bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HBx enhances CPAP expression via interacting with CREB to promote hepatocarcinogenesis in HBV-associated HCC
Authors: Yen Chia-Jui , Yang Shu-Ting , Chen Ruo-Yu , Huang Wenya , Chayama Kazuaki , Lee Ming-Hao , Yang Shiang-Jie , Hsiao Yu-Wei , Wang Ju-Ming , Lin Yih-Jyh , Hung Liang-Yi
Published: September 2018

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) encoded non-structure protein X (HBx) can promote cell proliferation, migration, and anti-apoptosis via activating several transcription factors and increasing their downstream gene expression in HBV-infected liver cells. Our previous report suggested that centrosomal P4.1-associated protein (CPAP) is required for HBx-mediated NF-κB activation. Here, we found that, upon HBV infection, overexpressed HBx can transcriptionally up-regulateCPAPvia interacting with CREB. CPAP can directly interact with HBx to promote HBx-mediated cell proliferation and migration; and SUMO modification of CPAP is involved in interacting with HBx. Interestingly, CPAP can increase the HBx protein stability in an NF-κB-dependent manner; and overexpressed CPAP and HBx is positively correlated with the activation status of NF-κB in HCC. Increased expression ofCREBandCPAPmRNAs exists in the high-risk group with a lower survival rate in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). These results suggest that the reciprocal regulation between CPAP and HBx may provide a microenvironment to facilitate HCC development via enhancing NF-κB activation, inflammatory cytokine production, and cancer maligancies. The findings of this study not only shed light on the role of CPAP in HBV-associated HCC, but also provide CPAP as a potential target for HBV-related HCC therapy.

Author Summary

In this study, we address a novel molecular mechanism for the collaboration between overexpressed HBx and CPAP in promoting hepatocarcinogenesis in HBV-associated HCC. Upon HBV infection, HBx is overexpressed and interacts with CREB to transcriptionally activate CPAP; the HBx/CPAP interaction promotes hepatocarcinogenesis. Clinical analysis found that co-overexpressed CPAP and CREB exist in the high-risk group with a lower survival rate in HCC. Additionally, overexpressed CPAP contributes to HBx protein stability in a NF-κB-dependent pathway. Our study provides a potential translational application in targeting CREB-CPAP axis in HBV-associated HCC.
Urbanization plays a minor role in the flooding and surface water chemistry of Puerto Rico’s mangroves
Authors: Branoff Benjamin L.
Published: September 2018

Although hydrology and water chemistry are known to change in proximity to cities, there remains little empirical evidence connecting specific components of urban landscapes to mangrove flooding dynamics or surface water chemistry. This study constructs five-year water level models from tidal harmonics and precipitation inputs to characterize mangrove flooding across urban gradients in three watersheds of Puerto Rico. There was some evidence for an influence of urbanization on both flooding and water chemistry, but this depended on the definition of urbanness, and points instead to geomorphology as the primary culprit. Urban sites exhibited 46% longer hydroperiods and 450% lower depths than non-urban sites. Rainfall importance was explained more by geomorphology than by urbanization and suggested systems with limited tidal connectivity are four times more sensitive to rainfall than systems with full tidal connectivity. There was also evidence for changes in tidal amplitudes along the urban gradient, which may explain the observed differences in flooding. Relationships between surface water chemical metrics and land cover contradicted previous studies by suggesting lower nutrients and biochemical oxygen demand with increasing urbanization. These results reinforce the understanding that the most important drivers of urban mangrove hydrology and water quality in Puerto Rico are likely geomorphology and tidal connectivity, with little but not zero influence from surrounding land cover. Results should be considered alongside the reported errors stemming from inaccuracies in digital elevation and rainfall response models, and will be useful in understanding future ecological censuses on the island.
Harnessing natural diversity to identify key amino acid residues in prolidase
Authors: Schilbert Hanna Marie , Pellegrinelli Vanessa , Rodriguez-Cuenca Sergio , Vidal-Puig Antonio , Pucker Boas
Published: September 2018

