bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Architectural traits constrain the evolution of unisexual flowers and sexual segregation within inflorescences: an interspecific approach
Authors: Torices Rubén , Afonso Ana , Anderberg Arne A. , Gómez José M. , Méndez Marcos
Published: June 2018

Male and female unisexual flowers have repeatedly evolved from the ancestral bisexual flowers in different lineages of flowering plants. This sex specialization in different flowers often occurs within inflorescences. We hypothesize that inflorescence architecture may impose a constraint on resource availability for late flowers, potentially leading to different optima in floral sex allocation and unisexuality. Under this hypothesis we expect that inflorescence traits increasing the difference in resource availability between early and late flowers would be phylogenetically correlated with a higher level of sexual specialization. To test this hypothesis, we performed a comparative analysis of inflorescence traits (inflorescence size, number of flowers and flower density) in the sunflower family, which displays an extraordinary variation in floral sexual specialization at the inflorescence level, i.e. hermaphroditic, gynomonoecious and monoecious species. We found that species with a complete sex separation in unisexual flowers (monoecy) had significantly denser inflorescences. Furthermore, those species arranging their flowers in denser inflorescences also showed greater differences in the size of early and late fruits, a proxy of resource variation between flowers. Our findings support the idea that floral sexual specialization and consequently sexual segregation may be the consequence of different floral sex allocation optima driven by the sequential development of flowers that results in a persistent resource decline from earlier to later flowers.
In-depth investigation of the species problem and taxonomic status of marbled crayfish, the first asexual decapod crustacean
Authors: Vogt Günter , Dorn Nathan J. , Pfeiffer Michael , Lukhaup Chris , Williams Bronwyn W. , Schulz Ralf , Schrimpf Anne
Published: June 2018

The marbled crayfish is the only obligately parthenogenetic decapod crustacean and a novel research model and invasive animal on three continents. It is regarded either as a parthenogenetic form of slough crayfishProcambarus fallaxor as a separate species namedProcambarus virginalis.In order to investigate the species question of this unusual crayfish in detail we have identified the similarities and differences in morphology, life history, genetics, behaviour, ecology and biogeography between marbled crayfish and its most likely parent speciesP. fallax.We have investigated specimens from natural habitats, laboratory colonies and museum collections and performed a meta-analysis of our data and published data. OurCOIbased molecular tree with 27 Cambaridae confirms closest relationship of marbled crayfish withP. fallax.Marbled crayfish andP. fallaxare similar with respect to morphological characters, coloration and body proportions, but differ considerably with respect to body size, fertility and longevity. The mitochondrial genes of both crayfish are similar, but ploidy level and haploid genome size are markedly different. Both crayfish are eurytopic and have two major annual recruitment periods, but marbled crayfish show different population structure and higher invasiveness. Marbled crayfish occur in tropical to cold temperate habitats of the old world, butP. fallaxis confined to subtropical and warm-temperate habitats of the southeastern USA. Cross-breeding experiments with both crayfish revealed reproductive isolation. The application of the Evolutionary Genetic Species Concept for asexuals to all available data supports raising marbled crayfish from “forma” to species rank. A determination key is provided to discriminateProcambarus virginalis, the first asexual decapod species, from its parent speciesP. fallax.
Observing action sequences elicits sequence-specific neural representations in frontoparietal brain regions
Authors: Apšvalka Dace , Cross Emily S. , Ramsey Richard
Published: June 2018

Learning new skills by watching others is important for social and motor development throughout the lifespan. Prior research has suggested that observational learning shares common substrates with physical practice at both cognitive and brain levels. In addition, neuroimaging studies have used multivariate analysis techniques to understand neural representations in a variety of domains including vision, audition, memory and action, but few studies have investigated neural plasticity in representational space. As such, although movement sequences can be learned by observing other people’s actions, a largely unanswered question in neuroscience is how experience shapes the representational space of neural systems. Here we combined pre- and post-training fMRI sessions with six days of observational practice to examine whether the observation of action sequences elicits sequence-specific representations in frontoparietal brain regions and the extent to which these representations become more pronounced with observational practice. Our results showed that observed action sequences are modelled by distinct patterns of activity in frontoparietal cortex and that such representations largely generalise to very similar, but untrained, sequences. These findings advance our understanding of what is modelled during observational learning (sequence-specific information), as well as how it is modelled (reorganisation of frontoparietal cortex is similar manner to that of physical practice). Thus, on a more fine-grained neural level than demonstrated previously, we show the representational structure of how frontoparietal cortex maps visual information onto motor circuits to order to enhance motor performance.

