bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activated Clotting Times Demonstrate Weak Correlation With Heparin Dosing in Adult Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
Authors: Hohlfelder Benjamin , Kelly Daniel , Hoang Minh , Anger Kevin E. , Sylvester Katelyn W. , Kaufman Richard M. , Connors Jean M.
Published: December 2019

Background:

The optimal monitoring strategy for anticoagulation management in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) remains a clinical controversy. The Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Anticoagulation Guidelines suggest that multiple anticoagulation assays may be needed but do not specify a preferred management strategy.

Study Question:

In adult ECMO patients, which anticoagulation assays demonstrate the highest correlation with unfractionated heparin (UFH) dose requirements?

Study Design:

We performed a retrospective chart review of adult patients cannulated to ECMO between February 2013 and July 2015.

Measures and Outcomes:

The primary outcome was the correlation between activated clotting time (ACT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and anti-Xa and UFH dose. Secondary outcomes included correlations between anticoagulation assays. Correlations were calculated for the entire cohort, with subgroup analysis of venoarterial and venovenous ECMO patients.

Results:

Forty-eight patients were included in the analysis, 26 initially cannulated to venoarterial ECMO and 22 to veno-venous ECMO. The median duration of ECMO therapy was 7 days. Mean UFH requirements were 1149 units/h or 15.3 units/kg/h. Total UFH dose was most correlated with anti-Xa levels (r = 0.467), whereas weight-based heparin dose was most correlated with aPTT (0.405). For correlations between anticoagulation assays, anti-Xa and aPTT were more highly correlated with each other (r = 0.633) compared with ACT.

Conclusions:

In adult patients requiring ECMO, anti-Xa and aPTT monitoring were correlated more closely with UFH dosing than ACT.
Effects of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Women With Breast Cancer: A Structural Equation Approach With the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms
Authors: Kim Mijung , Jung Mi Sook
Published: December 2019

Background

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common neurotoxic effect. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms have multidimensional characteristics that are associated with various physiologic, psychological, and situational factors and affect individual’s abilities to effectively function in performing daily tasks. The theory of unpleasant symptoms mediates the relationships among CIPN symptom experience, reduced performance in daily tasks, and causative factors.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to examine how influencing factors (physiologic, psychological, and situational) affect CIPN symptoms and the impact of symptom experience on functional interference in daily activities of chemotherapy-treated breast cancer survivors.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey about causative factors, CIPN symptoms, and functional interference was completed by 190 women treated with adjuvant chemotherapy for nonmetastatic breast cancer. The hypothetical model was tested using structural equation modeling analysis.

Results

The proposed model provided a good fit to the data. Physiologic and psychological factors accounted for 25.5% of the variance in CIPN symptom experience and explained 37.1% of the variance interfering with functional performance through CIPN symptom experience.

Conclusion

Disease- and treatment-related physiologic factors and coexisting psychological distress play crucial roles in explaining CIPN symptom experience and daily function in breast cancer survivors.

Implications for Practice

The findings help healthcare professionals to improve long-term care for breast cancer survivors in terms of education for self-monitoring, coping, and establishing supportive environment that can contribute to reducing the unmet needs and interference associated with persistent CIPN.
Functional Outcomes of Surgical Management of Mandibular Condylar Head Fractures
Authors: Lai Bo-Ru , Liao Han-Tsung
Published: December 2019

Background

Various procedures have been described for the management of mandibular condylar head fracture, but a standard treatment is not yet conclusive. This report describes our experience with osteosynthesis of condylar head fracture at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

Methods

Sixteen patients with unilateral or bilateral mandibular condylar head fractures diagnosed by computed tomography and treated by open reduction and internal fixation between August 2014 and September 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. A preauricular approach was consistently used for internal fixation with 2 microplates and 4 screws after anatomic reduction. Occlusion, maximum mouth opening (MMO), radiographic outcome, and complications were recorded.

Results

Mean ± SD patient age was 29.5 ± 11.4 years, and mean ± SD procedure time was 264.3 ± 83.1 minutes. Mean ± SD postoperative MMO was 23.5 ± 10.2 mm at 1 month, 34.1 ± 8.6 mm at 3 months, 39.1 ± 5.7 mm at 6 months, and 40.0 ± 6.8 at 1 year. Early recovery of MMO of greater than 30 mm was achieved by 13 patients at 3 months after open reduction and internal fixation. There were no major complications.

Conclusions

Microplate fixation from the posterior aspect of the mandibular condylar head via the preauricular approach was safe for patients with mandibular condylar head fractures.
Risk of Free Flap Failure in Head and Neck Reconstruction
Authors: Wang Kuan-Ying , Lin Ying-Sheng , Chen Lee-Wei , Yang Kuo-Chung , Huang Wei-Chun , Liu Wen-Chung
Published: December 2019

Background

Head and neck reconstruction is complicated and is made even more challenging by free flap failure. We identified risk factors associated with free flap failure in records extracted from a nationwide database of a 23 million populations.

