bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic ablation of a female specific Apetala 2 transcription factor blocks oocyst shedding inCryptosporidium parvum
Authors: Tandel Jayesh , Walzer Katelyn A. , Byerly Jessica H. , Pinkston Brittain , Beiting Daniel P. , Striepen Boris
Published: November 2022

The apicomplexan parasiteCryptosporidiumis a leading global cause of diarrheal disease, and the infection poses a particularly grave threat to young children and those with weakened immune function. Infection occurs by ingestion of meiotic spores called oocysts, and transmission relies on fecal shedding of new oocysts. The entire lifecycle thus occurs in a single host and features asexual as well as sexual forms of replication. Here we identify and locus tag two Apetala 2-type (AP2) transcription factors and demonstrate that they are exclusively expressed in male and female gametes, respectively. To enable functional studies of essential genes inC. parvumwe develop and validate a small molecule inducible gene excision system, which we apply to the female factor AP2-F to achieve conditional gene knock out. Analyzing this mutant, we find the factor to be dispensable for asexual growth and early female fate determination in vitro, but to be required for oocyst shedding in infected animals in vivo.

Transcriptional analyses conducted in the presence or absence of AP2-F revealed that the factor controls the transcription of genes encoding crystalloid body proteins, which are exclusively expressed in female gametes. InC. parvum, the organelle is restricted to sporozoites, and its loss in other apicomplexan parasites leads to blocked transmission. Overall, our development of conditional gene ablation inC. parvumprovides a robust method for genetic analysis in this parasite that enabled us to identify AP2-F as an essential regulator of transcription required for oocyst shedding and transmission.
A systematic review of gene editing clinical trials
Authors: Eshka Sahar Fallah Akbarpoor , Bahador Mina , Gordan Mohammad Mahdi , Karbasi Sara , Tabar Zahra Mahmoudi , Basiri Mohsen
Published: November 2022

Gene editing technologies such as zinc finger nuclease (ZFN), transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) have revolutionized genetic engineering and now are being used in clinical gene therapy. We systematically reviewed gene editing clinical trials fromClinicalTrials.govusing a searching strategy that included all different gene editing technologies, followed by two rounds of independent assessment based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, data extraction, and review of the background publications. 76 trials met our inclusion criteria including 30 studies on genetically engineered T-cell therapies for cancer, 19 studies on virus infections, and 26 studies on monogenic diseases. We have also analyzed the proportions to which different gene editing and gene delivery methods are used. We observed a growing trend of registered CRISPR-based trials indicating a raising interest in developing new therapeutic methods based on this technology. Overall, our study showed that there are promising phase-I and -II trials testing the safety and feasibility of gene editing in different clinical settings.
User feedback on the NHS Test & Trace Service during COVID-19: the use of machine learning to analyse free-text data from 37,914 UK adults
Authors: Bondaronek P , Papakonstantinou T , Stefanidou C , Chadborn T
Published: November 2022

Objectives

The UK government’s approach to the pandemic relies on a test, trace and isolate strategy, mainly implemented via the digital NHS Test & Trace Service. Feedback on user experience is central to the successful development of public-facing services. As the situation dynamically changes and data accumulate, interpretation of feedback by humans becomes time-consuming and unreliable. The specific objectives were to 1) evaluate a human-in-the-loop machine learning technique based on structural topic modelling in terms of its serviceability in the analysis of vast volumes of free-text data, 2) generate actionable themes that can be used to increase user satisfaction of the Service.

Methods

We evaluated an unsupervised Topic Modelling approach, testing models with 5-40 topics and differing covariates. Two human coders conducted thematic analysis to interpret the topics. We identified a Structural Topic Model with 25 topics and metadata as covariates as the most appropriate for acquiring insights.

Results

Results from analysis of feedback by 37,914 users from May 2020 to March 2021 highlighted issues with the Service falling within three major themes: multiple contacts and incompatible contact method and incompatible contact method, confusion around isolation dates and tracing delays, complex and rigid system.

Conclusions

Structural Topic Modelling coupled with thematic analysis was found to be an effective technique to rapidly acquire user insights. Topic modelling can be a quick and cost-effective method to provide high quality, actionable insights from free-text feedback to optimize public health services.
A frequent ancestral NFKB1 variant predicts risk of infection or allergy
Authors: Chong A. Y. , Brenner N. , Jimenez-Kaufmann A. , Cortes A. , Hill M. , Littlejohns T. J. , Gilchrist J. J. , Fairfax B. P. , Knight J. C. , Hodel F. , Fellay J. , McVean G. , Moreno-Estrada A. , Waterboer T. , Hill A. V. S. , Mentzer A. J.
Published: November 2022

