bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Zic2 abrogates an alternative Wnt signaling pathway to convert axon attraction into repulsion
Authors: Morenilla-Palao Cruz , López-Cascales Maria Teresa , López-Atalaya José P. , Baeza Diana , Calvo-Diaz Luis , Giner de Gracia Aida , Barco Angel , Herrera Eloísa 
Published: September 2019

ABSTRACTWnt signaling is involved in axon pathfinding during brain wiring but it is unknown how Wnt ligands promote attraction or repulsion. In addition, the participation of the canonical (βcatenin-dependent transcription) versus non-canonical (βcatenin-independent) Wnt pathways in this process remains controversial. Here we show that Wnt5a is expressed at the optic chiasm midline and promotes axon crossing by triggering an alternative Wnt pathway that depends on polarized accumulation of βcatenin at the axon terminal but does not activate the canonical pathway. Remarkably, this alternative pathway is silenced by the transcription factor Zic2 in the small subset of ipsilaterally projecting neurons. Zic2 directly regulates genes related to Wnt and Eph signaling that lead to global accumulation of βcatenin but triggers its asymmetric phosphorylation to facilitate the steering of the growth cone. This alternative Wnt pathway found in contralateral axons and its Zic2-mediated abrogation in ipsilateral neurons is likely operating in many other contexts requiring a two-way response to Wnt ligands.
Business model analytics: technically review business model research domain
Authors: Hajiheydari Nastaran , Talafidaryani Mojtaba , Khabiri SeyedHossein , Salehi Masoud 
Published: September 2019

PurposeAlthough the business model field of study has been a focus of attention for both researchers and practitioners within the past two decades, it still suffers from concern about its identity. Accordingly, this paper aims to clarify the intellectual structure of business model through identifying the research clusters and their sub-clusters, the prominent relations and the dominant research trends.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses some common text mining methods including co-word analysis, burst analysis, timeline analysis and topic modeling to analyze and mine the title, abstract and keywords of 14,081 research documents related to the domain of business model.FindingsThe results revealed that the business model field of study consists of three main research areas including electronic business model, business model innovation and sustainable business model, each of which has some sub-areas and has been more evident in some particular industries. Additionally, from the time perspective, research issues in the domain of sustainable development are considered as the hot and emerging topics in this field. In addition, the results confirmed that information technology has been one of the most important drivers, influencing the appearance of different study topics in the various periods.Originality/valueThe contribution of this study is to quantitatively uncover the dominant knowledge structure and prominent research trends in the business model field of study, considering a broad range of scholarly publications and using some promising and reliable text mining techniques.
The impact of R&D tax incentive programs on the performance of innovative companies
Authors: Makeeva Elena , Murashkina Ilona , Mikhaleva Irina 
Published: September 2019

Purpose
This study aims to explore the influence of corporate taxation on the performance of innovative companies under various research and development (R&D) tax incentive programs.

Design/methodology/approach
The empirical model is based on the data of 520 companies for period 2007-2016. This model includes return on assets as the main proxy for performance and effective tax rate as a main explanatory variable. Controlling for other known determinants, the authors divide the sample into the subsamples to control for the various R&D tax incentive programs. The fact that the model includes the lagged explanatory variable of performance the Blundell –Bond model was applied.

Findings
The authors found evidence that corporate taxation has a significant impact on performance, but the direction could be ambiguous. Impact of the corporate tax rate on performance in general sample is significantly negative, which is consistent with results obtained by authors for the non-innovative companies. However, for further examination, the authors use subsamples of companies with different R&D tax incentive programs. The effect of corporate tax becomes positive under the patent box program only. Moreover, under various R&D tax incentive program, the impact of main control variables has changed. Therefore, the authors conclude that not only corporate taxation but also R&D tax incentive programs significantly influence the performance of innovative companies.

