bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative genomic and pan-genomic characteristion of Staphylococcus epidermidis from different sources unveils the molecular basis and potential biomarkers of pathogenic strains
Authors: Lin Shudan , Sun Bianjin , Shi Xinrui , Xu Yi , Gu Yunfeng , Gu Xiaobin , Ma Xueli , Wan Tian , Xu Jie , Su Jianzhong , Lou Yongliang , Zheng Meiqin
Published: August 2021

Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) is the most common pathogen causing traumatic endophthalmitis, Staphylococcus epidermidis is the most common species which colonizes human skin, eye surfaces and nasal cavity and is the main cause of nosocomial infection, specially foreign body-related bloodstream infections (FBR-BSIs). Although some studies have reported the genome characteristics of S. epidermidis, a comprehensive understanding of its pathogenicity and the genome of ocular trauma-sourced strains is still lacking. In this study, we sequenced, analyzed and reported the whole genomes of 11 ocular trauma-sourced samples of S. epidermidis that caused traumatic endophthalmitis. By integrating publicly available genomes, we obtained a total of 187 S. epidermidis samples from healthy and diseased eyes, skin, respiratory tract and blood. Combined with pangenome, phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses, our study supported that S. epidermidis, regardless of niche source, exhibits two founder lineages with different pathogenicities. Moreover, we identified potential biomarkers associated with the virulence of S. epidermidis, namely, essD, uhpt, sdrF, sdrG, fbe and icaABCDR. The essD and uhpt genes have high homology with esaD and hpt in Staphylococcus aureus, showing that the genomes of S. epidermidis and S. aureus may have communicated during evolution, while the sdrF, sdrG, fbe, and icaABCDR genes are related to biofilm formation. Compared to S. epidermidis from blood sources, ocular-sourced strains causing intraocular infection had no direct relationship with biofilm formation. In conclusion, this study not only provided additional data resources for studies on S. epidermidisis, but also improved understanding of the evolution and pathogenicity of different source strains.

Importants

In this study, we comprehensively analysied and reported the whole genome sequence (WGS) of the strains that caused traumatic endophthalmitis. Through comparative genomic analyses among 187 S. epidermidis samples from healthy and diseased eyes, skin, respiratory tract and blood, we identified 10 potential biomarkers of pathogenic strains. Finally, we revealed S. epidermidis-induced traumatic endophthalmitis may be independent of biofilm formation. Overall, our data may facilitate comparative research of S. epidermidis and provide clinical value for identifying pathogenic or contaminating strains.
Gait as a Quantitative Translational Outcome Measure in Angelman Syndrome
Authors: Petkova Stela P. , Duis Jessica D. , Silverman Jill L.
Published: August 2021

Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a genetic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by developmental delay, lack of speech, seizures, intellectual disability, and walking and balance disorders. Recently, motor ability became an interesting outcome measure in AS, as it is broad including ataxia, hypotonia, delayed and abnormal walking and postural movements and affects nearly every individual with AS. We predict that gait presents a strong opportunity for rigorous, reliable, and quantitative metrics with direct translation to evaluate pharmacological, dietary, and genetic therapies. Numerous motoric deficits have been identified clinically. In this study, we used an innovative, automated gait analysis as well as gold standard motor behavioral assays to further delineate components of motor, coordination, balance, and gait impairments in an AS mouse model across development. Our study demonstrated marked global motoric deficits in AS mice, corroborating many previous reports. Uniquely, this is the first report of nuanced and pertinent aberrations in quantitative spatial and temporal components of gait between AS and wildtype littermate controls, that are analogous in AS individuals. These metrics were followed longitudinally to observe the progression of maladaptive gait in AS, a clinical phenotype. This has not been reported previously and contributes a substantial novel metric for therapeutic development. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the robust translational value in the study of nuanced motor outcomes, i.e., gait, for AS, as well as similar genetic syndromes, in the endeavor of therapeutic screening.

Lay Abstract

Motor behaviors, like ambulation, gross and fine motor skills, coordination and balance, are easily quantifiable and readily translational between humans and preclinical rodent models for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, than other domains of behavior. To that end, we investigated gait across development in a mouse model for Angelman Syndrome and elucidated onset, progression, and decline of motor deficits in innovative, nuanced, and clinically relevant manner.
The ability of bumblebees Bombus terrestris (Hymenoptera: Apidae) to detect floral humidity is dependent upon environmental humidity
Authors: Harrison Amy S. , Rands Sean A.
Published: August 2021

