bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oral Esketamine as Alternative for Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression
Authors: Coerts Daniël T. , Veraart Jolien K.E. , Kamphuis Jeanine , Smith-Apeldoorn Sanne Y. , Schoevers Robert A. , van Belkum Sjoerd M.
Published: January 2025

Objectives

This study investigates repeated oral esketamine as a substitution strategy for maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (M-ECT) in eight patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

Methods

In a 6-week dosing phase, esketamine was titrated from 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg to a maximum of 3.0 mg/kg twice weekly. Outcomes included 6-week change in Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology — Self-rated (IDS-SR), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale — 17 items (HDRS17), and Outcome Questionnaire 45 (OQ-45), along with esketamine treatmentcontinuation.

Results

Depression severity remained stable or improved in five patients, whereas three experienced worsening symptoms and resumed M-ECT. OQ-45 scores were available for five patients, all of whom showed improvement. Currently, four patients are still receiving oral esketamine.

Conclusions

Repeated oral esketamine may be a suitable and patient-friendly alternative to M-ECT. We recommend controlled trials to compare long-term safety and efficacy.
Discovery of Novel Inhibitors of HMG-CoA Reductase using Bioactive Compounds isolated from Cochlospermum Species through Computational Methods
Authors: Olatoye Toba Isaac
Published: January 2025

Cholesterol biosynthesis is a critical pathway in cellular metabolism, with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase (HMGR) catalyzing its committed step. The inhibition of HMGR has been widely explored as a therapeutic target for managing hypercholesterolemia, and statins are the most commonly used competitive inhibitors. However, the search for novel, natural inhibitors of HMGR is still a vital area of research, especially in light of the adverse effects of the prolonged use of statins. In this study, the potential of 84 phytochemicals isolated from two species of Cochlospermum (C. planchonii and C. tinctorium) reported in the literature, was investigated as novel inhibitors of human HMGR using molecular docking techniques. The phytochemicals were screened for their drug-likeness and ADMET properties in accordance with Lipinski rule of five, and 32 of them were docked against the HMG-binding portion within the active site of the enzyme, together with its native ligand and 6 known statins serving as control ligands. The docking results revealed that 10 of the compounds exhibited strong binding affinities and interactions with the HMG-binding pocket of the enzyme, comparable to or exceeding those of the control ligands. This evidence strongly suggests their potential as effective inhibitors of HMGR. For the first time, the findings from this research identify and directly implicate the specific bioactive compounds of C. planchonii and C. tinctorium capable of exerting cholesterol-lowering effects in humans, while validating previously reported studies on the efficacy of these plants extracts used in West African traditional medicine to manage dyslipidemia, among a host of other ailments. The compounds identified may serve as promising drug candidates which can be further optimized and developed as novel, natural inhibitors of HMGR. Keywords: statins; phytochemicals; cochlospermum; hypercholesterolemia; molecular docking.
Population Genomics of Giant Mice from the Faroe Islands: Hybridization, Colonization, and a Novel Challenge to Identifying Genomic Targets of Selection
Authors: Payseur Bret A. , Jing Peicheng , Howell Emma K. , Frayer Megan E. , Jones Eleanor P. , Magnussen Eyðfinn , Jensen Jens-Kjeld , Chan Yingguang Frank , Searle Jeremy B.
Published: January 2025

Populations that colonize islands provide unique insights into demography, adaptation, and the spread of invasive species. House mice on the Faroe Islands evolved exceptionally large bodies after colonization, generating interest from biologists since Darwin. To reconstruct the evolutionary history of these mice, we sequenced genomes of population samples from three Faroe Islands (Sandoy, Nólsoy, and Mykines) and Norway as a mainland comparison. Mice from the Faroe Islands are hybrids between the subspeciesMus musculus domesticusandM. m. musculus, with ancestry alternating along the genome. Analyses based on the site frequency spectrum of single nucleotide polymorphisms and the ancestral recombination graph (ARG) indicate that mice arrived on the Faroe Islands on a timescale consistent with transport by Norwegian Vikings, with colonization of Sandoy likely preceding colonization of Nólsoy. Substantial reductions in nucleotide diversity and effective population size associated with colonization suggest that mice on the Faroe Islands evolved large body size during periods of heightened genetic drift. Genomic scans for positive selection uncover windows with unusual site frequency spectra, but this pattern is mostly generated by clusters of singletons in individual mice. Variants showing evidence of selection in both Nólsoy and Sandoy based on the ARG are enriched for genes with neurological functions. Our findings reveal a dynamic evolutionary history for the enigmatic mice from Faroe Island and emphasize the challenges that accompany population genomic inferences in island populations.

