bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increased and ectopic expression ofTriticum polonicum VRT-A2underlies elongated glumes and grains in hexaploid wheat in a dosage-dependent manner
Authors: Adamski Nikolai M. , Simmonds James , Brinton Jemima F. , Backhaus Anna E. , Chen Yi , Smedley Mark , Hayta Sadiye , Florio Tobin , Crane Pamela , Scott Peter , Pieri Alice , Hall Olyvia , Barclay J. Elaine , Clayton Myles , Doonan John H. , Nibau Candida , Uauy Cristobal
Published: November 2020

Flower development is a major determinant of yield in crops. In wheat, natural variation for the size of spikelet and floral organs is particularly evident inTriticum polonicum, a tetraploid subspecies of wheat with long glumes, lemmas, and grains. Using map-based cloning, we identifiedVRT2, a MADS-box transcription factor belonging to theSVPfamily, as the gene underlying theT. polonicumlong-glume (P1)locus. The causalP1mutation is a sequence re-arrangement in intron-1 that results in both increased and ectopic expression of theT. polonicum VRT-A2allele. Based on allelic variation studies, we propose that the intron-1 mutation inVRT-A2is the uniqueT. polonicumspecies defining polymorphism, which was later introduced into hexaploid wheat via natural hybridizations. Near-isogenic lines differing for theP1locus revealed a gradient effect ofP1across florets. Transgenic lines of hexaploid wheat carrying theT. polonicum VRT-A2allele show that expression levels ofVRT-A2are highly correlated with spike, glume, grain, and floral organ length. These results highlight how changes in expression profiles, through variation incis-regulation, can impact on agronomic traits in a dosage-dependent manner in polyploid crops.

One-sentence summary

An intron-1 rearrangement in the MADS-box transcription factorVRT-A2leads to its misexpression and defines the long-glume phenotype of Polish wheat (T. polonicum).
Working Memory Gates Visual Input to Primate Prefrontal Neurons
Authors: Noudoost Behrad , Clark Kelsey L. , Moore Tirin
Published: November 2020

Visually guided behavior relies on the integration of sensory input with information held in working memory. Yet it remains unclear how this is accomplished at the level of neural circuits. We studied the direct visual cortical inputs to neurons within a visuomotor area of prefrontal cortex in behaving monkeys. We show that the synaptic efficacy of visual cortical input to prefrontal cortex is gated by information held in working memory. Surprisingly, visual input to prefrontal neurons was found to target those with both visual and motor properties, rather than preferentially targeting other visual neurons. Furthermore, activity evoked from visual cortex was larger in magnitude, more synchronous, and more rapid, when monkeys remembered locations that matched the location of visual input. These results indicate that working memory directly influences the circuitry that transforms visual input into visually guided behavior.
Illusory size perception with stimuli from animal experiments of surround modulation
Authors: Kristensen Daniel Gramm , Sandberg Kristian
Published: November 2020

Visual illusions have long been studied because the illusory effect they induce is believed to tell us something important on how the visual system processes visual information. Here, we modified a classic visual illusion, the Delboeuf illusion, so that it resembled a type of stimulus commonly used in experiments investigating surround modulation. We then performed a small set of psychophysical experiments in order to determine if the classical Delboeuf illusion effect, i.e. a change in the perceived size of an object, could be observed in these altered stimuli. In four conditions, we created stimuli that either had a high or low frequency surround in addition to being presented with a proximal thin surround or a distal thick surround. We found a significant difference in perceived object size for all four conditions compared to control indicating the presence of an illusion, and we discuss these findings in relation to existing literature from electrophysiological animal studies.
AGORA2: Large scale reconstruction of the microbiome highlights wide-spread drug-metabolising capacities
Authors: Heinken Almut , Acharya Geeta , Ravcheev Dmitry A. , Hertel Johannes , Nyga Malgorzata , Okpala Onyedika Emmanuel , Hogan Marcus , Magnúsdóttir Stefanía , Martinelli Filippo , Preciat German , Edirisinghe Janaka N. , Henry Christopher S. , Fleming Ronan M.T. , Thiele Ines
Published: November 2020

The human microbiome influences the efficacy and safety of a wide variety of commonly prescribed drugs, yet comprehensive systems-level approaches to interrogate drug-microbiome interactions are lacking. Here, we present a computational resource of human microbial genome-scale reconstructions, deemed AGORA2, which accounts for 7,206 strains, includes microbial drug degradation and biotransformation, and was extensively curated based on comparative genomics and literature searches. AGORA2 serves as a knowledge base for the human microbiome and as a metabolic modelling resource. We demonstrate the latter by mechanistically modelling microbial drug metabolism capabilities in single strains and pairwise models. Moreover, we predict the individual-specific drug conversion potential in a cohort of 616 colorectal cancer patients and controls. This analysis reveals that some drug activation capabilities are present in only a subset of individuals, moreover, drug conversion potential correlate with clinical parameters. Thus, AGORA2 paves the way towards personalised, predictive analysis of host-drug-microbiome interactions.
Insights into G-Quadruplex–Hemin Dynamics Using Atomistic Simulations: Implications for Reactivity and Folding
Authors: Stadlbauer Petr , Islam Barira , Otyepka Michal , Chen Jielin , Monchaud David , Zhou Jun , Mergny Jean-Louis , Šponer Jiří
Published: November 2020