Flowers produce local humidity that is often greater than that of the surrounding environment, and studies have shown that insect pollinators may be able to use this humidity difference to locate and identify suitable flowers. However, environmental humidity is highly heterogeneous, and is likely to affect the detectability of floral humidity, potentially constraining the contexts in which it can be used as a salient communication pathway between plants and their pollinators. In this study, we use differential conditioning techniques on bumblebees Bombus terrestris audax (Harris) to explore the detectability of an elevated floral humidity signal when presented against different levels of environmental noise. Artificial flowers were constructed that could be either dry or humid, and individual bumblebees were presented with consistent rewards in either the humid or dry flowers presented in an environment with four levels of constant humidity, ranging from low (∼20% RH) to highly saturated (∼95% RH). Ability to learn was dependent upon both the rewarding flower type and the environment: the bumblebees were able to learn rewarding dry flowers in all environments, but their ability to learn humid rewarding flowers was dependent on the environmental humidity, and they were unable to learn humid rewarding flowers when the environment was highly saturated. This suggests that floral humidity might be masked from bumblebees in humid environments, suggesting that it may be a more useful signal to insect pollinators in arid environments.
Insulin-like growth factor-2 does not improve behavioral deficits in mouse and rat models of Angelman Syndrome
Authors: Berg Elizabeth L. , Petkova Stela P. , Born Heather A. , Adhikari Anna , Anderson Anne E. , Silverman Jill L.
Published: August 2021

Background

Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder for which there is currently no cure or effective therapeutic. Since the genetic cause of AS is known to be dysfunctional expression of the maternal allele of ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A), several genetic animal models of AS have been developed. Both the Ube3a maternal deletion mouse and rat models of AS reliably demonstrate behavioral phenotypes of relevance to AS and therefore offer suitable in vivo systems in which to test potential therapeutics. One promising candidate treatment is insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2), which has recently been shown to ameliorate behavioral deficits in the mouse model of AS and improve cognitive abilities across model systems.

Methods

We used both the Ube3a maternal deletion mouse and rat models of AS to evaluate the ability of IGF-2 to improve electrophysiological and behavioral outcomes.

Results

Acute systemic administration of IGF-2 had an effect on electrophysiological activity in the brain and on a metric of motor ability, however the effects were not enduring or extensive. Additional metrics of motor behavior, learning, ambulation, and coordination were unaffected and IGF-2 did not improve social communication, seizure threshold, or cognition.

Limitations

The generalizability of these results to humans is difficult to predict and it remains possible that dosing schemes (i.e., chronic or subchronic dosing), routes, and/or post-treatment intervals other than that used herein may show more efficacy.

Conclusions

Despite a few observed effects of IGF-2, our results taken together indicate that IGF-2 treatment does not profoundly improve behavioral deficits in mice or rat models of AS. These findings shed cautionary light on the potential utility of acute systemic IGF-2 administration in the treatment of AS.
Spatio-temporally efficient coding assigns functions to hierarchical structures of the visual system
Authors: Sihn Duho , Kim Sung-Phil
Published: August 2021

Hierarchical structures constitute a wide array of brain areas, including the visual system. One of the important questions regarding visual hierarchical structures is to identify computational principles for assigning functions that represent the external world to hierarchical structures of the visual system. Given that visual hierarchical structures contain both bottom-up and top-down pathways, the derived principles should encompass these bidirectional pathways. However, existing principles such as predictive coding do not provide an effective principle for bidirectional pathways. Therefore, we propose a novel computational principle for visual hierarchical structures as spatio-temporally efficient coding underscored by the efficient use of given resources in both neural activity space and processing time. This coding principle optimises bidirectional information transmissions over hierarchical structures by simultaneously minimising temporal differences in neural responses and maximising entropy in neural representations. Simulations demonstrated that the proposed spatio-temporally efficient coding was able to assign the function of appropriate neural representations of natural visual scenes to visual hierarchical structures. Furthermore, spatio-temporally efficient coding was able to predict well-known phenomena, including deviations in neural responses to unlearned inputs and bias in preferred orientations. Our proposed spatio-temporally efficient coding may facilitate deeper mechanistic understanding of the computational processes of hierarchical brain structures.
In silico design of bioactive chimeric peptide from archaeal antimicrobial peptides
Authors: Banerjee Souvik , Chakraborty Soham , Majumder Kaustav
Published: August 2021