Significance statement

Learning by watching others is a cornerstone in the development of expertise and skilled behaviour. However, it remains unclear how visual signals are mapped onto motor circuits for such learning to occur. Here we show that observed action sequences are modelled by distinct patterns of activity in frontoparietal cortex and that such representations largely generalise to very similar, but untrained, sequences. These findings advance our understanding of what is modelled during observational learning (sequence-specific information), as well as how it is modelled (reorganisation of frontoparietal cortex is similar manner to that of physical practice). More generally, these findings demonstrate how motor circuit involvement in the perception of action sequences shows high fidelity to the physical performance of action sequences.
Developmental-stage-specific proliferation and retinoblastoma genesis in RB-deficient human but not mouse cone precursors
Authors: Singh Hardeep P. , Wang Sijia , Stachelek Kevin , Lee Sunhye , Reid Mark W. , Thornton Matthew E. , Craft Cheryl Mae , Grubbs Brendan H. , Cobrinik David
Published: June 2018

Most retinoblastomas initiate in response to the inactivation of the RB1 gene and loss of functional RB protein. The tumors may form without additional genomic changes and develop after a pre-malignant retinoma phase. Despite this seemingly straightforward etiology, mouse models have not recapitulated the genetic, cellular, and stage-specific features of human retinoblastoma genesis. For example, whereas human retinoblastomas appear to derive from cone photoreceptor precursors, current mouse models develop tumors that derive from other retinal cell types. To investigate the basis of the human cone-specific oncogenesis, we compared developmental-stage-specific cone precursor responses to RB loss in human and murine retina cultures and in cone-specific Rb1 knockout mice. We report that RB-depleted maturing (ARR3+) but not immature (ARR3-) human cone precursors enter the cell cycle, proliferate, and form retinoblastoma-like lesions characterized by Flexner-Wintersteiner rosettes, then form low or non-proliferative pre-malignant retinoma-like lesions with fleurettes and high p16INK4A and p130 expression, and finally form highly proliferative retinoblastoma-like masses. In contrast, in murine retina, only RB-depleted immature (Arr3-) cone precursors entered the cell cycle and they failed to progress from S to M phase. Moreover, whereas the intrinsically highly expressed MDM2 and MYCN contribute to RB-depleted maturing (ARR3+) human cone precursor proliferation, ectopic MDM2 and Mycn promoted only immature (Arr3-) murine cone precursor cell cycle entry. These findings demonstrate that developmental-stage-specific as well as speciesand cell-type-specific features sensitize to RB1 inactivation and reveal the human cone precursors’ capacity to model retinoblastoma initiation, proliferation, pre-malignant arrest, and tumor growth.

Significance Statement

Retinoblastoma is a childhood tumor that forms in response to mutations in the RB1 gene and loss of functional RB protein. Prior studies suggested that retinoblastomas arise from cone photoreceptor precursors, whereas mouse models yield tumors deriving from other retinal cell types and lacking human retinoblastoma features. Here, we show that in cultured human retinae, retinoblastomas initiate from RB-depleted cone precursors that are in a specific maturation state and form pre-malignant “retinomas” prior to retinoblastoma lesions, as is believed to occur in retinoblastoma patients. In contrast, Rb-deficient mouse cone precursors of similar maturation state and supplemented with human-cone-precursor-specific oncoproteins fail to proliferate. Thus, human species-specific developmental features underlie retinoblastomagenesis and may challenge the production of accurate mouse retinoblastoma models.
DPM-1001 decreased copper levels and ameliorated deficits in a mouse model of Wilson's disease
Authors: Krishnan Navasona , Felice Christy , Rivera Keith , Pappin Darryl J. , Tonks Nicholas K.
Published: June 2018

The levels of copper, which is an essential element in living organisms, are under tight homeostatic control. Inactivating mutations in ATP7B, a P-type Cu-ATPase that functions in copper excretion, promote aberrant accumulation of the metal, primarily the in liver and brain. This condition underlies Wilson's disease, a severe autosomal recessive disorder characterized by profound hepatic and neurological deficits. Current treatment regimens rely on the use of broad specificity metal chelators as “decoppering” agents; however, there are side effects that limit their effectiveness. Here, we present the characterization of DPM-1001 {methyl 4-[7-hydroxy-10,13-dimethyl-3-({4-[(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino]butyl}amino)hexadecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-17-yl] pentanoate} as a potent and highly selective chelator of copper that is orally bioavailable. Treatment of cell models, including fibroblasts derived from Wilson's disease patients, eliminated adverse effects associated with copper accumulation. Furthermore, treatment of the toxic milk mouse model of Wilson's disease with DPM-1001 lowered the levels of copper in the liver and brain, removing excess copper by excretion in the feces while ameliorating symptoms associated with the disease. These data suggest that it may be worthwhile to investigate DPM-1001 further as a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of Wilson's disease, with potential for application in other indications associated with elevated copper, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
POU2F3 is a master regulator of a tuft cell-like variant of small cell lung cancer
Authors: Huang Yu-Han , Klingbeil Olaf , He Xue-Yan , Wu Xiaoli S. , Arun Gayatri , Lu Bin , Somerville Tim D.D. , Milazzo Joseph P. , Wilkinson John E. , Demerdash Osama E. , Spector David L. , Egeblad Mikala , Shi Junwei , Vakoc Christopher R.
Published: June 2018

