Pervasive Effects of Wolbachia on Host Temperature Preference

ABSTRACT Heritable symbionts can modify a range of ecologically important host traits, including behavior. About half of all insect species are infected with maternally transmitted Wolbachia, a bacterial endosymbiont known to alter host reproduction, nutrient acquisition, and virus susceptibility. Here, we broadly test the hypothesis that Wolbachia modifies host behavior by assessing the effects of eight different Wolbachia strains on the temperature preference of six Drosophila melanogaster subgroup species. Four of the seven host genotypes infected with A-group Wolbachia strains (wRi in Drosophila simulans, wHa in D. simulans, wSh in Drosophila sechellia, and wTei in Drosophila teissieri) prefer significantly cooler temperatures relative to uninfected genotypes. Contrastingly, when infected with divergent B-group wMau, Drosophila mauritiana prefers a warmer temperature. For most strains, changes to host temperature preference do not alter Wolbachia titer. However, males infected with wSh and wTei tend to experience an increase in titer when shifted to a cooler temperature for 24 h, suggesting that Wolbachia-induced changes to host behavior may promote bacterial replication. Our results indicate that Wolbachia modifications to host temperature preference are likely widespread, which has important implications for insect thermoregulation and physiology. Understanding the fitness consequences of these Wolbachia effects is crucial for predicting evolutionary outcomes of host-symbiont interactions, including how Wolbachia spreads to become common. IMPORTANCE Microbes infect a diversity of species, influencing the performance and fitness of their hosts. Maternally transmitted Wolbachia bacteria infect most insects and other arthropods, making these bacteria some of the most common endosymbionts in nature. Despite their global prevalence, it remains mostly unknown how Wolbachia influence host physiology and behavior to proliferate. We demonstrate pervasive effects of Wolbachia on Drosophila temperature preference. Most hosts infected with A-group Wolbachia prefer cooler temperatures, whereas the one host species infected with divergent B-group Wolbachia prefers warmer temperatures, relative to uninfected genotypes. Changes to host temperature preference generally do not alter Wolbachia abundance in host tissues, but for some A-group strains, adult males have increased Wolbachia titer when shifted to a cooler temperature. This suggests that Wolbachia-induced changes to host behavior may promote bacterial replication. Our results help elucidate the impact of endosymbionts on their hosts amid the global Wolbachia pandemic.

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Divergent effects of Wolbachia on host temperature preference

10.1101/2020.06.11.146977 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michael T.J. Hague ◽

Chelsey N. Caldwell ◽

Brandon S. Cooper

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Insect Species ◽

Temperature Preference ◽

Host Behavior ◽

Transmission Rates ◽

Bacterial Endosymbiont ◽

Fitness Consequences ◽

Important Host ◽

Bacterial Replication ◽

Induced Changes

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Board and corporate social responsibility disclosure of multinational corporations

Multinational Business Review ◽

10.1108/mbr-11-2017-0084 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 77-98 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Hanh Thi Song Pham ◽

Hien Thi Tran

Keyword(s):

Corporate Social Responsibility ◽

Social Responsibility ◽

Multinational Corporations ◽

Board Independence ◽

Content Type ◽

Csr Reporting ◽

The One ◽

Csr Disclosure ◽

Corporate Social ◽

The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the effects of board model and board independence on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure of multinational corporations (MNCs). Design/methodology/approach The authors developed an empirical model in which CSR disclosure is the dependent variable and board model (two-tier vs one-tier), board independence (a proportion of independent directors on a board) and the interaction variable of board model and board independence together with several variables conventionally used as control variables are independent variables. The authors collated the panel dataset of 244 Fortune World’s Most Admired (FWMA) corporations from 2005 to 2011 of which 117 MNCs use the one-tier board model, and 127 MNCs use the two-tier board model from 20 countries. They used the random-effect regression method to estimate the empirical models with the data they collated and also ran regressions on the alternative models for robustness check. Findings The authors found a significantly positive effect of a board model on CSR disclosure by MNCs. Two-tier MNCs tend to reveal more CSR information than one-tier MNCs. The results also confirm the significant moderating impact of board model on the effect of board independence on CSR disclosure. The effect of board independence on CSR disclosure in the two-tier board MNCs tends to be higher than that in the one-tier board MNCs. The results do not support the effect of board independence on CSR disclosure in general for all types of firms (one-tier and two-tier board). The impact of board independence on CSR disclosure is only significant in two-tier board MNCs and insignificant in one-tier board MNCs. Practical implications The authors advise the MNCs who wish to improve CSR reporting and transparency to consider the usage of two-tier board model and use a higher number of outside directors on board. They note that once a firm uses one-tier model, number of IDs on a board does not matter to the level of CSR disclosure. They advise regulators to enforce an application of two-tier board model to improve CSR reporting and transparency in MNCs. The authors also recommend regulators to continue mandating publicly traded companies to include more external members on their boards, especially for the two-tier board MNCs. Originality/value This paper is the first that investigates the role of board model on CSR disclosure of MNCs.