Novel peptide therapeutics have been the cardinal part of modern-day research. Such therapies are being incorporated to prevent the adverse effects of globally emerging multi-drug resistant bacteria and various chronic human diseases which pose a great risk to the present world. In this study, we have designed a novel peptide therapy involving archaeal antimicrobial peptides. In silico predictions assign the peptide construct to be antigenic, non-allergenic, non-toxic and having stable physicochemical properties. The secondary and tertiary structures of the construct were predicted. The tertiary structure was refined for improving the quality of the predicted model. Computational tools predicted intracellular receptors in Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and the human body to be possible binding targets of the construct. In silico docking of modelled peptide with predicted targets, showed prominent results against targets for complex human diseases and that of bacterial infections. The stability of those docked complexes was confirmed with computational studies of conformational dynamics. Certainly, the designed peptide could be a potent therapeutic against multi-drug resistant bacteria as well as several human diseases.
Cutting epitopes to survive: the case of lambda variant
Authors: Pascarella Stefano , Ciccozzi Massimo , Bianchi Martina , Benvenuto Domenico , Cauda Roberto , Cassone Antonio
Published: August 2021

This manuscript concisely reports an in-silico study on the potential impact of the Spike protein mutations on immuno-escape ability of SARS-CoV-2 lambda variant. Biophysical and bioinformatics data suggest that a combination of shortening immunogenic epitope loops and generation of potential N-glycosylation sites may be a viable adaptation strategy potentially allowing this emerging viral variant escaping host immunity.
Gender Distribution of Organizing Committees and Invited Speakers at the International Conferences on Emergency Medicine
Authors: Galletta Gayle , Subhan Imron , Marathe Priyadarshini
Published: August 2021

Background

It has been documented that women are under-represented as speakers at emergency medicine conferences globally. This lack of opportunity is likely contributing to the gender gap of women in academic and leadership positions.

Methods

The Gender-Specific Issues Special Interest Group (GSI-SIG) of the International Federation of Emergency Medicine (IFEM) has analyzed the gender distribution of invited speakers, plenary speakers, and organizing committees from its last three International Conferences on Emergency Medicine in 2016, 2018, and 2019.

Results

Men comprised 75% (range 57-92%) of organizing committees, 69% (67-70%) of plenary speakers, and 78% (range 75-81%) of invited speakers.

Conclusion

The percentage of women speakers at IFEM’s International Conferences on Emergency Medicine is low; even below the percentage of women emergency medicine physicians. By understanding these data and their consequences, changes can be made to close this gender gap and create more equitable opportunities for women and their career advancement.

Strengths and Limitations of this study

The gender breakdown of local organizing committee members and invited speakers at three consecutive International Conferences on Emergency Medicine heavily favoured men over women.

Having women on the host country’s local organizing committee had no effect on the gender distribution of speakers.

As these conferences draw speakers and participants from a diverse, international audience, the results are generalizable.

The organizing committee and speakers’ backgrounds (MD, RN, paramedic) were not delineated, and may have skewed the results.

Gender non-conforming individuals were not identified.
Molecular basis of a dominant SARS-CoV-2 Spike-derived epitope presented by HLA-A*02:01 recognised by a public TCR
Authors: Szeto Christopher , Nguyen Andrea T. , Lobos Christian A. , Chatzileontiadou Dimitra S.M. , Jaya-singhe Dhilshan , Grant Emma J. , Riboldi-Tunnicliffe Alan , Smith Corey , Gras Stephanie
Published: August 2021

The data currently available on how the immune system recognizes the SARS-CoV-2 virus is growing rapidly. While there are structures of some SARS-CoV-2 proteins in complex with antibodies, which helps us understand how the immune system is able to recognise this new virus, we are lacking data on how T cells are able to recognize this virus. T cells, especially the cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, are critical for viral recognition and clearance. Here we report the X-ray crystallography structure of a T cell receptor, shared among unrelated individuals (public TCR) in complex with a dominant spike-derived CD8+ T cell epitope (YLQ peptide). We show that YLQ activates a polyfunctional CD8+ T cell response in COVID-19 recovered patients. We detail the molecular basis for the shared TCR gene usage observed in HLA-A*02:01+ individuals, providing an understanding of TCR recognition towards a SARS-CoV-2 epitope. Interestingly, the YLQ peptide conformation did not change upon TCR binding, facilitating the high-affinity interaction observed.
Estimating tumor mutational burden from RNA-sequencing without a matched-normal sample
Authors: Katzir Rotem , Yizhak Keren
Published: August 2021

Detection of somatic point mutations using patients sequencing data has many clinical applications, including the identification of cancer driver genes, detection of mutational signatures, and estimation of tumor mutational burden (TMB). In a recent work we developed a tool for detection of somatic mutations using tumor RNA and matched-normal DNA. Here, we further extend it to detect somatic mutations from RNA sequencing data without a matched-normal sample. This is accomplished via a machine learning approach that classifies mutations as either somatic or germline based on various features. When applied to RNA-sequencing of >450 melanoma samples high precision and recall are achieved, and both mutational signatures and driver genes are correctly identified. Finally, we show that RNA-based TMB is significantly associated with patient survival, with similar or superior performance to DNA-based TMB. Our pipeline can be utilized in many future applications, analyzing novel and existing datasets where only RNA is available.
Analysis of genetic dominance in the UK Biobank
Authors: Palmer Duncan S. , Zhou Wei , Abbott Liam , Baya Nikolas , Churchhouse Claire , Seed Cotton , Poterba Tim , King Daniel , Kanai Masahiro , Bloemendal Alex , Neale Benjamin M.
Published: August 2021