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is widely considered to be a tumor of pulmonary neuroendocrine cells; however, a variant form of this disease has been described that lacks neuroendocrine features. Here, we applied domain-focused CRISPR screening to human cancer cell lines to identify the transcription factor (TF) POU2F3 (POU class 2 homeobox 3; also known as SKN-1a/OCT-11) as a powerful dependency in a subset of SCLC lines. An analysis of human SCLC specimens revealed that POU2F3 is expressed exclusively in variant SCLC tumors that lack expression of neuroendocrine markers and instead express markers of a chemosensory lineage known as tuft cells. Using chromatin- and RNA-profiling experiments, we provide evidence that POU2F3 is a master regulator of tuft cell identity in a variant form of SCLC. Moreover, we show that most SCLC tumors can be classified into one of three lineages based on the expression of POU2F3, ASCL1, or NEUROD1. Our CRISPR screens exposed other unique dependencies in POU2F3-expressing SCLC lines, including the lineage TFs SOX9 and ASCL2 and the receptor tyrosine kinase IGF1R (insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor). These data reveal POU2F3 as a cell identity determinant and a dependency in a tuft cell-like variant of SCLC, which may reflect a previously unrecognized cell of origin or a trans-differentiation event in this disease.
Molecular mechanisms of the preventable causes of cancer in the United States
Authors: Golemis Erica A. , Scheet Paul , Beck Tim N. , Scolnick Eward M. , Hunter David J. , Hawk Ernest , Hopkins Nancy
Published: June 2018

Annually, there are 1.6 million new cases of cancer and nearly 600,000 cancer deaths in the United States alone. The public health burden associated with these numbers has motivated enormous research efforts into understanding the root causes of cancer. These efforts have led to the recognition that between 40% and 45% of cancers are associated with preventable risk factors and, importantly, have identified specific molecular mechanisms by which these exposures modify human physiology to induce or promote cancer. The increasingly refined knowledge of these mechanisms, which we summarize here, emphasizes the need for greater efforts toward primary cancer prevention through mitigation of modifiable risk factors. It also suggests exploitable avenues for improved secondary prevention (which includes the development of therapeutics designed for cancer interception and enhanced techniques for noninvasive screening and early detection) based on detailed knowledge of early neoplastic pathobiology. Such efforts would complement the current emphasis on the development of therapeutic approaches to treat established cancers and are likely to result in far greater gains in reducing morbidity and mortality.
Vanadium clusters formation in geometrically frustrated spinel oxide AlV2O4
Authors: Talanov Mikhail V. , Shirokov Vladimir B. , Avakyan Leon A. , Talanov Valeriy M. , Borlakov Khisa Sh.
Published: June 2018

The spinel oxide AlV2O4is a unique material, in which the formation of clusters is accompanied by atomic, charge and orbital ordering and a rhombohedral lattice distortion. In this work a theory of the structural phase transition in AlV2O4is proposed. This theory is based on the study of the order-parameter symmetry, thermodynamics, electron density distribution, crystal chemistry and mechanisms of formation of the atomic and orbital structures of the rhombohedral phase. It is established that the critical order parameter is transformed according to irreducible representationk9(τ4) (in Kovalev notation) of the Fd \bar{3}m space group. Knowledge of the order-parameter symmetry allows us to show that the derived AlV2O4rhombohedral structure is a result of displacements of all atom types and the ordering of Al atoms (1:1 order type in tetrahedral spinel sites), V atoms (1:1:6 order type in octahedral sites) and O atoms (1:1:3:3 order type), and the ordering ofdxy,dxzanddyzorbitals. Application of the density functional theory showed that V atoms in the Kagomé sublattice formed separate trimers. Also, no sign of metallic bonding between separate vanadium trimers in the heptamer structure was found. The density functional theory study and the crystal chemical analysis of V—O bond lengths allowed us to assume the existence of dimers and trimers as main clusters in the structure of the AlV2O4rhombohedral modification. The trimer model of the low-symmetry AlV2O4structure is proposed. Within the Landau theory of phase transitions, typical diagrams of possible phase states are built. It is shown that phase states can be changed as a first-order phase transition close to the second order in the vicinity of tricritical points of the phase diagrams.
Crystallization and X-ray analysis of all of the players in the autoregulation of theataRTtoxin–antitoxin system
Authors: Jurėnas Dukas , Van Melderen Laurence , Garcia-Pino Abel
Published: June 2018

