bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Covalent on-cell conjugation of biomaterials through oxidative phenolic coupling regulates stem cell fate via intracellular biophysical programming
Authors: Johnbosco Castro , Becker Malin , Willemen Niels , Meteling Marieke , Govindaraj Kannan , Kamperman Tom , Leijten Jeroen
Published: September 2024

Mechanotransduction is widely used to guide cell fate in hydrogels. Traditionally, hydrogels contain adhesive ligands that dynamically bond with cells to stimulate biochemical signalling axis such as YAP-TAZ. However, the molecular toolbox to achieve mechanotransduction has remained virtually limited to non-covalent bonds, which limits our ability to program engineered living matter. Here, we demonstrate that on-cell chemistry can be leveraged to covalently tether biomaterials directly onto cells, and reveal that mechanotransduction is enabled via intracellular biophysical programming. Specifically, droplet microfluidics produced single-cell microgels in which individual stem cells were extracellularly conjugated to either soft or stiff hydrogels via on-cell oxidative phenolic coupling, which allowed for investigation of mechanotransduction at single-cell resolution. Interestingly, this altered intracellular molecular crowding, calcium signalling, and chromatin organization by regulating cytoplasmic and nuclear volume in a stiffness-dependent yet YAP/TAZ-independent manner. Notably, addition of conventional dynamic adhesive ligands such as RGDs decreased chondrogenic commitment indicating that covalent cell-material tethering is both efficient and sufficient for programming cell fate. Encoding biomaterials with a novel form of mechanotransduction in the form of covalent on-cell chemistry, such as oxidative phenolic coupling, expands our ability to guide cellular behaviour, which can accelerate development of drug-screening models, lab-grown meat, and engineered tissues.
INSPIRE: interpretable, flexible and spatially-aware integration of multiple spatial transcriptomics datasets from diverse sources
Authors: Zhao Jia , Zhang Xiangyu , Wang Gefei , Lin Yingxin , Liu Tianyu , Chang Rui B. , Zhao Hongyu
Published: September 2024

Recent advances in spatial transcriptomics technologies have led to a growing number of diverse datasets, offering unprecedented opportunities to explore tissue organizations and functions within spatial contexts. However, it remains a significant challenge to effectively integrate and interpret these data, often originating from different samples, technologies, and developmental stages. In this paper, we present INSPIRE, a deep learning method for integrative analyses of multiple spatial transcriptomics datasets to address this challenge. With designs of graph neural networks and an adversarial learning mechanism, INSPIRE enables spatially informed and adaptable integration of data from varying sources. By incorporating non-negative matrix factorization, INSPIRE uncovers interpretable spatial factors with corresponding gene programs, revealing tissue architectures, cell type distributions and biological processes. We demonstrate the capabilities of INSPIRE by applying it to human cortex slices from different samples, mouse brain slices with complementary views, mouse hippocampus and embryo slices generated through different technologies, and spatiotemporal organogenesis atlases containing half a million spatial spots. INSPIRE shows superior performance in identifying detailed biological signals, effectively borrowing information across distinct profiling technologies, and elucidating dynamical changes during embryonic development. Furthermore, we utilize INSPIRE to build 3D models of tissues and whole organisms from multiple slices, demonstrating its power and versatility.
Expression of a constitutively active nitrate reductase increases SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein production inNicotiana benthamianaleaves that otherwise show traits of senescence
Authors: Hamel Louis-Philippe , Paré Marie-Ève , Poirier-Gravel Francis , Tardif Rachel , Comeau Marc-André , Lavoie Pierre-Olivier , Langlois Andréane , Goulet Marie-Claire , D’Aoust Marc-André , Michaud Dominique
Published: September 2024

The production of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines can be achieved by transient expression of the Spike (S) protein of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in agroinfiltrated leaves ofNicotiana benthamiana, a process promoted by the co-expression of viral silencing suppressor P19. Upon expression, the S protein enters the cell secretory pathway, before being trafficked to the plasma membrane where formation of coronavirus-like particles (CoVLPs) occurs. We recently used RNAseq and time course sampling to characterize molecular responses ofN. benthamianaleaf cells expressing P19 only, or P19 in combination with recombinant S protein. This revealed expression of the viral proteins to deeply affect the physiological status of plant cells, including through the activation of immune responses. Here, transcriptomics shows that the production of CoVLPs also induces leaf senescence, as revealed by the upregulation of senescence-associated genes, activation of senescence-related proteases, and downregulation of genes involved in basic metabolic functions like photosynthesis or nitrogen uptake and assimilation. CoVLP production also upregulated asparagine synthetase genes and led to consequent accumulation of asparagine, a nitrogen-rich amino acid is known to facilitate the reallocation of nitrogen resources from senescent to young growing organs. Hypothesizing these combined host responses to restrain foreign protein accumulation, an attempt was made to support nitrogen reduction in CoVLP-producing leaves by co-expressing a constitutively active, light-insensitive form of the nitrate reductase. We show this strategy to increase S protein accumulation in leaf tissues, thereby suggesting that boosting nitrogen metabolism of agroinfiltrated leaves improves recombinant protein yields inN. benthamiana.
Genomic signatures of coral adaptation and recovery following a mass mortality event
Authors: Fifer James , Speare Kelly E. , Leinbach Sarah E. , Hendricks Stephanie F. , Davies Sarah W. , Rose Noah H. , Burkepile Deron E. , Adam Thomas C. , Hofmann Gretchen E. , Strader Marie E.
Published: September 2024

