bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The long-term effects of repeated heroin vapor inhalation during adolescence on measures of nociception and anxiety-like behavior in adult Wistar rats
Authors: Gutierrez Arnold , Harvey Eric L. , Creehan Kevin M. , Taffe Michael A.
Published: October 2021

Rationale

Adolescents represent a vulnerable group due to increased experimentation with illicit substances that is often associated with the adolescent period, and because adolescent drug use can result in long-term effects that differ from those caused by drug use initiated during adulthood.

Objectives

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of repeated heroin vapor inhalation during adolescence on measures of nociception, and anxiety-like behavior during adulthood in female and male Wistar rats.

Methods

Rats were exposed twice daily to 30-minutes of heroin vapor from post-natal day (PND) 36 to PND 45. At 12 weeks of age, baseline thermal nociception was assessed across a range of temperatures with a warm-water tail-withdrawal assay. Anxiety-like behavior was assessed in an elevated plus-maze (EPM) and activity was measured in an open field arena. Starting at 23 weeks of age, baseline thermal nociception was re-assessed, nociception was determined after acute heroin or naloxone injection, and anxiety-like behavior was redetermined in the EPM.

Results

Adolescent heroin inhalation altered baseline thermal nociception in female rats at 12 weeks of age and in both female and male rats at ∼23 weeks. Heroin-treated animals exhibited anxiety-like behavior when tested in the elevated plus-maze, showed blunted heroin-induced analgesia, but exhibited no effect on naloxone-induced hyperalgesia.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrates that heroin vapor inhalation during adolescence produces behavioral and physiological consequences in rats that persist well into adulthood.
Amplification and attenuation of noisy expression by export processes
Authors: Smith Madeline , Soltani Mohammad , Kulkarni Rahul , Singh Abhyudai
Published: October 2021

Inside mammalian cells, single genes are known to be transcribed in stochastic bursts leading to the synthesis of nuclear RNAs that are subsequently exported to the cytoplasm to create mRNAs. We systematically characterize the role of export processes in shaping the extent of random fluctuations (i.e. noise) in the mRNA level of a given gene. Using the method of Partitioning of Poisson arrivals, we derive an exact analytical expression for the noise in mRNA level assuming that the nuclear retention time of each RNA is an independent and identically distributed random variable following an arbitrary distribution. These results confirm recent experimental/theoretical findings that decreasing the nuclear export rate buffers the noise in mRNA level, and counterintuitively, decreasing the noise in the nuclear retention time enhances the noise in the mRNA level. Next, we further generalize the model to consider a dynamic extrinsic disturbance that affects the nuclear-to-cytoplasm export. Our results show that noise in the mRNA level varies non-monotonically with the disturbance timescale. More specifically, high- and low-frequency external disturbances have little impact on the mRNA noise level, while noise is amplified at intermediate frequencies. In summary, our results systematically uncover how the coupling of bursty transcription with nuclear export can both attenuate or amplify noise in mRNA levels depending on the nuclear retention time distribution and the presence of extrinsic fluctuations.
MetaScore: A novel machine-learning based approach to improve traditional scoring functions for scoring protein-protein docking conformations
Authors: Jung Yong , Geng Cunliang , Bonvin Alexandre M. J. J. , Xue Li C. , Honavar Vasant G.
Published: October 2021

Protein-protein interactions play a ubiquitous role in biological function. Knowledge of the three-dimensional (3D) structures of the complexes they form is essential for understanding the structural basis of those interactions and how they orchestrate key cellular processes. Computational docking has become an indispensable alternative to the expensive and timeconsuming experimental approaches for determining 3D structures of protein complexes. Despite recent progress, identifying near-native models from a large set of conformations sampled by docking - the so-called scoring problem - still has considerable room for improvement.

We present here MetaScore, a new machine-learning based approach to improve the scoring of docked conformations. MetaScore utilizes a random forest (RF) classifier trained to distinguish near-native from non-native conformations using a rich set of features extracted from the respective protein-protein interfaces. These include physico-chemical properties, energy terms, interaction propensity-based features, geometric properties, interface topology features, evolutionary conservation and also scores produced by traditional scoring functions (SFs). MetaScore scores docked conformations by simply averaging of the score produced by the RF classifier with that produced by any traditional SF. We demonstrate that (i) MetaScore consistently outperforms each of nine traditional SFs included in this work in terms of success rate and hit rate evaluated over the top 10 predicted conformations; (ii) An ensemble method, MetaScore-Ensemble, that combines 10 variants of MetaScore obtained by combining the RF score with each of the traditional SFs outperforms each of the MetaScore variants. We conclude that the performance of traditional SFs can be improved upon by judiciously leveraging machine-learning.
Computational modelling of trans-synaptic nanocolumns, a modulator of synaptic transmission
Authors: Li Xiaoting , Hémond Gabriel , Godin Antoine G. , Doyon Nicolas
Published: October 2021

