bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reduced Plasma Ascorbic Acid Levels in Recipients of Myeloablative Conditioning & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Authors: Rasheed Mahmood , Simmons Gary , Fisher Bernard , Leslie Kevin , Reed Jason , Roberts Catherine , Natarajan Ramesh , Fowler Alpha , Toor Amir
Published: February 2019

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) conditioned using myeloablative conditioning (MAC) is complicated by end organ injury due to endothelial dysfunction and graft versus host disease. Mucositis and oxidant injury results in micronutrient deficiency. Ascorbic acid (AA) levels were measured in 15 patients undergoing HCT conditioned with MAC (11 allogeneic and 4 autologous HCT). Ascorbate levels declined post conditioning to 27.3 (±14.1) by day 0 (p <0.05 compared with baseline), reaching a nadir level of 21.5 (±13.8) on day 14 (p <0.05) post-transplant. Patients undergoing allogeneic HCT continued to have low AA levels to day 60 post transplant, whereas recipients of autologous HCT recovered plasma AA levels to normal. The role of AA in maintaining endothelial function and hematopoietic as well as T cell recovery is provided, developing the rationale for repletion of vitamin C following HCT.
Memory-guided microsaccades
Authors: Willeke Konstantin-Friedrich , Tian Xiaoguang , Buonocore Antimo , Bellet Joachim , Ramirez-Cardenas Araceli , Hafed Ziad M.
Published: February 2019

Microsaccades are overwhelmingly described as involuntary eye movements. Here we show in both human subjects and monkeys that individual microsaccades of any direction can easily be triggered: (1) “on demand”, based on an arbitrary instruction, (2) without any special training, (3) without visual guidance by a stimulus, and (4) in a spatially and temporally accurate manner. Subjects voluntarily generated instructed “memory-guided” microsaccades readily, and similarly to how they made normal visually-guided ones. In two monkeys, we also observed midbrain superior colliculus neurons that exhibited movement-related activity bursts exclusively for memory-guided microsaccades, but not for similarly-sized visually-guided movements. Our results demonstrate behavioral and neural evidence for voluntary control over individual microsaccades, supporting recently discovered functional contributions of individual microsaccade generation to visual performance alterations and covert visual selection.
HtrA1 alters endothelial tube formation characteristics in an in vitro model
Authors: Singh Harmeet , Nie Guiying
Published: February 2019

High temperature requirement factor A1 (HtrA1) is a serine protease of the mammalian HtrA family. It is ubiquitously expressed with high levels in the placenta. Dysregulation of HtrA1 has been linked to a number of diseases, in particular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and preeclampsia (PE) in which HtrA1 is significantly increased. AMD is the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment in older people, affecting millions across the globe. PE is a life-threatening pregnancy complication, affecting 2-7% of pregnant women worldwide. Although AMD and PE are very different diseases, both are associated with endothelial dysfunction and dysregulation of angiogenesis. Given HtrA1 is up-regulated in both AMD and PE, in this study we examined the impact of excessive HtrA1 on capillary tube formation of HUVECs as an in vitro angiogenesis model. HtrA1 at high concentrations significantly increased the total number of tube branch points and inter-tubular loops, but considerably decreased the mean tube length, resulting in more but much smaller tubes. However, these smaller tubes were incomplete/broken. These data demonstrated that high concentrations of HtrA1 altered endothelial tube formation characteristics of HUVEVs. Our results suggest that HtrA1 over-expression in AMD and PE may directly contribute to the endothelial dysfunction in these diseases.
Computational identification of novel Kir6 channel inhibitors
Authors: Chen Xingyu , Garon Arthur , Wieder Marcus , Houtman Marien J.C. , Zangerl-Plessl Eva-Maria , Langer Thierry , van der Heyden Marcel A.G. , Stary-Weinzinger Anna
Published: February 2019