Prolidase (PEPD) catalyses the cleavage of dipeptides with high affinity for proline at the C-terminal end. This function is required in almost all living organisms. In order to detect strongly conserved residues in PEPD, we analysed PEPD orthologous sequences identified in data sets of animals, plants, fungi, archaea, and bacteria. Due to conservation over very long evolutionary time, conserved residues are likely to be of functional relevance. Single amino acid mutations inPEPDcause a disorder called prolidase deficiency and are associated with various cancer types. We provide new insights into 15 additional residues with putative roles in prolidase deficiency and cancer. Moreover, our results confirm previous reports identifying five residues involved in the binding of metal cofactors as highly conserved and enable the classification of several non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms as likely pathogenic and seven as putative polymorphisms. Moreover, more than 50 novel conserved residues across species were identified. Conservation degree per residue across the animal kingdom were mapped to the human PEPD 3D structure revealing the strongest conservation close to the active site accompanied with a higher functional implication and pathogenic potential, validating the importance of a characteristic active site fold for prolidase identity.
A Multi-Domain Task Battery Reveals Functional Boundaries in the Human Cerebellum
Authors: King Maedbh , Hernandez-Castillo Carlos R. , Poldrack Russell A. , Ivry Richard B. , Diedrichsen Jörn
Published: September 2018

There is compelling evidence that the human cerebellum is engaged in a wide array of motor and cognitive tasks. A fundamental question centers on whether the cerebellum is organized into distinct functional sub-regions. To address this question, we employed a rich task battery, designed to tap into a broad range of cognitive processes. During four functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sessions, participants performed a battery of 26 diverse tasks comprising 47 unique conditions. Using the data from this multi-domain task battery (MDTB), we derived a comprehensive functional parcellation of the cerebellar cortex and evaluated it by predicting functional boundaries in a novel set of tasks. The new parcellation successfully identified distinct functional sub-regions, providing significant improvements over existing parcellations derived from task-free data. Lobular boundaries, commonly used to summarize functional data, did not coincide with functional subdivisions. This multi-domain task approach offers novel insights into the functional heterogeneity of the cerebellar cortex.
The evolution of protein domain repertoires: shedding light on the origins of herpesviruses
Authors: Brito Anderson F. , Pinney John W.
Published: September 2018

Herpesviruses (HVs) have large genomes that can encode thousands of proteins. Apart from amino acid mutations, protein domain acquisitions, duplications and losses are also common modes of evolution. HV domain repertoires differ across species, and only a core set is shared among all viruses, aspect that raises a question: How have HV domain repertoires diverged while keeping some similarities? To answer such question, we used profile HMMs to search for domains in all possible translated ORFs of fully sequenced HV genomes. With at least 274 domains being identified, we built a matrix of domain counts per species, and applied a parsimony method to reconstruct the ancestral states of these domains along the HV phylogeny. It revealed events of domain gain, duplication and loss over more than 400 millions of years, where Alpha-, Beta- and Gammaherpesviruses expanded and condensed their domain repertoires at distinct rates. Most of the acquired domains perform ‘Modulation and Control’, ‘Envelope’ or ‘Auxiliary’ functions, categories that showed high flexibility (number of domains) and redundancy (number of copies). Conversely, few gains and duplications were observed for domains involved in ‘Capsid assembly and structure’, and ‘DNA Replication, recombination and metabolism’. Among the 41 primordial domains encoded by herpesvirus ancestors, 28 are still found in all present-day HVs. Because of their distinct evolutionary strategies, herpesvirus domain repertoires are very specific at the subfamily, genus and species levels. Differences in domain composition may not just explain HV host range and tissue tropism, but also provide hints to the origins of herpesviruses.
The bunyavirus nonstructural protein NSs suppresses plant immunity to facilitate its own transmission by improving vector insect performance
Authors: Wu Xiujuan , Xu Shuang , Zhao Pingzhi , Yao Xiangmei , Sun Yanwei , Fang Rongxiang , Ye Jian
Published: September 2018

Pandemics of vector-borne human and plant pathogens often rely on the behaviors of their arthropod vectors. Arboviruses, including many bunyaviruses, manipulate vector behavior to accelerate their own transmission to vertebrates, birds, insects, and plants. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this manipulation remains elusive. Here, we report that the non-structural protein NSs of orthotospovirus (order Bunyavirales, family Tospoviridae), is a key viral factor that indirectly modifies vector preference and increases vector performance. NSs suppresses the biosynthesis of volatile monoterpenes, which serve as repellents of the vector Western flower thrips (WFT, Frankliniella occidentalis) instead of using its known silencing suppressor activity. NSs directly interacts with and relocalizes the jasmonate (JA) signaling master regulator MYC2 and its two close homologs, MYC3 and MYC4, to disable JA-mediated activation of terpene synthase genes. The dysfunction of the MYCs subsequently attenuates host defenses, increases the attraction of thrips, and improves thrips fitness. These findings elucidate the molecular mechanism through which a bunyavirus manipulates vector behaviors and therefore facilitate disease transmission. Our results provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms by which tospoviruses NSs counteracts host immunity for pathogen transmission.

