bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Branching Process Model of Evolutionary Rescue
Authors: Azevedo Ricardo B. R. , Olofsson Peter
Published: June 2021

Evolutionary rescue is the process whereby a declining population may start growing again, thus avoiding extinction, via an increase in the frequency of fitter genotypes. These genotypes may either already be present in the population in small numbers, or arise by mutation as the population declines. We present a simple two-type discrete-time branching process model and use it to obtain results such as the probability of rescue, the shape of the population growth curve of a rescued population, and the time until the first rescuing mutation occurs. Comparisons are made to existing results in the literature in cases where both the mutation rate and the selective advantage of the beneficial mutations are small.
Sub-Picomolar Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RBD via Computationally-Optimized Peptide Beacons
Authors: Tripathy Soumya P. , Ponnapati Manvitha , Jacobson Joseph , Chatterjee Pranam
Published: June 2021

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 continues to pose a significant global health threat. Along with vaccines and targeted therapeutics, there is a critical need for rapid diagnostic solutions. In this work, we employ deep learning-based protein design to engineer molecular beacons that function as conformational switches for high sensitivity detection of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain (S-RBD). The beacons contain two peptides, together forming a heterodimer, and a binding ligand between them to detect the presence of S-RBD. In the absence of S-RBD (OFF), the peptide beacons adopt a closed conformation that opens when bound to the S-RBD and produces a fluorescence signal (ON), utilizing a fluorophore-quencher pair at the two ends of the heterodimer stems. Two candidate beacons, C17LC21 and C21LC21, can detect the S-RBD with limits of detection (LoD) in the sub-picomolar range. We envision that these beacons can be easily integrated with on-chip optical sensors to construct a point-of-care diagnostic platform for SARS-CoV-2.
Global commodity prices and inflation expectations
Authors: Devaguptapu Adviti , Dash Pradyumna
Published: June 2021

Purpose

In this paper, we study the effect of global energy and food inflation on household inflation expectations during the period 1988M01–2020M03 for a set of European economies.

Design/methodology/approach

We use multifractal de-trended cross-correlation analysis to estimate the non-linear and time-varying cross-correlation. We provide additional robustness tests using the Autoregressive-Distributed Lag method.

Findings

We find that household inflation expectations, global energy inflation and global food inflation are all multifractal. We also find that the household inflation expectations, global energy inflation and global food inflation are positively correlated (i.e., they are persistent). However, household inflation expectations respond more when the volatility of the global energy inflation is lower than when the volatility is higher. The correlation between household inflation expectations and global food inflation does not depend on the level of volatility.

Research limitations/implications

First, paying attention to the global commodity inflation might help anchor inflation expectations better. It is so because Central Bank's efficacy in achieving price stability may be weakened if there is a relationship between commodity inflation and inflation expectation. This task would become even more difficult in the average inflation targeting regime than inflation targeting regime if actual inflation is persistently different from the target inflation. Second, our results also emphasize the importance of effective strategy for communicating to households about actual inflation, inflation target and keep them updated about how monetary policy functions.

Originality/value

We contribute to the literature by estimating the cross-correlation between household inflation expectations with the global commodity inflation, conditional to the volatility of the commodity inflation under consideration.
Embracing supply base complexity: the contingency role of strategic purchasing
Authors: Ateş Melek Akın , Memiş Huriye
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to empirically examine the moderating role of strategic purchasing on the relationship between supply base complexity (SBC) and purchasing performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 209 firms listed in the Capital Top 500 Firms of Turkey. Measurement properties were assessed via confirmatory factor analysis, and the conceptual model was tested via hierarchical regression analysis. A supplementary analysis based on 14 semi-structured interviews was conducted to provide further insights on the survey findings.

Findings

Regarding structural SBC, the results suggest that horizontal complexity and supplier interaction improve purchasing performance, but only in firms with high strategic purchasing. By contrast, spatial complexity reduces purchasing performance in firms with high strategic purchasing, while supplier differentiation does not have any effect. Regarding dynamic SBC, the results show that both delivery complexity and supplier instability reduce purchasing performance when firms have low strategic purchasing. Interviews further suggest that firms with high strategic purchasing leverage the positive effects and mitigate the negative effects of SBC by having a long-term focus, considering multiple performance criteria and adopting advanced purchasing practices.

Practical implications

In contrast to what is widely posited in the existing literature, the nuanced findings of this study reveal that complexity is not always detrimental. The results suggest that practitioners should aim for high levels of strategic purchasing to suppress the negative effects of SBC while leveraging its benefits.