Guanine quadruplex nucleic acids (G4s) are involved in key biological processes such as replication or transcription. Beyond their biological relevance, G4s find applications as biotechnological tools since they readily bind hemin and enhance its peroxidase activity, creating a G4-DNAzyme. The biocatalytic properties of G4-DNAzymes have been thoroughly studied and used for biosensing purposes. Despite hundreds of applications and massive experimental efforts, the atomistic details of the reaction mechanism remain unclear. To help select between the different hypotheses currently under investigation, we use extended explicit-solvent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to scrutinize the G4/hemin interaction. We find that besides the dominant conformation in which hemin is stacked atop the external G-quartets, hemin can also transiently bind to the loops and be brought to the external G-quartets through diverse delivery mechanisms. The simulations do not support the catalytic mechanism relying on a wobbling guanine. Similarly, catalytic role of the iron-bound water molecule is not in line with our results, however, given the simulation limitations, this observation should be considered with some caution. The simulations rather suggest tentative mechanisms in which the external G-quartet itself could be responsible for the unique H2O2-promoted biocatalytic properties of the G4/hemin complexes. Once stacked atop a terminal G-quartet, hemin rotates about its vertical axis while readily sampling shifted geometries where the iron transiently contacts oxygen atoms of the adjacent G-quartet. This dynamics is not apparent from the ensemble-averaged structure. We also visualize transient interactions between the stacked hemin and the G4 loops. Finally, we investigated interactions between hemin and on-pathway folding intermediates of the parallel-stranded G4 fold. The simulations suggest that hemin drives the folding of parallel-stranded G4s from slip-stranded intermediates, acting as a G4 chaperone. Limitations of the MD technique are briefly discussed.

For Table of Contents Only
Synthetic protein condensates that recruit and release protein activity in living cells
Authors: Yoshii Tatsuyuki , Yoshikawa Masaru , Ikuta Masahiro , Tsukiji Shinya
Published: November 2020

Compartmentation of proteins into biomolecular condensates or membraneless organelles formed by phase separation is an emerging principle for the regulation of cellular processes. Creating synthetic condensates that accommodate specific intracellular proteins on demand would have various applications in chemical biology, cell engineering and synthetic biology. Here, we report the construction of synthetic protein condensates capable of recruiting and/or releasing proteins of interest in living mammalian cells in response to a small molecule or light. We first present chemogenetic protein-recruiting and -releasing condensates, which rapidly inhibited and activated signaling proteins, respectively. An optogenetic condensate system was successfully constructed that enables reversible release and sequestration of protein activity using light. This proof-of-principle work provides a new platform for chemogenetic and optogenetic control of protein activity in mammalian cells and represents a step towards tailor-made engineering of synthetic protein condensates with various functionalities.
Contagious Antibiotic Resistance: Plasmid Transfer Among Bacterial Residents of the Zebrafish Gut
Authors: Loftie-Eaton Wesley , Crabtree Angela , Perry David , Millstein Jack , Robinson Barrie , Forney Larry , Top Eva
Published: November 2020

By characterizing the trajectories of antibiotic resistance gene transfer in bacterial communities such as the gut microbiome, we will better understand the factors that influence this spread of resistance. Our aim was to investigate the host network of a multi-drug resistance broad-host-range plasmid in the culturable gut microbiome of zebrafish. This was done throughin vitroandin vivoconjugation experiments withEscherichia colias donor of the plasmid pB10::gfp. When this donor was mixed with the extracted gut microbiome, only transconjugants ofAeromonas veroniiwere detected. In separate matings between the same donor and four prominent isolates from the gut microbiome, the plasmid transferred to two of these four isolates,A. veronii and Plesiomonas shigelloides,but not toShewanella putrefaciensandVibrio mimicus. When theseA. veronii and P. shigelloidestransconjugants were the donors in matings with the same four isolates, the plasmid now also transferred fromA. veroniitoS. putrefaciens.P. shigelloideswas unable to donate the plasmid andV. mimicuswas unable to acquire it. Finally, when theE. colidonor was addedin vivoto zebrafish through their food, plasmid transfer was observed in the gut but only toAchromobacter sp.,a rare member of the gut microbiome. This work shows that the success of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance spread in a gut microbiome depends on the donor-recipient species combinations and therefore their spatial arrangement. It also suggests that rare gut microbiome members should not be ignored as potential reservoirs of multi-drug resistance plasmids from food.