Methods

We used International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Version, codes 140 to 149 and 161 to identify patients in Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database with head and neck cancer between 2000 and 2013. Patient's age, sex, neoadjuvant treatment, comorbidities, and anticoagulation use were also retrieved. Free flap reconstruction twice, or free flap and pedicle flap reconstructions during the same hospitalization were recorded as free flap failure. Logistic regression was used to identify factors that increased risk of free flap failure.

Results

A total of 21,548 patients with head and neck cancer were identified; 883 (4.1%) experienced free flap failure. Use of aspirin, clopidogrel, urokinase, prostaglandin (PGE1), low-molecular-weight heparin, and operation time were associated with free flap failure. However, some potential confounders could not be identified from the database.

Conclusions

Several statistically significant findings were prone to influence by potential confounders. The clinically applicable result was that longer operation time and preoperative chemotherapy could increase the likelihood of free flap failure. On the other hand, several factors were proved to be irrelevant to free flap failure.
Temporal and spatial limitations in global surveillance for bat filoviruses and henipaviruses
Authors: Becker Daniel J. , Crowley Daniel E. , Washburne Alex D. , Plowright Raina K.
Published: December 2019

Sampling reservoir hosts over time and space is critical to detect epizootics, predict spillover and design interventions. However, because sampling is logistically difficult and expensive, researchers rarely perform spatio-temporal sampling of many reservoir hosts. Bats are reservoirs of many virulent zoonotic pathogens such as filoviruses and henipaviruses, yet the highly mobile nature of these animals has limited optimal sampling of bat populations. To quantify the frequency of temporal sampling and to characterize the geographical scope of bat virus research, we here collated data on filovirus and henipavirus prevalence and seroprevalence in wild bats. We used a phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis to next assess temporal and spatial variation in bat virus detection estimates. Our analysis shows that only one in four bat virus studies report data longitudinally, that sampling efforts cluster geographically (e.g. filovirus data are available across much of Africa and Asia but are absent from Latin America and Oceania), and that sampling designs and reporting practices may affect some viral detection estimates (e.g. filovirus seroprevalence). Within the limited number of longitudinal bat virus studies, we observed high heterogeneity in viral detection estimates that in turn reflected both spatial and temporal variation. This suggests that spatio-temporal sampling designs are important to understand how zoonotic viruses are maintained and spread within and across wild bat populations, which in turn could help predict and preempt risks of zoonotic viral spillover.
A new approach for investigating the response of lipid membranes to electrocompression by coupling droplet mechanics and membrane biophysics
Authors: El-Beyrouthy Joyce , Makhoul-Mansour Michelle M. , Taylor Graham , Sarles Stephen A. , Freeman Eric C.
Published: December 2019

A new method for quantifying lipid–lipid interactions within biomimetic membranes undergoing electrocompression is demonstrated by coupling droplet mechanics and membrane biophysics. The membrane properties are varied by altering the lipid packing through the introduction of cholesterol. Pendant drop tensiometry is used to measure the lipid monolayer tension at an oil–water interface. Next, two lipid-coated aqueous droplets are manipulated into contact to form a bilayer membrane at their adhered interface. The droplet geometries are captured from two angles to provide accurate measurements of both the membrane area and the contact angle between the adhered droplets. Combining the monolayer tension and contact angle measurements enables estimations of the membrane tension with respect to lipid composition. Then, the membrane is electromechanically compressed using a transmembrane voltage. Electrostatic pressure, membrane tension and the work necessary for bilayer thinning are tracked, and a model is proposed to capture the mechanics of membrane compression. The results highlight that a previously unaccounted for energetic term is produced during compression, potentially reflecting changes in the lateral membrane structure. This residual energy is eliminated in cases with cholesterol mole fractions of 0.2 and higher, suggesting that cholesterol diminishes these adjustments.
Established rodent community delays recovery of dominant competitor following experimental disturbance
Authors: Christensen Erica M. , Simpson Gavin L. , Ernest S. K. Morgan
Published: December 2019

