bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transforming chemical proteomics enrichment into high-throughput method using SP2E workflow
Authors: Becker Tobias , Wiest Andreas , Telek András , Bejko Daniel , Hoffmann-Röder Anja , Kielkowski Pavel
Published: January 2022

Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) play a critical role in the regulation of protein catalytic activity, localization and protein-protein interactions. Attachment of PTMs onto proteins significantly diversifies their structure and function resulting in so-called proteoforms. However, the sole identification of post-translationally modified proteins, which are often cell type and disease specific, is still a highly challenging task. Sub-stoichiometric amounts and modification of low abundant proteins necessitate purification or enrichment of the modified proteins. Although the introduction of the mass spectrometry-based chemical proteomic strategies have enabled to screen protein PTMs with increased throughput, sample preparation has remained highly time consuming and tedious. Here, we report an optimized workflow for enrichment of PTM proteins in 96-well plate format which can be possible extended to robotic automatization. This platform allows to significantly lower the input of total protein, which opens up the opportunity to screen specialized and difficult to culture cell lines in high-throughput manner. The presented SP2E protocol is robust, time- and cost-effective as well as suitable for large-scale screening of proteoforms. Application of the SP2E protocol will thus enable the characterization of proteoforms in various processes such as neurodevelopment, neurodegeneration and cancer and may contribute to an overall acceleration of the recently launched Human Proteoform Project.
Genomic instability caused by Arp2/3 complex inactivation results in micronucleus biogenesis and cellular senescence
Authors: Haarer Elena L. , Guo Shirley , Campellone Kenneth G.
Published: January 2022

The Arp2/3 complex is a ubiquitous actin nucleator with well-characterized activities in cell organization and movement, but its roles in chromatin-associated and cell cycle-related processes are relatively understudied. We investigated how the Arp2/3 complex affects genomic integrity, mitosis, and cell proliferation using mouse fibroblasts containing an inducible knockout (iKO) of the ArpC2 subunit. We show that permanent Arp2/3 ablation results in DNA damage, the formation of cytosolic micronuclei, and cellular senescence. Upon Arp2/3 depletion, cells undergo an abrupt proliferation arrest that is accompanied by activation of the tumor suppressor p53, upregulation of its downstream cell cycle inhibitorCdkn1a/p21, and recognition of micronuclei by the cytosolic DNA sensor cGAS. Micronuclei arise in ArpC2 iKO cells due to chromosome segregation defects during mitosis and premature mitotic exits. Such phenotypes are explained by the presence of damaged chromatin fragments that fail to attach to the mitotic spindle, abnormalities in actin assembly during metaphase, and asymmetric microtubule architecture during anaphase. These studies establish functional requirements for the mammalian Arp2/3 complex in genome stability and mitotic spindle organization. They further expand our understanding of the intracellular mechanisms that lead to senescence and suggest that cytoskeletal dysfunction is an underlying factor in biological aging.

Author Summary

The actin cytoskeleton consists of protein polymers that assemble and disassemble to control the organization, shape, and movement of cells. However, relatively little is understood about how the actin cytoskeleton affects genome maintenance, cell multiplication, and biological aging. In this study, we show that knocking out the Arp2/3 complex, a core component of the actin assembly machinery, causes DNA damage, genomic instability, defects in chromosome partitioning during mitosis, and a permanent cell proliferation arrest called senescence. Since senescent cells are major contributors to both age-associated diseases and tumor suppression, our findings open new avenues of investigation into how natural or experimental alterations of cytoskeletal proteins impact the process of aging and the regulation of cancer.
Type IV pili is a critical virulence factor in clinical isolates ofPaenibacillus thiaminolyticus
Authors: Hehnly Christine , Shi Aiqin , Ssentongo Paddy , Zhang Lijun , Isaacs Albert , Morton Sarah U. , Streck Nicholas , Erdmann-Gilmore Petra , Tolstoy Igor , Reid Townsend R. , Limbrick David D. , Paulson Joseph N. , Ericson Jessica E. , Galperin Michael Y. , Schiff Steven J. , Broach James R.
Published: January 2022

Hydrocephalus, the leading indication for childhood neurosurgery worldwide, is particularly prevalent in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). Hydrocephalus preceded by an infection, or postinfectious hydrocephalus (PIH), accounts for up to 60% of hydrocephalus in LMICs. Since many children with hydrocephalus suffer poor long-term outcomes despite surgical intervention, prevention of hydrocephalus remains paramount. Our previous studies implicated a novel bacterial pathogen,Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus,as a contributor to PIH in Uganda. Here we report the isolation of threeP. thiaminolyticusstrains, Mbale, Mbale2, and Mbale3, from patients with PIH and the demonstration that the three clinical isolates exhibit virulence in mice whileP. thiaminolyticustype strain, B-4156, does not. We constructed complete genome assemblies of the clinical isolates as well as the reference strain and performed comparative genomics and proteomics analyses to identify potential virulence factors. One candidate virulence factor is a cluster of genes carried on a mobile genetic element that encodes a type IV pilus and is present in all three PIH patient strains but absent in the type strain. Proteomic and transcriptomic data confirmed the expression of this cluster of genes in the Mbale strain, while CRISPR-mediated deletion of the gene cluster substantially reduced the virulence of this strain. Our comparative proteogenomic analysis also identified various antibiotic resistance loci in the virulent strains. These results provide insight into the mechanism of virulence ofPaenibacillus thiaminolyticusand suggest avenues for the diagnosis and treatment of this novel bacterial pathogen.

