bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Determinants of technical efficiency of Islamic banks in GCC countries
Authors: Ben Mohamed Ezzeddine , Meshabet Neama , Jarraya Bilel 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThis study aims to discuss the determinants of Islamic banks’ efficiency. It tries to explore the source of Islamic banks’ inefficiencies to propose solutions to guarantee an acceptable level of technical efficiency of such banks in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve this objective, the authors use a parametric approach, especially, the stochastic frontier approach, using production function and panel data analysis. The authors apply a package Frontier 4.1 for the estimation process, which is composed of two principal steps. In the first step, the authors estimate Islamic banks’ efficiency scores in different GCC countries based on an output distance function. In the second step, the analysis highlights the impact of managerial-specific education on Islamic accounting and finance, scarcity of Sharīʿah scholars, the board independence and chief executive officers’ (CEOs) duality on GCC Islamic banks’ efficiency.FindingsThis study’s results document that managerial-specific education on Islamic accounting and finance and the board of directors’ composition, especially, the board’s independence, can largely explain the technical efficiency scores of Islamic banks in GCC countries. Especially, the authors find evidence that managerial-specific education is negatively associated with the inefficiency term. The coefficient of the Sharīʿah scholar’s variable has a positive sign indicating that the more there are Sharīʿah experts, the more the bank is efficient. In addition, CEOs’ duality seems to have no significant effect on GCC Islamic banks’ efficiency.Practical implicationsGCC Islamic banks need to improve the presence of independent members on the board of directors. In addition, these banks are invited to count more on Sharīʿah auditors and educated staff characterized by a high level of competency in the domain of Islamic banking and finance.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that highlights the effect of managerial-specific education in Islamic accounting and finance and scarcity of Sharīʿah scholars on Islamic banks’ efficiency.
Promoting green behavior through ethical leadership: a model of green human resource management and environmental knowledge
Authors: Ahmad Saima , Islam Talat , Sadiq Misbah , Kaleem Ahmad 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the influence of supervisor's ethical leadership style on subordinates' green or pro-environmental work behavior in the presence of green human resource management (GHRM) as a mediator and environmental knowledge as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire-based was distributed to 427 supervisor–subordinate dyads working in various Pakistani organizations. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the mechanisms and boundary conditions in the relationship between supervisor's ethical leadership style and subordinates' green behavior.FindingsStructural equation modeling supported a partial mediating role of GHRM in the influence of ethical leadership on green work behavior. Further, the findings revealed that employee's environmental knowledge can magnify the indirect impact of ethical leadership, via GHRM, on green behavior.Research limitations/implicationsCross-sectional survey data are typically associated with common method bias. To counter this bias, we collected data from dual sources, namely, supervisors and their subordinates. The research findings have implications in deepening the understanding of the impact of ethical leadership in improving environmental performance of the organization.Originality/valueThis is the first study that utilizes multi-sourced data to examine the mediating role of GHRM and the moderating role of environmental knowledge in the relationship between ethical leadership and green behavior at work.
The road to entrepreneurial success: business plans, lean startup, or both?
Authors: Welter Chris , Scrimpshire Alex , Tolonen Dawn , Obrimah Eseoghene 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThe goal of this research is to investigate the relationship between two different sets of practices, lean startup and business planning, and their relation to entrepreneurial performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected data from 120 entrepreneurs across the US about a variety of new venture formation activities within the categories of lean startup or business planning. They use hierarchical regression to examine the relationship between these activities and new venture performance using both a subjective and objective measure of performance.FindingsThe results show that talking to customers, collecting preorders and pivoting based on customer feedback are lean startup activities correlated with performance; writing a business plan is the sole business planning activity correlated with performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis research lays the foundation for understanding the components of both lean startup and business planning. Moreover, these results demonstrate that the separation of lean startup and business planning represents a false dichotomy.Practical implicationsThese findings suggest that entrepreneurs should engage in some lean startup activities and still write a business plan.Originality/valueThis article offers the first quantitative, empirical comparison of lean startup activities and business planning. Furthermore, it provides support for the relationship between specific lean startup activities and firm performance.
Customer experience with the branded content: a social media perspective
Authors: Waqas Muhammad , Hamzah Zalfa Laili , Mohd Salleh Noor Akma 
Published: February 2021

PurposeSocial media platforms are important channels to create a favourable customer experience. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the types of experiences customers can have with the branded content on social media.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 20 participants using semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.FindingsThe results identify seven types of branded content experience which are evoked when customers interact with branded content on social media. The results also suggest that branded content experience acts as a driver of consumer engagement with branded content which eventually leads to customers' sense of virtual community.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings provide theoretical implications for content creators. Further research should aim at comparing the branded content experience on different social media platforms and across different product categories.Originality/valueThis study contributes to customer engagement and experience literature in social media content by enhancing the understanding of branded content experience concept and its conceptual relationship with customer engagement in the social media context.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at:https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-10-2019-0333
Does leaders' adoption of employee voice influence employee work engagement?
