bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kindlin-2 preserves integrity of the articular cartilage to protect against osteoarthritis
Authors: Wu Xiaohao , Lai Yumei , Chen Sheng , Zhou Chunlei , Tao Chu , Fu Xuekun , Li Jun , Huang Jian , Tong Wei , Tian Hongtao , Shao Zengwu , Liu Chuanju , Chen Di , Bai Xiaochun , Cao Huiling , Xiao Guozhi
Published: August 2021

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an aging-related degenerative joint disease, which has no cure partly due to limited understanding of its pathological mechanism(s). Here we report that the focal adhesion protein Kindlin-2, but not Kindlin-1 or −3, is highly expressed in articular chondrocytes of the hyaline cartilage, which is dramatically decreased in the degenerated articular cartilage of aged mice and patients with OA. Inducible deletion of Kindlin-2 in chondrocytes at adult stage leads to spontaneous OA and much severe OA lesions in the mice receiving the surgery of destabilization of the medial meniscus. Mechanistically, Kindlin-2 deficiency promotes mitochondrial oxidative stress and activates Stat3 in articular chondrocytes, leading to Runx2-mediated chondrocyte hypertrophic differentiation and catabolism. In vivo, systemic pharmacological blockade of Stat3 activation or genetic ablation of Stat3 in chondrocytes reverses aberrant accumulation of Runx2 and ECM-degrading enzymes and limits OA deteriorations caused by Kindlin-2 deficiency. Furthermore, genetic inactivation of Runx2 in chondrocytes reverses structural changes and OA lesions caused by Kindlin-2 deletion without down-regulating p-Stat3 in articular chondrocytes. Of translational significance, intraarticular injection of Kindlin-2-expressing adeno-associated virus decelerates progression of aging- and instability-induced knee joint OA in mice. Collectively, we identify a novel pathway comprising of Kindlin-2, Stat3 and Runx2 in articular chondrocytes responsible for maintaining integrity of the articular cartilage and define a potential therapeutic target for OA.
A reference genome sequence resource for the sugar beet root rot pathogen Aphanomyces cochlioides
Authors: Botkin Jacob , Chanda Ashok K. , Martin Frank N. , Hirsch Cory D.
Published: August 2021

Aphanomyces cochlioides, the causal agent of damping-off and root rot of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), is a soil-dwelling oomycete responsible for yield losses in all major sugar beet growing regions. Currently, genomic resources for A. cochlioides are limited. Here we report a de novo genome assembly using a combination of long-read MinION (Oxford Nanopore Technologies) and short-read Illumina sequence data for A. cochlioides isolate 103-1, from Breckenridge, MN. The assembled genome was 76.3 Mb, with a contig N50 of 2.6 Mb. The reference assembly was annotated and was composed of 32.1% repetitive elements and 20,274 gene models. This high-quality genome assembly of A. cochlioides will be a valuable resource for understanding genetic variation, virulence factors, and comparative genomics of this important sugar beet pathogen.
Live imaging YAP signaling in mouse embryo development
Authors: Gu Bin , Bradshaw Brian , Zhu Min , Sun Yu , Hopyan Sevan , Rossant Janet
Published: August 2021

YAP protein is a critical regulator of mammalian embryonic development. By generating a near-infrared fusion YAP reporter mouse line, we have achieved high-resolution live imaging of YAP localization during mouse embryonic development. We have validated the reporter by demonstrating its predicted responses to blocking LATs kinase activity or blocking cell polarity. By time lapse imaging preimplantation embryos, we revealed a mitotic reset behavior of YAP nuclear localization. We also demonstrated deep tissue live imaging in post-implantation embryos and revealed an intriguing nuclear YAP pattern in migrating cells. The YAP fusion reporter mice and imaging methods will open new opportunities for understanding dynamic YAP signaling in vivo in many different situations.
Orthogonal representation of task-related information in theta phase-based multiple place fields of single units in the subiculum
Authors: Lee Su-Min , Seol Jae-Min , Lee Inah
Published: August 2021

The subiculum is positioned at a critical juncture at the interface of the hippocampus with the rest of the brain. However, the exact roles of the subiculum in most hippocampal-dependent memory tasks remain largely unknown. One obstacle to make analytical comparisons of neural firing patterns between the subiculum and hippocampal CA1 is the broad firing fields of the subicular cells. Here, we used spiking phases in relation to theta rhythm to parse the broad firing field of a subicular neuron into multiple subfields to find the unique functional contribution of the subiculum while male rats performed a hippocampal-dependent visual scene memory task. Some of the broad firing fields of the subicular neurons were successfully divided into multiple subfields by using the theta-phase precession cycle. The resulting phase-based fields in the subiculum were more similar to those in CA1 in terms of the field size and phase-precession strength. The new method significantly improved the detection of task-relevant information in subicular cells without affecting the information content represented by CA1 cells. Notably, multiple fields of a single subicular neuron, unlike those in the CA1, could carry heterogeneous task-related information such as visual context and choice response. Our findings suggest that the subicular cells integrate multiple task-related factors by using theta rhythm to associate environmental context with action.
The impact of school closures on adolescent health-related outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A natural experiment in South Korea
Authors: Lee Hanbin , Han Buhm
Published: August 2021