Author Summary

Postinfectious hydrocephalus (PIH), a devastating sequela of neonatal infection, is associated with increased childhood mortality and morbidity.Paenibacillus thiaminolyticuswas recently identified as the dominant organism highly associated with PIH in an African cohort. Our whole-genome sequencing, RNA sequencing and proteomics of three clinical isolates and a type strain in combination with CRISPR editing has revealed the type IV pili (T4P), encoded in a mobile genetic element, as a critical virulence factor forP. thiaminolyticusinfection. Given the widespread presence of T4P in pathogens, the presence of T4P operon could serve as an important diagnostic and therapeutic target inP. thiaminolyticusand related bacteria.
Differences in durability of PARP inhibition by clinically approved PARP inhibitors: implications for combinations and scheduling
Authors: Smith Hannah L , Willmore Elaine , Mukhopadhyay Asima , Drew Yvette , Curtin Nicola J
Published: January 2022

Five PARP inhibitors (PARPi) are approved for cancer treatment, they exploit cancer-specific defects in homologous recombination repair (HRR) to selectively kill tumour cells. Continuous PARP inhibition is required for single-agent anticancer activity. PARPi are also being investigated with ATR inhibitors clinically. We previously showed rucaparib caused prolonged PARP inhibition. Here we aimed to determine if this property was unique to rucaparib or common to other PARPis and the implications for scheduling with an ATR inhibitor (VE-821). Durability of PARP inhibition was determined at 0, 1, 24, 48 and 72 h after a 1 h pulse of 1μM of rucaparib, olaparib, niraparib, talazoparib or pamiparib in IGROV-1 (human ovarian cancer) cells. Inhibition of PARP was sustained to a variable degree with all inhibitors, but reduced with time. Rucaparib caused the most persistent inhibition of PARP activity, which was maintained at ≥75% for 72 h after drug withdrawal. In contrast, only 12% inhibition remained at this time with talazoparib and pamiparib and no detectable inhibition with olaparib and niraparib. Rucaparib enhanced VE-821 cytotoxicity to a similar extent in a sequential schedule as in co-exposure studies (PF50: 2.6 vs. 2.7) and there was even an approx. 2-fold enhancement after a 24 h delay between rucaparib and VE-821. Olaparib and niraparib produced similar enhancement of VE-821 cytotoxicity if co-exposed but were ineffective in sequential exposures. These data have clinical implications for both schedules of current PARPi monotherapy and the scheduling of PARPi in combination with ATRi and other cytotoxic drugs.

Novelty and Impact

PARPi are a new class of anticancer agent. We demonstrate for the first time that 5 PARPi continue to suppress cellular PARP activity after drug removal to a variable extent. Rucaparib caused the most durable PARP inhibition, olaparib and niraparib the least. Rucaparib enhanced ATR inhibitor cytotoxicity in sequential and co-exposures, olaparib and niraparib were only active in co-exposure settings. These data have implications for the clinical use of PARPi, particularly in combination with other drugs.
Assessing flower-visiting arthropod diversity in apple orchards through environmental DNA flower metabarcoding and visual census
Authors: Gomez Nerea Gamonal , Sørensen Didde Hedegaard , Shi Chua Physilia Ying , Sigsgaard Lene
Published: January 2022

Arthropods are essential to maintaining healthy and productive agricultural systems. Apples are cultivated worldwide and rely on pollination. Honey bees are used for pollination but wild bees and other arthropods also contribute to pollination. Flower visitors can also be natural enemies or herbivores. In some cases, such as Syrphids, a group can have more than one role, adults being pollinators and the larvae being natural enemies of pests. In the present study, we assessed the biodiversity of arthropod flower visitors in four Danish apple orchards and compared the use of molecular and non-molecular techniques to study arthropod communities in agricultural ecosystems. Arthropod DNA collected from apple flowers was analysed by metabarcoding and pollinators were recorded through visual assessment in the orchards. These techniques resulted in two complementary lists of arthropods detected. Non-bee arthropods constituted a big part of the community of apple flower visitors by both methods. Metabarcoding detected 14 taxa and had 72% species resolution while visual census identified 7 different taxa with 14% species resolution. This study showed the importance of using different sampling methodologies to obtain a more accurate picture of fauna present. It also revealed the high presence of non-bee arthropods visiting flowers in apple orchards. The outcome of our study provides information regarding the effects of management practices on arthropod biodiversity, which can contribute to informing on suitable management practices to increase crop yield and maintain healthy agricultural systems.
Forecasted trends of the new COVID-19 epidemic due to the Omicron variant in Thailand, 2022
Authors: Suphanchaimat Rapeepong , Teekasap Pard , Nittayasoot Natthaprang , Phaiyarom Mathudara , Cetthakrikul Nisachol
Published: January 2022