KATP channels consist of four Kir6.x pore–forming subunits and four regulatory sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) subunits. These channels couple the metabolic state of the cell to membrane excitability and play a key role in physiological processes such as insulin secretion in the pancreas, protection of cardiac muscle during ischemia and hypoxic vasodilation of arterial smooth muscle cells. Abnormal channel function resulting from inherited gain or loss-of-function mutations in either the Kir6.x and/or SUR subunits are associated with severe diseases such as neonatal diabetes, congenital hyperinsulinism or Cantú syndrome (CS). CS is an ultra-rare genetic autosomal dominant disorder, caused by dominant gain-of-function mutations in SUR2A or Kir6.1 subunits. No specific pharmacotherapeutic treatment options are currently available for Cantú syndrome. Kir6 specific inhibitors could be beneficial for the development of novel drug therapies for Cantú syndrome, particular for mutations, which lack high affinity for sulfonylurea inhibitor glibenclamide. By applying a combination of computational methods including atomistic MD simulations, free energy calculations and pharmacophore modelling, we identified several novel Kir6.1 inhibitors, which might be possible candidates for drug repurposing. The in silico predictions were confirmed using inside/out patch-clamp analysis. Importantly, Cantú mutation C176S in Kir6.1 and S1020P in SUR2A, retained high affinity towards the novel inhibitors. Summarizing, the inhibitors identified in this study might provide a starting point towards developing novel therapies for Cantú disease.
Analysis of the recombination landscape of hexaploid bread wheat reveals genes controlling recombination and gene conversion frequency
Authors: Gardiner Laura-Jayne , Wingen Luzie U. , Bailey Paul , Joynson Ryan , Brabbs Thomas , Wright Jonathan , Higgins James D. , Hall Neil , Griffiths Simon , Clavijo Bernardo J. , Hall Anthony
Published: February 2019

Sequence exchange between homologous chromosomes through crossing over and gene conversion is highly conserved among eukaryotes, contributing to genome stability and genetic diversity. Lack of recombination limits breeding efforts in crops, therefore increasing recombination rates can reduce linkage-drag and generate new genetic combinations. We use computational analysis of 13 recombinant inbred mapping populations to assess crossover and gene conversion frequency in the hexaploid genome of wheat (Triticum aestivum). We observe that high frequency crossover sites are shared between populations and that closely related parental founders lead to populations with more similar crossover patterns. We demonstrate that gene conversion is more prevalent and covers more of the genome in wheat than in other plants, making it a critical process in the generation of new haplotypes, particularly in centromeric regions where crossovers are rare. We have identified QTL for altered gene conversion and crossover frequency and confirm functionality for a novel RecQ helicase gene that belongs to an ancient clade that is missing in some plant lineages including Arabidopsis. This is the first gene to be demonstrated to be involved in gene conversion in wheat. Harnessing the RecQ helicase has the potential to break linkage-drag utilizing widespread gene conversions.
Transmission of human-associated microbiota along family and social networks
Authors: Brito Ilana L. , Gurry Thomas , Zhao Shijie , Huang Katherine , Young Sarah K. , Shea Terrence P. , Naisilisili Waisea , Jenkins Aaron P. , Jupiter Stacy D. , Gevers Dirk , Alm Eric J.
Published: February 2019

The human microbiome, described as an accessory organ because of the crucial functions it provides, is composed of species that are uniquely found in humans1,2. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the impact of routine interpersonal contacts in shaping microbiome composition. In a relatively ‘closed’ cohort of 287 people from the Fiji Islands, where common barriers to bacterial transmission are absent, we examine putative bacterial transmission in individuals’ gut and oral microbiomes using strain-level data from both core SNPs and flexible genomic regions. We find a weak signal of transmission, defined by the inferred sharing of genotypes, across many organisms that, in aggregate, reveals strong transmission patterns, most notably within households and between spouses. We find that women harbor strains more closely related to those harbored by their familial and social contacts than men; and that transmission patterns of oral- and gut-associated microbiota need not be the same. Using strain-level data alone, we are able to confidently predict a subset of spouses, highlighting the role of shared susceptibilities, behaviors or social interactions that distinguish specific links in the social network.
Class IIa HDACs regulate learning and memory through dynamic experience-dependent repression of transcription
Authors: Zhu Yongchuan , Huang Min , Bushong Eric , Uytiepo Marco , Beutter Elizabeth , Boemer Daniel , Ellisman Mark , Maximov Anton
Published: February 2019

The formation of new memories requires transcription. However, the mechanisms that limit signaling of relevant gene programs in space and time for precision of coding and the roles of these programs in specific aspects of information processing remain poorly understood. We found that, during learning, the cellular patterns of expression of early response genes (ERGs) are regulated by class IIa HDACs 4 and 5, transcriptional repressors that transiently enter neuronal nuclei from cytoplasm after sensory input. Mice lacking these repressors in the forebrain have abnormally broad experience-dependent expression of ERGs, altered synaptic architecture and function, elevated anxiety, and severely impaired memory. By acutely manipulating the nuclear activity of class IIa HDACs in behaving animals using a chemical-genetic technique, we further demonstrate that rapid induction of ERG programs is critical for memory acquisition but these programs may become dispensable when a stable memory is formed. These results provide new insights into the molecular basis of memory storage.
Utilizing Hirshfeld surface calculations, non-covalent interaction (NCI) plots and the calculation of interaction energies in the analysis of molecular packing
Authors: Tan Sang Loon , Jotani Mukesh M. , Tiekink Edward R. T.
Published: February 2019

