bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Speckle illumination microscopy enables slide-free and non-destructive pathology of human lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhang Yan , Kang Lei , Lo Claudia T. K. , Wong Terence T. W.
Published: October 2021

Histopathology based on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues remains the gold standard for surgical margin assessment (SMA). However, routine pathological practice is lengthy and laborious, failing to provide immediate feedback to surgeons and pathologists for intraoperative decision-making. In this report, we propose a cost-effective and easy-to-use histological imaging method with speckle illumination microscopy (i.e., HiLo). HiLo can achieve rapid and non-destructive imaging of large and fluorescently-labelled resection tissues at an acquisition speed of 5 cm2/min with 1.3-μm lateral resolution and 5.8-μm axial resolution, demonstrating a great potential as an intraoperative SMA tool that can be used by surgeons and pathologists to detect residual tumors at surgical margins. It is experimentally validated that HiLo enables rapid diagnosis of different subtypes of human lung adenocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, producing images with remarkably recognizable cellular features comparable to the gold-standard histology. This work will facilitate the clinical translations of HiLo microscopy to improve the current standard-of-care.
Brain endothelial antigen presentation detains CD8+T cells at the blood-brain barrier leading to its breakdown
Authors: Aydin Sidar , Pareja Javier , Schallenberg Vivianne M. , Klopstein Armelle , Gruber Thomas , Page Nicolas , Kaba Elisa , Deutsch Urban , Johnson Aaron J. , Schenk Mirjam , Merkler Doron , Engelhardt Britta
Published: October 2021

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown and immune cell infiltration into the central nervous system (CNS) are early hallmarks of multiple sclerosis (MS). High numbers of CD8+T cells are found in MS lesions and antigen (Ag)-presentation at the BBB was proposed to promote CD8+T-cell entry into the CNS. Employing live cell imaging and primary mouse brain microvascular endothelial cells (pMBMECs) asin vitromodel of the BBB and a mouse model of CNS autoimmunity, we here show that pMBMECs process and present antigens leading to effector CD8+T-cell differentiation. Under physiological flow, endothelial Ag-presentation prohibited CD8+T-cell crawling and diapedesis leading to pMBMEC apoptosis. Reduced motility of Ag-specific CD8+T cells was also observed in CNS microvessels in neuroinflammationin vivo.Luminal MHC class I Ag-presentation at the BBB thus prohibits CD8+T-cell entry into the CNS and rather triggers CD8+T cell mediated focal BBB breakdown.
Differential metabolism of arsenicals regulates Fps1-mediated arsenite transport
Authors: Lee Jongmin , Levin David E.
Published: October 2021

Arsenic is an environmental toxin that exists mainly as pentavalent arsenate and trivalent arsenite. Both forms activate the yeast SAPK Hog1, but with different consequences. We describe a mechanism by which cells distinguish between these arsenicals through one-step metabolism to differentially regulate the bidirectional glycerol channel Fps1, an adventitious port for arsenite. Cells exposed to arsenate reduce it to thiol-reactive arsenite, which modifies a set of cysteine residues in target proteins; whereas cells exposed to arsenite metabolize it to methylarsenite, which modifies an additional set of cysteine residues. Hog1 becomes arsenylated, which prevents it from closing Fps1. However, this block is overcome in cells exposed to arsenite through methylarsenylation of Acr3, an arsenite efflux pump that we found also regulates Fps1 directly. This adaptation allows cells to restrict arsenite entry through Fps1, but also allows its exit when produced from arsenate exposure. These results have broad implications for understanding how SAPKs activated by diverse stressors can drive stress-specific outputs.

Summary (for JCB table of contents)

Jongmin Lee, David E. Levin

Lee and Levin investigate the question of how different stressors can drive divergent outputs from an active SAPK. The work describes the mechanism by which two forms of arsenic that both activate the yeast SAPK Hog1 differentially regulate the glycerol channel Fps1.
Individual alpha power predicts language comprehension
Authors: Wang P. , He Y. , Maess B. , Yue J. , Chen L. , Brauer J. , Friederici A.D. , Knösche T.R.
Published: October 2021

Alpha power attenuation during cognitive task performing has been suggested to reflect a process of release of inhibition, increase of excitability, and thereby benefit the improvement of performance. Here, we hypothesized that changes in individual alpha power during the execution of a complex language comprehension task may correlate with the individual performance in that task. We tested this using magnetoencephalography (MEG) recorded during comprehension of German sentences of different syntactic complexity.

Results showed that neither the frequency nor the power of the spontaneous oscillatory activity at rest were associated with the individual performance. However, during the execution of a sentences processing task, the individual alpha power attenuation did correlate with individual language comprehension performance. Source reconstruction localized effects in temporal-parietal regions of both hemispheres. While the effect of increased task difficulty is localized in the right hemisphere, the difference in power attenuation between tasks of different complexity exhibiting a correlation with performance was localized in left temporal-parietal brain regions known to be associated with language processing.