Background

The introduction of the Omicron variant is of significant concern to the Thai Government due to the possibility of a new wave of the COVID-19 epidemic, which may cause a huge strain to the country’s health system. This study aims to forecast the trends of COVID-19 cases and deaths given the advent of the Omicron variant in Thailand.

Methods

We used a compartmental susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered model in combination with a system dynamics model. We developed four scenarios according to differing values of the production number (R) and varying vaccination rates.

Results

The findings indicated that in the most pessimistic scenario (R = 7.5 and base vaccination rate), the number of incident cases reached a peak of 49,523 (95% CI: 20,599 to 99,362) by day 73 and the peak daily deaths enlarged to 270 by day 50 (95% CI: 124 to 520). The predicted cumulative cases and deaths at the end of the wave (day 120) were approximately 3.7 million and 22,000 respectively. In the most optimistic assumption (with R = 4.5 and a speedy vaccination rate [tripled the base rate]), the peak of the incident cases was about one third of the most pessimistic assumption (15,650, 95% CI: 12,688 to 17,603). The corresponding daily fatalities were 72 (95% CI: 54 to 84) and the prevalent intubated cases numbered 572 (95% CI: 429 to 675).

Conclusions

In the coming months, Thailand may face a new wave of the COVID-19 epidemic due to the Omicron variant. The case toll due to the Omicron wave is likely to outnumber the earlier Delta wave, but the death toll is proportionately lower. Despite the immune-escape characteristic of the Omicron variant, the vaccination campaign for the booster dose should be expedited as an effective way of preventing severe illness and death.
Reactive Oxygen Species-induced Protein Carbonylation Promotes Deterioration of Physiological Activity of Wheat Seeds
Authors: Li Bang-Bang , Zhang Shuai-Bing , Lv Yang-Yong , Wei Shan , Hu Yuan-Sen
Published: January 2022

During the seed aging process, reactive oxygen species (ROS) can induce the carbonylation of proteins, which changes their functional properties and affects seed vigor. However, the impact and regulatory mechanisms of protein carbonylation on wheat seed vigor are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the changes in wheat seed vigor, carbonyl protein content, ROS content and embryo cell structure during an artificial aging process, and we analyzed the correlation between protein carbonylation and seed vigor. During the artificial wheat-seed aging process, the activity levels of antioxidant enzymes and the contents of non-enzyme antioxidants decreased, leading to the accumulation of ROS and an increase in the carbonyl protein content, which ultimately led to a decrease in seed vigor, and there was a significant negative correlation between seed vigor and carbonyl protein content. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy showed that the contents of protein bodies in the embryo cells decreased remarkably. We postulate that during the wheat seed aging process, an imbalance in ROS production and elimination in embryo cells leads to the carbonylation of proteins, which plays a negative role in wheat seed vigor.
The m6A writer FIONA1 methylates the 3’UTR of FLC and controls flowering in Arabidopsis
Authors: Sun Bin , Bhati Kaushal Kumar , Edwards Ashleigh , Petri Louise , Kruusvee Valdeko , Blaakmeer Anko , Dolde Ulla , Rodrigues Vandasue , Straub Daniel , Wenkel Stephan
Published: January 2022

Adenosine bases of RNA can be transiently modified by the deposition of a methyl-group to form N6-methyladenosine (m6A). This adenosine-methylation is an ancient process and the enzymes involved are evolutionary highly conserved. A genetic screen designed to identified suppressors of late flowering transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the miP1a microProtein yielded a new allele of the FIONA1 (FIO1) m6A-methyltransferase. To characterize the early flowering phenotype of fio1 mutant plants we employed an integrative approach of mRNA-seq, Nanopore direct RNA-sequencing and meRIP-seq to identify differentially expressed transcripts as well as differentially methylated mRNAs. We provide evidence that FIO1 is the elusive methylase responsible for the 3’-end methylation of the FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) transcript. Furthermore, our genetic and biochemical data suggest that 3’-methylation stabilizes FLC mRNAs and non-methylated FLC is a target for rapid degradation.
Morphological analysis of human and mouse dendritic spines reveals a morphological continuum and differences across ages and species
Authors: Ofer Netanel , Benavides-Piccione Ruth , DeFelipe Javier , Yuste Rafael
Published: January 2022