The analysis of atom-to-atom and/or residue-to-residue contacts remains a favoured mode of analysing the molecular packing in crystals. In this contribution, additional tools are highlighted as methods for analysis in order to complement the `crystallographer's tool', PLATON [Spek (2009). Acta Cryst. D65, 148–155]. Thus, a brief outline of the procedures and what can be learned by using Crystal Explorer [Spackman & Jayatilaka (2009). CrystEngComm
11, 19–23] is presented. Attention is then directed towards evaluating the nature, i.e. attractive/weakly attractive/repulsive, of specific contacts employing NCIPLOT [Johnson et al. (2010). J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132, 6498–6506]. This is complemented by a discussion of the calculation of energy frameworks utilizing the latest version of Crystal Explorer. All the mentioned programs are free of charge and straightforward to use. More importantly, they complement each other to give a more complete picture of how molecules assemble in molecular crystals.
Reliability analysis for a hypersonic aircraft’s wing spar
Authors: Wang Yuhui , Shao Peng , Wu Qingxian , Chen Mou
Published: February 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to present a novel structural reliability analysis scheme with considering the structural strength degradation for the wing spar of a generic hypersonic aircraft to guarantee flight safety and structural reliability.

Design/methodology/approach

A logarithmic model with strength degradation for the wing spar is constructed, and a reliability model of the wing spar is established based on stress-strength interference theory and total probability theorem.

Findings

It is demonstrated that the proposed reliability analysis scheme can obtain more accurate structural reliability and failure results for the wing spar, and the strength degradation cannot be neglected. Furthermore, the obtained results will provide an important reference for the structural safety of hypersonic aircraft.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed reliability analysis scheme has not implemented in actual flight, as all the simulations are conducted according to the actual experiment data.

Practical implications

The proposed reliability analysis scheme can solve the structural life problem of the wing spar for hypersonic aircraft and meet engineering practice requirements, and it also provides an important reference to guarantee the flight safety and structural reliability for hypersonic aircraft.

Originality/value

To describe the damage evolution more accurately, with consideration of strength degradation, flight dynamics and material characteristics of the hypersonic aircraft, the stress-strength interference method is first applied to analyze the structural reliability of the wing spar for the hypersonic aircraft. The proposed analysis scheme is implemented on the dynamic model of the hypersonic aircraft, and the simulation demonstrates that a more reasonable reliability result can be achieved.
The boss and daddy’s little girl: on the construction of gender in Swedish business media
Authors: Hansson Magnus , Gottfridsson Hanna , Raanaes Sandra
Published: February 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to analyse the construction of gender in business media through identification of media discourses in terms of vocabulary and vocabulary structures.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct critical discourse analysis and linguistic text analysis of media articles in two Swedish business magazines, focussing on vocabulary and vocabulary structures used to describe men and women as managers.

Findings

Media texts fall into traditional, gender-stereotyped patterns. The use of metaphors, choice of words and sentence structures construct and maintain stereotyped models of gender. The linguistic practices and use of specific and gender-biased vocabulary shape discursive practices, contributing to the construction and reconstruction of institutionalised gender-stereotyped patterns of behaviour and established social norms.

Research limitations/implications

The focus on vocabulary and vocabulary structures extends the technique and application of critical discourse analysis, enabling fine-grained analyses, in this case of media texts. This research also indicates a need for future studies that adopt a critical discourse analysis to take into account analytical procedures that shed light on micro-mechanisms that support the materialisations of gender inequalities.

Social implications

Texts that portray both men and women show gender bias that is deeply rooted in the vocabulary and vocabulary structures and thus help to reinforce established discursive practices and gender inequalities. Therefore, there is a need for a fundamental change in the media reports on managers.

