bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An AI-based segmentation and analysis pipeline for high-field MR monitoring of cerebral organoids
Authors: Deininger Luca , Jung-Klawitter Sabine , Richter Petra , Fischer Manuel , Karimian-Jazi Kianush , Breckwoldt Michael O. , Bendszus Martin , Heiland Sabine , Kleesiek Jens , Mikut Ralf , Hübschmann Daniel , Schwarz Daniel
Published: April 2023

Background

Cerebral organoids simulate the structure and function of the developing human brainin vitro, offering a large potential for personalized therapeutic strategies. The enormous growth of this research area over the past decade with its capability for clinical translation makes a non-invasive, automated analysis pipeline of organoids highly desirable.

Purpose

This work presents the first application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the non-invasive quantification and quality assessment of cerebral organoids using an automated analysis tool. Three specific objectives are addressed, namely organoid segmentation to investigate organoid development over time, global cysticity classification, and local cyst segmentation.

Methods

Nine wildtype cerebral organoids were imaged over nine weeks using high-field 9.4T MRI including a 3D T2*-w and 2D diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) sequence. This dataset was used to train a deep learning-based 3D U-Net for organoid and local cyst segmentation. For global cysticity classification, we developed a new metric,compactness, to separate low- and high-quality organoids.

Results

The 3D U-Net achieved a Dice score of 0.92±0.06 (mean ± SD) for organoid segmentation in the T2*-w sequence. For global cysticity classification,compactnessseparated low- and high-quality organoids with high accuracy (ROC AUC 0.98). DTI showed that low-quality organoids have a significantly higher diffusion than high-quality organoids (p < .001). For local cyst segmentation in T2*-w, the 3D U-Net achieved a Dice score of 0.63±0.15 (mean ± SD).

Conclusion

We present a novel non-invasive approach to monitor and analyze cerebral organoids over time using high-field MRI and state-of-the-art tools for automated image analysis, offering a comparative pipeline for personalized medicine. We show that organoid growth can be monitored reliably over time and low- and high-quality organoids can be separated with high accuracy. Local cyst segmentation is feasible but could be further improved in the future.
High-density microbioreactor process designed for automated point-of-care manufacturing of CAR T cells
Authors: Sin Wei-Xiang , Jagannathan Narendra Suhas , Teo Denise Bei Lin , Kairi Faris , Sandikin Dedy , Cheung Ka-Wai , Lee Yie Hou , Ram Rajeev J. , Tucker-Kellogg Lisa , Birnbaum Michael E.
Published: April 2023

While adoptive cell therapies have revolutionized cancer immunotherapy, current autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell manufacturing face challenges in scaling to meet patient demands. CAR T cell production still largely rely on fed-batch, manual, open processes that lack environmental monitoring and control, whereas most perfusion-based, automated, closed-system bioreactors currently suffer from large footprints and working volumes, thus hindering process development and scaling-out. Here, we present a means of conducting anti-CD19 CAR T cell culture-on-a-chip. We show that T cells can be activated, transduced, and expanded to densities exceeding 150 million cells/mL in a two-milliliter perfusion-capable microfluidic bioreactor, thus enabling the production of CAR T cells at clinical dose levels in a small footprint. Key functional attributes such as exhaustion phenotype and cytolytic function were comparable to T cells generated in a gas-permeable well. The process intensification and online analytics offered by the microbioreactor could facilitate high-throughput process optimization studies, as well as enable efficient scale-out of cell therapy manufacturing, while providing insights into the growth and metabolic state of the CAR T cells duringex vivoculture.
Alzheimer’s disease-specific cytokine secretion suppresses neuronal mitochondrial metabolism
Authors: Kuhn Madison K. , Fleeman Rebecca M. , Beidler Lynne M. , Snyder Amanda M. , Chan Dennis C. , Proctor Elizabeth A.
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Neuroinflammation and metabolic dysfunction are early alterations in Alzheimer’s disease brain that are thought to contribute to disease onset and progression. Glial activation due to protein deposition results in cytokine secretion and shifts in brain metabolism, which have been observed in Alzheimer’s disease patients. However, the mechanism by which this immunometabolic feedback loop can injure neurons and cause neurodegeneration remains unclear.

Methods

We used Luminex XMAP technology to quantify hippocampal cytokine concentrations in the 5xFAD mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease at milestone timepoints in disease development. We used partial least squares regression to build cytokine signatures predictive of disease progression, as compared to healthy aging in wild-type littermates. We applied the disease-defining cytokine signature to wild-type primary neuron cultures and measured downstream changes in gene expression using the NanoString nCounter system and mitochondrial function using the Seahorse Extracellular Flux live-cell analyzer.