A large number of countries implemented school closure as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. As existing studies mostly rely on retrospective or pre/post comparisons that are prone to unmeasured confounding, the effect of school closure on adolescent health is poorly understood. The South Korean government implemented school closure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. A difference-in-differences comparing changes in health-related outcomes between provinces with differing degrees of school closure was performed. The main analysis group consists of middle school students of age 14 to 16 who were hit hardest where up to 73% of total schooling was taken online in Seoul (the physical attendance was reduced from 170 days to 45 days). For sensitivity analysis, a placebo group of high school students of age 19 who attended all school-days physically was included to detect any violation of our identification strategy. In the main analysis group of boys that experienced reduced physical school-days, both total and vigorous physical activity were reduced (−0.35 [-0.54 -0.17] days/week for vigorous physical activity and -0.38 [-0.61 -0.16] days/week for total physical activity) while such effect was absent in the placebo group of boys that actually did not experience school closure (−0.08 [-0.49 0.32] days/week for vigorous PA and -0.16 [-0.67 0.34] days/week for total PA). In girls, vigorous physical activity decreased (−0.22 [-0.40 -0.04] days/week) but the total physical activity was nearly constant (0.03 [-0.18 0.25] days/week). Other outcomes were largely unchanged.
A highly efficient T-cell immunoassay provides assessment of B cell help function of SARS-CoV-2 specific memory CD4+T cells
Authors: Ansari Asgar , Sachan Shilpa , Jit Bimal Prasad , Sharma Ashok , Coshic Poonam , Sette Alessandro , Weiskopf Daniela , Gupta Nimesh
Published: August 2021

The B cell help function of CD4+T cells may serve as an immunologic correlate of protective adaptive immunity. The quantitative assessment of the B cell help potential of CD4+T cells is limited by the lack of suitable antigen-specific functional assays. Here, we describe a highly efficient antigen-specific T-B co-cultures for quantitative measurement of T-dependent B cell responses. UsingMycobacterium tuberculosisspecific setup, we show that early priming and activation of CD4+T cells is important for the mutualistic collaboration between antigen-specific T and B cells, which could be achieved by supplementing the co-cultures with autologous monocytes. We further show that monocyte-derived growth factors provide the impetus for productive T-B collaboration by conferring optimal survivability in the cultured cells. This study provides first evidence of C-type lectin domain family 11 member A (CLEC11A/SCGF) as an essential growth factor for B cell survival. Importantly, we demonstrate the successful translation of monocyte supplemented T-B co-cultures in qualitative assessment of SARS-CoV-2 specific memory CD4+T cells by quantifying several correlates of productive T-B cross-talk like plasma cell output, secreted antibody, antibody secreting cells and IL21 secreting T cells. Thus, the method described here can provides qualitative assessment of SARS-CoV-2 spike CD4+T cells after natural infection and can be applied to assess the B cell help function of memory CD4+T cells generated in response to COVID-19 vaccine.

One sentence summary

Qualitative assessment of antigen-specific CD4+T cells for T-dependent B cell responses.
DEVELOPMENTAL AND EVOLUTIONARY COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF A REGULATORY LANDSCAPE IN MAMMALS AND BIRDS
Authors: Hintermann Aurélie , Guerreiro Isabel , Bolt Christopher Chase , Lopez-Delisle Lucille , Gitto Sandra , Duboule Denis , Beccari Leonardo
Published: August 2021

