bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nutritional Status of Pediatric Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Under Chemotherapy: A Pilot Longitudinal Study
Authors: Kandemir Ibrahim , Anak Sema , Karaman Serap , Yaman Akan , Varkal Muhammet Ali , Devecioglu Omer
Published: June 2023

Background:

The study investigates the nutritional status in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during chemotherapy treatment because nourishment is substantial, as much as chemotherapy in children with malignant diseases.

Material and Method:

We enrolled 17 children with ALL (between 1 to 16 year-old, mean age 6.03 ± 4.04 y) from 5 different centers in Istanbul between September 2013 and May 2014. Anthropometric data, prealbumin, B12, and folate levels were assessed, at diagnosis, after the induction phase of chemotherapy, and before maintenance phases of chemotherapy in a longitudinal and prospective study.

Results:

Patients remarkably lost weight at the end of the induction phase (P=0.064) and regained this loss before maintenance chemotherapy (P=0.001). At the end of induction chemotherapy serum prealbumin level (P=0.002), weight for height ratios (P=0.016), weight for age ratios (P=0.019) significantly decreased. From the end of the induction phase to the beginning of maintenance chemotherapy, weight (P=0.001) and weight for age (P=0.017) significantly, and weight for height were remarkably elevated (P=0.076). At the end of the induction phase, serum prealbumin levels were significantly lower (P=0.048) and below laboratory reference values (P=0.009) in children younger than 60 months compared with those older. Serum folate levels increased from the end of the induction phase to the beginning of the maintenance phase (P=0.025). Serum vitamin B12 levels did not alter significantly.

Conclusion:

There is malnutrition risk at the end of the induction phase of the ALL-BFM chemotherapy regimen; therefore, clinicians should follow up on nutrition closely, especially in under 5-year-old patients. However, before the beginning of the maintenance phase, children start to gain weight, and obesity risk occurs. Thus, further studies are needed to evaluate nutritional status during childhood ALL chemotherapy.
Body Mass Index, Obesity, and Mortality– Part I
Authors: Mestre Luis M. , Lartey Stella T. , Ejima Keisuke , Mehta Tapan , Keith Scott , Maki Kevin C. , Allison David B.
Published: June 2023

The association of obesity with mortality has been the subject of scientific investigation for centuries. Although historical observations, as well as more recent quantitative analyses, demonstrate a relationship of obesity with early death, there remain questions about the degree of the association and how it may vary with age, diet, physical activity, and other life circumstances. The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality is “U-shaped,” with the lowest mortality rate observed at a mildly overweight BMI. Many potential explanations have been postulated for higher mortality at both lower and higher levels of BMI, such as occult disease in those at low BMI; difference across categories in weight variability, smoking, and/or distribution of body fat; and the “fit but fat” phenotype. This review discusses some of the continuing questions and hypotheses surrounding the relationship of BMI with mortality and identifies additional research needed.
Internal Expansion Preconditioning of Recipient Site Increases Fat Graft Retention by Enriching Stem Cell Pool and Inducing Browning in Rats
Authors: He Yufei , Li Jian , Liang Zhuokai , Tang Haojing , Shi Jiaolong , Cai Junrong , Liao Yunjun
Published: June 2023

Background:

Fat grafting has an unsatisfactory retention rate for breast reconstruction due to poor recipient conditions. The contribution of the recipient site to fat grafts is unknown. In this study, we hypothesize that tissue expansion could improve fat graft retention by preconditioning the recipient fat fad.

Methods:

Over-expansion was achieved using 10 ml cylindrical soft-tissue expanders implanted beneath the left inguinal fat flaps of 16 Sprague-Dawley rats (weighing 250–300 g), whose contralateral parts were implanted with a silicone sheet as control. After 7-days expansion, the implants were removed and both inguinal fat flaps received 1 ml of fat grafts from 8 donor rats. Fluorescent dye-labeled mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) were injected into rats and tracked in vivo by fluorescence imaging. Transplanted adipose tissue was harvested at 4 and 10 weeks (n = 8 per time point).

Results:

After 7-days expansion, OCT4+ (p = 0.0002) and Ki67+ (p = 0.0004) positive area were increased with up-regulated expression of CXCL12 in recipient adipose flaps. An increasing number of DiI-positive MSCs were observed in the expanded fat pad. At 10 weeks after fat grafting, retention rate, measured using the Archimedes principle, was much higher in the expanded group than that in the non-expanded group (0.3019 ± 0.0680 vs. 0.1066 ± 0.0402, p = 0.0005). Histologic and transcriptional analyses revealed that angiogenesis was enhanced, and macrophage infiltration was decreased in the expanded group.