Results

We identified a pattern of up-regulated IFNγ, IP-10, and IL-9 as predictive of advanced disease. When healthy neurons were exposed to these cytokines in proportions found in diseased brain, gene expression of mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes, including ATP synthase, was suppressed. In live cells, basal and maximal mitochondrial respiration were impaired following cytokine stimulation.

Conclusions

An Alzheimer’s disease-specific pattern of cytokine secretion reduces expression of mitochondrial electron transport complexes and impairs mitochondrial respiration in healthy neurons. We establish a mechanistic link between disease-specific immune cues and impaired neuronal metabolism, potentially causing neuronal vulnerability and susceptibility to degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.
Rapid-kinetics degron benchmarking reveals off-target activities and mixed agonism-antagonism of MYB inhibitors
Authors: Harada Taku , Perez Monika W. , Kalfon Jérémie , Braes Flora Dievenich , Batley Rashad , Eagle Kenneth , Nabet Behnam , Leifer Becky , Kruell Jasmin , Paralkar Vikram R. , Stegmaier Kimberly , Koehler Angela N. , Orkin Stuart H. , Pimkin Maxim
Published: April 2023

Attenuating aberrant transcriptional circuits holds great promise for the treatment of numerous diseases, including cancer. However, development of transcriptional inhibitors is hampered by the lack of a generally accepted functional cellular readout to characterize their target specificity and on-target activity. We benchmarked the direct gene-regulatory signatures of six agents reported as inhibitors of the oncogenic transcription factor MYB against targeted MYB degradation in a nascent transcriptomics assay. The inhibitors demonstrated partial specificity for MYB target genes but displayed significant off-target activity. Unexpectedly, the inhibitors displayed bimodal on-target effects, acting as mixed agonists-antagonists. Our data uncover unforeseen agonist effects of small molecules originally developed as TF inhibitors and argue that rapid-kinetics benchmarking against degron models should be used for functional characterization of transcriptional modulators.
Real-time tracking of drug binding to Influenza A M2 reveals a high energy barrier
Authors: Tekwani Movellan Kumar , Wegstroth Melanie , Overkamp Kerstin , Leonov Andrei , Becker Stefan , Andreas Loren B.
Published: April 2023

The drug Rimantadine binds to two different sites in the M2 protein from influenza A, a peripheral site and a pore site that is the primary site of efficacy. It remained enigmatic that pore binding did not occur in certain detergent micelles, and in particular incomplete binding was observed in a mixture of lipids selected to match the viral membrane. Here we show that two effects are responsible, namely changes in the protein upon pore binding that prevented detergent solubilization, and slow binding kinetics in the lipid samples. Using 55-100 kHz magic-angle spinning NMR, we characterize kinetics of drug binding in three different lipid environments: DPhPC, DPhPC with cholesterol and viral mimetic membrane lipid bilayers. Slow pharmacological binding kinetics allowed the characterization of spectral changes associated with non-specific binding to the protein periphery in the kinetically trapped pore-apo state. Resonance assignments were determined from a set of proton-detected 3D spectra. Chemical shift changes associated with functional binding in the pore of M2 were tracked in real time in order to estimate the activation energy. The binding kinetics are affected by pH and the lipid environment and in particular cholesterol. We found that the imidazole-imidazole hydrogen bond at residue histidine 37 is a stable feature of the protein across several lipid compositions. Pore binding breaks the imidazole-imidazole hydrogen bond and limits solubilization in DHPC detergent.

Highlights

5 °C kinetically traps Influenza A M2 (as dimer of dimers) in the apo formin vitro.

Kinetic control allows characterization of non-specific chemical shift perturbation.

Pore-bound M2 loses dissolvability in DHPC micelles, suggesting structural change.

M2, residues 18-60, forms a dimer-of-dimers structure in several bilayer compositions.
Evolution of miR-155 and its probable targets:MST1R, Adam10, andCD9genes expression levels in adults and children gastritis patients withH. pyloriinfection
Authors: Mahboobi Ramina , Fallah Fatemeh , Yadegar Abbas , Shams Roshanak , Sadeghi Amir , Dara Naghi , Hakemi-Vala Mojdeh
Published: April 2023

Introduction

H. pyloriaccounts for the main factor of gastric cancer which contributes to an immune response with the promotion of inflammation. Recently, the effect of miRNAs on the prognosis of diseases is gaining the attraction of investigators. Herein, we studied the expression levels of miR-155 and its identified targets (MST1R, Adam10, andCD9) along with miR-155 expression correlation with virulence factors ofH. pylori(vacAandcag genes),H. pyloricolonization, and inflammation, in patients’ candidates for gastric endoscopy due to gastritis.