From our results, we conclude that in-task attenuation of individual alpha power is related to the essential mechanisms of the underlying cognitive processes, rather than merely to general phenomena like attention or vigilance.

Highlights

Comprehension of structurally complexed embedded sentences is correlated with individual alpha power attenuation during task but not with alpha power at rest.

These effects were localized in temporal-parietal brain regions known to be associated with language processing.

Data availability statement

Anonymized raw data will be made available upon request via email to the corresponding author provided the requesting researchers sign a formal data sharing agreement and cite this paper as origin of the data.
Specificity of California mouse pup vocalizations in response to olfactory cues
Authors: Wilson Kerianne M. , Wagner Victoria , Saltzman Wendy
Published: October 2021

In rodents, young pups communicate with their parents through harmonic calls and ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). These forms of communication can improve chances of survival, since pups rely on their parents for thermoregulation, nutrition and protection. The extent to which pups modulate calls in response to their surroundings remains unclear. In this study we examined whether olfactory stimuli influence characteristics of pup calls, and how these calls may be affected by pup sex and litter size, in the California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). Pups were isolated and audio recorded during an initial, 3-minute control period, after which they were exposed for 5 minutes to bedding containing one of 4 olfactory cues: scent from their home cage, scent from the home cage of an unfamiliar family, coyote urine, or no scent. Latency to call, call rate, call duration and call characteristics (e.g. frequency and amplitude) were compared between the control period and olfactory-exposure period as well as among olfactory conditions. Pups from 2-pup litters called more quietly (lower amplitude) when exposed to odor from a predator while pups from 3-pup litters called louder (higher amplitude). Additionally, pups tended to reduce their call rates in response to odors from their home cage, consistent with contact quieting. However, pups tended to increase their rate of calling when exposed to predator urine, in contrast to the expectations of predator-induced vocal suppression. Lastly, male pups produced higher-frequency calls and more USVs than females. These results indicate that a number of pup call characteristics in this species can be influenced by acute olfactory stimuli as well as factors such as litter size and sex. The value of these pup call variations for offspring-parent communication is unclear: whether they elicit different parental responses is unknown and would be an interesting/valuable/informative avenue for future studies.
Impact of baseline culture conditions of mouse-derived cancer organoids when determining therapeutic response and tumor heterogeneity
Authors: DeStefanis Rebecca A. , Olson Autumn M. , DeZeeuw Alyssa K. , Gillette Amani A. , Sha Gioia C. , Johnson Katherine A. , Kratz Jeremy D. , Pasch Cheri A. , Clipson Linda , Skala Melissa C. , Deming Dustin A.
Published: October 2021

Representative models are needed to screen new therapies for patients with cancer. Cancer organoids are a leap forward as a culture model that faithfully represents the disease. Mouse-derived cancer organoids (MDCOs) are becoming increasingly popular, however there has yet to be a standardized method to assess therapeutic response and identify subpopulation heterogeneity. There are multiple factors unique to organoid culture that could affect how therapeutic response and MDCO heterogeneity are assessed. Here we describe an analysis of nearly 3,500 individual MDCOs where individual organoid morphologic tracking was performed. Change in MDCO diameter was assessed in the presence of control media or targeted therapies. Individual organoid tracking was identified to be more sensitive to treatment response than well-level assessment. The impact of different generations of mice of the same genotype, different regions of the colon, and organoid specific characteristics including baseline size, passage number, plating density, and location within the matrix were examined. Only the starting size of the MDCO altered the subsequent growth. Here we establish organoid culture parameters for individual organoid morphologic tracking to determine therapeutic response and growth/response heterogeneity for translational studies using murine colorectal cancer organoids.
Transkingdom Analysis of the Female Reproductive Tract Reveals Bacteriophages Form Communities
Authors: Madere Ferralita S. , Sohn Michael , Winbush Angelina , Barr Breóna , Grier Alex , Java James , Meiring Tracy , Williamson Anna-Lise , Bekker Linda-Gail , Adler David H. , Monaco Cynthia L.
Published: October 2021

The female reproductive tract (FRT) microbiome plays an important role in maintaining vaginal health. Viruses play a key role in regulating other microbial ecosystems, but little is known about how the FRT viruses (virome), particularly bacteriophages, impacts FRT health and dysbiosis. We hypothesize that bacterial vaginosis is associated with alterations in the FRT virome, and these changes correlate with bacteriome shifts. We conducted a retrospective, longitudinal analysis of vaginal swabs collected from 54 bacterial vaginosis (BV)-positive and 46 BV-negative South African women. Bacteriome analysis revealed samples clustered into five distinct bacterial community groups (CG). Bacterial alpha diversity was significantly associated with BV. Virome analysis on a subset of baseline samples showed FRT bacteriophages clustering into novel viral state types (VSTs), a viral community clustering system based on virome composition and abundance. Distinct BV bacteriophage signatures included increased alpha diversity along with Bacillus, Burkholderia and Escherichia bacteriophages. Discriminate bacteriophage-bacteria transkingdom associations were also identified between Bacillus and Burkholderia viruses and BV-associated bacteria, providing key insight for future studies elucidating transkingdom interactions driving BV-associated microbiome perturbations. In this cohort, bacteriophage-bacterial associations suggest complex interactions which may play a role in the establishment and maintenance of BV.
Honey bees can store and retrieve independent memory traces after complex experiences that combine appetitive and aversive associations
Authors: Klappenbach Martín , Lara Agustín E. , Locatelli Fernando F.
Published: October 2021