Globally, corals face an increased frequency of mass mortality events (MMEs) as populations experience repeated marine heatwaves which disrupt their obligate algal symbiosis. Despite greater occurrences of MMEs, the relative roles of the environment, host, and symbiont genetic variation in survival and recovery remain unresolved. We explore these roles using high-resolution temporal and spatial whole genome sequencing of corals before, after, and several years following a MME. We show that host genetics has an impact on bleaching and mortality and that selected alleles important for adaptation persist through the next generation. We also demonstrate that survival for the bleaching event was highly polygenic and that allele frequency shifts have reef habitat specificity. This study reveals how MMEs reshape the genomic landscape and the spatial and temporal distribution of genomic diversity within coral populations facing severe threats from global change.

SIGNIFICANCE

Investigations of natural selection in coral genomes following bleaching events have primarily relied on indirect inference, using contemporary populations to explore signatures of past selective pressures, or failed to link these events to the subsequent generation. This has left an open question about the ability of a coral population to adapt from host standing genetic variation in the face of a bleaching event. We demonstrate rapid evolution in a Mo’orean coral population following an MME from a marine heatwave by capturing allele frequency shifts through time. However, the complex polygenic architecture of bleaching survival shows strong habitat specificity, complicating the path towards a genomic prediction of bleaching.
Pdgfab/Pdgfra-mediated chemoattraction guides the migration of sclerotome-derived fibroblast precursors in zebrafish
Authors: Méndez-Olivos Emilio E. , Kocha Katrinka M. , Liao Shan , Huang Peng
Published: September 2024

In vertebrates, the sclerotome is a transient embryonic structure that gives rise to various tissue support cells, including fibroblasts. However, how fibroblast precursors are guided to diverse tissues remain poorly understood. Using zebrafish, our lab has previously shown that sclerotome-derived cells undergo extensive migration to generate distinct fibroblasts subtypes, including tenocytes along the myotendinous junction and fin mesenchymal cells in the fin fold. Interestingly, the pan-fibroblast gene platelet-derived growth factor receptor a (pdgfra), which has been implicated in cell migration across various contexts, is specifically expressed in the sclerotome and its descendants. Loss of functional Pdgfra in apdgfragene-trap mutant results in severe defects in the migration of sclerotome- derived cells, leading to a dose-dependent loss of tenocytes and fin mesenchymal cells. By combining live imaging and mosaic labeling with a membrane-bound dominant-negative tool, we demonstrate that Pdgfra acts cell-autonomously to regulate the migration of sclerotome- derived cells. In the absence of ligandpdgfab, which is expressed in the medial somite, sclerotome-derived cells fail to migrate medially, resulting in a loss of tenocytes, although they can migrate normally toward the fin fold and generate fin mesenchymal cells. Strikingly, localized expression of Pdgfab inpdgfabmutants can direct the migration of sclerotome- derived cells to both normal and ectopic locations, suggesting a chemoattractive role for the Pdgfab ligand. Together, our results demonstrate that Pdgfab/Pdgfra-mediated chemoattraction guides the migration of sclerotome-derived fibroblast precursors to specific locations, where they diversify into distinct fibroblast subtypes.
Under conditions of high wall shear stress, several PfEBA and PfRH ligands are important forPlasmodium falciparummalaria blood-stage growth
Authors: Kals Emma , Kals Morten , Cicuta Pietro , Rayner Julian C.
Published: September 2024