Importance

To understand how antibiotic resistance plasmids end up in human pathogens it is crucial to learn how, where and when they are transferred and maintained in members of bacterial communities such as the gut microbiome. To gain insight into the network of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance sharing in the gut microbiome, we investigated the transferability and maintenance of a multi-drug resistance plasmid among the culturable bacteria of the zebrafish gut. We show that the success of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance spread in a gut microbiome can depend on which species are involved, as some are important nodes in the plasmid-host network and others dead-ends. Our findings also suggest that rare gut microbiome members should not be ignored as potential reservoirs of multi-drug resistance plasmids from food.
EphB6 regulates TFEB-lysosomal pathway and survival of disseminated quiescent breast cancer cells
Authors: Zangrossi Manuela , Chakravarty Probir , Romani Patrizia , Ratcliffe Colin D.H. , Hooper Steven , Dori Martina , Forcato Mattia , Bicciato Silvio , Dupont Sirio , Sahai Erik , Montagner Marco
Published: November 2020

Late relapse of disseminated cancer cells is a common feature of some types of tumors. Several intrinsic and extrinsic factors have been shown to affect reawakening of disseminated dormant cancer cells (DDCCs); however, the signals and processes sustaining survival of DDCCs in a foreign environment are still poorly understood. We have recently shown that crosstalk with lung epithelial cells promotes persistence of DDCCs from estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast tumors. Here we show that TFEB-lysosomal axis is activated in DDCCs and that it is modulated by the pro-survival ephrin receptor EphB6. TFEB lysosomal direct targets are enriched in DDCCsin vivoand correlate with relapse in ER+ breast cancer patients. Direct contact of DDCCs with alveolar type I-like lung epithelial cells drives lysosomal accumulation and EphB6 induction. EphB6 contributes to TFEB transcriptional activity and lysosome formation in DDCCsin vitroandin vivo, and supports survival of DDCCs in coculture andin vivo. Furthermore, signaling from EphB6 promotes the proliferative response of surrounding lung parenchymal cellsin vivo.
2H-[1,3]Thiazolo[5,4,3-ij]quinolin-3-ium chloride monohydrate
Authors: Ehweiner Madeleine A. , Belaj Ferdinand , Mösch-Zanetti Nadia C.
Published: November 2020

The structure of the title hydrated molecular salt, C10H8NS+·Cl−·H2O, obtained by the reaction of sodium quinoline-8-thiolate Na(Quin-8-S) with CH2Cl2 and an aqueous solution of [Bu4N]Cl, contains π-stacked cations [plane-to-plane separation = 3.338 (4)–3.356 (4) Å] and features chains built by alternating Cl− anions and H2O molecules connected by O—H...O hydrogen bonds. The cation shows whole-molecule disorder over two flipped orientations in a 0.853 (3):0.147 (3) ratio.
Sexual harassment and organizational behaviors: the moderating effect of power distance
Authors: Choi Youngkeun
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Based on the cognitive appraisal theory, the current research extended the content domain of sexual harassment research by examining the moderating effect of power distance orientation, a cultural value on the relationship between sexual harassment and organizational behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

For this, this study used a survey method and multiple regression analyses with 285 Korean employees.

Findings

As a result, first, the more unwanted sexual attention employees perceived from their leaders, the less likely they were to be affectively committed to their organization. Second, the more sexual coercion employees perceived from their leaders, the more likely they were to have turnover intention. Third, the negative relationship between unwanted sexual attention and affective commitment is stronger for the employees who are low rather than high in power distance orientation. Finally, the positive relationship between sexual coercion and turnover intention is stronger for the employees who are low rather than high in power distance orientation.

Originality/value

The study expanded the content area of sexual harassment research by showing the control effect of the power distance direction.
Interaction profile of a mixed-culture fermentation of Issatchenkia orientalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae by transcriptome sequencing
Authors: Zhang Wenwen , Weng Peifang , Wu Zufang
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Mixed fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeasts has become an oenlogical tool to improve wines’ organoleptic properties. However, the maximum utilization of this method is dependent upon understanding the influence of mixed cultures on the physiology of S.cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeasts.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the supernatants from 48 h mixed-culture fermentation were added to the pure cultures of Issatchenkia orientalis and Saccharomyces, respectively. And the authors used RNA sequencing to determine the transcriptome change of I.orientalis and S.cerevisiae in a mixed culture.

Findings

The results showed that multiple genes associated with cell growth and death were differentially expressed. Genes related to biosynthesis of amino acids were enriched among those upregulated in the mixed-fermentation supernatant. Meanwhile, the differential expression level of genes encoding enzymes essential for formation of aroma compounds was found in the single and in the mixed fermentation. The high expression level of molecular chaperones Hsp70, Hsp90 and Hsp110 suggests that metabolites of mixed-culture fermentation may lead to aggregation of misfolded proteins. Moreover, upregulation of ethanol dehydrogenase I ADH1 in the mixed-culture fermentations was highlighted.