Originality/value

The research contributes to the analysis of media texts and representations of men and women as managers by providing a detailed analysis of discursive practices that takes into account vocabulary and vocabulary structures. The findings show the deeply rooted structure of gender-stereotyped patterns in media texts.
Assessment of lean-green practices on the sustainable performance of hotel supply chains
Authors: Hussain Matloub , Al-Aomar Raid , Melhem Hussein
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically assess the impact of integrated lean and green practices on the sustainable (environmental, economic and social) performance of a hotel supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature review and previous exploratory studies were used to develop a hypothesized model that characterizes the integrated lean and green (LeGreen) impact on supply chain sustainability. A case study of a large sample of the UAE hotels is used to collect and analyze empirical data, validate the measurement model and test study hypotheses using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

The results showed that three major lean techniques (Kaizen, quality and productive maintenance) and three green techniques (health and safety, waste disposal and green certifications) have substantial impact on the sustainable performance of hotel supply chains. Further results revealed that LeGreen impacts are complementary. Lean techniques have the highest impact on the economic performance of the hotel supply chain and the least impact on the environmental performance. Green practices, on the other hand, have opposite impacts.

Research limitations/implications

Although the study findings may vary in different contexts, study methodology and measurement model can be adapted to assess the LeGreen impact on the sustainable performance of hotel supply chains, as well as other service industries such as banking and health care.

Practical implications

The proposed assessment model is expected to be of great value toward the effective implementation of LeGreen practices across hotel supply chains in the UAE and globally. The study findings also provide guidelines for practitioners within the hospitality sector to undertake the proposed model and to adapt it for assessing and enhancing sustainable performance in other sectors of the service industry.

Originality/value

There is a growing emphasis by practitioners and academics on measuring the impact of LeGreen on the sustainable performance of service supply chains. However, the assessment of LeGreen impacts within the context of a hotel supply chain remains unexplored with a scarcity of comprehensive assessment frameworks. This study aims to fulfill this gap in literature and provide directions for researchers to expand the proposed model and to further analyze the integrated lean-green impact on the sustainability of supply chains of hotels and the service industry.
Quo Vadis, Europa? Four paths and their plausibility
Authors: Héritier Adrienne
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the plausibility of four different mid-term paths of development of the European Union (EU): first, a political union or a European state; second, a differentiated and flexible integration of the polity; third, a covert and deepening integration of the polity outside of the political arenas; fourth, the disintegration and/or dissolution of the EU through the exit of individual members or a joint decision to terminate the union.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses strategic interaction analysis to identify the plausibility of each of these four possible outcomes. By systematically varying the relevant actors’, i.e. European Council’s and member states’, the European Parliament’s, the Commission’s, preferences over outcomes while holding constant institutional rules of decision making on the one hand, and systematically varying institutional rules on the other while holdings actors’ preferences constant, the paper comes to the conclusion that differentiated and flexible integration and covert integration are the most plausible mid-term paths of development.

Findings

The paper finds that neither a European state or deep political union nor a disintegration or even dissolution of the EU is the most plausible path of development. Rather, it concludes that flexible and differentiated integration as well as covert integration outside the political arenas are the most likely developments. However, it also draws attention to the political costs of flexible and differentiated integration which does not allow for an overall view of political and policy issues negotiated at one political table, limiting the scope of compromise formation and even leading to a fragmented polity. Covert integration consisting of mechanisms of hidden integration “invisible” to the wider public may lead to a democratic backlash, once citizens realize that integration has considerably deepened without their being aware of it.

Originality/value

Most publications regarding the future development of the EU are normatively driven, either conjuring an imminent disintegration, or invoking the necessity of a deepening integration leading to a political union. This paper, by contrast, seeks to assess the likely further development based on empirically identified factors and a logical argument.
International political economy thought in pre-modern and colonial Korea
Authors: Chey Hyoung-kyu
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse international political economy (IPE) thought in Korea during its pre-modern and colonial eras.

Design/methodology/approach

It divides these eras into three periods. The first period is the eighteenth century, in which Silhak arose. The second is the mid- and late nineteenth century, a time characterised by conflicts between Wijeong-cheoksa and Gaehwa thoughts. The final period is that of colonial Korea under imperial Japan, and during this time economic nationalist movements were pursued while Marxist theories were also introduced to the country.

Findings

This research shows that IPE thoughts analogous to Western economic liberalism and economic nationalism did emerge endogenously in Korea when its environment was similar to those in which these Western thoughts arose, although in ways that reflected Korea’s peculiar situations of the times. This study also demonstrates that the “economic” thoughts of the Koreans in these periods were shaped largely by their political thoughts.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the building of a more “globalised” intellectual history of classical IPE thought.
A real driver of US–China trade conflict
Authors: Kim Min-hyung
Published: February 2019

Purpose

According to the conventional wisdom, trade is not a zero-sum game, but a positive-sum game. By allowing countries to focus on producing the goods that they can produce relatively efficiently, free trade is largely beneficial for everyone involved. Then, why are the world’s two largest economies (i.e. the USA and China) currently engaged in a trade war, which is likely to hurt their own economies? What is the driving force for the trade war between the two economic giants? The purpose of this paper is to offer an explanation of the underlying cause of the US–China trade war.