Author summary

Most bunyaviruses are transmitted by insect vectors, and some of them can modify the behaviors of their arthropod vectors to increase transmission to mammals, birds, and plants. NSs is a non-structural bunyavirus protein with multiple functions that acts as an avirulence determinant and silencing suppressor. In this study, we identified a new function of NSs as a manipulator of vector behavior, independent of its silencing suppressor activity. NSs manipulates jasmonate-mediated immunity against thrips by directly interacting with several homologs of MYC transcription factors, the core regulators of the jasmonate-signaling pathway. This hijacking by NSs enhances thrips preference and performance. Many human- and animal-infecting members of the Bunyaviridales also encode NSs and could manipulate vector behavior to accelerate their own transmission. Therefore, our data support the hypothesis that the NSs protein may play conserved roles among various members of the Bunyaviridales in the modification of vector feeding behavior that evolved as a mechanism to enhance virus transmission.
Influence of phytic acid on the corrosion behavior of carbon steel with different surface treatments
Authors: Zhang Yingjun , Dou Baojie , Shao Yawei , Cui Xue-Jun , Wang Yanqiu , Meng Guozhe , Lin Xiu-Zhou
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aim to investigate the influence of PA on the corrosion behavior of carbon steel with blast cleaned or pre-rusted treatments, and interpret the inhibition mechanism of PA on the steel with different surface treatments.

Design/methodology/approach

The influence of PA on the corrosion behavior of blast cleaned or rusty steel was investigated by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The EIS data were analyzed using the @ZsimpWin commercial software. The morphology and component of steel after immersion were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD).

Findings

EIS analysis results indicated that PA had good corrosion inhibition for blast cleaned or rusty steel. SEM, EDS, FTIR and XRD further indicated that PA had two main corrosion inhibition processes for the corrosion inhibition of blast cleaned or rusty steel: corrosion dissolution and formation of protective barrier layers.

Originality/value

Most published works focus the attention only toward the effect of corrosion inhibitor for the clean metal surfaces. However, the surface condition of metal sometimes is unsatisfactory in the practical application of corrosion inhibitor, such as existing residual rust. Some studies also have shown that several corrosion inhibitors could be applied on partially rusted substrates. These inhibitors mainly include tannins and phosphoric acid, but not PA. Therefore, the authors investigated the influence of PA on the corrosion behavior of carbon steel with blast cleaned or pre-rusted treatments in this paper.
Examining public perceptions of CSR in sport
Authors: Kim Joon Kyoung , Overton Holly , Hull Kevin , Choi Minhee
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the public views two corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives practiced by a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. This study examined the role of perceived fit between an MLB team and its two CSR initiatives in shaping consumers’ intentions to support the team’s CSR efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

A between-subjects experiment (n=207) was conducted using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk to examine the impact of CSR fit on consumers’ patronage intentions.

Findings

The results of this study showed that consumers’ perceived fit between sports teams and their CSR has a positive impact on consumers’ patronage intentions. The values-driven and strategic-driven attributions of the team’s CSR initiatives were positively associated with their patronage intentions.

Research limitations/implications

Both the values-driven and strategic-driven attributions were positively associated with consumers’ patronage intentions, while previous studies suggested negative association between strategic-driven attributions and consumer behaviors. The findings indicate that consumers do not view professional sports teams’ strategic-driven CSR initiatives to be negative business practices. This could result from the fact that CSR initiatives have become a prevalent and expected organizational practice.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature of CSR within the context of professional sports teams as corporations. The findings of this study suggest that professional sports teams could benefit from CSR initiatives when the teams select social causes with which consumers could infer values-driven and strategic-driven attributions.
Sensor-less control of a novel axial flux-switching permanent-magnet motor
Authors: Rahmani Fard Javad , Ardebili Mohammad
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a novel current sensor-less drive system for a novel axial flux-switching permanent-magnet motor drive to reduce the costs and avoid problems caused by faults of the current sensors.

Design/methodology/approach

Commonly, a conventional controller needs at least two current sensors; in this paper, the current sensors are removed by replacing estimated stator current with the extended Kalman filter.

Findings

A prototype of the novel axial flux-switching permanent-magnet motor is fabricated and tested. It is found that the experimental results confirm the proposed method and show that the control has almost the same performance and ability as the conventional control.