Originality/value

This is the first time that RNA-seq was used to analyze changes in the transcriptome of mixed cultures. According to the results the authors’ manuscript provided, an integrated view into the adaptive responses of S.cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeasts to the mixed-culture fermentation is benefit for the potential application of S.cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeasts in fruit wine brewing.
Explaining business excellence in Chinese firms: how does institutional relatedness matter?
Authors: Yan Haifeng , Wang Qihu , Ke Yi , Wang Juan
Published: November 2020

Purpose

It is widely accepted that business excellence comes from firm-specific factors. However, it is still unclear how institutional relatedness – the degree of embeddedness with the dominant institutions that confer resources and legitimacy, influences the business excellence of the firm. The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of three kinds of institutional relatedness, i.e. home government ties, initial public offerings (IPOs) and alliances with foreign firms, on the business excellence of Chinese firms.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a sample of firms enlisted on the “Most Respected Companies” rank in China during the period 2002–2015 and their paired firms who are absent from the list, by means of ordinary least square regression estimator, to explore the relationship between institutional relatedness and business excellence.

Findings

The empirical results suggest that IPOs and alliances with foreign firms significantly strengthen firms’ business excellence. Furthermore, home government ties have positive effects on outbound IPOs and alliances with foreign firms but hinder business excellence.

Originality/value

This study extends the business excellence literature by characterizing institutional rather than firm-specific factors from an institution-based view. It also enriches research on outcomes of institutional relatedness through investigating empirically its impact on business excellence. The findings provide new insights into the dual role of home government ties in achieving business excellence.
Can a region’s network location characteristics affect its innovation capability? Empirical evidence from China
Authors: Han Minrui , Sun Bing , Su Xiao
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explore the influence of a region’s network location characteristics and indirect connections on its innovation capability. The aim is to assist regions in different network locations to use innovation resources to improve their innovation capabilities more efficiently.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper represents the Chinese regional innovation network using the gravity model. A theoretical framework is developed to explore the relationships between a region’s innovation capability and its network location. Hypotheses are tested using hierarchical regressions.

Findings

First, this paper finds that a region’s network centrality can promote its innovation capability. Second, a structural hole can positively adjust the relationship between a region’s centrality and innovation capability. Third, a region’s indirect connections can inhibit its innovation capability while exhibiting a U-shaped relationship in moderating centrality and innovation capability.

Originality/value

This study uses a multi-index system to construct an innovation network covering 29 regions in China. This network represents the innovation cooperation and overall situation of innovation in China. The paper is one of the first attempts at investigating the relationship between regional network locations and innovation capability. It is also the first attempt at testing the influence of indirect connections on a region’s innovation capability. The findings provide a new perspective on the factors influencing regional innovation capacity and a new way for regions to improve their innovation capability.
How do consumers perceive old brands? Measurement and consequences of brand oldness associations
Authors: Huaman-Ramirez Richard , Maaninou Nada , Merunka Dwight , Cova Véronique
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on brand oldness associations and their measurement. Research on brand age points to a variety of interpretations concerning perceived brand oldness and establishes the existence of multiple positive consequences such as brand credibility, trust or attachment. However, the complexity and measurement of brand oldness associations are not yet well-established. This paper proposes a reliable and valid measurement scale of the concept.

Design/methodology/approach

The research follows a rigorous scale-development procedure based on eight empirical studies, with a total of 2,065 respondents. The data were analyzed through covariance-based structural equation modeling.

Findings

The scale consists of 18 items and six dimensions, namely, decline, expertise, maintenance, reminiscence, timelessness and tradition. Results demonstrate an effect of brand oldness associations on both brand attachment and brand equity.

Research limitations/implications

The research was conducted in one country (France). Additional studies in other settings or countries should be carried out to establish generalizability of results and strengthen causality inferences.

Originality/value

This is the first research to study the notion of brand oldness associations. This study identifies its dimensions, develops a measurement scale and demonstrates its reliability and validity.
House prices and bank credit in China: analysis of first- and second-tier cities
Authors: Chin Lee , Li Xiaoran
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Housing prices in China have increased rapidly over the past decade. Motivated by the fact that the real estate market and bank credit scale are vastly different in Chinese cities, the purpose of this paper is to compare the impact of bank credit on house prices in first- and second-tier cities in China.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a panel data method was used to investigate 19 first-tier cities and 30 second-tier cities between the period 2003 and 2018.

Findings

The empirical analysis undertaken in this study found that bank credit was relevant to house prices but varied in different cities in which house prices in second-tier cities tended to be more affected by bank credit compared to those in first-tier cities. In contrast, population was found to be a dominant factor that influenced house prices in first-tier cities. Likewise, the factors, per capita and gross domestic product, were found to exert a significant influence on house prices in first- and second-tier cities.

Practical implications

This paper provided numerous policies to control the price of housing in first- and second-tier cities.