Design/methodology/approach

In an effort to make sense of the trade war between the USA and China, the paper draws the insights from the two international relations theories – i.e. hegemonic stability theory and power transition theory.

Findings

As China continues to threaten US hegemony in the world in general and East Asia in particular, the Sino–US competition for hegemony will intensify over time. As a result, the trade war between the two countries may persist longer than many anticipate. Further, even if the trade war between the two superpowers ends soon, a similar type of conflict is likely to occur later as long as the Sino–US hegemonic rivalry continues.

Originality/value

The central thesis of this paper is that “US fear” about its declining hegemony and China’s rapid rise as a challenger of US hegemony is driving a US-launched trade war with China. Since the underlying cause of the trade war between the world’s two largest economies is political (i.e. the Sino–US hegemonic rivalry) rather than economic (e.g. US attempts to improve the trade balance with China by imposing tariffs on Chinese goods), the paper contends that the full understanding of the trade war requires close attention to the importance of power competition between the two superpowers.
Zakah as tool for social cause marketing and corporate charity: a conceptual study
Authors: Abdullahi Shafiu Ibrahim
Published: February 2019

Purpose

This paper explores the role of Zakah in social cause marketing. Academic literature on Islamic economics, finance and management mostly deals with the links that exists between Zakah and consumption, neglecting important and strategic links with social cause marketing. This paper emanated from need to outline social cause and the charitable role of Zakah in promoting Halal businesses, poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Most works in the field of Zakah did not foresee the role of marketing. This is a misjudgement, as this work showed that Zakah yields large and measurable social gains to help the society and a firm.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary sources were used in writing this paper. Available literature in the form of journals, books, manuals and reports was referred to. As a conceptual work, the paper does not test hypothesis or pretends to provide empirical evidences. It uses mathematical economics in arriving at some of the conclusions. Findings were derived through deductions and critical discourses, not through crunching of primary data.

Findings

The paper shows how Zakah, Halal consumption and corporate social responsibility are connected and highlights the role of Zakah as a social marketing tool. It shows how Zakah affects consumption through marginal propensity of Zakah recipients who spend Zakah money on basic needs.

Research limitations/implications

The paper looks at the broad aspects of Zakah and social marketing. How to make Zakah a pillar of Islamic firms’ social cause programs shall be the focus of future academic works in this area.

Originality/value

The paper is unique in drawing attention of Islamic firms to the effectiveness of Zakah in building a corporate image. It draws the attention of firms, activists, academics and governments to functions of Zakah that have not been studied in depth.
The significance of knowledge sharing platforms for open innovation success
Authors: Ben Arfi Wissal , Enström Rickard , Sahut Jean Michel , Hikkerova Lubica
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the theoretical background on how organizational change (OC) enhances open innovation (OI) processes and enables a company to reach performance results through implementing knowledge sharing platforms (KSPs). The authors aim to better understand and investigate how the changes introduced by the implementation of KSPs impact the OC and facilitate the OI process.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, an exploratory longitudinal single case study based on a variety of data sources is used: participant observations, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with the KSP members and top managers of a Tunisian SME operating in the dairy products sector. The open-ended responses were subsequently exposed to thematic discourse analysis.

Findings

The case study findings deeply explore and investigate a company’s experience in implementing OCs when using a joint-venture alliance with a French leader to develop OI. Central to this exhibit is the nature and magnitude of the knowledge sharing between the parties in the OI process, and the significant impact it had on the consumers’ reception of the new products. The outcomes show that due to the sharing of external research and development skills, the creation of the KSP has been an incentive for significant changes and customer targeting and for promoting internal absorptive capacity, minimizing complexity, uncertainty and risks and reaching performance results.

Originality/value

This paper provides a deep understanding of the new product development process and offers a holistic approach with respect to KSP practices. The significant impact on the consumers’ first response and the subsequent adaption of an industrially produced cheese as a subsidiary product to an existing artisan quality product are examined in this study. Examining the implementation of an OI process, this research is one of the few studies revealing the shortcomings of a former process and a subsequent adaption of a newly successful one that targets the consumers in a MENA country.
A decision model for municipal resources management
Authors: Thesari Shirley Suellen , Trojan Flavio , Batistus Dayse Regina
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a model to support governmental local managers in public budget optimization, based on an integration of methods. It was constructed to fill the gap related to weights definition in problematic, commonly performed subjective assessments. This model supports the decision making in budget distribution identifying the importance of sectors in local governments, captured by historical data.