Classical statistical genetic theory defines dominance as a deviation from a purely additive effect. Dominance is well documented in model organisms and plant/animal breeding; outside of rare monogenic traits, however, evidence in humans is limited. We evaluated dominance effects in >1,000 phenotypes in the UK Biobank through GWAS, identifying 175 genome-wide significant loci (P < 4.7 × 10−11). Power to detect non-additive loci is low: we estimate a 20-30 fold increase in sample size is required to detect dominance loci to significance levels observed at additive loci. By deriving a new dominance form of LD-score regression, we found no evidence of a dominance contribution to phenotypic variance tagged by common variation genome-wide (median fraction 5.73 × 10−4). We introduce dominance fine-mapping to explore whether the more rapid decay of dominance linkage disequilibrium can be leveraged to find causal variants. These results provide the most comprehensive assessment of dominance trait variation in humans to date.
Quantifying predator functional responses under field conditions reveals interactive effects of temperature and interference with sex and stage
Authors: Coblentz Kyle E. , Squires Amber , Uiterwaal Stella , Delong John P.
Published: August 2021

Predator functional responses describe predator feeding rates and are a core component of predator-prey theory. Although originally defined as the relationship between predator feeding rates and prey densities, it is now well known that predator functional responses are shaped by a multitude of factors. Unfortunately, how these factors interact with one another remains unclear, as widely used laboratory methods for measuring functional responses are generally logistically constrained to examining a few factors simultaneously. Furthermore, it is also often unclear whether laboratory derived functional responses translate to field conditions.

Our goal was to apply an observational approach for measuring functional responses to understand how sex/stage differences, temperature, and predator interference interact to influence the functional response of zebra jumping spiders on midges under natural conditions.

We used field feeding surveys of jumping spiders to infer spider functional responses. We applied a Bayesian model averaging approach to estimate differences among sexes and stages of jumping spiders in their feeding rates and their dependencies on midge densities, temperature, and predator interference.

We find that females exhibit the steepest functional responses on midges, followed by juveniles, and then males, despite males being larger than juveniles. We also find that sexes and stages differ in the temperature dependence of their space clearance (aka attack) rates. We find little evidence of temperature dependence in females, whereas we find some evidence for an increase in space clearance rate at high temperatures in males and juveniles. Interference effects on feeding rates were asymmetric with little effect of interference on male feeding rates, and effects of interference on females and juveniles depending on the stage/sex from which the interference originates.

Our results illustrate the multidimensional nature of functional responses in natural settings and reveal how factors influencing functional responses can interact with one another through behavior and morphology. Further studies investigating the influence of multiple mechanisms on predator functional responses under field conditions will provide an increased understanding of the drivers of predator-prey interaction strengths and their consequences for communities and ecosystems.
Faster rates of molecular sequence evolution in reproduction-related genes and in species with hypodermic sperm morphologies
Authors: Wiberg R. Axel W. , Brand Jeremias N. , Schärer Lukas
Published: August 2021

Sexual selection drives the evolution of many striking behaviours and morphologies, and should leave signatures of selection at loci underlying these phenotypes. However, while loci thought to be under sexual selection often evolve rapidly, few studies have contrasted rates of molecular sequence evolution at such loci across lineages with different sexual selection contexts. Furthermore, work has focused on separate sexed animals, neglecting alternative sexual systems. We investigate rates of molecular sequence evolution in hermaphroditic flatworms of the genus Macrostomum. Specifically, we compare species that exhibit contrasting sperm morphologies, strongly associated with multiple convergent shifts in the mating strategy, reflecting different sexual selection contexts. Species donating and receiving sperm in every mating have sperm with bristles, likely to prevent sperm removal. Meanwhile, species that hypodermically inject sperm lack bristles, potentially as an adaptation to the environment experienced by hypodermic sperm. Combining functional annotations from the model, M. lignano, with transcriptomes from 97 congeners, we find genus-wide faster sequence evolution in reproduction-related versus ubiquitously-expressed genes, consistent with stronger sexual selection on the former. Additionally, species with hypodermic sperm morphologies had elevated molecular sequence evolution, regardless of a gene’s functional annotation. These genome-wide patterns suggest reduced selection efficiency following shifts to hypodermic mating, possibly due to higher selfing rates in these species. Moreover, we find little evidence for convergent amino acid changes across species. Our work not only shows that reproduction-related genes evolve rapidly also in hermaphroditic animals, but also that well-replicated contrasts of different sexual selection contexts can reveal underappreciated genome-wide effects.
Transposable elements and their KZFP controllers are drivers of transcriptional innovation in the developing human brain
Authors: Playfoot Christopher J. , Duc Julien , Sheppard Shaoline , Dind Sagane , Coudray Alexandre , Planet Evarist , Trono Didier
Published: August 2021