Infectious agents contribute significantly to the global burden of diseases, through both acute infection and their chronic sequelae. We leveraged the UK Biobank to identify genetic loci that influence humoral immune response to multiple infections. From 45 genome-wide association studies in 9,611 participants from UK Biobank, we identifiedNFKB1as a locus associated with quantitative antibody responses to multiple pathogens including those from the herpes, retro- and polyoma-virus families. An insertion-deletion variant thought to affectNFKB1expression (rs28362491), was mapped as the likely causal variant. This variant has persisted throughout hominid evolution and could play a key role in regulation of the immune response. Using 121 infection and inflammation related traits in 487,297 UK Biobank participants, we show that the deletion allele was associated with an increased risk of infection from diverse pathogens but had a protective effect against allergic disease. We propose that altered expression ofNFKB1, as a result of the deletion, modulates haematopoietic pathways, and likely impacts cell survival, antibody production, and inflammation. Taken together, we show that disruptions to the tightly regulated immune processes may tip the balance between exacerbated immune responses and allergy, or increased risk of infection and impaired resolution of inflammation.
Experiences of Communities with Lebanon's Model of Care for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD): A Cross-Sectional Household Survey from Greater Beirut
Authors: Bou-Orm Ibrahim , DeVos Pol , Diaconu Karin
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Health systems in fragile settings face multiple challenges in the implementation of responsive Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) care models. Models based on comprehensive person-centred primary care approaches can improve health system responsiveness and trust in healthcare. In Lebanon, NCDs dominate the health profile, but the health system is fragmented with evidence suggesting varied experiences with the care model. This study aims to identify people's perceptions of the Lebanese care model for NCDs and trust in the health system among others, and test association between them. Methods: This study is a household survey using multistage random sampling and targeting adult community members (both Syrian and Lebanese) living with NCDs in Greater Beirut. Three main outcomes (barriers to care seeking, perceptions of the care model and trust in healthcare) were assessed including by multiple linear regressions. Results: A total of 941 respondents participated in this study. Reported NCDs were hypertension (51.3%) and diabetes (34.5%), followed by chronic respiratory conditions (21.9%) and other cardiovascular diseases (20.0%). Communities reported seeking care from different sources. While 78% of Lebanese participants had visited private clinics at least once within the 6 months preceding the survey, 56% of Syrian refugees had done so. Determinants of access to care were health coverage, gender, and employment among Lebanese, and socio-economic status among Syrian refugees. Lebanese community members had more positive perceptions of the care model compared to Syrian refugees and determinants included socio-demographic characteristics and the type of providers. Trust in the health system was higher among Syrian compared to Lebanese participants and was significantly influenced by the care model score and barriers to care seeking. Conclusion: Our study generated evidence about the experience of people living with NCDs with Lebanon's care model, and can inform service delivery reforms towards a more inclusive person-centred approach.
Effects of cardiac function alterations on the risk of postoperative thrombotic complications in patients receiving endovascular aortic repair
Authors: Sun Xiaoning , Li Siting , He Yuan , Liu Yuxi , Ma Tianxiang , Zeng Rong , Liu Zhili , Chen Yu , Zheng Yuehong , Liu Xiao
Published: November 2022

Chronic heart disease (CHD) is a common comorbidity of patients receiving endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). The ventricular systolic function determines the hemodynamic environments in aorta, and thus regulating the formation of postoperative thrombus. However, the explicit relationship between ventricular systolic function and EVAR complication of thrombotic events is unknown. Here, we proposed a three-dimensional numerical model coupled with the lumped-elements heart model, which is capable of simulating thrombus formation in diverse systolic functions. The computational results demonstrate that thrombus tended to form on the interior side of the aorta arch and iliac branches, which is consistent with the four patients’ post-operative imaging follow-up. In addition, we found that the thrombus formation has negative correlations with the maximum ventricular contractile force (r=−0.2814±0.1012) and positive correlations with the minimum ventricular contractile force (r=0.238±0.074), whereas the effect of heart rate (r=−0.0148±0.1211) on thrombus formation is not significant. In conclusion, changes in ventricular systolic function may alter the risk of thrombotic events after EVAR repair, which could provide insight into the selection of adjuvant therapy strategies for AAA patients with CHD.
Induced responses contribute to rapid plant adaptation to herbivory
Authors: Malacrinò Antonino , Böttner Laura , Nouere Sara , Huber Meret , Schäfer Martin , Xu Shuqing
Published: November 2022

Herbivory-induced responses in plants are typical examples of phenotypic plasticity, and their evolution is thought to be driven by herbivory. However, direct evidence of the role of induced responses in plant adaptive evolution to herbivores is scarce. Here, we experimentally evolved populations of an aquatic plant (Spirodela polyrhiza, giant duckweed) and its native herbivore (Lymnaea stagnalis, freshwater snail) testing whether herbivory drives rapid adaptive evolution in plant populations using a combination of bioassays, pool-sequencing, metabolite analyses, and amplicon metagenomics. We found that snail herbivory drove rapid phenotypic changes, increased herbivory resistance, and altered genotype frequencies in the plant populations. Additional bioassays suggested that evolutionary changes of induced responses contributed to the rapid increase of plant resistance to herbivory. This study provides direct evidence that herbivory-induced responses in plants can be subjected to selection and have an adaptive role by increasing resistance to herbivores.
Production of Rabies virus-specific monoclonal antibodies and evaluation of their neutralizing potential
Authors: Soliman Rafik , Hashem Zeinb , El-Hariri Mahmoud , Abo Elyazeed Heidy , Aboul-Ella Hassan
Published: November 2022