Modifications in gene regulation during development are considered to be a driving force in the evolution of organisms. Part of these changes involve rapidly evolving cis-regulatory elements (CREs), which interact with their target genes through higher-order 3D chromatin structures. However, how such 3D architectures and variations in CREs contribute to transcriptional evolvability remains elusive. During vertebrate evolution, Hox genes were redeployed in different organs in a class-specific manner, while maintaining the same basic function in organizing the primary body axis. Since a large part of the relevant enhancers are located in a conserved regulatory landscape, this gene cluster represents an interesting paradigm to study the emergence of regulatory innovations. Here, we analysed Hoxd gene regulation in both murine vibrissae and chicken feather primordia, two mammalian- and avian-specific skin appendages which express different subsets of Hoxd genes, and compared their regulatory modalities with the regulations at work during the elongation of the posterior trunk, a mechanism highly conserved in amniotes. We show that in the former two structures, distinct subsets of Hoxd genes are contacted by different lineage-specific enhancers, likely as a result of using an ancestral chromatin topology as an evolutionary playground, whereas the regulations implemented in the mouse and chicken embryonic trunk partially rely on conserved CREs. Nevertheless, a high proportion of these non-coding sequences active in the trunk appear to have functionally diverged between the two species, suggesting that transcriptional robustness is maintained despite a considerable divergence in CREs’ sequence, an observation supported by a genome-wide comparative approach.
Discovery of ciliary G protein-coupled receptors regulating pancreatic islet insulin and glucagon secretion
Authors: Wu Chien-Ting , Hilgendorf Keren I. , Bevacqua Romina J. , Hang Yan , Demeter Janos , Kim Seung K. , Jackson Peter K.
Published: August 2021

Multiple G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are expressed in pancreatic islet cells, but the majority have unknown functions. We observed specific GPCRs localized to primary cilia, a prominent signaling organelle, in pancreatic α and β cells. Loss of cilia disrupts β-cell endocrine function, but the molecular drivers are unknown. Using functional expression, we identified multiple GPCRs localized to cilia in mouse and human islet α and β cells, including FFAR4, PTGER4, ADRB2, KISS1R, and P2RY14. Free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFAR4) and prostaglandin E receptor 4 (PTGER4) agonists stimulate ciliary cAMP signaling and promote glucagon and insulin secretion by α- and β-cell lines and by mouse and human islets. Transport of GPCRs to primary cilia requires TULP3, whose knockdown in primary human and mouse islets relocalized ciliary FFAR4 and PTGER4 and impaired regulated glucagon or insulin secretion, without affecting ciliary structure. Our findings provide index evidence that regulated hormone secretion by islet α and β cells is controlled by ciliary GPCRs providing new targets for diabetes.
Three-layered control of mRNA poly(A) tail synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Turtola Matti , Manav M. Cemre , Kumar Ananthanarayanan , Tudek Agnieszka , Mroczek Seweryn , Krawczyk Paweł S. , Dziembowski Andrzej , Schmid Manfred , Passmore Lori A. , Casañal Ana , Jensen Torben Heick
Published: August 2021

Biogenesis of most eukaryotic mRNAs involves the addition of an untemplated polyadenosine (pA) tail by the cleavage and polyadenylation machinery. The pA tail, and its exact length, impacts mRNA stability, nuclear export, and translation. To define how polyadenylation is controlled in S. cerevisiae, we have used an in vivo assay capable of assessing nuclear pA tail synthesis, analyzed tail length distributions by direct RNA sequencing, and reconstituted polyadenylation reactions with purified components. This revealed three control mechanisms for pA tail length. First, we found that the pA binding protein (PABP) Nab2p is the primary regulator of pA tail length. Second, when Nab2p is limiting, the nuclear pool of Pab1p, the second major PABP in yeast, controls the process. Third, when both PABPs are absent, the cleavage and polyadenylation factor (CPF) limits pA tail synthesis. Thus, Pab1p and CPF provide fail-safe mechanisms to a primary Nab2p-dependent pathway, thereby preventing uncontrolled polyadenylation and allowing mRNA export and translation.
Pitting corrosion prediction from cathodic data: application of machine learning
Authors: Boucherit Mohamed Nadir , Arbaoui Fahd
Published: August 2021

Purpose

To constitute input data, the authors carried out electrochemical experiments. The authors performed voltammetric scans in a very cathodic potential region. The authors constituted an experimental table where for each experiment we note the current values recorded at a low polarization range and the pitting potential observed in the anodic region. This study aims to concern carbon steel used in a nuclear installation. The properties of the chemical solutions are close to that of the cooling fluid used in the circuit.

Design/methodology/approach

In a previous study, this paper demonstrated the effectiveness of machine learning in predicting the localized corrosion resistance of a material by considering as input data the physicochemical properties of its environment (Boucherit et al., 2019). With the present study, the authors improve the results by considering as input data, cathodic currents. The reason of such an approach is to have input data that integrate both the surface state of the material and the physicochemical properties of its environment.

Findings

The experimental table was submitted to two neural networks, namely, a recurrent network and a convolution network. The convolution network gives better pitting potential predictions. Results also prove that the prediction by observing cathodic currents is better than that obtained by considering the physicochemical properties of the solution.

Originality/value

The originality of the study lies in the use of cathodic currents as input data. These data contain implicit information on both the chemical environment of the material and its surface condition. This approach appears to be more efficient than considering the chemical composition of the solution as input data. The objective of this study remains, at the same time, to seek the optimal neuronal architectures and the best input data.
Face-to-face delivery this week; online the next: a reflection
Authors: Perera Ahesha , Rainsbury Liz , Bandara Saman
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the effects of online learning on student engagement as a result of a shift from face-to-face to online learning during the COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand.