Malaria kills over 600,000 people annually, with all the clinical symptoms being caused by the blood stage of the infection. Malaria parasites invade red blood cells (RBCs), where they grow and multiply until daughter parasites egress to invade new RBCs. This cycle happens primarily in the blood circulation, bone marrow, and spleen, where parasites and RBCs are exposed to flow-generated forces. Despite this, almost allin vitrogrowth assays are carried out in static conditions, which are a poor mimic for the conditions that malaria parasites encounter in the body. Therefore, we systematically tested the impact of dynamic conditions created by orbital shaking platforms on parasite growth and explored the link between growth and the wall shear stress forces generated by fluid motion. For several strains of the deadliest malaria species,Plasmodium falciparum, we showed that strikingly, for any given vessel, there is a critical shaking speed at which growth rates are reduced, corresponding to when the RBCs start to aggregate in the centre of the well, before growth increases again at higher shaking speeds. The force that parasites are exposed to at this critical shaking speed corresponds cloesly with previous measurements for the forces that RBCs and parasites are exposed to in the microvasculature. During invasion, the early attachment of the parasites to RBCs is dependent on two families of attachment proteins, the Erythrocyte Binding Antigen (PfEBA) family and the Reticulocyte Binding Protein Homologue (PfRH) family, which are thought to be largely redundant in function. We used a panel of PfEBA and PfRH knock-out lines to show for the first time that several of these ligands have greater importance in high wall shear stress conditions. This both adds new understanding to the function of these ligand families, and indicates that the concept of the critical shaking speed can reveal new parasite growth phenotypes.
Analysis of genetic requirements and nutrient availability forStaphylococcus aureusgrowth in cystic fibrosis sputum
Authors: Shull Lauren M. , Wolter Daniel J. , Kunkle Dillon E. , Legg Katherine A. , Giedroc David P. , Skaar Eric P. , Hoffman Lucas R. , Reniere Michelle L.
Published: September 2024

Staphylococcus aureusis one of the most common pathogens isolated from the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), but little is known about its ability to colonize this niche. We performed a Tn-seq screen to identify genes necessary forS. aureusgrowth in media prepared fromex vivoCF sputum. We identified 19 genes that were required for growth in all sputum media tested and dozens more that were required for growth in at least one sputum medium. Depleted mutants of interest included insertions in many genes important for surviving metal starvation as well as the primary regulator of cysteine metabolismcymR. To investigate the mechanisms by which these genes contribute toS. aureusgrowth in sputum, we quantified low-molecular-weight thiols, nutrient transition metals, and the host metal-sequestration protein calprotectin in sputum from 11 individuals with CF. In all samples, the abundance of calprotectin exceeded nutrient metal concentration, explaining theS. aureusrequirement for metal-starvation genes. Further, all samples contain potentially toxic quantities of cysteine and sufficient glutathione to satisfy the organic sulfur requirements ofS. aureus. Deletion of the cysteine importer genestcyAandtcyPin the ΔcymRbackground restored growth to wild-type levels in CF sputum, suggesting that the mechanism by whichcymRis required for growth in sputum is to prevent uncontrolled import of cysteine or cystine from this environment. Overall, this work demonstrates that calprotectin and cysteine limitS. aureusgrowth in CF sputum.

IMPORTANCE

Staphylococcus aureusis a major cause of lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). This work identifies genes required forS. aureusgrowth in this niche, which represent potential targets for anti-Staphylococcal treatments. We show that genes involved in surviving metal starvation are required for growth in CF sputum. We also found that the primary regulator of cysteine metabolism, CymR, plays a critical role in preventing cysteine intoxication during growth in CF sputum. To support these models, we analyzed sputum from 11 individuals with CF to determine concentrations of calprotectin, nutrient metals, and low-molecular-weight thiols, which have not previously been quantified together in the same samples.
Staphylococcus aureusPhenol-Soluble Modulins Mediate Interspecies Competition with Upper Respiratory Commensal Bacteria
Authors: Huffines Joshua T , Kiedrowski Megan R
Published: September 2024

In chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) disease, microbial dysbiosis is considered a key contributor to inflammation and pathogenicity, with increased prevalence of upper respiratory tract (URT) pathogens concomitant with decreased abundance of commensal species.Staphylococcus aureusis a common URT pathobiont associated with higher carriage rates in CRS.S. aureussecreted toxins are implicated in CRS pathogenesis, and toxins and antibodies toS. aureussecreted factors have been observed in tissue from CRS subjects. CRS disease severity is positively correlated with immune reactivity toS. aureusproteins. Prior studies have examined polymicrobial interactions betweenS. aureusand URT commensals, however, no studies to date have described possible methods employed byS. aureusto outcompete commensals leading to aS. aureus-dominant microbiome as seen in CRS. This study addresses this gap in knowledge by characterizing how a CRS-associated secreted toxin fromS. aureuscan inhibit aggregation in commensal URT species. Using a model URT commensal,Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum, we identified a CRS-associated secreted protein fromS. aureus, δ-toxin (Hld), that can inhibitC. pseudodiphtheriticumaggregation at biologically relevant concentrations. Furthermore, we observed recombinant δ-toxin reducesC. pseudodiphtheriticumadherence and aggregation on human nasal epithelial cells in an air-liquid interface cell culture model. These results define a novel mechanism by whichS. aureuscan disrupt URT commensal lifestyles of microbial competitors, contributing to the establishment of microbial dysbiosis.

