bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Empirical Approach to Developing an Optimal Socioeconomic Status Index for Health Surveillance
Authors: LaFantasie Jordge , Boscoe Francis
Published: January 2022

The association between multi-dimensional deprivation and public health is well established, and many area-based indices have been developed to measure or account for socioeconomic status in health surveillance. The Yost Index, developed in 2001, has been adopted in the US for cancer surveillance and is based on the combination of two heavily weighted (household income, poverty) and five lightly weighted (rent, home value, employment, education and working class) indicator variables. Our objectives were to 1) update indicators and find a more parsimonious version of the Yost Index by examining potential models that included indicators with more balanced weights/influence and reduced redundancy and 2) test the statistical consistency of the factor upon which the Yost Index is based. Despite the usefulness of the Yost Index, a one-factor structure including all seven Yost indicator variables is not statistically reliable and should be replaced with a three-factor model to include the true variability of all seven indicator variables. To find a one-dimensional alternative, we conducted maximum likelihood exploratory factor analysis on a subset of all possible combinations of fourteen indicator variables to find well-fitted one-dimensional factor models and completed confirmatory factor analysis on the resulting models. One indicator combination (poverty, education, employment, public assistance) emerged as the most stable unidimensional model. This model is more robust to extremes in local cost of living conditions, is comprised of ACS variables that rarely require imputation by the end-user and is a more parsimonious solution than the Yost index with a true one-factor structure.
Mitochondrial Network Configuration Influences Sarcomere and Myosin Filament Structure in Striated Muscles
Authors: Katti Prasanna , Hall Alexander S. , Ajayi Peter T. , Kim Yuho , Willingham T. Bradley , Bleck Christopher K. E. , Wen Han , Glancy Brian
Published: January 2022

Sustained muscle contraction occurs through interactions between actin and myosin filaments within sarcomeres and requires a constant supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from nearby mitochondria. However, it remains unclear how different physical configurations between sarcomeres and mitochondria alter the energetic support for contractile function. Here, we show that sarcomere cross-sectional area (CSA) varies along its length in a cell type-dependent manner where the reduction in Z-disk CSA relative to the sarcomere center is closely coordinated with mitochondrial network configuration in flies, mice, and humans. Further, we find myosin filaments near the sarcomere periphery are curved relative to interior filaments with greater curvature for filaments near mitochondria compared to sarcoplasmic reticulum. Finally, we demonstrate smaller myosin filament lattice spacing at filament ends than filament centers in a cell type-dependent manner. These data suggest both sarcomere structure and myofilament interactions are influenced by the location and orientation of mitochondria within muscle cells.
A Four-Step Enzymatic Cascade for Efficient Production of L- Phenylglycine from Biobased L-Phenylalanine
Authors: Zhu Yuling , Yuan Jifeng
Published: January 2022

Enantiopure amino acids are of particular interest in the agrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. Here, we reported a multi-enzyme cascade for efficient production of L-phenylglycine (L-Phg) from biobased L-phenylalanine (L-Phe). We first attempted to engineer Escherichia coli for expressing L-amino acid deaminase (LAAD) from Proteus mirabilis, hydroxymandelate synthase (HmaS) from Amycolatopsis orientalis, (S)-mandelate dehydrogenase (SMDH) from Pseudomonas putida, the endogenous aminotransferase (AT) encoded by ilvE and L-glutamate dehydrogenase (GluDH) from E. coli. However, 10 mM L-Phe only afforded the synthesis of 7.21 ± 0.15 mM L-Phg. The accumulation of benzoylformic acid suggested that the transamination step might be rate-limiting. We next used leucine dehydrogenase (LeuDH) from Bacillus cereus to bypass the use of L-glutamate as amine donor, and 40 mM L-Phe gave 39.97 ± 3.84 mM (6.04 ± 0.58 g/L) L-Phg, reaching 99.9% conversion. In summary, this work demonstrated a concise four-step enzymatic cascade for the L-Phg synthesis from biobased L-Phe, with a potential for future industrial applications.

Graphical abstract

a concise four-step enzymatic cascade for the L-phenylglycine synthesis from biobased L-phenylalanine was devised. 40 mM L-phenylalanine afforded the synthesis of 39.97 ± 3.84 mM (6.04 ± 0.58 g/L) L-phenylglycine, reaching 99.9% conversion.
Collagen-binding integrin α11β1 contributes to joint destruction in arthritic hTNFtg mice
Authors: Deichsel Adrian , De Giuseppe Anna , Zeinert Isabel , Rauwolf Kerstin , Lu Ning , Beckmann Denise , Krause Annika , Eckes Beate , Hansen Uwe , Kronenberg Daniel , Gullberg Donald , Pap Thomas , Korb-Pap Adelheid
Published: January 2022

Background

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), fibroblast like synoviocytes (FLS) undergo a “tumor-like” transformation, wherein they develop an aggressive phenotype that is characterized by increased adhesion to components of cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) and that contributes extensively to joint destruction. The collagen binding integrin α11β1 was previously shown to be involved in similar processes in cancer-associated fibroblasts mediating tumorigenicity and metastasis in certain tumors. Therefore, this study aimed to study the role of integrin α11β1 in RA and to characterize the effects of α11β1 deficiency on the disease course and severity in arthritic hTNFtg mice.

