bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
“Bio to bits”: the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) as a metaphor for Big Data ecosystem assessment
Authors: Ghazinoory Sepehr , Nasri Shohreh , Dastranj Roya , Sarkissian Alfred 
Published: September 2021

PurposeBig Data (BD) is not only a quintessential part of many economic activities but also has evolved into a veritable business ecosystem. However, most Big Data ecosystem (BDE) models have a technical, bottom-up focus and mostly lack the capability for a broad socioeconomic analysis. This paper identifies the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) as a useful, operational framework and uses a metaphorical analogy to adapt it for the BDE. The top-down approach adopted here allows for seeing the big picture of the BD ecosystem. Meeting “end-user needs” is the main objective of the proposed BDE framework.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology of this paper consists of two parts. First, the MA is adapted for the BDE through a metaphorical analogy. Then, to operationalize and validate the proposed framework, it is applied to an emerging BD ecosystem.FindingsIn total, four types of services are offered in the BD ecosystem: provisioning information and products; regulating; cultural and supporting services. Direct and indirect drivers of change impact ecosystem processes such as BD service provision. Based on the assessment results, interventions can be devised to remedy problems, sustain the ecosystem or accelerate growth. The proposed BDE assessment framework is applied to an emerging BDE as an example of operationalization and validation of the proposed BDE framework.Originality/valueThe strengths of the proposed BDE framework is that, in contrast to existing frameworks that are technical and bottom-up, it is constructed top-down by a metaphorical analogy from the proven MA framework. It is a generic framework with the ultimate objective of meeting the “end-user needs” and does not focus on a single sector or firm. Also, the proposed BDE framework is multi-faceted and considers broad socioeconomic issues such as regulating, cultural and supporting services and drivers of change.
Sustainability reporting or integrated reporting: which one is valuable for investors?
Authors: Permatasari Ika , Narsa I Made 
Published: September 2021

Purpose
This research is motivated by the development of dialogue and debate regarding company reporting in the form of sustainability reporting (SR) – which is separate from the annual report (AR) – or integrated reporting (IR). Research into SR and IR is still fascinating, and this study addresses the debate about them. This study aims to examine which of the two reports is more valuable for investors, and also examine whether IR has value relevance because the information in the IR could reinforce the importance of the accounting information.

Design/methodology/approach
As with previous studies, we adopted a valuation approach – the Ohlson model – to assess the value relevance of non-financial information (in the form of SR/IR) and financial information. As a preliminary study, we used non-financial information as a binary variable, i.e. a group of companies that issue sustainability reports and a group of companies that issue integrated reports. Therefore, they complement and interact with the financial statements’ information. This paper used panel data consisting of 931 firm-years of SR issuers and 922 firm-years of IR issuers in Europe and Africa in the period from 2005 to 2019.

Findings
The results showed that SR had a higher value relevance than IR. However, when the authors interact the corporate reporting form with the accounting information, IR had value relevance because the information contained in the IR could reinforce the importance of the accounting information.

Practical implications
This study will support regulators in various countries to monitor the reporting practices of companies in those countries. The results of this study provide evidence that sustainability reports get a higher response than integrated reports. However, when interacted with the accounting variables, information in the IR is considered to be more relevant than that found in the SR. Therefore, it is hoped that the results of this study will help the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) in reviewing IR practices around the world so that the implementation of IR practices can be realized in accordance with the mission that the IIRC wants to achieve.

Originality/value
Research into the value relevance of SR and IR has been carried out by several previous researchers separately, but to the best of the author’s knowledge, there are no studies comparing the value relevance of the two.
Social welfare and bank performance: evidence from a stochastic neural hybrid MCDM approach
Authors: Maredza Andrew , Wanke Peter , Antunes Jorge , Pimenta Roberto , Tan Yong 
Published: September 2021

PurposeThis paper investigates the endogenous relationships between banking performance and social welfare in Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive three-stage multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach based on alternative informational assumptions is applied.FindingsResults indicate that banking performance is paradoxically associated with stagnant economic activity and higher wealth concentration for the minority. The authors found that SADC banking performance promotes higher Human Development Index (HDI) standards possibly via efficient financial intermediation, dissemination of best managerial practices and other forms of positive spillovers in these countries.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the MCDM literature by simultaneously exploring the key concepts of “utility functions” (using COPRAS) and “distance to ideal solutions” (using TOPSIS) in mapping and explaining the feedback and cause-effect processes between banking performance and social welfare that may exist. Another distinctive aspect is related to the computation of bias-free criteria weights, using a robust SWARA order-rank based on information entropy. Finally, this paper is concerning the endogeneity measurement, using a novel stochastic structural relationship non-linear programme.
Linear optimal weighting estimator (LOWE) for efficient parallel hybridization of load forecasts
Authors: Chahkotahi Fatemeh , Khashei Mehdi 
Published: September 2021