Design/methodology/approach

The reflection expresses the accounting lecturers’ observations and experiences of student engagement in online learning during the COVID-19 lockdown focussing on the three facets of student engagement; social presence, cognitive presence and teaching presence.

Findings

The focus on social and teaching presence in online learning by Unitec academic staff had a positive impact on cognitive presence as student course success rates and course ratings were similar to rates achieved from face-to-face delivery despite a rapid transition to online learning.

Research limitations/implications

This reflection is based on the experiences of three academic staff in one tertiary organisation.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can be helpful for tertiary institutions that are planning to adopt blended learning in the future. Academic staff may revisit teaching pedagogies to design new strategies and institutions may develop blended learning guidelines and tools to support academics to embrace blended learning.

Social implications

The reflection shows the respect, support and care provided by academics to students building a sense of belongingness and supporting students’ mental well-being in a period of fear and anxiety about COVID-19.

Originality/value

This is a reflection on students’ online engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has not been addressed previously in the academic literature.
Parameter optimization for solid fluidization exploitation of natural gas hydrate in South China Sea
Authors: Mao Liangjie , Cai Mingjie , Liu Qingyou , Zhang Ying
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the multi-phase flow behaviors in solid fluidization exploitation of natural gas hydrate (NGH) and its effect on the engineering safety.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, a multi-phase flow model considering the endothermic decomposition of hydrate is established and finite difference method is used to solve the mathematical model. The model is validated by reproducing the field test data of a well in Shenhu Sea area. Besides, optimization of design parameters is presented to ensure engineering safety during the solid fluidization exploitation of NGH in South China Sea.

Findings

To ensure the engineering safety during solid fluidization exploitation of marine NGH, taking the test well as an example, a drilling flow rate range of 40–50 L/s, drilling fluid density range of 1.2–1.23 g/cm3 and rate of penetration (ROP) range of 10–20 m/h should be recommended. Besides, pre-cooled drilling fluid is also helpful for inhibiting hydrate decomposition.

Originality/value

Systematic research on the effect of multiphase flow behaviors on the engineering safety is scare, especially for the solid fluidization exploitation of NGH in South China Sea. With the growing demand for energy, it is of great significance to ensure the engineering safety before the large-scale extraction of commercial gas from hydrate deposits. The result of this study can provide profound theoretical bases and valuable technical guidance for the commercial solid fluidization exploitation of NGH in South China Sea.
Online innovation and repurchase intentions in hotels: the mediating effect of customer experience
Authors: Amoako George Kofi , Doe Joshua Kofi , Neequaye Emmanuel Kotey
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study investigates how customer experience mediates the relationship between online innovation and repurchase intention in the hotel industry in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected from 167 clients from a two-star hotel in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the relationship between the variables.

Findings

Results from the analysis indicate that online innovation positively leads to higher repurchase intentions and better customer experience, affirming that customer experience leads to repurchase intentions. Thus, while online innovation leads to repurchase intentions, the strength of this repurchase intention depends on customer experience. Therefore, customer experience mediates the relationship between online innovation and repurchase intention in the hotel industry.

Research limitations/implications

This study addressed only the customer's point of view; future studies could investigate the subject from the managers and other stakeholders' point of view to get a holistic view. Also, the sample size could be improved, and the study could be conducted in other African countries for comparison purposes.

Practical implications

The study shows that online innovation does not automatically lead to increased positive repurchase intention. Hotel managers must, therefore, enforce good customer experience for better profitability.

Originality/value

As far as the researchers know, limited studies have been conducted into how customer experience mediates online innovation and repurchase intention in the hotel industry in Ghana using structural equation modelling. This makes this research unique in Ghana. This study makes an original contribution by measuring the real effect of innovation on repurchase intentions in the hotel industry in Ghana.
Simulation analysis of critical factors of casualty transportation for disaster response: a case study of Istanbul earthquake
Authors: Çağlayan Nadide , Satoglu Sule Itir
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to statistically assess the effects of the design factors including usage of data-driven decision support tool (DST), classification of patients (triage), prioritization based on vital scores of patients, number of ambulances and hospital selection rules, on the casualty transportation system’s performance in large-scale disasters. Besides, a data-driven DST for casualty transportation is proposed to enhance the casualty survival and ambulance transportation times during the disaster response stage.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the authors applied simulation and statistical analysis to evaluate the effects of usage of data-driven DST, classification of patients (triage), prioritization of the patients based on vital scores, number of ambulances and hospital selection rules, on the patient survival and transportation time of the casualty transportation system. An experimental design was made, and 16 scenarios were formulated. Simulation models were developed for all scenarios. The number of unrecoverable casualties and time-spent by the casualties until arriving at the hospital was observed. Then, a statistical analysis was applied to the simulation results, and significant factors were determined.