Originality/value

The axial flux-switching permanent-magnet motor is one of the most efficient motors, but current sensor-less control of an axial flux-switching permanent-magnet motor with a sandwiched permanent magnet and a unity displacement winding factor has not been specially reported to date. Thus, in this paper, the authors report on current sensor-less control based on the extended Kalman filter for electric vehicles.
More than clothes hangers: cultural intermediaries in the field of fashion
Authors: Lonergan Patrick P. , Patterson Maurice , Lichrou Maria
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to elucidate how cultural intermediaries shape the subjectivity of other marketplace actors in fashion, thus preserving the illusio underpinning this field of cultural production.

Design/methodology/approach

Narrative interviews were conducted with cultural intermediaries in the fashion industry. These were supplemented with non-participant observations, carried out simultaneously during the research process. Interview transcripts and field notes were analysed using a combination of holistic-content and categorical-content analysis.

Findings

As the fashion field is constructed around beliefs as to what constitutes value, the empirical data demonstrate how fashion models’ embody the illusio of the field and authenticate the values, meanings and identities inherent in it through aestheticised and rarefied styles of performance. These activities seduce other market actors and engender a willing suspension of disbelief that in turn mobilises affective intensities resulting in perceptions of legitimacy.

Research limitations/implications

This research adds greater clarity to what cultural intermediaries do when they mediate between economy and culture. To do this, our research is analysed in terms of the ritual performance, the sensibility of the model, the use of the body and the performative fusion.

Practical implications

The paper offers practical implications insofar as it deconstructs the two core ritualistic aspects of the fashion industry which each season yields significant tangible outputs in various forms. The combination of narrative inquiry with observation allows for a better understanding of how these events can be best channelled to mediate the illusio of this cultural field.

Originality/value

To date, there has been very little consumer research that explores cultural intermediaries and less still that offers an empirical glimpse of their performance. This research adds greater clarity to these embodied performances that legitimate other market actors’ suspension of disbelief while also demystifying the ambiguity with which cultural intermediaries are discussed in consumer research.
Effects of absence positioning of unknown product ingredients on consumer evaluations
Authors: Ozcan Timucin , Hattat Ahmet M. , Hair Michael
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of positioning unknown ingredients either with the presence or absence of framing; both are common in marketplace (e.g. Secret® deodorant visibly claims “aluminum chlorohydrate” while Crystal® promotes “no aluminum chlorohydrate”).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used three scenario-based experiments. The participants were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk online panel and randomly assigned to a variety of experimental conditions.

Findings

Initial study results show that consumers have more positive evaluations and purchase intentions for absence positioning than presence positioning, because absence positioning induces greater perceptions of protection. In the second study, these results are extended using multiple ingredients, along with competitor products; they show that absence positioning leads to better evaluations than presence positioning and replicate the mediation effect that was found earlier. In the final study, through manipulating participants’ regulatory focus, the authors show that absence-positioned ingredients have a higher choice share when consumers are in the prevention mindset. Conversely, when customers are in promotion mindset and looking for better performance, presence positioning of ingredients seems to have higher choice shares.

Research limitations/implications

The research has implications for product development, promotions, labeling and packaging, showing the positive influence of absence positioning of unknown ingredients.

Practical implications

Marketers may emphasize the absence of unknown ingredients in their products instead of following a strategy that highlights the inclusion of them.

Originality/value

To the authors’ extant knowledge, this research is an initial attempt to understand how consumers react to promotion of product ingredients. In addition, it contributes to the literature in unknown attributes by showing that absence positioning of certain types of ingredients is perceived better than presence framing of them.
Evaluation of the accessibility of archival cartographic documents in digital libraries
Authors: Kuzma Marta , Moscicka Albina
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to present the authors’ attempts to evaluate the access to archival maps available in digital libraries. Its aim was to pinpoint the factors determining the effectiveness of access to old maps and to evaluate which Polish libraries provide resources in such a way as to give the users the best chance of finding the materials necessary for their research.

Design/methodology/approach

The presented research focussed on archival documents from academic libraries accessible from the Polish Digital Libraries Federation and available from Europeana Collections. The evaluation criteria were established along with features that determine the level of difficulty of access to data describing archival documents. The research took into account the way of recording the data about archival documents in metadata. The authors have also analysed the quantity of available resources and the consistency of metadata record.

