bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Platypus: an open-access software for integrating lymphocyte single-cell immune repertoires with transcriptomes
Authors: Yermanos Alexander , Agrafiotis Andreas , Yates Josephine , Papadopoulou Chrysa , Robbiani Damiano , Bieberich Florian , Vazquez-Lombardi Rodrigo , Neumeuer Daniel , Oxenius Annette , Reddy Sai T.
Published: November 2020

High-throughput single-cell sequencing (scSeq) technologies are revolutionizing the ability to molecularly profile B and T lymphocytes by offering the opportunity to simultaneously obtain information on adaptive immune receptor repertoires (VDJ repertoires) and transcriptomes. An integrated quantification of immune repertoire parameters such as germline gene usage, clonal expansion, somatic hypermutation and transcriptional states opens up new possibilities for the high-resolution analysis of lymphocytes and the inference of antigen-specificity. While multiple tools now exist to investigate gene expression profiles from scSeq of transcriptomes, there is a lack of software dedicated to single-cell immune repertoires. Here, we present Platypus, an open-source software platform providing a user-friendly interface to investigate B cell receptor (BCR) and T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires from single-cell sequencing experiments. Platypus provides a framework to automate and ease the analysis of single-cell immune repertoires while also incorporating transcriptional information involving unsupervised clustering, gene expression, and gene ontology. To showcase the capabilities of Platypus, we use it to analyze and visualize single-cell immune repertoires and transcriptomes from B and T cells from convalescent COVID-19 patients, revealing unique insight into the repertoire features and transcriptional profiles of clonally expanded lymphocytes. Platypus will expedite progress by increasing accessibility to the broader immunology community by facilitating the analysis of single-cell immune repertoire and transcriptome sequencing.
A framework to assess the effects of changes in species composition on processes derived from trophic interactions
Authors: Landim Anna R. , Fernandez Fernando A. S. , Dias André T. C.
Published: November 2020

Functional diversity uses response and effect traits to understand how communities are affected by changes in the environment and their consequences on the structure and functioning of ecosystems. However, most studies focus on a single taxonomic or functional group, ignoring that many ecological processes result from trophic interactions. Here we established a multi-trophic trait-based framework to evaluate the consequences of community change for ecological processes resulting from trophic interactions. Specifically, we estimated the potential effect of each species considering the consumer and resource communities involved on the trophic interaction. The functional space of consumer and resource communities were incorporated into a single analysis by using resource traits to estimate consumers’ functional space. Our framework included a parameter that establishes different weights to unique interactions when estimating a species potential effect. We presented two modifications for application using abundance and species richness data and two modifications to allow incorporating absent species into the analysis. Our framework can be used to investigate consequences of community changes in different situations, such as species extinctions, invasions and refaunation. To demonstrate the insights derived from our framework we used an exemplary study case of refaunation of an impacted tropical forest. Our framework informs on a species contribution to an ecological process according to its originality, i.e., the uniqueness or redundancy of its interactions, and the magnitude of the effect, indicated by the frequency of the resource’s community trait values with which it interacts. Thus, it helps to increase the understanding of the effects of changes in community composition on ecological processes resulting from trophic interactions. It assists practitioners and researches with predictions and evaluations on potential loss and reestablishment of ecological functions resulted from changes in community functional composition.
IL-7-adjuvanted vaginal vaccine elicits strong mucosal immune responses in non-human primates
Authors: Logerot Sandrine , Figueiredo-Morgado Suzanne , Charmeteau-de-Muylder Bénédicte , Sandouk Abdelkader , Drillet-Dangeard Anne-Sophie , Bomsel Morgane , Bourgault-Villada Isabelle , Couëdel-Courteille Anne , Cheynier Rémi , Rancez Magali
Published: November 2020

Mucosal immune responses are crucial in protecting against pathogens entering through mucosal surfaces. However, due to difficulties in disrupting the tolerogenic environment associated with mucosa, mucosal immunity remains difficult to stimulate through vaccines and requires appropriate adjuvants. We previously demonstrated that either administered systemically to healthy macaques or locally expressed in the intestinal mucosa of acutely SIV-infected macaques, interleukin-7 (IL-7) triggers chemokine expression and immune cell homing into mucosae, suggesting its important role in the development of mucosal immune responses.

We therefore examined whether local delivery of recombinant glycosylated simian IL-7 (rs-IL-7gly) to the vaginal mucosa of rhesus macaques could prepare the lower female genital tract (FGT) for subsequent immunization and act as an efficient mucosal adjuvant.

First, we showed that local administration of rs-IL-7gly triggers vaginal overexpression of chemokines and infiltration of mDCs, macrophages, NKs, B- and T-cells in the chorion while MamuLa-DR+APCs accumulated in the epithelium. Subsequent mucosal anti-DT immunization in macaques resulted in a faster, stronger, and more persistent mucosal antibody response compared to DT-immunization alone. Indeed, we detected robust productions of DT-specific IgAs and IgGs in their vaginal secretions and identified cells secreting DT-specific IgAs in their vaginal mucosa and IgGs in draining lymph nodes.