Findings

Utilization of the proposed DST was found to improve the casualty transportation and coordination performance. All main effects of the design factors were found statistically significant for the number of unrecoverable casualties. Besides, for the Time spent Until Arrival of T1-Type Casualty at the Hospital, all of the main factors are significant except the number of ambulances. Respiratory rate, pulse rate, motor response score priority and hospital selection rule based on available hospital capacities must be considered to reduce the number of unrecoverable casualties and time spent until arrival of the casualties at the hospitals.

Originality/value

In this study, the factors that significantly affect the performance of the casualty transportation system were revealed, by simulation and statistical analysis, based on an expected earthquake case, in a metropolitan city. Besides, it was shown that using a data-driven DST that tracks victims and intends to support disaster coordination centers and medical staff performing casualty transportation significantly improves survival rate of the victims and time to deliver the casualties. This research considers the whole systems’ components, contributes to developing the response stage operations by filling gaps between using the data-driven DST and casualty transportation processes.
Societal self-control and post-exit entrepreneurial intentions
Authors: Pathak Saurav
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The study examines the role that societal levels of self-control – behavioral and cognitive self-control – play in shaping entrepreneurial intentions after both favorable and unfavorable prior exits.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data set on the nature of entrepreneurial exits from 32 countries between 2007 and 2010 and supplementing this data set with country-level scores of behavioral and cognitive self-controls, the authors test five hypotheses on the effects of societal levels of self-control on post-exit entrepreneurial intentions.

Findings

The study finds that individuals who exit entrepreneurship for negative reasons (versus positive reasons) are more likely to form entrepreneurial intentions. Further, societal levels of self-control moderate this likelihood.

Originality/value

The study invokes the psychological construct of self-control in the context of entrepreneurship. The novelty lies in rendering self-control as also a higher order societal level construct and then also empirically testing the role that societal self-control plays in shaping entrepreneurial intentions after prior exits. Societal self-control accounts for cross-country variance in why individuals in some societies are better suited and capable to return to entrepreneurship despite unfavorable prior exits.
The impact of COVID-19 on home value in major Texas cities
Authors: Bhat Mira R. , Jiao Junfeng , Azimian Amin
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on housing price within four major metropolitan areas in Texas: Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The analysis intends to understand economic and mobility drivers behind the housing market under the inclusion of fixed and random effects.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a linear mixed effects model to assess the socioeconomic and housing and transport-related factors contributing to median home prices in four major cities in Texas and to capture unobserved factors operating at spatial and temporal level during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

The regression results indicated that an increase in new COVID-19 cases resulted in an increase in housing price. Additionally, housing price had a significant and negative relationship with the following variables: business cycle index, mortgage rate, percent of single-family homes, population density and foot traffic. Interestingly, unemployment claims did not have a significant impact on housing price, contrary to previous COVID-19 housing market related literature.

Originality/value

Previous literature analyzed the housing market within the first phase of COVID-19, whereas this study analyzed the effects of the COVID-19 throughout the entirety of 2020. The mixed model includes spatial and temporal analyses as well as provides insight into how quantitative-based mobility behavior impacted housing price, rather than relying on qualitative indicators such as shutdown order implementation.
HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and tuberculosis-related mortality among incarcerated people: a global scoping review
Authors: Bosworth Rebecca Jane , Borschmann Rohan , Altice Frederick L. , Kinner Stuart Alistair , Dolan Kate , Farrell Michael
Published: August 2021

Purpose

People in prison are at a higher risk of preventable mortality from infectious disease such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and tuberculosis (TB) than those in the community. The extent of infectious disease-related mortality within the prison setting remains unclear. The purpose of this paper was to collate available information on infectious disease-related mortality, including the number of deaths and calculate the person-time death rate.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors searched databases between 1 January 2000 and 18 November 2020 for studies reporting HIV, HBV, HCV, TB and/or HIV/TB-related deaths among people in prison.

Findings

The authors identified 78 publications drawn from seven Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS’ regions encompassing 33 countries and reporting on 6,568 deaths in prison over a 20-year period. HIV/AIDS (n = 3,305) was associated with the highest number of deaths, followed by TB (n = 2,892), HCV (n = 189), HIV/TB (n = 173) and HBV (n = 9). Due to the limitations of the available published data, it was not possible to meta-analyse or in any other way synthesise the available evidence.