Conclusions:

Internal expansion preconditioning increased circulating stem cells into recipient fat pad and contributed to improved fat graft retention.
Incompletely Decellularized Tracheal Matrix Scaffold for Tissue Engineering
Authors: Zhou Yu , Zhang Jianhua , Zang Mengqing
Published: June 2023

Background:

Dense cartilaginous extracellular matrix makes decellularization and repopulation of tracheal cartilage difficult. However, the dense matrix isolates cartilaginous antigens from the recipient’s immune system. Therefore, allorejection may be avoided by removing antigens from non-cartilaginous tissues. In this study, incompletely decellularized tracheal matrix scaffolds were developed for tracheal tissue engineering.

Methods:

Brown Norway rat tracheae were decellularized with 4% sodium deoxycholate treatment. The cell and antigen removal efficacy, histoarchitecture, surface ultrastructure, glycosaminoglycan and collagen contents, mechanical properties, and chondrocyte viability of the scaffold were evaluated in vitro. Brown Norway rat tracheal matrix scaffolds (n = 6) were implanted subcutaneously into Lewis rats and observed for four weeks. Brown Norway rat tracheae (n = 6) and Lewis rat scaffolds (n = 6) were implanted as controls. Histological analysis of macrophage and lymphocyte infiltration was performed.

Results:

One decellularization cycle removed all cells and antigens from non-cartilaginous tissue. Incomplete decellularization preserved the structural integrity of the tracheal matrix and chondrocyte viability. Except for 31% glycosaminoglycan loss, the scaffold had comparable collagen content and tensile and compressive mechanical properties to those of the native trachea. The allogeneic scaffold showed remarkably reduced CD68+, CD8+, and CD4+ cell infiltration compared with the allografts and demonstrated similar cell infiltration to the syngeneic scaffold. It also maintained the 3D tracheal structure and cartilage viability in vivo.

Conclusions:

Incompletely decellularized trachea did not induce immunorejection and maintained the integrity and viability of cartilage in vivo. Tracheal decellularization and repopulation can be significantly simplified for urgent tracheal replacement.

Clinical Relevance Statement:

The present study describes the development of an incomplete decellularization protocol that creates a decellularized matrix scaffold for tracheal tissue engineering, aiming to provide preliminary data that this method may generate suitable tracheal scaffolds for use in tracheal replacement.
Effect of kelp gull harassment on southern right whale calf survival: a long-term capture–recapture analysis
Authors: Agrelo Macarena , Marón Carina F. , Daura-Jorge Fábio G. , Rowntree Victoria J. , Sironi Mariano , Hammond Philip S. , Ingram Simon N. , Vilches Florencia O. , Seger Jon , Simões-Lopes Paulo C.
Published: June 2023

Kelp gulls (
Larus dominicanus
) commonly feed on the skin and blubber of surfacing southern right whales (SRW,
Eubalaena australis
) in the near shore waters of Península Valdés (PV), Argentina. Mothers and especially calves respond to gull attacks by changing their swimming speeds, resting postures and overall behaviour. Gull-inflicted wounds per calf have increased markedly since the mid-1990s. Unusually high mortality of young calves occurred locally after 2003, and increasing evidence points to gull harassment as a factor contributing to the excess deaths. After leaving PV, calves undertake a long migration with their mothers to summer feeding areas; their health during this strenuous exertion is likely to affect their probabilities of first-year survival. To explore the effects of gull-inflicted wounds on calf survival, we analysed 44 capture–recapture observations between 1974 and 2017, for 597 whales photo-identified in their years of birth between 1974 and 2011. We found a marked decrease in first-year survival associated with an increase in wound severity over time. Our analysis supports recent studies indicating that gull harassment at PV may impact SRW population dynamics.
Discovery of facultative parthenogenesis in a new world crocodile
Authors: Booth Warren , Levine Brenna A. , Corush Joel B. , Davis Mark A. , Dwyer Quetzal , De Plecker Roel , Schuett Gordon W.
Published: June 2023

Over the past two decades, there has been an astounding growth in the documentation of vertebrate facultative parthenogenesis (FP). This unusual reproductive mode has been documented in birds, non-avian reptiles—specifically lizards and snakes—and elasmobranch fishes. Part of this growth among vertebrate taxa is attributable to awareness of the phenomenon itself and advances in molecular genetics/genomics and bioinformatics, and as such our understanding has developed considerably. Nonetheless, questions remain as to its occurrence outside of these vertebrate lineages, most notably in Chelonia (turtles) and Crocodylia (crocodiles, alligators and gharials). The latter group is particularly interesting because unlike all previously documented cases of FP in vertebrates, crocodilians lack sex chromosomes and sex determination is controlled by temperature. Here, using whole-genome sequencing data, we provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence of FP in a crocodilian, the American crocodile,
Crocodylus acutus
. The data support terminal fusion automixis as the reproductive mechanism; a finding which suggests a common evolutionary origin of FP across reptiles, crocodilians and birds. With FP now documented in the two main branches of extant archosaurs, this discovery offers tantalizing insights into the possible reproductive capabilities of the extinct archosaurian relatives of crocodilians and birds, notably members of Pterosauria and Dinosauria.
A purely visual adaptation to motion can differentiate between perceptual timing and interval timing
Authors: Bruno Aurelio , Segala Federico G. , Baker Daniel H.
Published: June 2023