Methods

in this study total of 50 and 26 biopsy samples were taken from adults and children respectively. Biochemical and molecular identification of samples was performed using culture and PCR ofureC, 16sRNA, along with amplification ofvacAandcagAgenes for pathogenicity of bacteria. The qRT-PCR was carried out using STEM-LOOP RT-PCR (dye-based) for the evaluation of miR-155 expression level andAdam10, CD9, andMST1Rexpression levels. All Real-Time PCR reactions were carried out in triplicate and data analysis was conducted using REST.

Results

A total of 30 out of 17 biopsy samples in adults and children were positive forH. pyloriin both PCR and culture, respectively. The expression level of miR-155 is closely related to theH. pylori infectionand the down-regulation ofCD9, andMST1Rgenes inH. pylori(+) samples compared toH. pylori(-) in adults’ biopsy (p=0.0001). Although, there wasn’t any relation betweencagAandvacAgenes with the expression of miR-155 in evaluated biopsy samples in both adults and children.i

Conclusion

This study for the first time revealed that the expression ofMST1R, CD9, andadam10 geneswas relatively related to the expression of miR-155, and indicated that the miR-155 overexpression promoted the poor prognosis ofH. pyloriinfection in adults.
Constructing future behaviour in the hippocampal formation through composition and replay
Authors: Bakermans Jacob J.W. , Warren Joseph , Whittington James C.R. , Behrens Timothy E.J.
Published: April 2023

Hippocampus is critical for memory, imagination and constructive reasoning. However, recent models have suggested that its neuronal responses can be well explained by graphs, or state-spaces, that model the transitions between experiences. Here we use simulations and hippocampal recordings to reconcile these views. We show that if state-spaces are constructed compositionally from existing building blocks, or primitives, hippocampal responses can be interpreted as compositional memories, binding these primitives together. Critically, this enables agents to behave optimally in novel environments with no new learning, inferring behaviour directly from the composition. We predict a role for hippocampal replay in building and consolidating these compositional memories. Importantly, due to their compositional nature, replay can construct states the agent has never experienced - effectively building memories of the future. We test these predictions in two datasets by showing that replay events from newly discovered landmarks induce and strengthen new remote firing fields. These memories, built in replay, are compositional. When the landmark is moved, replay builds a new firing field at the same vector to the new location. Together, these findings provide a framework for reasoning about compositional memories, and demonstrate that such memories are formed in hippocampal replay.
Genome Mining and Discovery of Imiditides, a Novel Family of RiPPs with a Class-defining Aspartimide Modification
Authors: Cao Li , Do Truc , Zhu Angela D. , Alam Nathan , Link A. James
Published: April 2023

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a fascinating class of natural products of ribosomal origins. In the past decade, various sophisticated machine learning-based software packages have been established to discover novel RiPPs that do not resemble the known families. Instead, we argue that tailoring enzymes that cluster with various RiPP families can serve as effective bioinformatic seeds for novel RiPP discovery. Leveraging thatO-methyltransferases homologous to protein isoaspartyl methyltransferases (PIMTs) are associated with lasso peptide, graspetide, and lanthipeptide biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), we utilized the C-terminal motif unique to RiPP-associatedO-methyltransferases as the search query to discover a novel family of RiPPs, imiditides. Our genome-mining algorithm reveals a total of 670 imiditide BGCs, widely distributed in Gram-positive bacterial genomes. In addition, we demonstrate the heterologous production of the founding member of the imiditide family, mNmaAM, encoded in the genome ofNonomuraea maritima. In contrast to other RiPP associated PIMTs that recognize constrained peptides as substrates, the PIMT homolog in mNmaAMBGC, NmaM, methylates a specific Asp residue on the linear precursor peptide, NmaA. The methyl ester is then turned into an aspartimide spontaneously. The aspartimide moiety formed is unusually stable, leading to the accumulation of the aspartimidylated productin vivo. The substrate specificity is achieved by extensive charge-charge interactions between the precursor NmaA and the modifying enzyme NmaM suggested by both experimental validations as well as an AlphaFold model prediction. Our study suggests that PIMT-mediated aspartimide formation is an underappreciated backbone modification strategy in RiPP biosynthesis, compared to the well-studied backbone rigidification chemistries, such as thiazol(in)e and oxazol(in)e formations. Additionally, our findings suggest that aspartimide formation in Gram-positive bacterial proteomes are not limited to spontaneous protein aging and degradation.