Research limitations/implications
The data are limited due to fragmented information disclosure about the R&D tax incentive program used. Thus, a different data set might reveal new information and correlation between variable on the same topic. Moreover, the authors do not cover all R&D tax incentive programs, which are specified for companies and countries. However, the study fills the gap between corporate taxation, performance and innovative companies. As the significant result was found the further research is important. The study contributes not only in the field of research but also a practical one. The choice of R&D tax incentive program influences main indicators of companies’ performance so it may change the behavior of the investors and decision-making managers of the companies.

Originality/value
Given the increasing interest in the topic of innovative companies, this study fills the gap between corporate taxation in innovative companies and performance. In addition, the importance of R&D tax incentive programs as a feature of innovative companies was found.
Intellectual capital and resilience in torn societies
Authors: Daou Alain , Joseph Jay , Yousif Dalia Sabah , Fathallah Ramzi , Reyes Gerald 
Published: September 2019

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the association between intellectual capital (IC) and resilience in torn societies while proposing an integrative framework. Due to adversities faced by entrepreneurs in such contexts, an understanding of the role of resilience along with IC has become crucial for businesses to succeed and survive.Design/methodology/approachThis study takes an in-depth look at the three components of IC – human, organizational and external capital and their association with resilience. In order to do so, a qualitative study on 17 Iraqi micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) was conducted using data collected through semi-structured interviews with the founders. The interviews were translated and coded by native speakers.FindingsThe results suggest that IC and resilience are interrelated concepts where IC components contribute to the resilience capabilities of entrepreneurs to survive and continue their businesses during turbulent times.Practical implicationsImplications for managers and policymakers are presented; in brief, strategies and policies are required to support entrepreneurial success in the Iraqi context.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the literature on IC for entrepreneurs. So far, few studies have dealt with the association between IC and resilience, and less so in torn societies. This paper contributes to research on enterprise development and survival under conflict zones; it highlights some of the factors that could form resilience of a MSME in the face of uncertainty; and it contributes to the literature on IC as it helps us understand certain capacities that build up and/or support MSME resilience in such a context.
Reducing service sabotage and improving employee commitment to service quality
Authors: Schwepker, Jr Charles H. , Dimitriou Christina K. , McClure Todd 
Published: September 2019

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of formal [ethics training (ET)] and informal [psychological ethical climate (EC)] controls in reducing service sabotage (SS) and increasing employee commitment to service quality.

Design/methodology/approach
Data were electronically collected from a national survey of hotel/motel customer contact employees leading to a usable sample of 316 employees. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.

Findings
The findings indicate that ET can be used to positively influence the EC of customer contact service employees, which, in turn, reduces their SS behavior and increases their commitment to service quality.

Practical implications
Management should incorporate both formal (ET) and informal (EC) controls to bring about less SS and greater commitment to service quality among customer contact employees in service settings.

Originality/value
This research furthers the understanding of SS by finding an important variable, EC that may be used to reduce its incidence in service settings. Further, it shows that EC is an important contributor to improving ECSQ. As such, this research gives important direction for companies wishing to improve the customer service experience.
Role of customer attributes on absolute price thresholds
Authors: Vastani Saloni Firasta , Monroe Kent Bourdon 
Published: September 2019

Purpose
This paper aims to examine how customer heterogeneity influences absolute price thresholds in a service industry.

Design/methodology/approach
Customer purchase behavior is studied in the context of a firm’s and competitor’s price changes. Customer purchase behavior is further examined in the context of specific customer attributes such as loyalty, motivation, online purchase channel, gender and frequency of purchase. The study uses a longitudinal data set spanning over 44 months and tracks over 13,000 of a firm’s customers, totaling over 200,000 transactions from a parking services provider.

Findings
Results show that absolute price thresholds affect purchasing decisions. Customers are willing to pay a range of prices for a considered purchase, and when a price is within customers’ acceptable price range, it does not induce a change in their purchase behavior. However, specific identifiable customer attributes influence the propensity to continue buying and influence the acceptable price range.