Nanocolumns are trans-synaptic structures which align presynaptic vesicles release sites and postsynaptic receptors. However, how these nano structures shape synaptic signaling remains little understood. Given the difficulty to probe submicroscopic structures experimentally, computer modelling is a usefull approach to investigate the possible functional impacts of nanocolumns. In our in silico model, as has been experimentally observed, a nanocolumn is characterized by a tight distribution of postsynaptic receptors aligned with the presynaptic vesicle release site and by the presence of trans-synaptic molecules which can modulate neurotransmitter diffusion. We found that nanocolumns can play an important role in reinforcing synaptic current mostly when the presynaptic vesicle contains a small number of neurotransmitters. We also show that synapses with and without nanocolumns could have differentiated responses to spontaneous or evoked events. Our work provides a new methodology to investigate in silico the role of the submicroscopic organization of the synapse.

Author summary

Neurotransmitter release, diffusion, and binding to postsynaptic receptors are key steps in synaptic transmission. However, the submicroscopic arrangement of receptors and presynaptic sites of neurotransmitter release remains little investigated. Experimental observations revealed the presence of trans-synaptic nanocolumns which span both the pre and post synaptic sites and fine tune the position of the post synaptic receptors. The functional impact of these nanocolumns (i.e. their influence on synaptic current) is both little understood and difficult to investigate experimentally. Here we construct a novel in silico model to investigate the functional impact of nanocolumns and show that they could play a functional role in reinforcing weak synapses.
RNA length has a non-trivial effect in the stability of biomolecular condensates formed by RNA-binding proteins
Authors: Sanchez-Burgos Ignacio , Espinosa Jorge R. , Joseph Jerelle A. , Collepardo-Guevara Rosana
Published: October 2021

Biomolecular condensates formed via liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) play a crucial role in the spatiotemporal organization of the cell material. Nucleic acids can act as critical modulators in the stability of these protein condensates. Here, we present a multiscale computational strategy, exploiting the advantages of both a sequence-dependent coarse-grained representation of proteins and a minimal coarse-grained model that represent proteins as patchy colloids, to unveil the role of RNA length in regulating the stability of RNA-binding protein (RBP) condensates. We find that for a constant RNA/protein ratio in which phase separation is enhanced, the protein fused in sarcoma (FUS), which can phase separate on its own—i.e., via homotypic interactions—only exhibits a mild dependency on the RNA strand length, whereas, the 25-repeat proline-arginine peptide (PR25), which does not undergo LLPS on its own at physiological conditions but instead exhibits complex coacervation with RNA—i.e., via heterotypic interactions—shows a strong dependence on the length of the added RNA chains. Our minimal patchy particle simulations, where we recapitulate the modulation of homotypic protein LLPS and complex coacervation by RNA length, suggest that the strikingly different effect of RNA length on homotypic LLPS versus complex coacervation is general. Phase separation is RNA-length dependent as long as the relative contribution of heterotypic interactions sustaining LLPS is comparable or higher than that committed by protein homotypic interactions. Taken together, our results contribute to illuminate the intricate physicochemical mechanisms that influence the stability of RBP condensates through RNA inclusion.
Kinetic interplay between droplet maturation and coalescence modulates shape of aged protein condensates
Authors: Garaizar Adiran , Espinosa Jorge R. , Joseph Jerelle A. , Collepardo-Guevara Rosana
Published: October 2021

Biomolecular condensates formed by the process of liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) play diverse roles inside cells, from spatiotemporal compartmentalisation to speeding up chemical reactions. Upon maturation, the liquid-like properties of condensates, which underpin their functions, are gradually lost, eventually giving rise to solid-like states with potential pathological implications. Enhancement of inter-protein interactions is one of the main mechanisms suggested to trigger the formation of solid-like condensates. To gain a molecular-level understanding of how the accumulation of stronger interactions among proteins inside condensates affect the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of biomolecular condensates, and their shapes over time, we develop a tailored coarse-grained model of proteins that transition from establishing weak to stronger inter-protein interactions inside condensates. Our simulations reveal that the fast accumulation of strongly binding proteins during the nucleation and growth stages of condensate formation results in aspherical solid-like condensates. In contrast, when strong inter-protein interactions appear only after the equilibrium condensate has been formed, or when they accumulate slowly over time, with respect to the time needed for droplets to fuse and grow, spherical solid-like droplets emerge. By conducting atomistic potential-of-mean-force simulations of NUP-98 peptides—prone to forming inter-protein β-sheets—we observe that formation of inter-peptide β-sheets increases the strength of the interactions consistently with the loss of liquid-like condensate properties we observe at the coarse-grained level. Overall, our work aids in elucidating fundamental molecular, kinetic, and thermodynamic mechanisms linking the rate of change in protein interaction strength to condensate shape and maturation during ageing.
Nine-month presence of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva: a case report
Authors: Jansen Gijsbert J. , Wiersma Marit
Published: October 2021