Real-world experiences do often mix appetitive and aversive events. Understanding the ability of animals to extract, store and use this information is an important issue in neurobiology. We used honey bees as model to study learning and memory after a differential conditioning that combines appetitive and aversive training trials. First of all, we describe an aversive conditioning paradigm that constitutes a clear opposite of the well known appetitive olfactory conditioning of the proboscis extension response. A neutral odour is presented paired with the bitter substance quinine. Aversive memory is evidenced later as an odour-specific impairment in appetitive conditioning. Then we tested the effect of mixing appetitive and aversive conditioning trials distributed along the same training session. Differential conditioning protocols like this were used before to study the ability to discriminate odours, however they were not focused on whether appetitive and aversive memories are formed. We found that after a differential conditioning, honey bees establish independent appetitive and aversive memories that do not interfere with each other during acquisition or storage. Finally, we moved the question forward to retrieval and memory expression to evaluate what happens when appetitive and the aversive learned odours are mixed during test. Interestingly, opposite memories compete in a way that they do not cancel each other out. Honey bees showed the ability to switch from expressing appetitive to aversive memory depending on their satiation level.
Local and global chemical shaping of bacterial communities by redox potential
Authors: Dick Jeffrey M. , Meng Delong
Published: October 2021

Thermodynamics predicts a positive correlation between environmental redox potential and oxidation state of molecules; if found for microbial communities it would imply a new kind of deterministic eco-evolutionary process. This study examines evidence for local- and global-scale correlations between oxidation-reduction potential (ORP or Eh) in environmental samples and carbon oxidation state (ZC) of estimated bacterial and archaeal community proteomes. Seventy-nine public datasets for seven environment types (river & seawater, lake & pond, alkaline spring, hot spring, groundwater, sediment, and soil) were analyzed. Taxonomic abundances inferred from high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequences were combined with NCBI Reference Sequence (RefSeq) proteomes to estimate the amino acid compositions and chemical formulas (CcHhNnOoSs) of community proteomes, which yield ZC. Alkaline hot springs have the lowest ZC for both bacterial and archaeal domains of any environment. Positive global correlations between redox potential and ZC are found for bacterial communities in lake & pond, groundwater, and soil environments, but not archaeal communities, suggesting a broad ecological signal of chemical shaping in Bacteria.
Microscopic Quantification of Oxygen Consumption across Cortical Layers
Authors: Mächler Philipp , Fomin-Thunemann Natalie , Thunemann Martin , Sætra Marte Julie , Desjardins Michèle , Kılıç Kıvılcım , Şencan Ikbal , Li Baoqiang , Saisan Payam , Cheng Qun , Weldy Kimberly L. , Boas David A. , Buxton Richard B. , Einevoll Gaute T. , Dale Anders M. , Sakadžić Sava , Devor Anna
Published: October 2021

The cerebral cortex is organized in cortical layers that differ in their cellular density, composition, and wiring. Cortical laminar architecture is also readily revealed by staining for cytochrome oxidase – the last enzyme in the respiratory electron transport chain located in the inner mitochondrial membrane. It has been hypothesized that a high-density band of cytochrome oxidase in cortical layer IV reflects higher oxygen consumption under baseline (unstimulated) conditions. Here, we tested the above hypothesis using direct measurements of the partial pressure of O 2 (pO 2 ) in cortical tissue by means of 2-photon phosphorescence lifetime microscopy (2PLM). We revisited our previously developed method for extraction of the cerebral metabolic rate of O 2 (CMRO 2 ) based on 2-photon pO 2 measurements around diving arterioles and applied this method to estimate baseline CMRO 2 in awake mice across cortical layers. To our surprise, our results revealed a decrease in baseline CMRO 2 from layer I to layer IV . This decrease of CMRO 2 with cortical depth was paralleled by an increase in tissue oxygenation. Higher baseline oxygenation and cytochrome density in layer IV may serve as an O 2 reserve during surges of neuronal activity or certain metabolically active brain states rather than baseline energy needs. Our study provides the first quantification of microscopically resolved CMRO 2 across cortical layers as a step towards informed interpretation and modeling of cortical-layer-specific Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) fMRI signals.
Truncation of poly-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG) polymerization with N-acetylglucosamine analogues
Authors: Morrison Zachary A. , Eddenden Alexander , Subramanian Adithya Shankara , Howell P. Lynne , Nitz Mark
Published: October 2021