It is unclear whether our brain extracts and processes time information using a single-centralized mechanism or through a network of distributed mechanisms, which are specific for modality and time range. Visual adaptation has previously been used to investigate the mechanisms underlying time perception for millisecond intervals. Here, we investigated whether a well-known duration after-effect induced by motion adaptation in the sub-second range (referred to as ‘perceptual timing’) also occurs in the supra-second range (called ‘interval timing’), which is more accessible to cognitive control. Participants judged the relative duration of two intervals after spatially localized adaptation to drifting motion. Adaptation substantially compressed the apparent duration of a 600 ms stimulus in the adapted location, whereas it had a much weaker effect on a 1200 ms interval. Discrimination thresholds after adaptation improved slightly relative to baseline, implying that the duration effect cannot be ascribed to changes in attention or to noisier estimates. A novel computational model of duration perception can explain both these results and the bidirectional shifts of perceived duration after adaptation reported in other studies. We suggest that we can use adaptation to visual motion as a tool to investigate the mechanisms underlying time perception at different time scales.
An initial but receding altercentric bias in preverbal infants' memory
Authors: Manea Velisar , Kampis Dora , Grosse Wiesmann Charlotte , Revencu Barbu , Southgate Victoria
Published: June 2023

Young learners would seem to face a daunting challenge in selecting to what they should attend, a problem that may have been exacerbated in human infants by changes in carrying practices during human evolution. A novel theory proposes that human infant cognition has an altercentric bias whereby early in life, infants prioritize encoding events that are the targets of others’ attention. We tested for this bias by asking whether, when the infant and an observing agent have a conflicting perspective on an object's location, the co-witnessed location is better remembered. We found that 8- but not 12-month-olds expected the object to be at the location where the agent had seen it. These findings suggest that in the first year of life, infants may prioritize the encoding of events to which others attend, even though it may sometimes result in memory errors. However, the disappearance of this bias by 12 months suggests that altercentricism is a feature of very early cognition. We propose that it facilitates learning at a unique stage in the life history when motoric immaturity limits infants' interaction with the environment; at this stage, observing others could maximally leverage the information selection process.
Phylomitogenomics bolsters the high-level classification of Demospongiae (phylum Porifera)
Authors: Lavrov Dennis V. , Diaz Cristina , Maldonado Manuel , Morrow Christine , Perez Thierry , Pomponi Shirley A. , Thucker Robert W.
Published: June 2023

Class Demospongiae – the largest in the phylum Porifera (Sponges) – encompasses nearly 8,000 accepted species in three subclasses: Keratosa, Verongimorpha, and Heteroscleromorpha. Subclass Heteroscleromorpha contains ∼90% of demosponge species and is subdivided into 17 orders. The higher level classification of demosponges underwent major revision as the result of nearly three decades of molecular studies. However, because most of the previous molecular work only utilized partial data from a small number of nuclear and mitochondrial (mt) genes, this classification scheme needs to be tested by larger datasets. Here we compiled a mt dataset for 136 demosponge species – including 64 complete or nearly complete and six partial mt-genome sequences determined or assembled for this study – and used it to test phylogenetic relationships among Demospongiae in general and Heteroscleromorpha in particular. We also investigated the phylogenetic position ofMyceliospongia araneosa– a highly unusual demosponge without spicules and spongin fibers, currently classified as Demospongiaeincertae sedis, for which molecular data were not available. Our results support the previously inferred sister-group relationship between Heteroscleromorpha and Keratosa + Verongimorpha and suggest five main clades within Heteroscleromorpha: Clade C0 composed of order Haplosclerida; Clade C1 composed of Scopalinida, Sphaerocladina, and Spongillida; Clade C2 composed of Axinellida, Biemnida, Bubarida; Clade C3 composed of Tetractinellida; and Clade C4 composed of Agelasida, Clionaida, Desmacellida, Merliida, Suberitida, Poecilosclerida, Polymastiida, and Tethyida. The inferred relationships among these clades were (C0(C1(C2(C3+C4)))). Analysis of molecular data fromM. araneosaplaced it in the C3 clade as a sister taxon to the highly skeletonized tetractinellidsMicrosclerodermasp. andLeiodermatiumsp. Molecular clock analysis dated divergences among the major clades in Heteroscleromorpha from the Cambrian to the Early Silurian, the origins of most heteroscleromorph orders in the middle Paleozoic, and the most basal splits within these orders around the Paleozoic to Mesozoic transition. Overall, the results of this study are mostly congruent with the accepted classification of Heteroscleromorpha, but add temporal perspective and new resolution to phylogenetic relationships within this subclass.
The Non-Mevalonate Pathway Requires a Delicate Balance of Intermediates to Maximize Terpene Production
Authors: Raghavan Indu , Wang Zhen Q.
Published: June 2023