TheataRToperon from enteropathogenicEscherichia coliencodes a toxin–antitoxin (TA) module with a recently discovered novel toxin activity. This new type II TA module targets translation initiation for cell-growth arrest. Virtually nothing is known regarding the molecular mechanisms of neutralization, toxin catalytic action or translation autoregulation. Here, the production, biochemical analysis and crystallization of the intrinsically disordered antitoxin AtaR, the toxin AtaT, the AtaR–AtaT complex and the complex of AtaR–AtaT with a double-stranded DNA fragment of the operator region of the promoter are reported. Because they contain large regions that are intrinsically disordered, TA antitoxins are notoriously difficult to crystallize. AtaR forms a homodimer in solution and crystallizes in space groupP6122, with unit-cell parametersa = b = 56.3,c= 160.8 Å. The crystals are likely to contain an AtaR monomer in the asymmetric unit and diffracted to 3.8 Å resolution. The Y144F catalytic mutant of AtaT (AtaTY144F) bound to the cofactor acetyl coenzyme A (AcCoA) and the C-terminal neutralization domain of AtaR (AtaR44–86) were also crystallized. The crystals of the AtaTY144F–AcCoA complex diffracted to 2.5 Å resolution and the crystals of AtaR44–86diffracted to 2.2 Å resolution. Analysis of these structures should reveal the full scope of the neutralization of the toxin AtaT by AtaR. The crystals belonged to space groupsP6522 andP3121, with unit-cell parametersa=b= 58.1,c= 216.7 Å anda=b= 87.6,c = 125.5 Å, respectively. The AtaR–AtaT–DNA complex contains a 22 bp DNA duplex that was optimized to obtain high-resolution data based on the sequence of two inverted repeats detected in the operator region. It crystallizes in space groupC2221, with unit-cell parametersa= 75.6,b= 87.9,c= 190.5 Å. These crystals diffracted to 3.5 Å resolution.
Crystal structure of human anterior gradient protein 3
Authors: Nguyen Van Dat , Biterova Ekaterina , Salin Mikko , Wierenga Rik K. , Ruddock Lloyd W.
Published: June 2018

Oxidative protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum is catalyzed by the protein disulfide isomerase family of proteins. Of the 20 recognized human family members, the structures of eight have been deposited in the PDB along with domains from six more. Three members of this family, ERp18, anterior gradient protein 2 (AGR2) and anterior gradient protein 3 (AGR3), are single-domain proteins which share sequence similarity. While ERp18 has a canonical active-site motif and is involved in native disulfide-bond formation, AGR2 and AGR3 lack elements of the active-site motif found in other family members and may both interact with mucins. In order to better define its function, the structure of AGR3 is required. Here, the recombinant expression, purification, crystallization and crystal structure of human AGR3 are described.
Crystal structures of the triple perovskites Ba2K2Te2O9 and Ba2KNaTe2O9, and redetermination of the double perovskite Ba2CaTeO6
Authors: Weil Matthias
Published: June 2018

Single crystals of Ba2K2Te2O9 (dibarium dipotassium nonaoxidoditellurate), (I), Ba2KNaTe2O9 (dibarium potassium sodium nonaoxidoditellurate), (II), and Ba2CaTeO6 (dibarium calcium hexaoxidotellurate), (III), were obtained from KNO3/KI or KNO3/NaNO3 flux syntheses in platinum crucibles for (I) and (II), or porcelain crucibles for (III). (I) and (II) are isotypic and are members of triple perovskites with general formula A
2
[12co]
A′[12co]
B
2
[6o]
B′[6o]O9. They crystallize in the 6H-BaTiO3 structure family in space-group type P63/mmc, with the A, A′, B and B′ sites being occupied by K, Ba, Te and a second Ba in (I), and in (II) by mixed-occupied (Ba/K), Ba, Te and Na sites, respectively. (III) adopts the A
2
[12co]
B′
[6o]
B′′
[6o]O6 double perovskite structure in space-group type Fm-3m, with Ba, Ca and Te located on the A, B′ and B′′ sites, respectively. The current refinement of (III) is based on single-crystal X-ray data. It confirms the previous refinement from X-ray powder diffraction data [Fu et al. (2008). J. Solid State Chem.
181, 2523–2529], but with higher precision.
Tetracarbonyl[N-(diphenylphosphanyl-κP)-N,N′-diisopropyl-P-phenylphosphorus diamide-κP]molybdenum(0) with an unknown solvent
Authors: Höhne Martha , Gongoll Marc , Spannenberg Anke , Müller Bernd H. , Peulecke Normen , Rosenthal Uwe
Published: June 2018

The title complex, [Mo(C24H30N2P2)(CO)4], contains a molybdenum centre bearing a P,P′-cis-chelating Ph2PN(
i
Pr)P(Ph)NH(
i
Pr) and four carbonyl ligands in a distorted octahedral coordination geometry. This results in a nearly planar four-membered metallacycle. In the crystal, molecules are linked by N—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds to form layers parallel to the ac plane. For the final refinement, the contributions of disordered solvent molecules were removed from the diffraction data with SQUEEZE in PLATON [Spek (2015). Acta Cryst. C71, 9–18]. The given chemical formula and other crystal data do not take into account the unknown solvent molecule(s).
Experimental and theoretical study of aluminium corrosion in NaOH, NaCl and HCl solutions
Authors: Padash Rahman , Jafari Abdol Hamid , Jamalizadeh Effat
Published: June 2018

Purpose

Study of corrosion behaviour could benefit from quantum chemical calculation to investigate the role of adsorption of main anions such as OH− and Cl− on metallic surfaces. The purpose of this study is to report the quantum chemical study of aluminium immersed in NaOH, NaCl and HCl solutions and verifying the calculations by potentiodynamic and open-circuit potential (OCP) measurements.