Transposable elements (TEs) account for more than 50% of the human genome and many have been co-opted throughout evolution to provide regulatory functions for gene expression networks. Several lines of evidence suggest that these networks are fine-tuned by the largest family of TE controllers, the KRAB-containing zinc finger proteins (KZFPs). One tissue permissive for TE transcriptional activation (termed “transposcription”) is the adult human brain, however comprehensive studies on the extent of this process and its potential contribution to human brain development are lacking. To elucidate the spatiotemporal transposcriptome of the developing human brain, we have analyzed two independent RNA-seq data sets encompassing 16 brain regions from eight weeks postconception into adulthood. We reveal a distinct KZFP:TE transcriptional profile defining the late prenatal to early postnatal transition, and the spatiotemporal and cell type–specific activation of TE-derived alternative promoters driving the expression of neurogenesis-associated genes. Long-read sequencing confirmed these TE-driven isoforms as significant contributors to neurogenic transcripts. We also show experimentally that a co-opted antisense L2 element drives temporal protein relocalization away from the endoplasmic reticulum, suggestive of novel TE dependent protein function in primate evolution. This work highlights the widespread dynamic nature of the spatiotemporal KZFP:TE transcriptome and its importance throughout TE mediated genome innovation and neurotypical human brain development. To facilitate interactive exploration of these spatiotemporal gene and TE expression dynamics, we provide the “Brain TExplorer” web application freely accessible for the community.
Recovery of memory from infantile amnesia is developmentally constrained
Authors: Bisaz Reto , Bessières Benjamin , Miranda Janelle M. , Travaglia Alessio , Alberini Cristina M.
Published: August 2021

Episodic memories formed during infancy are rapidly forgotten, a phenomenon associated with infantile amnesia, the inability of adults to recall early-life memories. In both rats and mice, infantile memories, although not expressed, are actually stored long term in a latent form. These latent memories can be reinstated later in life by certain behavioral reminders or by artificial reactivations of neuronal ensembles activated at training. Whether the recovery of infantile memories is limited by developmental age, maternal presence, or contingency of stimuli presentation remains to be determined. Here, we show that the return of inhibitory avoidance memory in rats following a behavioral reactivation consisting of an exposure to the context (conditioned stimuli [CS]) and footshock (unconditioned stimuli [US]) given in a temporally unpaired fashion, is evident immediately after US and is limited by the developmental age at which the reactivations are presented; however, it is not influenced by maternal presence or the time interval between training and reactivation. We conclude that one limiting factor for infantile memory reinstatement is developmental age, suggesting that a brain maturation process is necessary to allow the recovery of a “lost” infantile memory.
Lifelong reductions of PKMζ in ventral hippocampus of nonhuman primates exposed to early-life adversity due to unpredictable maternal care
Authors: Fulton Sasha L. , Hsieh Changchi , Atkin Tobias , Norris Ryan , Schoenfeld Eric , Tsokas Panayiotis , Fenton André Antonio , Sacktor Todd Charlton , Coplan Jeremy D.
Published: August 2021

Protein kinase Mζ (PKMζ) maintains long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term memory through persistent increases in kinase expression. Early-life adversity is a precursor to adult mood and anxiety disorders, in part, through persistent disruption of emotional memory throughout life. Here we subjected 10- to 16-wk-old male bonnet macaques to adversity by a maternal variable-foraging demand paradigm. We then examined PKMζ expression in their ventral hippocampi as 7- to 12-yr-old adults. Quantitative immunohistochemistry reveals decreased PKMζ in dentate gyrus, CA1, and subiculum of subjects who had experienced early-life adversity due to the unpredictability of maternal care. Adult animals with persistent decrements of PKMζ in ventral hippocampus express timid rather than confrontational responses to a human intruder. Persistent down-regulation of PKMζ in the ventral hippocampus might reduce the capacity for emotional memory maintenance and contribute to the long-lasting emotional effects of early-life adversity.
Validation study of the Korean version of decent work scale
Authors: Lee Yunsoo , Song Ji Hoon , Kim Soo Jung
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to validate the Korean version of the decent work scale and examine the relationship between decent work and work engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

After completing translation and back translation, the authors surveyed 266 Korean employees from various organizations via network sampling. They assessed Rasch’s model based on item response theory. In addition, they used classical test theory to evaluate the decent work scale’s validity and reliability.