Methods

The expression levels of integrin α11β1 were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and western blot analysis in synovial samples and FLS of patients with RA and osteoarthritis (OA) as well as in samples from wild type (wt) and arthritic hTNFtg mice. Furthermore, the subcellular expression of integrin α11β1 was investigated in co-culture experiments with cartilage explants and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. To investigate the effects of integrin α11β1 deficiency, itga11-/- mice were interbred with hTNFtg mice and disease severity was assessed by clinical scoring of grip strength and paw swelling over the disease course. Hind paws of 12-weeks-old mice of all genotypes were analyzed by µCT imaging followed by stainings of paraffin-embedded tissue sections with Toluidine-blue and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) to evaluate established parameters of joint destruction such as inflammation area, cartilage destaining, FLS attachment to the cartilage surface, and bone damage.

Results

Expression levels of integrin α11β1 were clearly elevated in synovial tissues and FLS from RA patients and hTNFtg mice, compared to the controls derived from OA patients and wt mice. Interestingly, this expression was shown to be particularly localized in focal adhesions of the FLS. As revealed by transmission electron microscopy, integrin α11β1 expression was particularly evident in areas of direct cellular contact with the ECM of cartilage. Evaluations of clinical scorings and histomorphological analyses demonstrated that itga11-/-hTNFtg displayed alleviated clinical symptoms, higher bone volume, less cartilage destruction and reduced FLS attachment to the cartilage in comparison to hTNFtg mice.

Conclusions

The collagen-binding integrin α11β1 is upregulated in the context of RA and its deficiency in mice with an inflammatory hTNFtg background leads to a significant reduction in the arthritic phenotype which makes integrin α11β1 an interesting target for therapeutical intervention.
High-titer production of aromatic amines in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli
Authors: Yang Taiwei , Wu Peiling , Zhang Yang , Yuan Jifeng
Published: January 2022

Aromatic amines are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. Here, we reported the establishment of a bacterial platform for synthesizing three types of aromatic amines, namely, tyramine, dopamine, and phenylethylamine. Firstly, we expressed aromatic amino acid decarboxylase from Enterococcus faecium (pheDC) in an Escherichia coli strain with an increased shikimate (SHK) pathway flux toward L-tyrosine or L-phenylalanine synthesis. We found that glycerol served as a better carbon source than glucose, resulting in 940±46 mg/L tyramine from 4% glycerol. Next, the genes of lactate dehydrogenase (ldhA), formate acetyltransferase (pflB), phosphate acetyltransferase (pta), and alcohol dehydrogenase (adhE) were deleted to mitigate the fermentation byproduct formation. The tyramine level was further increased to 1.965±0.205 g/L in shake flasks, corresponding to 2.1 times improvement compared with that of the parental strain. By using a similar strategy, we also managed to produce 703±21 mg/L dopamine and 555±50 mg/L phenethylamine. In summary, we have demonstrated that the knockout of ldhA-pflB-pta-adhE is an effective strategy in improving aromatic amine productions, and achieved the highest aromatic amine titers in E. coli under shake flasks reported to date.

Key points

Aromatic amino acid decarboxylase from E. faecium was used for aromatic amine production; ldhA, pflB, pta together with adhE were deleted to mitigate the fermentation byproduct formation; Our work represented the best aromatic amine titers reported in E. coli under shake flasks.
MIA: An Open Source Standalone Deep Learning Application for Microscopic Image Analysis
Authors: Körber Nils
Published: January 2022

Abstract

In recent years the amount of data generated by imaging techniques has grown rapidly along with increasing computational power and the development of deep learning algorithms. To address the need for powerful automated image analysis tools for a broad range of applications in the biomedical sciences, we present the Microscopic Image Analyzer (MIA). MIA combines a graphical user interface that obviates the need for programming skills with state-of-the-art deep learning algorithms for segmentation, object detection, and classification. It runs as a standalone, platform-independent application and is compatible with commonly used open source software packages. The software provides a unified interface for easy image labeling, model training and inference. Furthermore the software was evaluated in a public competition and performed among the top three for all tested data sets. The source code is available onhttps://github.com/MIAnalyzer/MIA.
Structural and thermodynamic analyses of the β-to-α transformation in RfaH reveal principles of fold-switching proteins
Authors: Zuber Philipp K. , Daviter Tina , Heißmann Ramona , Persau Ulrike , Schweimer Kristian , Knauer Stefan H.
Published: January 2022