Finally, the expression of chemokines involved in the organization of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) was only increased in the vaginal mucosa of IL-7-adjuvanted immunized macaques. Interestingly, TLSs developed around PNAd+high endothelial venules in their lower FGT sampled 2 weeks after the last immunization.

Non-traumatic vaginal administration of rs-IL-7gly prepares the mucosa to respond to subsequent local immunization and allows the development of a strong mucosal immune response in macaques, through the chemokine-dependent recruitment of immune cells, the activation of mDCs and the formation of TLSs. The localization of DT-specific IgA plasma cells in the mucosa argues for their contribution to the production of specific immunoglobulins in the vaginal secretions. Our results highlight the potential of IL-7 as a potent mucosal adjuvant to stimulate the FGT immune system and elicit vaginal antibody responses to local immunization, which is the most promising way to confer protection against many sexually transmitted diseases.
censcyt: censored covariates in differential abundance analysis in cytometry
Authors: Gerber Reto , Robinson Mark D.
Published: November 2020

Innovations in single cell technologies have lead to a flurry of datasets and computational tools to process and interpret them, including analyses of cell composition changes and transition in cell states. Thediffcytworkflow for differential discovery in cytometry data consist of several steps, including preprocessing, cell population identification and differential testing for an association with a binary or continuous covariate. However, the commonly measured quantity of survival time in clinical studies often results in a censored covariate where classical differential testing is inapplicable. To overcome this limitation, multiple methods to directly include censored covariates in differential abundance analysis were examined with the use of simulation studies and a case study. Results show high error control and decent sensitivity for a subset of the methods. The tested methods are implemented in the R packagecenscytas an extension ofdiffcytand are available athttps://github.com/retogerber/censcyt. Methods for the direct inclusion of a censored variable as a predictor in GLMMs are a valid alternative to classical survival analysis methods, such as the Cox proportional hazard model, while allowing for more flexibility in the differential analysis.
Inferring functionally relevant molecular tissue substructures by agglomerative clustering of digitized spatial transcriptomes
Authors: Moehlin Julien , Mollet Bastien , Colombo Bruno Maria , Mendoza-Parra Marco Antonio
Published: November 2020

Developments on spatial transcriptomics (ST) are providing means to interrogate organ/tissue architecture from the angle of the gene programs defining their molecular complexity. However, computational methods to analyze ST data under-exploits the spatial signature retrieved within the maps. Inspired by contextual pixel classification strategies applied to image analysis, we have developed MULTILAYER, allowing to stratify ST maps into functionally-relevant molecular substructures. For it, MULTILAYER applies agglomerative clustering strategies within contiguous locally-defined transcriptomes (herein defined as gene expression elements or Gexels), combined with community detection methods for graph partitioning.

MULTILAYER has been evaluated over multiple public ST data, including developmental tissues but also tumor biopsies. Its performance has been challenged for the processing of high-resolution ST maps and it has been used for an enhanced comparison of multiple public tissue biopsies issued from a cancerous prostate.

MULTILAYER provides a digital perspective for the analysis of spatially-resolved transcriptomes and anticipates the application of contextual gexel classification strategies for developing self-supervised molecular diagnostics solutions.

Overall, the development of MULTILAYER anticipates the application of contextual gexel classification strategies for developing self-supervised molecular diagnostics solutions.
Phylogenetic reconstruction of myeloproliferative neoplasm reveals very early origins and lifelong evolution
Authors: Williams Nicholas , Lee Joe , Moore Luiza , Baxter E Joanna , Hewinson James , Dawson Kevin J , Menzies Andrew , Godfrey Anna L , Green Anthony R , Campbell Peter J , Nangalia Jyoti
Published: November 2020

Mutations in cancer-associated genes drive tumour outgrowth. However, the timing of driver mutations and dynamics of clonal expansion that lead to human cancers are largely unknown. We used 448,553 somatic mutations from whole-genome sequencing of 843 clonal haematopoietic colonies to reconstruct the phylogeny of haematopoiesis, from embryogenesis to clinical disease, in 10 patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms which are blood cancers more common in older age.JAK2V617F, the pathognomonic mutation in these cancers, was acquiredin uteroor childhood, with upper estimates of age of acquisition ranging between 4.1 months and 11.4 years across 5 patients.DNMT3Amutations, which are associated with age-related clonal haematopoiesis, were also acquiredin uteroor childhood, by 7.9 weeks of gestation to 7.8 years across 4 patients. Subsequent driver mutation acquisition was separated by decades. The mean latency betweenJAK2V617Facquisition and clinical presentation was 31 years (range 12-54 years). Rates of clonal expansion varied substantially (<10% to >200% expansion/year), were affected by additional driver mutations, and predicted latency to clinical presentation. Driver mutations and rates of expansion would have been detectable in blood one to four decades before clinical presentation. This study reveals how driver mutation acquisition very early in life with life-long growth and evolution drive adult blood cancer, providing opportunities for early detection and intervention, and a new paradigm for cancer development.
Using open data to rapidly benchmark biomolecular simulations: Phospholipid conformational dynamics
Authors: Antila Hanne S. , Ferreira Tiago M. , Ollila O. H. Samuli , Miettinen Markus S.
Published: November 2020