Findings

The authors found that the current version of the decent work scale has good validity, reliability and item difficulty, and decent work has a positive relationship with work engagement. However, based on item response theory, the assessment showed that three of the items are extremely similar to another item within the same dimension, implying that the items are unable to discriminate among individual traits.

Originality/value

This study validated the decent work scale in a Korean work environment using Rasch’s (1960) model from the perspective of item response theory.
Wealth distribution and skills generation under public and private education systems
Authors: Goswami Sriparna , Chakraborty Bidisha
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to understand the differing impacts of wealth distribution on human capital accumulation and skilled-unskilled labour generation under three educational paradigms as follows: private, public and a system of mixed education.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use an overlapping generations model.

Findings

The wealth dynamics show that both in the private education system and public education system, there are two possible outcomes- stagnation and steady growth depending on the efficiency of the education system, skill premium and other parameters. The choice of the education system through voting is discussed. It is found that skilled workers would always vote for private education whilst unskilled workers vote for private education if public education expenditure of the economy is low.

Research limitations/implications

The study is subject to several limitations. This paper considers the rate of interest and wage rate to be exogenously given, and thus ignores the general equilibrium effects. The authors do not consider the labour-leisure choice. The introduction of labour leisure choice in the model would alter many of the results. The authors do not consider heterogeneous ability across individuals. The analysis of the differential efficiency of the different education systems needs further, rigorous research. Also, this paper does not consider other occupations such as entrepreneurship and self-employment. This paper considers the labour demand function to be perfectly elastic, and hence, does not consider any demand constraint. What happens if bequests are taxed? What happens if parents are not altruistic? These questions may be addressed in future research.

Social implications

If the proportion of tax paying skilled labour is low in any country, pure public education may not be able to generate sustained human capital growth. For countries with a sufficiently large proportion of skilled labour, the public education system would be successful. On the other hand, if skill premium is low or the education system is poorly managed private education system may fail too.

Originality/value

Whilst investigating the effects of public vs private education on growth and development in the presence of unequal wealth distribution, The authors have tried to address a few questions. First, why the public education system has been successful in skill accumulation in developed countries whilst it has failed to do so in less developed countries? Second, why do some countries with mostly privately run educational institutions perform much better in human capital production whilst others do not? Third, in an economy with unequal wealth distribution, what are the factors that result in public or private education as a voting equilibrium outcome?
GST complexities in Malaysia: views from tax experts
Authors: Nutman Naailah , Isa Khadijah , Yussof Salwa Hana
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation in Malaysia had raised various responses from many parties involved when the new tax was introduced in 2015 until its abolishment in 2018. GST complexity has been stated as part of the reasons for its resistance and abolishment. The purpose of this paper is to identify causes of GST complexities during its implementation in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on causes of tax complexity from previous studies and conducted semi-structured interviews with tax experts. The respondents comprised of subject matter experts in GST and the findings are based on their numerous years of experiences handling clients with diverse backgrounds.

Findings

Findings from this study are categorised into legal complexity and declarative complexities. Almost all the causes of complexities from prior studies were encountered by Malaysian businesses. This study concluded that the most likely reasons for the abolishment of GST in Malaysia are: numerous rules and exception to the rules (e.g. 35 tax codes, gifts rules, 21-day rules), frequent changes of GST rulings and guidelines, GST computations that were too difficult for mixed supply and process of GST refund that were onerous and lengthy.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of this paper include reliance on the respondents’ ability to accurately and honestly recall details of their experiences, circumstances, thoughts or behaviours that are being asked.

Practical implications

Despite the abolishment of the GST in Malaysia, it is pertinent to identify the causes of GST complexities that can be learnt by the relevant authorities. Measures can be formulated to mitigate the identified GST complexities to ensure high compliance among businesses with other existing taxes or new taxes (if any) to be introduced in the future. This includes addressing the competency of RMCD officers and businesses on the rules and regulations, minimal rules and exception to the rules, a simplified GST computations for mixed supply and a systematic refund process.

Originality/value

The research method used is a flexible and powerful tool to capture the voices and the ways respondents make meaning of their experience dealing with the GST matters. The findings reveal a deep understanding of the issues from the views of the experts in the field.
Islamic banking stability amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of digital financial inclusion
Authors: Banna Hasanul , Hassan M. Kabir , Ahmad Rubi , Alam Md Rabiul
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the role of digital financial inclusion (DFI) in stabilizing the Islamic banking sector amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has used the Panel-Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE), Two-Stage Panel Least Squares-Instrumental Variables (2SLS-IV) and Two-Step System Generalized Method of Moments (2SGMM) dynamic panel estimation method to investigate the DFI-Islamic banking stability nexus using an unbalanced panel data of 65 Islamic banks from six countries over the period 2011–2020.