Findings

The results of the research have demonstrated that one-third of the analysed libraries deserve a positive evaluation. The digital library of the Warsaw University and the Jagiellonian Digital Library received the best scores in terms of the description of archival documents. Considering the number of resources, the Jagiellonian Digital Library and the Digital Library of the University of Wrocław are positively distinguished.

Originality/value

The method of evaluating the access to archival maps has been developed. The criteria and features necessary for this evaluation and the way of their interpretation have also been defined. The future goals leading to the improvement of the access to the archival maps have been also presented.
An evaluation of the functional performance of research and academic laboratories using the space syntax approach
Authors: Sanni-Anibire Muizz O. , Hassanain Mohammad A. , Mahmoud Abubakar Sadiq , Ahmed Wahhaj
Published: September 2018

Purpose

University research and academic laboratory facilities are key elements in the support of a successful education and research experience. World-class universities consider the functionality of these facilities as a matter of high priority. The functionality of research and academic laboratory facilities is strongly linked to the productivity of students, teachers and researchers who use these facilities. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the functional performance of eight university laboratories using the space syntax approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology involved the measurements and drawing of as-built floor plans of selected academic and research laboratories. The main benchmarks involved in measuring the functional efficiency, such as mean depth (MD) of space and real relative asymmetry (RRA), were analyzed using the A-graph software and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

Findings

The results show that “Type D” (chemistry teaching laboratory) and “Type C” (concrete teaching/research laboratory) laboratories have the tendency to be more accessible, efficient and flexible compared to the other laboratory layouts with MD and RRA values of 5.947 and 3.472, and 4.287 and 1.674, respectively.

Practical implications

This study shows that the functional efficiency of academic and research laboratories can be influenced by the spatial configuration of the space, as presented by the space syntax theory. Space syntax benchmark elements, such as MD, RRA, R and H*, can be used to compare various spatial arrangements, and the results can inform decisions on ways to re-arrange the space for optimum efficiency.

Originality/value

It is hoped that the idea of space syntax theory in the evaluation of the functional efficiency of laboratory facilities, illustrated in this research, is of significant contribution to the enhancement of the research and educational experience of concerned stakeholders in teaching and research environments.
Digital entrepreneurship
Authors: Kraus Sascha , Palmer Carolin , Kailer Norbert , Kallinger Friedrich Lukas , Spitzer Jonathan
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Digital entrepreneurship is of high topicality as technological developments and advances in infrastructure create various opportunities for entrepreneurs. Society’s great attention to new digital business models is opposed to very little research regarding opportunities, challenges and success factors of digital entrepreneurship. The purpose of this paper is to gather the state-of-the-art literature on digital entrepreneurship and to provide an up-to-date compilation of key topics and methods discussed in the relevant literature. Furthermore, based on findings of the systematic literature review, a research map pointing at further research opportunities for scholars working in the field will be proposed.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilising a systematic search and review of literature across the domain whilst following the established methodology of Tranfield et al. (2003) combined with the application of a quality threshold for journal selection, 35 articles on digital entrepreneurship could be found relevant for an evidence-informed literature review.

Findings

Based on a conceptual literature review, six streams of research that deal with digital entrepreneurship are identified and discussed: digital business models; digital entrepreneurship process; platform strategies; digital ecosystem; entrepreneurship education; and social digital entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

This systematic literature review identifies current research paths on digital entrepreneurship by structuring the dispersed status quo of research in the identified different areas. In addition, future research opportunities to deepen the understanding of digital entrepreneurship are highlighted and pictured in a research map.
Keeping it in the family: exploring Igbo ethnic entrepreneurial behaviour in Nigeria
Authors: Igwe Paul Agu , Newbery Robert , Amoncar Nihar , White Gareth R.T. , Madichie Nnamdi O.
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the attributes of the Igbos in Eastern Nigeria and the underlying factors influencing their entrepreneurial behaviour. More specifically, the study highlights the links between family, culture, institution and entrepreneurial behaviour in the African context.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a qualitative research method by interviewing 50 entrepreneurs and community leaders of the Igbo nation. Igbos have been described as “naturally enterprising and ingenious” and can be found throughout Nigeria and West Africa. Understanding the vagaries of ethnic entrepreneurship can arguably only be achieved through research that is undertaken within these socio-historically rich, traditional and cultural contexts.