Human activities alter processes that control local biodiversity, causing changes in the abundance and identity of species in ecosystems. However, restoring biodiversity to a previous state is rarely as simple as reintroducing lost species or restoring processes to their pre-disturbance state. Theory suggests that established species can impede shifts in species composition via a variety of mechanisms, including direct interference, pre-empting resources or habitat alteration. These mechanisms can create transitory dynamics that delay convergence to an expected end state. We use an experimental manipulation of a desert rodent community to examine differences in recolonization dynamics of a dominant competitor (kangaroo rats of the genus
Dipodomys
) when patches were already occupied by an existing rodent community relative to when patches were empty. Recovery of kangaroo rat populations was slow on plots with an established community, taking approximately 2 years, in contrast with rapid recovery on empty plots with no established residents (approx. three months). These results demonstrate that the presence of an established alternate community inhibits recolonization by new species, even those that should be dominant in the community. This has important implications for understanding how biodiversity may change in the future, and what processes may slow or prevent this change.
NickSeq for genome-wide strand-specific identification of DNA single-strand break sites with single nucleotide resolution
Authors: Elacqua Joshua J. , Ranu Navpreet , Dilorio Sarah E. , Blainey Paul C.
Published: December 2019

DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs), or ‘nicks’, are the most common form of DNA damage. Nicks occur at rates of tens of thousands per cell per day, and result from many sources including oxidative stress and endogenous enzyme activities. Accumulation of nicks, due to high rates of occurrence or defects in repair enzymes, has been implicated in multiple diseases. However, improved methods for nick analysis are needed to learn how their locations and number affect cells, disease progression, and health outcomes. In addition to natural processes including DNA repair, leading genome-editing technologies rely on nuclease activity, including nick generation, at target sites. There is currently a pressing need for methods to study unintended nicking activity genome-wide to evaluate the impact of emerging genome editing tools on cells and organisms. Here we developed a new method, NickSeq, for efficient strand-specific profiling of nicks in complex DNA samples with single nucleotide resolution and low false-positive rates. NickSeq produces deep sequence datasets enriched for reads near nick sites and establishes a readily detectable mutational signal that allows for determination of the nick site and strand. In this work, we apply NickSeq to profile off-target activity of the Nb.BsmI nicking endonuclease and an engineered spCas9 nickase. NickSeq will be useful in exploring the relevance of spontaneously occurring or repair-induced DNA breaks in human disease, DNA breaks caused by DNA damaging agents including therapeutics, and the activity of engineered nucleases in genome editing and other biotechnological applications.
Crystal structure of the membrane anchoring domain of mycobacterial Wag31: a dimer-of-dimer suggests how a Wag31 filament might self-assemble
Authors: Choukate Komal , Chaudhuri Barnali
Published: December 2019

Wag31, or DivIVA, is an essential protein and a drug target in human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis that self-assembles at the negatively curved membrane surface to form a higher-order structural scaffold, maintains rod-shaped cellular morphology, and localizes key cell-wall synthesizing proteins at the pole for exclusive polar growth. We determined the crystal structure of N-terminal membrane anchoring domain of mycobacterial Wag31 at 2.3 Å resolution using molecular replacement method. Crystal packing analysis revealed a previously unseen dimer-of-dimer assembly state of N-terminal Wag31 with C2 point group symmetry, which is formed by antiparallel stacking of two coiled coil dimers. Size-exclusion column chromatography-coupled small angle solution X-ray scattering data showed a tetrameric form as a major assembly state of N-terminal Wag31 in solution, further supporting the crystal structure. Plausible models of linear self-assembling, and branching, of Wag31 filaments consistent with available data are suggested.
Cultivation and characterization of human midbrain organoids in sensor integrated microfluidic chips
Authors: Spitz Sarah , Zanetti Cristian , Bolognin Silvia , Muwanigwa Mudiwa Nathasia , Smits Lisa , Berger Emanuel , Jordan Christian , Harasek Michael , Schwamborn Jens C. , Ertl Peter
Published: December 2019

1.

With its ability to emulate microarchitectures and functional characteristics of native organs in vitro, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology has enabled the generation of a plethora of organotypic constructs, including that of the human midbrain. However, reproducibly engineering and differentiating such human midbrain organoids (hMOs) under a biomimetic environment favorable for brain development still remains challenging. This study sets out to address this problem by combining the potential of iPSC technology with the advantages of microfluidics, namely its precise control over fluid flow combined with sensor integration. Here, we present a novel sensor-integrated platform for the long-term cultivation and non-invasive monitoring of hMOs under an interstitial flow regime. Our results show that dynamic cultivation of iPSC-derived hMOs maintains high cellular viabilities and dopaminergic neuron differentiation over prolonged cultivation periods of up to 50 days.
Analysis of co-regulated abundance of genes associated with arsenic and phosphate metabolism in Andean Microbial Ecosystems
Authors: Saona L.A. , Valenzuela-Diaz S. , Kurth D. , Contreras M. , Meneses C. , Castro-Nallar E. , Farías M.E.
Published: December 2019

Phosphate and arsenate are very similar compounds, and there is great interest in studying their relationship and their interaction with biological systems. Despite having no apparent biological function, specific genes regulate arsenic interaction with cells and can be located in regions of the genome called arsenic islands, where phosphate metabolism genes are also present. Although they are neighboring genes, the nature of their relationship and how they have been selected is still unknown.