Dendritic spines have diverse morphologies, with a wide range of head and neck sizes, and these morphological differences likely generate different synaptic and functional properties. To explore how this morphological diversity differs across species we analyzed 3D confocal reconstructions of ~8,000 human spines and ~1,700 mouse spines, labeled by intracellular injections in fixed tissue. Using unsupervised machine-learning algorithms, we computationally separated spine heads and necks and systematically measured morphological features of spines in apical and basal dendrites from cortical pyramidal cells. Human spines had unimodal distributions of parameters, without any evidence of morphological subtypes. Their spine necks were longer and thinner in apical than in basal spines, and spine head volumes of an 85-years-old individual were larger than those of a 40-years-old individual. Human spines overall had longer and thicker necks and bigger head volumes than mouse spines. Our results indicate that human spines form part of a morphological continuum, are larger and longer than those of mice, and become larger with increasing adult age. These morphological differences in spines across species could generate functional differences in biochemical and electrical spine compartmentalization, or in synaptic properties, across species and ages.
Increased parasite load is associated with reduced metabolic rates and escape responsiveness in pumpkinseed sunfish host
Authors: Guitard Joëlle , Chrétien Emmanuelle , De Bonville Jérémy , Roche Dominique G. , Boisclair Daniel , Binning Sandra A.
Published: January 2022

Wild animals have parasites that can compromise their physiological and/or behavioural performance. Yet, the extent to which parasite load is related to intraspecific variation in performance traits within wild populations remains relatively unexplored. We used pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus) and their endoparasites as a model system to explore the effects of infection load on host aerobic metabolism and escape performance. Metabolic traits (standard and maximum metabolic rates, aerobic scope) and fast-start escape responses following a simulated aerial attack by a predator (responsiveness, response latency, and escape distance) were measured in fish from across a gradient of visible (i.e. trematodes causing black spot disease counted on fish surfaces) and non-visible (i.e. cestodes in fish abdominal cavity counted post-mortem) endoparasite infection. We found that a higher infection load of non-visible endoparasites was related to lower standard and maximum metabolic rates, but not aerobic scope in fish. Non-visible endoparasite infection load was also related to decreased responsiveness of the host to a simulated aerial attack. Visible endoparasites were not related to changes in metabolic traits nor fast-start escape responses. Our results suggest that infection with parasites that are inconspicuous to researchers can result in intraspecific variation in physiological and behavioral performance in wild populations, highlighting the need to more explicitly acknowledge and account for the role played by natural infections in studies of wild animal performance.
Theoretical Principles of Enhancer-Promoter Communication in Transcriptional Bursting
Authors: Wang Zihao , Zhang Zhenquan , Luo Songhao , Zhou Tianshou , Zhang Jiajun
Published: January 2022

Transcriptional regulation occurs through genomic contacts between enhancers and their cognate promoters, and most genes are transcribed in a bursty fashion. To understand the relationship between these two phenomena, we develop a general modeling framework in terms of the information transmission from upstream genomic organization to downstream transcriptional bursting. Importantly, we uncover fundamental theoretical principles of enhancer-promoter (E-P) spatial communication in the modulation of transcriptional burst size (BS) and burst frequency (BF). First, BS and BF obey their respective power-law dependences on the E-P communication strength and distinct scaling exponents. Second, the E-P spatial distance follows a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution rather than the previously assumed Gauss distribution. Third, the E-P genomic distance affects transcriptional outcomes biphasically (i.e., in an exponential decay for small E-P genomic distances but insensitively to large E-P genomic distances). Fourth, the E-P communication mainly modulates BF rather than BS. Finally, the mutual information between BS (or BF) and E-P spatial distance further reveals essential characteristics of the information transfer from the upstream to the downstream. Our predictions are experimentally verifiable, e.g., confirmed by experimental data on Drosophila. The overall analysis provides insights into the role of the E-P communication in the control of transcriptional bursting.

Significance

Measurement technologies of chromatin conformations and genome-wide occupancy data of architectural proteins have revealed that genome topology is tightly intertwined with gene transcription. However, a long-standing question in transcriptional regulation is how the enhancer-promoter (E-P) spatial communication impacts transcriptional bursting kinetics. To address this issue, we develop a multiscale model that couples upstream chromatin dynamics to downstream transcriptional bursting. This model not only reveals fundamental principles of E-P communication in transcriptional bursting kinetics (e.g., burst size and frequency follow their own power-law behaviors) but also provides a general modeling framework toward the 4D nucleome project.
Rubisco forms a lattice inside alpha-carboxysomes
Authors: Metskas Lauren Ann , Ortega Davi , Oltrogge Luke M. , Blikstad Cecilia , Laughlin Tom , Savage David F. , Jensen Grant J.
Published: January 2022