Findings

Linked to the social learning theory, Igbo families provide an entrepreneurial leadership platform which influences youths through role models, providing mastery experiences and socialisation. The extended family provides a safe environment for risk taking, creativity and innovation. Also, an informal apprenticeship system provides entrepreneurial learning that prepares the younger generation to take to business as a way of life.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on a relatively small sample size of 50 respondents, which makes it difficult to generalise the findings despite the benefits of the research methods adopted in the study. Also, there are limitations to the extension of the findings to a generalised Igbo population comprising individuals who may, or may not, behave entrepreneurially.

Practical implications

There are significant practical implications, both nationally and internationally, for policy makers that are concerned with developing jobs for the growing population of unemployed youths and inclusive entrepreneurship in Nigeria.

Originality/value

The research has three main contributions. First, it valorises indigenous knowledge of family and institutional entrepreneurial behaviour in an African context. Second, it highlights the importance of the linked institutions of the extended family and the informal apprenticeship system in Igbo culture. Finally, it provides a model and an explanation of how the Igbo culture nurtures and develops transgenerational entrepreneurial behaviour.
Do stock market and banking sectors development promote innovation efficiency?
Authors: Low Soo-Wah , Albada Ali , Ahmad Chukari Nurhatiah , Ghazali Noor Azlan
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impacts of stock market and banking sectors development on a country’s efficiency in transforming its innovation input into output.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs a generalized method-of-moments panel estimator to examine the role of stock market and banking development in influencing innovation efficiency.

Findings

Findings show that a country’s stock market development is positively related to its innovation efficiency ratio. Countries with more developed stock markets have relatively higher efficiency in transforming innovation input into innovation output than those with less developed stock markets. There is no evidence that innovation efficiency is influenced by banking sector development. However, when stock market and banking sectors are modeled together, while stock market development retains its positive influence, the findings indicate that banking sector exerts negative impact on innovation efficiency.

Practical implications

The findings provide useful insights to guide policy decisions for a country’s innovation agenda in enhancing its innovation performance. The findings imply that stock market development should be embraced as one of the key policy areas in order for a country to be more efficient in transforming its innovation input into innovation output.

Originality/value

This paper provides first evidence using data sourced from Global Innovation Index report, first available in 2007 and published by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Young consumers’ valuations of new payment services
Authors: Rehncrona Carin
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to gain a more in-depth understanding of the factors influencing how young consumers value mobile payment services and to develop a conceptual model that describes this process.

Design/methodology/approach

Content analysis combined with interaction analysis was applied to empirical material consisting of nine focus group interviews with a total of 55 young adults who discussed mobile shopping. The results were further analysed by drawing upon previous research and theoretical conjectures regarding the role of network effects in valuation. The results of the analysis were used to develop a conceptual model of the valuation process for mobile payment services.

Findings

The study finds that network effects play a major role in consumers’ adoption of mobile payment services. It is not certain that the adoption of consumer payment services is voluntary. In addition, there is also a trade-off between perceived convenience and security in young consumers’ valuations of the service.

Originality/value

In contrast to previous studies, where models have set up benefits and costs as separate entities affecting value, the resulting model recognises that different factors have two sides, one negative and one positive, in turn affecting the value of the service.
Justifying business intelligence systems adoption in SMEs
Authors: Popovič Aleš , Puklavec Borut , Oliveira Tiago
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of how post-adoption use of business intelligence system (BIS) affects firm performance. It develops and empirically tests a conceptual model for assessing the impact of BIS routine and innovative usage on firm performance the context of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the data collected from 181 SMEs we analyzed how BIS usage influences firm performance using the PLS-SEM method.

Findings

The paper provides empirical insights about how BIS routine and innovative usage affect firm performance.

Practical implications

The results provide instrumental insights for managers and solution providers to help them understand the influence of various determinants to more effectively conclude the post-adoption process in SMEs.

Originality/value

This study represents important progress in the authors’ theoretical understanding of the role of BIS routine and innovative usage across different BIS partial impacts on firm performance dimensions.
Reciprocity and commitment in online travel communities
Authors: Belanche Daniel , Casaló Luis V. , Flavián Carlos , Guinalíu Miguel
Published: September 2018

Purpose

With social exchange theory as a basis, the purpose of this paper is to seek a better understanding of advice processes in online travel communities, which offer crucial advice for travelers’ decisions. It also predicts that relational capital variables (commitment, reciprocity perceptions) moderate the main relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from a web survey of 456 users of online travel communities affirm the scale’s validity and provide the input for structural equation modeling and multisample analyses of the hypotheses.