TOC Figure
Mitigating a TDP-43 proteinopathy by targeting ataxin-2 using RNA-targeting CRISPR effector proteins
Authors: Zeballos C. M. Alejandra , Moore Hayden J. , Smith Tyler J. , Powell Jackson E. , Ahsan Najah S. , Zhang Sijia , Gaj Thomas
Published: April 2023

The TDP-43 proteinopathies, which include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, are a devastating group of neurodegenerative disorders that are characterized by the mislocalization and aggregation of TDP-43. Here we demonstrate that RNA-targeting CRISPR effector proteins, a programmable class of gene silencing agents that includes the Cas13 family of enzymes and Cas7-11, can be used to mitigate TDP-43 pathology when programmed to target ataxin-2, a modifier of TDP-43-associated toxicity. In addition to inhibiting the aggregation and transit of TDP-43 to stress granules, we find that thein vivodelivery of an ataxin-2-targeting Cas13 system to a mouse model of TDP-43 proteinopathy improved functional deficits, extended survival, and reduced the severity of neuropathological hallmarks. Further, we benchmark RNA-targeting CRISPR platforms against ataxin-2 and find that high-fidelity forms of Cas13 possess improved transcriptome-wide specificity compared to Cas7-11 and a first-generation effector. Our results demonstrate the potential of CRISPR technology for TDP-43 proteinopathies.
The human acetylcholinesterase c-terminal T30 peptide activates neural growth through an alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor mTOR pathway
Authors: Graur Alexandru , Kabbani Nadine
Published: April 2023

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a highly conserved enzyme responsible for the regulation of acetylcholine signaling within the brain and periphery. AChE has also been shown to participate in non-enzymatic activity and contributing to development and aging. In particular, enzymatic cleavage of the carboxy terminal region of the synaptic AChE isoform, AChE-T, is shown to generate a bioactive T30 peptide that binds to the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) at synapses. Here, we explore intracellular mechanisms of T30 signaling within the human cholinergic neural cell line SH-SY5Y using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Proteomic analysis of cells exposed to (100nM) T30 for 3-days reveals significant changes within proteins important for cell growth. Specifically, bioinformatic analysis identifies proteins that converge onto the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway signaling. Functional experiments confirm that T30 regulates neural cell growth via mTOR signaling and α7 nAChR activation. In addition, T30 was found promote mTORC1 pro-growth signaling through an increase in phosphorylated elF4E, and a decrease in autophagy LC3B-II level. Taken together, our findings define mTOR as a novel pathway activated by the T30 cleavage peptide of AChE and suggest a role for mTOR signaling in cholinergic aspects of brain development, as well as disease.
Retinal input integration in excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the mouse superior colliculusin vivo
Authors: Gehr Carolin , Sibille Jérémie , Kremkow Jens
Published: April 2023

The superior colliculus (SC) is a midbrain structure that contains one of the highest densities of inhibitory neurons in the brain and, together with the thalamocortical visual system, it plays a key role in visually guided behaviors. The SC receives direct inputs from retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) but whether excitatory and inhibitory SC neurons differentially integrate retinal activityin vivois still largely unknown. We recently established an extracellular recording approach using high-density electrodes to measure the activity of RGCs simultaneously with their postsynaptic SC targetsin vivo, that allows addressing how SC neurons integrate RGC activity. Here, we employ this method to study the functional properties and dynamics that govern retinocollicular signaling in a cell-type specific manner by identifying GABAergic SC neurons using optotagging in anesthetized VGAT- ChR2 mice. We measured 305 monosynaptically connected RGC-SC pairs, out of which approximately one third of retinal afferents connect onto inhibitory SC neurons. We show that both excitatory and inhibitory SC neurons receive comparably strong RGC inputs, with functionally similar RGC-SC pairs showing stronger connections. Our results demonstrate that similar wiring rules apply for RGCs innervation of both excitatory and inhibitory SC neurons, which is unlike the cell-type specific connectivity in the thalamocortical system. Contrasting the similar RGC-SC connection strength, we observed that RGC activity contributed more to the activity of postsynaptic excitatory SC neurons than to the activity of postsynaptic inhibitory SC neurons. This implies that the excitatory SC neurons are more specifically coupled to RGC afferent inputs, while inhibitory SC neurons may integrate additional inputs from other sources. Taken together, our study deepens the understanding of cell-type specific retinocollicular functional connectivity and emphasizes that the two major brain areas for visual processing, the visual cortex and the superior colliculus, differently integrate sensory afferent inputs.
Hagfish genome illuminates vertebrate whole genome duplications and their evolutionary consequences
Authors: Yu Daqi , Ren Yandong , Uesaka Masahiro , Beavan Alan J. S. , Muffato Matthieu , Shen Jieyu , Li Yongxin , Sato Iori , Wan Wenting , Clark James W. , Keating Joseph N. , Carlisle Emily M. , Dearden Richard P. , Giles Sam , Randle Emma , Sansom Robert S. , Feuda Roberto , Fleming James F. , Sugahara Fumiaki , Cummins Carla , Patricio Mateus , Akanni Wasiu , D’Aniello Salvatore , Bertolucci Cristiano , Irie Naoki , Alev Cantas , Sheng Guojun , de Mendoza Alex , Maeso Ignacio , Irimia Manuel , Fromm Bastian , Peterson Kevin J. , Das Sabyasachi , Hirano Masayuki , Rast Jonathan P. , Cooper Max D. , Paps Jordi , Pisani Davide , Kuratani Shigeru , Martin Fergal J. , Wang Wen , Donoghue Philip C. J. , Zhang Yong E. , Pascual-Anaya Juan
Published: April 2023

