bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recent advances in the biology of bombesin-like peptides and their receptors
Authors: Qin Xiaoqun , Qu Xiangping
Published: December 2020

Purpose of review

The current review aims to update the important findings about molecular and cellular biology of mammalian bombesin-like peptides (BLPs) and their receptors.

Recent findings

Recent identification of synaptic communication between gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) neurons and GRP receptor (GRPR) neurons in spinal itch relay provides us novel insights into physiology of itch sensation. Neuromedin B (NMB) neurons were found to form connections with subcortical areas associated with arousal, hippocampal theta oscillation, and premotor processing and project to multiple downstream stations to regulate locomotion and hippocampal theta power. In addition to researches regarding the roles of BLPs and their receptors in central nervous system, recent findings reveal that NMB receptor is expressed on helminth-induced type 2 innate lymphoid cells and is regulated by basophils, suggesting an important function of NMB in helminth-induced immune responses. Bombesin transactivates epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and HER3 receptors on human nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and elicits downstream signaling cascades and induces formation of both human epidermal growthfactor receptor 3 (HER3)/EGFR and HER3/HER2 heterodimers. Several high-affinity ligands for bombesin receptors were characterized, providing useful tools in investigation of biological roles of those peptides and their receptors.

The most exciting findings of BLPs and their receptors in the past year come from studies in central nervous system. In addition, more researches are still underway to probe the molecular mechanisms of those peptides in peripheral tissues and characterize novel synthetic ligands with high affinity for mammalian bombesin receptors.
Gut–brain–bone marrow axis in hypertension
Authors: Li Jing , Raizada Mohan K. , Richards Elaine M.
Published: December 2020

Purpose of review

Rapidly emerging evidence implicates an important role of gut–brain–bone marrow (BM) axis involving gut microbiota (GM), gut epithelial wall permeability, increased production of pro-inflammatory BM cells and neuroinflammation in hypertension (HTN). However, the precise sequence of events involving these organs remains to be established. Furthermore, whether an impaired gut–brain–BM axis is a cause or consequence of HTN is actively under investigation. This will be extremely important for translation of this fundamental knowledge to novel, innovative approaches for the control and management of HTN. Therefore, our objectives are to summarize the latest hypothesis, provide evidence for and against the impaired gut, BM and brain interactions in HTN and discuss perspectives and future directions.

Recent findings

Hypertensive stimuli activate autonomic neural pathways resulting in increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic cardiovascular modulation. This directly affects the functions of cardiovascular-relevant organs to increase blood pressure. Increases in sympathetic drive to the gut and BM also trigger sequences of signaling events that ultimately contribute to altered GM, increased gut permeability, enhanced gut- and brain-targeted pro-inflammatory cells from the BM in perpetuation and establishment of HTN.

In this review, we present the mechanisms involving the brain, gut, and BM, whose dysfunctional interactions may be critical in persistent neuroinflammation and key in the development and establishment of HTN.
WNK4 kinase: role of chloride sensing in the distal convoluted tubule
Authors: Chen Jen-Chi , Lin Meng-Xuan , Cheng Chih-Jen
Published: December 2020

Purpose of review

This review focuses on recent efforts in identifying with-no-lysine kinase 4 (WNK4) as a physiological intracellular chloride sensor and exploring regulators of intracellular chloride concentration ([Cl-]i) in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT).

Recent findings

The discovery of WNK1's chloride-binding site provides the mechanistic details of the chloride-sensing regulation of WNK kinases. The subsequent in-vitro studies reveal that the chloride sensitivities of WNK kinases were variable. Because of its highest chloride sensitivity and dominant expression, WNK4 emerges as the leading candidate of the chloride sensor in DCT. The presentation of hypertension and increased sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC) activity in chloride-insensitive WNK4 mice proved that WNK4 is inhibitable by physiological [Cl-]i in DCT. The chloride-mediated WNK4 regulation is responsible for hypokalemia-induced NCC activation but unnecessary for hyperkalemia-induced NCC deactivation. This chloride-sensing mechanism requires basolateral potassium and chloride channels or cotransporters, including Kir4.1/5.1, ClC-Kb, and possibly KCCs, to modulate [Cl-]i in response to the changes of plasma potassium.

WNK4 is both a master NCC stimulator and an in-vivo chloride sensor in DCT. The understanding of chloride-mediated regulation of WNK4 explains the inverse relationship between dietary potassium intake and NCC activity.
Germline mutations in MDS/AML predisposition disorders
Authors: Godley Lucy A.
Published: December 2020

Purpose of review

Recognition of hereditary hematopoietic malignancies impacts patient management as well as health surveillance strategies for the patient and relatives who share the causative DNA variant. In this review, barriers to the diagnosis and management of patients are outlined.