Authors: Li Lan , Zheng Xingshan , Zhang Qi 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThe present study aims to determine the effect of adopting voice on subordinates' work engagement based on organization-based self-esteem (OBSE).Design/methodology/approachThree variables were rated according to the seven-point Likert-type response scales. To control the effect of common method variance, an online survey was conducted to collect data from 206 samples at Chinese firms by employing a two-wave and time-lagged approach. In addition, structure equation modeling analysis was adopted to verify the hypotheses with Mplus 7.FindingsLeaders' adoption of employee voice shows a positive association with employee OBSE and work engagement. OBSE is positively associated with work engagement and mediates the effect of adopting voice on work engagement.Practical implicationsAs suggested from the mentioned results, organizations are required to encourage leaders to adopt employees' reasonable voice that can be an effective management tool impacting employee work engagement.Originality/valueThough existing studies have discussed the effects of leader behaviors on subordinates' work engagement, the effect of leaders' adoption of employee voice on employee work engagement has been rarely studied. Based on the job demand-resource model, this study fills the gap by empirically examining the effect of adopting voice on work engagement. As indicated by the findings here, leaders' adoption of employee voice enhances employee OBSE, thereby facilitating work engagement. The present study provides insights to stimulate employee work engagement.
Barriers to sustainable construction project management: the case of Iran
Authors: Fathalizadeh Ali , Hosseini M. Reza , Vaezzadeh Seyyed Saeed , Edwards David J. , Martek Igor , Shooshtarian Salman 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThe barriers to integrating sustainable practices into construction project management require extensive resource allocations to resolve. Within developing countries such as Iran (where resources are scarce), remedial strategies adopted must prioritise tackling those barriers that can be expected to yield maximum return on investment. The candidate barriers are many, and this paper aims to identify a hierarchy of barriers, providing a priority list of remedial targets.Design/methodology/approachA mixed philosophical stance of interpretivism and post-positivism is adopted within a deductive approach and survey strategy. A list of 30 known barriers are identified from extant literature and used to formulate a questionnaire data collection instrument administered within the Iranian construction industry. Data collected from 176 practitioners are analysed using the relative importance index and Mann–Whitney U test to compare groups based on the participants' demographic variables.FindingsThe findings challenge the common assumption that items related to market and workforce experience are major inhibitors of change. That is, economics and regulatory dependent barriers have a higher impact on the failure of a shift to sustainable practices in Iran. The most influential barriers to incorporating sustainability in construction projects are: (1) lack of understanding of the potential benefits; (2) insufficient cooperation among practitioners, research institutions and environmental organisations; and (3) a lack of a systematic approach to pursuing sustainability goals. No significant associations are detected between the affiliation of the respondents and their attitude towards the issue. Thus, a generalised approach can be applied to a broader range of organisations and construction projects in Iran.Originality/valueWhile studies on sustainability impediments at the firm or project level are ubiquitous within literature, this research identifies that the most significant barriers to sustainable project management in Iran, as an underexplored context, are those experienced at the economic and institutional level. Moreover, this novel research presents important insights into the potential effects of participants' demographic profiles on their view of the importance of identified barriers.
Effect of polysaccharides on the functional properties of egg white protein: A review
Authors: He Wen , Xiao Nanhai , Zhao Yan , Yao Yao , Xu Mingsheng , Du Huaying , Wu Na , Tu Yonggang 
Published: February 2021

AbstractEgg white protein (EWP) was one of the high‐quality protein sources and widely used in the food industries because of excellent emulsifying, gelling, and foaming properties. Polysaccharides as a natural biological macromolecule have been used to improve the functional properties of EWP. The electrostatic interaction was the main driving force between EWP and polysaccharides. However, protein‐polysaccharides complexes were susceptible to environmental factors including pH, ionic strength, polymer ratio, and temperature. In this paper, the functional properties of EWP were summarized. More importantly, the effects of polysaccharides on the functional properties of EWP were highlighted and reviewed referring to emulsifying, foaming, and gelling properties. The impact of environmental factors on the protein‐polysaccharides interaction were also discussed. This paper leaded to enrich research systems of protein‐polysaccharides interaction and provided information for the development of new egg white‐derived foods.