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When does uncertainty avoidance promote customer-to-customer intercultural service encounters?

International Marketing Review ◽

10.1108/imr-09-2017-0178 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 445-463 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nabil Ghantous ◽

Amro A. Maher

Keyword(s):

Structural Equation ◽

Perceived Discrimination ◽

Uncertainty Avoidance ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Service Encounters ◽

Content Type ◽

National Identification ◽

Service Environments ◽

The One ◽

The Impact

Purpose Previous literature has reported inconsistent findings regarding the impact of uncertainty avoidance (UA) on intercultural experiences. This includes positive, negative and insignificant associations between UA on the one hand and cosmopolitanism or comfort with intercultural service encounters (ICSE) on the other hand. The purpose of this paper is to participate in addressing these contradictions. More specifically, this study examines how UA affects expatriate cosmopolitanism as well as approach of service environments patronized by local customers by introducing two moderators: national identification and perceived discrimination. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose a conceptual model based on the results of a literature review. The authors test it with survey data collected from Indian expatriates (n=341) living in Qatar, using structural equation modeling. Findings The results corroborate the moderating role of national identification. Under low identification, expatriate consumers engage in a prospective form of uncertainty management, leading them to adopt a more cosmopolitan stance. Under high identification, their uncertainty plays an inhibitory role, reducing their cosmopolitanism and negatively affecting their approach of service places patronized by local consumers. Perceived discrimination did not moderate the impact of UA as expected on either cosmopolitanism or approach. Originality/value This paper extends the prior research on UA by testing how two moderators could activate either a prospective or an inhibitory form of uncertainty. It also contributes to research on ICSE, by focusing on customer-to-customer interactions in a multicultural marketplace.

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Chinese consumer preference for processed food quality attributes and the impact of trust in information sources

British Food Journal ◽

10.1108/bfj-01-2021-0041 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Erpeng Wang ◽

Zhifeng Gao ◽

Xuqi Chen

Keyword(s):

Food Quality ◽

Private Information ◽

Information Sources ◽

Consumer Preference ◽

Quality Attributes ◽

Processed Food ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Content Type ◽

And Behavior ◽

The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine important attributes of processed food, consumers’ trust in different information resources, and the impact of trust, demographic and behavior variables on the preference of processed food attributes among Chinese consumers.Design/methodology/approachData of 1,267 participants were collected from four cities in China. A five-point Likert scale was used to measure consumer preference for 12 juice attributes. Consumer trust in nine sources of information on product quality was measured. Cluster analysis was used to segment consumers into groups based on their preference for juice attributes and trust in information sources, respectively. A multinomial logistic model was used to determine the impact of trust, demographic and behavior variables on the preference of juice attributes.FindingsConsumers rate manufacture date, taste and food safety labels as the most important attributes of fruit juice products. Among different information sources, consumers place more trust in private information sources and traditional media. The low trust in different information sources impedes consumer preference for processed food quality attributes.Originality/valueThis research is among the few that examine consumer preference for processed food, such as juice. It identifies four distinct preference groups and trust groups, respectively, based on consumer preference for juice attributes and trust in different information sources. This paper provides important information for processed food companies and policymakers to effectively enact marketing strategies in China.

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How does mobile social media affect knowledge sharing under the “Guanxi” system?

Journal of Knowledge Management ◽

10.1108/jkm-02-2020-0118 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (6) ◽

pp. 1343-1367 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Xi Zhang ◽

Jiaxin Tang ◽

Xin Wei ◽

Minghui Yi ◽

Patricia Ordóñez

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Knowledge Sharing ◽

New Product Development ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Negative Influence ◽

Content Type ◽

Close Cooperation ◽

The One ◽

Explicit And Implicit Knowledge ◽

The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of mobile social media functions on explicit and implicit knowledge sharing under the “Guanxi” system based on the framework of stimulus–organism–response (SOR). Design/methodology/approach Combined with Guanxi theory, this paper designs an experiment to collect data from the new product development (NPD) teams. Findings Interestingly, the results show that the effect of social media communication function on employees is greater than the impact of collaboration on employees. Specifically, on the one hand, the more employees communicate in social media, the better their feelings will be, the less they will share knowledge. On the other hand, the collaboration function has a significantly negative impact on the psychological factors of employees. Excessively close cooperation and contact may instead create a contradiction between the employees, which is not conducive to the occurrence of knowledge sharing. Originality/value This paper extends SOR framework by combining Guanxi theory to examine the relationship between social media functions and knowledge sharing behavior (KSB). In practical, companies should pay attention to the frequency of employee using social media when it is introduced for NPD teams to control the negative influence of social media functions on employee KSB.