Recent findings

Increasingly, individuals are being recognized as having germline predisposition to hematopoietic malignancies. Clinical testing for these syndromes is difficult for most clinicians given the need to send true germline samples and the lack of standardization in the field with regard to which genes are covered and the types of DNA changes detected. Additional barriers such as insurance coverage, especially for older individuals, and access to clinical experts need to be overcome in the future.

New research addressing whether use of hematopoietic stem cells with deleterious variants are permissive to transplantation; effective means of delivering genetic counseling and results disclosure to decrease the psychological impact of these diagnoses; and a comprehensive list of all predisposition genes will advance our ability to provide the best treatment possible for our patients and facilitate strategies to maintain excellent health throughout their lifetimes and for members of younger generations.

Video abstract

Submitted, http://links.lww.com/COH/A22
Maintenance therapy for acute myeloid leukemia: sustaining the pursuit for sustained remission
Authors: Shallis Rory M. , Podoltsev Nikolai A.
Published: December 2020

Purpose of review

Maintenance therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been studied for decades with mixed results. However, the application of modern agents has renewed interest and the recent data from randomized trials has provided evidence for the use of maintenance therapy in certain populations of AML patients.

Recent findings

Unselected patients are unlikely to benefit from maintenance therapy as has been previously and consistently demonstrated. The increasing availability of newer and targeted agents like oral hypomethylating agents, protein modifiers, as well as FLT3, IDH1/2 BCL-2 and immune checkpoint inhibitors have restoked interest in maintenance therapy for which randomized, placebo-controlled trials have recently demonstrated benefits, including in the post-transplant setting. Patients with high-risk disease, suboptimal consolidation or remission associated with measurable residual disease (MRD) appear to be beneficiaries of this strategy. The influence of MRD status and the platform by which it is measured are important factors in the current understanding of when maintenance therapy works and how future studies should be designed.

The recent positive findings in support of maintenance therapy for certain AML patient populations are practice changing and bolster the need for properly designed, randomized studies using unified and standardized MRD techniques.
Recommendations for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Adolescents and Young Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Schenker Rachel B. , Wilson Erin , Russell Meredith , Cooke Laura C. , Heyman Melvin B. , Verstraete Sofia G.
Published: December 2020

Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals have a different gender identity than the sex they were assigned at birth. Despite an increase in provider awareness of TGNC health over the past decade, no original research or societal guidelines exist on TGNC patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We review TGNC IBD cases in the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Pediatric IBD Program and in the literature. We then provide some recommendations for the provision of high-quality care to the TGNC IBD population, divided into 3 categories: medications, anatomy, and mental health.
Unexpected Death Associated With Clostridial Sepsis
Authors: Olds Kelly L. , Gilbert John D. , Byard Roger W.
Published: December 2020

An 85-year-old woman with a history of breast carcinoma presented to hospital after gradual onset of abdominal pain with hypotension, jaundice, and massive intravascular hemolysis. This was caused by Clostridium perfringens septicemia originating from a liver abscess. Clostridium perfringens septicemia is a rare infection that has a high mortality rate, given that it is frequently unable to be diagnosed until postmortem examination. The source of the pathogen is usually intra-abdominal. Hepatic abscesses, although an uncommon source of primary clostridial infection, should be considered in such cases.
Nail Gun Suicide
Authors: Fernando Dinesh Malcolm Gerard , Ekanayake Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Kasun Bandara
Published: December 2020

Nail guns are pneumatically driven or powder-actuated tools, which are used to drive nails into wood or concrete. A 42-year-old man, who was a builder by profession and history of antidepressant use, was found dead in his vehicle, holding a “Ramset” nail gun in his right hand. A straight metal nail and a book with a small hole were recovered from the scene.

At autopsy, an irregularly circular puncture wound was seen on the forehead and a cruciate laceration was seen on the posterior aspect of the scalp. No burning, blackening, or tattooing was present around either injury. Both internal and external beveling was present with the latter being relatively larger. Toxicological analysis revealed alcohol and methamphetamine in blood. Psychiatric history and substance abuse must also be considered when individuals in construction industry are given access to tools like nail guns.

