability to control or facilitate access to information. The gatekeeper's expert power has been approached as a contextual factor that facilitates rather than controls access to information. The power relationships between the gatekeepers and those subject to gatekeeping vary contextually, depending on the extent to which the latter have access to alternative sources of information. The findings highlight the need to elaborate the construct of gatekeeping by rethinking its relevance in the networked information environments where the traditional picture of gatekeepers controlling access to information sources is eroding.

Research limitations/implications

As the study focuses on how expert power figures in gatekeeping, no attention is devoted to the role of social power of other types, for example, reward power and referent power.

Originality/value

The study pioneers by providing an in-depth analysis of the nature of expert power as a constituent of gatekeeping.
Surviving the reform: management usage of the garbage can model during implementation of reform
Authors: Tamir Emanuel , Grabarski Mirit K.
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to apply the garbage can model to identify factors that affect managerial decision-making processes in educational systems undergoing reforms.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper used a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews with 39 teachers and managers in schools undergoing a system-wide reform.

Findings

The paper presents examples for a typology of decision outcomes found in the model and provides explanations for their emergence. It shows that there are many challenges that are associated with reform implementation and suggests factors that need to be taken into account when planning and implementing a reform.

Originality/value

School management and policy makers can learn about the risks that are associated with garbage can decision-making and the various risk factors. Practical suggestions are given to reduce the probability of suboptimal decision-making.
Entrepreneurship education programme, passion and attitude towards self-employment
Authors: Iyortsuun Akuraun Shadrach , Goyit Meshach G. , Dakung Reuel J.
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Drawing on the human capital theory and the dual model of passion, this study aims to explore the mediating role of passion on the relationship between entrepreneurship education programme and students’ attitude towards self-employment (SE).

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed research framework was tested on a sample of 445 higher education students in four universities in North-Central Nigeria.

Findings

The results indicated that learning and inspiration account for the variation in students’ attitude towards SE. Furthermore, the study revealed that harmonious and obsessive passion largely mediate the relationship between entrepreneurship education programme and attitude towards SE.

Practical implications

The policy implication is the scaling of policies targeted at encouraging the development of passion given its significant role in the entrepreneurship education programme and attitude towards SE link.

Originality/value

The study has established the importance of human capital theory in explaining the attitude towards SE phenomenon using a multi-theoretical approach and has advanced the theoretical field of affect and its relevance in the field of entrepreneurship.
Sustainable knowledge from consumer perspective addressing microfibre pollution
Authors: Yan Songyi , Henninger Claudia Elisabeth , Jones Celina , McCormick Helen
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This research investigates sustainable knowledge from a consumer perspective, thereby focussing on the issue of microfibre pollution (MFP) within the context of the athleisure wear industry.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is exploratory in nature and supports its findings with 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews with consumers who have an invested interest in athleisure wear and have either a fashion or a textile science background.

Findings

The results provide an insight into how different types of knowledge influence one another and which ones can act as barriers to acting more sustainably and more specifically in reducing MFP.

Research limitations/implications

Although the sample size is relatively small, participants were selected carefully to have different backgrounds and lifestyles, thus, providing valuable insights that can be explored further in the future.

Practical implications

Communication is a key issue that has been identified and which needs to be carefully addressed by providing both quantity and quality.

Originality/value

This research identifies interlinks between different knowledge types and potential barriers that need to be overcome in order to act more sustainably.
Peer and informal learning among hospital doctors
Authors: Riera Claret Carlota , Sahagún Miguel Ángel , Selva Clara
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse everyday interactions in a workplace from the point of view of organisational learning, informal learning and peer learning, as well as the possible relationships that can be established between all three.

Design/methodology/approach

Insights from nine months of ethnographic study provided an operational definition of equality in an organisation, a better understanding of interactions and informal learning between peers, and about psycho-social determining factors or contexts that favour the exchange of knowledge in an organisation.

Findings

The findings demonstrate the importance of articulating the three elements (organisational learning, informal learning and peer learning) in a joint interpretative framework. With the results generated, it is proposed to move away from the traditional organisational learning based on knowledge and know-how, to a new perspective focused on sharing and participatory opportunities. In other words, without opportunities to participate, without the support and equal access, the fostering of informal learning can be debatable in terms of democracy.

