bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of Interaction Between the Transactivation Domain of N-MYC and the DNA-Binding Surface of TFIIIC5
Authors: Leen Eoin , Yeoh Sharon , Sahak Eka , Mitchell Ellie , Wildsmith Gemma , Batchelor Matthew , Calabrese Antonio N , Büchel Gabriele , Bayliss Richard
Published: October 2024

N-myc is a member of the myc family of transcription factors, which are powerful drivers of cellular growth and consequently, important oncoproteins. N-myc interacts with many factors and complexes to affect transcription. One such complex is the RNA Polymerase III assembly factor, TFIIIC, a six-member complex that is essential for the transcription of small, structured RNA. TFIIIC and N-myc mutually restrict each other’s chromatin association, and their complex contributes to quality control in mRNA transcription. We previously demonstrated that the largely intrinsically disordered transactivation domain of N-myc interacts directly with a sub-complex of TFIIIC, τA. Structural studies by others show that DNA binding of τA is largely mediated by TFIIIC3, which suggests that TFIIIC5 is at most a secondary binding site for DNA. Here we identified the DNA binding domain of TFIIIC5 as a key binding site for N-myc. We used an integrated approach combining NMR, HDX mass spectrometry, pull-downs and biophysical assays to elucidate the molecular basis of the interaction. Two sequences in the transactivation domain of N-myc bind to the DNA binding interface of TFIIIC5. AlphaFold modelling predicts a high-confidence binding mode for the higher affinity N-myc motif that overlaps with the predicted intramolecular binding site of the C-terminal acidic plug of TFIIIC5, removal of which enhances the binding of N-myc. The same two motifs in N-myc also interact with Aurora-A kinase, which competes with N-myc for TFIIIC binding during S-phase. This model elucidates how the N-myc:TFIIIC5 interaction competes with other interactions, providing a basis for their mutual censoring function and regulation.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Diphenyleneiodonium chloride inhibits MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma by targeting MYCN induced mitochondrial alterations
Authors: Epp Soraya , Maher Stephanie , Adlina Amirah , Marcone Simone , Egan Donagh , Haapa-Paananen Saija , Fey Vidal , Iljin Kristiina , Wynne Kieran , Jensen Lasse D , Kolch Walter , Halasz Melinda
Published: October 2024

High-risk neuroblastoma is one of the most lethal childhood cancers. Half of these tumors are driven by MYCN gene amplification (MNA). Despite intensive chemo- and radiotherapy, only 40% of patients survive, and they often suffer from long-term side effects of these genotoxic treatments. Thus, less toxic and more efficacious therapies are needed. Here, we identified diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI) as tool compound that preferentially targeted MNA neuroblastoma. Using proteomic and metabolomic assays we investigated the DPI mode of action, finding that DPI could target alterations induced by MNA. These included cell cycle progression, DNA repair pathways, and profound changes in the expression of proteins participating in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. In addition, DPI also downregulated MYCN protein levels preferentially in MNA cells. Metabolic and biological assays suggested that alterations in mitochondrial function and the associated production of reactive oxygen species are critical DPI targets. DPI reduced the proliferation, survival, and malignant transformation of MNA neuroblastoma cells. DPI also shrank tumors and prevented metastatic spread in zebrafish models of neuroblastoma. These findings suggest that processes impacted by DPI could be valuable new targets for the development of non-genotoxic drugs against MNA neuroblastoma.
Modelling rate-independent damping in insect exoskeleta via singular integral operators
Authors: Pons Arion
Published: October 2024

In insect locomotion, the transmission of energy from muscles to motion is a process within which there are many sources of dissipation. One significant but understudied source is the structural damping within the insect exoskeleton itself: the thorax and limbs. Experimental evidence suggests that exoskeletal damping shows frequency (or, rate) independence, but investigation into its nature and implications has been hampered by a lack methods for simulating the time-domain behaviour of this damping. Here, synergising and extending results across applied mathematics and seismic analysis, we provide these methods. We show that existing models of exoskeletal rate-independent damping are equivalent to an important singular integral in time: the Hilbert transform. However, these models are strongly noncausal, violating the directionality of time. We derive the unique causal analogue of these existing exoskeletal damping models, as well as an accessible approximation to them, as Hadamard finite-part integrals in time, and provide methods for simulating them. These methods are demonstrated on several current problems in insect biomechanics. Finally, we demonstrate, for the first time, that existing rate-independent damping models are not strictly dissipative: in certain circumstances they are capable of generating negative power without apparently storing energy, likely violating conservation of energy. This work resolves a key methodological impasse in the understanding of insect exoskeletal dynamics and offers new insights into the micro-structural origins of rate-independent damping as well as the directions required in order to resolve violations of causality and the conservation of energy in existing models.
Relationship as resource or burden? Associations of attachment style, relationship quality and dyadic coping with acute psychosocial stress in the presence of the romantic partner
Authors: Gallistl Mathilde , Hamann Johanna , Croy Ilona , Vrticka Pascal , Engert Veronika
Published: October 2024