Terpenes are valuable industrial chemicals whose demands are increasingly being met by bioengineering microbes such asE. coli. Although the bioengineering efforts commonly involve installing the mevalonate (MVA) pathway inE. colifor terpene production, the less studied methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway is a more attractive target due to its higher energy efficiency and theoretical yield, despite its tight regulation. In this study, we integrated an additional copy of the entire MEP pathway into theE. coligenome for stable, marker-free terpene production. The genomically integrated strain produced more monoterpene geraniol than a plasmid-based system. The pathway genes’ transcription was modulated using different promoters to produce geraniol as the reporter of the pathway flux. Pathway genes, includingdxs, idi, andispDF, expressed from a medium-strength promoter, led to the highest geraniol production. Quantifying the MEP pathway intermediates revealed that the highest geraniol producers had high levels of isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP), but moderate levels of the pathway intermediates upstream of these two building blocks. A principal component analysis demonstrated that 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate (DXP), the product of the first enzyme of the pathway, was critical for determining the geraniol titer, whereas MEP, the product of DXP reductoisomerase (Dxr or IspC), was the least essential. This work shows that an intricate balance of the MEP pathway intermediates determines the terpene yield in engineeredE. coli. The genetically stable and intermediate-balanced strains created in this study will serve as a chassis for producing various terpenes.

Key Points

Genome-integrated MEP pathway afforded higher strain stability

Genome-integrated MEP pathway produced more terpene than the plasmid-based system

High monoterpene production requires a fine balance of MEP pathway intermediates
The Emergence of Circadian Timekeeping in the Intestine
Authors: Parasram Kathyani , Zuccato Amy , Shin Minjeong , Willms Reegan , Deveale Brian , Foley Edan , Karpowicz Phillip
Published: June 2023

The circadian clock is a molecular timekeeper, present from cyanobacteria to mammals, that coordinates internal physiology with the external environment. The clock has a 24-hour period however development proceeds with its own timing, raising the question of how these interact. Using the intestine ofDrosophila melanogasteras a model for organ development, we track how and when the circadian clock emerges in specific cell types. We find that the circadian clock begins abruptly in the adult intestine and gradually synchronizes to the environment after intestinal development is complete. This delayed start occurs because individual cells at earlier stages lack the complete circadian clock gene network. As the intestine develops, the circadian clock is first consolidated in intestinal stem cells with changes in ecdysone and Bursicon hormone signalling influencing the transcriptional activity of Clk/cyc to drive the expression oftim,Pdp1,andvri. In the mature intestine, stem cell lineage commitment transiently disrupts clock activity in differentiating progeny, mirroring early developmental clock-less transitions. Our data show that clock function and differentiation are incompatible and provide a paradigm for studying circadian clocks in development and stem cell lineages.
Decreased inter-hemispheric connectivity predicts a coherent retrieval of auditory symbolic material in a laboratory model of cultural transmission
Authors: Bonetti Leonardo , Vænggård Anna Kildall , Iorio Claudia , Vuust Peter , Lumaca Massimo
Published: June 2023

Investigating the transmission of information between individuals is essential to understand how human culture evolved. Coherent information transmission (i.e., transmission without significant modifications or loss of fidelity) helps preserving cultural traits and traditions over time, while innovation may lead to new cultural variants. Although much research has focused on the cognitive mechanisms underlying cultural transmission, little is known on the brain underpinnings of coherent transmission of information. To address this gap, we combined a laboratory model of cultural transmission, the signalling games, with structural (from high-resolution diffusion imaging) and functional connectivity (from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI]). We found that individuals who exhibited more coherence in the transmission of the information were characterized by lower levels of both structural and functional inter-hemispheric connectivity. Specifically, higher coherence negatively correlated with the strength of bilateral structural connections between frontal and subcortical, insular and temporal brain regions. Similarly, we observed increased inter-hemispheric functional connectivity between inferior frontal brain regions derived from structural connectivity analysis in individuals who exhibited lower transmission coherence. Our results suggest that inter-hemispheric connections may bwe detrimental for preserving coherence in information transmission, while a certain degree of lateralization in the brain may be required.
Novel methodology to determine thermal properties of nanoparticles exclusively based on SAXS measurements applied to Bi nanocrystals and nanodroplets in a glass matrix
Authors: Kellermann Guinther , Craievich Aldo Felix
Published: June 2023