Originality/value

The housing prices, bank credit scale and population distribution are vastly different in different cities in China. This research considers these differences while examining the dominant factors that affect house prices in first- and second-tier cities in China.
Should children become key stakeholders in designing family-friendly workplaces?
Authors: Krstić Nataša , Sladojević Matić Jelena
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose is to determine whether there is a gap between what children and youth expect from their parents' workplaces and the family-friendly business practices that employers apply, as well as whether COVID-19 has accelerated the introduction of these practices or contributed to any paradigm change.

Design/methodology/approach

Descriptive methodological research was done through electronic surveys with two target groups. The first group of respondents consisted of 1,279 children and youth who expressed their opinion on the impact of the parental workplace on them and what needs to be done to make companies more family oriented. The second survey involved 64 employers, who shared their views on achieving a balance between work and family and provided insight into the pre-pandemic and pandemic family-friendly workplace practices.

Findings

An apparent gap was identified between the family-friendly workplace practices offered by employers and the needs that children have regarding their parents' workplace. Although employers confirm that COVID-19 provides an opportunity to encourage FFW practices, during the outbreak of the virus, they demonstrated responsibility towards employees but neglected their family members.

Research limitations/implications

The findings cannot be generalised to the entire business sector as the survey is not nationally representative. Also, the surveyed children do not come from the surveyed employers' work collectives, so it was not possible to intersect the findings.

Practical implications

The research is vital for human resource managers as creators and implementers of family-friendly workplaces, as it indicates the need to involve the important but overlooked stakeholders in this process – the children of employees.

Originality/value

The research gap in the family-friendly workplace paradigm is addressed by comparing the attitudes of children with the employers' practices, before and during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Influence of work–family conflict on the emergence of nascent mumpreneurs community in Jordan
Authors: Abdelsalam Rasha , Al-Haddad Shafig , Zeqiri Jusuf
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to find out the influence of work–family conflict on mumpreneurial intentions in Jordan, specifically among the community of nascent mumpreneurs.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative-cross sectional study was conducted where a convenience sampling was used to gather information from 81 nascent mumpreneurs. The data were collected through an online survey distributed to nascent mumpreneurs in Jordan.

Findings

The findings showed the mumpreneurs intentions of nascent mumpreneurs were influenced mainly by the work–family conflict on mumpreneurs intentions among nascent mumpreneurs.

Originality/value

It is recommended that more incubators should be established specifically for mumpreneurs and use the results of this study to better develop workshops and training to future and potential mumpreneurs.
Entrepreneurship in microfranchising: an emerging market perspective
Authors: Awuh Harrison Esam , Dekker Marleen
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Building on the limitations of the efforts of aid agencies and non-governmental organisations to pull the poor out of poverty in low- and middle-income countries and declining opportunities for market expansion in high-income countries, microfranchising is being promoted as a pro-poor business model, which promotes entrepreneurship. Sub-Saharan Africa has become a fertile ground for the propagation of this model. However, contemporary studies on microfranchising have not sufficiently explored what motivates people to turn to this method of doing business.

Design/methodology/approach

Through the case of a microfranchise in Ghana (FanMilk), the purpose of this paper is to use qualitative methods to study motivations for engaging in entrepreneurship ventures in a microfranchise.

Findings

The findings reveal whether motivations for becoming microfranchise entrepreneurs change over time or are varied, and these changes are moderated by changing opportunities, challenges and demographic factors.

Originality/value

These findings contribute to knowledge on microfranchising in terms of theory, policy and practice. The findings also seek to stimulate further inquiry into microfranchising and its ability to create value for multiple parties when operating in emerging markets such as Africa.
Knowledge, attitudes and preventive behaviors toward COVID-19: a study among higher education students in Portugal
Authors: Alves Regina Ferreira , Samorinha Catarina , Precioso José
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes and behaviors about COVID-19 among Portuguese higher education students.

Design/methodology/approach

In May 2020, all students from a Portuguese University were invited to participate in completing an online questionnaire. A total of 262 students participated. COVID-19 related knowledge, attitudes toward COVID-19 and preventive behaviors were assessed. Differences between outcomes and sociodemographics were analyzed through independent t-tests and the ANOVA. A generalized linear model was calculated to determine the predictive variables of preventive behaviors.

Findings

Students revealed good knowledge about COVID-19, correctly answering 13.06 (SD = 1.25) questions in a total of 14 and favorable attitudes toward preventive behaviors (M = 32.73, SD = 2.88). Students reported always engaging in, on average, 5.81 (SD = 2.61) of the 12 behavior analyzed. Females presented higher levels of knowledge, more positive attitudes and engaged in more preventive behaviors than males. Being a bachelor's (Exp (β) = 8.213, 95% CI: 1.791–37.670, p < 0.01) or a master's degree student (Exp (β) = 7.568, 95% CI: 1.598–35.835, p < 0.05) and having positive attitudes toward preventive behavior of COVID-19 predicted the adoption of those preventive behavior (Exp (β) = 1.340, 95% CI: 1.189–1.510, p < 0.001).