Purpose
Improving the accuracy and reducing computational costs of predictions, especially the prediction of time series, is one of the most critical parts of the decision-making processes and management in different areas and organizations. One of the best solutions to achieve high accuracy and low computational costs in time series forecasting is to develop and use efficient hybrid methods. Among the combined methods, parallel hybrid approaches are more welcomed by scholars and often have better performance than sequence ones. However, the necessary condition of using parallel combinational approaches is to estimate the appropriate weight of components. This weighting stage of parallel hybrid models is the most effective factor in forecasting accuracy as well as computational costs. In the literature, meta-heuristic algorithms have often been applied to weight components of parallel hybrid models. However, such that algorithms, despite all unique advantages, have two serious disadvantages of local optima and iterative time-consuming optimization processes. The purpose of this paper is to develop a linear optimal weighting estimator (LOWE) algorithm for finding the desired weight of components in the global non-iterative universal manner.

Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, a LOWE algorithm is developed to find the desired weight of components in the global non-iterative universal manner.

Findings
Empirical results indicate that the accuracy of the LOWE-based parallel hybrid model is significantly better than meta-heuristic and simple average (SA) based models. The proposed weighting approach can improve 13/96%, 11/64%, 9/35%, 25/05% the performance of the differential evolution (DE), genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO) and SA-based parallel hybrid models in electricity load forecasting. While, its computational costs are considerably lower than GA, PSO and DE-based parallel hybrid models. Therefore, it can be considered as an appropriate and effective alternative weighing technique for efficient parallel hybridization for time series forecasting.

Originality/value
In this paper, a LOWE algorithm is developed to find the desired weight of components in the global non-iterative universal manner. Although it can be generally demonstrated that the performance of the proposed weighting technique will not be worse than the meta-heuristic algorithm, its performance is also practically evaluated in real-world data sets.
Consumers’ decision-making self-efficacy for service purchases: construct conceptualization and scale
Authors: Hale Dena , Thakur Ramendra , Riggs John , Altobello Suzanne 
Published: September 2021

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a scale to determine the consumer’s level of decision-making self-efficacy for a high-involved service purchase, specifically the purchase of medical insurance. One question to ask is how service providers can help consumers purchase the services that best meet their needs? Before interventions can occur, it is necessary to benchmark consumers’ perceptions of their own decision-making control and abilities.

Design/methodology/approach
A scale that measures consumers’ service decision-making self-efficacy was developed using the principles established for scale development validation. A four-study approach was used to reach the research objective.

Findings
The research consisted of four studies designed to: generate items to measure consumer service decision-making self-efficacy (CSDMSE); purify the scale and assess its dimensionality (second-order structure); establish the reliability and validity of the scale; and establish norms to provide details on its usefulness for aiding consumers with service purchases. The scale was found to be a higher-order construct, comprising three lower-order constructs.

Originality/value
Research suggests that consumer self-efficacy may affect their decision-making. The greater the consumer’s self-efficacy for decision-making tasks, the more efficient the decision-making process strategies are expected to be. This is the purpose for which the CSDMSE scale measure was created: to understand how, where and when service professionals can assist consumers with making appropriate service-related decisions and purchases.
Computer‐aided selective production of low-resistance NiP and NiCuP layers
Authors: Kowalik Piotr , Wróbel Edyta 
Published: September 2021

Purpose
This paper aims to present the possibility of computer-aided technology of chemical metallization for the production of electrodes and resistors based on Ni-P and Ni-Cu-P layers.

Design/methodology/approach
Based on the calculated parameters of the process, test structures were made on an alumina substrate using the selective metallization method. Dependences of the surface resistance on the metallization time were made. These dependencies take into account the comparison of the calculations with the performed experiment.

Findings
The author created a convenient and easy-to-use tool for calculating basic Ni-P and Ni-Cu-P layer parameters, namely, surface resistance and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of test resistor, based on chemical metallization parameters. The values are calculated for a given level of surface resistance of Ni-P and Ni-Cu-P layer and defined required range of changes of TCR of test resistor. The calculations are possible for surface resistance values in the range of 0.4 Ohm/square ÷ 2.5 Ohm/square. As a result of the experiment, surface resistances were obtained that practically coincide with the calculations made with the use of the program created by the authors. The quality of the structures made is very good.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the paper presents a new, unpublished method of manufacturing electrodes (resistors) on silicon, Al2O3 and low temperature co-fired ceramic substrates based on the authors developed computer program.
Possibilities for assessing authentic leadership competencies: testing existing instruments and proposing an extended one
Authors: Meerits Artur , Kivipõld Kurmet , Akuffo Isaac Nana 
Published: September 2021

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: to test existing Authentic Leadership (AL) instruments simultaneously in the same environment, and based on these, to propose an extended instrument for the assessment of AL intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies.