IMPORTANCE

Microbial dysbiosis in the upper respiratory tract (URT) is associated with disease pathogenicity in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). There are significant links betweenStaphylococcus aureusand worse CRS outcomes, but no studies to date have demonstrated ifS. aureusoutcompetes other URT microbes through direct interactions. Here, we report thatS. aureusδ-toxin, a secreted protein found in CRS patient tissue, can inhibit the ability of commensal bacteria to aggregate, adhere to, and grow in association with human nasal epithelial cells. These results suggest a potential mechanism forS. aureusto establish dominance in the URT microbiome through direct antagonism of commensals with a disease-associated toxin.
Elevated synaptic PKA activity and abnormal striatal dopamine signaling inAkap11mutant mice, a genetic model of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
Authors: Song Bryan J. , Ge Yang , Nicolella Ally , Kwon Min Jee , Lodder Bart , Bonanno Kevin , Valle-Tojeiro Antia , Mandell Kira Perzel , Adeleye John , Geng Chuhan , Natarajan Sahana , Picard Inès , Shepard Nate , Aryal Sameer , Farsi Zohreh , Liu Xiao-Man , Morshed Nader , Nadaf Naeem M , Pribiag Horia , Simmons Sean K , Mani D.R. , Stevens Beth , Macosko Evan Z. , Levin Joshua Z. , Sabatini Bernardo L. , Keshishian Hasmik , Carr Steven A. , Dejanovic Borislav , Granger Adam J. , Sheng Morgan
Published: September 2024

Loss-of-function mutations inAKAP11(a protein kinase A (PKA)-binding protein) greatly increase the risk of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. To determine the neurobiological functions of AKAP11 and the consequences of its absence, we conducted multi-omic analyses ofAkap11mutant mouse brains. We find that AKAP11 is a key regulator of PKA proteostasis in the brain whose loss leads to dramatically elevated PKA expression and phosphorylation, especially in synapses. Transcriptomic analysis shows extensive gene expression changes throughout the brain, including prominent decreases in synapse-related genes sets. Gene expression is especially affected in spiny projection neurons of the striatum, a brain region implicated in motivation, cognition and psychiatric disorders.In vivo, real-time measurements of PKA activity in ventral striatum ofAkap11-/-mice revealed constitutively elevated kinase activity, which distorts dopamine to PKA signaling. Our work reveals the molecular basis of circuit dysfunction in a genetically valid model of psychotic disorder.
Systematic identification of interchromosomal interaction networks supports the existence of specialized RNA factories
Authors: Hristov Borislav Hrisimirov , Noble William Stafford , Bertero Alessandro
Published: September 2024

Most studies of genome organization have focused on intrachromosomal (cis) contacts because they harbor key features such as DNA loops and topologically associating domains. Interchromosomal (trans) contacts have received much less attention, and tools for interrogating potential biologically relevanttransstructures are lacking. Here, we develop a computational framework that uses Hi-C data to identify sets of loci that jointly interact intrans. This method, trans-C, initiates probabilistic random walks with restarts from a set of seed loci to traverse an input Hi-C contact network, thereby identifying sets oftrans-contacting loci. We validate trans-C in three increasingly complex models of establishedtranscontacts: thePlasmodium falciparum vargenes, the mouse olfactory receptor “Greek islands,” and the human RBM20 cardiac splicing factory. We then apply trans-C to systematically test the hypothesis that genes coregulated by the sametrans-acting element (i.e., a transcription or splicing factor) colocalize in three dimensions to form “RNA factories” that maximize the efficiency and accuracy of RNA biogenesis. We find that many loci with multiple binding sites of the same DNA-binding proteins interact with one another intrans, especially those bound by factors with intrinsically disordered domains. Similarly, clustered binding of a subset of RNA-binding proteins correlates withtransinteraction of the encoding loci. We observe that thesetrans-interacting loci are close to nuclear speckles. These findings support the existence oftrans-interacting chromatin domains (TIDs) driven by RNA biogenesis. Trans-C provides an efficient computational framework for studying these and other types oftransinteractions, empowering studies of a poorly understood aspect of genome architecture.
Rapid SARS-CoV-2 surveillance using clinical, pooled, or wastewater sequence as a sensor for population change
Authors: Narechania Apurva , Bobo Dean , Deitz Kevin , DeSalle Rob , Planet Paul J. , Mathema Barun
Published: September 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical role of genomic surveillance for guiding policy and control. Timeliness is key, but sequence alignment and phylogeny slow most surveillance techniques. Millions of SARS-CoV-2 genomes have been assembled. Phylogenetic methods are ill equipped to handle this sheer scale. We introduce a pangenomic measure that examines the information diversity of ak-mer library drawn from a country's complete set of clinical, pooled, or wastewater sequence. Quantifying diversity is central to ecology. Hill numbers, or the effective number of species in a sample, provide a simple metric for comparing species diversity across environments. The more diverse the sample, the higher the Hill number. We adopt this ecological approach and consider eachk-mer an individual and each genome a transect in the pangenome of the species. Structured in this way, Hill numbers summarize the temporal trajectory of pandemic variants, collapsing each day's assemblies into genome equivalents. For pooled or wastewater sequence, we instead compare days using survey sequence divorced from individual infections. Across data from the UK, USA, and South Africa, we trace the ascendance of new variants of concern as they emerge in local populations well before these variants are named and added to phylogenetic databases. Using data from San Diego wastewater, we monitor these same population changes from raw, unassembled sequence. This history of emerging variants senses all available data as it is sequenced, intimating variant sweeps to dominance or declines to extinction at the leading edge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Differentiable vertex fitting for jet flavor tagging
Authors: Smith Rachel E. C. , Ochoa Inês , Inácio Rúben , Shoemaker Jonathan , Kagan Michael
Published: September 2024