Classic adrenal adenoma undergoing necrosis secondary to chemotherapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma
Authors: Nour Daniel , Alexander Linda , Sutherland Tom 
Published: February 2021

SummaryOur patient was a 53‐year‐old male with borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma who on his initial staging CT and subsequent MRI was found to have an incidental adrenal adenoma. Following completion of six cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy over a three‐month period, the patient returned for restaging. The adrenal nodule had increased in size and had undergone necrosis with just a fine cuff of residual viable lesion at the margins. It is thought that chemotherapeutic agents should not lead to significant cell death of an adrenal adenoma, and this produced diagnostic uncertainty. Interestingly, the lesion was subsequently biopsied under CT with histology confirming a classic adrenal adenoma. This rare case challenges our understanding of chemotherapeutic effects on adrenal adenomas, and offers another differential when assessing necrotic adrenal lesions.
Human glycocalyx shedding: Systematic review and critical appraisal
Authors: Hahn Robert G. , Patel Vasu , Dull Randal O. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractsBackgroundThe number of studies measuring breakdown products of the glycocalyx in plasma has increased rapidly during the past decade. The purpose of the present systematic review was to assess the current knowledge concerning the association between plasma concentrations of glycocalyx components and structural assessment of the endothelium.MethodsWe performed a literature review of Pubmed to determine which glycocalyx components change in a wide variety of human diseases and conditions. We also searched for evidence of a relationship between plasma concentrations and the thickness of the endothelial glycocalyx layer as obtained by imaging methods.ResultsOut of 3,454 publications, we identified 228 that met our inclusion criteria. The vast majority demonstrate an increase in plasma glycocalyx products. Sepsis and trauma are most frequently studied, and comprise approximately 40 publications. They usually report 3‐4‐foldt increased levels of glycocalyx degradation products, most commonly of syndecan‐1. Surgery shows a variable picture. Cardiac surgery and transplantations are most likely to involve elevations of glycocalyx degradation products. Structural assessment using imaging methods show thinning of the endothelial glycocalyx layer in cardiovascular conditions and during major surgery, but thinning does not always correlate with the plasma concentrations of glycocalyx products. The few structural assessments performed do not currently support that capillary permeability is increased when the plasma levels of glycocalyx fragments in plasma are increased.ConclusionsShedding of glycocalyx components is a ubiquitous process that occurs during both acute and chronic inflammation with no sensitivity or specificity for a specific disease or condition.
N‐formyl‐l‐aspartate: A novel sperm chemoattractant identified in ovulatory phase oviductal fluid using a microfluidic chip
Authors: Bhagwat Shweta , Sontakke Shraddha , Desai Sneha , Panchal Durva , Jadhav Sameer , Parte Priyanka 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundChemotaxis, as a mechanism for sperm guidance although known, has been difficult to demonstrate in vitro. Consequently, very few chemoattractants have been identified till date.ObjectivesTo investigate sperm motility behavior in response to ovulatory (OV) and preovulatory (preOV) oviductal fluid (OF) and identify potential chemotactic metabolites.Materials and MethodsIntracellular calcium ([Ca2+]I) influx in capacitating sperm was determined by spectrofluorimetry. The chemotactic response of rat caudal sperm to OF from the preOV‐ and OV‐ phases of normally cycling female rats was assessed in a microfluidic device developed by us. Hydrophilic metabolites extracted from the OF of both the phases were resolved and identified by LC‐MS/MS, followed by data analysis using XCMS and MetaboAnalyst software, and chemotactic potential of the most promising compound was validated using the microfluidic device.ResultsSpectrofluorimetric analysis depicts a significant increase in sperm [Ca2+]I in response to OV‐OF. With the microfluidic chemotaxis assay, sperm population shows a significantly increased directionality and velocity to an ascending gradient of 0.06 µg/µl OV‐OF compared to preOV‐OF. LC‐MS/MS of the OFs demonstrates five and four metabolites to be exclusive to the OV‐OF and preOV‐OF, respectively, and 25 metabolites common to both, of which 14 metabolites, including N‐formyl‐l‐aspartate (NFA), are increased in OV‐OF; NFA was tested for its ability to influence sperm movement, and shows chemotaxis potential.Discussion and Conclusion(s)This is the first study that has systematically demonstrated sperm chemotaxis with OV phase rat OF, identified NFA present in this fluid as a novel chemoattractant to sperm, and proven the utility of the device to test putative chemoattractants. It remains to be seen whether NFA is present in the follicular fluid (FF) of infertile women, and whether it may likely be a reason for the failure of natural conception in idiopathic infertile women.