Several unique features not previously reported were observed in this case. The deceased had overcome the built-in safety mechanism of the nail gun, by placing a book in between his forehead and muzzle. Another unique feature is that the nail had exited the cranium. Beveling, a feature commonly found in firearm injuries, was also seen in this case.
Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitor Start or Switch Impacts Learning in Women With HIV
Authors: O'Halloran Jane A. , Wang Kunbo , Spence Amanda B. , Williams Dionna W. , Dastgheyb Raha , Fitzgerald Kathryn C. , Kamkwalala Asante R. , Maki Pauline M. , Sharma Anjali , Gustafson Deborah R. , Milam Joel , Weber Kathleen M. , Adimora Adaora A. , Ofotokun Igho , Fischl Margaret A. , Konkle-Parker Deborah , Lahiri Cecile D. , Sheth Anandi N. , Xu Yanxun , Rubin Leah H.
Published: December 2020

Background:

Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are first-line regimens for HIV treatment. We aimed to examine their impact on cognitive performance and depressive symptoms in women with HIV (WWH).

Setting:

Women's Interagency HIV Study, a multisite, prospective, cohort study.

Methods:

WWH who started or switched to INSTI-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) and completed neuropsychological testing and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale before and after INSTI start/switch were included in the analyses. Primary outcomes were demographically corrected cognitive domain T-scores. Linear mixed-effects models adjusted for relevant covariates were used to examine effects of start/switch of any INSTI and individual INSTI drugs on cognition and CES-D scores.

Results:

Six hundred thirty-nine WWH, median age 49 (interquartile range 12) years, 66% Black non-Hispanic, had neuropsychological and CES-D scale data before and after INSTI start/switch. Although 14% started INSTI-based ART, the remainder switched to INSTI-based ART from another regimen. Overall, any INSTI use was associated with poorer learning post-INSTI. Specifically, use of dolutegravir and elvitegravir, but not raltegravir, was associated with poorer learning. In analyses restricted to INSTI switch, any INSTI use, and dolutegravir use, was associated with poorer learning. Among those switching from a PI-based regimen, INSTIs overall and dolutegravir remained associated with poorer learning; switching from a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor to dolutegravir was also associated with poorer learning. INSTI start/switch was not related to depressive symptom changes.

Conclusions:

INSTI use was associated with poorer learning among WWH. These changes were mainly observed in elvitegravir and dolutegravir users, indicating that the impact of INSTI on cognition in WWH may not be a class effect.
A New Approach and Old Techniques: Combined Endoscopic Repair of Inguinoscrotal Hernias
Authors: Petrovsky Aleksandr , Lutsevich Oleg E. , Gubish Aleksey , Zamsha Denis , Vagin Ivan , Popov Arsen , Porhanov Vladimir A.
Published: December 2020

Background:

The treatment of inguinoscrotal hernias (ISH) represents one of the most challenging areas in surgical pathology. Although these hernias could be repaired through a minimally invasive approach, open repair is still considered to be the technique of choice for most surgeons. The purpose of this study is to evaluate our new combined [open+transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP)/total preperitoneal (TEP)] method of ISH repair.

Patients and Methods:

The authors reviewed the charts of 124 patients with ISH who underwent hernia repair in different modifications: open, TAPP, TEP, and new combined method with a minimal follow-up of 3 months.

Results:

New combined (open+TAPP/TEP) method repair was successful in all 38 patients. Average case duration was 68.8 minutes (62 to 106 min). No recurrence was observed for the 13 months follow-up. Two patients had intraoperative serosal bowel injury, 1 patient developed postoperative seroma, and 2 patients developed several pain.

Conclusions:

Combined (open+TAPP/TEP) method for ISH repair allows to minimize surgical trauma and reduce both the procedure time and the postoperative length of stay. Implementation of this method results in statistically significantly fewer wound-related postoperative complications compared with traditional methods.
Nelson Syndrome: Clival Invasion of Corticotroph Pituitary Adenoma Resulting in Alternating Sixth Nerve Palsies
Authors: Douglas Vivian P. , Douglas Konstantinos A. A. , Rapalino Otto , Champion Samantha N. , Chwalisz Bart K.
Published: December 2020

A 44-year-old woman presented with 2 painful and self-limited episodes of binocular horizontal diplopia within 1 year that at the beginning were thought to be secondary to microvascular insult. Her medical history was significant for Cushing syndrome status post transsphenoidal resection with bilateral adrenalectomy 4 years prior, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Neuro-ophthalmic evaluation was significant for left abduction deficit and incomitant esotropia consistent with left abducens nerve palsy. Of note, the patient had experienced a similar episode but on the contralateral side a few months prior. Although initially MRI of the brain demonstrated stable residual postoperative finding in the sella, upon review, an heterogenous T-1 hypointense marrow in the clivus was noted. Hypermetabolism of the clivus was also noted on computed tomography positron emission tomography of the skull base. A clival biopsy demonstrated a corticotroph adenoma with elevated proliferation index and scattered mitoses. A corticotroph pituitary adenoma after adrenalectomy, also known as Nelson syndrome, was diagnosed. Radiation therapy was offered to the patient, and resolution of symptoms was gradually observed.
Effect of Motor State on Postactivation Depression of the Soleus H-Reflex in Parkinson's Disease During Deep Brain Stimulation and Dopaminergic Medication Treatment: A Pilot Study
Authors: Andrews Jennifer C. , Roy François D. , Stein Richard B. , Ba Fang , Sankar Tejas
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