Bacteria employ microcompartments to sequester enzymatic processes, either for purposes of protecting cellular contents from reactive intermediates or as a way of increasing reaction efficiency. In these structures, a cargo of enzymes and accessory proteins is encased within a semi-permeable protein shell that permits passage of substrates and products but restricts movement of intermediates. In addition to their importance as a component of many bacterial species’ metabolisms, microcompartments have recently become a target of protein engineering. The shells can be reassembled from purified proteins, and the full operons can be functionally expressed outside their native prokaryotes and can remain functional following purification. Despite the importance of microcompartments in prokaryotic biology and bioengineering, structural heterogeneity has prevented a complete understanding of their architecture, ultrastructure, and spatial organization. Here, we employ cryo electron tomography to image α-carboxysomes, a pseudo-icosahedral microcompartment responsible for carbon fixation. We have solved a high-resolution subtomogram average of the Rubisco cargo in situ, and determined a novel arrangement of the enzyme. We find that the H. neapolitanus Rubisco polymerizes in vivo, mediated by the small Rubisco subunit. These fibrils can further pack to form a lattice with six-fold pseudo-symmetry. This arrangement preserves freedom of motion and accessibility around the Rubisco active site and the binding sites for two other carboxysome proteins, CsoSCA (a carbonic anhydrase) and the disordered CsoS2, even at Rubisco concentrations exceeding 800 μM. This characterization of Rubisco cargo inside the α-carboxysome provides new insight into the balance between order and disorder in microcompartment organization.
Structure of ATP synthase under strain during catalysis
Authors: Guo Hui , Rubinstein John L.
Published: January 2022

ATP synthases are macromolecular machines consisting of an ATP-hydrolysis-driven F1 motor and a proton-translocation-driven FO motor. The F1 and FO motors oppose each other’s action on a shared rotor subcomplex and are held stationary relative to each other by a peripheral stalk. Structures of resting mitochondrial ATP synthases revealed a left-handed curvature of the peripheral stalk even though rotation of the rotor, driven by either ATP hydrolysis in F1 or proton translocation through FO, would apply a right-handed bending force to the stalk. We used cryoEM to image yeast mitochondrial ATP synthase under strain during ATP-hydrolysis-driven rotary catalysis, revealing a large deformation of the peripheral stalk. The structures show how the peripheral stalk opposes the bending force and suggests that proton translocation during ATP synthesis causes accumulation of strain in the stalk, which relaxes by driving the relative rotation of the rotor through six sub-steps within F1, leading to catalysis.
DisGUVery: a versatile open-source software for high-throughput image analysis of Giant Unilamellar Vesicles
Authors: van Buren Lennard , Koenderink Gijsje H. , Martinez-Torres Cristina
Published: January 2022

Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) are cell-sized aqueous compartments enclosed by a phospholipid bilayer. Due to their cell-mimicking properties, GUVs have become a widespread experimental tool in synthetic biology to study membrane properties and cellular processes. In stark contrast to the experimental progress, quantitative analysis of GUV microscopy images has received much less attention. Currently, most analysis is performed either manually or with custom-made scripts, which makes analysis time-consuming and results difficult to compare across studies. To make quantitative GUV analysis accessible and fast, we present DisGUVery, an open-source, versatile software that encapsulates multiple algorithms for automated detection and analysis of GUVs in microscopy images. With a performance analysis, we demonstrate that DisGUVery's three vesicle detection modules successfully identify GUVs in images obtained with a wide range of imaging sources, in various typical GUV experiments. Multiple pre-defined analysis modules allow the user to extract properties such as membrane fluorescence, vesicle shape and internal fluorescence from large populations. A new membrane segmentation algorithm facilitates spatial fluorescence analysis of non-spherical vesicles. Altogether, DisGUVery provides an accessible tool to enable high-throughput automated analysis of GUVs, and thereby to promote quantitative data analysis in GUV research.
Cynarine monohydrate from synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data
Authors: Kaduk James A. , Boaz Nicholas C. , Markun Emma L. , Gindhart Amy M. , Blanton Thomas N.
Published: January 2022

The crystal structure of cynarine monohydrate (systematic name: 1,3-bis{[(E)-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyl]oxy}-4,5-dihydroxycyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid monohydrate), C25H24O12·H2O, has been solved and refined using synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data, and optimized using density functional techniques. Despite being purchased as anhydrous, cynarine crystallizes as a monohydrate and the crystal structure is characterized by alternating layers of hydrocarbon and hydrogen-bonding interactions parallel to the bc plane. Hydrogen bonds are significant in the crystal structure. The carboxylic acid group forms a strong intermolecular hydrogen bond to a hydroxy group of the quinic acid ring. Most of the hydroxy groups act as donors in O—H...O hydrogen bonding to carbonyl O atoms. One hydroxy group participates in bifurcated hydrogen bonds, one to a hydroxy group on the quinic acid ring and the other, an intramolecular interaction, to another hydroxy group. The powder pattern has been submitted to the International Centre for Diffraction Data (ICDD) for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File (PDF-4).
Crystal structure of poly[[diaquatetra-μ2-cyanido-platinum(II)iron(II)] methanol 4/3-solvate]: a three-dimensional Hofmann clathrate analogue
Authors: Hiiuk Volodymyr M. , Mykhailovych Vasyl , Shova Sergiu , Golenya Irina A. , Gural'skiy Il'ya A.
Published: January 2022