Originality/value

By investigating the contingency role of strategic purchasing, this study provides novel insights into the under-investigated issue of how to best “manage” SBC.
Eldercare in Japan, transnational care labor, and emerging welfare regimes
Authors: Milly Deborah J.
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This article analyzes recent Japanese efforts to recruit care labor from seven Asian countries to identify the relative contributions to migrants and their respective countries' health systems. Besides considering the factors affecting migration from, and benefits to, sending countries, it asks how differences in the role of public and private actors may matter.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses two stages of analysis. The first uses quantitative and qualitative data for seven countries that send care labor migrants to Japan to identify differences in benefits for individual migrants and health care systems in the sending countries. The second stage examines recent initiatives for funding care worker training in Japan to assess the relative impacts of different public-private cooperative arrangements, especially in terms of Vietnam.

Findings

In addition to general migration policy mechanisms provided by the destination country, bilateral relationships and foreign assistance, along with economic, demographic and health care conditions in the origin countries, contribute to the relative benefits of migration. Among countries supplying care labor to Japan, Vietnam is obtaining the most benefits for its health care system in return.

Originality/value

Responding to central concerns surrounding care labor migration, the article compares across countries sending care workers to a single country. The comparison highlights a constellation of factors that contribute the greatest benefits. The article identifies how different types of public and private relationships can influence this process. The study provides observations applicable to other welfare states developing care labor migration relationships.
Digital transformation challenges successful enterprises – an exploration of the collaboration of marketing and sales department in German organizations
Authors: Hauer Georg , Naumann Nadine , Harte Patrick
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of digital transformation on the intersection of marketing and sales departments.

Design/methodology/approach

This area has received little attention in academic literature while considerable amount of research exists surrounding the marketing and sales integration, the influence of the trend of digital transformation on both departments and how it affects their collaboration is not investigated in-depth and is therefore studied by qualitative research via semi-structured interviews in six German organizations.

Findings

By considering the findings the collaboration between the marketing and sales departments in German organizations is perceived as good. However, generation-related conflicts occur due to different demographic structures of employees. The study provides evidence that the digital transformation affects the marketing and sales integration and thus, the overall organizational performance.

Originality/value

Moreover, it is crucial that organizations face the challenges that occur in terms of interdepartmental relationships and be aware of the huge potentials which arise due to digital transformation to improve the marketing and sales collaboration.
New technologies for robotic tactile sensing and navigation
Authors: Bogue Rob
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This aims to provide details of new sensor technologies and developments with potential applications in robotic tactile sensing and navigation.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a short introduction, this provides examples of tactile sensing research. This is followed by details of research into inertial sensors and other navigation techniques. Finally, brief conclusions are drawn.

Findings

This shows that tactile sensing and navigation techniques are the topic of a technologically diverse research effort which has prospects to impart various classes of robots with significantly enhanced capabilities.

Originality/value

This provides a technically detailed insight into recent sensor research with applications in robotic tactile sensing and navigation.
When co-creation pays off: the effect of co-creation on well-being, work performance and team resilience
Authors: Partouche-Sebban Judith , Rezaee Vessal Saeedeh , Bernhard Fabian
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study aims to explore the effect of value co-creation among health-care professionals and in a business-to-business (B2B) context on the involved individuals and the organization. More precisely, the effect of co-creation behaviors on the well-being of individuals, their work performance and team resilience are investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research design was adopted. The data collection was performed through a mail survey of a sample of 96 professionals at a cancer health-care institution in France in which several medical and paramedical providers work together to maximize service options. Linear regressions were conducted using SPSS to analyze the data.

Findings

The results highlight the positive outcomes of an active co-creation process on individual well-being, work performance and team resilience and emphasize its limits.

Originality/value

The originality of this study lies in studying co-creation in the context of the health-care service sector, among health-care professionals and from a B2B perspective. Adopting an inter-organizational frame, this study clarifies the positive and negative effects of co-creation from both personal and organizational aspects.
Effects of organizational conflict history and employees' situational perceptions of COVID-19 on negative megaphoning and turnover intention
Authors: Chon Myoung-Gi , Tam Lisa , Kim Jeong-Nam
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study explores the interaction effects of organizational conflict history and employees' situational perceptions of COVID-19 on negative megaphoning and turnover intention.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data (N = 476) were collected from US citizens, who self-identified as full-time employees, through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) in August 2020.

Findings

Organizational conflict history (i.e. highly conflict-prone vs less conflict-prone workplaces) interacts with employees' situational perceptions of COVID-19 (i.e. inactive vs active publics) in affecting employees' negative megaphoning and turnover intention toward their organizations. Employees who are active publics on COVID-19 in highly conflict-prone workplaces reported the highest negative megaphoning and turnover intention. On the contrary, employees who are inactive publics on COVID-19 in less conflict-prone workplaces reported the lowest negative megaphoning and turnover intention.