Findings

The result suggests that greater implementation of DFI promotes Islamic banking stability, which reduces the default risk of the banks in the studied region. Consequently, incorporating DFI into the Islamic banking sector encourages inclusive economic growth that can keep the financial sector sustainable even in a crisis period like the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Originality/value

Unlike previous studies, the authors have focused mainly on DFI and the Islamic banking sector. This is one of the first to explore how DFI contribute to the stability and productivity of the Islamic banking sector during the pandemic. Also, this study provides fresh evidence on how the supply and demand side of DFI impact Islamic banking stability.
International open innovation and international market success: an empirical study of emerging market small and medium-sized enterprises
Authors: Zahoor Nadia , Khan Zaheer , Arslan Ahmad , Khan Huda , Tarba Shlomo Yedidia
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This paper presents a theorization and an empirical analysis of the influences of international open innovation (IOI) on the international market success of emerging market small and medium-sized enterprises (ESMEs). An analysis of the moderating roles played by cross-cultural competencies and digital alliance capabilities in this specific context is also presented.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a quantitative research design involving a survey of 231 ESMEs based in the UAE. The authors formulated some hypotheses and tested them by employing hierarchical regression models.

Findings

The findings revealed that IOI positively affects the international market success of ESMEs. The authors further found that both cross-cultural competencies and digital alliance capabilities moderate the relationship between IOI and international market success.

Originality/value

The study advances the international marketing, knowledge and innovation management literature in two ways. First, it is a pioneering study that advances both the theoretical and empirical scholarship regarding the relationship between IOI and emerging market firm international market success by employing an extended resource-based view. Second, it further highlights the role played by cross-cultural competencies and digital alliance capabilities as effective governance mechanisms that moderate the relationship between IOI and international market success.
A digital servitization framework for viable manufacturing companies
Authors: Ciasullo Maria Vincenza , Polese Francesco , Montera Raffaella , Carrubbo Luca
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the strategic management of a technology-enabled shift from a product-centric to a service-centric logic and to identify the sociotechnical dynamics underlying this transition. The study focuses on how manufacturers manage to create value in industrial markets through digital servitization.

Design/methodology/approach

An abductive research approach is used to investigate two manufacturing firms, and an interpretive framework is used as an analytical template. A cross-case analysis is conducted.

Findings

The case companies strategically managed sociotechnical processes of digitization to co-create value. Their service orientation delineates dissimilarity in terms of digital servitization. It reflects a viable ecosystem that moves toward datatization through adaptation in one case and a viable ecosystem that moves toward digitization through reconfiguration in the other case.

Practical implications

A theoretically grounded, empirically informed framework is proposed to detect transformational mechanisms to manage value co-creation in digitally servitized contexts, thus contributing to ecosystem viability.

Originality/value

This is the first study to adopt a system perspective such as the viable system approach combined with service-dominant logic to reconceptualize the overall sociotechnical processes and the underlying mechanisms leading to digitized value creation. In line with a systems view and a systematic process based on a transformative attitude toward digital servitization, the empirically informed framework identifies specific co-creation activities and recursive feedback loops.
TrueFootprint, Ltd.: a case study in the use of SME innovation to combat the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Barnes Kenneth J. , Hoffmire John
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This case study aims to explore the efforts of a small start-up company, whose unique solutions are being deployed in the fight against COVID-19, with encouraging results. Using innovative technology and local volunteer networks, they have set out to identify the medical needs of local care providers, while reducing the effects of fraud, corruption and mis-management.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study involved the interrogation of data made available by the company and an interview with the chief executive officer.

Findings

The research suggests that small enterprises can have a positive impact, far beyond what either the state or the market might assume. By properly equipping and empowering people at the grassroots level, they can identify and solve local resourcing issues and root-out fraud, corruption and mismanagement before they happen.

Originality/value

This is a unique approach to the problem of resource management in the non-profit sector, with implications for grant projects beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transition to a hybrid teaching model as a step forward toward responsible management education?
Authors: Pucciarelli Francesca , Kaplan Andreas
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how the COVID-19 health crisis could help business schools move towards more responsible management education (RME). Business schools have been extensively blamed in previous crises for not educating their students in a responsible way. The COVID-19 pandemic could be the pivotal opportunity for business schools to regain legitimacy and a wake-up call to accelerate their journey towards RME. The authors aim to outline an illustration of the transition to a hybrid teaching model and how such educational reconfiguration might lead to more sustainable and RME, also beyond COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach is proposed to analyse and decrypt the challenges and opportunities of a hybrid approach, its implications for the transformation of business schools and RME. This study also includes a state-of-the-art literature review, a specific investigation of the case of ESCP, the European cross-border multi-campus business school, and in-depth interviews with stakeholders impacted by the crisis.