Postactivation depression of the Hoffmann reflex is reduced in Parkinson's disease (PD), but how the recovery is influenced by the state of the muscle is unknown. The present pilot study examined postactivation depression in PD at rest and during a voluntary contraction while patients were off treatment and while receiving medications and/or deep brain stimulation.

Methods:

The authors recruited nine patients with PD treated with implanted deep brain stimulation and examined postactivation depression under four treatment conditions. Paired pulses were delivered 25 to 300 ms apart, and soleus Hoffmann reflex recovery was tested at rest and during voluntary plantar flexion. Trials were matched for background muscle activity and compared with 10 age-matched controls.

Results:

Patients with Parkinson disease who were OFF medications (OFF meds) and OFF stimulation (OFF stim) at rest showed less postactivation depression at the 300 ms interpulse interval (86.1% ± 21.0%) relative to control subjects (36.4% ± 6.1%; P < 0.05). Postactivation depression was restored when dopaminergic medication and/or deep brain stimulation was applied. Comparisons between resting and active motor states revealed that the recovery curves were similar OFF meds/OFF stim owing to faster recovery in PD seen at rest. In contrast, the effect of the motor state was different ON meds/OFF stim and ON meds/ON stim (both P < 0.05), with a nonsignificant trend OFF meds/ON stim (P > 0.08). During a contraction, recovery curves were similar between all treatment conditions in PD and control.

Conclusions:

Disrupted Hoffmann reflex recovery is restored to control levels in PD patients at rest when receiving medications and/or deep brain stimulation or when engaged in voluntary contraction.
Can age-distribution be an indicator of the goodness of COVID-19 testing?
Authors: Dehkordi Amirhoshang Hoseinpour , Nemati Reza , Tavousi Pouya
Published: December 2020

It has been evident that the faster, more accurate, and more comprehensive testing can help policymakers assess the real impact of COVID-19 and help them with when and how strict the mitigation policies should be. Nevertheless, the exact number of infected ones could not be measured due to the lack of comprehensive testing. In this paper, first of all, we will investigate the relation of transmission of COVID-19 with age by observing timed data in multiple countries. Then, we compare the COVID-19 CFR with the age-demography data. and as a result, we have proposed a method for estimating a lower bound for the number of positive cases by using the reported data on the oldest age group and the regions’ population age-distributions. The proposed estimation method improved the expected similarity between the age-distribution of positive cases and regions’ populations. Thus, using the publicly accessible data for several developed countries, we show how the improvement of testing over the course of several months has made it clear for the community that different age groups are equally prone to becoming COVID positive. The result shows that the age demography of COVID-19 gets similar to the age-demography of the population, together with the reduction of CFR over time. In addition, countries with less CFR have more similar COVID-19’s age-distribution, which is caused by more comprehensive testing, than ones who have higher CFR. This leads us to a better estimation for positive cases in different testing strategies. Having knowledge of this fact helps policymakers enforce more effective policies for controlling the spread of the virus.
Intergroup lethal gang attacks do not require fission-fusion dynamics to evolve
Authors: Martínez-Íñigo Laura , Engelhardt Antje , Agil Muhammad , Pilot Malgorzata , Majolo Bonaventura
Published: December 2020

Lethal gang attacks, in which multiple aggressors attack a single victim, are among the most widespread forms of violence between human groups. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), as well as wolves (Canis lupus), spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta), and lions (Panthera leo), perform gang attacks during raids. In raids, a few individuals of a group enter another group’s territory and attack its members if found in numerical disadvantage. Current theory predicts that raids and gang attacks are linked to fission-fusion dynamics, i.e., the capacity of a group to split into smaller subgroups of variable size and composition. However, over the last decade, research on social mammals without fission-fusion societies nor raiding have shown that they may also be involved in intergroup lethal gang attacks. Thus, neither fission-fusion dynamics nor raiding are required for gang attacks to evolve. Based on our first-ever reports of intergroup gang attacks in the crested macaque (Macaca nigra), combined with the synthesis of earlier observations of such attacks in several species living in stable groups, we develop a new hypothesis about the proximate causes leading to lethal intergroup aggression. We propose that the ability to estimate numerical odds, form coalitionary bonds, and show hostility towards outgroup individuals may suffice to trigger intergroup gang attacks when the conditions favour an imbalance of power between victims and attackers.
GAIT-GM: Galaxy tools for modeling metabolite changes as a function of gene expression
Authors: McIntyre Lauren M. , Huertas Francisco , Moskalenko Olexander , Llansola Marta , Felipo Vicente , Morse Alison M. , Conesa Ana
Published: December 2020