Practical implications
Knowledge from this study can be applied to developing a deeper understanding of customers and their price thresholds to improve customer retention and firm performance after a price change.

Originality/value
For a better understanding of the consumer choice process, it is essential to understand what factors affect price thresholds. Additionally, very few studies are using transaction-level data to empirically validate concepts from behavioral price research in the service industry, and none that do it at an individual customer level over three years.
The transaction-relationship paradox
Authors: Arvidsson Niklas , Jonsson Sara , Snickare Lotta Karin 
Published: September 2019

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to apply a capability perspective to investigate the shift from relationship lending to transaction lending in a bank’s corporate segment. The authors investigate the impact of three operational capabilities: assisting corporate clients in funding and business operations, management of customer relationships and internal cooperation on performance in relationship and transaction lending.

Design/methodology/approach
The primarily empirical material comprises longitudinal survey data, collected on three occasions during the period 1998 throughout 2001 from one of Sweden’s largest banks. Data are analyzed using factor analysis and OLS regression.

Findings
Results show that the effects of the three capabilities are contingent on the type of lending strategy: In relationship lending, assisting corporate clients has no significant direct effect on performance; however, it has an indirect effect on performance via the management of customer relationships. In transaction lending, assisting corporate clients has a direct effect on performance, and this effect becomes stronger as the transaction strategy is further implemented. The results also show that the direct effect of the management of customer relationships and cooperation on performance is significant in both strategies; however, the relation is stronger in relationship lending compared with transaction lending.

Originality/value
The findings indicate that the choice of lending strategy is more complex than a choice between a strict relationship strategy and a strict transaction strategy and that a strategy that leads to competitive advantage includes elements of both strategies.
Identification of two Chinese oculocutaneous albinism type 6 patients and mutation updates of the SLC24A5 gene
Authors: Zhang Yunlan , Zhang Yingzi , Liu Teng , Bai Dayong , Yang Xiumin , Li Wei , Wei Aihua 
Published: September 2019

AbstractOculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a rare and heterogeneous disorder characterized by hypopigmentation of the skin, hair and eyes. Thirty OCA type 6 (OCA6) patients with 24 mutations in SLC24A5 have been reported across various populations; however, only one patient has been identified in a Chinese population. This study identifies two novel SLC24A5 frame‐shift variants in two unrelated Chinese patients and both are predicted to be pathogenic by American College of Medical Genetics guidelines. The genotypes and phenotypes of all three Chinese OCA6 patients are unique compared with those identified in other populations. All of the mutations identified to date in Chinese OCA6 patients are predicted to be non‐functional, a finding that is useful in guiding genetic diagnosis and counseling for OCA6 in China.
Resource acquisition strategies facilitate Gilbertiodendron dewevrei monodominance in African lowland forests
Authors: Hall Jefferson S. , Harris David J. , Saltonstall Kristin , Medjibe Vincent de Paul , Ashton Mark S. , Turner Benjamin L. 
Published: September 2019

Abstract

Tropical forests are hyperdiverse, yet extensive areas of monodominant forest occur in the tropics worldwide. Most long‐lived and persistent monodominant tree species form ectomycorrhizal fungi symbioses, allowing them to obtain nutrients directly from soil organic matter. This might promote monodominance by reducing nutrient availability to co‐occurring species, the majority of which form associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Gilbertiodendron dewevrei forest is the most widespread monodominant forest in tropical Africa. Its distribution appears determined in part by moisture availability, but its monodominance is not thought to be driven by its fungal partner or soil fertility.

Here, we compare soil fertility of 20 G. dewevrei stands to mixed forest from three sites across an 8,400 km2 region of the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo. In contrast to previous studies, we find monodominant G. dewevrei stands associated with infertile soils, as base cations (calcium, magnesium, total exchangeable bases) and extractable manganese are extremely low, and significantly lower in soils under G. dewevrei forest compared to mixed forest. Further, and consistent with ectomycorrhizal forests globally, soil carbon to nitrogen and carbon to phosphorus ratios are significantly higher in G. dewevrei stands than in mixed forest stands, providing evidence in support of direct acquisition of nitrogen and phosphorus from soil organic matter by ectomycorrhizal fungi.