Originality/value

This study provides useful data to plan health education programs about COVID-19 among higher education students. The continuous investment by universities in preventive campaigns is essential to promote good preventive behaviors in the next academic year.
Role of impulsiveness in online purchase completion intentions: an empirical study among Indian customers
Authors: G. Rejikumar , Asokan-Ajitha Aswathy
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Online cart abandonment is a severe issue posing challenges to e-commerce growth. Emerging economies such as India fascinates global marketing practitioners because of favorable demographics and high levels of internet penetration. This study aims to consider the role of certain exogenous factors in developing shopping motivations that sequentially mediate to online purchase completion through impulsiveness under risk perceptions. The primary motivation behind this study is to understand the mental mechanism among online customers that develop purchase completion intentions, which prevent cart abandonment significantly.

Design/methodology/approach

Impact of e-commerce exogenous factors related to e-commerce such as website attributes, product features, promotional excellence and decision-making easiness on shopping motivations, impulsiveness and purchase completions intentions under the moderating effect of risk was estimated from the perceptions of Indian online customers (n = 243) using variance-based structural equation modeling and SPSS process macro v.3.0.

Findings

The most important exogenous variable that can influence purchase completion directly, sequentially through shopping motivations is decision easiness and promotions. Even though utility motivations are dominant in purchase completion intentions, hedonistic aspects are more critical in developing impulsiveness. The translation of impulsiveness to purchase completion is happening, but risk perception significantly moderates impulsiveness formation.

Research limitations/implications

Theoretically, this study examined online purchase completions being the most sought response by a customer to various stimuli in e-commerce. The study adopted a moderated mediation analysis in which shopping motivations and impulsiveness were mediators and risk as moderator. The interaction effect of risk on purchase completions was significant even when the mediating effects were prominent.

Practical implications

Contributes to the current knowledge-related online buying behavior in virtual retail formats and helps marketers in streamlining their focus in using impulsiveness as a strategic tool in reducing cart abandonment.

Originality/value

This study helps in understanding emerging trends in online buying behavior in India.
Loan fair values and the financial crisis
Authors: Chipalkatti Niranjan , DiPierro Massimo , Luft Carl , Plamondon John
Published: November 2020

Purpose

In 2009, effective the second-quarter, the financial accounting standards board mandated that all banks need to disclose the fair value of loans in their 10-Q filings in addition to their 10-K filings. This paper aims to investigate whether these disclosures reduced the level of information asymmetry about the riskiness of bank loan portfolios during the financial crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the impact of these disclosures on the bid-ask spread of a panel of 246 publicly traded bank holding companies. The spread serves as a proxy for information asymmetry and the ratio of the fair value of a bank’s loan portfolio to its book value is a proxy for the credit and liquidity risk associated with the same. The reaction to the first-quarter filing serves as a control to assess the reaction at the time of the second-quarter filing.

Findings

There is a significant negative association between bid-ask spread and the ratio indicating that the fair value information was useful in reducing information asymmetry during the financial crisis. A pattern was observed in the information dissemination related to the fair value of loans that is consistent with the literature that documents a delayed investor reaction to complex financial information.

Originality/value

Investors may use the fair value information to better assess the risk profile of a BHC’s loan portfolio. Also, loan fair values provide managers with data to better implement stress test models and determine optimal capital buffers.
Thinking activity-based work environment throughout situated acceptance
Authors: Lai Chiara , Bobillier Chaumon Marc-Eric , Vacherand-Revel Jacqueline , Abitan Audrey
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on activity-based workplaces, which offer a diversity of typologies and configurations which, instead of being attributed to users, are shared according to the needs of their activities. Indeed, this paper questions the way these activity-based workplaces configure the ways in which individuals and collectives carry out their activity.

Design/methodology/approach

To do so, this paper established a two-phase methodology. Three days of observation amid three different units evolving in activity-based workplaces have helped us to identify the uses that emerged from these spatial typologies. Then, a set of two interviews with eight participants have been conducted based on the four dimensions of the situated acceptance model (Bobillier Chaumon, 2013) and on picture elicitation.

Findings

The results allow us to understand how activity-based workspaces can be considered as artefacts for the activity that needs to be appropriated to allow the worker to realise his activity.

Research limitations/implications

The results provide an overview of the social and psychological consequences of activity-based workspaces on workers, their work collective and their activity. Thus, the conclusions can be mobilised in activity-based real estate projects, for example, during the design stage.