Galaxy is a user-friendly platform with a strong development community and a rich set of tools for omics data analysis. While multi-omics experiments are becoming popular, tools for multi-omics data analysis are poorly represented in this platform. Here we present GAIT-GM, a set of new Galaxy tools for integrative analysis of gene expression and metabolomics data. In the Annotation Tool, features are mapped to KEGG pathway using a text mining approach to increase the number of mapped metabolites. Several interconnected databases are used to maximally map gene IDs across species. In the Integration Tool, changes in metabolite levels are modelled as a function of gene expression in a flexible manner. Both unbiased exploration of relationships between genes and metabolites and biologically informed models based on pathway data are enabled. The GAIT-GM tools are freely available athttps://github.com/SECIMTools/gait-gm.
Computationally-efficient spatiotemporal correlation analysis super-resolves anomalous diffusion
Authors: Yoshida Shawn , Schmid William , Vo Nam , Calabrase William , Kisley Lydia
Published: December 2020

Anomalous diffusion dynamics in confined nanoenvironments govern the macroscale properties and interactions of many biophysical and material systems. Currently, it is difficult to quantitatively link the nanoscale structure of porous media to anomalous diffusion within them. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging (fcsSOFI) has been shown to extract nanoscale structure and Brownian diffusion dynamics within gels, liquid crystals, and polymers, but has limitations which hinder its wider application to more diverse, biophysically-relevant datasets. Here, we parallelize the least-squares curve fitting step on a GPU improving computation times by up to a factor of 40, implement anomalous diffusion and two-component Brownian diffusion models, and make fcsSOFI more accessible by packaging it in a user-friendly GUI. We apply fcsSOFI to simulations of the protein fibrinogen diffusing in polyacrylamide of varying matrix densities and super-resolve locations where slower, anomalous diffusion occurs within smaller, confined pores. The improvements to fcsSOFI in speed, scope, and usability will allow for the wider adoption of super-resolution correlation analysis to diverse research topics.
A socio-technological model of search information divide in US cities
Authors: Park Yong Jin
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of the current study is to theorize and apply a socio-technological model – the powerful influence of social determinants in conditioning the effects of information attention on social outcomes. Fundamentally, this study is motivated by the idea that the social determinants of information flow can be used as a predictive tool to inform public socio-policy decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study draws upon digital disparity literature and uses publicly available Google search queries in exploring online information attention and its relationships to the HIV/AIDS diffusion in US cities. This study’s secondary data collected from extant sources is used to draw attention to a holistic urban ecology under which online search attention represents the variation of information access at the aggregate level.

Findings

The main finding shows that online information attention, as indicated by search trend, is far from being a simple predictor, but operates in complex interactions with existing social environments. A bivariate correlation between AIDS information search and AIDS diffusion rate was found to be significant. However, predictive multivariate models displayed robust effects of social contextual variables, such as income level and racial composition of cities, in moderating the effect of online search information flow.

Practical implications

The importance of these insights is discussed for reducing socio-health disparities at the macro-social level, and policymakers and health administrators are recommended to incubate supportive online infrastructure as an effective preventive measure at the time of a crisis.

Originality/value

The unique contribution of this study is the premise that looks at the aggregate-ecological contour of cities within which the potential benefits of information occur, instead of examining the isolated function of mediated informationper se. In this vein, online information search,in lieuof the exposure to mass media message that is often measured via self-reported items, is a particularly unique and fruitful area of future inquiry that this study promotes.
Extending Marlow’s general first-invariant constitutive model to compressible, isotropic hyperelastic materials
Authors: Hüter Florian , Rieg Frank
Published: December 2020

Purpose

A general first-invariant constitutive model has been derived in literature for incompressible, isotropic hyperelastic materials, known as Marlow model, which reproduces test data exactly without the need of curve-fitting procedures. This paper aims to describe how to extend Marlow’s constitutive model to the more general case of compressible hyperelastic materials.