Research limitations/implications

To inform targeted efforts to reduce mortality, there is a need for more, better quality data to understand infectious disease-related mortality in custodial settings. Increased investment in the prevention and management of infectious diseases in custodial settings, and in documenting infectious disease-related deaths in prison, is warranted and will yield public health benefits.

Originality/value

To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first scoping review focussed on deaths due to these infections among people in prison internationally. The gaps identified form recommendations to improve the future collection and reporting of prison mortality data.
Quality certification and firm performance. The mediation of human capital
Authors: Gallego Juan Miguel , Gutiérrez Ramírez Luis H.
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This paper investigates the impact of adopting quality management standards like ISO9001 on a firm's performance and the mediator role of human capabilities within firms in this relationship. The article analyses this mediator effect in the context of an emerging economy that set a policy reform aimed at increase ISO adoption and with a large share of informal labour markets.

Design/methodology/approach

This study implements a quantitative approach, applying a Difference in Differences-DiD model with a Propensity Score Matching on fixed effect panel data analysis of a sample of certified and non-certified firms using firm-level data obtained from the national statistics office of Colombia. This methodology allows having comparable groups before the policy implementation. It reduces differences in observable characteristics and controls for parallel trends in primary outcomes before the policy reform.

Findings

The research findings suggest that after Colombian policy reform of the quality system (2006), firms that adopted ISO 9001 certification increased innovation (5.2%), labour productivity (4.6%), sales (5.7%) and wages (4.9%). Furthermore, it shows that the share of permanent workers is an essential mediator in adopting quality programs. Adopters firms with a large percentage of temporary workers weaken their initial investment in quality infrastructure.

Research limitations/implications

This research does not consider one key aspect. This is the lack of information about the organizational culture inside Colombian organizations that is related to a successful implementation of Quality Management standards like ISO 9001. However, it does not affect the conclusion about the mediation effect of human capital in the relationship between ISO 9001 and firm performance.

Practical implications

The study covered all the Colombian manufacturing firms with ten or more employees. It provides critical insight for managers to value implementing ISO 9001 certification and appropriately put attention to enhancing their firms' human capital in emerging economies. Also, a policy implication of the paper is that governmental efforts to strengthen quality infrastructure in emerging economies should also include steps to increase a firm's investment in human capital.

Originality/value

This study provides further support for government policies to strengthen firms' incentives to adopt modern management practices. The strong effects of implementing these management practices on sales, productivity and innovation have been identified. Furthermore, the investments in quality infrastructure must be accompanied by investment in human capital and workforce stability.
The effect of supplier globalization on firm innovation: a resource dependence theory perspective
Authors: Wang Yibo , Liu Bai
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Either buying or making is predicted by the existing literature for firms to reduce dependence. However, firms in the rapid globalization are found to adopt a pattern of buying and making. Specially, they critically rely on foreign firms for needed materials and goods, and invest in innovation against the uncertainty of potential supply disruptions simultaneously. Therefore, this paper seeks to investigate how the depth and width of supplier globalization shape firm innovation together. Moreover, the moderating effects of institutional distance and market competition are also examined in the paper.

Design/methodology/approach

Grounded on the resource dependence theory, this paper develops a theoretical framework and tests the proposed hypotheses by Poisson model using secondary data from 502 Chinese listed firms with foreign suppliers.

Findings

The depth of supplier globalization has a positive impact on firm innovation, while the width of supplier globalization weakens firm innovation. The depth and width of supplier globalization further interact negatively to influence firm innovation. Moreover, this relationship is enhanced when firms establish relationships with foreign firms with greater institutional distance and is weakened when firms face fiercer product competition.

Originality/value

The authors contribute to the literature by evidencing that the existence of foreign suppliers results in firms' enhancement of innovation to secure their operations and showing that diversifying the country origins of foreign suppliers is an effective means to reduce firms' uncertainty about supply disruption. We also advance the understanding regarding the contextual factors in which firms are more likely or less likely to manage the uncertainty about supplier globalization.
Analysing the importance of international knowledge, orientation, networking and commitment as entrepreneurial culture and market orientation in gaining competitive advantage and international performance
Authors: Falahat Mohammad , Soto-Acosta Pedro , Ramayah T.
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study argues that having an entrepreneurial culture and market orientation are critical for young enterprises to gain competitive advantage and superior international performance. We investigate how young entrepreneurial companies despite their limited resources and experience expand rapidly in foreign markets almost from their inception.

Design/methodology/approach

This investigation uses a mixed-methods approach, combining in-depth interviews and survey data. In-depth interviews lead us to conceptualise a model highlighting the importance of international knowledge, international orientation, international networking and international commitment as entrepreneurial culture and market orientation for gaining competitive advantage and, in return, superior performance in the international market. Then, the derived conceptual model is empirically tested on a sample of Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Findings

Results show that entrepreneurial culture is positively associated with competitive advantage and international performance, while market orientation is positively related to competitive advantage but not to international performance. In addition, government support strengthens the positive effect of competitive advantage on international performance.