Whole genome duplications (WGDs) are major events that drastically reshape genome architecture and are causally associated with organismal innovations and radiations1. The 2R Hypothesis suggests that two WGD events (1R and 2R) occurred during early vertebrate evolution2, 3. However, the veracity and timing of the 2R event relative to the divergence of gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates) and cyclostomes (jawless hagfishes and lampreys) is unresolved4–6and whether these WGD events underlie vertebrate phenotypic diversification remains elusive7. Here we present the genome of the inshore hagfish,Eptatretus burgeri. Through comparative analysis with lamprey and gnathostome genomes, we reconstruct the early events in cyclostome genome evolution, leveraging insights into the ancestral vertebrate genome. Genome-wide synteny and phylogenetic analyses support a scenario in which 1R occurred in the vertebrate stem-lineage during the early Cambrian, and the 2R event occurred in the gnathostome stem-lineage in the late Cambrian after its divergence from cyclostomes. We find that the genome of stem-cyclostomes experienced two additional, independent genome duplications (herein CR1 and CR2). Functional genomic and morphospace analyses demonstrate that WGD events generally contribute to developmental evolution with similar changes in the regulatory genome of both vertebrate groups. However, appreciable morphological diversification occurred only after the 2R event, questioning the general expectation that WGDs lead to leaps of morphological complexity7.
A proposal of AHRS yaw angle correction with the use of roll angle
Authors: Kopecki Grzegorz , Banicki Michal
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Attitude and heading are very important measurements on board aircraft. In modern solutions they are measured by the attitude and heading reference system (AHRS). In some small unmanned systems, the GPS track angle is used for heading corrections instead of the magnetometer; then, the system measures the track angle instead of heading. With a temporary lack of correction signals, the measurement error increases very quickly. Similarly, a quick increase in the measurement error is observed when a magnetic heading sensor used for correction stops working properly. This study aims to propose measurement of the roll angle for yaw angle correction.

Design/methodology/approach

AHRS algorithms were designed; typical maneuvers were analyzed. The method was verified by simulation and in flight testing analysis. For quantitative analyses, a performance index was proposed.

Findings

The method enables reduction of the yaw angle error caused by the gyros bias error. This study presents the idea, results of simulations and flight testing data analysis and discusses advantages and limitations of the presented method.

Practical implications

The presented methodology can be implemented in AHRS systems for manned and unmanned aircraft.

Originality/value

This study enables more accurate measurement of the yaw angle in the case of missing correction signals.
Citizens’ utilization of open government data portals in China: a comparative case study of supply vs demand
Authors: Wang Di , Richards Deborah , Bilgin Ayse Aysin , Chen Chuanfu
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The rising volume of open government data (OGD) contrasts with the limited acceptance and utilization of OGD among citizens. This study investigates the reasons for citizens’ not using available OGD by comparing citizens’ attitudes towards OGD with the development of OGD portals. The comparison includes four OGD utilization processes derived from the literature, namely OGD awareness, needs, access and consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study in China has been carried out. A sociological questionnaire was designed to collect data from Chinese citizens (demand), and personal visits were carried out to collect data from OGD portals (supply).

Findings

Results show that Chinese citizens have low awareness of OGD and OGD portals. Significant differences were recognized between citizens’ expectations and OGD portals development in OGD categories and features, data access services and support functions. Correlations were found between citizens’ OGD awareness, needs, access and consumption.

Originality/value

By linking the supply of OGD from the governments with each process of citizens’ OGD utilization, this paper proposes a framework for citizens’ OGD utilization lifecycle and provides a new tool to investigate reasons for citizens’ not making use of OGD.
The pulse narrowing nonlinear transmission lines model within the local fractional calculus on the Cantor sets
Authors: Wang Kang-Jia , Wang Guo-Dong , Shi Feng
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The fractal and fractional calculus have obtained considerable attention in the electrical and electronic engineering since they can model many complex phenomena that the traditional integer-order calculus cannot. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new fractional pulse narrowing nonlinear transmission lines model within the local fractional calculus for the first time and derive a novel method, namely, the direct mapping method, to seek for the nondifferentiable (ND) exact solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

By defining some special functions via the Mittag–Leffler function on the Cantor sets, a novel approach, namely, the direct mapping method is derived via constructing a group of the nonlinear local fractional ordinary differential equations. With the aid of the direct mapping method, four groups of the ND exact solutions are obtained in just one step. The dynamic behaviors of the ND exact solutions on the Cantor sets are also described through the 3D graphical illustration.