This work explores the use of differentiable programming to integrate domain knowledge, in the form of domain specific software, into neural networks to develop scientific machine learning systems. We propose a differentiable vertex fitting algorithm that estimates the crossing point of multiple curves. In the high energy physics setting, these curves are defined by particle equations of motion and the crossing point represents the origin of particle production. This differentiable vertex fitting algorithm can be seamlessly integrated into neural networks, and we show its utility and efficacy in the high energy physics application of the classification of jets, i.e., collimated streams of particles in particle detectors whose originating parent particle we aim to classify. We demonstrate how differentiable vertex fitting can be integrated into larger transformer-based models for jet flavor tagging and show improvements in heavy flavor jet classification when compared to baseline models.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Enhanced primordial gravitational waves from a stiff postinflationary era due to an oscillating inflaton
Authors: Chen Chao , Dimopoulos Konstantinos , Eröncel Cem , Ghoshal Anish
Published: September 2024

We investigate two classes of inflationary models, which lead to a stiff period after inflation that boosts the signal of primordial gravitational waves (GWs). In both families of models studied, we consider an oscillating scalar condensate, which when far away from the minimum is overdamped by a warped kinetic term, la α-attractors. This leads to successful inflation. The oscillating condensate is in danger of becoming fragmented by resonant effects when nonlinearities take over. Consequently, the stiff phase cannot be prolonged enough to enhance primordial GWs at frequencies observable in the near future for low orders of the envisaged scalar potential. However, this is not the case for a higher-order scalar potential. Indeed, we show that this case results in a boosted GW spectrum that overlaps with future observations without generating too much GW radiation to destabilize big bang nucleosynthesis. For example, taking α=O(1), we find that the GW signal can be safely enhanced up to ΩGW(f)∼10−11 at frequency f∼102  Hz, which will be observable by the Einstein Telescope. Our mechanism ends up with a characteristic GW spectrum, which if observed, can lead to the determination of the inflation energy scale, the reheating temperature, and the shape (steepness) of the scalar potential around the minimum.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Piecewise linear potentials for false vacuum decay and negative modes
Authors: Ai Wen-Yuan , Alexandre Jean , Sarkar Sarben
Published: September 2024

We study bounce solutions and associated negative modes in the class of piecewise linear triangular-shaped potentials that may be viewed as approximations of smooth potentials. In these simple potentials, the bounce solution and action can be obtained analytically for a general spacetime dimension D. The eigenequations for the fluctuations around the bounce are universal and have the form of a Schrödinger-like equation with delta-function potentials. This Schrödinger equation is solved exactly for the negative modes whose number is confirmed to be one. The latter result may justify the usefulness of such piecewise linear potentials in the study of false vacuum decay.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Crisis-induced vibrational resonance in a phase-modulated periodic structure
Authors: Adesina P. O. , Vincent U. E. , Roy-Layinde T. O. , Kolebaje O. T. , McClintock P. V. E.
Published: September 2024

Double vibrational resonance is reported for a driven oscillator in a periodic structure of the Josephson junction type with high-frequency phase modulation. We identify two distinct phase modulation effects, namely, resonant induction and resonant amplification, leading to the appearance of a double resonance. We analyze these vibrational resonance phenomena theoretically and numerically, and we show that the origin of the induced resonance is traceable to a transition from periodicity to quasiperiodicity associated with an attractor-merging crisis.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Intermediary business models: using blockchain technology for intermediary businesses
Authors: Purusottama Ambara , Trilaksono Teddy
Published: September 2024

Purpose

This study aims to complement the literature disparity regarding the practice of technology in intermediary business models, which is still limited. The discussions of this study comprise (1) the comprehension of intermediary business models through building block modification and (2) the crystallization of blockchain adoption for intermediary business models.