A novel methodology is presented to determine thermal properties of polydisperse nanocrystals and/or nanodroplets embedded in a homogeneous matrix using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). It is based solely on SAXS measurements at multiple temperatures and multiple moduli of the scattering vector. The proposed methodology can quantify the linear coefficients of thermal expansion of confined spherical nanocrystals and/or nanodroplets and the radius dependence of the melting temperature of confined spherical nanocrystals, even in samples with a broad size distribution. It is described through its application on a nanocomposite consisting of Bi nanocrystals/nanodroplets embedded in a sodium borate glass matrix. The linear coefficient of thermal expansion of Bi nanocrystals in the glass was ca 50% higher than that of bulk crystalline Bi, and the coefficient of liquid Bi nanodroplets was 25% smaller than that of bulk liquid Bi. The melting temperature of the spherical Bi nanocrystals decreased by ca 130 K when particle radii decreased from 82 to 23 Å. Even though SAXS measurements are generally expected to provide low-resolution structural parameters, this demonstrates that this technique allows for the characterization of rather weak temperature-dependent variations of size parameters during in situ heating processes and across melting transitions.
Convergence in working conditions
Authors: Antón José-Ignacio , Grande Rafael , Muñoz de Bustillo Rafael
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the existence of convergence in non-monetary working conditions in Europe resorting to widely used definitions of this phenomenon and composite indexes of job quality.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis relies on composite indexes, widely used in previous literature, for 207 regions in six different areas of job quality drawing on the microdata of the European Working Conditions Survey from 1995 to 2015. This study assesses the occurrence of convergence both in terms of dispersion of job quality outcomes (sigma-convergence) and, especially, regarding the existence of a catch-up process (beta-convergence).

Findings

This study finds evidence of both types of convergences in all the domains, with the exception of skills and discretion and prospects dimensions according to the sigma-convergence approach. The results do not suggest substantial differences between the 15 European Union countries before the 2004 enlargement and the new Member States and are robust to a wide range of changes in the sample and different econometric specifications.

Originality/value

Tot he best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper represents the first rigorous and systematic attempt of addressing the existence of convergence in non-monetary working conditions, applying formal and widely accepted definitions of this phenomenon. It contributes to our knowledge on this topic providing strong evidence of convergence in job quality. Those results can be of interest for scholars in Economics and other Social Sciences.
The interaction of organizational politics and political skill on employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying: the conservation of resources theory perspective
Authors: Charoensukmongkol Peerayuth
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Considering the detrimental impact of workplace cyberbullying on employees and organizations, it is necessary to understand factors that potentially induce employees to engage in cyberbullying and to recognize personal characteristics that may help employees mitigate its impact. This research applies the conservation of resources (COR) theory to investigate the effect of organizational politics and political skill on employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying as well as to analyze the subsequent impact on emotional exhaustion. Moreover, the interaction effect of political skill and organizational politics on employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying is analyzed.

Design/methodology/approach

The total of 358 complete questionnaires were obtained from one medium-sized public university in Thailand. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data.

Findings

The analysis supports the positive association between organizational politics and employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying. Employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying also has a positive association with emotional exhaustion. On the other hand, the analysis showed that political skill has a negative association with employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying. The result from the moderating effect analysis further shows that political skill also reduces the impact of organizational politics on employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying.

Originality/value

The incorporation of the COR theory provides theoretical insight into how political skill of employees can buffer the impact of organizational politics on exposure to workplace cyberbullying. It advances the knowledge found in previous research that lacked solid theory to explain the interaction between organizational politics and political skill of employees in the area of workplace cyberbullying.
Understanding young Chinese consumers' preferences for foreign clothing brands: a behavioural approach
Authors: May Daniel Esteban , Arancibia Sara , Wang Calvin , Hill Nigel , Behrendt Karl
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This research explores the purchasing behavioural drivers of young Chinese consumers purchasing foreign clothing brands. The aim is to include a range of drivers identified by different investigations into a single approach, to determine direct and indirect channels by which these drivers influence purchasing behaviour, and their relative importance in quantitative terms.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology is based on an extended version of the theory of planned behaviour that considers hypotheses based on a number of studies revised in the literature review. This theoretical framework was used as the basis for a questionnaire applied to a sample of 362 young Chinese consumers. A Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling approach was used to analyse the collected data.

Findings

The results revealed three main channels influencing purchasing behaviour which were shown to share the same root, corresponding to the influences of the social network young consumers belong to. This result suggests that social norms have a key role in explaining young consumers' purchasing behaviour through its impact on their needs for status and social recognition, their attitudes towards foreign cultures and foreign brands, and their beliefs regarding the attributes of foreign clothing.