In this work, we analyzed the metagenomes of the four microbial ecosystems inhabiting hypersaline lakes of the Argentine Puna and the Atacama salt flat in Chile and have evaluated the presence and abundance of both arsenic and phosphate metabolism genes. The samples analyzed included microbialites, biofilms and microbial mats; all of them established under high arsenic concentrations, high UV radiation and high temperature fluctuation, among others.

The results show great differences in the dispersion and abundance of genes related to both phosphate and arsenic metabolism in the analyzed samples. The main difference is given in the Diamante Lake, located in the crater of the Galan volcano characterized by being one of the lakes with the highest arsenic concentration (2.34 mM). Correlating genes abundance with the physicochemical parameters of the lakes studied, our results suggest that arsenic and phosphate metabolism are intricately co-regulated in environmental conditions.
Analysis of Mammalian Succinate Dehydrogenase Kinetics and Reactive Oxygen Species Production
Authors: Manhas Neeraj , Duong Quynh V. , Lee Pilhwa , Bazil Jason N.
Published: December 2019

Succinate dehydrogenase is an inner mitochondrial membrane protein complex that links the tricarboxylic acid cycle to the electron transport system. It catalyzes the reaction between succinate and ubiquinone to produce fumarate and ubiquinol. In addition, it can produce significant amounts of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide under the right conditions. While the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is the putative site of reactive oxygen species production, free radical production from other sites are less certain. Herein, we developed a computational model to analyze free radical production data from complex II and identify the mechanism of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide production. The model includes the major redox centers consisting of the FAD, three iron-sulfur clusters, and a transiently catalytic bound semi quinone. The model consists of five-states that represent oxidation status of the enzyme complex. Each step in the reaction scheme is thermodynamically constrained, and transitions between each state involve either one-electron or two-electron redox reactions. The model parameters were simultaneously fit using data consisting of enzyme kinetics and free radical production rates under a range of conditions. In the absence of respiratory chain inhibitors, model analysis revealed that the 3Fe-4S iron-sulfur cluster is the primary source of superoxide production followed by the FAD radical. However, when the quinone reductase site of complex II is inhibited or the quinone pool is highly reduced, superoxide production from the FAD site dominates at low succinate concentrations. In addition, hydrogen peroxide formation from the complex is only significant when these one of these conditions is met and the fumarate concentrations is in the low micromolar range. From the model simulations, the redox state of the quinone pool was found to be the primary determinant of free radical production from complex II. This study highlights the importance of evaluating enzyme kinetics and associated side-reactions in a consistent, quantitative and biophysical detailed manner. By incorporating the results from a diverse set of experiments, this computational approach can be used to interpret and explain key differences among the observations from a single, unified perspective.
The Lon protease links nucleotide metabolism with proteotoxic stress
Authors: Zeinert Rilee D. , Baniasadi Hamid , Tu Benjamin , Chien Peter
Published: December 2019

During stress all cells must maintain proteome quality while sustaining critical processes like DNA replication. In bacteria, the Lon protease is the central route for degradation of misfolded proteins. Here, we show that inCaulobacter crescentusLon controls dNTP pools during stress through degradation of the transcription factor CcrM. We find that elevated dNTP/NTP ratios in Δloncells protects them from deletion of otherwise essential dTTP-producing pathways and shields them from lethality of hydroxyurea, known to catastrophically deplete dNTPs. Increased dNTP production in Δlonresults from higher expression of ribonucleotide reductase driven by increased CcrM. We show that misfolded proteins can stabilize CcrM by competing for limiting protease and Lon-dependent control of dNTPs improves fitness during protein misfolding conditions. We propose that linking dNTP production with the availability of Lon allowsCaulobacterto maintain replication capacity when misfolded protein burden increases, such as during rapid growth or unanticipated proteotoxic stress.

Highlights

dCTP deaminase (DCD) is dispensable when Lon protease is absent due to increased dNTP pools.

Stabilization of the Lon substrate CcrM transcriptionally upregulates ribonucleotide reductase, affording protection against hydroxyurea.

Misfolded proteins can competitively inhibit CcrM degradation by the Lon protease.