Stress is a wide-spread phenomenon and associated with various detrimental health effects. A significant resource for stress buffering is social support. How social support is perceived, however, depends on a multitude of individual and interindividual factors. This study aimed to explore the stress-reducing properties of relationship-inherent variables. We investigated the association of attachment style, relationship quality and dyadic coping, with subjective and physiological stress responses to a psychosocial laboratory stressor in romantic partners. Seventy-nine couples participated, with one partner ("target") undergoing the Trier Social Stress Test and the other ("observer") observing the situation. Besides examining the role of targets’ relationship variables, we also assessed the link between observers’ relationship variables and targets’ stress reactivity. We found that both targets’ and observers’ insecure-avoidant attachment scores were associated with targets’ stress reactivity. In detail, while targets’ insecure-avoidant attachment scores were negatively associated with targets’ subjective stress experience, observers’ insecure-avoidant attachment scores were positively associated with targets’ heart rate reactivity. Further, higher insecure-avoidant attachment scores linked to lower psycho-endocrine covariance, i.e., a lower accordance between self-reported and cortisol stress responding. On the one hand, these data may suggest that under stress, insecure-avoidantly attached individuals suppress their experience of stress to preserve a sense of independence as part of their deactivating attachment strategy. The presence of an insecure-avoidantly attached partner during a stressful experience, on the other hand, seems to be a stressor rather than a source of support. Long-term, an insecure-avoidantly attached partner may negatively impact an individual’s stress-related health and wellbeing.

Highlights

- In a situation in which one romantic partner experienced stress (“target”) while being ob- served by their partner (“observer”), insecure-avoidant attachment of both predicted the tar- get’s stress response

- Targets’ insecure-avoidant attachment was associated with lower subjective stress in the tar- gets

- Observers’ insecure-avoidant attachment was related to higher heart rate reactivity in the targets

- Insecure-avoidant attachment was associated with lower psycho-endocrine covariance
Vicarious Somatotopic Maps Tile Visual Cortex
Authors: Hedger Nicholas , Naselaris Thomas , Kay Kendrick , Knapen Tomas
Published: October 2024

Our sensory systems work together to generate a cohesive experience of the world around us. Watching others being touched activates brain areas representing our own sense of touch: the visual system recruits touch-related computations to simulate bodily consequences of visual inputs. One long-standing question is how the brain implements this interface between visual and somatosensory representations. To address this question, we developed a method to simultaneously map somatosensory body part tuning and visual field tuning throughout the brain. Applying this method on ongoing co-activations during rest resulted in detailed maps of the body-part tuning in the brain’s endogenous somatotopic network. During movie watching, somatotopic tuning explains responses throughout the entire dorsolateral visual system, revealing an array of somatotopic body maps that tile the cortical surface. The tuning of these maps aligned with those of visual maps, and predicted both preferences for visual field locations and the visual-category preferences for body parts. These results reveal a mode of brain organization in which aligned visual-somatosensory topographic maps connect visual and bodily reference frames. This cross-modal interface is ideally situated to translate raw sensory impressions into more abstract formats useful for action, social cognition, and semantic processing.
Pancreatic islet α cells regulate microtubule stability in neighboring β cells to tune insulin secretion and induce functional heterogeneity in individual mouse and human islets
Authors: Ho Kung-Hsien , Barmaver Syed N. , Hu Ruiying , Yagan Mahircan , Ahmed Hamida K. , Kaverina Irina , Gu Guoqiang
Published: October 2024