Design/methodology/approach

This study encourages the development of a new canvas through the iteration between theories and empirical evidence of intermediary business models, including using blockchains in this model. The new canvas was developed referring to the system complexity of the intermediate business model and confirmed using a single case study. The case studied was ALKO, which drives its business value by adopting blockchain technology. A few data sources were used to produce robust findings in this study.

Findings

The new canvas can elucidate the intermediary business model with designated case studies. Blockchain technology significantly contributes to the intermediary business model, where this technology can influence the entire activity system. The technology is being adopted as a “creation” for the firm to realize the “proposition” offered and “capture” value. In this typical business model, this technology is applied to implement shared values such as traceability, authenticity and integrity of information. This business model shows firm activities as coherent and cohesive relationships between blocks.

Research limitations/implications

Blockchain technology strengthens intermediary business models through its unique features. This study also describes the role of this technology in a particular system through the development of an intermediary business model canvas using a descriptive study. The intensity of this technology on a typical business model is clearly explained in this study.

Originality/value

This research brings a novel value in developing a canvas for intermediary business models and confirms the role of blockchain technology in this business model. The canvas design was carried out systematically, including explaining the contributions of blockchains in detail.
Does embeddedness in strategic alliances matter for innovation efficiency? The moderating roles of government R&D subsidies and standardization
Authors: Li Jian , Peng Di , Yu Yue
Published: September 2024

Purpose

This paper investigates the impact of strategic alliance network centrality and structural holes on firm innovation efficiency. In addition, the paper aims to explore the moderating effects of government R&D subsidies and firm technology standardization.

Design/methodology/approach

Based upon the literature on strategic alliance networks, this paper proposes a conceptual model with several hypotheses. The empirical analysis is based on a sample of 736 observations from 92 mechanical manufacturing firms in China from 2010 to 2017. We measured firm innovation efficiency via the DEA model and performed quantitative analysis with GMM estimation.

Findings

The results indicate that strategic alliance network centrality is positively related to firm innovation efficiency, and structural holes have a U-shaped relationship with firm innovation efficiency. Government R&D subsidies positively moderate the relationship between centrality and firm innovation efficiency. Firm technology standardization positively moderates the relationship between centrality and firm innovation efficiency and the U-shaped relationship between structural holes and firm innovation efficiency.

Practical implications

Firms should focus on improving innovation efficiency and maximizing innovation output under limited resources. Furthermore, managers ought to strengthen cooperation between firms and external alliances while promoting the utilization of strategic alliance network position resources to benefit innovation efficiency.

Originality/value

This paper considers that innovation efficiency, including input and output processes, is more representative than innovation performance, and few studies have focused on the relationship between strategic alliance networks and innovation efficiency. To fill this research gap, this paper explores the impact of strategic alliance network position embedding on innovation efficiency.
Learning-based framework for industrial accident prevention: fuzzy cognitive mapping approach
Authors: Boulagouas Wafa , Guelfen Charaf Eddine , Karoune Abderraouf
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Despite efforts to improve safety management practices in industrial companies, major accidents seem to be inevitable. Many accidents still occur because companies are unable to learn from past occurrences due to ineffective incident and accident learning processes. This study proposes a learning-based framework for industrial accidents investigation and contributes to accident prevention research.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed learning process includes the analysis of the industrial accident using the Event Tree Analysis (ETA) method, capitalisation of causative factors using the Swiss Cheese Model (SCM), and finally modelling the relationships among the accident causative factors and analysing their causality using the Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) technique and running learning scenarios.

Findings

The proposed learning process was applied to an industrial accident, and the results showed that human unsafe behaviours and unsafe supervision were the principal causative factors of the blowout accident.

Practical implications

The proposed learning-based framework provides a structured approach for oil and gas companies to systematically analyse and learn from past accidents, enhancing their prevention strategies. Theoretically, the framework bridges the gap between theory and practice by demonstrating how established accident analysis methods can be combined and applied in a real-world industrial context.

Originality/value

The proposed learning process combines accident analysis and investigation techniques with simulations for an in-depth and robust learning-based framework for accident prevention.
Unraveling the impact of infodemic stress on information and health behaviors: a double effect perspective
Authors: Pan Ting , Sun Yongqiang , Guo Xitong , Zhang Min
Published: September 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the underlying mechanism whereby information-induced stress, resulting from the burdensome nature, questionable information reliability, misleading content and diffuse characteristics of infodemic pressure, impacts individuals’ online information-related behavior and health-related preventive behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted a cross-sectional survey organized with social media users during the post-pandemic period. Based on the 342 valid responses, structural equation modeling was employed to validate the research model.