Titration of protein quality control is a mechanism that allows cells to respond to stresses that lack dedicated signal response pathways.
Quantitative Real-Time PCR assays for species-specific detection and quantification of Baltic Sea spring bloom dinoflagellates
Authors: Brink A. M. , Kremp A. , Gorokhova E.
Published: December 2019

In the Baltic Sea, the dinoflagellatesApocalathium malmogiense, Biecheleria baltica,andGymnodinium corollariumare important contributors to the spring bloom. However, their relative contribution to the bloom community cannot be unambiguously determined by conventional light microscopy due to lack of resolution of distinctive morphological features of the three species. Here, we describe a molecular approach based on a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) primer and probe system, targeting the ITS1 and ITS2 regions of the rRNA gene for all three species and enabling their quantification. The specificity of the method was demonstrated using monocultures ofA. malmogiense,B. baltica,G. corollariumas well as three other dinoflagellate species co-occurring in the Baltic Sea during spring and validated using field-collected phytoplankton samples.
On the role of Nav1.7 sodium channels in chronic pain: an experimental and computational study
Authors: Capurro Alberto , Thornton Jack , Cessac Bruno , Armstrong Lyle , Sernagor Evelyne
Published: December 2019

This manuscript has been withdrawn by the authors as they no longer stand by part of their conclusions and wish not to be cited for this work. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding authors.
Identification of regulators of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor response through complementary CRISPR knockout and activation screens
Authors: Clements Kristen E. , Hale Anastasia , Tolman Nathanial J. , Nicolae Claudia M. , Sharma Anchal , Thakar Tanay , Liang Xinwen , Kawasawa Yuka Imamura , Wang Hong-Gang , De Subhajyoti , Moldovan George-Lucian
Published: December 2019

Inhibitors of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARPi) are highly effective in killing cells deficient in the homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair pathway, such as those lacking BRCA2. In light of this, PARPi have been utilized in recent years to treat BRCA2-mutant tumors, with many patients deriving impressive clinical benefit. However, positive response to PARPi is not universal, even among patients with HR-deficient tumors. Here, we present the results of three genome-wide CRISPR knockout and activation screens which provide an unbiased look at genetic determinants of PARPi response in wildtype or BRCA2-knockout cells. Strikingly, we reveal that depletion of the histone acetyltransferase TIP60, a top hit from our screens, robustly reverses the PARPi sensitivity caused by BRCA2 deficiency. Mechanistically, we show that TIP60 depletion rewires double strand break repair in BRCA2-deficient cells by promoting 53BP1 binding to double strand breaks to suppress end resection. Our work provides a comprehensive set of putative biomarkers that serve to better understand and predict PARPi response, and identifies a novel pathway of PARPi resistance in BRCA2-deficient cells.
Deep Learning for RNA Synthetic Biology
Authors: Angenent-Mari Nicolaas M. , Garruss Alexander S. , Soenksen Luis R. , Church George , Collins James J.
Published: December 2019

Engineered RNA elements are programmable tools capable of detecting small molecules, proteins, and nucleic acids. Predicting the behavior of these tools remains a challenge, a situation that could be addressed through enhanced pattern recognition from deep learning. Thus, we investigate Deep Neural Networks (DNN) to predict toehold switch function as a canonical riboswitch model in synthetic biology. To facilitate DNN training, we synthesized and characterizedin vivoa dataset of 91,534 toehold switches spanning 23 viral genomes and 906 human transcription factors. DNNs trained on nucleotide sequences outperformed (R2=0.43-0.70) previous state-of-the-art thermodynamic and kinetic models (R2=0.04-0.15) and allowed for human-understandable attention-visualizations (VIS4Map) to identify success and failure modes. This deep learning approach constitutes a major step forward in engineering and understanding of RNA synthetic biology.

One Sentence Summary

Deep neural networks are used to improve functionality prediction and provide insights on toehold switches as a model for RNA synthetic biology tools.
Being abused, dealt unfairly, and ethically conflicting? Quitting occupation in the lap of silence
Authors: Mannan Abdul , Kashif Muhammad
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the integrative effects of abusive supervision (AS), perceived injustice (PI) and ethical conflict (EC) on occupational turnover intentions (OTI) among frontline employees (FLEs). Furthermore, the mediating role of quiescent silence (QS) is examined.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected survey-based data from 320 FLEs working in different service sector organizations of Pakistan. The snow-ball sampling technique is employed to approach respondents of this study. The collected data are analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM) technique using SmartPLS 3.0.

Findings

The AS, PI and EC are found to collectively predict OTI among FLEs with a mediating effect of QS. The EC is the strongest predictor of OTI.

Practical implications

The results imply that service managers must ensure that employees are treated fairly. Furthermore, relevant trainings are offered to FLEs in order to maintain the required ethical standards at work to reduce EC perceptions.

Originality/value

The study is pioneer in presenting the relationship between QS and occupational turnover among FLEs. Furthermore, the study advocates the mediating role of employee quiescent silence to enrich the relationship between socio-psychological factors (i.e. AS, EC and PI) and OTI.
Industry risk taking and risk-taking strategy of born-global firms
Authors: Huang Jing , Liu Linyu , Lu Ren
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between industry risk taking and risk-taking strategy of born-global firms (BGs), and how industry-related variety moderates that relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors apply fixed effect model to analyze 26,499 observations on 10,508 BGs in 276 Chinese cities.