Findings

The health crisis demonstrated the unprecedented capability of higher education to embrace rapid and profound change. Furthermore, the pandemic served as a wake-up call in that it may even have caused the progress of business schools, previously somewhat reluctant, towards more socially responsible and sustainable thinking. Thus, the schools have used the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to regain legitimacy and be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Practical implications

The paper pulls together a multitude of suggestions for higher education in general and business schools in particular.

Originality/value

Combining two of higher education’s main challenges, namely, digitalisation and sustainability and applying the principles for responsible management education framework to map and analyse the pandemic’s implications, this paper provides a new, compelling and inspiring resource for business schools on their path to a more responsible management approach and education.
Coffee culture: Will Nigerians drink coffee like others?
Authors: Oniku Ayodele Christopher , Akintimehin Olamide
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the coffee culture of citizens of Southern Nigeria. Specifically, different scales were developed to measure coffee culture among the citizens which cover health, socialisation, elitism, culture and commercialisation factors.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative approach was adopted for the study, and factor analysis was used to analyse the data collected through an online survey. As a result, EFA and CFA showed the test of sphericity and the different fit indexes.

Findings

The findings revealed the experiences of consumers and their disposition to coffee consumption to establish coffee culture among the citizens. Largely, the findings revealed that coffee culture is still very low among the citizens and the summation that coffee culture is still in infancy.

Originality/value

Given the importance of coffee culture in the larger world, and acceptance of coffee as a global social drink, the design of a scale that focussed on socialisation, health, elitism, culture and commercialisation factors help to robustly investigate the state of coffee culture among the citizens.
Medical students' attitudes towards psychiatry improve following psychiatry clinical placements: the ATPP study
Authors: Osimo Emanuele Felice , Mariner Lydia , Wilkinson Paul
Published: August 2021

Purpose

In previous research, personality and exposure to psychiatry were independently shown to shape medical students attitudes towards psychiatry (ATP). This paper aims to investigate the role of psychiatry placements and personality types on medical student attitudes towards psychiatry (ATP).

Design/methodology/approach

All medical students from four consecutive years at Cambridge University, UK were invited to take part in an online questionnaire including the ATP-30 Questionnaire and The Big Five Factor personality Inventory (BFI).

Findings

Students who had completed their psychiatry placement had more positive ATP than students who had not (t = −3.24, adjusted p = 0.004). However, this was not reflected in an increased self-reported likelihood of choosing psychiatry as a career (t = 0.28, adjusted p = 0.78). Higher agreeable personality scores were associated with both a higher willingness to take up psychiatry as a career (linear model estimate 0.06; p = 0.03), and more positive ATP (linear model estimate 0.14; p < 0.0001).

Originality/value

This work seems to confirm that exposure to psychiatry improves attitudes towards psychiatry. Agreeable personality traits were also associated with a higher willingness to take up psychiatry postgraduate training. These findings might help shape future campaigns to improve the profile of psychiatry training. Future research on this topic is needed to address whether improved ATP among medical students can longitudinally improve recruitment into post-graduate psychiatry training.
Effect of private and public investment in R&D on innovation in Mexico’s biotechnology firms
Authors: Oliver-Espinoza Rubén , Stezano Federico
Published: August 2021

Purpose

In light of the controversy between the theoretical importance of financing biotechnology firms’ research and development (R&D), and the firms’ contradictory and ambivalent empirical results, this paper aims to contribute to the debate by providing empirical evidence from Mexico’s case.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use the probit model to determine if firms’ achievements in innovations are related to both private and public financing, and if so, to calculate their marginal effect on the firms’ innovation (n= 40 from 53 firms: 75.5% response). The survey was applied in 2015.

Findings

Although a large proportion of the firms innovate and dedicate resources to R&D activities, neither private financing (different from the R&D portion of sales) nor public financing has an impact on innovation activity.

Research limitations/implications

It is necessary to increase the number of studies that corroborate the type of link established between innovations in biotechnology firms and financing. Analyzing the financing/innovation links at various stages of the innovation process would also be relevant.

Originality/value

The research results support the perspective that the theoretical relationship between the financing and achievements of innovation is not conclusive and point to relevant considerations for the public policy agenda of the case study.