Findings

It is found that the proposed method is simple but effective and can construct four sets of the ND exact solutions in just one step. In addition, one of the ND exact solutions becomes the exact solution of the classic pulse narrowing nonlinear transmission lines model for the special case 9 = 1, which strongly proves the correctness and effectiveness of the method. The ideas in the paper can be used to study the other fractal partial differential equations (PDEs) within the local fractional derivative (LFD) arising in electrical and electronic engineering.

Originality/value

The fractional pulse narrowing nonlinear transmission lines model within the LFD is proposed for the first time in this paper. The proposed method in the work can be used to study the other fractal PDEs arising in electrical and electronic engineering. The findings in this work are expected to shed a light on the study of the fractal PDEs arising in electrical and electronic engineering.
Digitization effects on banks’ financial performance: the case of an African country
Authors: Theiri Saliha , Hadoussa Slim
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The concept of digitization covers a wide range of initiatives to achieve sustainable development. This paper aims to determine the impact of bank digitization strategies on financial performance in an African country.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used the generalized least squares estimation method to analyze data from a sample of 12 Tunisian banks from 2010 to 2020. The reason for selecting this method was its ability to address issues of heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation.

Findings

This study indicates that digital transformation has a positive effect on Tunisian banks financial performance, as measured by return on assets and return on equity. Specifically, investing in payment tools, digital channels and internet security leads to improved performance for banks. These findings suggest that banks that offer digital services perform better, as they are able to increase profitability, maintain financial stability and improve transparency.

Research limitations/implications

This study is important for central bank, regulators, policymakers and investors. Overall, this study emphasizes the need for banks in Tunisia to embrace digital transformation to improve their performance and remain viable in the modern business landscape.

Originality/value

This study ponders the effect of Tunisian banks’ digital transformation on financial performance. Tunisia context serves as model for other African countries. Tunisian banks should prioritize investments in digital technologies to stay competitive in the market.
Exploring affiliate marketing's impact on customers' brand engagement and vulnerability in the online banking service sector
Authors: Sakas Damianos P. , Giannakopoulos Nikolaos T. , Trivellas Panagiotis
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of affiliate marketing strategies as a tool for increasing customers' engagement and vulnerability over financial services. This is attempted by examining the connection between affiliate marketing factors and customers' brand engagement and vulnerability metrics.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors developed a three-staged methodological context, based on the 7 most known centralized payment network (CPN) firms' website analytical data, which begins with linear regression analysis, followed by hybrid modeling (agent-based and dynamic models), so as to simulate brand engagement and vulnerability factors' variation in a 180-day period. The deployed context ends by applying the cognitive modeling method of producing heatmaps and facial analysis of CPN websites to the selected 47 vulnerable website customers, for gathering more insights into their brand engagement.

Findings

Throughout the simulation results of the study, it becomes clear that a higher number of backlinks and referral domains tend to increase CPN firms' brand-engaged and vulnerable customers.

Research limitations/implications

From the simulation modeling process, the implication for backlinks and referral domains as factors that enhance website customers' brand engagement and vulnerability has been highlighted. A higher number of brand-engaged website customers could mean that vulnerable categories of customers would be impacted by CPNs' affiliate marketing. Improving those customers' knowledge of the financial services utility is of utmost importance.

Practical implications

The outcomes of the research indicate that online banking service providers can increase their customers' engagement with their brands by adopting affiliate marketing techniques. To avoid the increase in customers' vulnerability, marketers should aim to apply affiliate marketing strategies to domains relevant to the provided financial services.

Originality/value

The paper's outcomes provide a new approach to the literature, where the website customer's brand engagement comes out as a valuable metric for estimating online banking sector customers' vulnerability.
Continuance intention in financial technology: a framework and meta-analysis
Authors: Bergmann Maurício , Maçada Antonio Carlos Gastaud , de Oliveira Santini Fernando , Rasul Tareq
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Although many studies have sought to address the topic of continuance intention among Fintech customers, the reported findings are fragmented. Therefore, the present study proposes a research model that integrates the main constructs involved in Fintech continuance intention.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study uses a meta-analytic-based correlation analysis of effect sizes, meta-regression analysis and meta-analytic structural equation modeling, with 247 effect sizes in 69 studies involving 26,140 respondents.

Findings

The results reveal continuance intention is driven by satisfaction and trust, with ease of use and usefulness being antecedents of satisfaction and trust. The authors also found evidence to show satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between ease of use and continuance intention and that trust fully mediates the relationship between ease of use and continuance intention and partially mediates the relationship between usefulness and continuance intention. In addition, the authors found that in Western countries, with higher Human Development Index levels and greater of use of electronic payment, satisfaction has more impact on continuance intention.