Findings

The authors find that industry risk taking positively influences risk-taking strategy of BGs, and industry-related variety positively moderates such relationship.

Originality/value

The findings reveal how BGs formulate their risk-taking strategy given the dilemma of risk nature and hurdles in firm establishment and rapid internationalization. This paper extends understanding on BGs’ strategy making, supplements the theoretical framework on BGs with an integrated viewpoint containing “regional–industry–firm” levels and contributes to the industry variety argument.
“Boss ceiling effect”: brand downgrading consumption of workplace employees
Authors: Jia Fang , Yang Zhilin , Ji Li , Xu Shen
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Previous literature suggests that people might purchase symbolic products to signal their social identity. However, in the organizational context, subordinates as customers might choose products with less brand prestige than what they want and can afford, just to make sure their choices are below the invisible “red-line” set by the brands of their supervisors. The authors term the phenomenon as “boss ceiling effect,” and term the behavior that people often downgrade their original choice to make sure the brand prestige is lower than that of the product owned by their boss as “downgrading behavior,” which have not been explored and well explained by existing literature so far. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct qualitative study to explore the existence of boss ceiling effect and providing possible influential factors of brand downgrading attitude. The quantitative study empirically examines the relationships among undesired self, perceived risk, organizational culture balance, and downgrading attitude and intension.

Findings

The authors find that undesired self-congruence and perceived risk are positively related to the downgrading attitude. In addition, the culture balance directly affects the brand downgrading attitude negatively and also moderates the relationship between undesired self-congruence and downgrading attitude positively and the relationship between perceived risk and downgrading attitude negatively.

Originality/value

The authors contribute to both organizational culture research and symbolic consumption research by considering symbolic consumption behavior in organization context. It is of great practical implications for marketers of symbolic consumption to understand the downgrading behavior.
Vichy goes to Brazil: the road to success
Authors: Silva Susana C. , Lima Dayane Gôuvea , Correia Juliana Teixeira
Published: December 2019

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes are as follows: analyze the risks and difficulties involved in the internationalization process and the impact of cultural variables (external analysis); understand how the balance between adaptation and standardization can be worked out in building a successful international marketing strategy (adaptation vs standardization dilemma); and analyze how a restructuring of marketing mix variables can shape an assertive and effective repositioning strategy (marketing-mix program).

Case overview/synopsis

The case of Vichy presents a specific internationalization process, from a European brand in a growing segment, to Brazil, a country with extreme cultural diversity where the barriers to internationalization are large and complex. The case can be analyzed from the point of view of brand repositioning, as it discusses the strategies adopted by the brand during entry into the Brazilian market, and its subsequent repositioning, bearing in mind a better adaptation to the market in question. The goal is to encourage discussions about how cultural barriers can influence the internationalization process of a brand and how the balance between adaptation and standardization can be worked out in building an assertive and effective international marketing strategy.

Complexity academic level

Master students.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 8: Marketing.
Customers’ reactions to different organizational tactics in a service termination context
Authors: Nazifi Amin , El-Manstrly Dahlia , Gelbrich Katja
Published: December 2019

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effects of organizational tactics (e.g. explanation and monetary compensation) on customers’ reactions to service termination. The mediating role of anger and the moderating role of termination strategy on the effectiveness of organizational tactics are examined to enhance the understanding of customers’ reactions to service termination.

Design/methodology/approach

Three experimental studies are conducted with different contexts (telecom and banking) and samples (students and consumers).

Findings

Study 1 results show that explanation and high monetary compensation reduce negative word-of-mouth and enhance corporate image and anger mediates these effects. Study 2a results show that high monetary compensation becomes ineffective when firms use a soft termination approach. Study 2b results show that an explanation is equally effective in soft and hard termination approaches. Importantly, unlike high monetary compensation, the explanation can fully eliminate the negative consequences of service termination.

Practical implications

Managers can mitigate negative customers’ reactions to service termination by offering a truthful explanation. Further, they should provide high monetary compensation only if they do not help dismissed customers find an alternative provider.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the service termination literature by shedding more light on the effectiveness of different organizational tactics following different termination strategies. The findings challenge existing wisdom on the overrated role of monetary compensation showing that in service termination, the explanation is the most effective remedy. Further, unlike justice, anger better explains customers’ reactions to service termination.
Army wives’ consumer vulnerability and communities of coping
Authors: Bruce Helen L. , Banister Emma
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The spouses or partners of serving members of the UK Armed Forces are often subject to similar constraints to those of enlisted personnel. This paper aims to examine the experiences and wellbeing of a group of army wives. In particular, it focuses on their shared experiences of consumer vulnerability and related challenges, exploring the extent to which membership of military wives’ communities can help them to cope.