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Location of a multinational corporation in a cluster

Multinational Business Review ◽

10.1108/mbr-07-2015-0033 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 144-167 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dorota Leszczyńska ◽

Erick Pruchnicki

Keyword(s):

Mathematical Model ◽

Knowledge Transfer ◽

Tacit Knowledge ◽

Mathematical Expression ◽

Decision Criterion ◽

Specific Knowledge ◽

Content Type ◽

The One ◽

Effective Transfer ◽

The Impact

Purpose A multinational company (MNC) looking to locate within a cluster is mainly interested in gaining access to scarce and highly valuable tacit knowledge. The transfer of such resources first requires sharing a certain degree of architectural and specific knowledge. This paper aims to examine the transfer of systemic technological expertise (specific tacit knowledge) that is incorporated into organisational practices (architectural knowledge). To quantify the level of knowledge transfer involved, the present study defines the architectural distance between the MNC and the cluster. Design/methodology/approach The mathematical expression of acquisition performance is inferred from a conceptual study that formulates hypotheses regarding the impact of these variables on knowledge transfer. The MNC chooses its location in such a way as to maximise this performance. Findings Applying a mathematical model to knowledge transfer between two of the MNC units helps to determine if the locally acquired knowledge could benefit other units of the MNC. Research limitations/implications The present study defines the architectural distance between the MNC and the cluster. This architectural distance is defined by a vector composed of social, organisational, cultural, institutional, technological and geographic distances between the new acquisition and its network of local partners, on the one hand, and the MNC, on the other. Knowledge transfer also depends on the business players’ trust and motivation. Further research through a quantitative study would be useful to improve the links between the proposed mathematical model and the efficiency of an MNC’s location within a cluster. Practical implications The solution to the optimisation problem allows to put forward a simple decision criterion to assist a manager who has to face the problem of an optimal location choice. Originality/value First, this study contributes to a better understanding of how knowledge transfer effects may interact with cluster effects, while explaining a subsidiary’s performance with regard to location. Second, it provides an interpretation of the concept of knowledge embeddedness by showing that the effective transfer of architectural and specific knowledge involves the prior sharing of a certain amount of this knowledge.

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The effect of green CSR skepticism on positive attitude, reactance, and behavioral intention

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights ◽

10.1108/jhti-05-2020-0074 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Jookyung Kwon ◽

Jiseon Ahn

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Intention ◽

Positive Attitude ◽

Mixed Method Research ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Content Type ◽

Csr Strategies ◽

Attitudinal Factors ◽

Corporate Social ◽

And Behavior ◽

The Impact

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) skepticism on dual types of attitudinal factors (i.e. positive attitude and reactance) and examine the impact of attitudinal factors on customers' behavioral intention.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies mixed-method research to examine the link between CSR skepticism, positive attitude, reactance and behavioral intention based on attitude-behavior-context theory.FindingsAs predicted, CSR skepticism weakens a favorable attitude toward CSR, whereas it increases the level of reactance. Also, CSR skepticism negatively influences behavioral intention, while positive attitude and reactance positively influence behavioral intention.Originality/valueUnderstanding customers' skepticism toward CSR has become increasingly important because of its negative consequences. Despite existing studies on CSR skepticism, few have focused on why and how CSR skepticism leads to negative behavioral outcomes. Thus, this research contributes to existing tourism literature by examining the role of CSR skepticism on their attitude and behavior. Findings will help researchers and practitioners understand how CSR skepticism impacts customers' behavioral intention and develops CSR strategies to enhance the behavioral intention to patronize.