Practical implications

From a theoretical standpoint, this meta-analytic study has implications for the literature on Fintech by offering an empirical generalization on the strength of the antecedents of Fintech continuance intentions and by testing possible moderators in a wide range of countries and studies. In other words, this study’s goal is to broaden the scope of the research. Regarding managerial implications, it is important to listen to user opinions regarding the positive and negative points of their experience with these technologies and take them into consideration when planning improvements. Additionally, the analysis shows the importance of using data from user interaction with technology, obtained, for example, through big data analytics, whereby companies can see how users behave, how much time they spend accessing certain functions and which technological features they use most, and thus seek to improve whatever is needed.

Originality/value

This meta-analytic study advances the understanding of Fintech continuance intentions. Using the proposed approach, it is possible to generate accurate estimates of the effect size of each analyzed antecedent as the meta-analytic method jointly evaluates the results produced by a wide variety of studies performed in different contexts, allowing more accurate conclusions to be drawn.
Subscriptions versus one-off purchases: the impact of fee-charging models on consumer privacy concerns
Authors: Yan Chenfeng , Yang Zhilin , Dai Xin
Published: April 2023

Purpose

With the popularity of paid apps and increasing concerns about privacy hazards, this paper aims to investigate the impact of mobile services’ fee-charging models on consumers’ privacy concerns, and generate insights for app developers’ fee-charging strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

Three experimental studies including 550 participants were conducted. All studies were between-subjects designs and based on the context of financial mobile services. The implementations of fee-charging models were manipulated by both visualized and test-based stimuli.

Findings

The results reveal that consumers are less concerned about potential privacy violations when using subscription-based (vs. purchase-based) financial mobile services (study 1). This effect is mediated by consumers’ perceptions that app developers that charge subscription fees (vs. one-off prices) are more likely to be consumer-serving motivated (study 2 and 3).

Originality/value

This paper advances the current understanding of consumer response toward paid apps, by proposing and testing a novel attribution-based mechanism to explain why the implementation of a subscription-based versus purchase-based fee-charging model can result in more favorable consumer reactions. Furthermore, this paper identifies the implementation of contrasting fee-charging models as a market-related factor that affects the extent to which consumers are concerned about potential privacy violations, extending extant literature on consumer privacy concern.
Exhibiting emotional flexibility to alleviate employee hateful emotions and elevate their justice perceptions
Authors: Iqbal Muhammad Zahid , Shakoor Ayesha
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Using the broaden-and-build theory, this study aims to examine whether (1) employees have hateful emotional responses and think the overall performance review is fair at different levels of managers’ emotional flexibility; and (2) the difference in employees’ hateful emotional responses mediates the relationship between managers’ emotional flexibility and employees’ perceptions of performance review fairness across flexibility conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 110 Pakistani undergraduates participated in the seven waves of online scenario-based experimental research. For a one-way repeated-measures analysis, the general linear model was used, and for a two-condition within-subject mediational path analysis, the mediation and moderation analysis for repeated measures (MEMORE) was used.

Findings

Employees experience a high level of performance review justice and a low level of hateful emotional responses when managers are more emotionally flexible during the meeting, and vice versa. A manager’s emotional flexibility may also prevent employees from responding hatefully during performance reviews, which in turn makes them perceive the overall performance review as just.

Originality/value

The study expands on the thought–action repertoire and personal resources, supporting the broaden-and-build theory. The research applies this notion to performance reviews, which are an emotional experience for managers and employees. The study timely addresses organizations’ need for performance management system overhauls by suggesting managers to use emotional flexibility until an alternate performance review system is available.
Risky business: understanding the green voice behaviour of Australian professionals
Authors: Trezise Monica , Richardson Michael J.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

As Australians experience more fierce and frequent natural disasters, there are urgent calls for businesses to meaningfully respond to climate change. Australian financial and professional services employees occupy an ambiguous space as climate mitigation measures have different economic implications for their clients. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how Australian professionals experience climate change and respond to the issue within their workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

This mixed methods study applies a systems thinking framework to investigate: how do professionals’ experiences of the issue of climate change and the workplace influence their cognitions, emotions and behaviour? And in particular, what psychosocial antecedents precede voicing climate concern?

Findings

Firstly, a survey of professionals (N = 206) found social norms, perceived behavioural control and biospheric values, but not attitudes, significantly predicted prohibitive green voice. Middle managers were significantly likely to voice climate concern, whereas senior managers were significantly likely to express climate scepticism. Ten professionals were then interviewed to gain a contextualised understanding of these trends. Interpretive phenomenological analysis identified five interrelated themes: (1) active identity management, (2) understanding climate change is escalating, (3) workplace shapes climate change response, (4) frustration and alienation and (5) belief that corporations prioritise profit.