Design/methodology/approach

The isotropic constitutive model is based on a strain energy function, whose isochoric part is solely dependent on the first modified strain invariant. Based on Marlow’s idea, a principle of energetically equivalent deformation states is derived for the compressible case, which is used to determine the underlying strain energy function directly from measured test data. No particular functional of the strain energy function is assumed. It is shown how to calibrate the volumetric and isochoric strain energy functions uniquely with uniaxial or biaxial test data only. The constitutive model is implemented into a finite element program to demonstrate its applicability.

Findings

The model is well suited for use in finite element analysis. Only one set of test data is required for calibration without any need for curve-fitting procedures. These test data are reproduced exactly, and the model prediction is reasonable for other deformation modes.

Originality/value

Marlow’s basic concept is extended to the compressible case and applied to both the volumetric and isochoric part of the compressible strain energy function. Moreover, a novel approach is described on how both compressive and tensile test data can be used simultaneously to calibrate the model.
Impact of knowledge search on product and process innovation: mediating role of absorptive capacity and moderating role of IT capability
Authors: Gao Hui , Ding Xiu-Hao , Wu Suming
Published: December 2020

Purpose

More enterprises adopt open innovation by breaking technological or organizational boundaries to seek internal and external knowledge when they face a fiercely competitive environment, complex market demands, and increasingly rapid technological change. In this context, a knowledge search strategy is regarded as an effective means of obtaining inside and outside resources and an important way to break the innovation bottleneck. Moreover, information technology (IT) is deemed an important asset for sourcing knowledge, whereas absorptive capacity is seen as an indispensable ability for utilizing novel knowledge. Thus, this paper aims to test the role of knowledge search in open innovation and examine the mediating effect of absorptive capacity and the moderating effect of IT capability.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 1,088 Chinese firms’ data collected by the World Bank in 2012, this paper employs logistic regression to test the hypotheses.

Findings

This study finds that local and boundary-spanning search strategies positively influence both product and process innovation, and absorptive capacity has a mediating role in the relationships between knowledge search and product and process innovation. Moreover, IT capability has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between local search and innovation performance; however, IT capability strengthens the relationship between boundary-spanning search and process innovation while weakens that between boundary-spanning search and product innovation.

Originality/value

This study explores the impact of different knowledge search behaviors on different types of innovation and probes the role of absorptive capacity and IT capability in mediating and moderating the above relationships. By drawing on knowledge-based theory and cognitive-developmental theory, this paper provides a novel perspective to explain the mechanism between knowledge search and innovation performance.
Is emotional labour a positive experience for teachers? A qualitative study
Authors: Lyndon Shiji , Rawat Preeti S. , Pawar Darshana
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Emotional labour is an important area of research in organizational psychology especially in the context of service industry. Past research in this area has primarily focused on the negative consequences of emotional labour. The present study is carried out to explore whether professors working in higher educational institutes experience emotional labour and how does it impact them.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a qualitative approach. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted.

Findings

Three broad themes emerged from the study: (1) work environment leading to emotional labour (2) factors facilitating emotional regulation and (3) consequences of emotional labour. The findings revealed that the consequences of emotional labour are context specific and in the context of educational setting, it has interesting positive outcomes.

Practical implications

The findings of the study provide critical insights regarding how to deal with employees who experience emotional labour at work.

Originality/value

The study adopts an inductive approach to explore the experiences of emotional labour of professors in higher educational institutes.
Towards responsible conflict minerals supply chain management: a systematic literature review and a supply chain governance framework
Authors: El Baz Jamal , Jebli Fedwa , Temidayo Akenroye , Cherrafi Anass
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Literature on conflict minerals supply chain management issues has witnessed a significant surge during the last decade. The authors review how CM research addressed supply chain issues over the last decades and present a critical assessment of such literature based on supply chain governance theory.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review approach was adopted, and a sample of 122 papers were identified in relevant journals. A descriptive, thematic and content analysis of the papers is presented to delineate the structure and the main research clusters of the literature.

Findings

The authors provide a comprehensive assessment of CMSC literature and identify four main research clusters. Most research has focussed on operational practices and adopted a fragmented approach to CMSC issues. Accordingly, the authors provide research propositions related to under-explored aspects in extant literature.

Research limitations/implications

This study has a number of implications. Practitioners and researchers will gain a greater understanding of specific CMSC issues which have been addressed in current literature and of how responsible CMSC actions can be implemented.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first literature reviews of publications on CMSC from a supply chain governance perspective. This review presents an overarching map of CMSC literature and a series of propositions to inform future research.
Definition of input and output variables to assess operations strategy efficiency frontier
Authors: Veiga Gabriela Lobo , Pinheiro de Lima Edson , Frega José Roberto , Gouvea da Costa Sergio E.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

To investigate the relationship between performance frontier and operations strategy. A two-level conceptual framework is proposed based on performance elements that act as output/input variables and delimit the scope of the frontier analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The framework proposition is based on the fourth round of high-performance manufacturing survey data. A representative set of variables for assessing performance based on operations strategy constructs is defined through multivariate data analysis techniques. The main method used is the principal component analysis.