Significance Statement

Populations that colonize islands are expected to have unusual histories compared to their mainland counterparts. Using population genomic data, we conclude that giant mice living on the Faroe Islands originated from hybrids, invaded the islands on a timescale consistent with transport by Vikings, and persisted despite drastic reductions in population size. We also uncover a novel challenge to scanning genomes for genes involved in adaptation.
Regulation of fatty acid oxidation involved in high altitude hypoxia induced cardiomyocyte ferroptosis via the SIRT1-PPARα-GPX4 signaling pathway
Authors: Song Xiaona , Chen Jie , Xu Hongbao , Zhang Ling , Wang Zirou , Pu Lingling , Chen Zhaoli , Wang Xinxing , Liu Weili
Published: January 2025

The heart experiences damage and undergoes changes in energy metabolism under condition of hypoxia. Ferroptosis is a novel form of cell death characterized by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and excessive lipid oxidation. However, the relationship between cardiac energy metabolism and ferroptosis at high altitudes remains unexplored. This study investigates the effects of high-altitude hypoxia on cardiac function and explores underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrate that exposure to high-altitude hypoxia induces structural and functional damage to the heart, leading to myocardial cell injury and oxidative stress, which are accompanied by ferroptosis. Inhibition of ferroptosis with Fer-1 significantly enhances hypoxia-induced expression of GPX4 and SLC7A11, reduces ROS levels, restores the GSH/GSSG ratio, and improves viability of hypoxia-damaged myocardial cells. Further investigation revealed that hypoxia induces mitochondrial damage and disrupts fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO), accompanied by downregulation of PPARα. Activation of PPARα with WY14643 enhances FAO, suppresses ferroptosis, and boosts cell viability and ATP levels under hypoxic conditions. Overexpression of SIRT1 upregulates PPARα, enhances FAO, and mitigates ferroptosis, these effects are reversed by the PPARα inhibitor GW6471. Resveratrol, a natural SIRT1 activator, improves cardiac function and mitochondrial structure, enhances FAO, and reduces ferroptosis in high-altitude hypoxia-induced cardiac injury through the SIRT1-PPARα-GPX4 pathway. These findings identify the SIRT1-PPARα-GPX4 pathway as a potential therapeutic target for high-altitude-induced cardiac injury.
Provoked cytokine response is not associated with distress or induced secondary hyperalgesia in people with suppressed HIV
Authors: Madden Victoria J , Mqadi Luyanduthando , Arendse Gwen , Bedwell Gillian J , Msolo Ncumisa , Lesosky Maia , Hutchinson Mark R , Peter Jonathan G , Schrepf Andrew , Parker Romy , Edwards Robert R , Joska John A
Published: January 2025

Psychological distress predicts the onset and worsening of persistent pain, but the mechanisms that underpin this influence are poorly understood. Pro-inflammatory signalling is a plausible mechanistic link, given its known connections to distress, pain, and neural upregulation. Sustained distress may prime the inflammatory system to respond more strongly to a phasic noxious challenge, supporting neuroimmune upregulation of central nociceptive signalling and persistent pain. This cross-sectional study tested the hypotheses that in vitro endotoxin-provoked expression of typically pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL1beta, IL6) is a partial mediator between distress and persistent pain, and that it is associated with the secondary hyperalgesia response to an experimental noxious challenge, in people with suppressed HIV. Study participants were 99 adults (mean (range) age: 43(28-64y/o; 72 females) with either no pain (n=54) or persistent pain (n=45), mostly of black South African ethnicity, low socio-economic status, and with high social support. The results replicated previous reports that distress is associated with persistent pain status and pain severity, and also showed an association between distress and the anatomical extent of pain. However, distress was not associated with provoked cytokine expression, nor was provoked cytokine expression associated with secondary hyperalgesia. The conflict between our findings and the evidence on which our hypotheses were based could reflect masking of an effect by differentially trained immune systems or a more complex relationship arising from diverse psychoneuroimmunological interactions in this sample. Our sample's combination of HIV status, African genetic ancestry, financial impoverishment, and rich social interconnectedness is poorly represented in current research and represents an opportunity to deepen insight into psychoneuroimmunological interactions related to distress and persistent pain.
ADAR1 haploinsufficiency and sustained viral RdRp dsRNA synthesis synergize to dysregulate RNA editing and cause multi-system interferonopathy
Authors: Miller Caitlin M. , Morrison James H. , Bankers Laura , Dran Rachael , Kendrick Julia M. , Briggs Emma , Ferguson Virginia L. , Poeschla Eric M.
Published: January 2025