Gilbertiodendron dewevrei recruits from the seedling bank, with its large seedlings surviving in high densities for over a decade. We tested whether light plasticity could facilitate monodominance by growing seedlings of G. dewevrei under controlled light conditions. We found that its seedlings grow well under a wide range of irradiance levels and conclude that this plasticity affords a competitive advantage.

Synthesis. We reframe the discussion of factors contributing to monodominance of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei into one of resource acquisition and use efficiency. In particular, G. dewevrei is associated with moist and infertile soils and competes well under a variety of light conditions. Our data are consistent with a model where root associations with ectomycorrhizal fungi drive monodominance through the direct acquisition of nutrients from soil organic matter, promoting nutrient limitation of co‐occurring species.
Harmonized data on early stage litter decomposition using tea material across Japan
Authors: Suzuki Satoshi N. , Ataka Mioko , Djukic Ika , Enoki Tsutomu , Fukuzawa Karibu , Hirota Mitsuru , Hishi Takuo , Hiura Tsutom , Hoshizaki Kazuhiko , Ida Hideyuki , Iguchi Akira , Iimura Yasuo , Ise Takeshi , Kenta Tanaka , Kina Yoshifumi , Kobayashi Hajime , Kominami Yuji , Kurokawa Hiroko , Makoto Kobayashi , Matsushita Michinari , Miyata Rie , Muraoka Hiroyuki , Nakaji Tatsuro , Nakamura Masahiro , Niwa Shigeru , Noh Nam J. , Sato Takanori , Seino Tatsuyuki , Shibata Hideaki , Suzuki Ryo O. , Takahashi Koichi , Tsunoda Tomonori , Ustumi Tasuhiro , Watanabe Kenta 
Published: September 2019

AbstractLitter and soil organic matter decomposition represents one of the major drivers of carbon and nutrient cycling in a given ecosystem; however, it also contributes to a significant production of relevant greenhouse gasses. The Japanese archipelago spans several biomes (boreal‐temperate‐subtropical) and covers a large range of elevations and ecosystem types. Hence, the comprehension of this fundamental biogeochemical process in diverse ecosystems is crucial to maintain their ecosystem services. In this article, we have provided data on plant leaf decomposition from 33 research sites across Japan. At each site, standard litter material with different decomposition rates, rooibos tea and green tea were incubated for 90 days between 2012 and 2016 and the remaining mass was recorded. In total, 1904 bags were used. In addition, supplementary measurements of environmental variables essential for the interpretation of the collected data, such as soil and vegetation, were recorded. Plot‐level averages of the remaining mass rates of bag contents after incubation ranged 0.17–0.51 for green tea and 0.54–0.82 for rooibos tea. Continued monitoring will also provide important insights into the temporal dynamics of litter decomposition.
Ultra‐thin sectioning and grinding of epoxy plastinated tissue
Authors: Sora Mircea Constantin , von Horst Christoph , López-Albors Octavio , Latorre Rafael 
Published: September 2019