Design/methodology/approach

The electrochemical evaluations based on potentiodynamic polarization and OCP experiments were carried out. For theoretical investigations, the quantum chemical calculation was performed. In this regard, the adsorption of Cl−, OH− and H+ on aluminium surface was investigated. Furthermore, the natural bond orbital for the direction and magnitude of charge transfer interactions was calculated.

Findings

The calculations indicate that higher interaction energy between ions with the metallic cluster being modelled together with natural bond orbital calculations of direction and magnitude of charge transfer accurately predicts corrosion.

Originality/value

This paper shows that ions such as Cl−, OH− and H+ cause the corrosion of aluminium in NaOH, NaCl and HCl environments. The overall theoretical data corroborate with experimental results.
Corrosion inhibition and friction-reduction property of tetrazole derivatives on copper
Authors: Liu Lin , Su Hongyu , Xing Jinjuan , Peng Dan , Zhang Qiang , Qian Jianhua
Published: June 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate the inhibitive effect and adsorption behavior of 5-(ethylthio)-1H-tetrazole (EHT) and 5-(benzylthio)-1H-tetrazole (BHT) on copper in a sulfur-ethanol system.

Design Methodology Approach

Evaluation was carried out using electrochemical measurement and surface analysis techniques. Measurements of static friction coefficient by scanning electron microscopy and contact angle analysis were applied and finally confirmed the existence of the adsorbed film. The inhibitive mechanism of the two compounds was evaluated by means of quantitative calculation and molecular dynamics simulation. The friction coefficient of corrosion surface before and after adding corrosion inhibitor was determined through static friction coefficient measurements.

Findings

The electrochemical measurement indicated that the most effective concentration of two corrosion inhibitors was 70 mg L–1, while the inhibition efficiency of that was EHT > BHT. The friction coefficient data showed that the addition of corrosion inhibitor reduced the roughness of the corrosion surface. Adsorption behavior of two inhibitors followed the Langmuir’s adsorption isotherm and was attributed to mixed-type adsorption. The results of quantitative calculation and molecular dynamics simulation showed that tetrazole rings of the two inhibitors and its connected S atoms were adsorbed on Cu(111) surface in parallel.

Originality Value

The corrosion inhibition performance of two tetrazolium derivatives in a sulfur-ethanol system was studied by combining experiments with theory, which provided a theoretical basis for the future research.
Halal food standard implementation: are Malaysian firms proactive or reactive?
Authors: Ab Talib Mohamed Syazwan , Ai Chin Thoo
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reasons behind halal food standard (HFS) implementation among food manufacturers in Malaysia. Additionally, it examines whether firms in the Malaysian food manufacturing industry are proactive or reactive in implementing HFS.

Design/methodology/approach

A field survey was conducted in 210 halal-certified food manufacturers. A partial least squares structural equation modeling technique was used to examine the relationships between the reasons and implementation of HFS.

Findings

The empirical assessments revealed that organization’s commitment, operational improvement and marketing functions are the internal reasons. Meanwhile, government intervention and consumer pressure are the external reasons to implement HFS. Findings also indicated that Malaysian food manufacturers are proactive in implementing HFS.

Practical implications

The knowledge from this research could encourage non-certified firms to implement HFS and entices halal-certified firms to remain certified. It guides managers toward adopting a better strategy, particularly in prioritizing the internal factors and resources for a more sustainable and positive implication.

Originality/value

This research is among the few studies that scrutinized the rationale behind the rapid growth of halal food industry. It argues that the pursuit of HFS is not solely a religious obligation, but it is also driven by safety, quality and marketing motives.
Taska Kyrana Sdn. Bhd.: to change or not to change its operating days?
Authors: Hashim Hazirhah , Basiruddin Rohaida , Quoquab Farzana , Md Husin Maizaitulaidawati
Published: June 2018

Subject area

Entrepreneurship, Marketing management, Consumer behaviour

Study level/applicability

Undergraduate students, taking courses of entrepreneurship, marketing management and/or consumer behaviour that cover the topics related to entrepreneurial challenges, institutional support, growth strategy, market segmentation and marketing promotion strategy.