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus that mainly affects the upper airways. Approximately one third of all detected cases is asymptomatic. We report an asymptomatic individual who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 over a period of nine months. Of this individual, whole mouth saliva was tested by a novel fluorescence in situ hybridization-based assay which detects only the ‘active’ form of the virus. During the observation period of nine months, there was a possible co-infection with a second SARS-CoV-2 variant accompanied by none or very low antibody production until the possible co-infection. We suspect that the SARS-CoV-2 infection in this individual is limited to the salivary glands and does not spread (much) throughout the systemic compartment(s) of the body.
Estimate of the rate of unreported COVID-19 cases during the first outbreak in Rio de Janeiro
Authors: Aronna M.S. , Guglielmi R. , Moschen L.M.
Published: October 2021

In this work we fit an epidemiological model SEIAQR (Susceptible - Exposed - Infectious - Asymptomatic - Quarantined - Removed) to the data of the first COVID-19 outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Particular emphasis is given to the unreported rate, that is, the proportion of infected individuals that is not detected by the health system. The evaluation of the parameters of the model is based on a combination of error-weighted least squares method and appropriate B-splines. The structural and practical identifiability is analyzed to support the feasibility and robustness of the parameters’ estimation. We use the bootstrap method to quantify the uncertainty of the estimates. For the outbreak of March-July 2020 in Rio de Janeiro, we estimate about 90% of unreported cases, with a 95% confidence interval (85%, 93%).
Expression dynamics of ARGONAUTE proteins during meiosis in Arabidopsis
Authors: Oliver Cecilia , Martinez German
Published: October 2021

Meiosis is a specialized cell division that is key for reproduction and genetic diversity in sexually reproducing plants. Recently, different RNA silencing pathways have been proposed to carry a specific activity during meiosis, but the pathways involved during this process remain unclear. Here, we explored the subcellular localization of different ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins, the main effectors of RNA silencing, during male meiosis in Arabidopsis thaliana using immunolocalizations with commercially available antibodies. We detected the presence of AGO proteins associated with posttranscriptional gene silencing (AGO1, 2 and 5) in the cytoplasm or the nucleus, while AGOs associated with transcriptional gene silencing (AGO4 and 9) localized exclusively in the nucleus. These results indicate that the localization of different AGOs correlates with their predicted roles at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels and provide an overview of their timing and potential role during meiosis.
Kv1 channels regulate variations in spike patterning and temporal reliability in the avian cochlear nucleus angularis
Authors: Baldassano James F. , MacLeod Katrina M.
Published: October 2021

Diverse physiological phenotypes in a neuronal population can broaden the range of computational capabilities within a brain region. The avian cochlear nucleus angularis (NA) contains a heterogeneous population of neurons whose variation in intrinsic properties results in electrophysiological phenotypes with a range of sensitivities to temporally modulated input. The low-threshold potassium conductance (GKLT) is a key feature of neurons involved in fine temporal structure coding for sound localization but a role for these channels in intensity or spectrotemporal coding has not been established. To determine whether GKLT affects the phenotypical variation and temporal properties of NA neurons, we applied dendrotoxin (DTX), a potent antagonist of Kv1-type potassium channels, to chick brain stem slices in vitro during whole-cell patch clamp recordings. We found a cell-type specific subset of NA neurons were sensitive to DTX: single-spiking NA neurons were most profoundly affected, as well as a subset of tonic firing neurons. Both tonic I (phasic onset bursting) and tonic II (delayed firing) neurons showed DTX sensitivity in their firing rate and phenotypical firing pattern. Tonic III neurons were unaffected. Spike time reliability and fluctuation sensitivity measured in DTX-sensitive NA neurons was also reduced with DTX. Finally, DTX reduced spike threshold adaptation in these neurons, suggesting that GKLT contributes to the temporal properties that allow coding of rapid changes in the inputs to NA neurons. These results suggest that variation in Kv1 channel expression may be a key factor in functional diversity in the avian cochlear nucleus.