Findings

The results substantiate our multidimensional view of infodemic stress, which encompasses dimensions including information overload, uncertainty, diffusivity and insecurity. We found that the infodemic stress contributes to pandemic fatigue, then engenders both negative information behavior and reduced engagement in preventive behavior. Furthermore, infodemic stress has also been found to have a direct positive effect on individuals’ engagement in preventive behavior.

Originality/value

This study introduces the concept of “infodemic stress” and presents a comprehensive framework to capture its various dimensions. This study offers novel insights into the psychological and behavioral repercussions of the infodemic stress transmitted through social media.
Maida Herman Solomon (1891–1988): an invisible forerunner in the field of clinical social work
Authors: Williams Kristin S.
Published: September 2024

Purpose

This paper aims (1) to create a sense of resonance with Maida Herman Solomon and her ideas, (2) to inspire a reconsideration of current management history (the unquestioned block box of dominant figures, dominant foci and dominant practices), (3) to bring Solomon’s contributions to clinical social work into present discourse in management and organizational studies and (4) to foster recognition for Solomon in her own field of social work, as forerunner in a developing profession. Guiding this study is the question: “What are Solomon’s key contributions and why is she overlooked?”

Design/methodology/approach

This paper features a novel methodology, ficto-feminism. The feminism in ficto-feminism is presented as ontology, epistemology, method and mode of writing. Ficto-feminism combines polemical (or prowoman writing) with aspects of collective biography, autoethnography and fictocriticism. As such, the paper contributes to the emerging feminist tradition of writing differently. The approach is an embodied and reflexive approach that engages with history to investigate the absence of women.

Findings

Maida Solomon was an educator, researcher, practitioner and advocate. Her contributions to the development and practice of clinical social work spanned over 60 years, and yet, she is little more than a footnote in the history of the field. Her contributions include authoring and implementing graduate programming, which continues to be the taken for granted training; penning some of the most seminal works and advancing theory; introducing academic and scientific approaches, which saw the field professionalize and adopt new standards; and helping to change the way that society thought about mental health and sexual health. A confluence of factors contributes to her marginalization and neglect: gender, ethnicity, the feminized field of social work and the stigmatized focus for her practice.

Originality/value

The paper combines assertive autobiographical and literary strategies to foreground an overlooked female leader in the field of clinical social work, namely, Maida Solomon. Drawing on biographical material, literature, media and archival material, this paper features a fictional but truthful conversation between the present-day author/writer/historian and the posthumous, historical protagonist (Maida Solomon). In so doing, the engagement with history is both one that deconstructs while reconstructing a historical account with both aesthetic and political implications.
Technological work burnout: conceptualization, measure development and validation
Authors: Alhammadi Hassan , Bani-Melhem Shaker , Mohd-Shamsudin Faridahwati , Karrani Mariam , Hamouche Salima
Published: September 2024

Purpose

As workplaces increasingly integrate digital technologies, understanding their impact on employee burnout has become imperative. This paper introduces the Technological Work Burnout Scale (TWBS), an innovative tool developed to measure the influence of technology on workplace burnout.

Design/methodology/approach

To bridge the existing gap in this area of study, our research employed Hinkin’s (1998) psychometric methodologies, creating a structured process for developing the TWBS, which included initial item generation, item reduction with reliability estimation, confirmatory factor analysis and tests for both convergent and discriminant validity. By applying these procedures, we validated the scale across various professional settings (in three different samples), ensuring its robustness and applicability in diverse technological work environments.

Findings

The TWBS demonstrates a consistent unidimensional structure, effectively capturing the multifaceted nature of burnout in the digital age.

Originality/value

Through this scale, we provide insights into how technology influences employee well-being and organizational health, offering a valuable tool for organizations to assess and manage the growing issue of technological work burnout. Our study not only enriches the academic understanding of burnout in the context of technological integration in workplaces but also offers practical implications for addressing this critical concern.
Comprehensive sustainability assessment of Ferrock: innovations for the sustainable built environment
Authors: Muhit Imrose B. , Al-Fakih Amin , Mbiu Ronald Ndung’u
Published: September 2024

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the suitability of Ferrock as a green construction material by analysing its engineering properties, environmental impact, economic viability and adoption challenges. It also aims to bridge knowledge gaps and provide guidance for integrating Ferrock into mainstream construction to support the decarbonisation of the built environment.

Design/methodology/approach

It presents a systematic and holistic review of existing literature on Ferrock, comprehensively analysing its mechanical properties, environmental and socio-economic impact and adoption challenges. The approach includes evaluating both quantitative and qualitative data to assess Ferrock’s potential in the construction sector.