Rabies is a severe viral infection that causes acute encephalomyelitis, with a case fatality rate of nearly 100% following the onset of neurological clinical signs. Rabies irreversible clinical signs development can be effectively avoided with post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which includes vaccines and anti-rabies immunoglobulins (RIGs); however, there is no treatment for symptomatic rabies. The major PEP protocol faces serious access and implementation obstacles in association with a resource-limited setting, which could be successfully overcome by substituting RIGs for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Lower production costs, consistent supply availability, long-term storage/stability, and an improved safety profile are all advantages of mAbs. The current work focuses on the key characteristics of currently developed mAbs against rabies and highlights their potential as a novel therapeutic approach. Using immunizing Freund’s adjuvanted emulsions of inactivated purified Vero cell rabies vaccine (PVRV, VERORAB) produced byAventis Pasteurto immunize the BALB/c mice. The immunized BALB/c mice were tested for the production of anti-rabies virus-specific antibodies using Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). High-responder mice were selected for the fusion process. Hybridomas recovered from the fusion process were selected and separated from the unfused cells and unfavorable fused cells by using the selective HAT medium. Twelve days post fusion the produced hybrids were screened for production of Rabies virus-specific antibodies using ELISA. Four murine hybridomas secreting rabies virus-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been properly developed. These 4 stable hybrids were successfully cloned into 4 stable clones, namely, 1E4, 1E9, 2F3, 4E1. The rabies virus specific monoclonal antibodies produced by the 4 selected hybridomas were of IgM isotype. Using Western Blot technique, the specificity of the produced hybrids was confirmed. The neutralizing potential of the prepared mAbs was evaluated and the efficacy of mAbs cocktail prepared from the 4 hybridomas to protect mice in post exposure therapy was determined. The mAbs cocktail given to mice at 24 hours post infection was able to offer 100% protection to mice challenged with 1000 LD50 of rabies virus strain whereas all control mice developed the disease.
Inhibiting a promiscuous GPCR: iterative discovery of bitter taste receptor ligands
Authors: Fierro Fabrizio , Peri Lior , Hübner Harald , Tabor-Schkade Alina , Waterloo Lukas , Löber Stefan , Pfeiffer Tara , Weikert Dorothee , Dingjan Tamir , Margulis Eitan , Gmeiner Peter , Niv Masha Y
Published: November 2022

The human GPCR family comprises circa 800 members, activated by hundreds of thousands of compounds. Bitter taste receptors, TAS2Rs, constitute a large and distinct subfamily, expressed orally and extra-orally and involved in physiological and pathological conditions. TAS2R14 is the most promiscuous member, with over 150 agonists and 3 antagonists known prior to this study. Due to the scarcity of inhibitors and to the importance of chemical probes for exploring TAS2R14 functions, we aimed to discover new ligands for this receptor, with emphasis on antagonists. To cope with the lack of experimental structure of the receptor, we used a mixed experimental/computational methodology which iteratively improved the performance of the predicted structure. The increasing number of active compounds, obtained here through experimental screening of FDA-approved drug library, and of chemically synthesized flufenamic acid derivatives, enabled the refinement of the binding pocket, which in turn improved the structure-based virtual screening reliability. This mixed approach led to the identification of 10 new antagonists and 200 new agonists of TAS2R14, illustrating the untapped potential of rigorous medicinal chemistry for TAS2Rs. The iterative framework suggested residues involved in the activation process, is suitable for expanding bitter and bitter-masking chemical space, and is applicable to other promiscuous GPCRs lacking experimental structures.

Graphical abstract
The first host-associated anaerobic isolate ofPsychrilyobacterprovides insights into its potential roles in the abalone gut
Authors: Liu Meijia , Wei Guangshan , Lai Qiliang , Huang Zhaobin , Li Min , Shao Zongze
Published: November 2022