New and noteworthy

The dendrotoxin-sensitive voltage-gated potassium conductance typically associated with neuronal coincidence detection the timing pathway for sound localization is demonstrated to affect spiking patterns and temporal input sensitivity in the intensity pathway in the avian auditory brain stem. The Kv1-family channels appear to be present in a subset of cochlear nucleus angularis neurons, regulate spike threshold dynamics underlying high-pass membrane filtering, and contribute to intrinsic firing diversity.
Vpr shapes the proviral landscape and polyclonal HIV-1 reactivation patterns in cultured cells
Authors: Atindaana Edmond , Emery Sarah , Burnett Cleo , Pitcher Jake , Kidd Jeffrey M. , Telesnitsky Alice
Published: October 2021

Cell culture models suggest that the HIV-1 viral protein R (Vpr) is dispensable for latency establishment. However, whether Vpr affects the persistent proviral landscape and responsiveness to latency reversing agents (LRAs) is unclear. Here, integration site landscape, clonal dynamics, and latency reversal effects of Vpr were studied by comparing barcoded vpr+ and vpr- populations arising after infection of Jurkat cells in vitro. The results showed that individual integrant clones differed in fractions of LTR-active daughter cells: some clones gave rise to few to no LTR-active cells while for others almost all daughter cells were LTR-active. Integrant clones with at least 60% LTR-active cells (high LTR-active clones) contained proviruses positioned closer to preexisting enhancers (H3K27ac) and promoters (H3K4me3) than clones with <30% LTR-active cells (low LTR-active clones). Comparing vpr+ and vpr- populations revealed that the vpr+ population was depleted of high LTR-active clones. Complementing vpr-defective proviruses by transduction with vpr 16 days after infection led to rapid loss of high LTR-active clones, indicating that the effect of Vpr on proviral populations occurs post-integration. Comparing vpr+ and vpr- integration sites revealed that predominant vpr+ proviruses were farther from enhancers and promoters. Correspondingly, distances to these marks among previously reported intact HIV proviruses in ART-suppressed patients were more similar to those in the vpr+ pool than to vpr- integrants. To compare latency reactivation agent (LRA) responsiveness, the LRAs prostratin and JQ1 were applied separately or in combination. vpr+ and vpr- population-wide trends were similar, but combination treatment reduced virion release in a subset of vpr- clones relative to when JQ1 was applied separately, an effect not observed in vpr+ pools. Together, these observations highlight the importance of Vpr to proviral population dynamics, integration site landscapes, and responsiveness to latency reversing agents.

One Sentence Summary

Expression properties and responsiveness to latency reactivation agents of individual HIV-1 proviral clones within polyclonal populations are masked by dominant clones and influenced by proviral proximity to certain epigenetic marks and by Vpr, a viral factor not previously known to affect latency and reactivation.
Membrane fission during bacterial spore development requires DNA-pumping driven cellular inflation
Authors: Landajuela Ane , Braun Martha , Martinez-Calvo Alejandro , Rodrigues Christopher D. A. , Gomis Perez Carolina , Doan Thierry , Rudner David Z. , Wingreen Ned S , Karatekin Erdem
Published: October 2021

Bacteria require membrane fission for cell division and endospore formation. FisB catalyzes membrane fission during sporulation, but the molecular basis is unclear as it cannot remodel membranes by itself. Sporulation initiates with an asymmetric division that generates a large mother cell and a smaller forespore that contains only 1/4 of its complete genome. As the mother cell membranes engulf the forespore, a DNA translocase pumps the rest of the chromosome into the small forespore compartment, inflating it due to increased turgor. When the engulfing membranes undergo fission, the forespore is released into the mother cell cytoplasm. Here we show that forespore inflation and FisB accumulation are both required for efficient membrane fission. We suggest that high membrane tension in the engulfment membrane caused by forespore inflation drives FisB-catalyzed membrane fission. Collectively our data indicate that DNA-translocation has a previously unappreciated second function in energizing FisB-mediated membrane fission under energy-limited conditions.
Effects of cryo-EM cooling on structural ensembles
Authors: Bock Lars V. , Grubmüller Helmut
Published: October 2021

Structure determination by cryo electron microscopy (cryo-EM) provides information on structural heterogeneity and ensembles at atomic resolution. To obtain cryo-EM images of macromolecules, the samples are first rapidly cooled down to cryogenic temperatures. To what extent the structural ensemble is perturbed during cooling is currently unknown. Here, to quantify the effects of cooling, we combined continuum model calculations of the temperature drop, molecular dynamics simulations of a ribosome complex before and during cooling with kinetic models. Our results suggest that three effects markedly contribute to the narrowing of the structural ensembles: thermal contraction, reduced thermal motion within local potential wells, and the equilibration into lower free-energy conformations by overcoming separating free-energy barriers. During cooling, barrier heights below 10 kJ/mol were found to be over-come, which is expected to reduce B-factors in ensembles imaged by cryo-EM. Our approach now enables the quantification of the heterogeneity of room-temperature ensembles from cryo-EM structures.
SARS-CoV-2 infection induces inflammatory bone loss in golden Syrian hamsters
Authors: Qiao Wei , Lau Hui En , Xie Huizhi , Poon Vincent Kwok-Man , Chan Chris Chung-Sing , Chu Hin , Yuan Shuofeng , Yuen Terrence Tsz-Tai , Chik Kenn Ka-Heng , Tsang Jessica Oi-Ling , Chan Chris Chun-Yiu , Cai Jian-Piao , Luo Cuiting , Yuen Kwok-Yong , Cheung Kenneth Man-Chee , Chan Jasper Fuk-Woo , Yeung Kelvin Wai-Kwok
Published: October 2021