Practical implications

The work therefore provides companies operating in the foreign clothing market the confidence to devise business strategies that focus on the channel demonstrating the highest influencing power. A strategy likely to have the highest influencing power is one that uses celebrities to promote the reputation of products and reinforce the messages associated with status and social recognition. Reinforcement of these strategies could include secondary strategies linked to the other channels such as the one related to the adoption of foreign cultural symbolism.

Originality/value

In contrast to the majority of related studies, this investigation also explores indirect channels or paths by which a behavioural driver affects the behaviour of young Chinese consumers. In fact, this investigation not only simultaneously identified the different paths influencing young Chinese consumers purchasing behaviour but also quantitatively identified their relative importance.
Self-initiated expatriation: a career perspective through a social chronology lens
Authors: Gunz Hugh
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This is a conceptual paper, intended to link the constructs self-initiated expatriation (SIE) and career. The author suggests that regarding SIE as an episode in a career allows one to use ideas from the careers literature to suggest novel areas for research on SIE, thereby contributing to the SIE literature. The author employs a particular perspective on career – the social chronology framework (SCF) – to show how the framework can suggest these novel areas of research on self-initiated expatriation. The SCF views careers through three perspectives related to the space within which the career takes place, the career actor who “has” the career, and the time over which the career plays out. By looking at SIEs through each of these perspectives in turn a number of research questions are suggested that have the potential to enrich the SIE literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper first considers the construct of career and shows how self-initiated expatriation fits with it. Next, it introduces the SCF, and finally shows how it can be used to derive ideas for research on self-initiated expatriation.

Findings

There are none, given that this is a conceptual paper.

Research limitations/implications

The paper suggests future directions for research on SIEs.

Originality/value

The author believes that the application of the SCF to the study of self-initiated expatriation is novel.
Implementing and performing sustainability strategies at campus operations: the case of Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina
Authors: Reisch Osni Cristiano , Lima Josiane , Soares Thiago Coelho , Tutida Alessandra Yula , Mazon Gisele , Andrade de Lima Maurício , Montenegro de Lima Carlos Rogério , Dutra Ana Regina Aguiar , Guerra José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the alignment between sustainable performance and sustainability planning in higher education, proposing a strategic map that integrates planning with the implementation of performance actions and sustainable performance on campuses.

Design/methodology/approach

The literature review development addresses sustainability in higher education institutions (HEIs). Data collection took place in two ways, documentary, through the analysis of documents and through an open interview, guided by a script with 13 questions. For data interpretation, the content analysis technique was applied.

Findings

To achieve the objective of this work, this study proposed a sustainable performance strategic map for better management of the university’s green strategies, based on three dimensions: internal processes, educational and sustainable performance.

Originality/value

This study’s main contribution was to propose a sustainable performance strategic map as a strategic management system aimed at HEIs to accelerate the promotion of sustainability in these organizations.
Network bricolage of international entrepreneurs for new market entry: a cross-national study of small biotech firms
Authors: Yang Man , Leppäaho Tanja
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The authors aimed to contribute to the interface of comparative international entrepreneurship and international marketing by exploring the micro-foundations and micro-processes of network bricolage aimed at international market entry among the entrepreneurs of small biotechnology firms. The research questions of the study are (1) How do the international entrepreneurs of small firms act and use their domestic and/or international networks for new market entry? (2) How are the micro-foundations and micro-processes of networking similar or different between individuals from different countries?

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research design was used to investigate six cases from different countries of origin, looking at the micro-foundations and micro-processes underlying international market entry undertaken by entrepreneurs from Canada, Finland and New Zealand.

Findings

The micro-foundations for network bricolage by international entrepreneurs were taken to involve features of the country of origin, including market size and location, and the usefulness of the official language of the nation. The micro-processes were taken to involve the international entrepreneur’s network bricolage actions (i.e. collaborating and generating, obtaining and applying, reaching and maintaining, and seeking and reviewing), while encompassing also the location of their networks (domestic and/or international) and the operational domains these belonged to (R&D, funding, sales channel and customer). The study categorised three types of international entrepreneurs undertaking new market entry, illustrating cross-national differences: (1) sales-channel-oriented seekers, (2) funding-oriented riders and (3) customer-oriented hunters.

Originality/value

The study contributes to research on comparative international entrepreneurship and international marketing. This findings show that national-level micro-foundations influence the actions of network bricolage, the importance of various operational domains and the location of the network ties used. This main contribution is a conceptual model based on our cross-national investigation of international entrepreneurs’ networking actions. The authors reveal the micro-foundations and micro-processes relevant to international entrepreneurs’ network bricolage for new market entry, and present examples of international entrepreneur types emerging from our cross-national setting.
The influences of communitarian philosophy in public policy: mapping the discourse of Scottish public library strategy
Authors: Paton Colin , McMenemy David
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This research investigates the presence of communitarian philosophy within contemporary Scottish public library strategy, exploring links between philosophy, politics and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper follows a qualitative research approach, combining content analysis and discourse analysis methodologies for the analysis of a corpus of Scottish public library trust documentation according to a thematic framework of communitarian values.

