bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coordinated hippocampal-thalamic-cortical communication crucial for engram dynamics underneath systems consolidation
Authors: Tomé Douglas Feitosa , Sadeh Sadra , Clopath Claudia
Published: December 2020

Systems consolidation refers to the reorganization of memory over time across brain regions. Despite recent advancements in unravelling engrams and circuits essential for this process, the exact mechanisms behind engram cell dynamics and the role of associated pathways remain poorly understood. Here, we propose a computational model to address this knowledge gap that consists of a multi-region spiking recurrent neural network subject to biologically-plausible synaptic plasticity mechanisms. By coordinating the timescales of synaptic plasticity throughout the network and incorporating a hippocampus-thalamus-cortex circuit, our model is able to couple engram reactivations across these brain regions and thereby reproduce key dynamics of cortical and hippocampal engram cells along with their interdependencies. Decoupling hippocampal-thalamic-cortical activity disrupts engram dynamics and systems consolidation. Our modeling work also yields several testable predictions: engram cells in mediodorsal thalamus are activated in response to partial cues in recent and remote recall and are crucial for systems consolidation; hippocampal and thalamic engram cells are essential for coupling engram reactivations between subcortical and cortical regions; inhibitory engram cells have region-specific dynamics with coupled reactivations; inhibitory input to mediodorsal thalamus is critical for systems consolidation; and thalamocortical synaptic coupling is predictive of cortical engram dynamics and the retrograde amnesia pattern induced by hippocampal damage. Overall, our results suggest that systems consolidation emerges from concerted interactions among engram cells in distributed brain regions enabled by coordinated synaptic plasticity timescales in multisynaptic subcortical-cortical circuits.
In vivogenetic screen identifies a SLC5A3-dependent myo-inositol auxotrophy in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Wei Yiliang , Iyer Shruti V. , Costa Ana S. H. , Yang Zhaolin , Kramer Melissa , Adelman Emmalee R. , Klingbeil Olaf , Demerdash Osama E. , Polyanskaya Sofya , Chang Kenneth , Goodwin Sara , Hodges Emily , McCombie W. Richard , Figueroa Maria E. , Vakoc Christopher R.
Published: December 2020

An enhanced requirement for extracellular nutrients is a hallmark property of cancer cells. Here, we optimized anin vivogenetic screening strategy for evaluating dependencies in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which led to the identification of the myo-inositol transporter SLC5A3 as a unique vulnerability in this disease. In accord with this transport function, we demonstrate that the SLC5A3 dependency reflects a myo-inositol auxotrophy in AML. Importantly, the commonality among SLC5A3-dependent AML lines is the transcriptional silencing ofISYNA1, which encodes the rate limiting enzyme for myoinositol biosynthesis, inositol-3-phosphate synthase 1. We used gain- and loss-of-function experiments to demonstrate a synthetic lethal genetic interaction betweenISYNA1andSLC5A3in AML, which function redundantly to sustain intracellular myo-inositol. Transcriptional silencing and DNA hypermethylation ofISYNA1occur in a recurrent manner in human AML patient samples, in association with the presence ofIDH1/IDH2andCEBPAmutations. Collectively, our findings reveal myo-inositol auxotrophy as a novel form of metabolic dysregulation in AML, which is caused by the aberrant silencing of a biosynthetic enzyme.

Statement of significance

Here, we show how epigenetic silencing can provoke a nutrient dependency in AML by exploiting a synthetic lethality relationship between biosynthesis and transport of myo-inositol. Blocking the function of this solute carrier may have therapeutic potential in an epigenetically-defined subset of AML.
Rapid 40 kb genome construction from 52 parts
Authors: Pryor John M. , Potapov Vladimir , Pokhrel Nilisha , Lohman Gregory J. S.
Published: December 2020

Large DNA constructs (>10 kb), including small genomes and artificial chromosomes, are invaluable tools for genetic engineering and vaccine development. However, the manufacture of these constructs is laborious. To address this problem, we applied new design insights and modified protocols to Golden Gate assembly. While this methodology is routinely used to assemble 5-10 DNA parts in one-step, we found that optimized assembly permitted >50 DNA fragments to be faithfully assembled in a single reaction. We applied these insights to genome construction, carrying out rapid assembly of the 40 kb T7 bacteriophage genome from 52 parts and recovering infectious phage particles after cellular transformation. The new Golden Gate assembly protocols and design principles described here can be applied to rapidly engineer a wide variety of large and complex assembly targets.
Bridging themes: short protein segments found in different architectures
Authors: Kolodny Rachel , Nepomnyachiy Sergey , Tawfik Dan S. , Ben-Tal Nir
Published: December 2020