AbstractWith classical sheet plastination techniques such as E12, the level and thickness of the freeze‐cut sections decide on what is visible in the final sheet plastinated sections. However, there are other plastination techniques available where we can look for specific anatomical structures through the thickness of the tissue. These techniques include sectioning and grinding of plastinated tissue blocks or thick slices. The ultra‐thin E12 technique, unlike the classic E12 technique, starts with the plastination of a large tissue block. High temperatures (30–60°C) facilitate the vacuum‐forced impregnation by decreasing the viscosity of the E12 and increasing the vapour pressure of the intermediary solvent. By sectioning the cured tissue block with a diamond band saw plastinated sections with a thickness of <300 μm can be obtained. The thickness of plastinated sections can be further reduced by grinding. Resulting sections of <100 µm are suitable for histological staining and microscopic studies. Anatomical structures of interest in thick plastinate slices can be followed by variable manual grinding in a method referred to as Tissue Tracing Technique (TTT). In addition, the tissue thickness can be adapted to the transparency or darkness of tissue types in different regions of the same plastinated section. The aim of this study was to evaluate the advantages of techniques based on sectioning and grinding of plastinated tissue (E12 ultra‐thin and TTT) compared to conventional sheet‐forming techniques (E12).
Impact of Asian ethnicity on outcome in metastatic EGFR‐mutant non–small cell lung cancer
Authors: Gibson Amanda J. W. , D'Silva Adrijana , Elegbede Anifat A. , Tudor Roxana A. , Dean Michelle L. , Bebb Dafydd Gwyn , Hao Desiree 
Published: September 2019

AbstractAimTo determine factors associated with survival in de novo stage IV, non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients possessing epidermal growth factor receptor mutations (EGFRmut+) receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in the first‐line setting.MethodsThe Glans‐Look Lung Cancer Database was used to retrospectively review stage IV EGFRmut+ NSCLC patients diagnosed 2010–2016 receiving first‐line TKI. Patients with overall survival times in the upper quartile (≥34 months) were designated “long‐term survivors” (LTS), the remaining deemed “average‐term survivors” and characteristics between these groups were compared in univariate analysis, and multivariable models constructed to determine predictors of outcome.ResultsOf 170 eligible patients, median overall survival was 21 months. LTS were significantly more likely to be of Asian ethnicity, be never‐smokers and not possess brain or bone metastases at diagnosis. Asian and non‐Asian patients were comparable, save for an increased propensity of Asian patients to be never smokers and have normal‐range BMI. Multivariable analysis revealed Asian ethnicity [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.65; P = 0.016] and never‐smoking history (HR = 0.65; P = 0.034) as indicators of improved outcome, and presence of brain metastasis at diagnosis an indicator of poor outcome (HR = 2.21; P < 0.001).ConclusionsAnalysis of this population‐based cohort identifies never‐smoking history and absence of brain metastasis along with Asian ethnicity as an independent prognosticators of favorable outcome, and reveals Asian patients to be clinicopathologically similar to non‐Asian patients. These findings suggest Asian patients represent a unique subpopulation within EGFRmut+ NSCLC who may possess different biological underpinnings of NSCLC.
Epidural use in labour is not associated with an increased risk of maternal or neonatal morbidity when the second stage is prolonged
Authors: Turner Jessica , Flatley Christopher , Kumar Sailesh 
Published: September 2019

BackgroundEpidural analgesia increases length of labour and risk of operative delivery (caesarean or instrumental).AimThis study aimed to assess the impact of epidural anaesthesia on maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes when the second stage of labour was prolonged.MethodsA retrospective cohort study of women delivering at term at the Mater Mother's Hospital, Brisbane between 2008 and 2017. Intrapartum, maternal and neonatal outcomes were assessed and dichotomised according to the presence of prolonged second stage of labour and further by epidural use. Prolonged second stage of labour was defined as: nulliparous women ≥3 h (with epidural) and ≥2 h (without); multiparous women ≥2 h (with epidural) and ≥1 h (without).ResultsThere were 48 352 women who met the inclusion criteria – 43 676 without and 4676 with prolonged second stage of labour. The overall epidural rate was 35.9%. Women with epidural had significantly lower odds of achieving a spontaneous vaginal birth and higher odds of an operative birth regardless of length of second stage. While rates of several adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes were higher when the second stage was prolonged, after adjusting for clinically relevant confounders, epidural use was not associated with increased odds of the majority of these adverse outcomes. Indeed, epidural use was associated with a significant reduction in the odds of obstetric anal sphincter injuries and reduced odds of neonatal acidosis in women with prolonged second stage.ConclusionWhile epidural increases the risk of operative birth, this is not associated with an increase in adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes.