bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cell Fate Programming by Transcription Factors and Epigenetic Machinery in Stomatal Development
Authors: Liu Ao , Mair Andrea , Matos Juliana L. , Vollbrecht Macy , Xu Shou-Ling , Bergmann Dominique C.
Published: August 2023

The development of multi-cellular organisms requires coordinated changes in gene expression that are often mediated by the interaction between transcription factors (TFs) and their corresponding cis-regulatory elements (CREs). During development and differentiation, the accessibility of CREs is dynamically modulated by the epigenome. How the epigenome, CREs and TFs together exert control over cell fate commitment remains to be fully understood. In theArabidopsisleaf epidermis, meristemoids undergo a series of stereotyped cell divisions, then switch fate to commit to stomatal differentiation. Newly created or reanalyzed scRNA-seq and ChIP-seq data confirm that stomatal development involves distinctive phases of transcriptional regulation and that differentially regulated genes are bound by the stomatal basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) TFs. Targets of the bHLHs often reside in repressive chromatin before activation. MNase-seq evidence further suggests that the repressive state can be overcome and remodeled upon activation by specific stomatal bHLHs. We propose that chromatin remodeling is mediated through the recruitment of a set of physical interactors that we identified through proximity labeling – the ATPase-dependent chromatin remodeling SWI/SNF complex and the histone acetyltransferase HAC1. The bHLHs and chromatin remodelers localize to overlapping genomic regions in a hierarchical order. Furthermore, plants with stage-specific knock-down of the SWI/SNF components or HAC1 fail to activate specific bHLH targets and display stomatal development defects. Together these data converge on a model for how stomatal TFs and epigenetic machinery cooperatively regulate transcription and chromatin remodeling during progressive fate specification.
No observed effect concentration (NOEC) and minimal effective dose (MED): estimation of non-experimental doses
Authors: Hothorn Ludwig A.
Published: August 2023

In in-vitro or in-vivo bioassays, the no observed effect concentration (NOEC) is often determined. This simple procedure has several disadvantages, including the limitation of being able to estimate only experimental doses. Linear interpolation between adjacent doses overcomes this drawback while maintaining the level of a familywise error rate (FWER) using multiple contrast tests.
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and conspiracy beliefs in Togo: Findings from two cross-sectional surveys
Authors: Akinocho Herve , Brackstone Ken , Eastment Nia , Fantognon Jean-Paul , Head Michael G
Published: August 2023

Togo is a low-income country in West Africa. Estimates suggest that only 25% of the Togolese population have received at least one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine by June 2023. Whilst the early phase of the pandemic vaccine rollout across 2021 was dominated by higher-income countries taking much of the available supply, there have long been sufficient supplies for all nations. Thus, there remains a need to understand reasons for low uptake in countries such as Togo. Two cross-sectional telephone surveys of Togo residents were conducted in December 2020 and January 2022. These surveys asked questions around perceptions of COVID-19, trust in public health messaging, belief in conspiracy theories, and hesitancy around COVID-19 vaccination. Analyses here focus on unvaccinated respondents. Across Survey 1 (N = 1430) and Survey 2 (N = 212), 65% of respondents were men, 47% lived in Lomé (capital city of Togo), 25% completed higher education, 67% were married, and 69% were Christian. Between Surveys 1 and 2, overall hesitancy (33.0% to 58.0%) and beliefs in conspiracy theories (29% to 65%) significantly increased. Using logistics regression, governmental mistrust was the strongest significant predictor of hesitancy (OR: 2.90). Participants who indicated agreement or uncertainty with at least one conspiracy belief also predicted greater vaccine hesitancy (OR: 1.36). Proactive approaches to public health messaging, that better understand reasons for hesitancy across different demographics, can support uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations within Togo. This includes health promotion campaigns that use locally and nationally trusted knowledge providers (e.g. the health service or religious leaders) for greatest effectiveness at reducing impact of misinformation. Key future research should focus around knowledge gaps and areas of mistrust created by the pandemic, such as the impact of misinformation upon routine immunisation uptake.
MiDAS 5: Global diversity of bacteria and archaea in anaerobic digesters
Authors: Dueholm Morten Kam Dahl , Andersen Kasper Skytte , Petersen Anne-Kirstine C. , Rudkjøbing Vibeke , Alves Madalena , Bajón-Fernández Yadira , Batstone Damien , Butler Caitlyn , Cruz Mercedes Cecilia , Davidsson Åsa , Erijman Leonardo , Holliger Christof , Koch Konrad , Kreuzinger Norbert , Lee Changsoo , Lyberatos Gerasimos , Mutnuri Srikanth , O’Flaherty Vincent , Oleskowicz-Popiel Piotr , Pokorna Dana , Rajal Veronica , Recktenwald Michael , Rodríguez Jorge , Saikaly Pascal E. , Tooker Nick , Vierheilig Julia , Vrieze Jo De , Wurzbacher Christian , Nielsen Per Halkjær
Published: August 2023