Practical implications

COVID-19 is an uncontrollable, exogenous crisis for organizations. While it is expected that employees in highly conflict-prone workplaces would report higher negative megaphoning and turnover intention, this study found that employees' situational perceptions of COVID-19 would further exacerbate the effects. This finding reflects the importance of managing organizational conflicts continuously and preemptively while also segmenting and cultivating relationships with employees based on their situational perceptions of issues and crises.

Originality/value

This study identified the significance of the interaction of cross-situational factors (e.g. employees' recollection of organizational conflict history) and situational factors (e.g. employees' situational perceptions of issues) in affecting employees' negative behavioral intentions in crisis situations, even if the crises are exogenous and uncontrollable.
A systematic literature review of RFID in supply chain management
Authors: Raza Syed Asif
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The findings of this paper throw light on the focal research areas within RFID in the supply chain, which serves as an effective guideline for future research in this area. This research, therefore, contributes to filling the gap by carrying out an SLR of contemporary research studies in the area of RFID applications in supply chains. To date, SLR augmented with BA has not been used to study the developments in RFID applications in supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

We analyze 556 articles from years 2001 to date using Systematic Literature Review (SLR). Contemporary bibliometric analysis (BA) tools are utilized. First, an exploratory analysis is carried, out revealing influential authors, sources, regions, among other key aspects. Second, a co-citation work analysis is utilized to understand the conceptual structure of the literature, followed by a dynamic co-citation network to reveal the evolution of the field. This is followed by a multivariate analysis is performed on top-100 cited papers, andk-means clustering is carried out to find optimal groups and identify research themes. The influential themes are then pointed out using factor analysis.

Findings

An exploratory analysis is carried out using BA tools to provide insights into factors such as influential authors, production countries, top-cited papers and frequent keywords. Visualization of bibliographical data using co-citation network analysis and keyword co-occurrence analysis assisted in understanding the groups (communities) of research themes. We employedk-means clustering and factor analysis methods to further develop these insights. A historiographical direct citation analysis also unveils potential research directions. We observe that RFID applications in the supply chain are likely to benefit from the Internet of Things and blockchain Technology along with the other machine learning and visualization approaches.

Originality/value

Although several researchers have researched RFID literature in relation to supply chains, these reviews are often conducted in the traditional manner where the author(s) select paper based on their area of expertise, interest and experience. Limitation of such reviews includes authors’ selection bias of studies to be included and limited or no use of advanced BA tools for analysis. This study fills this research gap by conducting an SLR of RFID in supply chains to identify important research trends in this field through the use of advanced BA tools.
Pay-performance sensitivity and corporate governance mechanisms: evidence from Tunisia
Authors: Ghrab Meriem , Gana Marjène , Dakhlaoui Mejda
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze the CEO compensation sensitivity to firm performance, termed as the pay-for-performance sensitivity (PPS) in the Tunisian context and to test the robustness of this relationship when corporate governance (CG) mechanisms are considered.

Design/methodology/approach

The consideration of past executive pay as one of the explanatory variables makes this estimation model a dynamic one. Furthermore, to avoid the problem of endogeneity, this study uses the system-GMM estimator developed by Blundell and Bond (1998). For robustness check, this study aims to use a simultaneous equation approach (three-stage least squares [3SLS]) to estimate the link between performance and CEO pay with a set of CG mechanisms to control for possible simultaneous interdependencies.

Findings

Using a sample of 336 firm-years from Tunisia over the 2009–2015 periods, this study finds strong evidence that the pay-performance relationship is insignificant and negative, and it becomes more negative or remains insignificant after introducing CG mechanisms consistently with the managerial power approach. The findings are robust to the use of alternative performance measures. This study provides new empirical evidence that CEOs of Tunisian firms abuse extracting rents independently of firm performance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the unexamined research on PPS in a frontier market. This study also shows the ineffectiveness of the Tunisian CG structure and thus recommends for the legislator to impose a mandatory CG guide.
Communicating for change: a systems thinking approach
Authors: Banerjee Durba , Lowalekar Harshal
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study describes in detail an application of the Theory of Constraints (TOC)-based systems thinking approach towards clear and effective communication in a change management exercise. The same is achieved through the example of a large defence organization that is struggling with a multitude of problems in its stores and purchase departments.