Sensing of viral double-stranded RNA by MDA5 triggers abundant but transient interferon-stimulated gene (ISGs) expression. If dsRNA synthesis is made persistent by transgenically expressing a picornaviral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) in mice, lifelong MDA5 activation and marked, global ISG upregulation result. This confers robust protection from viral diseases but in contrast to numerous other chronic MDA5 hyperactivation states, the mice suffer no autoimmune consequences. Here we find they further confound expectations by being resistant to a strong autoimmunity (lupus) provocation. However, knockout of one allele ofAdar, which by itself is also well-tolerated, breaks the protective state and results in a severe disease that resembles interferonopathies caused by MDA5 gain-of-function mutations. InAdar+/-RdRp transgenic mice, A-to-I editing is both dysregulated and increased (numbers of genes and sites). This dsRNA-driven, MDA5-wild type model establishes that viral polymerase-sourced dsRNA can drive interferonopathy pathogenesis and illuminates the autoimmunity preventing role of ADAR1, while the ADAR1-intact viral RdRp model distinctively uncouples chronic MDA5 hyperactivity and autoinflammatory disease.
Noncollinear phase of the antiferromagnetic sawtooth chain
Authors: Rausch Roman , Karrasch Christoph
Published: January 2025

The antiferromagnetic sawtooth chain is a prototypical example of a frustrated spin system with vertex-sharing triangles, giving rise to complex quantum states. Depending on the interaction parameters, this system has three phases, of which the gapless noncollinear phase (for strongly coupled basal spins and loosely attached apical spins) has received little theoretical attention so far. In this work, we comprehensively investigate the properties of the noncollinear phase using large-scale tensor network computations which exploit the full SU(2) symmetry of the underlying Heisenberg model. We study the ground state both for finite systems using the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) as well as for infinite chains via the variational uniform matrix-product state (VUMPS) formalism. Finite temperatures and correlation functions are tackled via imaginary or real time evolutions, which we implement using the time-dependent variational principle (TDVP). We find that the noncollinear phase is characterized by a low-momentum peak and a diffuse tail for the apex-apex correlations. Deep into the phase, the pattern sharpens into a peak indicating a 90∘ spiral. The apical spins are soft and highly susceptible to external perturbations; they give rise to a large number of gapless magnetic states that are polarized by weak fields and cause a long low-temperature tail in the specific heat. The dynamic spin-structure factor exhibits additive contributions from a two-spinon continuum (excitations of the basal chain) and a gapless peak at k=π/2 (excitations of the apical spins). Small temperatures excite the gapless states and smear the spectral weight of the k=π/2 peak out into a homogeneous flat-band structure. Our results are relevant, e.g., for the material atacamite Cu2Cl(OH)3 in high magnetic fields.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Indirect searches for ultraheavy dark matter in the time domain
Authors: Kaplan David E. , Luo Xuheng , Nguyen Ngan H. , Rajendran Surjeet , Tanin Erwin H.
Published: January 2025

Dark matter may exist today in the form of ultraheavy composite bound states. Collisions between such dark matter states can release intense bursts of radiation that include γ-rays among the final products. Thus, indirect detection signals of dark matter may include unconventional γ-ray bursts. Such bursts may have been missed not necessarily because of their low arriving γ-ray fluxes, but rather their briefness and rareness. We point out that intense bursts whose nondetection thus far are due to the latter can be detected in the near future with existing and planned facilities. In particular, we propose that, with slight experimental adjustments and suitable data analyses, imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) and Pulsed All-Sky Near-Infrared and Optical Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (PANOSETI) are promising tools for detecting such rare, brief, but intense bursts. We also show that, if we assume these bursts originate from collisions of dark matter states, IACTs and PANOSETI can probe a large dark matter parameter space beyond existing limits. Additionally, we present a concrete model of dark matter that produces bursts potentially detectable in these instruments.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Conformal collider physics meets LHC data
Authors: Lee Kyle , Meçaj Bianka , Moult Ian
Published: January 2025

The remarkably high energies of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have allowed for the first measurements of the shapes and scalings of multipoint correlators of energy flow operators, ⟨Ψ|E(n→1)E(n→2)⋯E(n→k)|Ψ⟩, providing new insights into the Lorentzian dynamics of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). In this letter, we use recent advances in effective field theory to derive a rigorous factorization theorem for the light-ray density matrix, ρ=|Ψ⟩⟨Ψ|, inside high transverse momentum jets at the LHC. Using the light-ray operator product expansion, the scaling behavior of multipoint correlators can be computed from the expectation value of the twist-2 spin-J light-ray operators, O[J], in this state, Tr[ρO[J]]. We compute the light-ray density matrix at next-to-leading order, and combine this with results for the next-to-leading logarithmic scaling behavior of the correlators up to six-points, comparing with CMS open data. This theoretical accuracy allows us to resolve the quantum scaling dimensions of QCD light-ray operators inside jets at the LHC. Our factorization theorem for the light-ray density matrix at the LHC completes the link between recent developments in the study of energy correlators and LHC phenomenology, opening the door to a wide variety of precision jet substructure studies.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Direct measurement of the critical cooling rate for the vitrification of water
Authors: Mowry Nathan J. , Krüger Constantin R. , Drabbels Marcel , Lorenz Ulrich J.
Published: January 2025