Anaerobic digestion represents a key biotechnology for the transformation of organic waste into renewable energy (biogas) and relies on complex microbial communities that work in concert to degrade the complex substrates into methane and carbon dioxide. Here, we sequenced more than half a million high-quality, full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences from 285 full-scale anaerobic digesters (ADs) across the world to expand our knowledge about diversity and function of the bacteria and archaea in ADs. The sequences were processed into full-length 16S rRNA amplicon sequence variants (FL-ASVs), which were added to the MiDAS 4 database for bacteria and archaea in wastewater treatment systems to create MiDAS 5. The expansion of the MiDAS database significantly increased the coverage for bacteria and archaea in ADs worldwide, leading to an improved rate of genus and species-level classification. Using MiDAS 5, we carried out an amplicon-based, global-scale microbial community profiling of the sampled ADs using three common sets of primers targeting different regions of the 16S rRNA gene in bacteria and/or archaea. We revealed how environmental conditions and biogeography shape the AD microbiota. We also identify core and conditionally rare or abundant taxa, encompassing 692 genera and 1013 species. These represent 84-99% and 18-61% of the accumulated read abundance respectively, across samples depending on the amplicon primers used. Finally, we examined the global diversity of functional groups with known importance for the anaerobic digestion process. Our online global MiDAS Field Guide presents the data generated in this study and summarizes present knowledge about all taxa.
hnRNP A1 induces aberrant CFTR exon 9 splicingviaa newly discovered Exonic Splicing Silencer element
Authors: Beaumont Christelle , Chou Ming-Yuan , Stuani Cristiana , Buratti Emanuele , Lukavsky Peter Josef
Published: August 2023

RNA-protein interactions play a key role in the aberrant splicing of CFTR exon 9. Exon 9 skipping leads to the production of a non-functional chloride channel associated with severe forms of cystic fibrosis. The missplicing depends primarily on variations in the polymorphic (TG)mTnlocus upstream of exon 9. At the pre-mRNA level, it generates an extended UG-rich binding site for TDP-43, associated with hnRNP A1 recruitment, and prevention of exon 9 3’ splicing site (3’ss) recognition. While TDP-43 is the dominant inhibitor of exon 9 inclusion, the role of hnRNP A1, a protein with two RNA recognition motifs (RRM1 and RRM2) and a glycine-rich domain, remained unclear. In this work, we have studied the interaction between hnRNP A1 and the CFTR pre-mRNA using NMR spectroscopy and Isothermal Thermal Calorimetry (ITC). The affinities are submicromolar and ITC data suggest that the separate RRMs as well as tandem RRMs form 1:1 complexes. NMR titrations reveal that hnRNP A1 interacts with model CTFR 3’ss sequences in a fast exchange regime at the NMR timescale. Splicing assays finally show that this hnRNP A1 binding site represents a previously unknown exonic splicing silencer element. Together, our results shed light on the mechanism of aberrant CFTR exon 9 splicing.
Neural Network Informed Photon Filtering Reduces Artifacts in Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy Data
Authors: Seltmann Alexander , Carravilla Pablo , Reglinski Katharina , Eggeling Christian , Waithe Dominic
Published: August 2023

Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) techniques are well-established tools to investigate molecular dynamics in confocal and super-resolution microscopy. In practice, users often need to handle a variety of sample or hardware-related artifacts, an example being peak artifacts created by bright, slow-moving clusters. Approaches to address peak artifacts exist, but measurements suffering from severe artifacts are typically non-analyzable. Here, we trained a 1-dimensional U-Net to automatically identify peak artifacts in fluorescence time-series and then analyzed the purified, non-artifactual fluctuations by time-series editing. We show that in samples with peak artifacts, the transit time and particle number distributions can be restored in simulations and validated the approach in two independent biological experiments. We propose that it is adaptable for other FCS artifacts, such as detector dropout, membrane movement, or photobleaching. In conclusion, this simulation-based, automated, open-source pipeline makes measurements analyzable which previously had to be discarded and extends every FCS user’s experimental toolbox.
Stratification of enterochromaffin cells by single-cell expression analysis
Authors: Song Yan , Fothergill Linda J. , Lee Kari S. , Liu Brandon Y. , Koo Ada , Perelis Mark , Diwakarla Shanti , Callaghan Brid , Huang Jie , Wykosky Jill , Furness John B. , Yeo Gene W.
Published: August 2023