Gut bacteria are essential to their hosts, but few studies have focused on marine animals.Psychrilyobacteris frequently related to various marine animals, but the relationship with host remains unknown due to lack of host-associated isolate or genomic information. Here, we combined of high-throughput sequencing, isolating and genomic analyses to uncover its potential role in host abalone. The high-throughput sequencing and literature compiling results indicated thatPsychrilyobacteris widely distributed in marine and terrestrial ecosystems with both host-associated and free-living lifestyles. It showed a strong preference for the guts of marine invertebrates, especially abalone, which generally persisted with high relative abundances. By mimicking the gut inner environment for enrichment, the first host-related pure culture ofPsychrilyobacterwas isolated from the abalone intestine. Phylogenetic, physiological and biochemical characterizations suggested that it represents a novel species namedPsychrilyobacter haliotisB1. Carbohydrate utilization experiments and genomic evidence indicated that B1 is good at fermenting diverse host-food-related monosaccharides and disaccharides but not polysaccharides, implying its critical roles in downstream fermentation instead of upstream food degradation in the gut. Furthermore, this strain showed potential to colonize the gut and benefit the host via different strategies, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) generation by fermenting carbohydrates and amino acids, and the production of diverse vitamins and antibiotics to support the host growth and antipathogenicity. To our knowledge, strain B1 represents the first host-related pure culture ofPsychrilyobacter, acting as a potential probiotic gut anaerobe dominating in diverse marine invertebrates.

Importance

Psychrilyobacteris a globally distributing bacterial genus and with an inhabiting preference for guts of marine invertebrates. Due to the difficulty of cultivation and the limited genomic information, its role in host remains largely unknown. We isolated the first host-associatedPsychrilyobacterspecies from abalone gut and uncovered its functional potentials to the host through different mechanisms. Our findings provide some insights into the understanding of host-microbe interactions on a core taxon with the marine invertebrates, and the isolate has an application prospect as a probiotic in protection of marine animals.
Copiotrophs dominate rhizosphere microbiomes and growth rate potential is a major factor explaining the rhizosphere effect
Authors: López José L. , Pappas Nikolaos , Poppeliers Sanne WM , Sanchez-Gil Juan J. , Fourie-Fouche Arista , de Jonge Ronnie , Dutilh Bas E.
Published: November 2022

The structure and function of the root microbial community is shaped by plant root activity, enriching specific microbial taxa and functions from the surrounding soil as the plant root grows. Knowledge of bacterial rhizosphere competence traits are important for predictive microbiome modeling and the development of viable bioinoculants for sustainable agriculture solutions. In this work we compared growth rate potential, a complex trait that recently became predictable from bacterial genome sequences, to functional traits encoded by proteins. We analyzed 84 paired rhizosphere- and soil-derived 16S rRNA metabarcoding datasets from 18 different plants and soil types, performed differential abundance analyses and estimated growth rates for each bacterial genus. This analysis revealed that bacteria with a high growth rate potential consistently dominated the rhizosphere. Next, we analyzed the genome sequences of 3270 bacterial isolates and 6707 MAGs from 1121 plant- and soil-associated metagenomes, confirming this trend in different bacterial phyla. We next investigated which functional traits were enriched in the rhizosphere, expanding the catalog of rhizosphere-associated traits with hundreds of new functions. When we compared the importance of different functional categories to the predicted growth rate potential using a machine learning model, we found that growth rate potential was the main feature for differentiating rhizosphere and soil bacteria, revealing the broad importance of this factor for explaining the rhizosphere effect. Together, we contribute new understanding of the bacterial traits needed for rhizosphere competence. As this trait may be inferred from (meta-) genome data, our work has implications for understanding bacterial community assembly in the rhizosphere, where many uncultivated bacteria reside.
pLM-BLAST – distant homology detection based on direct comparison of sequence representations from protein language models
Authors: Kaminski Kamil , Ludwiczak Jan , Pawlicki Kamil , Alva Vikram , Dunin-Horkawicz Stanislaw
Published: November 2022

Motivation

The detection of homology through sequence comparison is a typical first step in the study of protein function and evolution. In this work, we explore the applicability of protein language models to this task.

Results

We introduce pLM-BLAST, a tool inspired by BLAST, that detects distant homology by comparing single-sequence representations (embeddings) derived from a protein language model, ProtT5. Our benchmarks reveal that pLM-BLAST maintains a level of accuracy on par with HHsearch for both highly similar sequences (with over 50% identity) and markedly divergent sequences (with less than 30% identity), while being significantly faster. Additionally, pLM-BLAST stands out among other embedding-based tools due to its ability to compute local alignments. We show that these local alignments, produced by pLM-BLAST, often connect highly divergent proteins, thereby highlighting its potential to uncover previously undiscovered homologous relationships and improve protein annotation.