Extrapulmonary complications of different organ systems have been increasingly recognized in patients with severe or chronic Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, limited information on the skeletal complications of COVID-19 is known, even though inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract have been known to perturb bone metabolism and cause pathological bone loss. In this study, we characterized the effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on bone metabolism in an established golden Syrian hamster model for COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 causes significant multifocal loss of bone trabeculae in the long bones and lumbar vertebrae of all infected hamsters. The bone loss progressively worsens from the acute phase to the post-recovery phase. Mechanistically, the bone loss was associated with SARS-CoV-2-induced cytokine dysregulation which upregulates osteoclastic differentiation of monocyte-macrophage lineage. The pro-inflammatory cytokines further trigger a second wave of cytokine storm in the skeletal tissues to augment their pro-osteoclastogenesis effect. Our findings in this established hamster model suggest that pathological bone loss may be a neglected complication which warrants more extensive investigations during the long-term follow-up of COVID-19 patients. The benefits of potential prophylactic and therapeutic interventions against pathological bone loss should be further evaluated.

Abstract Figure

Graphical abstract

SARS-CoV-2 infection causes pathological bone loss in golden Syrian hamsters through induction of cytokine storm and inflammation-induced osteoclastogenesis.
Corrosion performance and morphological analysis of activated zinc phosphate coating formed on steel surface
Authors: Abdalla Khalid , Zuhailawati Hussain
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of different concentrations of pretreatment solution of copper acetate (1, 5 and 10 g/L) on the deposition, growth and protection ability of zinc phosphate coating.

Design/methodology/approach

Zinc phosphate coatings were deposited on steel surface by immersion method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to study the morphological evolution and chemical analysis of formed coatings. The electrochemical performance of the coatings was evaluated via potentiodynamic polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and immersion test in an aerated 3.5% NaCl solution.

Findings

The results showed that the activation treatment accelerated the deposition of the phosphate coating and improved its surface coverage. A higher phosphate coating weight (7.35 g/m2) and more compact structure was obtained with pretreatment solution of 1 g/L copper acetate. Electrochemical results revealed that the protection ability of the phosphated substrates was markedly enhanced after the pretreatment, and the best corrosion protection was obtained with a concentration of 1 g/L copper acetate solution. The corrosion current density of phosphated substrate was reduced by 64.9% after activation treatment with 1 g/L copper acetate solution.

Originality/value

In this investigation, dense, stable and compact zinc phosphate layers with improved corrosion resistance were formed on a carbon steel surface after activation pretreatment with copper acetate solution prior to a phosphating step.
The impact of supply chain disruptions on stock market returns during COVID-19
Authors: Nguemgaing Hélène Flore , Sant’Anna Ana Claudia
Published: October 2021

Purpose

How has COVID-19 impacted meat processors' stock returns? The authors evaluate the effects of supply chain disruptions (e.g. lockdowns and COVID-19 incidences among workers) on stock market prices of meat processors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses an event study approach to examine the disruptions from COVID-19 through events such as plant shutdowns, the pandemic announcement, lockdown dates and the first case of COVID-19 outbreaks in meat processing plants. The dataset includes S&P 500, Google Trends, financial beta and data collected for 14 US publicly traded meat processing companies.

Findings

Results show that nationwide events (e.g. announcement of the pandemic) had no statistically significant impact on average abnormal returns of meat processing companies. Individually, however, firms experienced negative abnormal returns. COVID-19-related events in individual meat processing companies had a temporary negative abnormal return in the days prior to the event.

Originality/value

This study has two main contributions. First, the authors estimate the effect of COVID-19 on the returns of meat processors. Second, the authors use Google Trends to estimate the expected stock markets returns of meat processing companies. This study provides insight to investors on the behavior of industry returns from events such as outbreaks that affect human health.
Audit committee effectiveness, internal audit function and sustainability reporting practices
Authors: Tumwebaze Zainabu , Bananuka Juma , Kaawaase Twaha Kigongo , Bonareri Caroline Tirisa , Mutesasira Fred
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between audit committee effectiveness (ACE), internal audit function (IAF) and sustainability reporting practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a cross-sectional and correlational design, useable questionnaires were received from 48 financial services firms in Uganda. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences.