The two-domain protein RfaH, a paralog of the universally conserved NusG/Spt5 transcription factors, is regulated by autoinhibition coupled to the reversible conformational switch of its 60-residue C-terminal KOW domain between an α-hairpin and a β-barrel. In contrast, NusG/Spt5-KOW domains only occur in the β-barrel state. To understand the principles underlying the drastic fold switch in RfaH, we elucidated the thermodynamic stability and the structural dynamics of two RfaH- and four NusG/Spt5-KOW domains by combining biophysical and structural biology methods. We find that the RfaH-KOW β-barrel is thermodynamically less stable than that of most NusG/Spt5-KOWs and we show that it is in equilibrium with a globally unfolded species, which, strikingly, contains two helical regions that prime the transition towards the α-hairpin. Our results suggest that transiently structured elements in the unfolded conformation might drive the global folding transition in metamorphic proteins in general.
Interaction between photoperiod and variation in circadian rhythms in tomato
Authors: Xiang Yanli , Sapir Thomas , Rouillard Pauline , Ferrand Marina , Jiménez-Gómez José M
Published: January 2022

Many biological processes follow circadian rhythmicity and are controlled by the circadian clock. Predictable environmental changes such as seasonal variation in photoperiod can modulate circadian rhythms, allowing organisms to adjust to the time of the year. Modification of circadian clocks is especially relevant in crops to enhance their cultivability in specific regions by changing their sensibility to photoperiod. In tomato, the appearance of mutations in EMPFINDLICHER IM DUNKELROTEN LICHT 1 (EID1, Solyc09g075080) and NIGHT LIGHT-INDUCIBLE AND CLOCK-REGULATED GENE 2 (LNK2, Solyc01g068560) during domestication delayed its circadian rhythms, and allowed its expansion outside its equatorial origin. Here we study how variation in circadian rhythms in tomato affects its perception of photoperiod. To do this, we create near isogenic lines carrying combinations of wild alleles of EID1 and LNK2 and perform transcriptomic profiling under two different photoperiods. We observe that EID1, but not LNK2, has a large effect on the tomato transcriptome and its response to photoperiod. This large effect of EID1 is likely a consequence of the global phase shift elicited by this gene in tomato’s circadian rhythms.
Griottes: a generalist tool for network generation from segmented tissue images
Authors: Ronteix Gustave , Bonnet Valentin , Sart Sebastien , Sobel Jeremie , Esposito Elric , Baroud Charles N.
Published: January 2022

Microscopy techniques and image segmentation algorithms have improved dramatically this decade, leading to an ever increasing amount of biological images and a greater reliance on imaging to investigate biological questions. This has created a need for methods to extract the relevant information on the behaviors of cells and their interactions, while reducing the amount of computing power required to organize this information. This task can be performed by using a network representation in which the cells and their properties are encoded in the nodes, while the neighborhood interactions are encoded by the links. Here we introduceGriottes, an open-source tool to build the “network twin” of 2D and 3D tissues from segmented microscopy images. We show how the library can provide a wide range of biologically relevant metrics on individual cells and their neighborhoods, with the objective of providing multi-scale biological insights. The library’s capacities are demonstrated on different image and data types. This library is provided as an open-source tool that can be integrated into common image analysis workflows to increase their capacities.
The effect of indoor daylight spectrum and intensity on viability of indoor pathogens on different surface materials
Authors: Lam Man In , Vojnits Kinga , Zhao Michael , MacNaughton Piers , Pakpour Sepideh
Published: January 2022

Built environments play a key role in the transmission of infectious diseases. Ventilation rates, air temperature and humidity affect airborne transmission while cleaning protocols, material properties and light exposure can influence viability of pathogens on surfaces. We investigated how indoor daylight intensity and spectrum through electrochromic (EC) windows can impact the growth rate and viability of indoor pathogens on different surface materials (polyvinyl chloride (PVC) fabric, polystyrene (PS), and glass) compared to traditional blinds. Our results showed that tinted EC windows let in higher energy, shorter wavelength daylight than those with clear window and blind. The growth rates of pathogenic bacteria and fungi were significantly lower in spaces with EC windows compared to blinds: nearly 100% growth rate reduction was observed when EC windows were in their clear state followed by 41-100% reduction in bacterial growth rate and 26-42% reduction in fungal growth rate when EC windows were in their darkest tint. Moreover, bacterial viabilities were significantly lower on PVC fabric when they were exposed to indoor light at EC-tinted window. These findings are deemed fundamental to the design of healthy modern buildings, especially those that encompass sick and vulnerable individuals.