In the title polymeric coordination compound, {[FePt(CN)4(H2O)2]·1.33CH3OH}
n
, the FeII cation (site symmetry 4/mm.m) is coordinated by the N atoms of four cyanide anions (CN−) and the O atoms of two water molecules, forming a nearly regular [FeN4O2] octahedron. According the Fe—N and Fe—O bond lengths, the FeII atom is in the high-spin state. The cyanide anions act in a bridging manner to connect the FeII and PtII atoms. The [Pt(CN)4]2– moieties (Pt with site symmetry 4/mm.m) have a perfect square-planar shape. The latter anion is located perpendicular to the FeN4 plane, thus ensuring the creation of a three-dimensional framework. The crystal structure features methanol solvent molecules of which 4/3 were located per FeII cation. These solvent molecules are located in hexagonal pores; they interact with coordinating water molecules through weak hydrogen bonds. Other guest molecules could not be modelled in a satisfactory way and their contribution to the scattering was removed by a mask procedure.
Economic complexity and the dynamics of regional competitiveness a systematic review
Authors: Bahrami Farideh , Shahmoradi Behrooz , Noori Javad , Turkina Ekaterina , Bahrami Hassan
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This study aims to systematically review the economic complexity literature to advance the knowledge on its contribution to building regional competitiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, we did a systematic review of 111 relevant papers. In this regard, we did a thematic analysis on all the collected papers, which led to a two-level processed approach. In the first level, the contributions of the reviewed articles have been classified into three main streams. In the second level, the findings under each contribution category are analyzed and explained. This approach led to a thematic network demonstrating economic complexity and the dynamics of regional competitiveness and a set of managerial and policy implications. We followed a multiple processed approach for the systematic review of 95 papers that reveals considerable contributions in three categories, including measurement techniques, criticisms and exploratory studies.

Findings

Despite some critiques and the undertaken evolution in measurement techniques of complexity, economic complexity has become a well-known method mainly for regions' competitiveness dynamics. Our review demonstrates a nested network of economic complexity dynamics that drives policy advice concerning countries' status in their development path. The provided set of policies includes guidelines for underdeveloped and developing countries and general policy implications, applicable for all regional contexts for building competitiveness dynamics.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the literature on competitiveness from the window of economic complexity. The study allows a deep understanding of regions' productive structure role in their development and competitiveness. A set of policies for building regional competitiveness is provided concerning the study's findings. The literature gaps are identified, and future research ideas are provided for using economic complexity methodologically and logically to boost regional competitiveness.
“System aisa hi hai” – exploring local researchers' perspective on barriers toward conducting locally relevant disaster research
Authors: Das Manomita
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The paper explores why local disaster scholars often fail to put the needs of local people at the centre of their research. Specifically, it explores two questions: (1) why local concerns are often not reflected in the research agenda? And (2) why we are falling behind in generating locally applicable disaster knowledge? The paper engages with the experiences of local disaster researchers to answer the research questions.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was undertaken to conduct the study. In total, 15 in-depth interviews were conducted with practitioners and academics working in the domain of disaster studies in different regions of India. Criterion sampling was employed to recruit the participants. An interview guide with open ended questions was used to conduct the interviews. The data were thematically analysed utilizing qualitative data analysis software to arrive at the findings.

Findings

The participants identified three potential reasons behind the lack of locally relevant disaster research. First, the existing concepts and terminologies which guide disaster research are often inadequate to represent the local reality. Second, “foreign” funders and policymakers often influence the agenda and emphasis of the research which creates barriers in developing research agenda relevant to the local needs. The time-bound project format of research is often problematic. It resembles looking at the community through a peephole which hardly gives the whole picture. Third, resource constraints also create substantial hindrances in conducting locally relevant research.

Research limitations/implications

The sample only included participants who believed that disaster research is often not relevant locally in India. Participants having different standpoints on the issue were not included which remains as a limitation of the study.

Practical implications

The research highlights the challenges that local researchers face while conducting locally relevant research and how they can be overcome. The author expects that the findings of the research will help in challenging and transforming established practices in disaster studies and bridging the gap between disaster research and vulnerable people.

Originality/value

This paper is valuable because it documents the perspectives of local researchers on the barriers that need to be overcome to produce locally relevant disaster research.
Diverging influences of usability in online authentication system: the role of culture (US vs Korea)
Authors: Jang Jung Min , Kim Heejin
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Although the use of online authentication systems in banking services is expanding globally, little is known about cultural differences in forming consumers' responses to these services. This paper examines how the usability of an online security service and culture impact consumers' behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct a 2 (usability: high vs low) × 2 (culture: US vs Korea) between-subjects, full factorial design.