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are widely used to monitor time-resolved motions of biomacromolecules, although it often remains unknown how closely the conformational dynamics correspond to those occurring in real life. Here, we used a large set of open-access MD trajectories of phosphatidylcholine (PC) lipid bilayers to benchmark the conformational dynamics in several contemporary MD models (force fields) against nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data available in the literature: effective correlation times and spin-lattice relaxation rates.

We found none of the tested MD models to fully reproduce the conformational dynamics. That said, the dynamics in CHARMM36 and Slipids are more realistic than in the Amber Lipid14, OPLS-based MacRog, and GROMOS-based Berger force fields, whose sampling of the glycerol backbone conformations is too slow. The performance of CHARMM36 persists when cholesterol is added to the bilayer, and when the hydration level is reduced. However, for conformational dynamics of the PC headgroup, both with and without cholesterol, Slipids provides the most realistic description, because CHARMM36 overestimates the relative weight of ~1-ns processes in the headgroup dynamics.

We stress that not a single new simulation was run for the present work. This demonstrates the worth of open-access MD trajectory databanks for the indispensable step of any serious MD study: Benchmarking the available force fields. We believe this proof of principle will inspire other novel applications of MD trajectory databanks, and thus aid in developing biomolecular MD simulations into a true computational microscope—not only for lipid membranes, but for all biomacromolecular systems.
Turing’s diffusive threshold in random reaction-diffusion systems
Authors: Haas Pierre A. , Goldstein Raymond E.
Published: November 2020

Turing instabilities of reaction-diffusion systems can only arise if the diffusivities of the chemical species are sufficiently different. This threshold is unphysical in most systems withN= 2 diffusing species, forcing experimental realizations of the instability to rely on fluctuations or additional nondiffusing species. Here we ask whether this diffusive threshold lowers forN> 2 to allow “true” Turing instabilities. Inspired by May’s analysis of the stability of random ecological communities, we analyze the probability distribution of the diffusive threshold in reaction-diffusion systems defined by random matrices describing linearized dynamics near a homogeneous fixed point. In the numerically tractable casesN≤ 6, we find that the diffusive threshold becomes more likely to be smaller and physical asNincreases and that most of these many-species instabilities cannot be described by reduced models with fewer species.
Heterozygous Cell Models of STAT1 Gain-of-Function Reveal a Broad Spectrum of Interferon-Signature Gene Transcriptional Responses
Authors: Scott Ori , Lindsay Kyle , Erwood Steven , Roifman Chaim M. , Cohn Ronald D. , Ivakine Evgueni A.
Published: November 2020

Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 (STAT1) gain-of-function (GOF) is an autosomal dominant immune disorder marked by wide infectious predisposition, autoimmunity, vascular disease and malignancy. Its molecular hallmark, elevated phospho-STAT1 (pSTAT1) following interferon (IFN) stimulation, is seen consistently in all patients and may not fully account for the broad phenotypic spectrum associated with this disorder. While over 100 mutations have been implicated in STAT1 GOF, genotype-phenotype correlation remains limited, and current overexpression models may be of limited use in gene expression studies. We generated heterozygous mutants in diploid HAP1 cells using CRISPR/Cas9 base-editing, targeting the endogenousSTAT1gene. Our models recapitulated the molecular phenotype of elevated pSTAT1, and were used to characterize the expression of five IFN-stimulated genes under a number of conditions. At baseline, transcriptional polarization was evident among mutants compared with wild type, and this was maintained following prolonged serum starvation. This suggests a possible role for unphosphorylated STAT1 in the pathogenesis of STAT1 GOF. Following stimulation with IFNαor IFNγ, differential patterns of gene expression emerged among mutants, including both gain and loss of transcriptional function. This work highlights the importance of modelling heterozygous conditions, and in particular transcription factor-related disorders, in a manner which accurately reflects patient genotype and molecular signature. Furthermore, we propose a complex and multifactorial transcriptional profile associated with variousSTAT1mutations, adding to global efforts in establishing STAT1 GOF genotype-phenotype correlation and enhancing our understanding of disease pathogenesis.
Combined assessment of MHC binding and antigen expression improves T cell epitope predictions
Authors: Koşaloğlu-Yalçın Zeynep , Lee Jenny , Nielsen Morten , Greenbaum Jason , Schoenberger Stephen P , Miller Aaron , Kim Young J , Sette Alessandro , Peters Bjoern
Published: November 2020