Design/methodology/approach
Three existing instruments of AL – Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) (Walumbwa et al., 2008), Authentic Leadership Inventory (ALI) (Neider and Schriesheim, 2011) and the Three Pillar Model (TPM) (Beddoes-Jones and Swailes, 2015) – were tested, and an extended instrument was proposed based on the results. Two different samples were used – a homogeneous sample (N = 1021) from the military and a heterogeneous sample (N = 547) from retail, catering, public services and logistics industries. Construct validity for the instruments was assessed using a confirmatory factor analysis, and the internal consistency of the factors was analysed using Cronbach’s alpha.

Findings
From existing instruments, two out of three indicate issues with internal factor consistency and model fit. The internal consistency of factors and model fit of the extended instrument developed here is satisfactory and suitable for assessing authentic leadership competencies in a single organisation or industry.

Originality/value
This paper sees AL as the behaviour of leaders affected by leadership competencies. Three existing AL instruments were tested alongside a proposed extended instrument to assess AL intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies in the same context.
Attempt of thyX gene silencing and construction of a thyX deleted clone in a Mycobacterium bovis BCG
Authors: Arimura Yuki , Minato Yusuke , Wada Takayuki , Nakayama Masaaki , Ryumon Ayako , Hirata Nao , Nakajima Chie , Suzuki Yasuhiko , Ato Manabu , Kobayashi Kazuo , Ohara Naoko , Iida Seiji , Ohara Naoya 
Published: September 2021

AbstractMycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, possess flavin‐dependent thymidylate synthase, ThyX. Since thyX is absent in humans and was shown to be essential for M. tuberculosis normal growth, ThyX is thought to be an attractive novel TB drug target. This study assessed thyX essentiality in Mycobacterium bovis BCG strains using CRISPR interference based gene silencing and found that thyX is not essential in an M. bovis BCG Tokyo derivative strain. A thyX deletion mutant strain was successfully constructed from that strain, which reinforces the non‐essentiality of thyX under a certain genetic background.
Combatting plant diseases with ant chemicals: A review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Offenberg Joachim , Jensen Ida Cecilie , Hansen Rikke Reisner 
Published: September 2021

Abstract

Plant diseases are a growing threat to plant production and food security. An accumulating number of studies show that ants and their bacterial symbionts produce antibiotics that are potentially effective against plant pathogens.

From 14 publications covering 246 ant antibiotic‐pathogen combinations, we evaluated the effectiveness of ant‐derived chemicals (produced by ants or their microbiomes) in combatting plant pathogens. In a meta‐analysis, we quantified the effect of ant chemicals on plant pathogens and compared it with the effect on other micro‐organisms.

Twenty‐two ant secretions and 30 ant symbionts inhibited 20 and 10 plant pathogens, respectively, including major plant diseases and resistant strains. Ant‐derived antibiotics showed broad‐spectrum effects. Ant chemicals were antagonistic to plant pathogens in 93% of all tested combinations and microbiomes in 19%. All tested ant species contained antagonistic ant chemicals, and 10 of the 12 examined ant microbiomes contained at least one antagonistic symbiont. Ant chemicals had an overall negative effect on micro‐organisms and were more detrimental to plant pathogens compared to other micro‐organisms.

Policy implications. By showing that ant‐derived antibiotics inhibit a wide range of economically important plant pathogens, we emphasize the potential of ant chemicals and live ants to protect plants. We recommend attention to this topic and provide recommendations for future research and management directions that may facilitate a new path in the development of efficient and sustainable plant protection.
Gut region induces gastrointestinal microbiota community shift in Ujimqin sheep (Ovis aries): from a multi‐domain perspective
Authors: Yang Jie , Yu Zhisheng , Wang Bobo , Ndayisenga Fabrice 
Published: September 2021