Design/methodology/approach

The model was developed following three steps: the first step included the exploitation of the characteristics of local sectors represented by city departments and the data collection procedure using time series (TS). In the second one, the weights regarding the importance of each city department were calculated by the UTASTAR method and based on historical data from the first step. Finally, an objective function was formulated using linear programming and constraints based on law specifications, and as a result, an optimized projection for public budget distribution was performed.

Findings

The results demonstrated that the model can be more efficient to weights definition, considering the behavior of preferences by historical data and supporting local public resources optimization, also to comply with the legislation, being able to predict or project future values available on the budget.

Research limitations/implications

The theoretical and practical implications are related with a novelty in recognizing the weights for criteria by a historical behavior of preferences. It can be bringing important directions for budget distribution. The main limitation detected in this study was the difficulty to formulate an assessment involving an integrated opinion from local managers and the population.

Practical implications

First of all, with the correct allocation of resources, the government has a greater advantage to capture investments from the negotiation with development entities and banks. Second, an efficient local government management can promote compliance with legislation and more transparent public policies.

Social implications

The correct distribution of resources affects the life quality for citizens, since the government acts as a provider of essential services for the population like education, safety, health, particularly for citizens who depend exclusively on the services offered by the local government. Moreover, it can also affect the environment as resources for garbage collection, disposal services and sanitation and, finally, affect the city development such as infrastructure, taxes, etc.

Originality/value

It might be considered an original contribution mainly by the development of a procedure to capture values for weights by TS and meeting the manager’s requirements, based on analytical, statistical and mathematical tools integrated.
Paternalistic leadership and idiosyncratic deals in a healthcare context
Authors: Luu Tuan Trong , Djurkovic Nikola
Published: February 2019

Purpose

Reflecting a behavioral orientation specific to leaders in Confucian-based cultures, paternalistic leadership appears relevant to the Vietnamese business context. Taking healthcare organizations in Vietnam as a source of data collection, the purpose of this paper is to seek an insight into the relationship between paternalistic leadership and idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) among clinical members.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were harvested from 1,182 clinical employees and 168 direct supervisors from 19 hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Findings

The data analysis revealed that authoritarian leadership behaviors displayed a weak negative link with employees’ i-deals, while the benevolence and morality dimensions of paternalistic leadership exhibited positive relationships with i-deals. The research results also provide evidence for the roles of organizational identification and role breadth self-efficacy (RBSE) in mediating the relationships between paternalistic leadership dimensions and i-deals. The current study also verified the utility of employees’ flexible role identity as an enhancer of both the relationship between organizational identification and i-deals, as well as of the relationship between RBSE and i-deals.

Originality/value

This study extends the leadership literature by unveiling the role of paternalistic leadership in fostering i-deals among clinicians through organizational identification and RBSE as dual mediation paths as well as flexible role identity as a moderator of the relationship between both organizational identification and RBSE and i-deals.
Big data and dynamic capabilities: a bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review
Authors: Rialti Riccardo , Marzi Giacomo , Ciappei Cristiano , Busso Donatella
Published: February 2019

Purpose

Recently, several manuscripts about the effects of big data on organizations used dynamic capabilities as their main theoretical approach. However, these manuscripts still lack systematization. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to systematize the literature on big data and dynamic capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

A bibliometric analysis was performed on 170 manuscripts extracted from the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science Core Collection database. The bibliometric analysis was integrated with a literature review.

Findings

The bibliometric analysis revealed four clusters of papers on big data and dynamic capabilities: big data and supply chain management, knowledge management, decision making, business process management and big data analytics. The systematic literature review helped to clarify each clusters’ content.

Originality/value

To the authors’ best knowledge, minimal attention has been paid to systematizing the literature on big data and dynamic capabilities.
When challenges impede the process
Authors: Sharma Yogesh Kumar , Mangla Sachin Kumar , Patil Pravin P. , Liu Shaofeng
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The food organisations are pushing to adopt circular economy initiatives to enhance economic–ecological–social sustainability of supply chains. The adoption of circular economy and sustainability aspects is complex from the point of view of developing nations compared to the developed nations. In this sense, the purpose of this paper is to develop a model of the challenges for implementing the successful circular economy-led sustainability concepts in food supply chains in emerging economies, especially in the Indian context.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors recognised 11 circular economy-led sustainability-related challenges and analysed appropriate interactions among the identified challenges. The Delphi method was used for the confirmation of identified challenges. The challenges were identified initially with the help of literature. Interpretive structural modelling method was used for modelling the challenges. In addition, MICMAC analysis was used for classifying the challenges based on their dependence and driving power. A case study of diary food processing company in India was conducted.