MHC class I antigen processing consists of multiple steps that result in the presentation of MHC bound peptides that can be recognized as T cell epitopes. Many of the pathway steps can be predicted using computational methods, but one is often neglected: mRNA expression of the epitope source proteins. In this study, we improve epitope prediction by taking into account both peptide-MHC binding affinities and expression levels of the peptide’s source protein. Specifically, we utilized biophysical principles and existing MHC binding prediction tools in concert with RNA expression to derive a function that estimates the likelihood of a peptide being presented on a given MHC class I molecule. Our combined model of Antigen eXpression based Epitope Likelihood-Function (AXEL-F) outperformed predictions based only on binding or based only on antigen expression for discriminating eluted ligands from random background peptides as well as in predicting neoantigens that are recognized by T cells. We also showed that in cases where cancer patient-specific RNA-Seq data is not available, cancer-type matched expression data from TCGA can be used to accurately estimate patient-specific gene expression. Using AXEL-F together with TGCA expression data we were able to more accurately predict neoantigens that are recognized by T cells. The method is available in the IEDB Analysis Resource and free to use for the academic community.

Significance statement

Epitope prediction tools have been used to call epitopes in viruses and other pathogens for almost 30 years, and more recently, to call cancer neoantigens. Several such tools have been developed, however most of them ignore the mRNA expression of the epitope source proteins. In the present study, we have, to our knowledge for the first time, developed a biophysically motivated model to combine peptide-MHC binding and abundance of the peptide’s source protein to improve epitope predictions. Our novel tool AXEL-F is freely available on the IEDB and presents a clear opportunity for predicting and selecting epitopes more efficiently.
Bacteria have numerous phage-plasmid families with conserved phage and variable plasmid gene repertoires
Authors: Pfeifer Eugen , de Sousa Jorge A. Moura , Touchon Marie , Rocha Eduardo P.C.
Published: November 2020

Plasmids and temperate phages are mobile genetic elements driving bacterial evolution. They are usually regarded as very distinct. However, some elements, termed phage-plasmids, are known to be both plasmids and phages,e.g. P1, N15 or SSU5. The number, distribution, relatedness and characteristics of these phage-plasmids are poorly known. Here, we screened for these elements among ca. 14000 phages and plasmids and identified 780 phage-plasmids across very diverse bacterial phyla. We grouped 92% of them by similarity of gene repertoires to define 8 families and 18 other broader communities of elements. The existence of these large groups suggests that phage-plasmids are ancient. Their gene repertoires are large, the average element is larger than an average phage or plasmid, and they include slightly more homologs to phages than to plasmids. We analyzed the pangenomes and the genetic organization of each group of phage-plasmids and found the key phage genes to be conserved and co-localized within families, whereas genes with homologs in plasmids are much more variable and include most accessory genes. Phage-plasmids are a sizeable fraction of all phages and plasmids and could have key roles in bridging the genetic divide between phages and other mobile genetic elements.
Evolution of mouse circadian enhancers from transposable elements
Authors: Judd Julius , Sanderson Hayley , Feschotte Cédric
Published: November 2020

Background

Transposable elements are increasingly recognized as a source of cis-regulatory variation. Previous studies have revealed that transposons are often bound by transcription factors and some have been co-opted into functional enhancers regulating host gene expression. However, the process by which transposons mature into complex regulatory elements, like enhancers, remains poorly understood. To investigate this process, we examined the contribution of transposons to the cis-regulatory network controlling circadian gene expression in the mouse liver, a well-characterized network serving an important physiological function.

Results

ChIP-seq analyses revealed that transposons and other repeats contribute ~14% of the binding sites for core circadian regulators (CRs) including BMAL1, CLOCK, PER1/2, and CRY1/2, in the mouse liver. RSINE1, an abundant murine-specific SINE, was the only transposon family enriched for CR binding sites across all datasets. Sequence analyses and reporter assays revealed that the circadian regulatory activity of RSINE1 stems from the presence of imperfect CR binding motifs in the ancestral RSINE1 sequence. These motifs matured into canonical motifs through point mutations after transposition. Furthermore, maturation occurred preferentially within elements inserted in proximity of ancestral CR binding sites. RSINE1 also acquired motifs that recruit nuclear receptors known to cooperate with CR to regulate circadian gene expression specifically in the liver.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the birth of enhancers from transposons is predicated both by the sequence of the transposon and by the cis-regulatory landscape surrounding their genomic integration site. This model illuminates how transposition fuels the emergence and turnover of enhancers during mammalian evolution.
Anin vivoreporter for tracking lipid droplet dynamics in transparent zebrafish
Authors: Lumaquin Dianne , Johns Eleanor , Weiss Joshua , Montal Emily , Ooladipupo Olayinka , Abuhashem Abderhman , White Richard M.
Published: November 2020