Dynamic interactions between gut mucosal cells and the external environment are essential to maintain gut homeostasis. Enterochromaffin (EC) cells transduce both chemical and mechanical signals and produce 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) to mediate disparate physiological responses. However, the molecular and cellular basis for functional diversity of ECs remains to be adequately defined. Here, we integrated single-cell transcriptomics with spatial image analysis to identify fourteen EC clusters that are topographically organized along the gut. Subtypes predicted to be sensitive to the chemical environment and mechanical forces were identified that express distinct transcription factors and hormones. APiezo2+population in the distal colon was endowed with a distinctive neuronal signature. Using a combination of genetic, chemogenetic and pharmacological approaches, we demonstratedPiezo2+ECs are required for normal colon motility. Our study constructs a molecular map for ECs and offers a framework for deconvoluting EC cells with pleiotropic functions.
Interplay betweenPitx2andPax7temporally governs specification of extraocular muscle progenitors
Authors: Kuriki Mao , Comai Glenda , Tajbakhsh Shahragim
Published: August 2023

Gene regulatory networks that act upstream of skeletal muscle fate determinants are distinct in different anatomical locations. Despite recent efforts, a clear understanding of the cascade of events underlying the emergence and maintenance of the stem cell pool in specific muscle groups remains unresolved and debated. Here, we invalidatedPitx2with multipleCre-driver mice prenatally, postnatally, and during lineage progression and showed that this gene becomes progressively dispensable for specification and maintenance of the extraocular muscle (EOM) stem cell pool, yet it is the major EOM upstream regulator during early development. Moreover, constitutive inactivation ofPax7postnatally showed a greater loss of muscle stem cells in the EOM compared to the limb, pointing to a relay betweenPitx2,Myf5andPax7for maintenance of the EOM stem cells. Further, we demonstrate that EOM stem cells adopt a quiescent state earlier that those in limb muscles and do not spontaneously re-enter in proliferation in the adult as previously suggested, yet EOMs have a significantly higher content of Pax7+ muscle stem cells per area pre- and post-natally. This unique feature could result from different dynamics of lineage progressionin vivo, given the lower fraction of committed and differentiating EOM myoblasts. Finally, significantly less MuSCs are present in EOM compared to the limb in themdxmouse model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Overall, our study provides a comprehensive in vivo characterization of muscle stem cell heterogeneity along the body axis and brings further insights into the unusual sparing of EOM during muscular dystrophy.
Linking organizational justice to tourism and hospitality employees’ service orientation: the roles of Confucian values and relationship quality
Authors: Wang Qingjuan , Sun Ning , Hon Alice H.Y. , Zhu Zheng
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the moderating effect of Confucian values and the mediating effect of relationship quality on the relationship between organizational justice and employee service orientation in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling was applied to a sample of 421 responses in a questionnaire survey from employees of tourism and hospitality firms in mainland China.

Findings

Employee relationship quality fully mediated the relationship between organizational justice and service orientation. Confucian values negatively moderated the direct effect of organizational justice on employee relationship quality and the indirect effect of organizational justice on service orientation.

Practical implications

This study offers insights for hospitality managers how to improve employee service orientation and establish Confucian values in the practice of organizational justice. Tourism and hospitality organizations should equally treat all employees as internal customers and use distinct strategies to manage employees with high and low Confucian values in employee selection and management of training and development.

Originality/value

This study highlights the contributions of organizational justice and relationship quality to employee service orientation. It also demonstrates that Confucian values explain why many Chinese employees are less sensitive to low fairness: these values negatively moderate the organizational justice–relationship quality–service orientation relations. By linking organizational justice to relationship quality and employee service orientation, the findings enrich our understanding of the applications of internal marketing and social exchange theories under Confucian values.
Legal and regulatory framework for mobile banking in Tanzania
Authors: Ally Abdallah Mrindoko
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to assess the legal and regulatory framework for mobile banking (M-banking) in Tanzania. The technological development in information and communication technologies has converted a mobile phone from a simple communication device to a very complex instrument that allows people to perform various digital transactions and extra operations such as web browsing and email reading. Such tremendous developments have brought in place the regime of M-banking. The birth of M-banking has brought legal and institutional challenges that were not anticipated before. It has complicated the traditional role of the telecommunication regulator and financial regulator in the business and caused legal gaps that need to be bridged.