SummaryGastrointestinal (GI) microbiota is one of the most complicated microbial ecosystems and is vital in regulating biological processes associated with nutrient absorption and homeostatic maintenance. Although several efforts have been achieved in characterizing bacterial communities across gut regions, the variation of non‐bacterial communities across GI tracts is still largely unexplored. To address this, we investigated microbial biogeography throughout the whole GI tracts of Ujimqin sheep (Ovis aries) by amplicon sequencing which targeted bacteria, fungi, and archaea. The results indicated that the community structures of all three domains were significantly distinguished according to GI tracts (stomach, small intestine, and large intestine), and a more strong and efficient species interaction was detected in small intestine based on cross‐domain network analysis. Moreover, a between‐domain difference in microbial assembly mechanism of among‐GI regions was revealed here, wherein bacterial community is dominantly governed by variable selection (explaining ~62% of taxa turnover), while fungal and archaeal communities mainly governed by homogenizing dispersal (explaining ~49% and 60% of the turnover, respectively). Overall, these data highlight the GI section‐ and domain‐dependence of GI microbial structure and assembly mechanism, suggesting that multi‐domain should be explicitly considered when evaluating the influences of GI selection on gut microbial communities.
The Great Chester Cat Hoax: Creating an Urban Legend in the Anglosphere Press, 1815–1955
Authors: SMITH CHRISTOPHER 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIn 1815 a cat hoax rocked Chester. Someone plastered the city with handbills offering to buy cats. Hundreds of cats were rounded up and delivered, yet there was no buyer to be found. In the resulting chaos, people were injured, and hundreds of cats were drowned. This story was widely reported at the time up and down Britain. Soon enough it was also told in newspapers and compendia of trivia across the anglosphere. Yet, the Great Chester Cat Hoax never happened; it was a journalistic invention which rapidly transformed into a widely believed urban legend. This did not, however, prevent copycat hoaxes from materialising as pranksters imitated the story, first in the British Isles and then later in North America. The press were instrumental in the evolution and spread of cat hoaxes, and pranksters soon utilised newspaper adverts to engineer new hoaxes. Press coverage of cat hoaxes also evolved, reflecting the changing role of the cat in urban society and emergent anti‐cruelty concerns. Finally, the article shows that the meaning of the hoax was tied to ideas regarding ignorance rooted in anti‐Hibernian attitudes, as well as gendered and working‐class stereotypes.
Associations between ethnicity and admission to intensive care among women giving birth: a cohort study
Authors: Jardine J , Gurol‐Urganci I , Harris T , Hawdon J , Pasupathy D , van der Meulen J , Walker K ,   the NMPA project team
Published: September 2021

ObjectiveTo determine the association between ethnic group and likelihood of admission to intensive care in pregnancy and the postnatal period.DesignCohort study.SettingMaternity and intensive care units in England and Wales.Population or sampleA total of 631 851 women who had a record of a registerable birth between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2016 in a database used for national audit.MethodsLogistic regression analyses of linked maternity and intensive care records, with multiple imputation to account for missing data.Main outcome measuresAdmission to intensive care in pregnancy or postnatal period to 6 weeks after birth.ResultsIn all, 2.24 per 1000 maternities were associated with intensive care admission. Black women were more than twice as likely as women from other ethnic groups to be admitted (odds ratio [OR] 2.21, 95% CI 1.82–2.68). This association was only partially explained by demographic, lifestyle, pregnancy and birth factors (adjusted OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.37–2.09). A higher proportion of intensive care admissions in Black women were for obstetric haemorrhage than in women from other ethnic groups.ConclusionsBlack women have an increased risk of intensive care admission that cannot be explained by demographic, health, lifestyle, pregnancy and birth factors. Clinical and policy intervention should focus on the early identification and management of severe illness, particularly obstetric haemorrhage, in Black women, in order to reduce inequalities in intensive care admission.Tweetable abstractBlack women are almost twice as likely as White women to be admitted to intensive care during pregnancy and the postpartum period; this risk remains after accounting for demographic, health, lifestyle, pregnancy and birth factors.
Negative cross‐resistance of a pyrethroid‐resistant Drosophila mutant to Phryma leptostachya‐derived haedoxan A
Authors: Qie Xingtao , Du Yuzhe , Aioub Ahmed A.A. , Dong Ke , Hu Zhaonong 
Published: September 2021

AbstractVoltage‐gated sodium channels are the primary target of pyrethroid insecticides. Mutations in sodium channel confer knockdown resistance (kdr) to pyrethroids in various arthropod pests. Haedoxan A (HA) is the major insecticidal component from Phryma leptostachya. It has been shown that HA alters electrical responses at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction and modifies the gating properties of cockroach sodium channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes. However, whether sodium channel mutations that confer pyrethroid resistance also affect the action of HA is unknown. In this study, we conducted bioassays using HA and permethrin in two Drosophila melanogaster strains: w1118, an insecticide‐susceptible strain, and parats1, a pyrethroid‐resistant strain due to a I265N mutation in the sodium channel, and identified a new case of negative cross‐resistance (NCR) between permethrin and HA. Both parats1 larvae and adults were more resistant to permethrin, as expected. However, both parats1 larvae and adults were more sensitive to HA compared to w1118. We confirmed that the I265N mutation reduced the sensitivity to permethrin of a Drosophila sodium channel variant, DmNav22, expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Interestingly, the I265N mutation also abolished the effect of HA on sodium channels. Further characterization showed that I265 on the sodium channels is critical for the action of both pyrethroids and HA on sodium channels, pointing to an overlapping mode of action between pyrethroids and HA on the sodium channel. Overall, our results suggest an I265N‐independnt mechanism(s) in parats1 flies that is responsible for the NCR between permethrin and HA at the whole insect level.