Availability and Implementation

pLM-BLAST is accessible via the MPI Bioinformatics Toolkit as a web server for searching precomputed databases (https://toolkit.tuebingen.mpg.de/tools/plmblast). It is also available as a standalone tool for building custom databases and performing batch searches (https://github.com/labstructbioinf/pLM-BLAST).
A non-invasive, fast on/off “Odourgenetic” Method to Manipulate Physiology
Authors: Wu Yanqiong , Su Shanchun , Xu Xueqin , Hao Xincai , Lu Wei , Li Xiaohui , Wang Linhan , Tian Wei , Gao Yan , Cao Gang , Ke Changbin
Published: November 2022

Manipulating molecular processes governing physiological functions has significant potential for clinical therapeutics and is an important approach to elucidate the cellular basis of physiological functions. Here, we designed a Odourgenetic system co-expressedDrosophilaodorant receptor system (DORs) consisting of OR35a and OR83b, which were exclusively activated by their odor ligand, 2-pentanone. Applying 2-pentanone to DOR-expressing cells or tissues induced calcium influx and membrane depolarization. By inhalation of 2-pentanone, we successfully applied DORs to manipulate behaviour, control insulin secretion and regulate blood glucose and manipulate muscle contraction and associated limb movement. Because 2-pentanone rapidly enters the blood upon inhalation and leaves the body by exhalation, this odorant can be used with DORs to manipulate cellular function, and the manipulation can be terminated at any time. Such feature approach significantly improves the safety and controllability of DORs used in the clinic. Thus, the present study developed a non-invasive, controllable, fast on/off method to manipulate cellular activity and behaviour on a time scale of minutes.
Doublet microtubule inner junction protein FAP20 recruits tubulin to the microtubule lattice
Authors: Bangera Mamata , Dungdung Archita , Prabhu Sujana , Sirajuddin Minhajuddin
Published: November 2022

Motility of organisms involves beating of cilia and flagella that are composed of doublet microtubules. The doublets are made of A- and B-tubules that fuse together at two junctions. Among these, the outer junction is made of tripartite tubulin connections, while the inner junction contains distinct non-tubulin elements. The latter includes Flagellar-associated protein 20 (FAP20) and Parkin co-regulated gene protein (PACRG) that together link the A- and B- tubules at the inner junction. While the structures of doublet microtubules reveal molecular details, their assembly is poorly understood and examining proteins at the junctions can provide important clues. In this study, we purified recombinant FAP20 and characterized its effects on microtubule dynamics by TIRF microscopy. Usingin vitroreconstitution and cryo-electron microscopy, we conclusively show that FAP20 recruits free tubulin to the existing microtubule, where it mediates flexible lateral interactions between the microtubule lattice and tubulin dimers. Our structure of microtubule:FAP20:tubulin complex partially resembles the inner junction architecture, further providing insights into assembly steps involved in closure of B- tubule in a doublet microtubule.
What affects users to click social media ads and purchase intention? The roles of advertising value, emotional appeal and credibility
Authors: Chen Wen-Kuo , Ling Chia-Ju , Chen Chien-Wen
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study is based on a web-based advertising value model, adding emotional appeal, advertising credibility, advertising clicks, product evaluation and incentive to examine the impact on consumers' product evaluation and purchase intention.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 313 valid online questionnaires were collected from those who had browsed the social media advertisement.

Findings

The results show that advertising credibility and emotional appeal have a higher impact on advertising attitude than informativeness and irritation in the original web-based advertising value model.

Research limitations/implications

The findings strengthen the literature on the antecedents of advertising attitude in social media context, confirming advertising clicks as a predictor of product evaluation, and determining that advertising attitude, product evaluation and incentive play key roles as predictors of consumer purchase intention.

Practical implications

The findings are particularly relevant to advertising marketing managers. In the context of social media advertising, the advertising credibility of consumers is the key to increasing consumers' willingness to purchase. Advertisers must establish a good advertising reputation to consumers in the social media context.

Originality/value

This study combines the web-based advertising value model, advertising clicks, product evaluation and incentive to investigate the factors that influence customers' purchase decisions in the context of social media.
The influence of national culture on employee voice in small and medium enterprises: a cross-cultural perspective
Authors: McKearney Aidan , Prouska Rea , Tungtakanpoung Monrudee , Opute John
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how employee voice in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is shaped by national culture. Specifically, the paper explores the relationship between national culture and organisational norms and signals. Furthermore, it explores the impact of such norms on employee voice behaviours. The paper chooses to address these issues in the SME context, in three countries with divergent cultural dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use Kwon and Farndale’s (2020) typology as our “a priori” framework to explore the influence of national cultural values and cultural tightness on SME organisation norms, signals and employee voice behaviours. Our study uses qualitative data gathered through in-depth interviews with SME employees in England, Nigeria and Thailand.

Findings

The results from our interviews are presented thematically. The data illustrates how the cultural dimensions identified by Kwon and Farndale (2020) can have an influence on organisational voice norms. The dimensions are power distance, uncertainty avoidance, in-group collectivism, performance orientation, assertiveness and cultural tightness.