Findings

Higher levels of commitment reinforce the effect of following past advice on passive and active participation intentions. Users’ perceptions of reciprocity in the community strengthen the influence of following past advice on active participation. However, a high level of reciprocity causes users following past advice to reduce their intentions to continue following that advice.

Practical implications

Management tactics should specify active and passive participation in online travel communities. Specifically, to encourage the creation of high-quality new content, community managers should create interactive environments marked by high levels of reciprocity and commitment.

Originality/value

This research elucidates the role of relational capital variables in advice processes and advances understanding of online travel communities.
An empirical investigation of green initiatives and environmental sustainability for manufacturing SMEs
Authors: Yacob Peter , Wong Lai Soon , Khor Saw Chin
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the extent of green initiatives within manufacturing SMEs, as well as the mediating effect of the owners/managers intention toward green and moderating effect of green technology adoption in building environmental sustainability in the context of the Malaysian manufacturing SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a survey questionnaire responded by 260 Malaysian manufacturing SMEs. The relationships proposed in the developed conceptual framework were represented through three hypotheses: there is a significant relationship between green initiatives and environmental sustainability (H1); intention toward green mediates the relationship between green initiatives and environmental sustainability (H2); and green technology adoption moderates the relationship between intention toward green and environmental sustainability (H3). SEM-AMOS nested model comparisons and mediating and moderating analyses were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

This is the first research toward the green initiatives framework for the manufacturing SMEs. Till date, no framework is available which could guide researchers and practitioners of this high impact on the environment industry. The findings revealed that energy management, water conservation and waste management are related to environmental sustainability. On mediation analysis, it confirms that owners/managers intention toward green fully mediates the association of green initiatives and environmental sustainability. Finally, the moderation analysis revealed that green technology adoption does not have an influence on manufacturing SMEs environmental sustainability.

Practical implications

This study is expected to help both researchers and practitioners in terms of manufacturing and other industries who are serious toward environmental sustainability implementation and are looking for an appropriate mechanism. It offers a generalized environmental sustainability implementation linking SMEs owners/managers, green practices, green technology policy, process management and supply chain management.

Originality/value

This study is among the very first environmental sustainability implementation research works conducted in the Malaysian manufacturing sector, particularly, in relation to the green initiatives and “four pillars” of green technology policy that manufacturing SMEs in this country need to adopt to make their environmental sustainability a solid competitive vehicle for their development. The results have broader implications for all manufacturing SMEs, particularly in developing economies where the growth of manufacturing and the development of integrated environmental sustainability are key stages in economic development.
Customer care practices at the University of Nairobi (UON), Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library (JKML), Kenya
Authors: Orayo Josephine , Maina Jane , Wasike Jotham Milimo , Ratanya Felicitas Ciabere
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the customer care practices at the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library (JKML), Kenya.

Design/methodology/approach

A descriptive research design was used. Simple random sampling technique was used to derive at an appropriate sample from the target population. A structured questionnaire and face-to-face interview was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. A total of 384 questionnaires were distributed to students and library staff. Face-to-face interview was conducted among five section heads. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and presented in tabulated summaries and figures.

Findings

JKML had not only put in place customer care practices but had also provided reliable services with notable professionalism among staff. Users were satisfied with the attention and information resources provided. Challenges encountered related to inadequate ICT infrastructure, lack of a written policy, lack of customer care skills among library staff and lack of managerial support. The study recommended inclusion of customer care in the mainstream of the strategic plan of the university.

Research limitations/implications

The major implication for this study is that sustainable customer care self-assessment needs to be explored in national and private libraries in Kenya.

Practical implications

This study provides a significant practical outlook on marketing-savvy approaches toward customer care and efforts made toward the achievement of the goals of the university.

Originality/value

This study provides insights on good practices on customer care which can be emulated by other academic libraries and adds value to the knowledge base.
New insights from multidimensional trait space responses to competition in two clonal plant species
Authors: Bittebiere Anne‐Kristel , Saiz Hugo , Mony Cendrine
Published: September 2018

Trait intraspecific variability determines community dynamics and species coexistence. In response to competition, plants can display intraspecific variability to enhance their competitive ability or stabilise their niche differences with competitors. This response is multidimensional because it involves changes along different functional axes and inevitable trade‐offs between traits. Here, we transposed the recent concept of the multidimensional trait space to the analysis of intraspecific plant response to competition. We specifically tested the following: (a) in the absence of competitors, the plant multidimensional trait space will be packed towards strategies promoting plant colonisation; and (b) with competitors, the plant multidimensional trait space will be directed towards competition with its size and shaping characteristics dependent on competitor species richness.