Lipid droplets are lipid storage organelles found in nearly all cell types from adipocytes to cancer cells. Although increasingly implicated in disease, current methods to study lipid droplets require fixation or static imaging which limits investigation of their rapidin vivodynamics. To address this, we created a lipid droplet transgenic reporter in whole animals and cell culture by fusing tdTOMATO to Perilipin-2 (PLIN2), a lipid droplet structural protein. Expression of this transgene in transparentcasperzebrafish enabledin vivoimaging of adipose depots responsive to nutrient deprivation and high-fat diet. Using this system, we tested novel regulators of lipolysis, revealing an unexpected role for nitric oxide in modulating adipocyte lipid droplets. Similarly, we expressed the PLIN2-tdTOMATO transgene in melanoma cells and found that the nitric oxide pathway also regulated lipid droplets in cancer. This model offers a tractable imaging platform to study lipid droplets across cell types and disease contexts.
Surface modification of PDMS-based microfluidic devices with collagen using polydopamine as a spacer to enhance primary human bronchial epithelial cell adhesion
Authors: Dabaghi Mohammadhossein , Shahriari Shadi , Saraei Neda , Da Kevin , Chandiramohan Abiram , Selvaganapathy Ponnambalam Ravi , Hirota Jeremy A.
Published: November 2020

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a silicone-based synthetic material that is used in various biomedical applications due to its properties, including transparency, flexibility, permeability to gases, and ease of use. Though PDMS facilitates and realizes the fabrication of complicated geometries at the micro and nano scales, it does not optimally interact with cells for adherence and proliferation. Different strategies have been proposed to render PDMS to enhance cell attachment. The majority of these surface modification techniques have been offered for a static cell culture system. However, dynamic cell culture systems such as organ-on-a-chip devices are demanding platforms that recapitulate the complexity of a living tissue microenvironment. For organ-on-a-chip platforms, PDMS surfaces are usually coated by ECM proteins, which occur as a result of physical, weak bonding between PDMS and ECM proteins, and this binding can be degraded when it is exposed to shear stresses. This work reports static and dynamic coating methods to covalently bind collagen within a PDMS-based microfluidic device using polydopamine (PDA). These coating methods were evaluated using water contact angle measurement and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to find the optimum coating conditions. The biocompatibility of collagen-coated PDMS devices was assessed by culturing primary human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) in microfluidic devices. It was shown that both PDA coating methods could be used to bind collagen, thereby improving cell adhesion (around three times higher) without showing any discernible difference. These results suggested that such a surface modification can be used to coat an extracellular matrix protein onto PDMS-based microfluidic devices.
Retrieving high-resolution chromatin interactions and decoding enhancer regulatory potentialin silico
Authors: Gusmao Eduardo Gade , Mizi Athanasia , Brant Lilija , Papantonis Argyris
Published: November 2020

The advent of the chromosome conformation capture (3C) and related technologies has profoundly renewed our understaning of three-dimensional chromatin organization in mammalian nuclei. Alongside these experimental approaches, numerous computational tools for handling, normalizing, visualizing, and ultimately detecting interactions in 3C-type datasets are being developed. Here, we presentBloom, a comprehensive method for the analysis of 3C-type data matrices on the basis of Dirichlet process mixture models that addresses two important open issues. First, it retrieves occult interaction patterns from sparse data, like those derived from single-cell Hi-C experiments; thus,bloomedsparse data can now be used to study interaction landscapes at sub-kbp resolution. Second, it detects enhancer-promoter interactions with high sensitivity and inherently assigns an interaction frequency score (IFS) to each contact. Using enhancer perturbation data of different throughput, we show that IFS accurately quantifies the regulatory influence of each enhancer on its target promoter. As a result,Bloomallows decoding of complex regulatory landscapes by generating functionally-relevant enhancer atlases solely on the basis of 3C-type of data.
Esophageal cancer as initial presentation of Fanconi anemia in patients with a hypomorphic FANCA variant
Authors: Lach Francis P. , Singh Sonia , Rickman Kimberly A. , Ruiz Penelope D. , Noonan Raymond J. , Hymes Kenneth B. , DeLacure Mark D. , Kennedy Jennifer A. , Chandrasekharappa Settara C. , Smogorzewska Agata
Published: November 2020