The vast majority of theoretically possible polypeptide chains do not fold, let alone confer function. Hence, protein evolution from preexisting building blocks has clear potential advantages overab initioemergence from random sequences. In support of this view, sequence similarities between different proteins is generally indicative of common ancestry, and we collectively refer to such homologous sequences as ‘themes’. At the domain level, sequence homology is routinely detected. However, short themes which are segments, or fragments of intact domains, are particularly interesting because they may provide hints about the emergence of domains, as opposed to divergence of preexisting domains, or their mixing-and-matching to form multi-domain proteins. Here we identified 525 representative short themes, comprising 20-to-80 residues, that are unexpectedly shared between domains considered to have emerged independently. Among these ‘bridging themes’ are ones shared between the most ancient domains, e.g., Rossmann, P-loop NTPase, TIM-barrel, Flavodoxin, and Ferredoxin-like. We elaborate on several particularly interesting cases, where the bridging themes mediate ligand binding. Ligand binding may have contributed to the stability and the plasticity of these building blocks, and to their ability to invade preexisting domains or serve as starting points for completely new domains.
Multinucleation Associated DNA Damage causes quiescence despite compromised p53
Authors: Hart Madeleine , Adams Sophie D , Draviam Viji M
Published: December 2020

Nuclear atypia is one of the earliest hallmarks of cancer progression. How distinct forms of nuclear atypia differently impact cell fate is not understood at the molecular level. Here, we perform single-cell tracking studies to determine the immediate and long-term impact of multinucleation or misshapen nuclei and reveal a significant difference between multinucleation and micronucleation, a catastrophic nuclear atypia known to promote genomic rearrangements and tumour heterogeneity. Tracking the fate of newborn cells exhibiting various nuclear atypia shows that multinucleation, unlike other forms of nuclear atypia, blocks proliferation in p53-compromised cells. Because compromised p53 is seen in over 50% of cancers, we explored how multinucleation blocks proliferation and promotes quiescence. Multinucleation increases 53BP1-decorated nuclear bodies (DNA damage repair platforms), along with a heterogeneous reduction in transcription and protein accumulation across the multi-nucleated compartments. Importantly, Multinucleation Associated DNA Damage (MADD) associated 53BP1-bodies remain unresolved for days, despite an intact NHEJ machinery that repairs laser-induced DNA damage within minutes. This persistent MADD signalling blocks the onset of DNA replication and is associated with driving proliferative G1 cells into quiescence, revealing a novel replication stress independent cell cycle arrest caused by mitotic lesions. These findings call for segregating protective and prohibitive nuclear atypia to inform therapeutic approaches aimed at limiting tumour heterogeneity.
Identification of the toxic 6mer seed consensus in human cancer cells
Authors: Patel Monal , Bartom Elizabeth T. , Paudel Bidur , Kocherginsky Masha , O’Shea Kaitlyn L. , Murmann Andrea E. , Peter Marcus E.
Published: December 2020

6mer seed toxicity is a novel anti-cancer mechanism that kills cancer cells by triggering death induced by survival gene elimination (DISE). It is based on si- or shRNAs with a specific G-rich nucleotide composition in position 2-7 of their guide strand. An arrayed screen of 4096 6mer seeds on two human and two mouse cell lines identified a consensus GGGGGC as the most toxic seed. After testing two more cell lines, one human and one mouse, we found that the GGGGGC seed while also toxic to murine cells, is more toxic to human cells, suggesting that the evolution to use of Gs as part of the toxic seeds is still slowly evolving, with Gs more common in the human toxic seeds. While new RNA Seq and bioinformatics analyses suggest that the GGGGGC seed is toxic to cancer cells by targeting GCCCCC seed matches in the 3’ UTR of a set of genes critical for cell survival, we now directly confirm this by identifying a number of genes targeted by this seed. Furthermore, by using a luciferase reporter fused to the 3’ UTR of these genes we confirm direct and specific on-targeting of GCCCCC seed matches. Targeting is strongly attenuated after mutating the GCCCCC seed matches in these 3’ UTRs. Our data confirm that an siRNA containing the GGGGGC seed kills cancer cells through its miRNA like activity and points at artificial miRNAs, si- or shRNAs containing this seed as a potential new cancer therapeutics.
Neuronal Correlates of the Perceptual Invariance of Words and Other Sounds in the Supplementary Motor Area of Macaques
Authors: Melchor Jonathan , Morán Isaac , Vergara José , Figueroa Tonatiuh , Perez-Orive Javier , Lemus Luis
Published: December 2020