Findings

The results indicate a differential influence of the usability of a security system by culture. In particular, US consumers exhibit greater behavioural intention in a high (vs low) usability condition, whereas Korean consumers showed more favourable responses in a low-usability condition. Moreover, perceived effort is confirmed as a crucial mediator that explains the psychological mechanism of the proposed effect.

Practical implications

This research contributes to the literature on online banking where security is an important determinant of success. Especially for managers involved in international banking services, the findings of cultural differences offer insights about the importance of local understanding and differentiation of bank services for specific target markets which can enhance consumers' response towards an online security service.

Originality/value

The current study is one of a very few attempts to examine the role of usability of an online security system in forming consumers' behavioural intention. More importantly, this study integrates the concept of culture to explain how usability influences positive or negative behavioural intention in an international market.
The Internet search engines as an additional tool in public health research in the context of disease outbreaks
Authors: Batrimenko Andrey Valerievich , Denisova Svetlana , Lisovskii Dmitrii , Orlov Sergey , Soshnikov Sergey
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The study aims to help epidemiologists identify new patterns and trends in spreading infections on the example of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic using data from search engines. The study identified the types of thematic search of Russian Internet users and queries that have a mathematically confirmed correlation with public health indicators: mortality and morbidity from COVID-19. The study aims to determine digital epidemiology search trends to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The study identified the types of thematic search of RuNet users and queries that have a mathematically confirmed correlation with public health indicators: mortality and morbidity from COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors explored two types of data: (1) the monthly datasets of keywords relevant to COVID-19 extracted from the Yandex search engine and (2) officially published statistics data. Alongside, the authors searched for associations between all variables in this dataset. The Benjamin–Hochberg correction for multiple hypothesis testing was applied to the obtained results to improve the reliability of the results. The authors built a unique website with opportunities to update datasets and designed dashboards to visualize the research outcomes using PHP and Python.

Findings

The research results show the number of significant relationships that the authors interpreted in epidemiology as a new instrument in Public Health research. There are 132 data combinations with a correlation higher than 75%, making it possible to determine a mathematically reliable relationship between search statistics trends and mortality/morbidity indicators. The most statistically significant effects identified in bundles “query” – “query”, “query” – “morbidity”, “query” – “mortality”.

Originality/value

The authors developed a new approach in analyzing outbreaks of infections and their consequences based on a comprehensive analysis of epidemiological and infodemic data. The research results are relevant to public health as other decision-making and situational analysis tools for citizens and specialists who want to receive additional confirmation for the indicators of the official statistics of the headquarters for control and monitoring of the situation with coronavirus and others infections.
Foreign capital inflow and housing prices in a developing country: an advanced econometric enquiry
Authors: Ahmed Rafiq , Jawaid Syed Tehseen
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The study is intended to find out the relationship between housing prices and the inflow of foreign capital in Pakistan. There is a shortage of housing units due to rising population and rural–urban migration since its inception; on the other hand, there is also a lack of housing finances. The urban sprawl has created the demand for housing units, but the supply of housing has not been increased up to the required level, the major reason is a deficiency of housing finances.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis was carried out from 1973 to 2018, on an annual, quarterly and monthly basis; the structural changes are captured by the Zivot–Andrews unit root test. Gregory–Hansen test is used for cointegration, the combined cointegration also validates the results. In addition, the rolling window is used to capture timely changes between data sets. Finally, wavelet analysis is used to prove volatility.

Findings

The rising prices of housing in the country is alarming; Pakistan is a developing country, and it is facing many problems along with a housing shortage. The domestic sources of housing finances are inadequate, so foreign funds are welcomed. The rolling window regression proves that domestic factors along with the foreign capital inflow affect housing prices positively, and the wavelet analysis finds out that foreign direct investment is more volatile than workers’ remittances in financing the housing market.

Originality/value

This is a pioneering study to find out the impact of foreign capital inflows on the housing prices in the economy of Pakistan. The inadequacy of housing finances from domestic sources attracted foreign funds financing this sector. This study has used new techniques like rolling window and wavelet transformation, such techniques have not been used before.
Entrepreneurs' exit strategies and their determinants: the role of perceived exit challenges
Authors: Koładkiewicz Izabela , Kozłowski Łukasz , Wojtyra-Perlejewska Marta
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The study aims to investigate whether the perceived problems in exiting a business—as well as the scope of and access to external support—may impact an entrepreneur's decision regarding the exit strategy, that is, the choice between the stewardship and harvest exit strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have collected data from 302 entrepreneurs using a novel survey instrument and subjected the sample to structural equation modeling (SEM) and ordered logit regressions.

Findings

The results reveal that potential difficulties in implementing an exit strategy, the scope of external support anticipated by the exiting entrepreneur and access to such support influence the potential choice of an exit strategy. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the stewardship exit strategy is preferred over the harvest exit strategy by entrepreneurs who face potential difficulties in obtaining external support or foresee problems related to a potential exit strategy.