Originality/value

The results bring the authors closer to being able to design workplace learning strategies that carefully includes the value of participation opportunities and the influence of a dynamic concept of equality. The ethnography in a hospital setting has allowed the authors to gain a better understanding of the contribution of informal learning to the organisation. The focus on the social context and the roles of relationships in informal learning offers new insights into a complex phenomenon.
The impact of ownership structure on the cost of equity in emerging markets
Authors: Faysal Saad , Salehi Mahdi , Moradi Mahdi
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to cover the ownership structure as (institutional ownership and managerial ownership) influencing the cost of equity in emerging markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors applied the regression model with the fixed-effect model in the data. Data collected from listed companies in the Iraq-Iran Stock Exchange during 2012-2017.

Findings

The authors found a significant positive associated between institutional ownership and the cost of equity in the Iranian and Iraqi contexts. The results also reveal a significant negative associated between managerial ownership with the cost of equity in the Iranian and Iraqi contexts. This means that when managerial ownership is increased, the cost of equity will be reduced. These results support the role of inside ownership to enhance fixed performance by reducing the cost of equity. So, managerial ownership can be a substitute for all shareholders. Moreover, the results indicate a similarity in the impact of the ownership structure on the cost of equity in the Iraqi and Iranian context, this means the similar elements among west Asian countries.

Research limitations/implications

Financial companies such as banks and investment companies were not listed due to the difference in the nature of their work with the other sectors in the Iranian and Iraqi stock exchanges. Moreover, the authors are heavily constrained as listed companies must continue during the study period to calculate the cost of equity. Therefore, the results are difficult to generalize widely.

Practical implications

This international study will enable investors in, as well as local and international investors to take the appropriate investment decision-making in the capital markets in these countries (Iraq and Iran). Moreover, it contributes significantly to helping corporate governance bloggers in Iraq and Iran understand the role of the ownership structure in corporate governance.

Originality/value

This is the first study of the interaction between institutional ownership, managerial ownership with the cost of equity in Iraq, the study will help complete the knowledge gap with developed markets. The results are important in future research because the authors believe that it is very important for the future to look at better for percentage levels of institutional and managerial ownership in the company ownership. Although the contribution is limited, it will provide a useful guide for more papers in other west Asian countries.
Unique nature of appraisal politics as a work stress: test of stress–strain model from appraisee's perspective
Authors: Dhiman Amit
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This paper delineates the distinctive nature of appraisal politics perceptions (referenced to organizational politics) experienced by appraisees (APAP) as a form of hindrance work stressor that is more episodic than chronic, salient during the PA rating and reward decisions. The study argues and attempts to establish empirically that due to its distinct nature, it causes both short-term episodic strain and long-term chronic strain. Further, the study investigates the distinctive role played by appraisee's hard and soft influence behaviour as a coping mechanism moderating the influence of APAP as a stressor on strain variables in Indian organizational context that ferments politics.

Design/methodology/approach

The data was collected using self-reports from 407 employees in Indian organizations using survey method. Multivariate analyses including moderating tests were used for testing the hypotheses.

Findings

Only the episodic components of the APAP-appraiser's rating politics and pay and promotion politics were significantly related to anxiety felt by appraisees during PA – an episodic measure of strain. All three APAP components were significantly related to the chronic strain measure of dissatisfaction. There was modest support for the role of influence tactics (IT) as a coping mechanism attenuating the negative relation of APAP with the dissatisfaction variables as chronic strain measures. Contrary to the hypothesis, softer tactics exacerbated the APAP–PA anxiety relation, indicating the episodic nature of stressor and strain.

Originality/value

The study contributes significantly to enhance the understanding about the nature of Appraisal politics.
An investigation of policy incentives for delaying public pension benefit claims
Authors: Kitamura Tomoki , Nakashima Kunio
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the potential and cost of policy incentives for individuals to defer public pension (social security) claims.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Internet survey experiments, the impacts of introducing three potential policies to defer public pension claims are examined: (1) a tax incentive for private term pension premiums, (2) a tax incentive for private term pension benefits and (3) a tax disincentive for financial asset holdings. Effectiveness of information provision regarding projection of future financial assets is also examined.

Findings

Tax incentives have a certain impact on deferment of public pension claims. Among incentives, increase of benefits is the most effective one. Providing information regarding future financial assets reduces incentives.