The supplementary motor area (SMA) of the brain is critical for integrating memory and sensory signals into perceptual decisions. For example, in macaques, SMA activity correlates with decisions based on the comparison of sounds.1In humans, functional MRI shows SMA activation during the invariant recognition of words pronounced by different speakers.2Nevertheless, the neuronal correlates of perceptual invariance are unknown. Here we show that the SMA of macaques associates novel sounds with behaviors triggered by similar learned categories when recognizing sounds such as words. Notably, the neuronal activity at single and population levels correlates with the monkeys’ behaviors (e.g. hits and false alarms). Our results demonstrate that invariant recognitions of complex sounds involve premotor computations in areas other than the temporal and parietal speech areas. Therefore, we propose that perceptual invariance depends on motor predictions and not only sensory representations. We anticipate that studies on speech will observe sensory-motor transformations of acoustic information into motor skills.
The problem of perfect predictors in statistical spike train models
Authors: Farhoodi Sahand , Eden Uri
Published: December 2020

Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) have been used extensively in statistical models of spike train data. However, the IRLS algorithm, which is often used to fit such models, can fail to converge in situations where response and non-response can be separated by a single predictor or a linear combination of multiple predictors. Such situations are likely to arise in many neural systems due to properties such as refractoriness and incomplete sampling of the signals that influence spiking. In this paper, we describe multiple classes of approaches to address this problem: Standard IRLS with a fixed iteration limit, computing the maximum likelihood solution in the limit, Bayesian estimation, regularization, change of basis, and modifying the search parameters. We demonstrate a specific application of each of these methods to spiking data from rat somatosensory cortex and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each. We also provide an example of a roadmap for selecting a method based on the problem’s particular analysis issues and scientific goals.
Characterization of chitin deacetylase genes in theDiaphorina citrigenome
Authors: Miller Sherry , Shippy Teresa D. , Tamayo Blessy , Hosmani Prashant S , Flores-Gonzalez Mirella , Mueller Lukas A , Hunter Wayne B , Brown Susan J , D’elia Tom , Saha Surya
Published: December 2020

Chitin deacetylases (CDAs) are one of the least understood components of insect chitin metabolism. The partial deacetylation of chitin polymers appears to be important for the proper formation of higher order chitin structures, such as long fibers and bundles, that contribute to the integrity of the insect exoskeleton and other structures. Some CDAs may also play a role in bacterial defense. Here we report the characterization of four CDA genes from the Asian citrus psyllid,Diaphorina citri,laying the groundwork for future study of these genes.D. citriis the vector forCandidatusLiberibacter asiaticus (CLas), which is responsible for the global outbreak of Huanglongbing (citrus greening) disease. The manual annotation was done as part of a collaborative community annotation project (https://citrusgreening.org/annotation/index).
Effect of insider trading on stock characteristics
Authors: Nanda Sudipta Kumar , Barai Parama
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper investigates if investors consider legal insider trading data while making investment decisions. If any investment decision is based on insider transactions, then it will result in abnormal stock characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if insider trading affects stock characteristics like price, return and volume. The paper further investigates the effect on stock characteristics after the trade of different types of insiders and the relationship between abnormal return and abnormal volume.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses the event study method to measure the abnormal price, return and volume. Two-stage least square regression is used to investigate the relationship between abnormal return and abnormal volume.

Findings

The insider trades affect price, return and volume. The results are identical for both buy and sell transactions. The trades of different types of insiders have diverse effects on stock characteristics. The trades of substantial shareholders give rise to the highest abnormal price and return, whereas the promoters' trades result in the highest abnormal volume. No relationship is detected between abnormal return and volume.

Originality/value

A novel method to calculate the abnormal price is proposed. The effect of trading of all types of insiders on stock characteristics is analyzed. The relationship between abnormal return and abnormal volume, after an insider trade, is investigated.
Can R&D internationalization improve EMNES' innovation efficiency? The moderating effects of TMT human capital
Authors: Zhong Xi , Song Tiebo , Chen Weihong
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The authors aim to discuss the impact of research and development (R&D) internationalization on emerging market enterprises' (EMNEs') innovation efficiency, as well as the moderating effects of top management team (TMT) human capital.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors empirically tested the hypotheses based on Chinese listed manufacturing company data from 2008 to 2017.

Findings

R&D internationalization helps to increase EMNEs' innovation efficiency. Incorporating TMT human capital into this framework, the authors found that international experience, education level and technical background would all strengthen the above relationship.