The vitrification of aqueous solutions through rapid cooling is a remarkable achievement that launched the field of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and has enabled the cryopreservation of biological specimens. For judging the feasibility of a vitrification experiment, the critical cooling rate of pure water is a frequently cited reference quantity. However, an accurate determination has remained elusive, with estimates varying by several orders of magnitude. Here, we employ time-resolved electron microscopy to obtain a precise measurement of this quantity. We use shaped microsecond laser pulses to briefly melt an amorphous ice sample before flash freezing it with a variable, well-defined cooling rate. This allows us to directly measure the critical cooling rate of water, which we determine to be 6.4×106K/s. This result provides important insights into the question of how closely the conformational ensembles in plunge-frozen cryo samples reflect the structure of a protein at room temperature. Moreover, our experimental approach expands the toolkit of microsecond time-resolved cryo-EM, an emerging technique, in which a cryo sample is flash melted and revitrified with a laser pulse in order to enable time-resolved observations of protein dynamics.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Universal critical holography and domain wall formation
Authors: Ma Tian-Chi , Shi Han-Qing , Zhang Hai-Qing , del Campo Adolfo
Published: January 2025

Using holography, we study the universal scaling laws governing the coarsening dynamics of strongly coupled domain walls. Specifically, we studied the universal dependence of the length of the domain wall interfaces on the quench rate. The relation satisfies the Kibble-Zurek scaling shortly after the critical point. However, as time goes by, the coarsening dynamics suppresses the Kibble-Zurek scaling in favor of a universal dynamical scaling of the characteristic length and the adiabatic growth of the system. Theoretical predictions of the universal scaling laws are consistent with numerical findings in both regimes for both weak and strongly coupled systems.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Structural investigations of benzoyl fluoride and the benzoacyl cation of low-melting compounds and reactive intermediates
Authors: Bockmair Valentin , Regnat Martin , Tran Huu Khanh Trinh , Kornath Andreas J.
Published: January 2025

Acyl fluorides and acyl cations represent typical reactive intermediates in organic reactions, such as Friedel–Crafts acylation. However, the comparatively stable phenyl-substituted compounds have not been fully characterized yet, offering a promising backbone. Attempts to isolate the benzoacylium cation have only been carried out starting from the acyl chloride with weaker chloride-based Lewis acids. Therefore, only adducts of 1,4-stabilized acyl cations could be obtained. Due to the low melting point of benzoyl fluoride, together with its volitality and sensitivity toward hydrolysis, the structures of the acyl fluoride and its acylium cation have not been determined. Herein, we report the first crystal structure of benzoyl fluoride, C7H5FO or PhCOF (monoclinic P21/n, Z = 8) and the benzoacylium undecafluorodiarsenate, C7H5O+·As2F11
− or [PhCO]+[As2F11]− (monoclinic P21/n, Z = 4). The compounds were characterized by low-temperature vibrational spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray analysis, and are discussed together with quantum chemical calculations. In addition, their specific π-interactions were elucidated.
On a holistic investigation of implicit/explicit/semi-implicit GS4-I framework and time step control for unsteady fluid dynamics
Authors: Wang Yazhou , Tamma Kumar K. , Maxam Dean J. , Xue Tao
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This paper aims to design and analyze implicit/explicit/semi-implicit schemes and a universal error estimator within the Generalized Single-step Single-Solve computational framework for First-order transient systems (GS4-I), which also fosters the adaptive time-stepping procedure to improve stability, accuracy and efficiency applied for fluid dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

The newly proposed child-explicit and semi-implicit schemes emanate from the parent implicit GS4-I framework, providing numerous options with flexible and controllable numerical properties to the analyst. A universal error estimator is developed based on the consistent algorithmic variables and it works for all the developed methods. Applications are demonstrated by merging the developed algorithms into the iterated pressure-projection method for incompressible Navier–Stokes equations.

Findings

The child-explicit GS4-I has improved solution accuracy and stability properties, and the most stable option is the child explicit GS4-I(0,0)/second-order backward differentiation formula/Gear’s methods, which is new and novel. Numerical tests validate that the universal error estimator emanating from implicit designs works well for the newly proposed explicit/semi-implicit algorithms. The iterative pressure-correction projection algorithm is efficiently fostered by the error estimator-based adaptive time-stepping.