Design/methodology/approach

It is demonstrated through the case study how five systems thinking tools – Current Reality Tree (CRT), Evaporating Cloud (EC), Future Reality Tree (FRT), Negative Branch Reservation (NBR) and Prerequisite Tree (PRT) – can be applied in overcoming different layers of resistance and for getting the necessary agreement from the stakeholders for a successful change initiative.

Findings

The five logical thinking tools helped answer the three questions – “what to change”, “what to change to” and “how to cause the change” (Goldratt, 1990) – satisfactorily and overcome various layers of resistance to get the desired buy-in from the stakeholders for a successful change management exercise.

Originality/value

The cause-and-effect based method presented in this work is generic enough and can be adopted for getting a buy-in in a variety of change management contexts.
The factors that influence small and medium enterprises’ intention to adopt the government credit program
Authors: Rokhim Rofikoh , Mayasari Iin , Wulandari Permata
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the adoption of the people entrepreneurship credit with online platform – a government-sponsored subsidy of small and medium enterprises to reduce poverty and to improve welfare – in the Central Java, Indonesia. The objective of the research is also to analyze the motivation of small and medium enterprises to adopt the credit with online platform in supporting business activities. The research framework used the technology acceptance model – the effect of perception of usefulness, perception of ease of use, subjective norm and four As – availability, affordability, awareness, acceptability and trust – to analyze them as the determinants on the intention to adopt the People Entrepreneurship Credit.

Design/methodology/approach

The quantitative method with survey was deployed in the study by distributing questionnaires. The number of collected data was 380 credit users, and the criteria used for the respondents were the small entrepreneurs with the use of the people entrepreneurship credit as the micro credit program.

Findings

Results indicated that perception of usefulness, perception of ease of use, subjective norm, availability, trust and affordability have direct effect on the intention to adopt the credit. Interestingly, the strongest direct effect on the adoption intention was more likely to come from the perception of ease of use. Meanwhile, awareness and acceptability have no direct effect on the intention to adopt.

Originality/value

This study provides new theoretical insights regarding the implementation of technology acceptance model to analyze the intention to adopt and the analysis of four As concept. The findings of the study will provide a better strategy for banking as service industries in formulating the program of credit access for the entrepreneurs to run the business properly.
Managing environmental quality in Pakistan through sustainable development of energy–economy–environment (3E): insights from graph model of conflict resolution (GMCR)
Authors: Yasmeen Humaira , Tan Qingmei , Ali Sharafat , Ismail Hina
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The sustainable development of the energy–economy–environment (3E) needs to ensure the balanced interplay between the energy–economy and the environment. Likewise, creating such balance has become a critical policy issue among countries worldwide. However, in the past, studies have ignored to create a balanced interplay of the energy–economy and environment. Therefore, to address said research gap, this paper aims to develop a graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR)-based strategy for the sustainable development of the 3E to ensure better environmental quality.

Design/methodology/approach

To develop a strategic framework for the balanced interplay between the energy–economy and the environment, the study used the GMCR approach and designed a mechanism for the sustainable development of the 3E to ensure better environmental quality in the context of Pakistan.

Findings

The results from the GMCR indicate that sustainable development of the 3E to ensure better environmental quality is possible when government focuses on the sustainable growth of the economy through environmental policies and the use of renewable energy.

Practical implications

By solving the 3E conflict, this study provides policy insights for the government of Pakistan for the sustainable development of the energy economy and the environment to ensure better environmental quality in the country.

Originality/value

For the first time, this paper tried to put forward a way through which conflicting objectives can be achieved together for the sustainable development of the 3E to ensure better environmental quality.
The socio-economic impact of land redistribution on the beneficiaries in the Greater Kokstad Municipality of South Africa
Authors: Amoah Christopher , Tyekela Nwabisa
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The Government of South Africa, in 1997, embarked on the land redistribution programme in some communities to address the land ownership injustices suffered by indigenous during the apartheid regime. The objective of this study is to assess the socio-economic experiences of communities that have benefitted from the government's land redistribution programme in the Greater Kokstad Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a qualitative research methodology. The population of interest comprised two communities (Franklin and Makhoba) located within the Greater Kokstad Municipality. A purposefully selected sampling technique was used to select the relevant land beneficiaries to form part of the study's sample. An interview guide made up of both closed-ended and open-ended questions was used to solicit information from the participants.

Findings

The findings revealed that the key social-economic variables, such as the living standards of the beneficiaries, have not yet experienced much improvement. Moreover, it became evident that some socio-economic aspects such as food security, low-cost housing, basic services, wealth (land), transport, infrastructure and training had improved somewhat; although other similar aspects such as total household incomes, unemployment, general community safety and corruption had not improved.