Case overview

This case demonstrates the dilemma of a founder, cum entrepreneur dealing with the issue related to a change in operating days that would affect her business profitability in the kindergarten industry. The case begins with the problem faced by Azizah Ayob, the founder and entrepreneur of Taska Kyrana when she hears that the state minister of Johor has announced that business operation days will be changed from Sunday to Friday with effect from 1 January 2014. The change would be applicable to government institutions in the state. However, businesses and corporations in the private sector can choose to continue observing Saturday-Sunday weekends or switch to the new official rest days of Friday-Saturday. As customers of Taska Kyrana consist of parents working in public and private sectors, as well as Singaporean parents, Ayob needs to choose either to follow the state requirement or to maintain the usual operation days.

Expected learning outcomes

Using this case, the students should be able to understand the need for institutional support for an entrepreneur; understand a possible growth strategy to cope with the volatile situation; understand the importance of a proper segmentation strategy to target the right group of customers; and understand the importance of a promotional strategy to attract new customers and to retain the existing one in a volatile situation.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 8: Marketing.
Health Zone: the solution to slimming, fitness and beauty care
Authors: Tiwari Mitali , Dwivedi Amit
Published: June 2018

Subject area

Entrepreneurship; Strategy.

Study level/applicability

The case is meant for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students pursuing entrepreneurship and management with specializations in strategy. It can be also used for Entrepreneurship and Management Development programs for generating an insight into strategic planning, organic growth of enterprise and the formulation of a future road map. The case can be used in courses like “strategic management”, “female entrepreneurship” and specialization courses like “Start-up: Ideation, Launching, Managing and Growth”.

Case overview

Simran Sahni and Sachin Sahni, the owner and co-founders of health, beauty and slimming center are currently running centers in Lucknow and Ludhiana. Although as of now there is no operational franchisee provided by Health Zone in any of the other cities across the country, the owners have a vision to open around 100 franchised and company owned centers across the country. At this juncture, both the co-founders, who also happen to be husband and wife, look forward to understanding and revisiting the operations and strategies at Health Zone to formulate the road map for the future.

Expected learning outcomes

The participants will be able to identify key challenges for service organizations and will learn ways to meet these challenges. The participants will be able to identify motivation and retention strategies applied by the co-owners in their organization. The participants will be able to have an insight on the key elements of the Business Model of a service organization based in the wellness industry. The participants will be able to analyze the opportunities available for new startups in the wellness industry drawing their conclusions from experiences and business development and expansion of Health Zone in its overall journey. Participants will be able to devise models for the enterprise so as to help it grow and expand its operations nationally.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Innovation at the crossroads
Authors: Palumbo Rocco , Manna Rosalba
Published: June 2018

Purposes

This paper aims at investigating the link between inter-organizational relationships and innovation, discussing whether the probability to detect a greater innovation propensity of organizations increases with or without collaborative partnerships.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on secondary data provided by the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) about a representative sample of 8,967 Italian firms, three multinomial logit models and four logit models have been estimated, in an attempt to examine the effects of inter-organizational relationships on different types of organizational innovation.

Findings

A positive and statistically significant relationship between inter-organizational relationships and organizational innovation emerged from all the models which were arranged for the purpose of this study. Several categories of partners, including suppliers, universities and firms belonging to the same holding group, were found to be more effective in fostering the probability of organizational innovation. Interestingly, geographical proximity did not seem to influence the organizational propensity to innovate.

Practice implications

Even though further developments are needed to disentangle the complex link between inter-organizational relationships and organizational innovation, the former are likely to positively affect the innovation ability of organizations. From this point of view, it could be argued that partners perform as catalysts, which boost the knowledge creation process underlying the emergence of organizational innovation.

Originality/value

This is one of the first attempts to exploit the potential of multinomial logit models and logit models to investigate the effects of inter-organizational relationships on the propensity of organizations to innovate.
Responsible leadership and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Luxembourg
Authors: Schinzel Ursula
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a link between responsible leadership and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Luxembourg and also to determine Luxembourg’s specifics in the field of CSR.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a qualitative study. In total, 64 semi-structured interviews were conducted from January to August 2017 with four culturally different samples: Luxembourgers with Luxembourgish nationality, foreigners who reside in Luxembourg, cross-borderers and the rest of the world.

Findings

Responses from all four samples were similar on the one hand and quite contradictory on the other. Three groups were formed: euphoric respondents who said it is the authenticity of the leader and his modelling role in lived CSR; moderate respondents; critical respondents who deny any link between responsible leadership and CSR and claim for change and innovation, accusing the high Uncertainty Avoidance Index. In their opinion, there is an urgent need for managers to learn responsible leadership and CSR.

Practical implications

This paper contributes to the discussion on change and innovation in the field of leadership theory with particular emphasis on responsible leadership following Michael Maccoby, on multilingual and multicultural Luxembourg in the middle of Europe following Geert Hofstede and Edgar Schein and on CSR following Thomas Maak and Nicole Pless.