Originality/value

First, the authors contribute to the R&D internationalization literature by providing the first empirical evidence that R&D internationalization will influence EMNEs' innovation efficiency. Second, this study enriches the research results on the driving factors of enterprise innovation efficiency and expands the related research results on the relationship between R&D internationalization and production efficiency. Third, the research highlights the prominent position of TMT human capital in the relationship between R&D internationalization and EMNEs' innovation efficiency, which strengthens the contextual characteristics of the “R&D internationalization-innovation performance” framework.
Empirical assessment on factors contributing to integrity practices of Malaysian public sector officers
Authors: Johari Razana Juhaida , Alam Md. Mahmudul , Said Jamaliah
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Integrity-related issues are now endemic to public service bureaucracies. It is claimed that corruption in the public sector is very common in various departments/agencies. Lack of integrity will lead to failings in governance and proper oversight of procedures, and subsequently poor financial management and incidents of fraud. Based on the stakeholder theory perspective, this study examines the influences of accountability, risk management and managerial commitment on practices of integrity in the Malaysian public sector.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data were collected through both printed and online questionnaires given to 210 department heads operating within selected Malaysian federal ministries. Data were analysed via the partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach to examine the research hypotheses.

Findings

It is evident that integrity practices in Malaysia's public sector are statistically significantly related to risk management, accountability and management commitment.

Practical implications

The findings will help the Malaysian federal ministries to take the necessary steps to improve integrity so that dependability and efficiency are the hallmarks of public sector services.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is one of the first to examine the role of accountability, risk management and managerial commitment to integrity in the public sector of a developing market economy.
Hyperspectral estimation of soil organic matter content using grey relational local regression model
Authors: Cao Xuesong , Li Xican , Ren Wenjing , Wu Yanan , Liu Jieya
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aims to improve the accuracy of hyperspectral estimation of soil organic matter content.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the uncertainty in spectral estimation, 76 soil samples collected in Zhangqiu District, Jinan City, Shandong Province, were studied in this paper. First, the spectral transformation of the spectral data after denoising was carried out by means of 11 transformation methods such as reciprocal and square, and the estimation factor was selected according to the principle of maximum correlation. Secondly, the grey weighted distance was used to calculate the grey relational degree between the samples to be estimated and the known patterns, and the local linear regression estimation model of soil organic matter content was established by using the pattern samples closest to the samples to be identified. Thirdly, the models were optimized by gradually increasing the number of modeling samples and adjusting the decision coefficient, and a comprehensive index was constructed to determine the optimal predicted value. Finally, the determination coefficient and average relative error are used to evaluate the validity of the model.

Findings

The results show that the maximum correlation coefficient of the seven estimated factors selected is 0.82; the estimation results of 14 test samples are of high accuracy, among which the determination coefficient R2 = 0.924, and the average relative error is 6.608%.

Practical implications

Studies have shown that it is feasible and effective to estimate the content of soil organic matter by using grey correlation local linear regression model.

Originality/value

The paper succeeds in realizing both the soil organic matter hyperspectral grey relation estimating pattern based on the grey relational theory and the estimating pattern by using the local linear regression.
ICTs usage and skills matching at work: some evidence from Spain
Authors: Caparrós Ruiz Antonio
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This article focuses on the Spanish labour market, and its primary objectives are to analyse the factors determining the ICTs usage at workplace, and examine how the workers' e-skills match with the job tasks requiring ICTs. Furthermore, it will explore whether doing ICTs training activities has a positive effect on the probability of carrying out appropriately the ICTs at work.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology applied is an ordered response model analysing how the workers' e-skills match with the knowledge required to the ICTs usage at the job. This econometric specification will control by the selection bias generated because not all employees use ICTs to perform the job tasks. Data are obtained from the Survey on Equipment and Use of ICTs in Households (ICTS-H Survey).

Findings

Educational attainment and the type of ICTs training are the most relevant variables to explain the ICTs usage and the quality of the job match.

Research limitations/implications

Data used are cross-sectional, and it excludes the possibility of observing how the workers' careers evolve depending on their ICTs training.

Practical implications

The methodology applied allows the authors to obtain the marginal effects to the variables explaining the probability of using ICTs at job, and how the workers' knowledge match with the e-skill required by the employers.

Social implications

The results are a source of information to policymakers about how workers face the introduction of ICTs in the labour market.

Originality/value

To the best of author's knowledge, the article's topic and its methodology are unprecedented in the economic literature and, specially, in the Spanish case.
Do blockchain and circular economy practices improve post COVID-19 supply chains? A resource-based and resource dependence perspective
Authors: Nandi Santosh , Sarkis Joseph , Hervani Aref , Helms Marilyn
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Using the resource-based and the resource dependence theoretical approaches of the firm, the paper explores firm responses to supply chain disruptions during COVID-19. The paper explores how firms develop localization, agility and digitization (L-A-D) capabilities by applying (or not applying) their critical circular economy (CE) and blockchain technology (BCT)-related resources and capabilities that they either already possess or acquire from external agents.