Regression trees for poverty mapping
Authors: Bilton Penelope , Jones Geoff , Ganesh Siva , Haslett Stephen 
Published: February 2021

SummaryPoverty mapping is used to facilitate efficient allocation of aid resources, with the objective of ending poverty, the first of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Levels of poverty across small geographic domains within a country are estimated using a statistical model, and the resulting estimates displayed on a poverty map. Current methodology for small area estimation of poverty utilises various forms of regression modelling of household income or expenditure. Fitting sound models requires skill and time, especially where there are many candidate regressors and even more possible interactions. Tree‐based methods have the potential to screen more quickly for interactions and also to provide reliable small area estimates in their own right. A classification tree technique has been presented by Bilton et al. (Comput Stat Data Anal115: 53–66, 2017) for estimating poverty incidence, but although adjustments were made to incorporate complex survey designs and estimate mean square error, classification trees are unable to estimate the associated non‐categorical deprivation measures of poverty gap and poverty severity. The focus of this paper is regression trees, because they enable all three core poverty measures of incidence, gap and severity to be estimated. Using regression trees, two alternative methodologies, parametric and non‐parametric, are explored for producing household level predictions that are then amalgamated up to small‐area level. New methods are developed for mean square error estimation. The properties of the small area estimates based on these regression tree techniques are then evaluated and compared with linear mixed models both by simulation and by using real poverty data from Nepal.
Aestivationmotifs explain hypertension and muscle mass loss in mice with psoriatic skin barrier defect
Authors: Wild Johannes , Jung Rebecca , Knopp Tanja , Efentakis Panagiotis , Benaki Dimitra , Grill Alexandra , Wegner Joanna , Molitor Michael , Garlapati Venkata , Rakova Natalia , Markó Lajos , Marton Adriana , Mikros Emmanuel , Münzel Thomas , Kossmann Sabine , Rauh Manfred , Nakano Daisuke , Kitada Kento , Luft Friedrich , Waisman Ari , Wenzel Philip , Titze Jens , Karbach Susanne 
Published: February 2021

AbstractAimRecent evidence suggests that arterial hypertension could be alternatively explained as a physiological adaptation response to water shortage, termed aestivation, which relies on complex multi‐organ metabolic adjustments to prevent dehydration. Here, we tested the hypothesis that chronic water loss across diseased skin leads to similar adaptive water conservation responses as observed in experimental renal failure or high salt diet.MethodsWe studied mice with keratinocyte‐specific overexpression of IL‐17A which develop severe psoriasis‐like skin disease. We measured transepidermal water loss and solute and water excretion in the urine. We quantified glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by intravital microscopy, and energy and nitrogen pathways by metabolomics. We measured skin blood flow and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in conjunction with renal resistive indices and arterial blood pressure.ResultsPsoriatic animals lost large amounts of water across their defective cutaneous epithelial barrier. Metabolic adaptive water conservation included mobilization of nitrogen and energy from muscle to increase organic osmolyte production, solute‐driven maximal anti‐diuresis at normal GFR, increased metanephrine and angiotensin 2 levels, and cutaneous vasoconstriction to limit TEWL. Heat exposure led to cutaneous vasodilation and blood pressure normalization without parallel changes in renal resistive index, albeit at the expense of further increased TEWL.ConclusionSevere cutaneous water loss predisposes psoriatic mice to lethal dehydration. In response to this dehydration stress, the mice activate aestivation‐like water conservation motifs to maintain their body hydration status. The circulatory water conservation response explains their arterial hypertension. The nitrogen‐dependency of the metabolic water conservation response explains their catabolic muscle wasting.
Temporal distancing during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Letter writing with future self can mitigate negative affect
Authors: Chishima Yuta , Huai‐Ching Liu I‐Ting , E. Wilson Anne 
Published: February 2021

AbstractNovel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) is spreading across the world, threatening not only physical health but also psychological well‐being. We reasoned that a broadened temporal perspective may attenuate current mental distress and tested a letter‐writing manipulation designed to connect people to their post‐COVID‐19 future selves. We conducted an online experiment with 738 Japanese participants recruited from two common survey platforms. They were randomly assigned to either send a letter to their future self (letter‐to‐future) condition, send a letter to present self from the perspective of future self (letter‐from‐future) condition, or a control condition. Participants in both letter‐writing conditions showed immediate decrease in negative affect and increase in positive affect relative to the control condition. These effects were mediated by temporal distancing from the current situation. These findings suggest that taking a broader temporal perspective can be achieved by letter writing with a future self and may offer an effective means of regulating negative affect in a stressful present time such as the COVID‐19 pandemic.