Originality/value

The implicit/explicit/semi-implicit methods within a unified computational framework are easy to implement and have flexible options in practical applications. In contrast to traditional error estimators, which work only on an algorithm-by-algorithm basis, the proposed error estimator is universal. They work for the entire class of implicit/explicit/semi-implicit linear multi-step methods that are second-order time accurate. Based on the accurately estimated local error, balance amongst stability, accuracy and efficiency can be well achieved in the dynamic simulation.
Rethinking work-life integration: empowering talent in emerging hospitality and tourism work paradigms
Authors: Gao Jie , Zhang Ye , Xu Shi , Ma Emily
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to explore work–life integration (WLI) as a crucial mechanism underpinning the transformation of the hospitality and tourism industry from shifts in work paradigms, including rapid technological advancements, flexible work forms, quiet quitting, increasing awareness of well-being, cultural diversity and gender disparity. It further develops the coping strategies and research agenda.

Design/methodology/approach

Through the bridged lens of the work–life boundary theory and conservation of resources theory, this research critically analyzes the literature on emerging work paradigms and WLI and develops a conceptual framework guiding the systematic examination of the WLI mechanisms underpinning the influence from work paradigm shifts.

Findings

The analysis reveals the underpinning mechanisms in managing WLI, highlighting the importance of systematic and customized work–life management strategies in adapting to evolving work paradigms. An integrated conceptual framework is developed to guide future research and practical applications.

Practical implications

This study underscores the critical need for strategic WLI management, emphasizing its importance for sustainable industry development. It also proposes actionable work–life management strategies for stakeholders, aiming for positive outcomes at personal, organizational and industrial levels amid the paradigm shifts.

Originality/value

The comprehensive conceptual framework uniquely bridged two theories that afford a novel, interconnected and in-depth approach to analyzing how work paradigm shifts reshape the industry. It further broadens the research agenda on WLI, with promising research directions proposed for advancing the understanding of the ever-evolving hospitality and tourism work landscapes.
Why not travel? Reviewing constraints from the perspective of customer rights in hospitality and tourism
Authors: Chen Yihong , Chen Sirong , Law Rob
Published: January 2025

Purpose

A substantial body of literature discusses the motivations and intentions behind participation in hospitality and tourism (HT). However, a coherent framework for systematically studying the antecedents, interactions and differences of non-participation is lacking. This paper aims to comprehensively identify the mechanisms behind non-participation in HT activities by conducting a critical review focusing on unequal rights.

Design/methodology/approach

This study commences by focusing on a review of research on HT constraints, drawing upon the theory–context–method framework. Subsequently, a critical evaluation is adopted to clarify the constraints at different levels within the socio–ecological model (SEM) and explore the underlying mechanisms from the perspective of substantive rights within self-determination theory.

Findings

This study identifies the most common theories and methods related to non-participation in HT and explores features of non-participating groups across different countries. In addition, the SEM facilitates the coding of reasons for non-participation in HT into 40 initial concepts, 14 categories and 5 levels. The non-participation of HT model (NPHTM) recognizes three interactive mechanisms of rights inequality: autonomy, relatedness and competence rights.

Research limitations/implications

Theoretically, this study integrates the internal negotiation process with the external opportunity inequality, extending the existing research. The identified constraints facilitate qualitative coding and the identification of quantitative variables for future studies. The proposed NPHTM framework deepens understanding of individual−environment interactions and extends to other domains. Practically, this study enables all HT stakeholders to develop targeted strategies for effectively promoting participation from diverse perspectives.

Originality/value

The research pioneers the review of mechanisms behind non-participation in HT by considering rights inequality as the core context. The concepts and categories within the SEM assist in targeted promotion efforts. The proposed NPHTM analyzes non-participants’ underlying mechanisms, external effects and individual rights of non-participants, thereby extending the research knowledge base.
Rethinking honor, cultural (mis)understanding, and conflict: broadening how honor and honor culture individuals are studied in Western contexts and beyond
Authors: Rees Laura
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The concept of honor, a tension and balance between a focus on the internal and the external for validation of one’s sense of worth and standing in a social group, captures the attention of scholars because it offers a way of understanding the motivations of proud and often violent people belonging to these cultures. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how this focus has led to conceptual and empirical path dependence in the study of honor that has dramatically limited our understanding of this important phenomenon in workplaces and other social interaction contexts, and to suggest a number of alternative paths forward.

Design/methodology/approach

The author draws on extant work on honor and related concepts independent of violence, aggression or conflict, to posit that honor be conceptualized more broadly – and less negatively – as a culturally influenced system of behavioral guidelines to determine what is acceptable and moral in a given context. This conceptual paper presents a novel, understudied approach to honor research in international and cross-cultural studies.

Findings

The study discusses critical implications of this useful rebalancing for theory, measurement and practice going forward.

Originality/value

By reconceptualizing and rebalancing the historical path-dependent trajectory of honor research, this analysis adds relevant nuance to our understanding of an influential cultural difference and helps explore new implications of honor for research and practice.
Does proactive personality foster playful work design? A survey study on implications for flow and task performance
Authors: Urbini Flavio , Caracuzzo Emanuela , Bakker Arnold B. , Callea Antonino
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between employees’ proactive personality and task performance, with playful work design (PWD) and work-related flow as sequential mediators. Integrating proactive personality theory and the self-determination theory of flow, the authors propose that employees with a proactive personality are more likely to playfully redesign their work tasks and to experience flow, resulting in improved performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants were 466 Italian employees who filled out an online survey. The sample was well balanced regarding age and gender. Measurement models were tested, and sequential mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The proposed measurement model, including four latent factors, fits better to the data than alternative models. Proactive personality showed positive relationships with PWD, flow at work and task performance. As predicted, proactive personality was indirectly related to task performance through PWD and work-related flow, supporting sequential mediation.

Originality/value

This study expands previous knowledge regarding how proactive personality may be related to task performance through proactive behavior. The authors integrate proactive personality theory and the self-determination model of flow to show that proactive individuals may playfully redesign their work tasks and experience flow, and that this results in improved performance. The authors discuss several implications for organizational practice.
How can caring human resource management practices affect employee engagement?
Authors: Aldabbas Hazem , Blaique Lama
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The aim of this study is to empirically test the relationship between caring human resource management practices (CHRMP) and employee engagement through a serial mediation effect (organizational climate of care and employee caring for the organization). In addition, this study investigates the moderating effect of caring management on the relationship between CHRMP and the organizational climate of care.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sample consists of 245 employees from customer service firms in the United States of America. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine the hypotheses.

Findings

The results demonstrate positive direct and indirect relationships between CHRMP and employee engagement through serial mediation of the organizational climate of care and employee caring for the organization, while caring management failed to moderate the relationship between CHRMP and organizational climate of care.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the human resource management (HRM) literature by explaining some of the mechanisms whereby CHRMP influences employee engagement based on the social exchange theory.
Mapping the landscape of Islamic work ethic: topic modeling and key research drivers
Authors: Zafar Muhammad Bilal , Abu-Hussin Mohd Fauzi
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to dissect and understand the latent themes of Islamic work ethic (IWE) and explore the driving factors of IWE research.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural topic modeling (STM), a sophisticated machine learning technique, was used to analyze a corpus of 205 articles sourced from the Scopus database. These articles cover the 36 years of research on IWE, from 1988 to 2024. Moreover, negative binomial regression was applied to examine the driving factors of IWE research.

Findings

The STM analysis unfolds ten topics in conjunction with IWE including individual success, workplace dynamics, organizational work ethics, knowledge management, employee citizenship behavior, financial ethics, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, performance enhancement and leadership. The further STM outputs included word clouds, prevalence proportions, correlation matrix, heatmap, relationship of topics with metadata, topic prominence in the publishing journals and, finally, illustrating trends and future prospects of research on IWE. The results of negative binomial regression reveal that number of authors, article age, journal indexing, authors from multiple countries and number of references are strong drivers of fostering research in IWE, by having significant positive impacts on total citations.

Social implications

The insights from this study provide valuable guidance for businesses and organizations looking to integrate IWE principles into their operations. By promoting values such as fairness, hard work and ethical behavior, organizations can foster a more inclusive and morally grounded workplace culture. This, in turn, may lead to enhanced employee satisfaction, greater organizational commitment and improved overall performance. Additionally, the emphasis on ethical practices can contribute to broader societal benefits, such as increased trust in business practices and a stronger alignment with social responsibility initiatives.

Originality/value

This is a unique study that explores the latent themes and characteristics of the IWE literature through STM and provides insights on the future research directions. In addition, this study also examines the driving factors of IWE research.
Persuasive interfaces in higher education: ethical perceptions and influence on student course selection
Authors: Elouali Malika , Elouali Nadia , Elouali Aya , Elouali Fatima Zohra
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the ethical considerations and effectiveness of persuasive technology in educational settings, specifically focusing on course selection.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors explore the use and ethics of persuasion in the context of education, specifically regarding course selection in higher education settings. The authors conducted a survey involving students to assess their ethical perceptions of persuasive user interfaces and the impact of these interfaces on their decision-making processes. Participants were presented with different user interface designs that used various combinations of text and images to persuade them in their class selections within an institution based in Algeria.

Findings

The results reveal that students were only persuaded when they were unable to select what they wanted, and they did not even perceive themselves as being persuaded. Most participants found the persuasion for their own benefit and neutral (with no intention behind) to be ethically admirable. However, for the university’s benefit, most participants found the persuasion to be ethically neutral. In addition, in general they had neither a positive nor negative reaction to the attempt of persuading them.

Research limitations/implications

These findings suggest that, to influence student attitudes effectively, even when they retain freedom of choice, robust persuasive techniques may be necessary. At the same time, careful attention to ethical considerations is essential to maintain students’ positive perceptions.