Design/methodology/approach

An abductive approach, applying exploratory qualitative research was conducted over a sample of 24 firms. The sample represented different industries to study their critical BCT and CE resources and capabilities and the L-A-D capabilities. Firm resources and capabilities were classified using the technology, organization and environment (TOE) framework.

Findings

Findings show significant patterns on adoption levels of the blockchain-enabled circular economy system (BCES) and L-A-D capability development. The greater the BCES adoption capabilities, the greater the L-A-D capabilities. Organizational size and industry both influence the relationship between BCES and L-A-D. Accordingly, research propositions and a research framework are proposed.

Research limitations/implications

Given the limited sample size, the generalizability of the findings is limited. Our findings extend supply chain resiliency research. A series of propositions provide opportunities for future research. The resource-based view and resource-dependency theories are useful frameworks to better understanding the relationship between firm resources and supply chain resilience.

Practical implications

The results and discussion of this study serve as useful guidance for practitioners to create CE and BCT resources and capabilities for improving supply chain resiliency.

Social implications

The study shows the socio-economic and socio-environmental importance of BCES in the COVID-19 or similar crises.

Originality/value

The study is one of the initial attempts that highlights the possibilities of BCES across multiple industries and their value during pandemics and disruptions.
Collaboration among healthcare professionals at the public hospitals in Gaza: a quantitative study
Authors: Shaqura Iyad Ibrahim , Baroud Radwan , Sari Ali Akbari
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aimed at assessing the current interprofessional collaboration (IPC) among healthcare professionals at the public hospitals in the Gaza Strip in 2016 through measuring the average level, and also examind the influence of professionals' characteristics on their collaboration.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative, cross-sectional study using a valid and reliable self-administered questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale was conducted. A total of 323 participants from six health professions completed the questionnaire which was analyzed using SPSS version 20 by applying descriptive tests, t-test, ANOVA and inferential analysis (Scheffe test); the statistical significance was considered at p = 0.05.

Findings

The interprofessional collaboration was moderate (71.66%). “General relationships” elicited the highest mean score (3.943) due to participants' belief in its importance, whereas “community linkages and coordination of care” was the lowest (3.181) as a result of the restricted policy in this regard. Gender, age, profession and position have shown statistically significant variables on the overall collaboration. In short, there are differences in the performance of IPC domains and even within items of the same domain.

Research limitations/implications

This study was conducted at only public hospitals; in addition, it was a cross-sectional study, so the causation relationships are difficult to assess. Moreover, the questionnaire was on self-administered basis which might result in misread or misunderstood bias.

Originality/value

This was the first study in the Palestinian context on collaboration between multiple professions using a comprehensive and reliable assessment tool.
Toward better understanding developmental reflection differences for use in management development research and practice
Authors: Maurer Todd , Dimotakis Nikolaos , Hardt Greg , Corner A.J.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

We introduce a new approach to developmental reflection in which the focus is on differences in how people reflect. When reflecting on challenging experiences, people achieve better development when they tend to look for causes of what happened within changeable personal characteristics, and they subsequently focus on the improvement of those personal characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

Supervisors and subordinates with leadership responsibilities in diverse jobs in varied industries provided survey data (444 individuals in a psychometric testing sample, and 419 paired subordinate/supervisor dyads in a model-testing sample).

Findings

The reflection difference construct had the expected factor structure, reliability, and was distinguishable from eight conceptually related variables in the literature. Reflection differences were predicted by the theoretically relevant job, person, and situational variables and were associated with development and performance outcomes.

Practical implications

The reflection construct might be used for prediction to identify the individuals who are likely to get the most from challenging experiences and improve. Further, by identifying predictors of reflection, ideas for enhancing reflection are provided. Also, by uncovering specific underlying dimensionality of reflection, this offers specific targets for interventions beyond generally encouraging people to reflect.

Originality/value

This study establishes support for: (1) the new theoretical framing of reflection differences, (2) a new preliminary model of antecedents and outcomes, and (3) an initial scale for future research and practice that can be more explicit about understanding and addressing underlying differences in how people reflect.
Insights from narrative disclosures regarding integrated thinking in integrated reports in South Africa and Japan
Authors: Arul Rayhan , de Villiers Charl , Dimes Ruth
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aims to provide insights into the poorly understood concept of integrated thinking by comparing and contrasting disclosures related to integrated thinking provided in integrated reports in two different institutional settings.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses content analysis of the narrative sections of integrated reports to explore similarities and differences in the way the concept of integrated thinking is portrayed. It uses a matched sample of financial services companies in two different institutional settings, South Africa (where integrated reporting (IR) is mandatory and IR practices are world-leading) and Japan (where IR is voluntary and interest in IR is still developing). IR adoption is viewed through the lens of institutional theory, focussing on isomorphic forces which affect companies’ structure, policies and practices.