Originality/value

This study provides new insights into an entrepreneur's exit phenomenon by adding new elements, such as perceived problems involved in exiting a business as well as the scope of and access to external support, to the list of factors that may affect the choice of an exit strategy.
Stimulating boundary crossing learning in a multi-stakeholder learning environment for sustainable development
Authors: Oonk Carla , Gulikers Judith , den Brok Perry , Mulder Martin
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Sustainable development requires multiple stakeholders to work and learn across practices, in other words, it requires boundary crossing competence. To prepare students for their future sustainability professions, higher education should facilitate the development of boundary crossing competence in its curricula. This study aims to confirm whether boundary crossing learning can be stimulated by workshop-based support in multi-stakeholder projects.

Design/methodology/approach

This quasi-experimental intervention study (N = 122) investigates the effect of a series of supporting workshops on students’ boundary crossing learning in multi-stakeholder projects. The workshops allowed students to adopt four learning mechanisms (identification, coordination, reflection and transformation) theorised to stimulate learning across boundaries between practices. Students followed zero, one, or two workshops. By analysing the student learning reports, the study examines the effect of the workshop intervention on students’ self-efficacy for stakeholder collaboration, the number of reported student-stakeholder collaborative activities and the reported boundary crossing learning mechanisms.

Findings

The results show that a series of two workshops increase the number of reported collaborative activities and activates the students’ boundary crossing learning in terms of reflection and transformation.

Research limitations/implications

These findings support the evidence-based design of multi-stakeholder learning environments for sustainable development and contribute to the body of knowledge regarding learning across practices.

Originality/value

Boundary crossing competence receives increasing attention as an asset for sustainable development. The added value of this study lies in its confirmation that the boundary crossing theory can be translated into directed educational support that can stimulate students’ boundary crossing learning.
Fighting misinformation in college: students learn to search and evaluate online information through flexible modules
Authors: McGrew Sarah , Chinoy Ira
Published: January 2022

Purpose

College students need more support learning to effectively search for and evaluate online information. Without such skills, students are vulnerable to mis- and disinformation that may appear in their search results, Web browsing and social media feeds. This study investigated four short instructional modules four short instructional modules that were developed to be delivered asynchronously to teach effective approaches to online search and evaluation.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory study analyzed pre- and post-tests that students in two journalism courses completed before and after the modules. A total of 29 students completed written versions of the pre- and post-tests and 8 students participated in interviews in which they thought aloud while completing the pre- and post-tests. Written and oral responses were analyzed to understand students’ search and evaluation strategies and how, if at all, these shifted from pre- to post-test.

Findings

From pre- to post-test, students showed evidence of using strategies that were introduced in the modules to search for and evaluate online content. On the post-test, more students engaged in lateral reading to evaluate unfamiliar websites, used search operators and tools and more critically evaluated elements of the search engine results page.

Originality/value

This study provides initial, positive evidence for the efficacy of embedding short, asynchronous modules in college courses to improve students’ approaches to online searches and evaluations. College students need such support and modules like the ones investigated in this study may be one way to provide it.
COVID-19 pandemic and risk dynamics of financial markets in G7 countries
Authors: Mobin Mohammad Ashraful , Hassan M. Kabir , Khalid Airil , Abdul-Rahim Ruzita
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is twofold: to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the risk dynamics of stock and bond markets in G7 countries; and to examine if the stock-bond risk dynamics can be linked to government measures to contain the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the pandemic impact on the risk dynamics of the bond and stock markets, this study chooses G7 countries for their efficient financial market properties. This study uses standard generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) (1,1) and exponential GARCH (1,1) models to determine the most volatile and sensitive market, most persistent market during the crisis and the leverage effect between stock and bond markets. This study then uses a panel study to investigate whether this volatility in stock and bond markets is affected by the COVID-19 cases and various government responses (fiscal stimulus packages, monetary policy, emergency investment in health care and vaccine investment).

Findings

The findings of the study confirm that the bad news of the pandemic is causing higher volatility than good news for all seven stock markets. Canadian stock and bond markets are the most volatile, and Italian bond and stock markets are the most sensitive G7 countries. Japan has shown the highest persistence, and the stock market exhibits higher leverage than the bond market. Fiscal stimulus packages are helping to reduce bond market volatility, but none of these measures are effective in the stock market.

Research limitations/implications

The pandemic is still spreading, and the rate at which it spreads wildly will always pose a limitation to any attempt to examine its full effect.

Practical implications

Investigation of market volatility will help policymakers and market players formulate the best strategies to overcome and exit the crisis and plan post-pandemic solutions. It provides valuable insights for investors to rebalance their portfolios during highly volatile markets while preserving their risk appetite and investment objectives.

Originality/value

The paper provides evidence on the impact of the pandemic-induced crisis and the respective government responses on the volatility of competing capital markets (stock and bond) in countries that are considered most efficient in reflecting news.