Bacteria require polysaccharides for structure, survival, and virulence. Despite the central role these structures play in microbiology few tools are available to manipulate their production. In E. coli the glycosyltransferase complex PgaCD produces poly-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG), an extracellular matrix polysaccharide required for biofilm formation. We report that C6-substituted (H, F, N3, SH, NH2) UDP-GlcNAc substrate analogues are inhibitors of PgaCD. In vitro the inhibitors cause PNAG chain termination; consistent with the mechanism of PNAG polymerization from the non-reducing terminus. In vivo, expression of the GlcNAc-1-kinase NahK in E. coli provided a non-native GlcNAc salvage pathway that produced the UDP-GlcNAc analogue inhibitors in situ. The 6-fluoro and 6-deoxy derivatives were potent inhibitors of biofilm formation in the transformed strain, providing a tool to manipulate this key exopolysaccharide. Characterization of the UDP-GlcNAc pool and quantification of PNAG generation support PNAG termination as the primary in vivo mechanism of biofilm inhibition by 6-fluoro UDP-GlcNAc.
Screening of CHO-K1 endogenous promoters for expressing recombinant proteins in mammalian cell cultures
Authors: Tossolini Ileana , Gugliotta Agustina , Díaz Fernando López , Kratje Ricardo , Prieto Claudio
Published: October 2021

For the production of recombinant protein therapeutics in mammalian cells, a high rate of gene expression is desired and hence strong viral-derived promoters are commonly used. However, they usually induce cellular stress and can be susceptible to epigenetic silencing. Endogenous promoters, which coordinates their activity with cellular and bioprocess dynamics while at the same time they maintain high expression levels, may help to avoid such drawbacks. In this work, endogenous promoters were identified based on high expression levels in RNA-seq data of CHO-K1 cells cultured in high density. The promoters of Actb, Ctsz, Hmox1, Hspa5, Vim and Rps18 genes were selected for generating new expression vectors for the production of recombinant proteins in mammalian cells. Thein silico-derived promoter regions were experimentally verified and the majority showed transcriptional activity comparable or higher than CMV. Also, stable expression following a reduction of culture temperature was investigated. The characterized endogenous promoters (excluding Rps18) constitute a promising alternative to CMV promoter due to their high strength, long-term expression stability and integration into the regulatory network of the host cell. These promoters may also comprise an initial panel for designing cell engineering strategies and synthetic promoters, as well as for industrial cell line development.
Ribosomal protein S1 plays a critical role in horizontal gene transfer by mediating the expression of foreign mRNAs
Authors: Roberts Luc , Wieden Hans-Joachim
Published: October 2021

The emergence of multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria is one of the largest threats to global heath. This rise is due to the genomic plasticity of bacteria, allowing rapid acquisition of antibiotic resistance through the uptake of foreign DNA (i.e. horizontal gene transfer, HGT). This genomic plasticity is not limited to DNA from bacteria, highly divergent (trans-kingdom) mRNA have been reported to drive translation in E. coli. Trans-kingdom activity has been attributed to mRNA tertiary structure suggesting the bacterial translation machinery bottle-necks HGT, restricting the expression of foreign DNA. However, here we show that tertiary structure is not responsible for ribosome recruitment and that the translation efficiency is dependent on ribosomal protein S1 and an A-rich Shine-Dalgarno-like element. The S1-facilitated ability of ribosomes to identify and exploit A-rich sequences in foreign RNA highlights the important role that S1 plays in horizontal gene transfer, the robustness of canonical prokaryotic translation, and bacterial evolution.
Genome-wide oscillations in G + C density and sequence conservation
Authors: Moqtaderi Zarmik , Brown Susan , Bender Welcome
Published: October 2021

Eukaryotic genomes typically show a uniform G + C content among chromosomes, but on smaller scales, many species have a G + C density that fluctuates with a characteristic wavelength. This oscillation is evident in many insect species, with wavelengths ranging between 700 bp and 4 kb. Measures of evolutionary conservation oscillate in phase with G + C content, with conserved regions having higher G + C. Loci with large regulatory regions show more regular oscillations; coding sequences and heterochromatic regions show little or no oscillation. There is little oscillation in vertebrate genomes in regions with densely distributed mobile repetitive elements. However, species with few repeats show oscillation in both G + C density and sequence conservation. These oscillations may reflect optimal spacing of cis-regulatory elements.
China's poverty alleviation “miracle” from the perspective of the structural transformation of the urban–rural dual economy
Authors: Gao Fan
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Poverty alleviation has been a major theme of China's modernization process since the founding of New China. This paper points out that China's poverty alleviation process presents three stylized facts: “Miraculous” achievements of poverty alleviation have been made on a global scale; the poverty alleviation achievements mainly occurred in the high growth stage after reform and opening up; the poverty alleviation process is accompanied by the structural transformation of the urban–rural dual economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Therefore, a logically consistent analytical framework should form among the structural transformation of the dual economy, economic growth and the achievements in poverty alleviation. In logical deduction, the structural transformation of the dual economy affects rural poverty alleviation through the effects of labor reallocation, agricultural productivity improvement, demographic change and fiscal resource allocation.