Design/methodology/approach

To disclose the legal gaps and bridge them, the study used doctrinal legal method and comparative study to learn the experience of international legal instruments and policies and laws of other jurisdictions. This paper has evaluated the contribution of international legal instruments and legal frameworks of foreign jurisdictions such as Kenya and the Philippines.

Findings

It has been revealed that the prevailing laws regulating M-banking in Tanzania do not adequately address and bridge the existing legal gaps. There is a need to enact a specific law regulating M-banking and confer such powers to a specific institution to deal with regulatory issues.

Originality/value

This paper stresses the importance of enacting new laws that will offer room for financial inclusion in the digital economy and protect consumers against financial risk. It also intends to act as a catalyst and change agent in policy and legislative development in the M-banking industry. It would also bring special attention to addressing consumer rights, security and risky issues surrounding the M-banking industry. Although several other authors in Tanzania have written in this area, they have not clearly focused on disclosing the existing legal gaps resulting from the convergence of the financial and communication sectors. This paper is therefore trying to offer an extensive discussion on the legislative development in the M-banking industry in Tanzania.
On-the-job training, wages and digitalisation: evidence from European firms
Authors: Jona-Lasinio Cecilia , Venturini Francesco
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The authors illustrate that there are significant differences in the wage performance across companies in relation to the digital content of their production and training activities.

Design/methodology/approach

Using company-level data from three waves of the Continuing Vocational Training Survey (2005, 2010 and 2015), this paper provides an overview on European firms implementing training and the magnitude of their training effort.

Findings

The authors conduct a regression analysis documenting that a wage premium of 9% is associated with companies undertaking training and that an additional 8% is paid by firms arranging training for IT skills-intensive workers. The latter effect is pervasive across sectors and is not strictly related to industry exposure to the digital transformation.

Originality/value

The authors assess the wage effect of training, in relation to the digital content of firm production or job tasks, using a large set of European companies (112,000), from countries with different degree of specialisation and institutional setting. The analysis covers a significant period of time of the last wave of digitalisation (2005, 2010, 2015).
Looking at the bright side of workplace politics through the lens of social capital
Authors: Tripathi Swati
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to challenge the older perspective on the nature of workplace politics and its disruptive role in organizations. In particular, this paper references the positive aspect of meaningful relationship building that is promoted by workplace politics and how the very politicking becomes a necessary tool for generating and maintaining social capital within the organizational boundaries.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper relies on presenting author’s viewpoint on positive workplace politics and its intertwined relationship with social capital.

Findings

In the process of politicking, the relationships built, the networks established and maintained and the social capital acquired are of immense value. To thwart the negative effects of organizational politics such as disengagement from work, intentions to quit, low job satisfaction, etc., we must look into the multidimensional nature of politics and the value that social capital adds to it.

Research limitations/implications

The positive side of politics has long been in the shadows of its pronounced negative side. The paper presents the ground work for exploring the many colours of organizational politics and also delve into the factors that can thwart the negative effects of politics that may be experienced by the employees.

Originality/value

The paper contends that workplace politics is not just responsible for the disruptive and unwanted behaviours but is rather an important source of the positive and productive interpersonal relationships that are often useful in accomplishing individual and organizational goals.
Exploring investors' willingness to use robo-advisors: mediating role of emotional response
Authors: Xia Huosong , Zhang Qian , Zhang Justin Zuopeng , Zheng Leven J.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate investors' willingness to use robo-advisors from customers' perspectives and analyzes the factors that drive them to use robo-advisors, including perceived usefulness and emotional response.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors extend the Cognition-Affect-Conation (CAC) framework to the behavioral domain of robo-advisor users on financial technology platforms and conduct an empirical study based on 248 valid questionnaires.

Findings

The authors find two types of factors driving the willingness to use robo-advisors: perceived usefulness, trust and perceived risk as external driving forces and investor sentiment as an internal driving force. Trust has a significant positive effect on willingness to use, and arousal in emotional response plays a mediating role between perceived usefulness and willingness to use.

Originality/value

This research provides valuable insights for financial institutions to engage in robo-advisor innovation from customers' perspectives.
What drives students toward ChatGPT? An investigation of the factors influencing adoption and usage of ChatGPT
Authors: Tiwari Chandan Kumar , Bhat Mohd. Abass , Khan Shagufta Tariq , Subramaniam Rajaswaminathan , Khan Mohammad Atif Irshad
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors determining students’ attitude toward using newly emerged artificial intelligence (AI) tool, Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT), for educational and learning purpose based on technology acceptance model.

Design/methodology/approach

The recommended model was empirically tested with partial least squares structural equation modeling using 375 student survey responses.