Originality/value

This study is a combination of research on responsible leadership and CSR in Luxembourg in connection with Hofstede’s cultural dimensions: high long-term orientation, high uncertainty avoidance and high collectivism (low individualism).
Employer brand and its unexplored impact on intent to join
Authors: Sharma Ruchika , Prasad Asha
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose for this paper is to determine the various dimensions of employer brand in the IT sector of India and analyse their impact on the final intent of the candidates to join an organisation. A five-factor employer brand (EB) model and three-factor intent to join (ITJ) model have been tested for reliability and validity through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). A structural model is empirically tested with EB as independent variable and ITJ as dependent variable through structured equation modelling.

Design/methodology/approach

The items for the independent variable EB are generated with the help of literature and semi-structured interviews with final-year student placement coordinators of B.Tech and MCA, studying in central, state and deemed universities of India. For ITJ, the variables are adopted from the literature and confirmed through CFA in the Indian context. Structured equation modelling has been used to analyse the relationship between EB and ITJ.

Findings

Five dimensions of EB were explored as growth and development opportunity, company’s reputation, acceptance and belongingness, work–life balance and ethics and CSR. ITJ was found to be composed of intent to pursue, employer’s attractiveness and employer’s reputation. EB has been found to be an effective contributor to ITJ.

Research limitations/implications

The current study has been conducted in the IT sector, and other sectors have not been included. The universities considered for the study were limited to central, state and deemed universities of India. Apart from intention to join, there are other attitudinal and behavioural aspects that have not been included in the current study.

Originality/value

This study gives empirical evidence on EB to be an important antecedent of ITJ from the perspective of prospective employees of a developing nation.
Do professional sport franchise owners overpromise and underdeliver the public? Lessons from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center
Authors: Propheter Geoffrey
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a number of promises typically made by owners of professional sports franchises in the USA that are also typically ignored or underevaluated by public bureaus and their elected principals using the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York as a case study.Ex postsubsidy outcomes are evaluated againstex antesubsidy promises in order to draw lessons that can inform and improve subsidy debates elsewhere.

Design/methodology/approach

The case study adopts a pre-post strategy drawing on data from multiple sources over a period of up to ten years in order to triangulate the narrative and build credibility. The franchise owner’sex antepromises and financial projections were obtained from various media including newspaper, video and interviews between December 2003, when the arena was publicly announced, and September 2012, when the arena opened. Data onex postoutputs were obtained from financial documents and government records covering periods from September 2011 through June 2016.

Findings

The franchise owner is found to have exaggerated the arena’s financial condition, under-delivered on its employment promises, and exaggerated the scope and timeliness of ancillary real estate development. Only promises of event frequency and attendance levels, measures of the public’s demand for the facility, have been met during the first three years.

Research limitations/implications

Because the evaluation is a case study, causal conclusions cannot be drawn and some aspects of the Barclays Center context may not be applicable in other jurisdictions or subsidy debates. In addition, the case study does not evaluate an exhaustive list of the promises franchise owners make.

Practical implications

Franchise owners have a financial incentive to overpromise public benefits, since subsidy levels are tied to what the public is perceived to receive in return. This case study demonstrates that the public sector should not take owners’ promises and projections of public benefits at face value. Moreover, the case study reveals that the public sector should put more effort into ensuringex postpolicy and data transparency in order to facilitate benefit-cost analyses of such subsidies.

Originality/value

The data required to evaluate promises, other than economic development ones, made by franchise owners are not systematically collected across state and local governments in the USA, making large-n studies impossible. Case studies are underutilized approaches in this area of public affairs, and this paper illustrates their usefulness. By focusing on a single facility, an evaluation of the franchise owner’s less acknowledged and arguably more important promises about the facility and its local impact is possible.
Towards a hybrid logic of participatory budgeting
Authors: Bartocci Luca , Grossi Giuseppe , Mauro Sara Giovanna
Published: June 2018

Purpose

Participatory budgeting (PB) is considered a suitable tool for supporting and promoting citizen engagement in government work. Previous studies of PB have deeply investigated its design and effects, but paid little attention to the underlying logics of adopting and implementing PB. The purpose of this paper is to, accordingly, investigate the development over time of the institutional logics of PB and attempt to explain their effect on PB.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a longitudinal multiple case study design, this research analyzes the evolution of institutional logics over time and across five municipalities in Italy. The analysis integrates documents with interviews conducted at two times to investigate the evolution of PB logics.

Findings

The development of PB is characterized by the spread of two emerging logics–i.e. managerial and community-building logics–that replace or coexist with the traditional political logic. Indeed, these different logics can coexist within governments, with different degrees of conflict or coexistence, resulting in what can be considered a hybrid logic.

Research limitations/implications

Although the number of examined cases is limited, this research elaborates an original conceptual approach and provides new insights that could help in better designing and implementing PB.