Findings

The first two refer to economic growth, and the latter two are alleviation policies. The combination of economic growth and poverty alleviation policies is the main cause for poverty alleviation performance. China's empirical evidence can support the four effects by which the structural transformation of the dual economy affects poverty alleviation.

Originality/value

China's socialist system and its economic system transformation after reform and opening up provide an institutional basis for the effects to come into play. After 2020, China's poverty alleviation strategies will enter the “second-half” phase, namely, the phase of solving the problems of relative poverty in urban and rural areas by adopting conventional methods and establishing long-term mechanisms. This requires the facilitation of the reconnection between poverty alleviation strategies and the structural transformation of the dual economy in terms of development ideas and policy directions.
Environmental concerns among the entrepreneurs: a disaster resilience and environment building during the second wave of the COVID-19
Authors: Soomro Bahadur Ali , Shah Naimatullah
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Nowadays, nearly the whole globe is confronting a severe threat of the COVID-19. The purpose of this paper is to explore the predictors of environmental concerns during the COVID-19 among the entrepreneurs during a second pandemic wave.

Design/methodology/approach

The deductive approach is applied based on cross-sectional data. An online response is gotten from entrepreneurs of Pakistan. A convenience sampling is applied to target the entrepreneurs. In total, 220 usable answers ensue for the outcome. The structural equation model (SEM) is used for the assessment of hypotheses.

Findings

The results of this study highlight a significant and positive effect of uncertainty of COVID-19 (U19), Perceived vulnerability (PV), Risk perception of COVID-19 (RP) and Fear of COVID-19 (F19) on environmental concerns (EC) among the entrepreneurs.

Practical implications

The research outcomes would provide the guidelines to policymakers and planners to develop the policies for reducing the fear, vulnerability, risk and uncertainties during the waves of the COVID-19. The findings of the study would make disaster resilience which COVID-19 creates. The results would provide the re-built environment guidelines by reducing fear, vulnerability, risk and uncertainties. Besides, the findings would help provide the knowledge and practical aspects of disasters in terms of anxiety, exposure, risk and uncertainties, which are hazardous for humans and the environment.

Originality/value

This study provides the empirical evidence which is the first time conducted among the entrepreneurs. Besides, this study highlights the predictors such as fear, vulnerability, risk and uncertainties towards EC in the COVID-19 scenario.
Evaluating and visualizing QoS of service providers in knowledge-intensive crowdsourcing: a combined MCDM approach
Authors: Xie Shixin , Wang Xu , Yang Biyu , Li Longxiao , Yu Jinfeng
Published: October 2021

Purpose

As the number of joined service providers (SPs) in knowledge-intensive crowdsourcing (KI-C) continues to rise, there is an information overload problem for KI-C platforms and consumers to identify qualified SPs to complete tasks. To this end, this paper aims to propose a quality of service (QoS) evaluation framework for SPs in KI-C to effectively and comprehensively characterize the QoS of SPs, which can aid the efficient selection of qualified SPs.

Design/methodology/approach

By literature summary and discussion with the expert team, a QoS evaluation indicator system for SPs in KI-C based on the SERVQUAL model is constructed. In addition, the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method is used to obtain evaluation indicators' weights. The SPs are evaluated and graded by the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and rank–sum ratio (RSR), respectively.

Findings

A QoS evaluation indicator system for SPs in KI-C incorporating 13 indicators based on SERVQUAL has been constructed, and a hybrid methodology combining DEMATEL, TOPSIS and RSR is applied to quantify and visualize the QoS of SPs.

Originality/value

The QoS evaluation framework for SPs in KI-C proposed in this paper can quantify and visualize the QoS of SPs, which can help the crowdsourcing platform to realize differentiated management for SPs and assist SPs to improve their shortcomings in a targeted manner. And this is the first paper to evaluate SPs in KI-C from the prospect of QoS.
Performance and (non) mandatory disclosure: the moderating role of the Directive 2014/95/EU
Authors: Cupertino Sebastiano , Vitale Gianluca , Ruggiero Pasquale
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper investigates whether and how Directive 2014/95/EU affects financial performance as well as its moderation effect on the relationship between financial and non-financial performance, involving different stakeholders' perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

We adopted the panel data approach to perform random effects regression analysis on a sample of 435 European listed non-financial companies, considering a timeframe of six years. Furthermore, the moderation effect of the Directive 2014/95/EU on the relationship between financial and non-financial performance has been tested.