Findings

According to the findings, poor government policies, lack of technology and techniques and lack of farmers’ knowledge and awareness come under the driving challenges.

Practical implications

Understanding of circular economy-led sustainability-related challenges would help managers and policy makers in the sustainable management of natural resources in food value chains.

Originality/value

This is one of the initial works conducted on identifying and evaluating the challenges to circular economy-based sustainability aspects in food value chains.
Cross-over effects of corporate reputation and store image: role of knowledge and involvement
Authors: Wang Chung-Yu
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how store loyalty forms corporate reputation and store image conditional on prior knowledge and involvement in retailing services.

Design/methodology/approach

A convenient sampling technique was employed, in which student interviewers approached customers as they exited the Carrefour stores with a skip interval of 3. The final survey sample comprised 220 respondents.

Findings

Empirical results confirm that corporate reputation influences store image and corporate reputation and store image affect store loyalty. In addition, shopper characteristics (i.e. involvement and knowledge) positively moderate the relationships between corporate reputation and store image and store loyalty.

Originality/value

This study goes beyond store loyalty to demonstrate that the cross-over effects between corporate reputation and store image and the moderators of prior knowledge and involvement significantly influence the relationships between corporate reputation and store image and store loyalty.
Factors influencing outbound medical travel from the USA
Authors: Collins Ayse , Medhekar Anita , Wong Ho Yin , Cobanoglu Cihan
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how Americans choose a country and medical facility to travel abroad for medical treatment based on the following factors country environment, tourism destination, medical tourism costs and medical facilities and services.

Design/methodology/approach

Online survey with the help of Amazon Mechanical Turk website was used for data collection, and 541 valid cases were used of American residents who had travelled abroad for medical tourism. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were undertaken to validate the scales.

Findings

Findings indicated four major factors that can influence American medical tourists’ choices of medical tourism destinations. These factors are overseas’ country factors, attractiveness of tourism destination, medical tourism costs and facilities and services. Both the convergent and discriminant validities for the constructs were established. The results of the measurement-model-fit based on various measures were within the suggested cut-off values.

Research limitations/implications

Out of the 541 responses of post-travel experienced medical tourists, it is hard to tell how similar/dissimilar the participants are in terms of ranking the four factors. To be competitive to attract global medical tourists, research suggests that the five popular countries of treatment, India, China, Thailand, Mexico and Turkey, identified in this study should provide high quality of medical and tourism facilities to patients.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the understanding of the underlying factors, which influence American medical tourists’ choice of destinations, with validated scales. For this exploratory research, 25 new items together with 34 items from other studies were adapted.
Land use alters trophic redundancy and resource flow through stream food webs
Authors: Price Elliott L. , Sertić Perić Mirela , Romero Gustavo Q. , Kratina Pavel
Published: February 2019

The changes to physical and chemical ecosystem characteristics as a response to pervasive and intensifying land use have the potential to alter the consumer–resource interactions and to rewire the flow of energy through entire food webs.

We investigated these structural and functional properties of food webs in stream ecosystems distributed across woodland, agricultural and urban areas in the Zagreb region of Croatia. We compared resource availability and consumer diet composition using stable isotope mixing models and tested how the isotopic variance of basal resources, primary consumers, macroinvertebrate predators and other food web characteristics change with different land‐use types.

Combination of increased loading and altered composition of nutrients, lower water discharge and higher light availability at urban sites likely promoted the contribution of aquatic macrophytes to diets of primary consumers. Macroinvertebrate predators shifted their diet, relying more on active filterers at urban sites relative to woodland and agricultural sites. Urban food webs also had lower trophic redundancy (i.e. fewer species at each trophic level) and a more homogenized energy flow from lower to higher trophic levels. There was no effect of land use on isotopic variation of basal resources, primary consumers or macroinvertebrate predators, but all these trophic groups at urban and agricultural sites were 15N‐enriched relative to their counterparts in woodland stream food webs.