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a clinically heterogenous and genetically diverse disease with 22 known complementation groups (FA-A to FA-W), resulting from the inability to repair DNA interstrand cross-links. This rare disorder is characterized by congenital defects, bone marrow failure, and cancer predisposition. FANCA is the most commonly mutated gene in FA and a variety of mostly private mutations have been documented, including small and large indels and point and splicing variants. Genotype–phenotype associations in FA are complex, and a relationship between particular FANCA variants and the observed cellular phenotype or illness severity remains unclear. In this study, we describe two siblings with compound heterozygous FANCA variants (c.3788_3790delTCT and c.4199G > A) who both presented with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma at the age of 51. The proband came to medical attention when he developed pancytopenia after a single cycle of low-dose chemotherapy including platinum-based therapy. Other than a minor thumb abnormality, neither patient had prior findings to suggest FA, including normal blood counts and intact fertility. Patient fibroblasts from both siblings display increased chromosomal breakage and hypersensitivity to interstrand cross-linking agents as seen in typical FA. Based on our functional data demonstrating that the c.4199G > A/p.R1400H variant represents a hypomorphic FANCA allele, we conclude that the residual activity of the Fanconi anemia repair pathway accounts for lack of spontaneous bone marrow failure or infertility with the late presentation of malignancy as the initial disease manifestation. This and similar cases of adult-onset esophageal cancer stress the need for chromosome breakage testing in patients with early onset of aerodigestive tract squamous cell carcinomas before platinum-based therapy is initiated.
Effects of determinants of dried fruit purchase intention and the related consumer segmentation on e-commerce in China
Authors: Sun Yuting , Liang Chaoyun
Published: November 2020

Purpose

In this study, a comprehensive theoretical framework was developed to investigate the influence of the determinants of online dried fruit purchase intention in China.

Design/methodology/approach

The dried fruit eating experiences of 1,160 participants from China were collected using an online survey.

Findings

Significant differences were noted in the sociodemographic distributions among three age-based consumer segments. Furthermore, the cost of the marketing strategy had the strongest effect on online dried fruit purchase intention. Finally, different patterns of online dried fruit purchase intention were observed among the three consumer segments: consumers aged below 24 years regarded dried fruits as a new and healthy snack choice and favoured companies with high-quality communication with consumers; consumers aged 25–29 years viewed dried fruits as a healthy eating habit, reflecting their strong self-control over their lifestyle; and consumers aged over 30 years valued the convenience marketing strategies applied by dried fruit manufacturers.

Originality/value

Overall, the results indicate that dried fruits are considered a niche market of snacks that provides added value for core products in the Chinese e-commerce (EC) market; therefore, developing cost-effective strategies to raise consumer awareness of dried fruits is crucial. Furthermore, marketing strategies should target different consumer segments.
Corporate governance and banking performance: the mediating role of intellectual capital among OIC countries
Authors: Aslam Ejaz , Haron Razali
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The existing literature asserted that the Islamic banking industry progress significantly, but it has increasingly found asset deficient which assaulted the performance of Islamic banks (IBs). The aim of this study to examine the mediating role of intellectual capital (IC) on the relationship between corporate governance (CG) mechanisms and IBs performance is examined (ATO, NPM).

Design/methodology/approach

A panel sample of 129 IBs is drawn from the 29 organisation of Islamic cooperation (OIC) countries from 2008 to 2017. Two-step system generalized method of moments (2SYS-GMM) was used to account for the unobserved endogeneity and heteroscedasticity problem.

Findings

The empirical findings demonstrate that there is a significant impact of the CG mechanism on IC. Moreover, the empirical findings indicate that CG has a direct influence on banking performance but it affects indirectly through IC. IC also appears to have a mediation role in the relationship between the CG mechanism and the performance of IBs.

Research limitations/implications

As the empirical research on IC from CG point of view in Islamic banking is generally new in the banking literature, the output of this research will contribute to the building up of empirical framework and practices regarding IC in the Islamic banking industry by using the resource-based theory as a leading theory and agency theory as a sub theory. It is anticipated that this study provided a superior comprehensive discussion of the IC in IBs across OIC countries which discovers the CG mechanism to influence the IC to improve banking performance.

Practical implications

This study offers useful insights to the regulators and practitioners to draw the rules and regulations in improving the CG mechanism and the effectiveness of internal controls by acknowledging the importance of IC in Islamic banking institutions. Particularly, the findings of this study may be of benefit to bankers to efficiently use the IC as a premise to design new and creative strategies to achieve a competitive advantage in the banking industry.

Originality/value

The study is unique in its nature because it presents a successful model for IBs to concentrate more on the role of IC in enhancing banking performance, which might be used by the banks to rearrange the roles within CG, to place their priorities regarding the internal governance system and financial plans for competency enhancement.
International entrepreneurial orientation amidst post-colonial upheaval: entrepreneurs during the Hong Kong Umbrella Revolution
Authors: Alvi Farzad Haider
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This paper examines the internationalization response of entrepreneurs in Hong Kong to the institutional upheaval of the Umbrella Revolution (UR), analyzed through the lens of post-colonial theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Inductive methods are applied to interview data on dimensions of ethnic background (local Chinese, regional Chinese and British expatriates) and geographical scope of business (Hong Kong only or global). The analysis consists of first-order concepts, second-order themes and aggregate dimensions which link the results to post-colonial theory and international entrepreneurial orientation (IEO).