Originality/value

This study investigation analyses the importance of entrepreneurial culture and market orientation in contributing to competitive advantage and superior performance. In addition, this study examines the critical role of government support in the relationships between entrepreneurial culture and competitive advantage and between competitive advantage and international performance.
The future of social entrepreneurship: modelling and predicting social impact
Authors: Zulkefly Nur Azreen , Abdul Ghani Norjihan , Chin Christie Pei-Yee , Hamid Suraya , Abdullah Nor Aniza
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Predicting the impact of social entrepreneurship is crucial as it can help social entrepreneurs to determine the achievement of their social mission and performance. However, there is a lack of existing social entrepreneurship models to predict social enterprises' social impacts. This paper aims to propose the social impact prediction model for social entrepreneurs using a data analytic approach.

Design/methodology/approach

This study implemented an experimental method using three different algorithms: naive Bayes, k-nearest neighbor and J48 decision tree algorithms to develop and test the social impact prediction model.

Findings

The accurate result of the developed social impact prediction model is based on the list of identified social impact prediction variables that have been evaluated by social entrepreneurship experts. Based on the three algorithms' implementation of the model, the results showed that naive Bayes is the best performance classifier for social impact prediction accuracy.

Research limitations/implications

Although there are three categories of social entrepreneurship impact, this research only focuses on social impact. There will be a bright future of social entrepreneurship if the research can focus on all three social entrepreneurship categories. Future research in this area could look beyond these three categories of social entrepreneurship, so the prediction of social impact will be broader. The prospective researcher also can look beyond the difference and similarities of economic, social impacts and environmental impacts and study the overall perspective on those impacts.

Originality/value

This paper fulfills the need for the Malaysian social entrepreneurship blueprint to design the social impact in social entrepreneurship. There are none of the prediction models that can be used in predicting social impact in Malaysia. This study also contributes to social entrepreneur researchers, as the new social impact prediction variables found can be used in predicting social impact in social entrepreneurship in the future, which may lead to the significance of the prediction performance.
Roles of supply chain network centralities on firm performance: an explorative study on Tokyo manufacturing industries
Authors: Lau Antonio K.W_ , Zhao An
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the impact of supply chain centralities on sales performance moderated by reputation and stock listing.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical data on supply chain relationships were drawn from the context of electronics and electrical appliance industries in Tokyo, sourced from Teikoku Data Bank in year 2017–2018. On average, the authors analyzed an industrial network of 4,181 focal firms with 3.6 and 3.8 supplier and customer ties, respectively, using social networks and moderated regression analyses.

Findings

The authors find that in-(out-)degree, closeness and betweenness centralities are positively related to the focal firm’s annual sales performance. Hubs and authorities as ways of measuring reputation are found to not directly affect performance; hubs negatively moderate the relationship between betweenness and performance. Stock-listing was also found to negatively moderate the relationship between in-degree centrality and performance.

Originality/value

This study adds to existing literature by conducting a supply network analysis in a new industrial context, introducing a new method for assessing firm reputation in supply networks and showing how the structural characteristics of supply networks influence business performance.
An empirical investigation on the impact of marketing strategy style on firm performance: evidence from public firms in China
Authors: Wang Rui , Liu Liqiong , Feng Yu
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The mechanism of marketing strategy style and its impact on firms are research issues received wide attention. In particular, the aggressive style of marketing strategy has been chosen by many companies, but recent studies have shown that it has a negative effect on corporate performance. This leads to the core issue of this paper – does the aggressive style of marketing strategy always had a negative impact on corporate performance? Are there any factors that can alleviate this negative impact?

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the resource-based theory and agency theory, this paper takes the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) listed companies as the research objects, collects secondary data and conducts the research by regression model.

Findings

The empirical research shows that: (1) the aggressive style of marketing strategy significantly and negatively affects the performance of firm; (2) the resource constraint can moderate the main effect and resource control play a weak adjustment role.

Practical implications

In practice, this paper confirms the adverse impact of aggressive style of marketing strategy on the performance of listed companies on GEM and inspires the industry to strengthen the control and supervision of marketing resources.

Originality/value

This paper makes up for the research gap in the field of cross-research in finance and marketing theoretically.
Whistleblowing intentions among external auditors: an application of the moderated multicomponent model of the theory of planned behaviour
Authors: Tuan Mansor Tuan Mastiniwati , Ariff Akmalia M. , Hashim Hafiza Aishah , Ngah Abdul Hafaz
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate external auditors’ whistleblowing intentions by applying the moderated multicomponent of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), incorporating perceived organizational support (POS) and provides insights on the moderating effect of moral norm on the relationship between attitude and internal whistleblowing intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was gathered using a questionnaire survey involving 274 external auditors in Malaysia and the data was analyzed using SmartPLS 3.2.9.