Practical Implications

Light is an important factor that influences occupant health.

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) bring substantial costs on the healthcare systems hence new disinfection methods are always needed to minimize fomites especially with the increasing antibiotic resistance.

We found that indoor light modulated by the EC smart windows can significantly reduce the growth rate and viability of pathogenic bacteria and fungi, which is mainly due to the high energy blue light spectrum at wavelength of 400-500nm.

Pathogenic fungi are found to be more affected by the indoor light intensity, while indoor bacteria on surfaces are more susceptible to the light spectrums.

These results also demonstrate the promising potential of indoor daylight exposure as an alternative for fomite disinfection strategy and expand the benefits of EC window as part of healthy building design in the future.
Branding advantage of agri-food companies in competitive export markets: a resource-based theory
Authors: Aghazadeh Hashem , Beheshti Jazan Abadi Elham , Zandi Farzad
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the antecedents of export performance and branding advantage, as a key type of competitive advantage in export markets among entrepreneurs and managers of agri-food exporters.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of entrepreneurs from 182 exporting firms of the agriculture and food industry participated in a cross-sectional survey. The data were collected by a self-reporting questionnaire and partial least squares were used to analyse the data and assess the path model.

Findings

Results revealed that experiential resources strongly promote communication capabilities. Also, communication, distribution and product development capabilities contribute to the creation of the branding advantage in export markets. In addition, a positive relationship between the branding advantage and export performance of agri-food products is confirmed.

Research limitations/implications

The study targets exporters of agri-food products. Hence, the results should be interpreted regarding the context of low-technology firms. Further, this paper delineates branding advantage considerations that managers need to account for to achieve effective exporting. Practitioners can efficaciously exploit resources to achieve a competitive advantage, considering that they focus on building capabilities, and in particular, communication capabilities.

Originality/value

The present study highlights the role of the branding advantage as an important type of competitive advantage in international entrepreneurship and export markets. It attempts to examine the combined relationships of resources and capabilities with branding advantage and export performance.
Consumers’ attitude towards honey consumption for its health benefits: first insights from an econometric approach
Authors: Zanchini Raffaele , Blanc Simone , Pippinato Liam , Di Vita Giuseppe , Brun Filippo
Published: January 2022

Purpose

As is well known, there are several aspects that characterise honey consumption and the reasons for purchasing it. Despite this, little attention has been paid to the drivers that move consumers towards the use of honey for its health benefits and therapeutic properties. The aim of this study is to define which drivers move the consumption of honey for its health benefits.

Design/methodology/approach

The study, conducted on 640 Italian honey consumers, applied inferential tests (Chi-square) and an econometric model (logit regression), and showed that about 66% of the respondents stated that they consume honey for its health properties.

Findings

The main drivers of honey consumption are both among the intrinsic (Colour) and extrinsic (Origin and Organic certification) attributes of the product. What also emerges is that the propensity to consume honey for health purposes is influenced by the consumer characteristics and habits, such as Age cohort, Gender, BMI and Large retail buyer. Moreover, we observed that consumption is influenced by BMI but not by lifestyle characteristics such as sport and diet.

Originality/value

This study could be a support tool for policymakers who are interested in promoting good nutrition and improving public health, since there is great interest in the functional properties of foods and the need to enhance the value of products, while at the same time ensuring consumer protection.
A mixed multiscale FEM for the eddy current problem with T,Φ-Φ and vector hysteresis
Authors: Hanser Valentin , Schöbinger Markus , Hollaus Karl
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This work introduces an efficient and accurate technique to solve the eddy current problem in laminated iron cores considering vector hysteresis.

Design/methodology/approach

The mixed multiscale finite element method based on the based on the T,Φ-Φ formulation, with the current vector potential T and the magnetic scalar potential Φ allows the laminated core to be modelled as a single homogeneous block. This means that the individual sheets do not have to be resolved, which saves a lot of computing time and reduces the demands on the computer system enormously.

Findings

As a representative numerical example, a single-phase transformer with 4, 20 and 184 sheets is simulated with great success. The eddy current losses of the simulation using the standard finite element method and the simulation using the mixed multiscale finite element method agree very well and the required simulation time is tremendously reduced.

Originality/value

The vector Preisach model is used to account for vector hysteresis and is integrated into the mixed multiscale finite element method for the first time.
Will proximity mobile payments substitute traditional payments? Examining factors influencing customers' switching intention during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Mu Hong-Lei , Lee Young-Chan
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The objective of this study is twofold: first, to investigate the determinants of customers' switching intention from traditional payments to proximity mobile payments (PMPs) during the COVID-19 pandemic for specific insight on how these factors shape customers' switching intentions; second, this study discusses the relationship between traditional payments and PMP services.