Practical implications

It can, therefore, be concluded that all socio-economic aspects of beneficiaries' lives had not improved/changed entirely; thus, the experiences of the land redistribution beneficiaries of the Greater Kokstad Municipality represent a mixed bag of major failures and minor successes. The study recommends some policy improvement on the land redistribution programme such as an increase in the combined budgets of the land redistribution and tenure reform programmes and the revision of the proceeds paid to landowners from market value to production value, which if adopted by the government, will help address the deficiencies in socio-economic benefit of the programme to the beneficiaries in the communities.

Originality/value

The findings give an insight into the effectiveness of the government's land redistribution programme to the beneficiaries' socio-economic lives and areas where the government needs to improve to make the project a success. The paper also adds to the literature in terms of knowledge and may serve as a reference for future studies in this area.
Assessing the “clerk of works” role in delivering quality affordable housing: a UK case study
Authors: Hughes Bradley , Edwards David J. , Martek Igor , Chileshe Nicholas , Thwala Wellington Didibhuku
Published: June 2021

Purpose

A mixed philosophies epistemological design with inductive reasoning was adopted to develop new theoretical insights into the phenomena under investigation. First, interpretivism was employed to contextualise the prevailing body of knowledge and source questions (and prompts) to be posed to practitioners. Second, a case study strategy (augmented by participant action research) was adopted to measure construction industry professionals' perceptions of the clerk of work's role and their impact upon both quality and safety of construction.

Design/methodology/approach

This research conducts a case study investigation of affordable and/or social home construction and examine industry's perception of the clerk of works (CoW) and their powers and responsibilities within existing legislation to impact quality of construction.

Findings

The findings illustrate that while the clerk of work's role positively impacts quality and safety of construction, it is hindered by cost and time constraints that are often prioritised. An analogy to “yield points” in materials science is then adapted to develop new theory to conceptualise the pivotal position that the CoW has in upholding quality construction. The research concludes with pragmatic recommendations (such as industry centric codes of practice) to mitigate quality and safety issues arising and signpost future academic research in this area.

Originality/value

UK construction has been criticised for prioritising costs and profits vis-à-vis quality and safety issues, as exemplified by the Grenfell fire. This study demonstrates the need for reinstatement of the CoW role in mitigating residential housing quality decline.
Benefit versus cost trade‐offs of masting across seed‐to‐seedling transition for a dominant subtropical forest species
Authors: Huang Li , Jin Cheng , Zhou Lihua , Song Kun , Qian Shenhua , Lin Dunmei , Zhao Liang , Chen Bo , Yan Enrong , Michalet Richard , Yang Yongchuan
Published: June 2021

Masting is a common reproductive strategy regulating seedling regeneration in many perennial plant species. The evolutionary origins and functional benefits of masting have been explained by well‐supported hypotheses relating to economies of scale of seed production. Nevertheless, our understanding of the potential costs of masting for the plant seed‐to‐seedling transitions remains limited.

We tracked the seed fate and documented changes in the seed spatial distribution patterns during the seed‐to‐seedling transition process of Castanopsis fargesii, a dominant species of subtropical evergreen broad‐leaved forests in China under natural conditions for more than 6 years.

Masting resulted in a high proportion of seeds escaping predation by vertebrates and rodents, supporting the predator satiation hypothesis. However, it increased the pre‐dispersal seed predation by insects, and decreased the seed germination rate due to a negative effect on seed mass. This resulted in seed‐to‐seedling transition rates during mast years to be roughly half as much as during non‐mast years. In addition, masting negatively affected the spatial rearrangement of seeds, resulting in a spatial aggregative distribution pattern of newly germinated seedlings. The combined negative effects of smaller seeds and spatially aggregated seedlings reduced the survival rate of newly germinated seedlings at seedling establishment stage.

Synthesis. Considering the whole seed‐to‐established seedling transition process, the benefits of masting on seedling recruitment due to the effective seed predator situation by vertebrates and rodents were decreased by the additional costs on seed mass, seed germination, seed spatial arrangement and seedling establishment. Our results highlight the importance of considering both the positive and negative effects of masting at each stage of the seed‐to‐seedling transition. Inferences based on seed predation and recruitment of newly germinated seedlings alone would lead to an overly optimistic conclusion about the benefits of masting.
“Catholic, but not According to the Rules”: Assisted Reproduction and Catholic Doctors in Belgium, 1940s–1980s
Authors: Claes Tinne
Published: June 2021