Design/methodology/approach

Using an interpretivist approach, data were collected through four focus group discussions involving 30 army wives, and seven individual in-depth interviews.

Findings

The paper highlights shared experiences of consumer vulnerability and demonstrates how army wives’ approaches to coping incorporate both individual and community-based approaches. It proposes that communities of coping develop within the army wives community, providing women with both practical and emotional support.

Research limitations/implications

The paper acknowledges that there is a range of factors that will impact military spouses’ experiences of consumer vulnerability and strategies for coping. This heterogeneity was difficult to capture within a small exploratory study.

Practical implications

The UK Government should consider their duties towards military spouses and children. This would entail a significant cultural shift and recognition of military personnel’s caring responsibilities.

Originality/value

This research contributes to understandings regarding the potentially shared nature of both consumer vulnerability and coping strategies. The study introduces the relevance of communities of coping to consumer contexts, highlighting how members can benefit from both practical and emotional support.
The role of social capital in the recovery of cultural built heritage
Authors: Aryal April , Wilkinson Suzanne
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Social capitals in a community are in the form of bonding, bridging and linking through social networks. This paper aims to determine the role of social capital in the recovery process of cultural heritage sites. It identifies the existing social capital and the role of community.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on the existing literature reviews complemented by the questionnaire survey. Three disaster-affected cultural heritage sites in Kathmandu were selected for the study. The questionnaire survey and group discussion with 300 disaster survivors were conducted.

Findings

This paper discusses social capital and its limitations for recovery. It proposes a new model of disaster recovery based on social capital and community.

Research limitations/implications

This research is based on the region with high social capital. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test in the low social capital community.

Practical implications

The approach of disaster recovery discussed in this paper can be implemented in the cultural heritage rebuilding after the disaster.

Social implications

This paper is based on social capital and community involvement. This paper identifies the importance of community involvement in the recovery.

Originality/value

The paper identified that during the recovery, in addition to social capitals, the role of community participation is unavoidable. This paper demonstrated how recovery is complicated despite external resources without community participation.
How lead investors build trust in the specific context of a campaign
Authors: Xiao Li
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of trust in the unobservable decision-making process of lead investors and follow-on investors in the specific context of equity crowdfunding (ECF) campaigns.

Design/methodology/approach

This work employs a case study approach. The author conducts a three-year inductive field study of Chinese ECF – AngelCrunch. The author gathered both campaign and platform-level data from the selected case covering a period of seven years from 2011 to 2018. The data set used for this study includes the characteristics of 189 online campaigns, 25 face-to-face interviews with the platform managers, early-stage investors and entrepreneurs, first-hand observations and quarterly reports on online campaigns supplemented with informal interviews with the authors for the reports.

Findings

The findings from this study provide early insights onto the unobservable decision-making process of ECF investors. It demonstrates that lead investors use both selective signalling information and physical interactions with the entrepreneurs to build competence and relational trust on which they rely for making an early pledge. It also shows that follow-on investors differ from lead investors in the process of building trust for decision-making. Furthermore, this work uncovers the role of ECF platforms in facilitating the process of building interpersonal trust for the decision making, with challenges to maintain the notion of platforms in raising a small amount of capital from a large crowd.

Research limitations/implications

This study is constrained by the limited scale of qualitative elements available. The findings of the study have implications for platform managers, investors and policy makers.

Originality/value

Building on entrepreneurial finance and trust theory, this work demonstrates how lead investors build competence and relational trust on which they rely to make an early pledge in the context of ECF. The perception of a lead investor and the commitment together with the selective and formative information by the entrepreneur/s are key in follow-on investors’ decision making. This study uncovers that crowdfunding enables additional and valuable information to be assessed by crowd investors to manage extreme risk and uncertainty occurred in early-stage investments. This work also demonstrates that virtual world has its limitations to build interpersonal trust for managing extreme risk.
Have the poor been considered in the Health Sector Evolution Plan? A qualitative study of the Iranian health system
Authors: Etemadi Manal , Ashtarian Kioomars , Ganji Nader , Kangarani Hannaneh Mohammadi , Gorji Hasan Abolghasem
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Reducing health inequalities between the poor and the rich is one of the challenges that the Iranian healthcare sector is facing. One of the goals of the Iranian Government in the Healthcare Sector Evolution Plan (HSEP) is claimed to be creating an opportunity for the poor to use inexpensive services. The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the status of the poor in the HSEP. Based on this evaluation, the authors will provide policy recommendations to improve the benefits of the HSEP for the poor people.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a qualitative study conducted in 2017. The research sample includes policymakers, experts and scholars at the macro-level of the Iranian healthcare system who were well-aware of the financial support for the poor. Overall, 35 semi-structured interviews were carried out. Data were analyzed based on the thematic analysis method.