Findings

NFD regulation negatively affects firms' operating profitability and shareholder value while produces no effects on debtholders' returns. Nevertheless, the Directive 2014/95/EU has general positive moderating effects on the relationship between non-financial and financial performance, mitigating the direct costs induced by pursuing non-financial performance.

Research limitations/implications

Shifting from mimetic to coercive isomorphism caused a strengthening of the complementarity between financial and non-financial performance dimensions, extending the concept of performance itself. The analysis carried out is limited to a short-term timeframe and on non-financial companies subject to the Directive 2014/95/EU.

Practical implications

The paper highlights trade-offs between the costs induced by non-financial activities and the benefits of being compliant with the non-financial disclosure (NFD) regulation, supporting managers in allocating business resources.

Originality/value

This paper is among the first that investigates the impact of mandatory NFD on the relationship between non-financial and financial performance. It is also one of the earliest in finding some pieces of evidence on the direct impact of Directive 2014/95/EU on EU companies' financial performance.
Sustainable supply chains under risk in the manufacturing firms: an extended double normalization-based multiple aggregation approach under an intuitionistic fuzzy environment
Authors: Wang Lanjing , Rani Pratibha
Published: October 2021

Purpose

In recent years, a number of researchers have attempted to make an integration of sustainability with supply chain risk management. These studies have led to valued insights into this issue, though there is still a lack of knowledge about the mechanisms by which sustainability-related issues are materialized as risks in the supply chain management.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper aims to provide a comprehensive framework to evaluate the sustainability risk in the supply chain management mechanism. To do so, a novel approach using the double normalization-based multiple aggregation (DNMA) approach under the intuitionistic fuzzy (IF) environment is extended to identify, rank and evaluate the sustainability risk factors in supply chain management.

Findings

To provide comprehensive sustainability risk factors, this study has conducted a survey using interview and literature review. In this regard, this study identified 36 sustainability risk factors in supply chain management of the manufacturing firms in five different groups of risk, including sustainable operational risk factors, economic risk factors, environmental risk factors, social risk factors, and sustainable distribution and recycling risk factors. The results of this paper found that the poor planning and scheduling was the important sustainability risk in supply chain management of the manufacturing firms, followed by the environmental accidents, production capacity risk, product design risk and exploitative hiring policies. In addition, the results of the study found that the extended approach was effective and efficient in evaluating the sustainability risk factors in supply chain management of the manufacturing firms.

Originality/value

Three aggregation methods based on the normalization techniques are discussed. A DNMA method is proposed under intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs). To propose a broad procedure for identifying and classifying sustainability risk factors (ESFs) in supply chain management. To rank the sustainability risk factor, the authors utilize a procedure for evaluating the significance degree of the sustainability risk factor in supply chain management.
The Brave browser: a monetary opportunity for libraries in the cryptoverse
Authors: Lund Brady
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to describe the benefits of the Brave web browser and its native cryptocurrency, the Basic Attention Token (BAT), for use by library patrons to preserve privacy and as a potential fundraising platform for libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

The Brave browser and BAT are introduced, an analysis of trends in adoption of these technologies is discussed and an argument for libraries to adopt/promote these technologies is presented.

Findings

Libraries could support the online privacy of their patrons if they encourage them to adopt the Brave browser, which is designed with privacy and security in mind. Libraries could also benefit from participating in the Brave Rewards program, which allows Brave users to donate BAT, a cryptotoken that they earn by viewing Brave ads, which can be traded for cash.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first to discuss the applications of the Brave browser in libraries and the potentials of cryptocurrency adoption by libraries.
Upward feedback falling on deaf ears: the effect on provider organizational citizenship and counterproductive work behaviors in the audit profession
Authors: Vagner Brandon , Blix Leslie Helen , Ortegren Marc , Sorensen Kate
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how firms can enhance feedback systems by studying the effects of offering junior auditors an opportunity to provide upward feedback and acknowledging their voice has been heard and will be considered for evaluation purposes.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a 2 × 1 + 1 (voice confirmation × opportunity + no opportunity) between-subjects experimental design that manipulated upward feedback opportunity (i.e., opportunity or no opportunity) and voice confirmation for those that do receive upward feedback opportunity (i.e., receive indication upward feedback was heard and will be considered or receive no indication upward feedback was heard). Within the no upward feedback opportunity condition participants did not have a chance to receive voice confirmation.