Findings

The analysis revealed strong links between trust strategy and communitarian values but also highlighted contradictions within this form of communitarianism which belied a deeper neoliberal philosophical foundation. The research therefore identified a communitarian strategic service shift which introduced benefits of social inclusion, community autonomy and common good but also brought concerns of an inherently weakened communal foundation and the survival of a neoliberal status quo.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis is focused on strategy in Scotland only and thus can only claim to be representative of that country. However, the growth in communitarian strategies in the public sector is informed from the analysis undertaken.

Practical implications

The paper provides a novel analysis of public library strategy and thus contributes to the understanding of public library practice in the modern era.

Social implications

The impacts of communitarian philosophy in the public sphere are under-researched and how these changes impact the mission of libraries needs to be better understood.

Originality/value

This is the first analysis to consider public library strategy from a communitarian point of view. As such, it provides novel insights into a growing area of public service development.
Learning from the pioneering founders of the service research field
Authors: Bowen David E. , Fisk Raymond P. , Bateson John E.G. , Berry Leonard L. , Bitner Mary Jo , Brown Stephen W. , Chase Richard B. , Edvardsson Bo , Grönroos Christian , Parasuraman A. , Schneider Benjamin , Zeithaml Valarie A.
Published: June 2023

Purpose

A small group of pioneering founders led the creation and early evolution of the service research field. Decades later, this article shares timeless service wisdom from ten of those pioneering founders.

Design/methodology/approach

Bowen and Fisk specified three criteria by which to identify a pioneering founder. In total, 11 founders met the criteria (Bateson, Berry, Bitner, Brown, Chase, Edvardsson, Grönroos, Gummesson, Parasuraman, Schneider and Zeithaml) and were invited to join Bowen and Fisk – founders that also met the criteria as coauthors. Ten founders then answered a set of questions regarding their careers as service scholars and the state of the field.

Findings

Insightful reflections were provided by each of the ten pioneering founders. In addition, based on their synthesis of the reflections, Bowen and Fisk developed nine wisdom themes for service researchers to consider and to possibly act upon.

Originality/value

The service research field is in its fifth decade. This article offers a unique way to learn directly from the pioneering founders about the still-relevant history of the field, the founders' lives and contributions as service scholars and the founders' hopes and concerns for the service research field.
Does perpetrator gender influence attitudes towards intimate partner violence (IPV)? Examining the relationship between male-perpetrated and female-perpetrated IPV attitudes among a sample of UK young adults
Authors: Conroy Ethan , Willmott Dominic , Murphy Anthony , Widanaralalage B. Kennath
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Understanding of the role that attitudes and beliefs may play on the judgments people make about intimate partner violence (IPV) is becoming increasingly important, notably in the context of the criminal justice process and in recognising IPV as a public health issue. This study aims to investigate the importance of several established factors predictive of attitudes towards male-perpetrated IPV, which have never previously been explored in relation to female-perpetrated IPV.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 295 young adults (18–28) from across the UK completed an online survey (M Age = 23.82) comprised of four established psychometric inventories; the Rosenberg Self-esteem scale, Satisfaction with Life scale, Attitudes Towards Female Dating Violence scale and newly developed Modern Adolescent Dating Violence Attitudes (MADVA) scale, alongside a suite of associated demographic factors.

Findings

Results derived from a multiple linear regression indicates that three types of attitudes towards male-perpetrated violence against women (physical, sexual, and psychological abuse offline), were significant predictors of attitudes towards female-perpetrated IPV, along with gender and ethnicity. Self-esteem, satisfaction with life, age and education among those surveyed were not associated with attitudes towards female-perpetrated IPV.

Practical implications

The results have important implications in developing educational programmes for those who have committed IPV offences, as well as teaching young people about the nature of partner abuse.

Originality/value

The results suggest that those who endorse attitudes supportive of male-perpetrated IPV in offline environments, also endorse violence-supportive beliefs towards female-perpetrated IPV. In effect, violence-supportive attitudes are held irrespective of the sex of the perpetrator. However, this may differ in terms of how individuals view online types of abuse, where these attitudes appear to be processed differentially to offline attitudes.
Netflix’s growth in India on a slippery turf
Authors: Saldanha Avil , Aranha Rekha
Published: June 2023

Research methodology

A secondary research method was used to collect data for this case. The authors have made use of newspaper articles and published articles written by journalists and experts, which are available in the public domain.