We have reported that the microtubule (MT) network in β cells attenuates this function by withdrawing insulin secretory granules (ISGs) away from the plasma membrane. Thus, high glucose-induced MT remodeling is required for robust glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). We now show that α-cell secreted hormones, Gcg and/or Glp1, regulate the MT stability in β cells. Activating the receptors of Gcg or Glp1 (GcgR or Glp1R) with chemical agonists induces MT destabilization in β ells in the absence of high glucose. In contrast, inhibiting these receptors with antagonists attenuates high glucose-induced MT destabilization. Supporting the significance of this regulation, the MT networks in β cells of islets with higher α/β cell ratio are less stable than those with lower α/β cell ratio. Within each individual islet, β cells that are located close to α cells show faster MTs remodeling upon glucose stimulation than those away. Consequently, islets with higher α/β cell ratio secrete more insulin in response to high glucose and plasma membrane depolarization, which is recapitulated by direct Gcg stimulation. These combined results reveal a new MT-dependent pathway by which α cells, using Gcg and or Glp1-mediated paracrine signaling, tune β-cell secretion. In addition, the different α-β cell ratios in individual islets lead to their heterogeneous secretory responses, which may be important for handling secretory function needs under different physiological conditions.

Highlights

Gcg sensitizes glucose-induced MT remodeling in mouse and human β cells

MT density in single islets anti-correlates with α/β cell ratio

GSIS levels in single islets positively correlate with α/β cell ratio

Different α/β cell ratio contributes to heterogeneity of single islet GSIS
Ensemble Approaches for Robust and Generalizable Short-Term Forecasts of Dengue Fever. A retrospective and prospective evaluation study in over 180 locations around the world
Authors: Wu Skyler , Meyer Austin , Clemente Leonardo , Stolerman Lucas M. , Lu Fred , Majumder Atreyee , Verbeeck Rudi , Masyn Serge , Santillana Mauricio
Published: October 2024

Dengue fever, a tropical vector-borne disease, is a leading cause of hospitalization and death in many parts of the world, especially in Asia and Latin America. In places where timely and accurate dengue activity surveillance is available, decision-makers possess valuable information that may allow them to better design and implement public health measures, and improve the allocation of limited public health resources. In addition, robust and reliable near-term forecasts of likely epidemic outcomes may further help anticipate increased demand on healthcare infrastructure and may promote a culture of preparedness. Here, we propose ensemble modeling approaches that combine forecasts produced with a variety of independent mechanistic, statistical, and machine learning component models to forecast reported dengue case counts 1-, 2-, and 3-months ahead of current time at the province level in multiple countries. We assess the ensemble and each component models’ monthly predictive ability in a fully out-of-sample and retrospective fashion, in over 180 locations around the world — all provinces of Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, and Thailand, as well as Iquitos, Peru, and San Juan, Puerto Rico — during at least 2-3 years. Additionally, we evaluate ensemble approaches in a multi-model, real-time, and prospective dengue forecasting platform — where issues of data availability and data completeness introduce important limitations — during an 11-month time period in the years 2022 and 2023. We show that our ensemble modeling approaches lead to reliable and robust prediction estimates when compared to baseline estimates produced with available information at the time of prediction. This can be contrasted with the high variability in the forecasting ability of each individual component model, across locations and time. Furthermore, we find that no individual model leads to optimal and robust predictions across time horizons and locations, and while the ensemble models do not always achieve the best prediction performance in any given location, they consistently provide reliable disease estimates — they rank in the top 3 performing models across locations and time periods — both retrospectively and prospectively.
National- and state-level SARS-CoV-2 immunity trends from January 2020 to December 2023: a mathematical modeling analysis
Authors: Klaassen Fayette , Swartwood Nicole A , Chitwood Melanie H , Lopes Rafael , Haraguchi Masahiko , Salomon Joshua A , Cohen Ted , Menzies Nicolas A
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Effective immune protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 disease continues to change due to viral evolution and waning immunity. We estimated population-level immunity to SARS-CoV-2 for each of the fifty United States (U.S.) and the District of Columbia from January 2020 through December 2023.

Methods

We updated a model of SARS-CoV-2 infections to align with the latest evidence on SARS-CoV-2 natural history and waning of immunity, and to integrate various data sources available throughout the pandemic. We used this model to produce population estimates of effective protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 disease.

Results

On December 30, 2023, 99.9% of the U.S. population had experienced immunological exposure to SARS-CoV-2 through infection and/or vaccination, with 99.4% (95% credible interval (CrI): 92.4-100%) having had at least one SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite this high exposure, the average population-level protection against infection was 53.6% (95% CrI: 38.7-71.5%). Population-level protection against severe disease was 82.6% (95% CrI: 71.5-91.7%).