Findings

Through analysis of 117 upper-division undergraduate accounting students, the authors find the receipt of upward feedback opportunity and voice confirmation positively influence justice perceptions. Furthermore, the authors find interactional justice is positively associated with organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB), negatively associated with counterproductive work behaviors (CWB) and mediates the association between upward feedback voice confirmation and both OCB and CWB through indirect-only mediation. The authors also find distributive justice facilitates competitive and indirect-only mediation between upward feedback opportunity and OCB and CWB.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine the influence of giving staff auditors the opportunity to provide upward feedback and informing upward feedback providers (e.g., staff) their voice has been heard and will be considered for evaluation purposes.
Customer attribution toward corporate social responsibility: the importance of social justice in COVID-19 donation
Authors: Balqiah Tengku Ezni , Yuliati Elevita , Martdianty Fanny
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has given much attention to the impact of CSR initiatives on business performance. However, managing customers’ attributions to the company’s social activities are also needed. This study aims to extend the existing knowledge by examining the role of social justice as a moderating variable in the relationships among corporate brand image, CSR motive, corporate brand trust and loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

The research data were collected from a sample of 710 respondents in Indonesia through an online survey. The variables used in this study’s questionnaire were adapted from previous studies. The focus of the survey was a COVID-19-related social activity conducted by the biggest private telecommunication company in Indonesia. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results showed that social justice moderated the relationship between corporate brand image and CSR motive. Also, social justice that revealed fairness in social life could influence how customers respond on company social activities and thus create corporate brand trust and loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

This study focused on only one company and one type of CSR activity (i.e. philanthropy) that might limit its generalizability. Future studies can focus on other types of CSR activities from various companies and industries.

Practical implications

In designing their social activities, companies must consider the importance of social justice. Companies need to address customers’ concerns toward social and society problems, especially to overcome social, environmental or health problems. Hereinafter, companies must design CSR activities that establish and accentuate their value motives by creating communication through media and public relations activities to symbolize their high concern for social problems or disasters.

Originality/value

Most previous studies consider the outcome of social activities and their impact on business performance. This study focuses on the impact of corporate brand image and social justice (as an individual characteristics) on CSR (social activities) and how it can further enhance business performance (corporate brand trust, corporate brand image, loyalty) and enrich CSR research in emerging economies.
Spiritual leadership as a pathway toward innovative work behavior via knowledge sharing self-efficacy: moderating role of innovation climate
Authors: Usmanova Kamila , Wang Daoping , Sumarliah Eli , Khan Sher Zaman , Khan Safeer Ullah , Younas Amjad
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Although previous studies have studied the impact of spiritual leadership (SL) on employees’ innovation, the research on mechanisms and the boundary conditions for stimulating this relationship is scant. This paper aims to follow the idea of social capital theory (SCT), which contends that social relationships are resources that lead toward the development of intellectual capital, important for innovative work behavior (IWB) of employees; the mediating role of knowledge sharing self-efficacy (KSSE) and moderating role of innovation climate (IC) are considered.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected the data from the foreign and local employees working in multinational companies in China. The quantitative analysis was performed using Smart-PLS 3.0.

Findings

The results indicated that employee high-ranking of SL is positively related to KSSE. Moreover, SL is significant to enhance IWB, whereas KSSE explained this relationship. The authors also suggest that an employee’s KSSE is significant to form important behavior at work (IWB). However, IC did not play its moderating role in the SL – IWB link.

Originality/value

This study explores the influence of the leadership style (SL) on employees’ KSSE and the effect of KSSE on IWB, which have not been studied previously. The current study confirms the relationship between SL and IWB in the multicultural workplace and reveals the deeper influence of an individual’s belief (KSSE) mechanism between them. SCT was applied to explain the proposed relationships.
Patients with senile pruritus have a distinct skin microbiota and epidermal barrier in comparison with healthy controls
Authors: Huang Yaxin , Liu Jiexiong , Zhang Xiaorong , Li Yujuan , Xu Yong , Xiong Xia , Deng Yongqiong
Published: October 2021

Senile pruritus (SP) is a common skin disease in the elderly. The role of skin dysbacteriosis in the development of various skin diseases has been studied in recent years. However, the research about the skin microbiota of senile pruritus patients is lacking at present. The purpose of this cross‐sectional study was to investigate the differences of skin microbiota in senile pruritus patients and their relationship with the epidermal barrier. Thirty patients with senile pruritus and 30 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The skin barrier indexes were recorded by multi‐functional skin tester. The skin bacterial diversity was analyzed by using hyper‐variable tag sequencing of the V3–V4 region of the 16S rDNA. Compared with the healthy control group, the patients had significantly lower skin hydration (p = 0.014) and higher pH value (p = 0.021). Skin microbial diversity was significantly increased in patients according to the alpha diversity. At the genus level, Acinetobacter (p = 0.002) and Lactobacillus (p = 0.002) increased and Cutibacterium (p = 0.043) decreased. The pH value was positively associated with observed_species diversity (p = 0.026). The transdermal water loss was negatively related to the genus of Lactobacillus (p = 0.036), while the skin hydration was positively associated with the genus of Lactobacillus (p = 0.038). As a result, the damaged skin barrier function and skin dysbacteriosis complemented each other and may be associated with the occurrence of senile pruritus, but their role still needs further study.
Special education teachers’ understanding and use of evidence‐informed practice in the inclusion of children with SEN in Kuwait: lessons for teacher education
Authors: Al‐Shammari Zaid , Mintz Joseph
Published: October 2021