Findings

results indicate that ACE and IAF are positively and significantly associated with sustainability reporting practices. ACE and IAF are more significantly associated with economic and social indicators than environmental sustainability indicators.

Research limitations/implications

In terms of practice, it is no longer a matter of having internal auditors and audit committees in place but rather those who are mindful of the welfare of society and the natural environment. The effectiveness of the board audit committee and a functioning internal audit can be assessed in terms of their recommendations and decisions regarding improvements in the welfare of society and the natural environment in addition to the traditionally known performance benchmarks.

Practical implications

The study focuses on only financial services firms in Uganda, and this is a small sample. Future studies may focus on larger samples to enable comparison of the results.

Originality/value

This study provides insights on the initial understanding of the association between ACE, IAF and sustainability reporting practices using evidence from a developing African country – Uganda.
From keyword to keywords: the role of keyword portfolio variety and disparity in product sales
Authors: Cao Xia , Yang Zhi , Wang Feng , Lu Chongyu , Wu Yueyan
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study investigates the effect of keyword portfolio characteristics on sales in paid search advertising. The authors propose two keyword portfolio characteristics (variety and disparity) and examine the effects of portfolio variety and portfolio disparity on direct and indirect sales in both PC and mobile environment.

Design/methodology/approach

By conducting a field study at a large e-commerce platform, the authors use a negative binomial model to develop empirical findings that provide insights into paid search advertising strategies.

Findings

For main effect, (1) portfolio variety has a negative effect on direct sales. However, (2) portfolio disparity has positive effects on both direct and indirect sales. Advertising channels influence the contribution of keyword portfolio to sales. (3) On mobile devices, portfolio variety positively affects both direct and indirect sales. However, portfolio disparity negatively affects both direct and indirect sales. (4) On PCs, portfolio variety negatively affects both direct and indirect sales. However, portfolio disparity positively affects both direct and indirect sales on PC.

Practical implications

The findings provide advertisers with insights into how to manage keyword portfolio between mobile devices and PCs.

Originality/value

The current study shifts the attention from keyword to keywords (keyword portfolio), which extends the paid search literature. Moreover, it also contributes to the literature by comparing the relative effectiveness of mobile and PC search advertising.
Mentoring programs implementation: differences between group and individual mentoring
Authors: Gisbert-Trejo Nuria , Albizu Eneka , Landeta Jon , Fernández-Ferrín Pilar
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This article aims to present the differences in implementation between individual mentoring programs (IMPs) and group mentoring programs (GMPs).

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory study used semi-structured interviews with 16 experts: mentoring program (MP) coordinators, consultants and mentors. During the interviews, the steps in implementing a mentoring program were reviewed and discussed by practitioners.

Findings

Based on the interviews and contrasting with the proposed implementation model, the authors compared IMPs and GMPs. The results highlight the role of the GMP coordinators, especially in the selection of mentors, mentees and generating resources that favor the beneficial effects of group dynamics on mentoring processes.

Practical implications

This model for implementing MPs and the differences identified between IMPs and GMPs provide practical help to program coordinators (PCs) and mentors to deploy MPs by highlighting the relevant aspects.

Originality/value

Mentoring is a Human Resource Development (HRD) technique whose implementation at the program level needs further deepening for practitioners. This is the first work that emphasizes the differences to be considered in the design and implementation of MPs by taking the individual or group dimension of mentoring.
Adaptive livelihood strategies among small-scale fishing households to climate change-related stressors in Central Coast Vietnam
Authors: Huynh Phuong T.A. , Le Ngoan D. , Le Sen T.H. , Tran Thang N.
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to examine adaptive livelihood strategies used by small-scale fishing households in the two coastal communities in Central Vietnam under the context of climate change-related stressors.

Design/methodology/approach

Field data were collected through mixed quantitative and qualitative methods including a review of secondary data, key-informant interviews, group discussions and household surveys with 300 sampled fishing households. The qualitative data support the analysis and discussion of quantitative data.

Findings

The results showed local households’ perception of the presence and influence of multiple non-climate and climate stressors on their fishery-based livelihoods in terms of employment and income in many ways. The affected households exerted to develop a diversity of adaptation methods within and out of fishing to sustain their livelihoods and cover a deficit in household income. The household socio-demographic characteristics particularly education, labour force, fishing equipment and social support played significant importance in characterising the categories of adaptation strategies among the survey households. The role of local governments in creating an enabling environment for local-level adaptation, as well as protecting marine and coastal ecosystems was rather limited despite their recognized importance.