Findings

The effects of the HSEP on the poor were studied in terms of their positive outcomes and challenges. Despite the achievements of the HSEP for all people, the most important challenge was the lack of targeted state subsidies for the poor. These subsidies should have included free insurance coverage, reducing inpatient payment and allocation of a separate budget for the poor.

Originality/value

Adopting some policies to target public health subsidies toward the poor such as free insurance specific for the poor (based on means testing), as well as user fee exemption and waivers could improve access to health services for them in Iran. In addition, separate funding for such policies, strengthening health prevention and health care services for marginalized populations, and improving their health literacy could help ensure the poor’s benefiting more from the health care services.
Building strong nation brands
Authors: Steenkamp Jan-Benedict
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer a new conceptual model for nation branding, rooted in the marketing literature, with associated tasks for the nation brand marketer.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on the extant literatures on brand identity systems, cultural branding and brand equity to develop a conceptual model for nation branding. The author also identifies five key challenges faced by the nation brand marketer.

Findings

Nation branding has captured the attention of policy makers around the world, but has only received limited attention by international marketing scholars. Much of the work on nation branding is done by practitioners who regard nation branding as a separate field of inquiry. The author argues that nation branding is an important emerging new form of branding, and that we should use and adapt the rich branding literature to deepen our understanding of nation branding and develop plans for action. The author proposes a model for nation branding, which consists of six stages. Furthermore, the author identifies five issues that keep the nation brand marketer awake at night.

Originality/value

The paper integrates three streams of work on branding to develop a new, six-step model for building strong nation brands. For each stage, the key tasks for the nation-branding marketer are identified.
Dissemination and consensual perceptions of nation brands: a framework for future research
Authors: Torelli Carlos J.
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to comment on the article by He et al., and to propose a framework for the worldwide dissemination of a nation brand image as a way to understand the nature and resilience of nation brands.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is conceptual with illustrative examples.

Findings

By integrating research on the dissemination of cultural narratives in a power structure with the literature on shared reality and consensual perceptions, this paper develops a framework for future research on the factors that impact the emergence of a consensual image about a nation brand. These factors include the nation’s political and economic power, the widespread adoption of the nation’s language and the nation’s cultural attractiveness. The framework further proposes that these factors positively affect the likelihood that people would develop an image of what they perceive is widely shared about a nation brand, or the shared reality about the image of such nation brand. The framework also elaborates on some of the consequences for perpetuating the nation brand image and for reinforcing brand-affiliative consumption behaviors.

Practical implications

This paper offers a framework that allows marketers to further understand the worldwide dissemination of nation brands.

Originality/value

The paper integrates a novel framework with recent findings about the psychology of globalization, opening avenues for future research on nation branding.
The determinants of customer loyalty in the Indonesian ride-sharing services: offline vs online
Authors: Kuswanto Adi , Sundari Sundari Sundari Sundari , Harmadi Ashur , Dwi Asih Hariyanti Dwi Asih Hariyanti
Published: December 2019

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the effect of service quality on trust, satisfaction and loyalty by adopting two models, namely, conventional service quality model from Parasuraman and information systems (IS) success model from Delone and McLean.

Design/methodology/approach

Respondents of this study were users of shared-motorcycle services who filled out a complete questionnaire totaling 507. This research used a second-order structural equation model. All question items had quite high reliability and validity based on the result of confirmatory factor analysis with a value of average variance extracted and composite reliability which was higher than 0.70. The goodness of fit was quite good with the values x2/df = 2.493, incremental fit index = 0.921, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.917, comparative fit index = 0.921 and root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.054.

Findings

Online and offline ride-sharing services reveal a strong and positive influence on trust and satisfaction. Trust reveals a strong and positive influence on satisfaction and loyalty. Finally, satisfaction reveals a strong and positive influence on loyalty. The research in general shows that the quality of offline service is more influential than the quality of online service in the case of ride-sharing service provided by two companies in Indonesia.

Research limitations/implications

The sampling frame of the research was diverse, including students of various collages and junior high schools, various private company workers and government employees. So, the results cannot be generalized to all populations especially to all Indonesian customers. It is recommended to increase the number of samples by focusing on the community groups of customers of public motorbikes, so that these groups can be compared. Next, the research finds that both service quality based on IS and service quality models reveal a strong and positive influence on loyalty both directly and indirectly.

Originality/value

The research uses respondents who use motorcycle services both online and offline. The findings of the research are important for online and offline ride-sharing motorbike service providers. They have to maintain their excellent services to the customers.