This article elucidates how Catholic doctors in Belgium, a dominantly Catholic country that was home to the largest Catholic university in Europe, creatively handled church teachings on assisted reproduction from roughly the 1940s until the 1980s. Catholic thought on reproductive medicine is mostly represented as restrictive and conservative, but this is not the full picture. On the contrary, this article reveals that many Catholic moralists and physicians looked for loopholes within church teachings, creating ‘Catholic’ versions of assisted reproductive technologies. A few progressive Catholics fundamentally questioned the authority of the Vatican, justifying donor insemination and in‐vitro fertilisation by means of personalist ethics. By drawing attention to the diverse ways in which Catholics in Belgium negotiated their own moral understandings of assisted reproduction, this article adds a new dimension to recent histories of contraception, which complicate narratives of conflict between religion, science, and sexual liberation.
A divided kingdom? Variation in polarization, sorting, and dimensional alignment among the British public, 1986–2018
Authors: Perrett Stuart
Published: June 2021

Understanding changes in the structure of public opinion is necessary to evaluate both contemporary claims about political divisions in Brexit Britain, as well as to uncover any long‐term mapping of public opinion on the depolarization and subsequent polarization of elites from the birth of New Labour to the aftermath of the Great Recession. I assess trends from British Social Attitudes surveys, utilizing recent conceptual and methodological distinctions between different features of public opinion change. I find that the public, on average, moved to the left during the early 1990s, to the right during New Labour, and back to the left from 2010. Such oscillations are even more pronounced for positions along a welfare dimension. In contrast, average positions along a libertarian‐authoritarian dimension were constant until around 2010, when the public became more liberal. Polarization of left‐right opinion has increased in recent years but does not match that estimated between the mid‐1980s and early 1990s, while low and stable levels of polarization are estimated along libertarian‐authoritarian and welfare dimensions. Overall trends are dis‐aggregated by social class, educational attainment, party identification, strength of partisanship, interest in politics, and position on Europe. Further, the relationships between positions along these three ideological dimensions vary systematically across time and between groups.
PLA2 mediates the innate immune response in Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis
Authors: Ji Jia‐Yue , Yin Zhao‐Hua , Zhang Sha‐Sha , Shen Dong‐Xu , An Chun‐Ju
Published: June 2021

The eicosanoid signaling pathway mediates insect immune reactions to a wide range of stimuli. This pathway begins with the biosynthesis of arachidonic acid (AA) from the hydrolysis of phospholipids catalyzed by phospholipase A2 (PLA2). We report here that the PLA2 inhibitor, dexamethasone (DEX), impaired the innate immune response including nodulation, encapsulation, and melanization in Ostrinia furnacalis larvae, while AA partially reversed these effects of DEX. We cloned a full‐length complementary DNA encoding a PLA2, designated as OfsPLA2, from O. furnacalis. The open reading frame of OfsPLA2 encodes a 195‐amino acid residue protein with a 22‐residue signal peptide. Sequence alignment analyses indicated that O. furnacalis PLA2 might be a Group III secretory PLA2. The highest transcript levels of OfsPLA2 were detected in the fat body, and its transcript levels increased dramatically after infection with Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, or Beauveria bassiana. Recombinant OfsPLA2 significantly induced prophenoloxidase (PPO) activation in larval hemolymph in the presence of Ca2+ and encapsulation of agarose beads. Injection of recombinant OfsPLA2 into larvae resulted in increased transcript levels of attacin, defencin, and moricin‐3 genes. Our results demonstrate the involvement of the eicosanoid signaling pathway in the innate immune response of O. furnacalis larvae and provide new information about the roles of O. furnacalis secretory PLA2 in activating PPO and antimicrobial peptide production.
Benchmarking recombinant Pichiapastoris for 3‐hydroxypropionic acid production from glycerol
Authors: Fina Albert , Brêda Gabriela Coelho , Pérez‐Trujillo Míriam , Freire Denise Maria Guimarães , Almeida Rodrigo Volcan , Albiol Joan , Ferrer Pau
Published: June 2021

The use of the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffi) to produce heterologous proteins has been largely reported. However, investigations addressing the potential of this yeast to produce bulk chemicals are still scarce. In this study, we have studied the use of P. pastoris as a cell factory to produce the commodity chemical 3‐hydroxypropionic acid (3‐HP) from glycerol. 3‐HP is a chemical platform which can be converted into acrylic acid and to other alternatives to petroleum‐based products. To this end, the mcr gene from Chloroflexus aurantiacus was introduced into P. pastoris. This single modification allowed the production of 3‐HP from glycerol through the malonyl‐CoA pathway. Further enzyme and metabolic engineering modifications aimed at increasing cofactor and metabolic precursors availability allowed a 14‐fold increase in the production of 3‐HP compared to the initial strain. The best strain (PpHP6) was tested in a fed‐batch culture, achieving a final concentration of 3‐HP of 24.75 g l−1, a product yield of 0.13 g g−1 and a volumetric productivity of 0.54 g l−1 h−1, which, to our knowledge, is the highest volumetric productivity reported in yeast. These results benchmark P. pastoris as a promising platform to produce bulk chemicals for the revalorization of crude glycerol and, in particular, to produce 3‐HP.
A targeted amplicon sequencing panel to simultaneously identify mosquito species and Plasmodium presence across the entire Anopheles genus
Authors: Makunin Alex , Korlević Petra , Park Naomi , Goodwin Scott , Waterhouse Robert M. , von Wyschetzki Katharina , Jacob Christopher G. , Davies Robert , Kwiatkowski Dominic , St. Laurent Brandyce , Ayala Diego , Lawniczak Mara K. N.
Published: June 2021