We studied trait intraspecific variability of two clonal species, Brachypodium pinnatum (L.) P. Beauv. and Elytrigia repens (L.) Gould, in response to competition. We analysed plant response in the absence of competitors and in competition. Competition treatments included intraspecific and interspecific experimental mixtures with increasing species richness. For each target species and each treatment, we built an hypervolume based on six traits involved in the three‐dimensional competition (i.e., ramet and connection traits). We measured these hypervolumes for their size, similarity and the contribution of traits in their shaping.

In the absence of competitors and for both species, we demonstrated a multidimensional trait space packing towards a colonisation strategy. Under competition, the multidimensional trait spaces of the two target species were the widest at the extremes of the richness gradient, that is, intraspecific and interspecific high richness competition treatments. High intraspecific variability either promoted niche differentiation from individuals of similar species or reflected the large range of competitive responses deployed when plants were faced with many different competitor identities. The multidimensional response process was based on fine adjustments of various traits depending on the surrounding neighbourhood composition and more specifically, on the competitor functional similarity with the target species.

This study emphasises the multidimensionality of species competitive response, and also underlines the so far neglected importance of competitor species richness for trait intraspecific variability and subsequently community assembly.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Seismic deconvolution and inversion with erratic data
Authors: Dai Ronghuo , Yin Cheng , Yang Shasha , Zhang Fanchang
Published: September 2018

If there are some erratic data (e.g. outliers), which may arise from measurement error, or other reasons, in seismic data, the seismic deconvolution and inversion need to be implemented in a way that minimizes their effects. However, the deconvolution and inversion methods based on L2‐norm misfit function are highly sensitive to these erratic seismic observations. As an alternative, L1‐norm misfit functions are more robust and erratic‐resistant. In order to find the solution of the inverse problem constrained by an L1‐norm misfit function, an iteratively re‐weighted least squares algorithm is used frequently. However, it is relatively time consuming. In this paper, we propose a new method based on the sparse signal representation theory. The overcomplete dictionary used for the sparse representation of seismic data with erratic data is composed of two bases: a wavelet basis used for representing the seismic data to implement deconvolution and a Dirac basis used for representing the erratic data. In addition, at the stage of seismic inversion after deconvolution, total variation and a priori model are used as the regularization constraint terms to estimate inversion results with a blocky and laterally continuous structure. The new method is successfully tested on the noisy synthetic seismic data with erratic data. Finally, the proposed method is performed on a real seismic data section, and the inversion results are reasonable, i.e. consistent with the geologic structure of the original seismic data. Compared to the conventional sparse deconvolution and inversion method, the proposed method not only eliminates the effect of outliers, but also has highly improved computational efficiency.
Acoustic emission processes occurring during high‐pressure sand compaction
Authors: Muñoz‐Ibáñez Andrea , Delgado‐Martín Jordi , Grande‐García Elisa
Published: September 2018

Granular materials submitted to uniaxial compression undergo pore space reduction due to mechanisms such as particle rearrangement and grain crushing. These changes in the internal structure of the material release energy in the form of elastic waves that can be detected by sensors sensitive to acoustic emission. In this study, Acoustic emission monitoring with a wavelet‐based signal processing technique is used to identify the various mechanisms occurring during high‐pressure sand compaction. Particle movement, grain failure, friction between grains and the surface of the compression cell and intergranular friction are studied. Acoustic emission data recorded during these simplified tests are used to characterize each phenomenon. Wavelet transform analyses allow the identification of useful features, making possible frequency discrimination among sliding, rolling, friction and grain fragmentation processes. For instance, we observe that at low stress, grain flow is characterized by the lowest centroid and peak frequencies, while at greater stresses, intergranular friction and grain fragmentation have the higher values. In the tests performed, the stress–strain evolution and final condition of the tested sand are broadly consistent, irrespective of the condition employed: continuous, stepwise or even variable loading rate or temperature. However, Acoustic emission data manifest much more complex behaviour (including thermal, load‐rate dependency and delayed fragmentation phenomena) than that suggested by stress–strain relationships. At low stress levels, grain flow (sliding/rolling) is a relevant strain‐accommodation mechanism, but so is crushing due to the effect of concentrated forces at the grain contact level. At high stresses, when crushing is generalized, intergranular friction is also a relevant phenomenon due to the increase in the coordination number produced by previous fragmentation.