Findings

The proposed first-level conceptual framework formalizes the relationships between performance frontier analysis techniques and operations strategy, delimiting the scope and the structural definitions. The second-level conceptual framework defines the constructs of the input and output dimensions for frontier analysis studies.

Originality/value

The paper contribution is developed in the gap of market-led orientation to study operations strategy performance frontier since most related literature focuses on capabilities development with a main focus on the resource-based view (RBV) approach. A conceptual framework based on the competitive priorities is therefore proposed to represent the operations strategy in the view of the frontier techniques. The value lies in defining performance measures which are not a straightforward task as the growth of organization competitiveness and complexity require multiple performance measures. A deeper understanding of frontier estimation on the operations strategy context is also provided, contributing to positively influence firms to succeed in the current dynamic competitive environments.
Knowledge and attitudes towards Islamic banking in the Philippines
Authors: Hadji Latif Sahraman D.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the knowledge and attitudes of the Muslim society toward Islamic banking in the Philippines. It also aims to determine the factors that influence their attitudes toward selection of Islamic banking.

Design/methodology/approach

Quantitative method was used in this study. A sample of 250 Muslims who have bank accounts in either Islamic or conventional banks in Marawi City, Philippines were surveyed using self-administered questionnaires, and only 233 questionnaires were considered valid. Descriptive, factor and multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The study shows that the level of knowledge of the Muslim society toward the basic modes of financing in Islamic banking is low. However, the attitudes of the Muslim society toward Islamic banking are favorable. Their attitudes are influenced by the opportunities that Islamic banking can provide to the society, religious motivation and awareness toward Islamic Banking. Product and marketing strategies, and the Shari’ah reputation of Islamic bank are also found significant in influencing their attitudes toward Islamic banking.

Research limitations/implications

The study focused only for Muslims in the Philippines particularly in Marawi City with limited samples. Future study that will combine non-Muslims and Muslim respondents are also indispensable.

Practical implications

The study reveals the potential development of Islamic banking in the country. The Philippine Government and the present Islamic bank in the country can enhance Islamic banking through the factors that influence the attitudes of the Muslim society toward Islamic banking.

Social implications

The Islamic bank can provide financial inclusion for Muslims, who voluntarily excluded themselves from conventional banking services and products because of religious reasons, and enhance the socio-economic conditions of the Muslim communities in the Philippines through its unique modes of financing and products.

Originality/value

The research was a first attempt to determine the level of knowledge and attitudes of Muslim society toward Islamic banking in the Philippines. This also underlines the importance of Islamic banking in the country particularly in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Desolated milieu: exploring the trajectory of workplace loneliness (2006-2019)
Authors: Firoz Mantasha , Chaudhary Richa , Khan Aamna
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to trace the trajectory of research done exclusively on the topic of Workplace Loneliness from 2006 to 2019. Based on the content analysis of 29 articles, this paper critically assesses, summarizes and consolidates the existing body of knowledge in the field of workplace loneliness.

Design/methodology/approach

This review is organized around five major themes – origin and the conceptual grounding of the construct; emergence of the concept of workplace loneliness, conceptualizations and overlap with the related constructs; measurement tools and techniques; analysis of its predictors, outcomes, mediators and moderators; and development of an integrated model specifying the nomological network of workplace loneliness for clarifying the current state of thinking and guiding future research in the area.

Findings

The concept of workplace loneliness started receiving attention from the year 2006 and gained momentum in 2016. The studies from wide range of countries show that workplace loneliness is not restricted to one geographical location but is a phenomenon that affects people and economies around the world. The review highlights the conceptualization and measurement challenges along with the need for theoretical development of the field. Further, the existing literature fails to provide a comprehensive picture of the predictors, underlying processes, contingencies and outcomes of workplace loneliness.

Originality/value

This study being one of the rare attempts to consolidate the existing body of knowledge on loneliness at work will provide academicians and practitioners with a comprehensive account of the state of research and development on an important and yet neglected issue of workplace loneliness.
Digital channel for interaction with citizens in public sector entities
Authors: Castilla Rodrigo , Pacheco Alex , Robles Ivan , Reyes Andy , Inquilla Ricardo
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The use of information and communication technologies has become essential in organizations, as it is considered a key factor for modernization; however, many public or private institutions do not start with the process of digitizing their services. The purpose of this paper is to seek to manage the digital identity through a mobile application on Android that is intuitive and simple to access information in a public entity in the Province of Cañete.