Originality/value

The novelty of the study is addressing the use and ethics of persuasion through human–machine interfaces within a higher education setting, specifically among students in an Algerian educational institution. The main contribution is determining whether students can be persuaded with different interface designs (neutral design, persuasive design with a morally admirable goal, persuasive design with a neutral goal and persuasive design with a morally questionable goal), as well as whether they consider persuasion to be ethical.
Halal fashion insights: understanding brand dynamics in consumer perception
Authors: Anwar Moh Muhlis
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the intricate interrelationships between brand experience, self-congruence, brand trust, brand image and brand love within the halal fashion industry. The primary objective is to uncover the underlying dynamics that influence consumer perceptions and behaviours in this unique market context.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a quantitative method and purposing sampling, data were collected from 500 consumers of halal fashion brands using online questionnaires by Google Forms. Partial least square-structural equation modelling techniques were used to analyse the data and test the hypothesized relationships between the variables.

Findings

The findings reveal significant positive relationships between brand experience and self-congruence, brand experience and brand trust, self-congruence and brand trust and self-congruence and brand image. Furthermore, brand trust and brand image emerged as a significant predictor of brand love within the halal fashion context.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size and geographic scope were limited to consumers in Indonesia, which may impact the generalizability of the findings. Although fashion trends are often seen as more applicable to women, this research included both women and men to provide a comprehensive understanding of consumer behaviour. Future research should explore these constructs in diverse cultural contexts and consider gender-specific nuances to enhance generalizability and robustness.

Practical implications

This study offers actionable strategies for halal fashion branding. Marketers should create brand experiences aligned with Islamic values, ensure transparency in sourcing and halal certification and embrace cultural diversity in campaigns. Leveraging digital platforms and influencers can enhance engagement and foster brand loyalty. These insights provide a framework for building trust, inclusivity and long-term success in the halal fashion market.

Originality/value

This study offers a novel contribution by examining the relationships between brand experience, self-congruence, brand trust, brand image and brand love specifically within the halal fashion market. Unlike previous research, it focuses on how Islamic cultural and religious values influence these constructs, providing fresh insights into branding strategies in this niche sector. Theoretically, it enriches understanding of consumer behaviour in culturally specific markets, whereas practically, it offers actionable guidance for marketers to build trust and emotional connections with halal fashion consumers.
The “lasso effect” – toward the development of a theory of motivational contagion
Authors: Neck Christopher B. , Neck Christopher P. , Goldsby Michael G. , Goldsby Elizabeth A.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Despite turning a recent eye toward work teams, motivation research has largely treated the group as a contextual influence affecting an individual’s motivation, leaving explanations of motivational forces within a group cached in theories of intrapersonal motivation. As a result, our understanding of the processes of motivation that operate beyond the individual remains lacking. Moving beyond this individual paradigm, the present paper seeks to clarify a process through which the motivational forces circulating within a team per se produce nascent member motivation through a motivational contagion. Specifically, we examine how motivational dynamics within a group serve as a unique motivational stimulus for its members and thereby operate as a process-altering collective effort as a consequence of its presence.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a conceptual analysis.

Findings

Either through an intrinsically driven adoption that promotes member persistence in effortful action or an extrinsic compelling that engenders intensity of effort, apparent motivation may spread through a connected social network.

Originality/value

Through providing a top-down explanation of how broader group-level motivation in and of itself may serve as an impetus for future motivation within the group, this paper takes an important first step to clarify how team-level motivation operates beyond a mere contextual influence on pre-existing individual motivation.
Entrepreneurial leadership and organizational performance: employee creativity and behavior
Authors: Nawaz Ahsan , Wenqi Jiang , Akhtar Sajid
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This research aims to highlight the connection of entrepreneurial leadership with improved organizational outcomes through employee-driven factors of creativity and behavior. It addresses certain existing research gaps concerning the interaction of leadership practices with organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed to analyze the interaction among the study variables. Data was collected from 414 employees across various industries in Punjab, Pakistan through an adapted questionnaire which was in structured form. Smart Pls 4 and SPSS were used for analysis of the collected data.

Findings

The findings indicate positive and significant effect of entrepreneurial leadership on organizational performance, wherein employee creativity and behavior are the key mediators. The study shows that high levels of employee creativity and positive behavior are directly linked to improved performance metrics in organizations led by entrepreneurial leaders. This consequently underscores the need of creating an environment which encourages creativity and supports positive employee behaviors required for entrepreneurial leadership.

Originality/value

This research enriches the academic discourse by quantitatively confirming the mediating role of employee creativity and behavior between entrepreneurial leadership and organizational performance. Unlike previous studies which focused mainly on direct effects or less quantifiable leadership aspects, this study provides empirical evidence supporting a model where employee attributes significantly impact organizational success under entrepreneurial leadership. This insight is valuable for leaders and practitioners aiming to utilize entrepreneurial leadership in dynamic business settings.
Influence of Joule heating and slip on 3D MHD rotating nanoliquid flow with radiation, viscous dissipation, Soret and Dufour effects
Authors: Sivanandam Sivasankaran , Alqurashi Turki J.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of Joule heating, slip conditions, Dufour and Soret effects on three-dimensional magneto-convection of nanoliquid over a rotating surface in the existence of thermal radiation, viscous dissipation and internal heat generation/absorption.