Findings

Even though the conceptualisation of integrated thinking differs between South Africa and Japan, in both settings there is a strong association between integrated thinking disclosures and corporate governance practices, materiality assessments and the pursuit of an industry leadership position, suggesting a link between these concepts and the underlying level of integrated thinking. Japanese disclosures appear to mimic South African disclosures, highlighting South Africa’s leading role in IR, although Japan shows more varied interpretations of integrated thinking.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the growing body of literature on the poorly understood concept of integrated thinking, responding to calls from both academics and practitioners for more research in this area. It shows the potential for integrated thinking to develop through a process of mimicry and highlights South Africa’s leading role in the dissemination of best practice in the field. Its findings relating to the fluid conceptualisation of integrated thinking in different institutional settings will be of interest to regulators and practitioners. To the knowledge this is one of the first studies to consider disclosures relating to integrated thinking in the financial services sector. Focussing on the financial services sector, with its unique features and regulatory frameworks, allows for deeper analysis, free from the potential distortions inherent in studying a broader cross-section of industries. The study also highlights the importance of corporate governance to integrated thinking, suggesting future research avenues.
Governance and risk-taking in conventional and Islamic banks
Authors: Lee Siew Peng , Isa Mansor , Ahmad Rubi , Bacha Obiyathulla Ismath
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship of the board and risk committee in respect of risk-taking in conventional and Islamic banks in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses unbalanced panel data for 15 conventional and 14 Islamic banks over the period 2007–2016. The generalised least squares random effects technique is applied.

Findings

The evidence shows that independent directors and frequency of board meetings reduce risk-taking but that the number of directors with finance and banking experience and those with multiple directorships tend to increase risk-taking. The findings also indicate that the size of the risk committee, the number of directors on the risk committee and the appointment of a designated risk officer tends to reduce risk-taking in banks. By comparing conventional and Islamic banks, the findings show that Islamic banks have lower exposure to portfolio risk but higher insolvency risk.

Practical implications

The findings in this study suggest that the board and risk committee have an impact on bank risk-taking. The implications for management include having more independent directors, fewer directors with multiple board memberships and having an efficient risk committee in order to reduce risks. Regulators should look into the issue of multiple directorships as this is positively related to risk-taking. Islamic banks should expand their operations as our findings indicate that bigger banks are better able to manage risk.

Originality/value

This study covers bank governance and risk committee, which are crucial in influencing the risk-taking behaviour of conventional and Islamic banks.
Quantification of elastic stresses for structurally distorted 90° very thin-walled pipe bends under in-plane bending
Authors: LA Krishna , AR Veerappan , S Shanmugam
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Elastic stress solutions are required in the field of fracture mechanics and the analysis of creep failure. The published precise elastic solutions are not addressing the influence of the manufacturing process induced, inevitable cross sectional deviations called ovality and thinning. The influence of ovality on plastic limit and collapse loads are reported in literature. Hence, it is important to study the combined effect of ovality and thinning on elastic stresses of bends.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper relies on elastic finite element evolutions of stress components– longitudinal membrane stress, longitudinal bending stress, circumferential membrane stress and circumferential bending stresses. Based on the results, the coefficients for the equations are also obtained through the regression analysis.

Findings

New analytical solutions are prescribed to estimate the elastic stresses at the mid-section of the 90° very thin-walled bend with ovality and thinning, when subjected to in-plane bending moment. The ovality has significant influence on elastic stress whereas the thinning is not so. The proposed equations give an accurate estimation of elastic stresses at the mid-section of the bend with the incorporation of the parameters, namely R/rm, rm/t and ovality.

Research limitations/implications

The influence of shape imperfections, namely ovality and thinning on elastic stress of 90° very thin-walled bends having rm/t > 20, subject to in-plane bending moment is proposed.

Originality/value

The influence of shape imperfections, namely ovality and thinning, on elastic stress of 90° very thin-walled bends with rm/t > 20, subject to in-plane bending moment is proposed.
Factors influencing tweet purposes and citizen engagement with municipal Twitter accounts
Authors: Stone Jeffrey A. , Can S. Hakan
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the demographic, resource and internal competition factors that influence both the level of citizen engagement provided by municipal Twitter accounts as well as the primary purposes for which those accounts are used.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses a mixed-methods approach. Twitter data were content analyzed and categorized according to their specific purposes (information dissemination, community building or calls to action). Twitter engagement was measured as an index variable constructed from prior research, and multiple regression was used to determine the factors which best predict both account engagement and tweet purposes.