Findings

The study revealed that students have a favorable view of the instructional use of ChatGPT. Usefulness, social presence and legitimacy of the tool, as well as enjoyment and motivation, contribute to a favorable attitude toward using this tool in a learning environment. However, perceived ease of use was not found to be a significant determinant in the adoption and utilization of ChatGPT by the students.

Practical implications

This research is intended to benefit enterprises, academic institutions and the global community by offering light on how students perceive the ChatGPT service in an educational setting. Furthermore, the application enhances confidence and interest among learners, leading to improved literacy and general awareness. Eventually, the outcome of this research will help AI developers to improve their product and service delivery, as well as benefit regulators in regulating the usage of AI-based bots.

Originality/value

Due to its novelty, the current research on AI-based ChatGPT usage in the education sector is rather restricted. This study provides the adoption aspects of ChatGPT, a new AI-based technology for students, thereby contributing significantly to the existing research on the adoption of advanced education technologies. In addition, the literature lacks research on the adoption of ChatGPT by students for educational purposes; this study addresses this gap by identifying adoption determinants of ChatGPT in education.
Examining B2B channel decision-making within differential quality-level zone: a supply chain design using a non-cooperative strategic game theoretic approach (“Stackelberg Supply Chain for B2B”)
Authors: Cao Bin , Dubey Rameshwar , Luo Zongwei
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The consumers want to purchase the target products in the right place, whereas the manufacturers want to allocate their possible products to optimal distribution channels. The manufacturer must know how to handle itself in this business. The study aims to examine the B2B channel decision-making with different product qualities in a non-cooperative supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors develop a B2B Manufacturer-Stackelberg game as an analytical framework, combining asymmetric preference of purchase channels choice by the consumers, a continuous quality setting of the manufacturer and differential channel structure to study the manufacturer’s product strategy and channel optimisation. By horizontal comparisons across four channel structures, product variety can be classified into the differential quality-level zone through exogenous quality intervention, and the preference of manufacturers in each quality-level zone within the structures can be ranked.

Findings

Theoretically and practically, the hybrid-channel structure should be completely neglected when the direct channel dominates the retail channel. In contrast, dual-channel structures dominate single channels irrespective of the channel power, and channel preferences between high-quality and low-quality zones are stable, whereas the preference in medium-quality zone is unstable. In addition, the supply chain system cannot achieve global Pareto improvement without any additional coordination mechanism between the manufacturer and the retailer.

Originality/value

The extended results by numerical examples suggest that the bigger the area of the medium-quality zone, the more significant the product variety of the manufacturer.
Understanding impulse buying: a two-faceted tale
Authors: Yassin Cherouk Amr , Soares Ana Maria
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Drawing upon the elaboration likelihood model, this study aims to illuminate contradictory findings from previous research regarding the impact of positive and negative emotions, as well as promotions, on impulse buying (IB). Specifically, this study takes a two-faceted approach to IB, considering both affective IB and cognitive IB.

Design/methodology/approach

A proposed model of IB is tested using a mall intercept survey.

Findings

The findings provide evidence for the two-dimensional nature of IB. Cognitive and affective IB are affected differently by promotions and emotions, and in turn, have different impacts on cognitive dissonance (CD). Specifically, promotions have a positive effect only on cognitive IB, while positive emotions have a positive effect only on affective IB. Additionally, cognitive IB positively affects CD, while affective IB does not.

Research limitations/implications

Future research could explore different types of IB and unplanned purchases, consider the valence and arousal dimensions of emotions and examine how technological changes impact IB. Additionally, studying satisfaction as a mediator between IB and cognitive dissonance can contribute to the understanding of IB post-purchase outcomes.

Practical implications

By tailoring promotional techniques to cognitive IB and using positive emotions to stimulate affective IB, retailers can enhance the effectiveness of strategies. Furthermore, post-purchase strategies can be developed to reduce the negative effects of CD.

Originality/value

By exploring the different dimensions of IB and their relationships with CD, this study enhances our understanding of the underlying processes and mechanisms that drive consumer IB behavior during and after shopping trips.
Bank crisis resolution in India
Authors: Bhusan Soumik , Dayanandan Ajit , Gopal Naresh
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The academic literature has examined why bank runs happen based on the work of 2022 Nobel Prize-winning economists Diamond and Dybvig. They have found the source of banking/financial crisis in terms of mismatch between liabilities (deposits being short term and savers wanting to short-term access to their money) and assets (long term and illiquid). The Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) crisis intensified when it came under Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This situation provides the opportunity to study whether the elements embodied in the theoretical models like Diamond and Dybvig hold true for LVB crisis. This study aims to examine the reasons for the demise of LVB in India using DuPont financial model, peer group analysis and time series structural break in crucial financial parameters.