Design/methodology/approach

The study data were collected from individual customers who used both traditional payments and PMP in a physical store during the COVID-19 pandemic. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to analyze the validity of the variables and the causal relationships among variables based on 305 valid data.

Findings

The results show that the factor of traditional payments, that is, dissatisfaction positively and significantly influenced customers' switching intention. Factors of PMP, namely perceived usefulness (PUF) and perceived ease of use (EOU), positively and significantly impacted switching intention. In addition, the relationship between traditional payments and PMP, that is, low perceived substitutability was found to negatively influence switching intention, PUF and EOU.

Research limitations/implications

First, the study targets are customers with experience in using PMP after the COVID-19 pandemic. It is suggested to compare customers who had experience using PMP before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, although cash and bank cards belong to the category of traditional payments, they have different degrees of contact when transactions occur. The contact rate of bank cards is lower than that of cash. This study did not differentiate between cash and bank cards, which is the main limitation.

Originality/value

First, this study provides a reference to examine mobile payment usage from the perspective of both incumbent and alternative services conjointly under emergency situations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, the application of migration theory to the context of mobile payment extends existing research on mobile payment. Third, this study is among the first to investigate the relationship between traditional payments and PMP.
How AI chatbots have reshaped the frontline interface in China: examining the role of sales–service ambidexterity and the personalization–privacy paradox
Authors: Fan Hua , Han Bing , Gao Wei , Li Wenqian
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This study serves two purposes: (1) to evaluate the effects of organizational ambidexterity by examining how the balanced and the combined sales–service configurations of chatbots differ in their abilities to enhance customer experience and patronage and (2) to apply information boundary theory to assess the contingent role that chatbot sales–service ambidexterity can play in adapting to customers' personalization–privacy paradox.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey of artificial intelligence chatbots users was conducted, and a mixed-methods research design involving response surface analysis and polynomial regression was adopted to address the research aim.

Findings

The results of polynomial regressions on survey data from 507 online customers indicated that as the benefits of personalization decreased and the risk to privacy increased, the inherently negative (positive) effects of imbalanced (combined) chatbots' sales–service ambidexterity had an increasing (decreasing) influence on customer experience. Furthermore, customer experience fully mediated the association of chatbots' sales–service ambidexterity with customer patronage.

Originality/value

First, this study enriches the literature on frontline ambidexterity and extends it to the setting of human–machine interaction. Second, the study contributes to the literature on the personalization–privacy paradox by demonstrating the importance of frontline ambidexterity for adapting to customer concerns. Third, the study examines the conduit between artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots' ambidexterity and sales performance, thereby helping to reconcile the previously inconsistent evidence regarding this relationship.
Evaluation and prediction of material fatigue characteristics under impact loads: review and prospects
Authors: Liu Xintian , Wu Que , Su Shengchao , Wang Yansong
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The properties of materials under impact load are introduced in terms of metal, nonmetallic materials and composite materials. And the application of impact load research in biological fields is also mentioned. The current hot research topics and achievements in this field are summarized. In addition, some problems in theoretical modeling and testing of the mechanical properties of materials are discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

The situation of materials under impact load is of great significance to show the mechanical performance. The performance of various materials under impact load is different, and there are many research methods. It is affected by some kinds of factors, such as the temperature, the gap and the speed of load.

Findings

The research on mechanical properties of materials under impact load has the characteristics as fellow. It is difficult to build the theoretical model, verify by experiment and analyze the data accumulation.

Originality/value

This review provides a reference for further study of material properties.
A re-examination of conspicuous sport consumption theory on golf and skiing from leisure involvement perspective
Authors: Song Huimin , Zeng Ting-ting , Yim Brian H.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between leisure involvement (LI), conspicuous sport consumption and subjective well-being (SW) for two luxury leisure activities: golf and skiing.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected data from Guangdong Province (golf,n = 342) and Jilin Province (skiing,n = 310) and examined the proposed model using structural equation modeling (SEM) and tested the mediating effect of conspicuous sport consumption using bootstrapping method.

Findings

The findings show that the proposed model explained the relationships among LI, conspicuous sport consumption and SW. Furthermore, the findings suggest that LI and conspicuous consumption (CC) can elevate sport participants' perception of SW, enriching leisure-class theory.

Originality/value

The authors’ findings contribute to the domain of CC in sport participant and leisure research and provide significant implications for the sport tourism marketers.
A cluster analysis of physical activity profiles and resilience in intensive care nurses
Authors: Yu Fiona , Cavadino Alana , Mackay Lisa , Ward Kim , King Anna , Smith Melody
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Limited evidence exists regarding a group of nurses' physical activity patterns and association with resilience. Less is known about the physical activity health paradox in nurses (the positive health effects of leisure time physical activity vs the negative health effects of occupational physical activity). This study aimed to explore the profiles of intensive care nurses' physical activity behaviours and associations with resilience, following a developed study-specific job demands–recovery framework.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study was conducted with intensive care unit (ICU) nurses to explore their physical activity profiles and associations with resilience. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 25 (CD-RISC 25) was used to assess resilience, and accelerometry was utilised to record participants' four-day activity (two workdays, two non-workdays). Hierarchical cluster analysis was employed to define groups of nurses by activity behaviours.