Discussion

A new wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19-associated hospitalizations began near the end of 2023, with the introduction of the JN.1 variant. This upturn suggests that the U.S. population remains at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 disease despite the high level of cumulative exposure in the United States. This decline in effective protection is likely due to both waning and continued viral evolution.
Neural correlates of insomnia with depression and anxiety from a neuroimaging perspective: A systematic review
Authors: Peng Chen , Wang Kai , Wang Jinyu , Wassing Rick , Eickhoff Simon B. , Tahmasian Masoud , Chen Ji
Published: October 2024

Insomnia affects a substantial proportion of the population and frequently co-occurs with mental illnesses including depression and anxiety. However, the neurobiological correlates of these disorders remain unclear. Here we review magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies assessing structural and functional brain associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms in insomnia disorder (ID; n=38), insomnia symptoms in depressive and anxiety disorders (n=14), and these symptoms in the general populations (n=2). The studies on insomnia disorder consistently showed overlapping (salience network: insula and anterior cingulate cortex) and differential MRI correlation patterns between depressive (thalamus, orbitofrontal cortex and its associated functional connectivity) and anxiety (functional connectivity associated with default mode network) symptoms. The insula was also consistently identified as indicating the severity of insomnia symptoms in depressive disorder. In contrast, findings for other regions related to insomnia symptoms in both depressive and anxiety disorders were generally inconsistent across studies, partly due to variations in methods and patient cohorts. In the general population, brain regions in the default mode network provided a functional link between insomnia and depressive symptoms. These findings underscore both the shared and distinct neural correlates among depression, anxiety, and insomnia, providing potential avenues for the clinical management of these conditions.
Human Satellite 3 DNA encodes megabase-scale transcription factor binding platforms
Authors: Franklin J. Matthew , Dubocanin Danilo , Chittenden Cy , Barillas Ashlie , Lee Rosa Jooyoung , Ghosh Rajarshi P. , Gerton Jennifer L. , Guan Kun-Liang , Altemose Nicolas
Published: October 2024

Eukaryotic genomes are frequently littered with large arrays of tandem repeats, called satellite DNA, which underlie the constitutive heterochromatin often found around centromeric regions. While some satellite DNA types have well-established roles in centromere biology, other abundant satellite DNAs have poorly characterized functions. For example, Human Satellite 3 (HSat3), which makes up roughly 2% of the human genome, forms enormous arrays up to tens of megabases, but these arrays play no known roles in centromere function and were almost fully excluded from genome assemblies until recently. As a result, these massive genomic regions have remained relatively understudied, and the potential functional roles of HSat3 have remained largely unknown. To address this, we performed a systematic screen for novel HSat3 binding factors. Our work revealed HSat3 arrays contain high densities of transcription factor (TF) motifs that are bound by factors related to multiple, highly conserved signaling pathways. Unexpectedly, the most enriched TFs in HSat3 belong to the Hippo pathway transcription effector family TEAD. We found that TEAD recruits the co-activator YAP to HSat3 regions in a cell-state specific manner. Using RNA polymerase-I reporter assays, targeted repression of HSat3, inducible degradation of YAP, and super-resolution microscopy, we show that HSat3 arrays can localize YAP/TEAD inside the nucleolus, where YAP regulates RNA Polymerase-I activity. Beyond revealing a direct relationship between the Hippo pathway and ribosomal DNA regulation, this work demonstrates that satellite DNA can encode multiple transcription factor binding motifs, defining a new role for these enormous genomic elements.
The forgotten psychedelic: Spatiotemporal mapping of brain organisation following the administration of 2C-B and psilocybin
Authors: Mallaroni Pablo , Singleton Parker , Mason Natasha L , Satterthwaite Theodore D , Ramaekers Johannes Gerardus
Published: October 2024

As psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy gains momentum, clinical investigation of next-generation psychedelics may lead to novel compounds tailored for specific populations. 2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromophenethylamine (2C-B) is a psychedelic phenethylamine reported to produce less dysphoria and subjective impairment than the psychedelic tryptamine psilocybin. Despite its popularity among recreational users and distinct pharmacodynamics, the neural correlates of 2C-B remain unexplored. Using 7T resting−state functional MRI in 22 healthy volunteers, we mapped out the acute effects of matched doses of 20 mg 2C-B, 15 mg psilocybin and placebo across spatiotemporal benchmarks of functional brain organisation. In a within-subjects, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, we evaluated the neuropharmacological and neurobehavioural correlates of an array of connectivity measures – including static (sFC) and global connectivity (gFC), dynamic connectivity variability (dFC), and spontaneous brain complexity. Compared to placebo, 2C-B and psilocybin selectively reduced intra-network sFC, while broadly increasing between-network and subcortical-cortical connectivity. Compared to psilocybin, 2C-B exhibited less pronounced reductions in between-network FC but elicited elevations in transmodal sFC. Both compounds yielded spatially divergent increases in gFC yet produced similar increases in brain complexity. Using PET density modelling, the spatial distribution of neural effects aligned with documented differences in monoaminergic transporter and serotonergic receptor binding affinity beyond 5-HT2A, highlighting the role of pharmacology in shaping functional dynamics. Lastly, we show behavioural markers of psychedelic effects are non-linearly reflected by the desynchronisation of the transmodal axis of functional brain organisation. Together, our findings highlight 2C-B as a useful new addition to the study of psychedelic neuroscience and may motivate new pharmacotherapy strategies.
Multi-color fluorescence live-cell imaging inDictyostelium discoideum
Authors: Hashimura Hidenori , Kuwana Satoshi , Nakagwa Hibiki , Abe Kenichi , Adachi Tomoko , Sugita Toyoko , Fujishiro Shoko , Honda Gen , Sawai Satoshi
Published: October 2024

The cellular slime moldDictyostelium discoideum, a member of the Amoebozoa, has been extensively studied in cell and developmental biology.D. discoideumis unique in that they are genetically tractable, with a wealth of data accumulated over half a century of research. Fluorescence live-cell imaging ofD. discoideumhas greatly facilitated studies on fundamental topics, including cytokinesis, phagocytosis, and cell migration. Additionally, its unique life cycle placesDictyosteliumat the forefront of understanding aggregative multicellularity, a recurring evolutionary trait found across the Opisthokonta and Amoebozoa clades. The use of multiple fluorescent proteins (FP) and labels with separable spectral properties is critical for tracking cells in aggregates and identifying co-occurring biomolecular events and factors that underlie the dynamics of the cytoskeleton, membrane lipids, second messengers, and gene expression. However, inD. discoideum, the number of frequently used FP species is limited to two or three. In this study, we explored the use of new-generation FP for practical 4- to 5-color fluorescence imaging ofD. discoideum. We showed that the yellow fluorescent protein Achilles and the red fluorescent protein mScarlet-I both yield high signals and allow sensitive detection of rapid gene induction. The color palette was further expanded to include blue (mTagBFP2 and mTurquosie2), large Stoke-shift LSSmGFP, and near-infrared (miRFP670nano3) FPs, in addition to the HaloTag ligand SaraFluor 650T. Thus, we demonstrated the feasibility of deploying 4- and 5- color imaging ofD. discoideumusing conventional confocal microscopy.
A Transcriptional Signature of Induced Neurons Differentiates Virologically Suppressed People Living With HIV from People Without HIV
Authors: Ostermann Philipp N. , Wu Youjun , Bowler Scott A. , Siddiqui Mohammad Adnan , Herrera Alberto , Sidharta Mega , Ramnarine Kiran , Martínez-Meza Samuel , St. Bernard Leslie Ann , Nixon Douglas F. , Jones R. Brad , Yamashita Masahiro , Ndhlovu Lishomwa C. , Zhou Ting , Evering Teresa H.
Published: October 2024

Neurocognitive impairment is a prevalent and important co-morbidity in virologically suppressed people living with HIV (PLWH), yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive and treatments lacking. Here, we explored for the first time, use of participant-derived directly induced neurons (iNs) to model neuronal biology and injury in PLWH. iNs retain age-and disease-related features of the donors, providing unique opportunities to reveal novel aspects of neurological disorders. We obtained primary dermal fibroblasts from six virologically suppressed PLWH (range: 27 – 64 years, median: 53); 83% Male; 50% White) and seven matched people without HIV (PWOH) (range: 27 – 66, median: 55); 71% Male; 57% White). iNs were generated using transcription factors NGN2 and ASCL1, and validated by immunocytochemistry and single-cell-RNAseq. Transcriptomic analysis using bulk-RNAseq identified 29 significantly differentially expressed genes between iNs from PLWH and PWOH. Of these, 16 genes were downregulated and 13 upregulated in PLWH iNs. Protein-protein interaction network mapping indicates that iNs from PLWH exhibit differences in extracellular matrix organization and synaptic transmission.IFI27was upregulated in iNs from PLWH, which complements independent post-mortem studies demonstrating elevatedIFI27expression in PLWH-derived brain tissue, indicating that iN generation reconstitutes this pathway. Finally, we observed that expression of theFOXL2NB-FOXL2-LINC01391genome locus is reduced in iNs from PLWH and negatively correlates with neurocognitive impairment. Thus, we have identified an iN gene signature of HIV through direct reprogramming of skin fibroblasts into neurons revealing novel mechanisms of neurocognitive impairment in PLWH.