Originality/value

This study is original in measuring cost for delaying public pension claims according to incentives and information provision.
Translocation domain of botulinum neurotoxin A subtype 2 potently induces entry into neuronal cells
Authors: Kohda Tomoko , Tsukamoto Kentaro , Torii Yasushi , Kozaki Shunji , Mukamoto Masafumi
Published: April 2020

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is the causative agent of botulism in humans and animals. Only BoNT serotype A subtype 1 (BoNT/A1) is used clinically because of its high potency and long duration of action. BoNT/A1 and BoNT/A subtype 2 (BoNT/A2) have a high degree of amino acid sequence similarity in the light chain (LC) (96%), whereas their N‐and C‐terminal heavy chain (HN and HC) differ by 13%. The LC acts as a zinc‐dependent endopeptidase, HN as the translocation domain, and HC as the receptor‐binding domain. BoNT/A2 and BoNT/A1 had similar potency in the mouse bioassay, but BoNT/A2 entered faster and more efficiently into neuronal cells. To identify the domains responsible for these characteristics, HN of BoNT/A1 and BoNT/A2 was exchanged to construct chimeric BoNT/A121 and BoNT/A212. After expression in Escherichia coli, chimeric and wild‐type BoNT/As were purified as single‐chain proteins and activated by conversion to disulfide‐linked dichains. The toxicities of recombinant wild‐type and chimeric BoNT/As were similar, but dropped to 60% compared with the values of native BoNT/As. The relative orders of SNAP‐25 cleavage activity in neuronal cells and toxicity differed. BoNT/A121 and recombinant BoNT/A2 have similar SNAP‐25 cleavage activity. BoNT/A2 HN is possibly responsible for the higher potency of BoNT/A2 than BoNT/A1.
Effects of crossing distance on fitness components in the carnivorous plant Pinguicula moranensis (Lentibulariaceae)
Authors: Villegas Sara Gabriela , Ospina‐Garcés Sandra Milena , Fornoni Juan , Domínguez César Augusto , Alcalá Raúl Ernesto
Published: April 2020

Plant species vary in the pollination distance at which negative fitness effects are expressed, and it has been proposed that optimal mating should occur at a distance large enough to diminish the risks of inbreeding, but short enough to prevent outbreeding depression. In a natural population of Pinguicula moranensis we assessed the fitness of plants (seeds per fruit) and their progeny (germination and seedling survival) as a function of pollination distance by hand‐pollinating with donors from five distances: 0 m (self‐fertilization), 1, 4 and 460 m (within‐population) and 9,900 m (between‐population) under in situ and ex situ conditions. We found that average values for fitness components were consistently lower in the in situ experiment than in the ex situ experiment. Under both conditions, the self‐fertilization treatment had the lowest values. Inbreeding depression values were high (0.94 to 0.98), corresponding with the values expected for an outcrossing species subjected to self‐fertilization. Overall, no evidence of outbreeding depression was detected. Considering that our experiment was restricted to one single donor population and one recipient population, our results indicate that despite the within‐population patchy distribution of individuals, biparental inbreeding could occur at low rates, due in part to short seed dispersal distance. However, pollen movement of at least 1 m is apparently sufficient to reverse negative effects.
miR‐874 directly targets AQP3 to inhibit cell proliferation, mobility and EMT in non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Wang Shuhua , Wu Yuanyuan , Yang Shenghua , Liu Xunchao , Lu Yong , Liu Fengxia , Li Guixia , Tian Guirong
Published: April 2020

Background

Non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major type of lung cancer with high morbidity and high mortality. miR‐874 has been determined to play a role in tumor suppression in several cancers. The purpose of our study was to detect the biological mechanisms of miR‐874 and AQP3 in NSCLC.

Methods: CCK‐8 and Transwell assays were utilized to perform cell invasion.Western blot was employed to evaluate the protein expression.

Results: The expression of miR‐874 was lower in NSCLC tissues than that of corresponding adjacent nontumor tissues. Downregulation of miR‐874 predicted a poor prognosis in NSCLC. The cell proliferation and mobility were suppressed by overexpression of miR‐874, which were promoted by knockdown of miR‐874 in A549 and H1299 cells. miR‐874 mediated the expression of AQP3 by directly binding to the 3′‐untranslated regions (UTR) of AQP3 mRNA in NSCLC cells. Moreover, miR‐874 inhibited the proliferation and mobility by targeting AQP3 and inhibited the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in A549 cells. miR‐874 inhibited the growth of NSCLC in vivo.

Conclusions: In conclusion, miR‐874 inhibited proliferation and mobility by regulating AQP3 in NSCLC. The newly identified miR‐874/AQP3 axis provides novel insight into the pathogenesis of NSCLC.