This paper presents a study which has evaluated the extent to which a sample of elementary special education teachers in Kuwait understand and make use of evidence‐informed approaches in the mainstream classroom with children with special educational needs. A questionnaire survey was developed and administered (N = 150), focussing on teacher understanding of and use of two selected evidence‐informed approaches: peer tutoring strategy and the JIGSAW strategy. Results revealed a good degree of understand and use of both strategies. Recommendations are made in relation to further research on the evidence‐informed practice for the effective inclusion of children with special educational needs in Kuwait and internationally.
Heukcha, naturally post‐fermented green tea extract, ameliorates diet‐induced hypercholesterolemia and NAFLD in hamster
Authors: Kang Minji , Kim Ee Hyun , Jeong Jeewon , Ha Hunjoo
Published: October 2021

Hypercholesterolemia, characterized by an increase in plasma low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and total cholesterol (TC), is the leading cause of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The present study examined the effect of Heukcha extract (HCE), a naturally post‐fermented green tea extract, on diet‐induced hypercholesterolemia and related NAFLD in hamsters that metabolize lipids in a similar fashion to humans. The 10‐week‐old golden Syrian hamsters were fed a normal diet (ND) or a high cholesterol diet (HCD) containing 0.2% cholesterol and 10% lard, and some were also given HCE (200 or 500 mg/kg/day) orally for 12 weeks. The HCE did not affect the body weight gain, food intake, or the calorie intake. HCD significantly (p < 0.05) increased LDL (0.9 to 2.1 mmol/L), TC (2.7 to 7.8 mmol/L), and triglyceride (TG; 2.3 to 4.0 mmol/L), which was significantly decreased by 27.7%, 17.3%, and 60%, respectively, by HCE. HDL was significantly increased by HCD (0.6 to 1.6 mmol/L), but it was not affected by HCE administration. Furthermore, HCE suppressed HCD‐induced liver oxidative stress, fibrosis, and lipid accumulation almost to control levels. Interestingly, HCE significantly increased the protein level of cholesterol 7 alpha‐hydroxylase (CYP7A1), the rate‐limiting enzyme for bile acid synthesis, by 1.5‐fold in the liver. The present data suggest that HCE could be a functional food ingredient that can suppress the occurrence of diet‐induced hypercholesterolemia and NAFLD, possibly by increasing the expression of CYP7A1.
Risk Factor Disclosures: A Review and Directions for Future Research*
Authors: Isiaka Abiodun S.
Published: October 2021

This paper assesses the current state of scholarly work on risk factor disclosures (RFDs) with the goal of synthesizing existing literature and stimulating further research in this area. To a large extent, prior research studies have examined different aspects of the disclosure of corporate risk information in annual reports. Beginning in 2005, the US SEC proposed changes to the disclosure of risk information in annual 10‐K reports. The changes mandated large firms in the United States to disclose risk factors in Item 1A of their 10‐Ks. While research studies on the impact of the changes are still ongoing, there are concerns among stakeholders that RFDs are vague, repetitive, and boilerplate. As a result, the SEC called on firms to ensure that they clearly disclose all the risks they faced. The SEC's call resulted in the release of an amendment that provides directions to further improve firms' RFDs. Using a systematic literature review method, this paper classifies the RFD literature into five research themes: (i) contents, (ii) informativeness, (iii) determinants, (iv) quality, and (v) effects on firm performance. The paper also reviews theories that have been dominantly applied in RFD studies and provides suggestions for future research.
Transanal decompression tube is superior to self‐expandable metallic colonic stent for malignant colorectal obstruction: a retrospective study
Authors: Zhang Shuai , Liu Guang , Wu Guang‐Hai , Zhang Shi‐Wu , Zhao Yong‐Jie , Xu Jing
Published: October 2021

Background

The surgical management of left‐sided malignant large bowel obstruction (MLBO) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Recently, self‐expandable metallic colonic stent (SEMS) and transanal decompression tube (TDT) used as a ‘bridge to surgery’ (BTS) have been widely used. This study aims to compare the clinical outcomes and oncological safety of SEMS and TDT as BTS to transform MLBO into elective surgery.

Methods

Between February 2013 and March 2019, 62 patients with MLBO received SEMS (n = 32) or TDT (n = 30), and elective one‐stage surgery later. We evaluated decompression efficiency and oncological safety in selective operation in TDT and SEMS groups, including preoperative preparation time, surgical approach, number of lymphatic dissection and vascular invasion, ulcer formation and histopathological findings of resected specimens.

Results

The preoperative preparation time in the SEMS group was shorter than that of the TDT group (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the groups in postoperative length of hospital stay (P > 0.05). The number of vascular invasions in the TDT group was less than that in the SEMS group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the risk of wound abscess and ulcer formation in the TDT group was significantly lower than that in the SEMS group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that SEMS is associated with a relatively poor oncological outcome and the placement of TDT as BTS in MLBO patients may be a better alternation.