Findings

Amongst informants with a high international entrepreneurial orientation (IEO), strategy response to upheaval is highly influenced by ethnic background and geographical flexibility in a post-colonial context. Applying Bhabhaian post-colonial theory, the Hong Kong UR is found to be a liminal space, where internationalization strategy in response to upheaval belies subconscious, ethics-laden constructions of post-colonial identity, manifesting in counterintuitive ways.

Originality/value

This paper addresses the paucity of studies on liminality and entrepreneurship and on how IEO responds to acute uncertainty in the business environment. Further, IEO is found to be an individual rather than a firm-level construct. Finally, a post-colonial theory is considered in a larger context of liminality and how the transitional self of entrepreneurs comes to terms with institutional upheaval.
Valuing ecosystem services of Sundarbans mangrove forest for improved conservation: approach of randomized conjoint experiment
Authors: Iqbal Md. Hafiz
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This study provides empirical evidence of the economic valuation of ecosystem services. It examines the willingness-to-pay (WTP) and compensating surplus (CS) in response to policy change based on focus group discussion (FGD) and survey.

Design/methodology/approach

A randomized conjoint analysis based experiment was conducted in seven villages of Sundarbans in Bangladesh to elicit stated preference data and measure WTP and CS. Each respondent faced three options in every choice card-two hypothetical alternatives and one status quo scheme. Four alternatives – payment for ecosystem services, storm protection, erosion control and habitat for fish breeding – are randomly and simultaneously assigned to the two alternatives.

Findings

The findings suggest that age, income, education, family size and occupational status are the influential factor to choice the relevant attributes of ecosystem services and their levels. Villagers would like to pay annually Tk. 703, Tk. 281, and Tk. 59 for lower, moderate, and higher ecosystem services. With these WTP, they get surplus Tk. 760, Tk. 138, and Tk. 346 respectively.

Research limitations/implications

The lower WTP does not necessarily imply low demand for ecosystem service, as the findings from WTP illustrate potential demand for ecosystem services of Sundarbans.

Practical implications

The study provides an important insight into the ecosystem services and values of Sundarbans mangrove forests for welfare and can inform policy for sustainable use of resources of this forest.

Originality/value

There is a crucial gap in understanding what could villagers be ready for WTP for better ecosystem services of Sundarbans mangrove forest, how do payment based ecosystem services, as a proxy for the conservation of Sundarbans mangrove, and to what extent the policy can be strengthened.
Origins and consequences of intrapreneurship with behaviour-based approach among employees in the hospitality industry
Authors: Do Tinh Tran Phu , Luu Dung Tien
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to assess an integrative model of origins and sequences of employee intrapreneurial behaviour in hospitality companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The research sample comprises 321 frontline employees in four-star to five-star hotels in Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam, using a structural equation model (SEM).

Findings

The paper shows that employee behavioural factors (subjective norms, attitude towards intrapreneurship and perceived behavioural control) and perception of firm entrepreneurial orientation dimensions (innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking) have a significant impact on the two intrapreneurship activities of employee strategic renewal behaviour and venture behaviour, which in turn, beneficial impact firm performance. The influence of demographic variables is also assessed in the research model, and education level, income level and management level are found to be prestigious.

Practical implications

Hospitality firms need to establish the architecture and system related to entrepreneurship orientation and organisational climate. Additionally, there is a need for providing resources and knowledge, thereof, could provide support employees in appreciation of corporate entrepreneurship and authorisation to conduct intrapreneurial behaviour.

Originality/value

The findings grant influencing mechanisms of employee individuality and dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation on firm performance through employee strategic renewal behaviour and venture behaviour within the hospitality firms.
Young adults’ socialization in housing and real estate purchase decisions in India
Authors: John Sijo Saju , Balapure Chaitali , Godwin Benny J.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the influence of young adults’ socialization and product involvement on family housing and real estate purchase decision-making process. While previous studies have used these constructs in the fast-moving commercial goods category, this paper is considering the real estate family purchase decision as the core point of research and analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 429 young working adults across various sectors in India. The proposed conceptual framework is tested using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The findings suggest that the teenagers with high social life have a better say in the decision-making process. It was also found that the young adults’ product involvement (measured in terms of gratification and symbol) construct shows how involved they are with the final decision-making in a family. The results suggested that the more young adult socializes, the more voice he has in the family housing and real estate decision-making process.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to analyze the role of teenage socialization and product involvement on family housing and real estate purchase decision-making process. This paper will be practicable to all the stakeholders of the housing industry as a whole.
Connecting the vital link nodes to superior value creation in private health-care marketing in Ghana: a relationship marketing paradigm
Authors: Anabila Peter
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explore the utility of relationship marketing (RM) practices in achieving customer loyalty (CL) via customer satisfaction (CS) as the mediator.