Design/methodology/approach

The study examines the reason for insolvency of LVB using financial ratios, financial models (DuPont), financial distress model (Z-score) and asset-liability management. The study also adopts univariate structural break models using quarterly financial data covering the key financial measures used in the RBI’s PCA framework.

Findings

LVB crisis is like Diamond–Dybvig model, in the sense, savers requiring short-term access to their money (liquidity for their deposits) on the information of high non-performing assets, which further deteriorates the illiquid nature of loan portfolio (assets) of banks. The study finds its profit margin (net interest margin and non-interest margin) and managerial efficiency had started deteriorating since 2018. The study finds that LVB’s main weakness lies in its limited credit appraisal ability, its monitoring and weak internal controls. Lending to sensitive sectors (like real estate, capital markets and commodities) and exposure to large business groups also contributed to its weakness. The study also finds huge, elevated asset-liability mismatch, especially in the short-term maturity buckets. Using univariate econometric time series model, the study also confirms financial weakness being evident much earlier than the time when resolution was undertaken by the RBI through PCA.

Research limitations/implications

The study has implications for analysing and monitoring financial distress of banks. The study also has implications for devising banking regulation and supervision.

Originality/value

The study brings in a perspective of the banking regulations using the application of PCA framework on a listed private sector bank. The authors combine an accounting ratio model and combine risk measures that could identify the incipient risks in a bank. The authors believe this will help in refinement of banking regulations and better monitoring mechanisms.
Societal trust and bank opacity
Authors: Kladakis George , Bellos Sotirios K. , Skouralis Alexandros
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the relationship between societal trust and bank asset opacity using an international sample of banks.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use an international data set of banks and panel regressions. For robustness purposes, the authors use multiple measures of both societal trust and bank opacity as well as two-stage least squares regressions to address endogeneity concerns.

Findings

The authors find that societal trust is negatively associated with the opacity of bank portfolios.

Practical implications

Results of this study inform regulators on the importance of trust for the banking sector and support policies towards enhancing trust in banks. Also, a sustained environment of high levels of trust in banks can prevent the introduction of extensive prudential regulations that policymakers often use to establish trust, as well as lower the additional resources required when trust levels are low.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that examines this relationship. The literature provides only limited evidence and not for the banking sector, for which opacity is of outmost importance.
Exploring slum life and urban poverty in Lagos: the politics of everyday resistance in Chris Abani's Graceland
Authors: Soliman Nada
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The paper aims to look into the implications of urban informality in Chris Abani's Graceland as represented in slum life and urban poverty as products of over urbanization and globalization, seeking to unravel multi-layers of the human side of the slum.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines slum life from a descriptive approach to highlight how people survive under poverty. The study of the culture of slums entails an analysis of the survival techniques and everyday practices of slum dwellers, the relations and patterns of behavior and the outcomes of the interplay between place, culture and power relations in such communities.

Findings

The urban slum dwellers utilize everyday forms of resistance which comprise a number of “low-profile techniques” to subvert state-imposed power structures and break the cycle of poverty.

Research limitations/implications

Despite the relevance of a post-colonial approach to the texts, this paper is limited to the study of the impact of urban poverty on individuals.

Practical implications

The margin, represented in the urban poor, is brought into focus and perceived in a new light of empowerment which challenges alienating discourses.

Social implications

The multidimensional vision of Nigeria in Abani's text highlights the cultural and economic impacts of multiculturalism, neocolonialism and globalization on the urban poor.

Originality/value

The paper formulates a framework for understanding the culture of the slum as a space of a peculiar nature, seeking to deconstruct a fixed view of slum life and poverty culture.
Understanding consumer behaviour in evolving subscription markets – lessons from sports season tickets research
Authors: McDonald Heath , Dunn Steven , Schreyer Dominik , Sharp Byron
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose is to review literature on sports season ticket subscriptions to distil current knowledge and guide future research and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review is conducted of research on sports season tickets, a long-established and innovative subscription category.

Findings

In-depth examination of 28 papers showed a focus on drivers of satisfaction, churn and renewal causes, and product utilisation rates. Subscription markets typically involve many “solely loyal” consumers, most purchasing one or two subscriptions in a category. From reduced barriers to entry and exit to “curated” subscriptions, subscription marketing is changing very quickly. Sports marketers build relationships with subscribers using behavioural data, tier benefits to distinguish between casual and subscribing customers, and create recall and scarcity around key aspects of subscription to combat churn and increase utilisation.