Findings

Participants (N = 93) were classified as low actives (n = 19), standers (n = 36), sitters (n = 31) and movers (n = 7). During two 12-h shifts, movers had the highest mean level of dynamic standing and the lowest mean level of sitting. During two non-workdays, movers had the highest mean level of walking as well as the lowest mean level of sitting and sleep time.

Originality/value

The uniqueness of this study was that it analysed ICU nurses' physical activity profiles and associations with resilience using identified clusters. However, the small number of participants limited this study's ability to determine significant relationships between resilience and the grouped physical activity profiles.
Decoding and designing massive open online courses (MOOCs)
Authors: Shrivastava Archana , Shrivastava Ashish
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the attributes of the online programme that are considered and compute their relative importance in the purchase decision. This study aims to identify the most lucrative bundling of these attributes and their levels that can be used by online education companies to craft their product design strategy to attract customers with the most attractive offering.

Design/methodology/approach

This research paper endeavours to identify the attributes of online education, which customers consider for making a purchase decision. Exploratory factor analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify the key attributes of online education programmes. This paper uses the conjoint analysis technique to identify the most preferred bundling of attributes, which online education companies can package to attract customers.

Findings

Based on various attributes and their respective levels, it is evident the most lucrative design for attracting customers to buy online education programmes is to provide certification from a reputed international university, which requires an investment to the tune of 3,000–5,000. The duration of four weeks with asynchronous pedagogy and access to course material vial uniform resource locator (URL) is a preferred feature. Access via a mobile application is more preferred over Web access. A phone application is known to be optimised, and most people are using mobile phones to access the internet. Online certification or degrees that are considered as valid employment qualifications were most preferred over other reasons.

Originality/value

There is a dearth of studies on massive open online courses (MOOCs) from a product design perspective. There is a gap in the context of the features to be included in the MOOCs package so that the customer can find more value in it, and the companies can benefit by expanding their customer base. The research question which this study endeavours to explore is what attributes consumers of MOOCs consider when making a purchase decision. This study will also find the relative importance of these attributes.
Family identity construction: an interpretation of the Lunar New Year's Eve dinner consumption ritual
Authors: Xue Haibo , Zhao Xin , Nikolay Pokachev , Qin Jiayi
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Family dinner on Lunar New Year's Eve is the most important and most ritualized feast for families in China. It is the time for the entire family to reunite. Families gather together to reflect their past and talk about the future. Through the lens of consumer culture theories, this study explores how Chinese consumers construct family identity.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on constant comparative analysis of primary data including in-depth interviews and participant observation, and secondary data including historical archives, cultural tracing, documentary reports and essays, the authors deconstruct the consumption rituals of family dinner on Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve. The authors focus on four aspects, including participants, place, time and related activities, and analyze Chinese consumers' ritual experiences.

Findings

The authors’ findings show how young consumers construct and strengthen individual self-identity, relational identity and family identity in various ways through consumption and ritual practices during Chinese Lunar New Year celebration.

Originality/value

The study of family dinner on Lunar New Year's Eve helps the authors understand contemporary consumer culture in three aspects. First, it helps the authors understand the relationship between consumption and culture. Second, the study shows the changes and continuities of consumption rituals. Third, the research highlights the experience of “home” among contemporary Chinese consumers.
Dynamic inference of healthcare expenditure on economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: a dynamic heterogenous panel data analysis
Authors: Abdulqadir Idris Abdullahi , Sa'idu Bello Malam , Adam Ibrahim Muhammad , Haruna Fatima Binta , Zubairu Mustapha Adamu , Aboki Maimunatu
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This article investigates the dynamic implication of healthcare expenditure on economic growth in the selected ten Sub-Saharan African countries over the period 2000–2018.

Design/methodology/approach

The study methodology included dynamic heterogenous panel, using mean group and pooled mean group estimators. The investigation of the healthcare expenditure and economic growth nexus was achieved while controlling the effects of investment, savings, labor force and life expectancy via interaction terms.

Findings

The results from linear healthcare expenditure have a significant positive impact on economic growth, while the nonlinear estimates through the interaction terms between healthcare expenditure and investment have a negative statistically significant impact on growth. The marginal effect of healthcare expenditure evaluated at the minimum and maximum level of investment is positive, suggesting the impact of health expenditure on growth does not vary with the level of investments. This result responds to the primary objective of the article.