Findings

The results show that there are positive relationships between perceived behavioural control and POS with whistleblowing intentions, but there is no evidence to support the hypotheses related to attitude and subjective norm. The findings provide partial support for the capability of the multicomponent model of TPB in examining whistleblowing intentions. The results further show that moral norm moderates the relationship between attitude and whistleblowing intentions.

Practical implications

The findings can assist accounting professional bodies and policy makers in formulating strategies to enhance the practice and, consequently, the benefits of whistleblowing. The findings are also valuable to managers of audit firms in strategizing for ways to enhance whistleblowing intentions to encourage the audit staffs to report any wrongdoings done by their colleagues.

Originality/value

This study provides the perspective of whistleblowing intentions of external auditors in the institutional setting of an emerging market, Malaysia. Further, this study extends the TPB model in whistleblowing studies by applying a higher-order construct, incorporating POS as an additional determinant of whistleblowing intentions and considering moral norm as moderating the relationship between attitude and whistleblowing intentions.
A “double-edged sword” effect of consumer expertise on tourism loyalty
Authors: Zhang Xiaodan , Guo Maiju
Published: August 2021

Purpose

As globalization promotes mobility and tourism around the world, the substitution effect of outbound tourism on domestic tourism becomes increasingly apparent. Knowing how to increase customers' loyalty toward domestic tourism is an urgent and critical question for policymakers and tourism managers, especially from the perspective of customer segmentation. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether and how consumer expertise affects domestic tourism loyalty. This paper also provides comprehensive research for understanding differences between married and unmarried consumers in responses to the impact of expertise on loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a survey of 384 individuals. We use Partial least squares (PLS), a variance-based structural equation model, and statistical comparison to test research hypotheses.

Findings

Results suggest that consumer expertise has a “double-edged sword” effect on domestic tourism loyalty. On one hand, it increases the perceived benefit of domestic tourism and reduces consumers' motivation to switch to outbound tourism, resulting in a higher level of domestic tourism loyalty. On the other hand, consumer expertise improves consumers' switching ability and switching opportunity to travel abroad, leading to a lower level of domestic tourism loyalty. Furthermore, this paper documents that married and unmarried customers present heterogeneous attitudes in the decision process. We found that married customers are less sensitive to the impact of consumer expertise on the perceived benefit and the impact of consumer expertise on switch ability. However, married customers are more sensitive to both the impact of perceived usefulness on the switch motivation, and the impact of switch motivation, switch opportunity and switch ability on domestic tourism loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

Our findings enrich the literature on consumer expertise and loyalty. Future studies may consider examining similar relationships by utilizing multiple research methods as well as testing the research findings and mechanisms in different contexts.

Practical implications

This research provides practical guidance for cultivating and maintaining domestic tourism loyalty, such as consumer segmentation in terms of tourism knowledge and information.

Originality/value

This paper examines the relationship between consumer expertise and loyalty in the context of tourism and uncovers the mechanism behind it. More importantly, to our knowledge, this paper is the first to identify consumers' marital status as a key factor that influences the process of how consumer expertise affects domestic tourism loyalty.
Role of brand experience in predicting consumer loyalty
Authors: Safeer Asif Ali , Yuanqiong He , Abrar Muhammad , Shabbir Rizwan , Rasheed Hafiz Muhammad Wasif
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study investigated the role of brand experience dimensions (behavioral, intellectual, sensory and affective) to predict consumer loyalty (repurchase intention (RPI), word of mouth (WOM) and willingness to pay more (WPM)) through the mediating role of perceived brand authenticity (PBA) in the global branding context.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 422 consumers participated in this study and provided feedback on top authentic global brands after completing a self-administered online survey. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to conduct the data analysis.

Findings

This study discovered that brand experience dimensions positively influenced PBA (predominantly sensory and intellectual experiences), which significantly predicted consumer loyalty (RPI, WOM and WPM).

Research limitations/implications

This research uncovered some limitations that can be used to investigate new research possibilities. From a theoretical standpoint, this study offers new insights into brand experience dimensions (BEDs), PBA and consumer loyalty in order to develop consumer-brand relationships.

Practical implications

This study offered several managerial recommendations. By considering brand authenticity as a positioning tool, global managers can effectively develop and implement various experiential marketing strategies to develop long-term relationships with consumers to attain their loyalty.

Originality/value

This is a new study that uses Fournier's relationship theory to investigate BEDs on PBA to predict consumer loyalty in the context of authentic global brands.