Originality/value

Findings are discussed in relation to how employees may both embody and adapt their organisations. These results have implications for understandings of workplace meaningfulness and organisational risk governance.
Motives for participation in halal food standard implementation: an empirical study in Malaysian halal food industry
Authors: Jaswir Irwandi , Sari Dian Permata , Haji Che Daud Mohd Radzi bin , Sukmana Raditya
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This study aims to identify the factor that could be able to motivate the food industry to take part in the standardization process and analyse which motive is the most influential one. This study also examines the relationship between the motive and the implementation itself.

Design/methodology/approach

As one of Malaysian Standard, MS1500 is focused on halal food matters. This standard was established by the Malaysian Government to realize their dream of becoming the leader in the global halal market. However, there are still many food and beverage small and medium-sized entterprises owned by Indigenous Muslims in Malaysia who still take it for granted by claiming that their products are halal without ever signing up for the halal certificate or implementing MS1500.

Findings

The findings of this study can be used as an input for the Malaysian Government, so they will be able to plan any suitable programme that can promote the implementation of this standard.

Practical implications

The halal food industry has grown significantly around the world. By category of spending, the halal food and beverages industry holds the biggest share, with a value of about US$1,303bn in 2017 and is expected to reach US$1,863bn by 2023. These big opportunities have been captured by several countries in the world, including Malaysia. As a Moslem country, Malaysia aspires to be the halal hub and has aggressively worked towards becoming the key player in delivering halal food products. By understanding the motives behind the implementation of the halal standard by the food industry, we can develop strategies to expand the growth of the halal industry itself.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of its kind that has been conducted to explore the motives behind the implementation of halal food standards by the food industry, especially in Malaysia. From the review of the current literature, it is found that studies on halal food certification and halal logo mainly focused on the consumer side instead of the industry side. On top of that, it is also found that previous studies mostly adopted two notable theories, namely, theory of reasoned action and theory of planned behaviour. To elaborate on and use plenty of other theories in performing a halal standard research, the three isomorphism pressure from institutional theory of DiMaggio and Powell has been chosen as a pertinent theory in this study. As a result, the theoretical gap and the uneven scope of halal food standard and certification research, with particular attention on the industry or manufacturer side, are expected to be bridged. This theory is also used to identify the most dominant motive. Moreover, this study examined the relationship between the motive behind standardization and the standardization itself.
Autonomous exploration through deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Yan Xiangda , Huang Jie , He Keyan , Hong Huajie , Xu Dasheng
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Robots equipped with LiDAR sensors can continuously perform efficient actions for mapping tasks to gradually build maps. However, with the complexity and scale of the environment increasing, the computation cost is extremely steep. This study aims to propose a hybrid autonomous exploration method that makes full use of LiDAR data, shortens the computation time in the decision-making process and improves efficiency. The experiment proves that this method is feasible.

Design/methodology/approach

This study improves the mapping update module and proposes a full-mapping approach that fully exploits the LiDAR data. Under the same hardware configuration conditions, the scope of the mapping is expanded, and the information obtained is increased. In addition, a decision-making module based on reinforcement learning method is proposed, which can select the optimal or near-optimal perceptual action by the learned policy. The decision-making module can shorten the computation time of the decision-making process and improve the efficiency of decision-making.

Findings

The result shows that the hybrid autonomous exploration method offers good performance, which combines the learn-based policy with traditional frontier-based policy.

Originality/value

This study proposes a hybrid autonomous exploration method, which combines the learn-based policy with traditional frontier-based policy. Extensive experiment including real robots is conducted to evaluate the performance of the approach and proves that this method is feasible.
The role of capabilities in digital service development and delivery: the case of start-up organisations
Authors: Zhang Gongtao , Ravishankar M.N.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Digital technologies create myriad innovation opportunities and have inspired the establishment of many new start-ups in recent years. Despite the growing knowledge on digital entrepreneurship, few studies explore how start-ups exploit these opportunities to achieve entrepreneurial success. The purpose of this paper is to explore start-ups’ capabilities for successful delivery of digital artefacts in a cloud computing infrastructure.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical data were collected during a qualitative case study of an established start-up in the Chinese market by interviewing 41 interviewees. Informed by the notion of dynamic capabilities and using the Gioia methodology, the case firm's life cycle was analysed in detail.

Findings

The study identifies start-ups’ ordinary and dynamic capabilities for successful development and delivery of digital services. The findings provide insights into a portfolio of start-ups’ capabilities, namely adaptation, networking, reengineering and refinement.

Originality/value

The study suggests that start-ups’ capabilities and underlying entrepreneurial actions determine the degree to which adoption of digital technologies create and transfer value to customers. The study offers specific insights into how start-ups successfully develop and deliver digital artefacts in a cloud infrastructure based on entrepreneurs' prior expertise, vision and accumulated experience.