Findings

Key findings highlight Ferrock’s superior mechanical properties, such as higher compressive and tensile strength, and enhanced durability compared to traditional Portland cement. Ferrock offers significant environmental benefits by capturing more CO2 during curing than it emits, contributing to carbon sequestration and reducing energy consumption due to the absence of high-temperature processing. However, the material faces economic and technical challenges, including higher initial costs, scalability issues, lack of industry standards and variability in production quality.

Originality/value

This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of Ferrock. Despite being discussed for a decade, Ferrock research has been overlooked, with existing studies often limited and published in poor-quality sources. By synthesising current research and identifying future study areas, the paper enhances understanding of Ferrock’s potential benefits and challenges. The originality lies in the holistic evaluation of Ferrock’s properties and its implications for the construction industry, offering insights that could drive collaborative research and policy support to facilitate its integration into mainstream use.
Influential factors in general public opposition and public servant concerns toward municipal DX promotion in Japan
Authors: Seo Yuna
Published: September 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the factors influencing public servants’ anxiety and general public’s opposition toward the implementation of digital participatory platforms (DPPs) and municipal digital transformation (DX) in Japan. By addressing these factors, the research seeks to provide insights for policymakers to facilitate smoother transitions to digital governance and increase public acceptance and engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses surveys conducted with both general public and public servants. The surveys were designed based on previous research and collected data through Web-based questionnaires. General public’s data were collected from 366 valid responses over four days in July 2022, while public servants’ data were gathered from 197 valid responses over eight days. Statistical analysis was used to identify key factors influencing anxiety and opposition.

Findings

Public servants’ anxiety is influenced by self-perceived creativity, openness to innovation, international collaborations, work-life balance and gender equality reforms. The general public’s opposition stems from dissatisfaction with current digital tools, social media use and political engagement. Both groups could benefit from targeted training, improved usability and inclusive engagement strategies.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that targeted training to enhance public servants’ creativity and digital literacy, fostering an innovative organizational culture and promoting work-life balance can reduce anxiety about DPPs. For general public, improving the usability of digital tools, engaging them in the design process and leveraging social media for communication and feedback can increase acceptance of digital initiatives.

Social implications

Understanding the concerns of both public servants and general public regarding DX can lead to more inclusive and effective governance. By addressing these concerns, policymakers can foster greater public trust and engagement, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness and transparency of municipal governance.

Originality/value

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors contributing to resistance to DX in public governance. By examining both public servants’ and general public’ perspectives, it offers valuable insights for designing and implementing strategies to facilitate smoother transitions to digital participatory governance.
Screening methods for antibiotic residue detection in milk: Recent advances, challenges, and regulations
Authors: Ismail Ghinwa , El Hawari Khaled , Jaber Farouk , Verdon Eric , Al Iskandarani Mohamad
Published: September 2024

Antimicrobial residues in milk pose a significant risk to human health, prompting regulatory bodies to establish safety limits to protect consumers. While traditional screening methods have primarily targeted single analytes or classes, recent advancements in multiclass screening techniques offer more comprehensive and efficient monitoring. This review highlights these advancements and focuses on methods developed since 2010, such as microbial inhibition tests, immunoassays, biosensors and LC–MS‐based approaches. It also discusses the strengths and limitations of these techniques, as well as the challenges associated with analysing milk's complex matrix, emphasising the ongoing need for innovation in food safety practices.
Spatial spread of Ditylenchus gigas and its interaction with Botrytis fabae on Vicia faba
Authors: Isadeha Anthony , Shaw Michael W. , Pembroke Barbara
Published: September 2024

Ditylenchus gigas Vovlas is the dominant species of Ditylenchus nematode on faba bean in the UK. It is normally reported with Botrytis fabae Sardiña, which causes chocolate spot of faba bean. The aim of the work reported here was to estimate how fast isolated infections of D. gigas may spread spatially and how background infection of the host with B. fabae alters multiplication of D. gigas. Spatial spread in field conditions was measured in plants growing in square grids. After establishment, single plants at the centre of each grid were spray inoculated with D. gigas. In summer 2017, D. gigas spread to a distance of at least 1 m, the edge of each 2 m × 2 m plot. Incidence on shoots decreased very slowly with distance beyond 0.4 m. In a repeat experiment harvested in autumn 2018, D. gigas was detected at distances of up to 160 cm in 4 m × 4 m plots. The yield effect and reproduction rate of D. gigas were measured in glasshouse experiments, alone and following brush inoculation with low (103) or high (106 conidia/mL) doses of B. fabae. At low doses of D. gigas inoculum multiplied by approximately 75‐fold, with lower rates of multiplication as the inoculum dose increased. The reproduction rate of D. gigas was reduced in plants inoculated with B. fabae, especially at high doses of D. gigas. The reduction was approximately proportional to log (B. fabae dose). Seed yield from inoculated plants decreased approximately in proportion to the logarithms of the initial dose of D. gigas and of B. fabae.