Originality/value

This research conducted with a situated approach based upon the study of the development of the activity proposes a change from the usual managerial approach about these activity-based workplaces, which prescribe an ideal way of working within the workplace.
Multi-dimensional public–private partnership readiness index: a sub-national analysis of India
Authors: Malik Sakshi , Kaur Simrit
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Despite being a global public–private partnerships (PPPs) leader, India faces a vast PPP divide at a sub-national level, wherein a few states receive the majority of PPP projects, whereas other states face severe issues in attracting PPP investments. This necessitates the identification of factors that make some states attractive to PPP investors. The purpose of this study is to construct a “PPP readiness index” at the Indian state-level, which aims to assess the readiness of states for the diffusion of PPPs.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a quantitative method on secondary data, the study scores 17 Indian states on dimensions such as experience with PPPs, physical infrastructure, financial sector development, market conditions, institutional quality and political stability and fiscal constraints for each of the years during 2009–2018. Principal component analysis is used for assigning weights to the dimensions, thereby arriving at the composite index.

Findings

Results highlight that Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra offer the most favorable environment for PPPs to flourish. In contrast, Jharkhand and Bihar are laggards because they score the least and have limited PPP experience.

Practical implications

The index will assist the private sector in conducting a comparative analysis between state-specific PPP arrangements, thereby enabling them to make informed decisions prior to forging PPP arrangements. Further, the index will help the state governments in improving their PPP readiness by following the policies of the leading states.

Social implications

Improvement in PPP readiness of the states will enable higher PPP investments in infrastructure, thereby reducing infrastructure deficits. This, in turn, will lead to economic growth, development and an improvement in the quality of life.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that comprehensively analyzes the PPP readiness at a sub-national level in India.
Spatial and temporal variations inSynechococcusmicrodiversity in the Southern California coastal ecosystem
Authors: Nagarkar Maitreyi , Wang Maggie , Valencia Bellineth , Palenik Brian
Published: November 2020

TheSynechococcuscyanobacterial population at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography pier in La Jolla, CA, shows large increases in abundance, typically in the spring and summer followed, by rapid declines within weeks. Here we used amplicon sequencing of the ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer region to examine the microdiversity within this cyanobacterial genus during these blooms as well as further offshore in the Southern California coastal ecosystem (CCE). These analyses revealed numerousSynechococcusamplicon sequence variants (ASVs) and that clade and ASV composition can change over the course of blooms. We also found that a large bloom in August 2016 was highly anomalous both in its overallSynechococcusabundance and in terms of the presence of normally oligotrophicSynechococcusclade II. The dominant ASVs at the pier were found further offshore and in the California Current, but we did observe more oligotrophic ASVs and clades along with depth variation inSynechococcusdiversity. We also observed that the dominant sequence variant switched during the peak of multipleSynechococcusblooms, with this switch occurring in multiple clades, but we present initial evidence that this apparent ASV switch is a physiological response rather than a change in the dominant population.
Morphological patterns and distributions in portable chest radiographs of COVID‐19‐positive cases admitted to a tertiary care hospital: An early experience from Scandinavia
Authors: Bharadwaz Arindam , Langfeldt Sten
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Chest radiographic (CXR) features, particularly portable CXR findings, of COVID‐19 have not yet been systematically described, either as a baseline tool or as a follow‐up method, despite the continuing global pandemic. There is a marked paucity of articles detailing the CXR findings vis‐à‐vis a multitude of articles dedicated to the CT features of COVID‐19. The purpose of this article is to describe the morphological and distributional patterns of the lung opacities in CXR and to classify the spectrum of essential features on portable AP chest radiographs of PCR‐positive COVID‐19 patients admitted in a tertiary care hospital in Scandinavia. To our knowledge, this is the first article to describe the morphological and topographical features of CXRs in COVID‐19‐positive cases.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of twenty (20) RT‐PCR‐positive COVID‐19 patients admitted to the hospital between 12.03.2020 to 10.04.2020 was done in this study. Morphology and distribution of the opacities were reviewed by two senior consultants and analysed for patterns.

Results

Most patients had ground‐glass opacities (80–85%) and interspersed interstitial opacities (70–75%), often with a characteristic appearance. The opacities were mostly bilateral (80%) and distributed in the lower zones (and to some extent mid zones) and in the middle and peripheral regions, with a tendency to merge towards the hilar areas. There were high interobserver agreements among various parameters and no significant statistical difference between observer 1 and 2.

Conclusion

Chest radiographics show characteristic patterns and distributions, which can be used as an adjunct in the diagnosis and follow‐up of COVID‐19 patients in specific clinical contexts.
Prevalence of dementia in the Torres Strait
Authors: Russell Sarah G. , Quigley Rachel , Thompson Fintan , Sagigi Betty , LoGiudice Dina , Smith Kate , Pachana Nancy , Miller Gavin , Strivens Edward
Published: November 2020

Objective

To examine the prevalence of dementia and problems associated with ageing in the Torres Strait.

Methods

The study was conducted across all 18 island and 5 mainland communities in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area of Far North Queensland. Participants underwent a comprehensive health assessment and a Geriatrician assessment, which were used to establish consensus diagnoses.

Results

A total of 276 Torres Strait residents aged between 45 and 93 participated in the study. The prevalence of dementia in the sample was 14.2%, which was 2.87 times higher than the wider Australian population.