Findings

The results show that two factors (a multiplatform approach and fiscal health) along with the interaction of those factors predict the level of Twitter-based citizen engagement. Median citizen age was found to significantly predict the percentage of municipal tweets with purposes of information dissemination and community building.

Originality/value

This study adds to the literature on public sector social media use by examining the purposes and practices of local government Twitter use, providing a context for examining how Twitter is employed by local governments for citizen engagement.
Gastric motor dysfunction coincides with the onset of obesity in rats fed with high‐fat diet
Authors: Kaya Sabriye Defne , Sinen Osman , Bülbül Mehmet
Published: December 2020

Exposure to a high‐fat diet (HFD) has been reported to impair central autonomic and enteric neurocircuitries, however, the relevant mechanisms and their time course are inadequately clarified. This study aimed to investigate the effects of HFD consumption through the period of adolescence on gastric motor functions in adulthood. Male Sprague‐Dawley rats consumed a regular diet or HFD (60% kcal by fat) from 4 to 12 weeks of age. Body weight and food intake were monitored weekly. In adult rats, gastric emptying (GE) was measured. Additionally, using in‐vitro organ bath, contractile and relaxant responses of antral and fundic strips were assessed with bethanechol and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), respectively. The expressions of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were detected by immunofluorescence, whereas, the number of myenteric neurons were evaluated by staining with cuprolinic blue and enteric neuronal marker PGP 9.5. In adulthood, the HFD did not alter food intake, while significantly increasing the body weight. In HFD‐fed adult rats, increased visceral fat mass was accompanied by delayed GE. Moreover, bethanechol‐ and SNP‐induced responses were attenuated in antral and fundic tissues. HFD remarkably decreased the number of myenteric neurons and NOS immunoreactivity both in fundus and antrum. HFD remarkably decreased ChAT expression, while increasing the immunoreactivity for VIP in antrum. In conclusion, consumption of HFD between early adolescence and adulthood results in obesity and impairment of gastric motor functions. Particularly, HFD‐induced gastric dysmotility appears to be predominantly dependent on the modifications in the non‐adrenergic non‐cholinergic inhibitory neurotransmission.
URBAN THEORY BETWEEN POLITICAL ECONOMY AND EVERYDAY URBANISM: Desiring Machine and Power in a Saga of Urbanization
Authors: Qian Junxi , An Ning
Published: December 2020

As human society enters an ‘urban age’, the need to interrogate the nature of cities and urbanization processes has become more imperative. To advance this endeavour, this article suggests that the entrenched epistemological distance between the political economy and everyday urbanism approaches must be addressed and bridged. It furnishes a theoretical approach which examines how political economic changes are shaped and contoured by sensibilities and relations around urban lifestyles, identities and the phenomenology of being urban. Above all, it is interested in how urbanization acts as an organizing logic for people to envision and build everyday projects, meanings and identities. This article illustrates these arguments by developing a reading ofThe Chronicle of Zhalie, a novel that is also a saga of urbanization, authored by the Chinese writer Yan Lianke. Working within the genre of mythical realism, Yan provides important points of entry into theorizing the co‐production, co‐evolution and mutual constitution of urban political economy and the social, cultural and political changes at the scale of the everyday and the local. Our analysis is conducted by way of two analytical registers: the urban desiring machine and a conception of power that is relational, performative and interactive.
Identification with management and the organisation as key mechanisms in explaining employee reactions to talent status
Authors: Wikhamn Wajda , Asplund Kajsa , Dries Nicky
Published: December 2020

This study examines how identification with management and the organization explains the relationship between talent status, organizational citizenship behavior towards the organization (OCB‐O) and the supervisor (OCB‐S), and turnover intention. Using archival and survey data (N = 597), we tested two competing models: a parallel and a serial mediation. Results supported serial mediation of management identification through organizational identification; management identification was the most predictive mediator overall. We also found different exchange dynamics depending on the focus of the identification (management or organization) and their corresponding outcomes (OCB‐S and OCB‐O); OCB‐S was most strongly related to management identification. We contribute to the literature by integrating concepts and assumptions from social identity and social exchange theory, and advancing the understanding about employee reciprocation of symbolic resources such as talent status. Practical implications, in particular about encouraging ‘pre‐identification’ with management in order to ensure talents' continued extra‐role behavior and retention, are spelled out.
Housing Condition Differentially Impacts Escalation of Alcohol Intake, Relapse‐Like Drinking, Anxiety‐Like Behavior, and Stress History Effects by Sex
Authors: Moench Kelly M. , Logrip Marian L.
Published: December 2020

Background

Stress triggers alcohol use and relapse to drinking, with different effects by sex. Women are more susceptible to stress‐related alcohol misuse, and most stressors in rodents produce sexually divergent effects. Female rodents are particularly sensitive to the stress produced by solitary housing, yet the impact of housing conditions on the establishment, escalation, and post‐abstinence potentiation of intermittent access alcohol drinking in male and female rats, and the interaction of these factors with stress history are not well described.