Anopheles is a diverse genus of mosquitoes comprising over 500 described species, including all known human malaria vectors. While a limited number of key vector species have been studied in detail, the goal of malaria elimination calls for surveillance of all potential vector species. Here, we develop a multilocus amplicon sequencing approach that targets 62 highly variable loci in the Anopheles genome and two conserved loci in the Plasmodium mitochondrion, simultaneously revealing both the mosquito species and whether that mosquito carries malaria parasites. We also develop a cheap, nondestructive, and high‐throughput DNA extraction workflow that provides template DNA from single mosquitoes for the multiplex PCR, which means specimens producing unexpected results can be returned to for morphological examination. Over 1000 individual mosquitoes can be sequenced in a single MiSeq run, and we demonstrate the panel’s power to assign species identity using sequencing data for 40 species from Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America. We also show that the approach can be used to resolve geographic population structure within An. gambiae and An. coluzzii populations, as the population structure determined based on these 62 loci from over 1000 mosquitoes closely mirrors that revealed through whole genome sequencing. The end‐to‐end approach is quick, inexpensive, robust, and accurate, which makes it a promising technique for very large‐scale mosquito genetic surveillance and vector control.
The Economic Logic of the Yield‐Curve Control Policy*
Authors: Pol Eduardo
Published: June 2021

Unconventional monetary policies are currently implemented in several advanced economies. One of them is known as “yield‐curve control,” a policy presently active in Australia. Ordinary pictorial descriptions of this policy do not usually discuss the market mechanism presupposed by the yield‐curve control approach nor the economic logic underpinning the expected outcome of this policy tool. The present letter adopts a pedagogical approach and provides an exposition of yield‐curve control that separates the immediate effects of the policy from their concomitant economic effects on spending and portfolio investment.
A practical guide to question formation, systematic searching and study screening for literature reviews in ecology and evolution
Authors: Foo Yong Zhi , O'Dea Rose E. , Koricheva Julia , Nakagawa Shinichi , Lagisz Malgorzata
Published: June 2021

Well‐conducted systematic reviews are invaluable for synthesising research findings. The conclusions of a review depend on how the research question was formulated, how relevant studies were found and how studies were selected for synthesis.

Here, we present a practical guide for ecologists and evolutionary biologists on formulating a question for a systematic review, and finding a representative sample of research findings.

We explain the steps involved using a worked example and practical training exercises. Throughout this guide we share tricks of the trade, included rules of thumb and software that we have found useful.

We hope our paper helps demystify the systematic search process and encourages more researchers to adopt a systematic and reproducible approach when searching the literature.
Impact network analysis and the ina r package: Decision support for regional management interventions
Authors: Garrett Karen A.
Published: June 2021

The success of intervention projects for species management depends on both the effectiveness of management technologies and the geographical landscape of management adoption. Impact network analysis (INA) is a new framework for evaluating the likely level of success of regional species management before, during and after projects, for project implementers, policymakers and funders. INA evaluates the effects of management performance in a multilayer network analysis. The socioeconomic network represents manager communication about technologies and influence about technology adoption decisions in an agent‐based model. The linked biophysical network represents species dispersal, resulting in regional success or failure of species management.

The specific objectives of this paper are to (a) introduce the INA framework and ina r package; (b) illustrate the identification of key nodes for smart surveillance strategies; (c) illustrate the application of the INA framework for evaluating the likely degree of success of a project in intervention ecology, before, during and after an intervention; and (d) illustrate the use of INA for evaluating adaptation strategies under global change scenarios with pulse and press stressors, introducing ‘adaptation functions’ to evaluate the management response required for sustainability and resilience.

Examples of use of the ina package show key outcomes of analyses: identifying the limiting factors for effective regional management, pointing out when systems may be non‐responsive to the system components that are readily changed through management decisions, and identifying the additional adaptations that may be necessary for intervention success.