Design/methodology/approach

The considered physical system is modelled by a set of partial differential equations (PDEs) with conditions at surface. Then, the nonlinear PDEs are altered into a system of ordinary differential equations and they are solved numerically by the Runge−Kutta−Fehlberg method. Plotting the collected velocity, temperature and solute concentration characteristics allows one to see how relevant parameters affect the results. Calculations are made for skin friction and the rate of heat and mass transfer.

Findings

The outcomes are portrayed in the form of tables and graphs with a wide range of parameter involved in the study. It is observed that the local thermal energy transfer rate enriches on increasing the value of both thermal and solute slips. The solutal slip parameter suppresses the solute transport rate and thermal slip supports the solute transport.

Practical implications

Combining the Dufour and Soret effects is used in oil reservoirs, binary alloy solidification and isotope separation in mixtures of gases. Heat exchangers, nuclear reactors and thermal engineering can all benefit from the usage of nanofluid with Joule heating.

Social implications

This study is mainly useful for thermal sciences and chemical engineering.

Originality/value

The investigation of the effects of slip circumstances and Joule heating on magnetohydrodynamic rotating nanoliquid stream with thermal radiation and cross-diffusion makes this work unique. The discoveries produced are valuable and distinctive, and they have applications in many areas of thermal science and technology.
Repurposing diacerein for the treatment of chronic wounds in recessive‐dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa patients by modulating matrix metalloproteinase‐9 expression
Authors: Dorfer Sonja , Ablinger Michael , Wimmer Monika , Hummel Julia I. , Ibrahimpašić Selma , Diem Anja , Laimer Martin , Gruner Stefanie , Hofbauer Josefina Piñón , Guttmann‐Gruber Christina , Koller Ulrich , Gratz Iris K. , Bauer Johann W. , Zauner Roland , Wally Verena
Published: January 2025

Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is caused by mutations in COL7A1, leading to loss or dysfunction of type‐VII collagen (C7), a protein essential for skin stability. Clinically, patients suffer from severe skin blistering, chronic or recurrent wounds, and scarring, which predispose to early onset of aggressive squamous cell carcinoma. Previous studies showed that RDEB‐keratinocytes (RDEB‐KC) express high levels of matrix‐metalloproteinase 9 (MMP‐9), a molecule known to play a crucial role in wound chronification if dysregulated. We investigated the potential of diacerein, a small molecule that interferes with the MMP‐9 regulatory pathway, to improve wound healing in a 5‐year old RDEB patient presenting with chronic, generalized skin involvement unresponsive to previous treatment approaches. Upon 4 weeks of topical therapy applied to the patient's back, parents reported a nearly complete wound closure and a significant increase in quality of life. We also provide evidence that diacerein treatment of patient keratinocytes results in a downregulation of MMP‐9 expression, accompanied by a reduction in their ability to degrade a fibrinogen matrix. These data characterize diacerein as a potential candidate for improving wound healing in RDEB through its impact on inflammatory as well as epithelial cells.
The ethics of proximity: Enrolling patients in emergency department hallway beds for suicide research
Authors: Palmer Barton W. , Arias Sarah A. , Dunlap Denise R. , Gould Gwyneth E. , Rahmoun Mhd Basheer , Boudreaux Edwin D. , Nebeker Camille
Published: January 2025

Background

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Prior research suggests that 10% of people who died by suicide received some form of emergency department (ED) treatment in the 2 months preceding death. The risk of attempted suicide is high during transition back to the community after discharge from the ED, so this is an important opportunity to develop effective empirically validated prevention methods. However, the physical layout and crowded nature of most contemporary EDs, resulting in high rates of “hallway bed” assignments, presents some ethical challenges to conducting the requisite behavioral health research in ED settings.

Methods and Results

In this report, we illustrate the clinical/research ethics controversy through the example of a specific ED‐based suicide prevention research protocol, in which the proposed hallway bed recruitment was initially rejected by the institutional review board (IRB) based on concerns about privacy, data confidentiality, and related considerations. Through a consultation process that involved the IRB representatives, the research team (including ethicists), and ED personnel, along with the collection of data to evaluate the risk of compromised confidentiality in hallway bed settings, a viable and ethically grounded approach was reached.

Conclusions

This example illustrates the ethical considerations when enrolling patients who occupy a hallway bed into research and the value of a collaborative/problem solving focused dialogue between investigators, ethicists, and IRB personnel.