Originality/value

Historically, the impact of national culture as a macro factor on voice has been largely ignored by academic research. Studies in non-western contexts are especially rare. This paper derives its originality by offering unique insights into the culture–voice relationship from both western and non-western perspectives. This provides an international, cross-cultural, comparative dimension to our study. This research includes findings from under-researched settings in Nigeria and Thailand.
Intention to deceive: undergraduates' perception of fraudulent excuse-making
Authors: Che Ku Kassim Che Ku Hisam , Mohd Sallem Nur Raihana
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Issues on fraudulent excuses have become a common phenomenon at higher educational institutions. Although these misbehaviours can unfavourably impact the quality of graduates, nonetheless, these issues have been largely ignored as the focus of academic debates is placed more on other academic dishonest behaviours such as cheating in exams and plagiarisms. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to examine undergraduates' perception of fraudulent excuse-making and to offer a fruitful academic discussion on this deceitful behaviour that has been a somewhat undesirable culture in tertiary educational settings.

Design/methodology/approach

An online self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted to 346 undergraduates at a Malaysian public university.

Findings

The results suggest that, while the number is low, fraudulent excuses are indeed being mobilised by undergraduate students in their attempt to avoid academic responsibility. The influence of demographic profiles on fraudulent excuse-making is also evident.

Originality/value

A scarcity of studies on fraudulent excuses has contributed to a lack of understanding of the pertinent reasons and causes leading to the engagement of these misbehaviours. The paper hopes to shed some light that can be beneficial to the relevant managerial authorities within the university in any policy changes in an attempt to curb this problematic behaviour from continuously affecting the inner quality of graduates.
Supply chain driven sustainability: ambidexterity, authentic leadership and interorganizational citizenship behavior
Authors: Cao Ray Qing , Elking Isaac , Gu Vicky Ching
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine how supply chain strategy affects a firm's sustainability performance and how the strength of that relationship is influenced by managerial authentic leadership (AL) and its associated impact on interorganizational citizenship behavior (ICB).

Design/methodology/approach

Building on the intersection of three theories: organizational ambidexterity, AL and ICB, a mediated moderation model is developed and tested using structural equation modeling based on the responses from a cross-sectional survey administered by the authors.

Findings

The results reveal that an ambidextrous supply chain strategy is positively related to firm sustainability performance and this relationship is strengthened by AL. Furthermore, this study finds that this moderating relationship is partially mediated by ICB.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is among the first to empirically test the effect of supply chain ambidexterity on sustainability performance by explicitly considering how leadership characteristics can both directly and indirectly affect the efficacy of this relationship. The findings complement existing literature by providing novel insights into the ability of firm supply chain strategy to affect sustainability performance.
Unravelling the antecedents of misbehaviours in the sharing economy: a motivated cognition perspective
Authors: Teng Teng , Li Huifang , Wu Ji , Zhou Yang , Zhang Liangqing
Published: November 2022

Purpose

In the sharing economy (SE), consumer misbehaviour is an operational challenge for platforms due to its negative outcomes. The psychological mechanism behind consumer misbehaviour remains unclear. As such, this research aims to investigate how consumers' sharing motivations affect their misbehaviours in the SE.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on motivated cognition theory, the authors establish a research model explaining the effects of consumers' sharing motivations on their cost–benefit analysis of misbehaviour and misbehaviour intention. A scenario-based online experiment is used to test the research hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate that consumers' extrinsic and intrinsic motivations to share have different impacts on their perceived benefits and costs of potential misbehaviour, thereby influencing their misbehaviour intention.

Originality/value

This study reveals consumers' psychological mechanism underlying their misbehaviours in the SE and provides operational implications for platforms to help them effectively reduce consumer misbehaviours through preventive measures.
Impact of product customization level on consumer's word-of-mouth behaviors and contents: a field study
Authors: Wang Xiaolun , Yu Xiaofeng , Feng Fan , Song Peijian
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Customization, a marketing strategy through providing personalized products, might be a new solution to motivate consumer feedbacks in electronic commerce (e-commerce) websites. Taking the dual-value of customization (emotional involvement and uniqueness expression) as the theoretical basis, this study aims to investigate the impact of customization on consumer's word-of-mouth (WOM) behaviors and contents by motivating: (1) more, (2) faster, (3) positive at first and then negative, (4) longer and (5) more helpful WOMs.

Design/methodology/approach

A field study was conducted with multi-sourced data: customer order data from a Chinese retailer and WOM data from Amazon.com. The two datasets were matched to filter out 463 online reviews among 6,892 customers who placed customized orders. Heckman's two-stage model, logistic regression, Ordinary least squares regression, Tobit regression, analysis of covariance and Lind–MehlumUTest were used in the data analysis.

Findings

This study has found that (1) customization level motivates WOM behaviors including WOM posting and WOM speed, (2) an invertedU-shaped relationship exists between customization level and consumer rating and (3) customization level has a significantly positive impact on WOM helpfulness but not on WOM length.