Research limitations/implications

Scarce research on subscription marketing practices remains the primary limitation. Existing research suggests that strong connections between subscriber and organisation, heavy product utilisation and/or strong barriers to switching drive customer satisfaction and retention.

Practical implications

Rapid expansion of subscription products should reduce “excess loyalty”, meaning that subscription models' main benefit will be limited to reoccurring revenue. Exceptions occur when consumers are heavily connected to the product or have little provider choice, so allocate their category buying exclusively. New subscription products face myriad challenges. Guidance on effective subscription marketing from sports marketing research and practice is outlined.

Originality/value

By combining research on market structure, marketing empirical generalisations and subscription marketing, this paper guides future research and practice.
Sound absorption performance of composite structures from a kind of lightweight ceramic foam with perforated plate
Authors: Liu P.S. , Song S. , Sun J.X.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is mainly to know: (1) the sound absorption coefficient of porous composite structures constituted by a new kind of lightweight ceramic foam and perforated plate; (2) the availability of an equivalent porous material model, recently proposed by the present author, to these composite structures in sound absorption.

Design/methodology/approach

A kind of lightweight ceramic foam with bulk density of 0.38–0.56 g·cm-3 was produced by means of molding, drying and sintering. The effect of stainless steel perforated plate on sound absorption performance of the ceramic foam was investigated by means of JTZB absorption tester.

Findings

The results indicate that the sound absorption performance could be obviously changed by adding the stainless steel perforated plate in front of the porous samples and the air gap in back of the porous samples. Adding the perforated plate to the porous sample with a relatively large pore size, the sound absorption performance could be evidently improved for the composite structure. When the air gap is added to the composite structure, the first absorption peak shifts to the lower frequency, and the sound absorption coefficient could increase in the low frequency range.

Originality/value

Based on the equivalent porous material model and the “perforated plate with air gap” model, the sound absorption performance of the composite structures can be simulated conveniently to a great extent by using Johnson-Champoux-Allard model.
Attachment, stress and interactional justice
Authors: Richards David A. , Albert Lumina S. , Schat Aaron C.H.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how individuals' attachment dispositions relate to interactional justice perceptions, how work stressors moderate this association, and how together they associate with attitudes (satisfaction, turnover intention, commitment) and citizenship behaviors at work.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were used in an observed variable path analysis examining mediation by interactional justice and moderation by stressors on the associations between attachment dimensions and work outcomes.

Findings

Attachment avoidance was negatively related to interactional justice perceptions and attachment anxiety was also negatively related to interactional justice perceptions, but only under conditions of higher work stressors. Interactional justice mediated the associations between attachment avoidance and work outcomes, and between the interaction of attachment anxiety and work stressors on work outcomes.

Practical implications

These findings are particularly relevant to multiple aspects of HR practice, including performance feedback, managing stressors, building resilience, reward allocation and recognition, designing wellness programs and other aspects of human resource management.

Originality/value

This research goes beyond contextual predictors of justice perceptions and demonstrates that jointly considering attachment dimensions and work stressors uniquely contributes to understanding the formation of justice perceptions and their combined influence on work attitudes and behavior.
A bibliometric visualization of behavioral biases in investment decision-making
Authors: Dhingra Barkha , Yadav Mahender , Saini Mohit , Mittal Ruhee
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis to provide a comprehensive picture and identify future research directions to enrich the existing literature on behavioral biases.

Design/methodology/approach

The data set comprises 518 articles from the Web of Science database. Performance analysis is used to highlight the significant contributors (authors, institutions, countries and journals) and contributions (highly influential articles) in the field of behavioral biases. In addition, network analysis is used to delve into the conceptual and social structure of the research domain.

Findings

The current review has identified four major themes: “Influence of behavioral biases on investment decisions,” “Determinants of home bias,” “Impact of biases on stock market variables” and “Investors’ decision-making under uncertainty.” These themes reveal that a majority of studies have focused on equity markets, and research on other asset classes remains underexplored.

Research limitations/implications

This study extracted data from a single database (Web of Science) to ensure standardization of results. Consequently, future research could broaden the scope of the bibliometric review by incorporating multiple databases.

Originality/value

The novelty of this research is to provide valuable guidance by evaluating the existing literature and advancing the knowledge base on the conceptual and social structure of behavioral biases.
IT consulting leaders need to level-up in 2023 to meet the big challenges of the talent arms race
Authors: Mankertz Toby
Published: August 2023

Purpose

With almost 95% of employers in the tech space experiencing a skills shortage, it is vital that IT consultants act now to futureproof their own skillsets to ensure they can provide business support services in the future. This paper aims to outline precisely how consulting businesses can overcome this industry challenge.