Research limitations/implications

In policy terms, the impact of investment on healthcare is essential to addressing future health crises. The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can never be separated from the shortages or low prioritization of health against other sectors of the economy. The article also provides an insight to policymakers on the demand for policy reform that will boost and make the health sector attractive to both domestic and foreign direct investment.

Originality/value

Given the vulnerability of SSA to the health crisis, there are limited studies to examine this phenomenon and first to address the needed investment priorities to the health sector infrastructure in SSA.
From crowd to cloud: simplified automatic reconstruction of digital building assets for facility management
Authors: Balakrishnan Selvakumaran Srinimalan , Hall Daniel Mark
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of an end-to-end simplified and automated reconstruction pipeline for digital building assets using the design science research approach. Current methods to create digital assets by capturing the state of existing buildings can provide high accuracy but are time-consuming, expensive and difficult.

Design/methodology/approach

Using design science research, this research identifies the need for a crowdsourced and cloud-based approach to reconstruct digital building assets. The research then develops and tests a fully functional smartphone application prototype. The proposed end-to-end smartphone workflow begins with data capture and ends with user applications.

Findings

The resulting implementation can achieve a realistic three-dimensional (3D) model characterized by different typologies, minimal trade-off in accuracy and low processing costs. By crowdsourcing the images, the proposed approach can reduce costs for asset reconstruction by an estimated 93% compared to manual modeling and 80% compared to locally processed reconstruction algorithms.

Practical implications

The resulting implementation achieves “good enough” reconstruction of as-is 3D models with minimal tradeoffs in accuracy compared to automated approaches and 15× cost savings compared to a manual approach. Potential facility management use cases include the issue and information tracking, 3D mark-up and multi-model configurators.

Originality/value

Through user engagement, development, testing and validation, this work demonstrates the feasibility and impact of a novel crowdsourced and cloud-based approach for the reconstruction of digital building assets.
Covid-19 global pandemic, workplace spirituality and the rise of spirituality-driven organisations in the post-digital era
Authors: Yin Eden , Mahrous Abeer
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Despite the growing importance of workplace spirituality, organisations have been reluctant to integrate spirituality into their workplaces; this paper discusses how to integrate spirituality into the workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a theoretical paper that builds its arguments on the synthesis of workplace spirituality and contemporary management paradigms.

Findings

The study argues that workplace spirituality is an extremely important driving force for the sustainable and healthy growth of any organisation; however, infusing workplace spirituality into companies in the industrial and digital eras would be a futile effort, as industrial organisations are built on an ethos highly incongruent with spiritual principles. Therefore, in the post-digital era, spirituality-driven organisations (SDOs) will emerge, marking the beginning of a true “spiritual paradigm” for business and human society at large. The study also elaborates on the characteristics of the post-digital era and the nature of SDOs.

Originality/value

Workplace spirituality has been a research topic for years but has never gained sufficient momentum. The Covid-19 global pandemic has made workplace spirituality a more pertinent issue on corporate agendas. Therefore, this paper provides the theoretical foundation to embed workplace spirituality in contemporary management thoughts and practices.
Maintenance and sustainability: a systematic review of modeling-based literature
Authors: Saihi Afef , Ben-Daya Mohamed , As'ad Rami Afif
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Maintenance is a critical business function with a great impact on economic, environmental and social aspects. However, maintenance decisions' planning has been driven by merely economic and technical measures with inadequate consideration of environmental and social dimensions. This paper presents a review of the literature pertaining to sustainable maintenance decision-making models supported by a bibliometric analysis that seeks to establish the evolution of this research over time and identify the main research clusters.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review, supported with a bibliometric and network analysis, of the extant studies is conducted. The relevant literature is categorized based on which sustainability pillar, or possibly multiple ones, is being considered with further classification outlining the application area, modeling approach and the specific peculiarities characterizing each area.

Findings

The review revealed that maintenance and sustainability modeling is an emerging area of research that has intensified in the last few years. This fertile area can be developed further in several directions. In particular, there is room for devising models that are implementable, based on reliable and timely data with proven tangible practical results. While the environmental aspect has been considered, there is a clear scarcity of works addressing the social dimension. One of the identified barriers to developing applicable models is the lack of the required, accurate and timely data.

Originality/value

This work contributes to the maintenance and sustainability modeling research area, provides insights not previously addressed and highlights several avenues for future research. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first review that looks at the integration of sustainability issues in maintenance modeling and optimization.
Working capital management, board structure and Tobin's q ratio of Thai listed firms
Authors: Chancharat Nongnit , Kumpamool Chamaiporn
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This study investigates whether the integration between working capital management (WCM) and the structure of a firm's board of directors impacts its Tobin's q ratio. The sample set consists of 319 Thai listed firms with 3,190 firm-year observations from 2010 to 2019.