Originality/value

This study advances theoretical development in the area of WOM motivators by proposing a new product-centric approach, customization, to stimulate voluntary WOMs. Empirical field research that analyzes consumer's real responses to customization is in scarcity. The dual-value of customized products is proposed as the underlying mechanism to explain the impact of customization level on consumer's WOM behaviors/contents. An interesting invertedU-shaped relationship is found between customization level and customer rating. This research provides nuanced practical guidance for websites, companies and consumers.
Understating emerging value chains and business performance: evidence from dairy industry in India
Authors: Dixit Anil Kumar , Sirohi Smita , Ravishankar K.M. , Cariappa A.G. Adeeth , Kumar Shiv , Bhandari Gunjan , Sharma Adesh K. , Thakur Amit , Bhullar Gaganpreet Kaur , Thakur Arti
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to identify the factors affecting the entrepreneur's choice of the dairy value chain and evaluate the impact of the value chain on farm performance (profit).

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data were collected from dairy entrepreneurs in India, covering nine states. A multinomial treatment effect model (controlling for selection bias and endogeneity) was used to evaluate the impact of the choice of the value chain on entrepreneurs' profit.

Findings

Dairy entrepreneurs operating in any recognized value chain other than the value chain driven by the consumer household realize a comparatively lesser profit. Dairy farmers have established direct linkages with customers in urban areas – who could pay premium prices for safe and quality milk. Food safety compliance is positively associated with profit and entrepreneurs (who have undergone formal training in dairying) preferred partnerships with a formal value chain. The prospects of starting a dairy enterprise are slightly higher in villages compared to urban areas.

Research limitations/implications

Dairy entrepreneurs can make a shift in accordance with the study's findings and boost their profitability. It aids in comprehending how trainees (who obtained advice and training for raising dairy animals from R&D organizations) and non-trainee dairy farmers make value chain selections, which ultimately affect profitability. However, purposive sampling and a small sample size limit the universal implications of the study.

Social implications

Developing entrepreneurial behavior and startup culture is at the center of policymaking in India. The findings imply that the emerging value chain not only enhances the profit of dairy farmers by resolving consumer concerns about food safety and the quality of milk and milk products but also builds consumer trust.

Originality/value

This paper offers insight into how the benefits of dairy entrepreneurs vary with their participation in the different value chains. The impact of skill development/training programs on value chain selection and farm profitability has not yet been fully understood. Here is an attempt to fill this gap. This paper through light on how trained and educated dairy entrepreneurs are able to establish a territorial market by approaching premium customers – this is an addition to the existing literature.
Why is reporting so hard? Barriers to fulfilling the duty to report among community nurses in Israel
Authors: Sela Vilensky Yael , Grinberg Keren , Yisaschar-Mekuzas Yael
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study aims to identify the barriers that prevent community nurses in Israel from reporting cases of child maltreatment.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative study included interviews of 20 community nurses using questions that focused on the following subjects: knowledge of the law and reporting methods, barriers to reporting and the nurses’ outlook on child abuse.

Findings

Nurses felt they have a lack of the professional knowledge needed to identify suspicious signs. Furthermore, finding indicates that there is a lack of understanding regarding the term “reasonable suspicion” under the law among nurses, and a lack of familiarity with the postreporting procedure. The duty to report is not, by itself, sufficient to increase the rate of reporting. The training in this area is insufficient.

Practical implications

Policymakers must formulate clear rules to identify various forms of harm in children and determine the existence of a “reasonable basis” to believe that a crime has been committed among community nurses in Israel so that they can fulfill their legal and moral duty.

Originality/value

Reporting abuse is a professional duty enshrined in law. The enactment of this law in Israel in 1989 created a new reality, designating a legal and moral obligation, on the part of society in general, as well as professionals, to break the code of silence surrounding child abuse. However, the present findings suggest that the rates of reporting among community nurses remain low. As of yet, no research has been conducted as to why nurses are not reporting suspected cases of abuse in Israel, despite the continued existence of this law.
Gigging it in the shire: information practices of Renaissance faire performers and artisans
Authors: Terrile Vikki C.
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore the information behaviors (IBs) of performers and artisan/vendors in American Renaissance faires. This research is exploratory in nature and seeks to discover how existing IB theories, including embodied information practices, can explain the information seeking and use of performers and artisan vendors working in American Renaissance faires.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used semi-structured qualitative interviews with three artisan/vendors and 12 performers at Renaissance faires to explore their IBs around the roles at the festivals. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analyzed from an exploratory framework, looking for how existing IB theories might explain the findings.

Findings

Although the participants in this study described information practices that were embodied and corporeal, they shared more experiences around the complex and fraught nature of information sharing within the Renaissance faire community. Information sharing prohibitions were related to power dynamics and the participants' roles as gig or contingent workers.