Originality/value

The paper provides an empirical case of how small-scale fishing households in coastal communities in Central Vietnam are adapting to climate-related stressors. It suggests policy should promote livelihood diversification opportunities and address household-level constraints for adaptation. Fisheries management plan is urgently needed to control illegal fishing activities for sustainable use of coastal and marine fishery resources and the appropriate mechanism is important to stretch local governments’ resources for better supporting local-level adaptation.
Talent agility, innovation adoption and sustainable business performance: empirical evidences from Indian automobile industry
Authors: Gouda Gopal Krushna , Tiwari Binita
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Although Industry 4.0 has created a digital disruption in the business world, there is a huge demand for competent personnel to adapt to innovation in a highly volatile environment. This study aims to develop a conceptual framework on innovation adoption, thus creating a sustainable business performance in the Indian automobile industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 272 employees working in the Indian automobile industry was empirically tested to examine the hypothesized relationships. The proposed relationships were further tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) with AMOS 26 software.

Findings

Results highlight that knowledge management, climate for innovation, learning agility and internal corporate communication positively affect innovation adoption. Perceived innovation characteristics also have a significant relationship with innovation adoption and sustainable business performance. Furthermore, innovation adoption has a positive relationship with sustainable business performance. However, ambidextrous leadership has a non-significant relationship with innovation adoption.

Research limitations/implications

This study was confined to the Indian automobile industry, which restricts its generalizability. Thus, future research can be conducted in other sectors and country contexts.

Practical implications

The paper provides valuable insights to practitioners, HR professionals and managers to develop an agile talent who quickly adapts innovative practices to deliver desired results. Organizations must incorporate digital leadership style, robust knowledge management, climate for innovation, learning agility and corporate communication into their talent development practices that further enhance strategic capabilities and lessen expenditures.

Originality/value

This paper provides a holistic framework of innovation adoption in the Indian automobile industry to attain sustainable business performance.
How cultural dimensions are shaping social expectations: the case of European state-owned enterprises' nonfinancial reporting
Authors: Zanellato Gianluca , Tiron-Tudor Adriana
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the research is to shed light on how the mandatory regulation on nonfinancial information has changed European state-owned enterprises' (SOEs) disclosure levels. In addition, the present research aims to demonstrate, under the lens of legitimacy theory, how Hofstede's cultural dimensions shape social expectations that may have suffered changes after the introduction of a mandatory regulation on nonfinancial reporting.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts a mixed approach. First, it employees the content analysis to investigate the disclosure level on 22 of the 24 European SOEs. Second, the authors demonstrate how cultural dimensions take a different role when a change in regulation is introduced using the qualitative comparative analysis (QCA).

Findings

The results reveal a slight increase in disclosure from the year before introducing the directive. Additionally, the results demonstrate how none of Hofstede's cultural dimensions is responsible for high disclosure levels. Although, the sufficiency analysis outlines several combinations of different cultural dimensions that lead to high disclosure levels. In particular, results demonstrate how the core dimensions leading to the outcome changed once the European Union Directive (EUD) has entered into force.

Research limitations/implications

Despite the contributions, the present study is not free of limitations. As the investigated sample is limited to a small number of SOEs, the content analysis adopts a dichotomous approach. The analysis is conducted on integrated reporting, and the fuzzy set QCA results cannot be used for generalization but refer only to the investigated sample. Consequently, further studies should investigate a broader sample of SOEs and organizations that adopt other nonfinancial reporting frameworks. Additionally, a qualitative approach to the reports' analysis is recommended.

Practical implications

It demonstrates how the EUD on nonfinancial information has impacted the disclosure levels of European SOEs. It adopts a fresh methodology rarely used in accounting. It demonstrates how cultural conditions influence social expectations that determine corporations to disclose more information after the introduction of a regulatory framework.

Originality/value

The paper's theoretical contribution refers to its focus on the public sector, and it adopts a methodology rarely used by accounting scholars.
Is the vitality of Malaysian academics at stake?
Authors: Adnan Noor Liza , Muda Rokiah , Wan Jusoh Wan Noor Hazlina , Yusoff Rohana
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Academic vitality and burnout studies can help the university administrators and lecturers to develop a quality education and provide more conducive working environments. Hence, understanding and fostering what contributes to faculty and institutional vitality is central to prevent burnout during times of change. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to investigate the level of vitality amongst lecturers in Malaysia and to see if there is any significant difference in vitality between the subgroups of the demographic variables.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted on 379 academicians from selected public and private universities, polytechnics and university colleges. Data were collected via Survey Monkey application. Descriptive analysis was conducted where mean values, standard deviation and median were calculated. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to see whether there is significant difference in vitality between the subgroups of the demographic. Additionally, Box and Whiskers plot was used to analyse the outliers to further scrutinise the extremely low mean scores. Open ended responses were also analysed to support the statistical analysis.

Findings

Results obtained reveal that almost 25% of the respondents indicate high vitality; another 25% are moderately vital; while about 50% fall under the group of low to very low vitality. Only administrative posts were found to have a significant difference in overall vitality, while age, gender, number of children, income level, working experience and teaching field showed no significant difference.