Case overview/synopsis

This case discusses the hurdles faced by Netflix in India. Netflix experienced rapid growth ever since its entry into the Indian over-the-top (OTT) sector. The aggressive pricing strategies by OTT competitors put Netflix in a defensive position in India. Netflix introduced the low-priced mobile-only plan to attract price-sensitive Indian consumers. However, this was not sufficient. Netflix was forced to reduce the price of all its plans in December 2021. The dilemma faced by Reed Hastings (Founder and Co-CEO, Netflix) was whether the revised price was low enough to hold on to existing subscribers and attract new subscribers in India. Netflix was caught between the rock and the hard place in its pursuit to achieve its target of achieving 100 million subscribers from India versus continuing its skimming-pricing strategy. This case highlights the compound challenges of low household income in India and high-income inequality resulting in a lower available market for multinational service providers such as Netflix. The pricing plans and features of OTT competitors in India have also been discussed in sufficient depth to facilitate analysis and classroom discussion by the target audience.

Complexity academic level

Undergraduate students studying marketing management and basic marketing courses in business management and commerce streams can use this case. This case can also be used for marketing specialization courses at the undergraduate level.
Effects of sand burial on seedling growth of the coastal dune plant Viola grayi: Tolerance and adaptive responses to sand accretion
Authors: Kuroda Asumo
Published: June 2023

The responses of Viola grayi seedlings to complete sand burial were experimentally assessed in this study. Approximately 10‐month‐old seedlings were buried in sand to a depth of 0, 1, 5, or 15 cm. The re‐emerged seedlings were counted for 5 months, and the dry weights were compared. The results showed that shallow burial promoted the shoot development and total growth of seedlings. The dry weights of stems and leaves and the total dry weight of seedlings were higher in plants buried at depths of 1 and 5 cm than in unburied plants. The dry weight of roots did not differ among them. No seedlings buried at a 15‐cm depth re‐emerged. Most seedlings buried at 1‐ and 5‐cm depths produced adventitious roots from below‐ground stems. The tolerance and adaptive responses of V. grayi seedlings to sand accretion may contribute to their establishment in sand‐accumulating habitats.
Tandem mass tag‐based quantitative proteomics reveals osmotic adaptation mechanisms in Alkalicoccus halolimnae BZ‐SZ‐XJ29T, a halophilic bacterium with a broad salinity range for optimal growth
Authors: Xing Qinghua , Mesbah Noha M. , Wang Haisheng , Zhang Yingjie , Li Jun , Zhao Baisuo
Published: June 2023

The moderate halophilic bacterium Alkalicoccus halolimnae BZ‐SZ‐XJ29T exhibits optimum growth over a wide range of NaCl concentrations (8.3–12.3%, w/v; 1.42–2.1 mol L−1). However, its adaptive mechanisms to cope with high salt‐induced osmotic stress remain unclear. Using TMT‐based quantitative proteomics, the cellular proteome was assessed under low (4% NaCl, 0.68 mol L−1 NaCl, control (CK) group), moderate (8% NaCl, 1.37 mol L−1 NaCl), high (12% NaCl, 2.05 mol L−1 NaCl), and extremely high (16% NaCl, 2.74 mol L−1 NaCl) salinity conditions. Digital droplet PCR confirmed the transcription of candidate genes related to salinity. A. halolimnae utilized distinct adaptation strategies to cope with different salinity conditions. Mechanisms such as accumulating different amounts and types of compatible solutes (i.e., ectoine, glycine betaine, glutamate, and glutamine) and the uptake of glycine betaine and glutamate were employed to cope with osmotic stress. Ectoine synthesis and accumulation were critical to the salt adaptation of A. halolimnae. The expression of EctA, EctB, and EctC, as well as the intracellular accumulation of ectoine, significantly and consistently increased with increasing salinity. Glycine betaine and glutamate concentrations remained constant under the four NaCl concentrations. The total content of glutamine and glutamate maintained a dynamic balance and, when exposed to different salinities, may play a role in low salinity‐induced osmoadaptation. Moreover, cellular metabolism was severely affected at high salt concentrations, but the synthesis of amino acids, carbohydrate metabolism, and membrane transport related to haloadptation was preserved to maintain cytoplasmic concentration at high salinity. These findings provide insights into the osmoadaptation mechanisms of moderate halophiles and can serve as a theoretical underpinning for industrial production and application of compatible solutes.
The Slipperiness of Name: Biography and Gender in Australian Cultural Databases
Authors: Cutter Nat , Fensham Rachel , Sumner Tyne Daile
Published: June 2023

In this article, we examine and historicise problems related to name and gender in biographical and cultural databases. Combining theoretical and computational approaches to onomastics, we identify contradictory naming conventions, intriguing patterns and distinct institutional vestiges in the recording and representation of artistic careers. We evaluate the affordances and constraints of naming conventions in Australian cultural databases, considering evolving trends in data collection and use, in relation to the complex lives of individual artists. We argue that this local‐level analysis extends to wider transnational debates in historiography, gender studies and digital humanities research today and propose some conceptual and technical solutions for building and using cultural databases in the future.