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The resilience of African migrant entrepreneurs in China under COVID-19

Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies ◽

10.1108/jeee-05-2020-0111 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

David Prah ◽

Hagan Sibiri

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Primary Data ◽

Chinese Society ◽

Content Type ◽

Social Challenges ◽

Data Collection Instrument ◽

African Migrant ◽

Migrant Entrepreneurs ◽

The One ◽

The Impact

Purpose As the impact of COVID-19 on businesses was impossible to predict, so is the future of migrant entrepreneurs – some of whom, before the outbreak, had to deal with immigrant status associated challenges. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to focus on African migrant entrepreneurs in China, much less studied ethnic migrants who have always lived on the margins of Chinese society, to examine their entrepreneurial resilience under COVID-19 in China. Design/methodology/approach The study used a qualitative design using a survey and semi-structured follow-up interviews as the primary data collection instrument. The questions in the questionnaire guide were adapted from the Center for Global Development survey instrument designed to gauge the resilience of SMEs under COVID-19. Findings Although most business operations in China are impacted, African migrant businesses were very hit due to existing social challenges coupled with their informality (i.e. operating at a low level of organization), lack of contingency plans and lack of stimulus support. COVID-19 is thus not only a force majeure that threatens the growth expectation of African owned-business but also presents a threat to their very existence in an already challenging society for Africans. Research limitations/implications Although the study has achieved its intended purpose, the sample was relatively small due to the low return rate of questionnaires and the difficulties in reaching out to target respondents due to the restrictive measures on movements during the data collection period. Originality/value This paper draws attention to the entrepreneurship-related challenges faced by ethnic migrants in China during a crisis. The social challenges of Africans living in China became a global topical issue during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. However, little is known about their entrepreneurship endeavors and the associated difficulties. This paper helps our understanding of African businesses’ resilience in China during uncertain times, such as the one created by COVID-19.

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Evaluating the effect of subsidies for rural development on agri-food and forestry firms

Applied Economic Analysis ◽

10.1108/aea-06-2019-0004 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (80) ◽

pp. 150-167

Author(s):

José A. Pérez-Méndez ◽

María Pérez-Urdiales ◽

David Roibas

Keyword(s):

Rural Development ◽

Technical Efficiency ◽

Technical Progress ◽

Stochastic Frontier ◽

Content Type ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Forestry Industry ◽

The One ◽

The Impact ◽

Positive Effect

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the impact of the subsidies established by Measure 123 of the Rural Development Policy on the productivity of a sample of agri-food and forestry companies in the region of Asturias over the period 2006-2009. Design/methodology/approach The authors estimate a stochastic frontier function which allows subsidies to be considered as affecting both the level of technical efficiency and technical progress. Findings The results show that while subsidies have a positive effect on the technical progress of companies in the agri-food industry, for the forestry industry, the effect materializes as an improvement in technical efficiency. Additionally, other factors affecting either, technical progress and technical efficiency were identified. Originality/value This study adopts a model that allows the separate identification of the effect of subsidies on the level of efficiency, on the one hand, and on the technical progress, on the other.

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Apotransferrin in Combination with Ciprofloxacin Slows Bacterial Replication, Prevents Resistance Amplification, and Increases Antimicrobial Regimen Effect

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.00112-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 63 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Paul G. Ambrose ◽

Brian D. VanScoy ◽

Brian M. Luna ◽

Jun Yan ◽

Amber Ulhaq ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Agents ◽

Bactericidal Effect ◽

Bacterial Density ◽

Infection Model ◽

Time Curve ◽

Content Type ◽

Wide Range ◽

Bacterial Replication ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT There has been renewed interest in combining traditional small-molecule antimicrobial agents with nontraditional therapies to potentiate antimicrobial effects. Apotransferrin, which decreases iron availability to microbes, is one such approach. We conducted a 48-h one-compartment in vitro infection model to explore the impact of apotransferrin on the bactericidal activity of ciprofloxacin. The challenge panel included four Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates with ciprofloxacin MIC values ranging from 0.08 to 32 mg/liter. Each challenge isolate was subjected to an ineffective ciprofloxacin monotherapy exposure (free-drug area under the concentration-time curve over 24 h divided by the MIC [AUC/MIC ratio] ranging from 0.19 to 96.6) with and without apotransferrin. As expected, the no-treatment and apotransferrin control arms showed unaltered prototypical logarithmic bacterial growth. We identified relationships between exposure and change in bacterial density for ciprofloxacin alone (R2 = 0.64) and ciprofloxacin in combination with apotransferrin (R2 = 0.84). Addition of apotransferrin to ciprofloxacin enabled a remarkable reduction in bacterial density across a wide range of ciprofloxacin exposures. For instance, at a ciprofloxacin AUC/MIC ratio of 20, ciprofloxacin monotherapy resulted in nearly 2 log10 CFU increase in bacterial density, while the combination of apotransferrin and ciprofloxacin resulted in 2 log10 CFU reduction in bacterial density. Furthermore, addition of apotransferrin significantly reduced the emergence of ciprofloxacin-resistant subpopulations compared to monotherapy. These data demonstrate that decreasing the rate of bacterial replication with apotransferrin in combination with antimicrobial therapy represents an opportunity to increase the magnitude of the bactericidal effect and to suppress the growth rate of drug-resistant subpopulations.

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