Originality/value

This paper differs from other previous studies as it defined the different levels of vitality amongst academics based on quartiles. One important contribution of this paper is the use of the slider scale with percentage as the scoring units that provide an infinitesimal rating option that enriches the collected data and enables application of mathematical operations, such as the mean. The use of this slider scale had also facilitated the analysis of outliers due to the scale’s discriminative feature to scrutinise those considered as outliers.
Too much of a good thing?: The impact of ethical controls and perceived controllability on salesforce job performance
Authors: Oh Joon-Hee , Johnston Wesley J. , Curasi Carolyn Folkman
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to attempt to better understand the relationship between organizational ethical climate, the internalization of ethical codes (INT), perceived control and business-to-business (B2B) and retail salesperson job performance. This research develops and tests a model that examines these relationships to better understand the relationship of these variables to salesperson job performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 2002) as the theoretical lens and survey data from 307 salespeople in the USA, this study examines the relationship between organizational ethical climate, salesperson perceived control and salesperson job performance. This study examines whether this relationship may change with the presence of intervening variables related to a strengthened organizational ethical climate, and examines the relationship between these variables in two different analyses. First, this study examines the differences among retail salespeople as compared to B2B salespeople. Then this study examines the total dataset of salespeople as one sample.

Findings

The findings show that the positive effect of organizational ethical climate on the job performance of salespeople was reduced significantly when salespersons’ INT and salesperson perceived controllability, were examined in this relationship.

Practical implications

Organizational controls, such as an ethical climate within a firm, can impact salesperson job performance, especially if the firm’s ethical climate causes the salesteam to feel that it lessens their perceived control. This study found that if the ethical climate reduces the salespeople’s feelings of self-efficacy, that the ethical climate changes can intervene and can significantly reduce the otherwise positive effect of the organizational ethical climate on salesperson job performance.

Originality/value

From a theoretical perspective, the research is distinctive in its endeavor to better understand the relationship between the role of salespersons’ ethical code internalization and their feelings of self-efficacy and perceived control. This paper then examines how these variables can be influential to the direct effect of organizational ethical control and can impact the job performance of salespeople. The findings contribute to research by advancing our knowledge of how we can enhance the responses of salespeople to an organization’s ethical control, leading to higher customer satisfaction and improved sales performance.
ESG litigation – how companies can get ready, respond and resolve claims
Authors: Cummins Tom , Hamid Ruby , Reeves Eleanor , Karalis Thomas , Harnett Matthew
Published: October 2021

Purpose

To highlight ESG litigation risks and present an overview of the present landscape of ESG disputes in Europe – with a particular focus on England – and globally.

Design/methodology/approach

This article provides an overview of ESG factors, how they impact on companies, and potential claims that can arise from ESG issues. It also provides recommendations on how companies can prepare for, respond to, and ultimately resolve ESG disputes.

Findings

The number of ESG cases that are being brought (and won) by claimants in various courts around the world is rapidly increasing. There is a need for companies to prepare for, respond to, and resolve ESG disputes that they may become party to.

Practical implications

Companies need to take notice of the growing trend of ESG disputes and claims being brought, and in particular prepare for, respond to, and resolve them.

Originality/value

Expert analysis and guidance from experienced dispute resolution and environmental lawyers.
Tokyo, Japan – urbanistic hybridity in a networked metropolis
Authors: Santos João Rafael
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to identify relevant innovations in Tokyo’s spatial articulation of infrastructure, building and public space, intertwining large-scale networks with local scale urban fabrics, to inform urban management towards sustainable urban transitions.

Design/methodology/approach

The research used a methodological combination of literature review, relevant case identification and analysis, on-site survey and photography, morphological interpretation through cartographic analysis and urban space and architectural redrawing and discussion under the conceptual framework.

Findings

Under Japan’s cultural construct, public/private thresholds are blurred and layered, defining a public space network which includes not only large-scale urban objects, such as railroad and commercial hubs but also small scale, hybrid and rather aweless forms of urban space, which can be of interest to the challenges of sustainable urban transition.

Research limitations/implications

Adaptations in urban management and design need to consider the multi-scalar embeddedness of urban networks in local fabrics, considering public space structure and socio-cultural specificities. Limitations to growth-oriented rationale require increasingly decentralized networks and more hybrid spatial configurations in buildings, infrastructures and public space.

Originality/value

Tokyo represents an example of how a network-dependent metropolis, accommodates highly adaptive, inconspicuous and decentralized forms of basic service provision with an impact on the perception, use and management of public space. The main argument lies in the potential that these spatial arrangements hold as references for contemporary urban management and design in what pertains to societal challenges, low-carbon transition and network optimization.