Originality/value

This was the first study to explore the IBs of Renaissance faire performers and artisan/vendors and as such, was exploratory in nature. The findings point to several areas for additional research.
Beyond the gender dichotomy in fashion: Exploring the factors involved in cross-sexual fashion consumer behaviour for cisgender women
Authors: Almaguer Buentello Daniel , Bardey Aurore , Rogaten Jekaterina
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Our study explored and mapped cisgender female consumers' motivation and shopping experience for cross-sexual fashion, i.e. people shopping for clothes that are not designed or marketed for their biological sex.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative method, this study explored and mapped consumers' motivation and shopping experience for cross-sexual fashion. Thirteen cisgender female millennials were interviewed about their memories and perceptions of their pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchase experiences.

Findings

The findings defined the model of cross-sexual shopping behaviour in cisgender women with the following: (1) two pre-purchase schemes, i.e. fashioned gender schema and nonconformity motivation; (2) one pivotal and main purchase factor, i.e. time invested in the experience itself; and (3) two post-purchase schemes, i.e. use for comfort and use for protection. Practical marketing approaches in advertising and in-store experiences were identified in order to better target cross-sexual consumers.

Originality/value

Unisex fashion (or degendered fashion) has pioneered a fashion trend considered a growing trend in younger generations. To our knowledge, this study is the first research exploring regendered fashion (i.e. going beyond the cisgender and same-sex purchase approach of fashion consumerism) through the lens of cross-sexual consumer behaviour.
Spiritual leadership and intellectual capital: mediating role of psychological safety and knowledge sharing
Authors: Yasin Raheel , Yang Shaohua , Huseynova Aydan , Atif Muhammad
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study determines the nexus between spiritual leadership and psychological safety (PS). The authors explore the mediating role of PS and knowledge sharing to offer insights on how spiritual leadership can be advanced to better understand and support intellectual capital.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using convenience sampling from the Pakistani automobile manufacturing industry. SPSS statistical software was used for descriptive analysis and hypotheses were tested by using the partial least square-structural equation modeling method.

Findings

The results demonstrate that spiritual leadership has a significant positive impact on PS; PS has a positive impact on knowledge sharing (KS) and KS has a positive impact on intellectual capital. Furthermore, PS mediates between spiritual leadership and KS. KS mediates between PS and human, social and organizational capital. Spiritual leadership also affects outside the boundaries of the organization and builds strong social relations with suppliers, buyers, etc.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides a deeper understanding of spiritual leadership in the context of KS and intellectual capital in the automobile sector of Pakistan.

Practical implications

This study encourages managers to nurture a philosophy of altruistic love that exerts a positive influence on employees. It will enrich their experience and promote a culture of KS.

Social implications

This study has social implications for organizations seeking to situate their inclusive goals in society. The findings of this study can help promote harmony as employees who feel psychologically safe are more willing to spread it in society.

Originality/value

This study theoretically contributes the big picture that how spiritual leadership contributes to intellectual capital and adds to the literature on the topic.
Where is customer experience (CX) research heading? A personal commentary
Authors: Klaus Phil
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to comment on the evolution of customer experience (CX) research from a CX researcher, practitioner and consumer viewpoint.

Design/methodology/approach

This commentary is a reflection based on the investigations put forward in this special issue, extant academic and managerial literature and personal perspectives.

Findings

While nascent in terms of constructs, CX has developed satisfactorily from a research perspective. That being said, CX research that guides and aids managerial practices is still lacking. Without being relevant to practice, CX research might fail to deliver on its promise to shape practice and positively impact consumers and their experiences.

Research limitations/implications

Service marketing researchers are encouraged to consider the current “status quo” of CX research and how a possible repositioning and refocusing of their efforts could advance CX research and, more importantly, CX practices.

Practical implications

CX practitioners can indeed learn from CX researchers if research aligns with the aim of guiding and assisting practices.

Originality/value

This special issue expands the understanding of the effect of physical context on CX. The commentary challenges the overall direction in which CX research is heading and offers valuable guidance on how to turn these challenges into opportunities.
The effect of urban green space on residents' subjective well-being: evidence from Chinese general social survey
Authors: Zhu Jinjin , Gu Xinren , Zhang Lvshui , Yang Mei
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study aims to explore the effect of urban green space (UGS) on residents' subjective well-being (SWB) among different social groups.

Design/methodology/approach

Using national SWB and UGS data obtained from the China Urban Construction Statistical Yearbook and the Chinese General Social Survey, a multiple regression model was developed to estimate the effect of UGS on residents' SWB. Grouping regression for samples from distinct socioeconomic groups was performed to further discuss group-wise differences in SWB.

Findings

The green coverage rate of built-up areas and the number of parks accessed by every 10,000 individuals are significantly positively correlated with residents' SWB, whereas the green space area per capita and greening investment ratio are significantly negatively correlated with residents' SWB; the effect of UGS on residents' SWB varies among individuals with respect to gender, age, and income, with the most significant difference observed among groups with different incomes.

Originality/value

The empirical results of this study are expected to support the planning and construction of UGS by providing a reference for optimizing their service capabilities and highlighting their positive role in improving residents' SWB.