Design/methodology/approach

A convenience sampling of 592 customers of private hospitals was used to generate data. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse data to generate findings.

Findings

The study establishes a direct positive association between RM practices and CL. The study also found that CS mediates the relationship between RM practices and CL.

Practical implications

The study reinforces the role of RM as a significant driver of marketing performance in private hospitals.

Originality/value

The results are intended to guide policymakers of private hospitals to manage relationships to gain competitive advantage.
Households’ acceptance of affordable Islamic public-private housing co-operative model (IPHCM) in Malaysia
Authors: Abdul Razak Dzuljastri , Bilal Muhammad , Amin Hanudin
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants influencing low- and middle-income households in accepting the Islamic public-private housing co-operative model (IPHCM) as an alternative to contemporary affordable public housing models in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

Using self-administrated questionnaires, data are collected from low- and middle-income households dwelling in Programme Perumahan Rakyat projects in Kuala Lumpur and the state of Selangor. The study used the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and used the partial least squares technique to examine the proposed hypothesised relationships.

Findings

The findings of this study suggest that subjective norm and perceived consumer religiosity is the most influential determinants affecting the behavioural intention of low- and middle-income households in accepting the IPHCM model. Attitude had a significantly positive relationship with households’ behavioural intentions towards accepting the IPHCM model.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can serve as a guideline for policymakers to understand the behavioural intention of low- and middle-income households in accepting newly developed models in affordable public housing space.

Originality/value

Behavioural aspects regarding the acceptance of affordable public housing models in Malaysia have yet to be profoundly explored in the literature. This study has extended the TPB by incorporating perceived consumer religiosity, in the affordable public housing domain, to analyse its effects on households’ acceptance of the IPHCM model.
From physical to virtual store: factors that spur Bangladeshi manufacturers/retailers to introduce multi-channel retailing
Authors: Karim Md Thohidul , Qi Xu
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Multi-channel business operations are standard practice in most business contexts today. The popularity of multi-channel adoption among developing countries is growing fast. In Bangladesh, the retailers who adopted multi-channel retailing have been getting a very good response from the consumers. This study aims to understand the factors that influence manufacturers’ decisions to adopt multiple channels in Bangladesh. The authors applied an extended technology acceptance model with three variables: business innovation, business competition and consumer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Partial least squares-structural equation modeling was applied to test the data collected from 157 companies and relevant hypotheses.

Findings

The study findings show that Bangladeshi manufacturers are positive about, and expect benefits from, applying the new channel. The study also revealed that customer satisfaction considerably affects multi-channel adoption in Bangladesh. Similarly, business innovation and business competition play a significant role in introducing multiple business channels.

Research limitations/implications

This research was conducted in Bangladesh, and data are collected from Dhaka and Chittagong that may limit the generalizability of findings.

Practical implications

The research goal was to understand a manufacturer’s perception to adopt multi-channel in business. The proposed research model was able to address the major factors that drive a manufacturer to introduce multiple business channels, especially in Bangladesh.

Originality/value

Many research and case studies have been done the past couple of decades, but most of them are consumer oriented. Little research has been done to investigate a manufacturer’s point of view adapting innovation in business. Though some research articles are available online, most of them from developed countries. So, the study’s goal was to study developing countries scenario; thus, the authors choose Bangladesh.
Using regulatory fit in cost reduction announcements
Authors: Diefenbach Ulf , Schnellbächer Benedikt , Heidenreich Sven
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether and how the usage of regulatory fit in cost reduction announcements affects employees’ willingness to engage in the cost reduction program (CRP).

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the regulatory fit theory, a scenario-based experiment was conducted (n= 517) to investigate the effect of promotion- or prevention-oriented framing of the CRP on the acceptance and the motivation to actively contribute to the CRP using multiple ANOVAs.

Findings

The study results point out that the framing of the cost announcement messages should use feelings or emotions and ensure gains for promotion-focused employees to decrease the negative effects of regulatory nonfit. However, in the case of prevention-focused employees, facts and reasons should be used in combination with an assertion of nonlosses in the announcement message to prevent regulatory nonfit.

Research limitations/implications

This research deepens the understanding on the decision-influencing role of managerial cost announcements on employee motivation and the impact of different regulatory orientations. By this, the authors enhance the current understanding of how employees can effectively be integrated into CRPs and expand previous research on how regulatory fit theory can be used by organizations dealing with negative events.

Practical implications

The study findings offer several opportunities and implications for managers engaged in corporate communication. More specifically, the study findings provide helpful guidelines for organizations to align their cost reduction announcement with the regulatory focus of their employees to reach regulatory fit and thus enhance employee willingness to participate in the CRP.

Originality/value

Despite the increasing attention of regulatory focus and regulatory fit theory and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to search for combined effects of emotions and facts versus potential gains and ensuring nonlosses, which both were shown to influence outcomes predicted by regulatory fit.