Originality/value

This research builds knowledge of PB by shedding light on its different logics, linking them to diverse specific models of PB and exploring their changes over time.
Management accounting-strategy coalignment in Islamic banking
Authors: Laela Sugiyarti Fatma , Rossieta Hilda , Wijanto Setyo Hari , Ismal Rifki
Published: June 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the effect of management accounting–strategy coalignment on the maqasid Shariah-based performance of Islamic banks in Indonesia. The study also examines the role of the corporate life cycle of Islamic banks in influencing the relationship between management accounting–strategy coalignment and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Management accounting practices, management control systems, strategy and maqasid Shariah-based performance are measured using questionnaires which were distributed to 97 directors and heads of Islamic banks. The model of this study is analyzed using structural equation model.

Findings

This study finds that the coalignment between low cost-oriented strategy, strategic management accounting practices and mechanistic management control system has positive impact on improving maqasid Shariah-based performance. However, this study is unable to verify that corporate life cycle strengthens the positive relationship between management accounting–strategy coalignment and performance.

Research limitations/implications

Limited indicators of management accounting practices in this study illustrate less comprehensive management accounting practices. Further studies may add other relevant management accounting as described by the International Federation of Accounting Committee to provide a more comprehensive management accounting practices.

Practical implications

This study provides recommendations to the management of Islamic banks to design management accounting practices and management control systems that fit to their strategic orientation.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils limited empirical studies on management accounting practices and strategy in Islamic banking industry.
Intellectual capital, growth opportunities, and financial performance in European firms
Authors: Sardo Filipe , Serrasqueiro Zélia
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to analyse the impact of intellectual capital (IC) and growth opportunities on firms’ financial performance as well as the moderating effect of IC on the relationship between growth opportunities and financial performance; and second, to analyse the impact of IC on growth opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study uses a sample of non-financial listed firms consisting of 14 Western European countries for the period between 2004 and 2015. The estimation method used is specifically the Generalised Method of Moments system (1998) estimator, a dynamic panel estimator.

Findings

The results reveal that the IC efficiency of the current period has a positive impact on the financial performance of high-, medium- and low-tech European firms. A non-linear relationship was found between growth opportunities and financial performance. Also, findings suggest that the positive relationship between growth opportunities and financial performance is enhanced with the efficient use of firms’ IC. Results indicate that the efficient use of IC in the current period has a greater impact on growth opportunities in high firms. Additionally, results reveal the presence of a non-linear relationship between ownership concentration and growth opportunities.

Originality/value

The current study contributes to the current literature by exploring a sample of firms across Western European countries, which is divided among high-, medium- and low-tech firms. The econometric modelling enables the author to conduct a longitudinal study.
Study of the Local Health Integration Network: impact of Ontario’s Regionalization Policy
Authors: Cheng Siu Mee
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to undertake an examination of the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) Health Policy proposal. This policy established a decentralized approach to health system management in the province of Ontario, Canada by creating 14 crown agencies, LHINs.

Design/methodology/approach

This policy is examined against the five policy stages of the Stages Model: agenda setting, formulation, legitimation, implementation and evaluation. The examination was based on a review of grey literature, including key government reports and briefs.

Findings

This policy did not follow the Stages Model sequentially: the policy was implemented while it was still undergoing its legitimacy phase. Formal reviews were undertaken following implementation and found areas for improvement: poor integration amongst all the LHINs; poor patient navigation persists; LHINs lack the capacity and competency to engage in regional capacity planning; and planning and integration is not centered around patient needs. As a result, a decade after the introduction of LHINs, the Ontario HealthCare System has not achieved systems improvement when measured against accepted government indicators of performance.

Originality/value

This integration policy highlights the context and evolution of Ontario’s healthcare system governance in the past decade and contributes to the body of knowledge on the impact of regionalization on health systems and patient care.
Technology readiness of teenagers: a consumer socialization perspective
Authors: Mishra Anubhav , Maheswarappa Satish S. , Colby Charles L.
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the role of culture-specific socialization factors such as antecedents to technology readiness index (TRI) scale to understand the adoption of cutting-edge technologies among teenagers.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual model was empirically tested using survey data from 381 teenagers. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Parent–child communication, peers, media and self-construal have varying influence on technology readiness of teenagers. The effects of parent–child interactions are mediated by self-construal, which reaffirms the importance of identity during adolescence.

Research limitations/implications

The culture-specific characteristics are critical antecedents to teenagers’ TRI. Moreover, the TRI 2.0 scale needs minor refinement to address culturally diverse marketplace where people are less familiar with the technical terms used in developed countries and display low levels of technology awareness.

Practical implications

Marketers need to tailor their communication strategies to have a strong presence on digital media to engage with teenagers. Firms should utilize media for providing information and develop content that should resonate with teens and potentially enhances their online impression to increase the adoption of technology.

Originality/value

This is the first study to investigate the antecedents of technology readiness of teenagers in an emerging market. The study uses a multidisciplinary approach to examine culture-dependent factors using theories from marketing literature (consumer socialization theory) and developmental psychology (self-construal).