Methods

Male (n = 62) and female (n = 64) Wistar rats were housed individually or in pairs separated by a perforated divider. Rats were exposed to light‐cued footshock stress (stress history), or cues alone (control), once daily for 3 days, followed by 8 weeks’ drinking under intermittent access to a 2‐bottle choice (IA2BC), with 20% alcohol (v/v in water) available in addition to water for 24 hours on alternate days. After a 2‐week forced abstinence, anxiety‐like behavior was assessed via defensive withdrawal testing; then, IA2BC alcohol access was renewed for 2 weeks to model relapse‐like behavior.

Results

Pair‐housed female rats did not increase their alcohol intake across the 8‐week drinking period, unlike all other groups, and stress history did not significantly change alcohol consumption. After abstinence, anxiety‐like behavior was greatest in pair‐housed stress history males, whereas alcohol intake was significantly elevated only in female rats, particularly those in solitary housing.

Conclusions

Together, these findings suggest that paired housing differentially contributes to behavior in male and female rats, blunting alcohol intake in females, and unmasking stress history effects on anxiety‐like behavior in males.
The Side Effects of Central Bank Independence
Authors: Aklin Michaël , Kern Andreas
Published: December 2020

Central bank independence (CBI) solves the time inconsistency problem faced by policymakers with respect to monetary policy. However, it does not solve their underlying incentives to manipulate the economy for political gains. Unable to use monetary policy, and often limited in their ability to use fiscal spending, governments can resort to financial deregulation to generate short‐term political benefits. We show qualitatively and quantitatively that governments systematically weaken financial regulations in the aftermath of CBI, and that the effect of CBI is separate from an ideological shift toward liberalization. Our findings suggest that the growing financialization of the economy experienced by many countries over the last few decades is partly a by‐product of central bank independence.
Charismatic Christianity's Hard Cultural Forms and the Local Patterning of the Divine Voice in Ghana
Authors: Dulin John
Published: December 2020

In Ghana, many Charismatic Christians see their spiritual lives as very different from those of “Traditionalists,” practitioners of Ghana's indigenous religion. This article argues that, while there are differences in how each group experiences spirit or divinity, their spiritual experiences share much in common due to, what Strathern calls, “partial connections.” Charismatic Christian spiritual experiences stand out in creating a rupture with the preceding context and highlighting the qualities of inner thought. By contrast, spiritual experiences of Traditionalists give less attention to inner thoughts. Also, they are less characterized by rupture and more by contextual continuity. However, there are patterns of experience these two ritual communities hold in common. Both Charismatic Christian and Traditionalists experience the divine as exerting difficult‐to‐resist pressure. Also, members of both communities tend to blur the line between mental and sensory experience of spiritual entities. I argue that overlapping elements of their shared cultural lifeworld help constitute these common experiential patterns. This article shows that, in some cases, cultural forms with distinct origins interact in a semi‐coherent way to shape the texture of experience. In doing so, it contributes to anthropological thinking on cultural change that occurs at the intersection of local and global cultural forms. [religious experience, indigenous religion, Charismatic Christianity, Ghana]
Cosmic Subjectivity: Guattari and the Production of Subjective Cartographies
Authors: Hynes Maria , Sharpe Scott
Published: December 2020

As social scientists become increasingly aware of the limits of dominant models of subjectivity to address contemporary social, cultural, and environmental problems, Felix Guattari’s emphasis on the machinic and processual dimensions of subjective production offers crucial insights. This paper explores the potential of Guattari’s evocation of the “cosmos” for the reconceptualisation of subjectivity. Among the various concepts of exteriority that Guattari employs throughout his work, the notion of the cosmos evokes the ungrounding effects of encounters with radically unfamiliar ontological universes. The paper invents the notion of cosmic subjectivity as a way of theorising a mode of subjective production that draws from a maximum of ontological universes. Open to the diverse existential rhythms and durations of the universe, cosmic subjectivity abandons the myth of an a priori subject and rejects the universal sense of time that provides its ground. To speak of cosmic subjectivity is to entertain the possibility of subjective processes that are not subjugated to the dominant order, but become compatible with immanent processes of mutation. To give flesh to these claims, the paper briefly explores three science fiction films released in recent years, which gesture, in significantly different ways, beyond the human: War for the Planet of the Apes, Blade Runner 2059 and Arrival. Our use of the films is not meant to provide an outline of a new model of subjectivity, but to give a sense of the complexities of keeping subjective production open to the indeterminate forces of other ontological universes.