Design/methodology/approach

In this regard, for the development of the mobile application, it was divided into three phases: analysis and design, where the functional and nonfunctional requirements are collected, the interface and the client–server architecture are designed; development, where the predesigned interfaces are encoded with their respective documentation; finally, software testing, to detect possible errors, unexpected crushes and behavior of the functionalities at user level.

Findings

Thus, it was possible to implement a directory of mobile services for citizens to facilitate access to data, content and public information such as files and location of municipal premises.

Originality/value

The application provides a new means of digital communication to provide access to institutional information and monitoring of procedures as digital banking, education and medicine.
Trematode parasites exceed aquatic insect biomass in Oregon stream food webs
Authors: Preston Daniel L. , Layden Tamara J. , Segui Leah M. , Falke Landon P. , Brant Sara V. , Novak Mark
Published: December 2020

Although parasites are increasingly recognized for their ecosystem roles, it is often assumed that free‐living organisms dominate animal biomass in most ecosystems and therefore provide the primary pathways for energy transfer.

To examine the contributions of parasites to ecosystem energetics in freshwater streams, we quantified the standing biomass of trematodes and free‐living organisms at nine sites in three streams in western Oregon, USA. We then compared the rates of biomass flow from snails Juga plicifera into trematode parasites relative to aquatic vertebrate predators (sculpin, cutthroat trout and Pacific giant salamanders).

The trematode parasite community had the fifth highest dry biomass density among stream organisms (0.40 g/m2) and exceeded the combined biomass of aquatic insects. Only host snails (3.88 g/m2), sculpin (1.11 g/m2), trout (0.73 g/m2) and crayfish (0.43 g/m2) had a greater biomass. The parasite ‘extended phenotype’, consisting of trematode plus castrated host biomass, exceeded the individual biomass of every taxonomic group other than snails. The substantial parasite biomass stemmed from the high snail density and infection prevalence, and the large proportional mass of infected hosts that consisted of trematode tissue (M = 31% per snail).

Estimates of yearly biomass transfer from snails into trematodes were slightly higher than the combined estimate of snail biomass transfer into the three vertebrate predators. Pacific giant salamanders accounted for 90% of the snail biomass consumed by predators.

These results demonstrate that trematode parasites play underappreciated roles in the ecosystem energetics of some freshwater streams.
Identifying the corrupt cog in the wheel: Dimensions of supply chain logistics and cross‐country corruption
Authors: Goel Rajeev K. , Mazhar Ummad , Saunoris James W.
Published: December 2020

Reliable supply chains are crucial to the competitiveness, survival and profitability of businesses. While various aspects of supply chain logistics have been studied, their impacts on corrupt activity have not been fully understood. This paper examines the impact of the different stages of supply chain logistics on corruption. Besides adding insights into channels of potential corruption or rent‐seeking, the research identifies potential stages of bureaucratic holdups related to the supply chain and can prove useful in the formulation of a more effective corruption‐control policy. We use data for about 150 nations over the period 2000–2018 and the econometric methodology controls for potential reverse feedback from corruption to logistics. Our results show that an improvement in overall logistics performance reduces cross‐country corruption, with individual dimensions of logistics having a differential corruption‐reducing impact. The main policy implication is that governmental efforts to reduce supply chain bottlenecks will have positive spillovers in terms of reduced corruption.
“The media love the artificial versions of what’s going on”: Media (mis)representations of Down’s syndrome
Authors: Thomas Gareth M.
Published: December 2020

While disability has historically been depicted in problematic ways in television, film, and print media, more balanced and progressive cultural representations are arguably emerging. However, few studies address how disabled people and their families (e.g., parents) encounter, and make sense of, media configurations ostensibly designed to promote a more positive and visible image of living with disability. Drawing upon interviews with parents of children with Down's syndrome in the United Kingdom, I sketch out how they feel about depictions that, arguably, depart from hurtful historical narratives of disability as tragic and pitiable. Parents praise, and mostly embrace, recent portrayals of people with Down's syndrome in media outputs. At the same time, they raise concerns around tokenism, stereotyping, focusing upon “exceptional” people, and fueling sanitized accounts which deny, or at least obscure, the harsh lived realities for many parents of disabled children. I conclude by arguing that while parents largely applaud and welcome positive public narratives, they also fear that such representations threaten to gloss over the pervasive mistreatment, disregard, and disenfranchisement of disabled people and their families.