Design/methodology/approach

The two-step generalized method of moments (two-step GMM) model is employed to address endogeneity.

Findings

The empirical results show that having both (1) a high level of net working capital holdings, a long period of net trade cycles or using an aggressive policy in working capital investment and (2) a more diverse board of directors decrease a firm's Tobin's q ratio. Conversely, when a firm's managers employ an aggressive policy for their working capital financing and the board structure of their firms is highly diverse, the firm's Tobin's q ratio increases. This indicates the appropriateness of some WCM policies is dependent on the characteristics of a firm's board of directors. Thus, the different integration between WCM and board structure may elicit dissimilar outcomes for a firm's Tobin's q ratio.

Originality/value

To their knowledge, the authors are the first to investigate the influence of the integration between WCM and board characteristics on Tobin's q ratio.
The effect of social and personal norms on stated preferences for multiple soil functions: evidence from Australia and Italy
Authors: Franceschinis Cristiano , Liebe Ulf , Thiene Mara , Meyerhoff Jürgen , Field Damien , McBratney Alex
Published: January 2022

Although soil degradation has become a global phenomenon that might severely threaten the provision of a large range of ecosystem services, not much is known about the economic value of soil functions such as carbon sequestration and rainfall water infiltration. Knowing these values would be an important input into the recently developed concept of Soil Security. This paper aimed at closing this gap for a broad set of soil functions valued at the regional level in the Veneto region in Italy and New South Wales in Australia. The study not only elicits non‐market values by a choice experiment but also investigates the impact of personal norm activation and social norms on stated preferences, by a hybrid choice model with multiple latent variables. As the survey was conducted in two countries, our study offers evidence of the external validity of both social norm effects and personal norm activation. The results reveal that respondents positively value the conservation of the soil functions and that both personal norm activation and social norm clearly affect stated preferences.
Majority representation and legitimacy: Survey‐experimental evidence from the European Union
Authors: WRATIL CHRISTOPHER , WÄCKERLE JENS
Published: January 2022

What can policy makers do in day‐to‐day decision making to strengthen citizens' belief that the political system is legitimate? Much literature has highlighted that the realization of citizens' personal preferences in policy making is an important driver of legitimacy beliefs. We argue that citizens, in addition, also care about whether a policy represents the preferences of the majority of citizens, even if their personal preference diverges from the majority's. Using the case of the European Union (EU) as a system that has recurringly experienced crises of public legitimacy, we conduct a vignette survey experiment in which respondents assess the legitimacy of fictitious EU decisions that vary in how they were taken and whose preferences they represent. Results from original surveys conducted in the five largest EU countries show that the congruence of EU decisions not only with personal opinion but also with different forms of majority opinion significantly strengthens legitimacy beliefs. We also show that the most likely mechanism behind this finding is the application of a ‘consensus heuristic’, by which respondents use majority opinion as a cue to identify legitimate decisions. In contrast, procedural features such as the consultation of interest groups or the inclusiveness of decision making in the institutions have little effect on legitimacy beliefs. These findings suggest that policy makers can address legitimacy deficits by strengthening majority representation, which will have both egotropic and sociotropic effects.
Predictors of malignant lymph node involvement in patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy and previous cancer: A cohort study
Authors: Fiterman Noy , Berkman Neville , Kuint Rottem
Published: January 2022

Background

Mediastinal lymphadenopathy is a common finding in follow‐up after diagnosis of malignancy, and may represent recurrence of malignancy, or benign processes such as sarcoidosis. CT and PET‐CT are commonly used, despite limited ability to discriminate between benign and malignant disease, and although EBUS‐guided bronchoscopy is often performed, it is relatively invasive and may not always be safe in high‐risk patients. Clinical and radiological predictors for cancer recurrence could therefore be of value.

Methods

A retrospective cohort analysis of all patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy and previous malignancy undergoing mediastinal lymph node sampling via bronchoscopy was undertaken. Demographics, smoking status, details of previous malignancy, time since cancer diagnosis, and imaging data were collected, as well as follow‐up in the years following the procedure. We then compared specific characteristics of patients with malignant and benign lymphadenopathy in order to identify predictors of malignant versus benign lymphadenopathy.

Results

A total of 113 patients were analyzed of which 63% had tumor recurrence, while the rest had benign disease including sarcoidosis. Smoking history and previous lung cancer were both correlated with lymph node malignancy, while symmetric hilar enlargement, and the presence of multiple pathological stations were correlated with benign outcome. Size, maximal SUV uptake or time interval since cancer diagnosis were not associated with the final diagnosis.

Conclusions

These findings may help in assessing the pretest probability of tumor recurrence in patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy, thus aiding in the clinical decision‐making in such scenarios.