The physical and chemical ecosystem characteristics associated with intensive land use altered the resource availability, trophic redundancy and the flow of energy to other trophic levels, with potentially negative consequences for community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. These empirical findings indicate that reducing nutrient pollution, agricultural runoffs and maintaining riparian vegetation can mitigate the impacts of land use on structure and function of stream ecosystems.
Life at the top: Lake ecotype influences the foraging pattern, metabolic costs and life history of an apex fish predator
Authors: Cruz‐Font Liset , Shuter Brian J. , Blanchfield Paul J. , Minns C. Ken , Rennie Michael D.
Published: February 2019

We used acoustic telemetry and acceleration sensors to compare population‐specific measures of the metabolic costs of an apex fish predator living in four separate lakes. We chose our study species and populations to provide a strong test of recent theoretical predictions that optimal foraging by an apex fish predator in a typical aquatic environment would be consistent with feeding to satiation rather than continuous feeding. We chose four populations where the primary prey type differed along a body size gradient (from small invertebrates to large planktivorous fish) and along a thermal accessibility gradient (from easily accessible cold‐water pelagic prey to less accessible warm‐water epilimnetic and littoral prey). We expected that these gradients in prey type would evoke distinctly different activity gradients depending on whether predators fed to satiation (e.g., less frequent “rest” detections where primary prey are smaller/less accessible) or fed continuously (e.g., fixed level of “rest” detections under all prey conditions).

Our study organism was a fall spawning, cold‐water visual apex predator (lake trout). Therefore, we focused our study on diel (early night, dawn, day, dusk, late night) changes in metabolic costs associated with summer feeding behaviour. The duration (~20 days) and fine temporal scale (~30 min) of our behavioural data provided a uniquely detailed picture of intra‐ and inter‐population differences in activity patterns over a critical period in the annual growing season.

In all populations, diel shifts in activity were qualitatively consistent with that expected of a visual predator (e.g., resting state detections were most frequent at night).

Between‐lake differences in daytime thermal experience were qualitatively consistent with between‐lake differences in the location of primary prey (e.g., excursions to warm habitats were common in lakes with epilimnetic/littoral fish as primary prey and relatively rare in lakes with pelagic cold‐water invertebrates/fish as primary prey).

Daytime activity patterns were more consistent with the feeding pattern expected from feeding to satiation rather than continuous feeding: (a) individuals in all four populations exhibited clearly delineated bouts of resting behaviour and active behaviour; (b) the frequency of resting bouts and the resultant overall cost of daily activity were strongly associated with the size and accessibility of prey—in lakes with smaller and/or less accessible prey, predators rested less frequently, exhibited marginally higher costs when active and had higher overall daytime activity costs. Within each lake, similar changes in activity occurred concurrently with diel changes in prey accessibility/relative density.
Ground‐truthing of a fish‐based environmental DNA metabarcoding method for assessing the quality of lakes
Authors: Li Jianlong , Hatton‐Ellis Tristan W. , Lawson Handley Lori‐Jayne , Kimbell Helen S. , Benucci Marco , Peirson Graeme , Hänfling Bernd
Published: February 2019

Accurate, cost‐effective monitoring of fish is required to assess the quality of lakes under the European Water Framework Directive. Recent studies have shown that environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is an effective and non‐invasive method, which can provide semi‐quantitative information about fish communities in large lakes.

This study further investigated the potential of fish‐based eDNA metabarcoding as a tool for lake assessment by collecting and analysing water samples from eight Welsh lakes and six meres in Cheshire, England, with well‐described fish faunas. Water samples (N = 252) were assayed using two mitochondrial DNA regions (Cytb and 12S rRNA).

eDNA sampling indicated the presence of very similar species in the lakes compared to those expected on the basis of existing and historical information. Firstly, 24 species were detected, with a total of 111 species occurrences in the lakes studied using eDNA. Secondly, there was a significant positive correlation between expected faunas and eDNA data in terms of confidence of species occurrence (Spearman's r = 0.74, df = 109, p < 0.001). Thirdly, eDNA data can estimate relative abundance with the standard five‐level classification scale (‘DAFOR’). Lastly, four ecological fish communities were characterized using eDNA data which agree with the predefined lake types according to environmental characteristics.

Synthesis and applications. There are some limitations when using conventional captured‐based methods for surveying species richness and relative abundance, such as morphological identification bias, difficulties in recording small‐bodied, rare and/or elusive species and destructive impacts on the environment. This study provides further evidence that environmental DNA metabarcoding outperforms other captured‐based survey techniques in a wide range of lake types for community‐level analysis whether in species detection, relative abundance estimate using the standard five‐level classification scale or characterization ecological fish communities. Therefore, the fish‐based environmental DNA metabarcoding, a non‐invasive genetic method, has great potential as an assessment tool for lake quality under the European Water Framework Directive.