Conclusion

Torres Strait Islander peoples share the increased risk of dementia seen in Aboriginal Australians compared to the wider community. This highlights the need for interventions to address this increased dementia risk for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
A novel technique to produce tubular scaffolds based on collagen and elastin
Authors: Rodrigues Isabella C. P. , Pereira Karina D. , Woigt Luiza F. , Jardini André L. , Luchessi Augusto D. , Lopes Éder S. N. , Webster Thomas J. , Gabriel Laís P.
Published: November 2020

Tubular polymer scaffolds based on tissue engineering techniques have been studied as potential alternatives for vascular regeneration implants. The blood vessels of the cardiovascular system are mainly fibrous, composed of collagen (Col) and elastin (El), and its inner layer consists of endothelial cells. In this work, Col and El were combined with polyurethane (PU), a biocompatible synthetic polymer, and rotary jet spinning, a new and highly productive technique, to produce fibrous scaffolds. The scaffolds produced at 18 000 rpm presented homogeneous, bead‐free, and solvent‐free fibers. The blend formation between PU‐Col‐El was identified by chemical composition analysis and enhanced the thermal stability up to 324°C. The hydrophilic nature of the scaffold was revealed by its low contact angle. Cell viability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells with the scaffold was proven for 72 hours. The combined strategy of rotary jet spinning with a polymer blend containing Col and El was verified as an effective and promising alternative to obtain tubular scaffolds for tissue engineering on a large‐scale production.
Machine‐learning algorithms for predicting hospital re‐admissions in sickle cell disease
Authors: Patel Arisha , Gan Kyra , Li Andrew A. , Weiss Jeremy , Nouraie Mehdi , Tayur Sridhar , Novelli Enrico M.
Published: November 2020

Reducing preventable hospital re‐admissions in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) could potentially improve outcomes and decrease healthcare costs. In a retrospective study of electronic health records, we hypothesized Machine‐Learning (ML) algorithms may outperform standard re‐admission scoring systems (LACE and HOSPITAL indices). Participants (n = 446) included patients with SCD with at least one unplanned inpatient encounter between January 1, 2013, and November 1, 2018. Patients were randomly partitioned into training and testing groups. Unplanned hospital admissions (n = 3299) were stratified to training and testing samples. Potential predictors (n = 486), measured from the last unplanned inpatient discharge to the current unplanned inpatient visit, were obtained via both data‐driven methods and clinical knowledge. Three standard ML algorithms, Logistic Regression (LR), Support‐Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest (RF) were applied. Prediction performance was assessed using the C‐statistic, sensitivity, and specificity. In addition, we reported the most important predictors in our best models. In this dataset, ML algorithms outperformed LACE [C‐statistic 0·6, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0·57–0·64] and HOSPITAL (C‐statistic 0·69, 95% CI 0·66–0·72), with the RF (C‐statistic 0·77, 95% CI 0·73–0·79) and LR (C‐statistic 0·77, 95% CI 0·73–0·8) performing the best. ML algorithms can be powerful tools in predicting re‐admission in high‐risk patient groups.
Integrating climate and host richness as drivers of global parasite diversity
Authors: Martins Paulo Mateus , Poulin Robert , Gonçalves‐Souza Thiago
Published: November 2020

Aim

Climate and host richness are essential drivers of global gradients in parasite diversity, and the few existing studies on parasites have mostly investigated their effects separately. The advantages of combining these factors into a single analytical framework include unravelling the relative roles of abiotic and biotic drivers of parasite diversity. We compiled a dataset of helminths of amphibians to investigate the direct and indirect effects of temperature seasonality, annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality and host richness as drivers of parasite diversity at the global scale. Our analyses focus not only on the least studied group of vertebrates regarding macroecology of parasite diversity, but also the host group most sensitive to climatic conditions, especially temperature seasonality and water availability.

Location

Global.

Time period

1955–2017.

Major taxa studied

Helminth parasites of amphibians.

Methods

We used piecewise structural equation modelling on a global dataset of helminths of amphibians, comprising 613 populations of 319 anuran species and 94 populations of 43 salamander species from 10 zoogeographical realms.

Results

We found that precipitation seasonality and host richness both affect parasite diversity positively, but the latter presented a stronger effect. Additionally, we found that both temperature seasonality and total precipitation indirectly affected parasite richness through their respective negative and positive effects on host richness.

Main conclusions

Future studies on global gradients in parasite diversity should include both direct and indirect effects of climatic factors as drivers of parasite diversity. Integrating multiple predictors into a single statistical framework that measures both direct and indirect effects increases our theoretical understanding of the relative importance of and interactions among different diversity drivers at the macroecological scale. The indirect effects of temperature seasonality and total precipitation on parasite diversity are an interesting new insight brought by our study, with implications for future studies dealing with host–parasite coextinctions due to climate change.