The broader goals for the development of impact network analysis and the ina package are to provide a common framework that integrates across intervention ecology, to enhance opportunities for lessons learned across systems and scientific disciplines, to support the development of a community of practice, and to create a general platform to operationalize analysis of sustainability, resilience and economic viability in intervention ecology applications.
Nucleotide‐binding domain and leucine‐rich‐repeat‐containing protein X1 deficiency induces nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide decline, mechanistic target of rapamycin activation, and cellular senescence and accelerates aging lung‐like changes
Authors: Shin Hyeon Jun , Kim Sang‐Hun , Park Hong‐Jai , Shin Min‐Sun , Kang Insoo , Kang Min‐Jong
Published: June 2021

Mitochondrial dysfunction has long been implicated to have a causative role in organismal aging. A mitochondrial molecule, nucleotide‐binding domain and leucine‐rich‐repeat‐containing protein X1 (NLRX1), represents the only NLR family member that targets this cellular location, implying that NLRX1 probably establishes a fundamental link between mitochondrial functions and cellular physiology. However, the significance of NLRX1 function in cellular senescence, a key conceptual constituent in aging biology, is yet to be defined. Here, we demonstrate that molecular hallmarks involved in aging biology including NAD+ decline, and activation of mTOR, p53, and p16INK4A are significantly enhanced in NLRX1 deficiency in vitro. Mechanistic studies of replicative cellular senescence in the presence or absence of NLRX1 in vitro reveal that NLRX1‐deficient fibroblasts fail to maintain optimal NAD+/NADH ratio, which instigates the decline of SIRT1 and the activation of mTOR, p16INK4A, and p53, leading to the increase in senescence‐associated beta‐galactosidase (SA‐β‐gal)‐positive cells. Importantly, the enhanced cellular senescence response in NLRX1 deficiency is significantly attenuated by pharmacological inhibition of mTOR signaling in vitro. Finally, our in vivo murine studies reveal that NLRX1 decreases with age in murine lungs and NLRX1 deficiency in vivo accelerates pulmonary functional and structural changes that recapitulate the findings observed in human aging lungs. In conclusion, the current study provides evidence for NLRX1 as a crucial regulator of cellular senescence and in vivo lung aging.
COVID‐19 impacts on drinking and mental health in emerging adults: Longitudinal changes and moderation by economic disruption and sex
Authors: Minhas Meenu , Belisario Kyla , González‐Roz Alba , Halladay Jillian , Murphy James G. , MacKillop James
Published: June 2021

Background

There are significant concerns that the COVID‐19 pandemic may have negative effects on substance use and mental health, but most studies to date are cross‐sectional. In a sample of emerging adults, over a two‐week period during the pandemic, the current study examined: (1) changes in drinking‐related outcomes, depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder and (2) differences in changes by sex and income loss. The intra‐pandemic measures were compared to pre‐pandemic measures.

Methods

Participants were 473 emerging adults (Mage = 23.84; 41.7% male) in an existing longitudinal study on alcohol misuse who were assessed from June 17 to July 1, 2020, during acute public health restrictions in Ontario, Canada. These intra‐pandemic data were matched to participant pre‐pandemic reports, collected an average of 5 months earlier. Assessments included validated measures of drinking, alcohol‐related consequences, and mental health indicators.

Results

Longitudinal analyses revealed significant decreases in heavy drinking and adverse alcohol consequences, with no moderation by sex or income loss, but with substantial heterogeneity in changes. Significant increases in continuous measures of depression and anxiety were present, both of which were moderated by sex. Females reported significantly larger increases in depression and anxiety. Income loss >50% was significantly associated with increases in depression.

Conclusions

During the initial phase of the pandemic, reductions in heavy drinking and alcohol consequences were present in this sample of emerging adults, perhaps due to restrictions on socializing. In contrast, there was an increase in internalizing symptoms , especially in females, highlighting disparities in the mental health impacts of the pandemic.
How do key audit matter characteristics combine to impact financial statement understandability?
Authors: Ong Sau Yu , Moroney Robyn , Xiao Xinning
Published: June 2021

The intention behind the communication of key audit matters (KAMs) is to facilitate financial statement understandability by providing information about the focus of the audit. We predict and find two KAM characteristics affecting financial statement understandability: readability and quantification. While KAM readability enhances financial statement understandability, quantification impacts understandability in different ways. When a KAM is more readable, quantification further enhances understandability, but when a KAM is less readable, understandability is lower when quantification is present than when absent. Our findings suggest that KAMs are more helpful to investors when readable and quantification is more beneficial when KAMs are readable.