Design/methodology/approach

The author draws on his first-hand industry experience and third-party research to highlight how IT consultancy firms can futureproof operations and safeguard against major skills shortages.

Findings

During the course of research, three key industry challenges were uncovered and addressed. These provide the basis of the paper and focus on intelligent automation to transform operations, the reallocation of resources to support hybrid working and evergreen cloud automation supported by Managed Services Providers to mitigate against cybersecurity risk.

Practical implications

This paper aims to guide IT consulting businesses seeking to counteract industry challenges by ensuring a strong digital infrastructure. The desired outcome of this paper is to encourage businesses to take the necessary next steps to become digitally mature enough to bridge the skills divide.

Originality/value

This paper comes during a period when businesses are being negatively impacted by supply chain shortages and economic downturn, as well as skill shortages. It provides a digestible checklist of the support that comes from a strong digital backbone and how this will help IT consulting businesses address the future of work challenges today.
The learner's pathway to argumentation: an analysis of social studies inquiry design
Authors: Fitzgerald Jason
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illuminate for social studies teachers and teacher educators the ways in which students' disciplinary writing is scaffolded within the context of the inquiry design model; trends in such scaffolding are called “the learner's pathway,” since it leads students to more abstract levels of historical argumentation. The author argues that engaging historical writing genres is a necessary component of historical thinking and that understanding the ways that teachers support students' historical writing capacities can help them to make more intentional choices when building inquiries.

Design/methodology/approach

To study genre-related scaffolding across inquiries, this study draws on systemic functional linguistics (SFL)-based genre theory as an analytical structure and seventy-four history-focused secondary social studies inquiries to determine any patterns in the ways that teachers scaffold students' writing genres through an inquiry.

Findings

Findings suggest that there is a learner's pathway that teachers use to develop students' argumentative writing capacities; however, there is also evidence to suggest that notetaking and source synthesis are not valued instructional products, limiting the potential impact of historical thinking work within the inquiry process.

Practical implications

The existence of this learner's pathway has implications for the ways that teachers and preservice teachers can be professionally developed to leverage this pathway. Rather than the often-used methods of support students' generic writing capacities, professional development should focus on the ways social studies teachers can guide students to more abstract reasoning through their writing. This study's findings also have implications for the ways that social studies teachers assess students' summative arguments. Assessment practices should focus on the genre-features of “argument” rather than just the stages of the argumentative essay.

Originality/value

This piece is original because genre-based research is missing from much of the social studies education research. This study's findings present an additional paradigm through which social studies teachers and teacher leaders can explore the purposes of historical writing tasks and assessment.
Ultrasonic S‐wave indirectly detects the very narrow gap at contact of grains: Glass beads and Ottawa sands
Authors: Li Guangquan , Li Xiang , Wang Yuchao
Published: August 2023

Considerably different from sandstones, sands have point‐like contact of grains. In contrast, sandstones have cementation between grains, which has diminished the very narrow gap at contact of grains. In this paper, ultrasonic S‐wave in brine‐saturated glass beads and Ottawa sands is used to detect the very narrow space at contact of grains. The data of the dry beads/sands and brine are inputted into Biot theory to yield phase velocity of the saturated beads/sands. By fitting the theoretical velocity with the ultrasonic measurement, phase velocity, the quality factor and S‐wave permeability are determined as functions of frequency. The predicted ultrasonic quality factors appear to be very close to that of water‐saturated Berea sandstone. Our previous study showed that for Berea sandstone, the low‐frequency S‐wave permeability is approximately half of Darcy permeability. However, for glass beads and Ottawa sands, the S‐wave permeabilities at low frequencies are one‐order magnitude lower than Darcy permeabilities. This well shows that S‐wave permeability of the beads/sands is associated with the very narrow gap at contact of grains which is successfully detected by ultrasonic S‐wave in the indirect way.
The Power of Unintended Consequences: Strategic Naïvety, China and the End of the US Empire
Authors: Ogden Chris , Bhaskar Mark
Published: August 2023

The decline of major global empires has frequently rested upon an act of strategic naïvety. Such an action or decision, although innocuous at the time, results many decades later in those empires collapsing. History is punctuated by examples of great powers that have misjudged the intentions of a rising power, leading to a highly adversarial relationship. Such unintended consequences can be seen in United States policy towards China, which has allowed Beijing to emerge as a clear competitor that is threatening to usurp US hegemony. This article considers these dynamics across seven major empires, dating from ancient Carthage circa 814 BC to modern day Pax Americana. By connecting the past to the present, we find that comparable acts of strategic naïvety by other empires are now increasingly evident in current US‐China relations, and which have often occurred for similar reasons.