One sentence summary

Direct reprogramming of skin fibroblasts into neurons reveals unique gene signatures indicative of HIV infection in the context of viral suppression.
Environmental stability of HPAIV H5N1 in raw milk, wastewater and on surfaces
Authors: Kaiser Franziska , Cardenas Santiago , Yinda Kwe Claude , Mukesh Reshma K. , Ochwoto Missiani , Gallogly Shane , Wickenhagen Arthur , Bibby Kyle , de Wit Emmie , Morris Dylan , Lloyd-Smith James O. , Munster Vincent J.
Published: October 2024

H5N1 influenza outbreaks in dairy cows necessitate studying potential transmission routes among livestock and to humans. We measured the stability of infectious H5N1 influenza virus in raw milk, wastewater, and on contaminated surfaces. We found relatively slow decay in milk, indicating that contaminated milk and fomites pose plausible transmission risks.
Growing Macrophages Regulate High Rates of Solute Flux by Pinocytosis
Authors: Tebeje Biniam M. , Thiex Natalie W. , Swanson Joel A.
Published: October 2024

In metazoan cells, growth factors stimulate solute ingestion by pinocytosis. To examine the role of pinocytosis in cell growth, this study measured cell proliferation and the attendant rates of solute flux by pinocytosis in murine macrophages in response to the growth factor colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF1). During CSF1-dependent growth in rich medium, macrophages internalized 72 percent of their cell volume in extracellular fluid every hour. Removal of the essential amino acid leucine from growth medium limited rates of protein synthesis and growth, but increased rates of solute accumulation by macropinocytosis. The amount of protein synthesized during leucine-dependent growth exceeded the capacity of pinocytosis to internalize enough soluble leucine to support growth and proliferation. Fluid-phase solute recycling from lysosomes secreted small molecules from the cells at high rates. Inhibitors of pinocytosis and the mechanistic target-of-rapamycin (mTOR) reduced cell growth and solute recycling, indicating roles for pinocytosis in growth and for nutrient sensing in the regulation of solute flux by pinocytosis.

Murine macrophages growing in response to colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF1) require pinocytosis. High rates of solute influx and accumulation by pinocytosis are regulated by CSF1 and leucine. Low molecular weight products of protein hydrolysis in lysosomes recycle efficiently from the cells.
Women entrepreneurship: investigating the influence of emotional intelligence and innovativeness on entrepreneurial success
Authors: Kovid Raj K. , Singh Neetika , Sharma Gunjan Mohan , Gaur Priya , Pandla Kapil
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The study is designed to investigate whether women’s entrepreneurial success is affected by their emotional intelligence. It also investigates the mediating role of innovativeness in influencing the relationship of their emotional intelligence with entrepreneurial success.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a cross-sectional design, this study used a structured questionnaire to gather data from 274 women entrepreneurs spanning across various industries in north India. The data collected was analysed using the partial least squares structured equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique.

Findings

The findings demonstrate a notable and positive association between emotional intelligence and the entrepreneurial success of women. Additionally, innovativeness was found to partially mediate the relationship between emotional intelligence and entrepreneurial success. Entrepreneurial experience moderates the relationship between emotional intelligence and entrepreneurial success. Furthermore, age was not observed to moderate the connection between emotional intelligence and entrepreneurial success.

Originality/value

This study provides valuable insights for female entrepreneurs seeking to achieve success by harnessing their emotional intelligence and fostering innovativeness in their entrepreneurial pursuits. The study mainly provides evidence on the conclusive role of emotional intelligence among women entrepreneurs in their success in the relatively underresearched context of India, thereby consolidating knowledge on gendered entrepreneurship.
Forecasting exchange rates after 2021 Myanmar coup: Does a parallel market exchange rate matter?
Authors: Panthamit Nisit , Chaiboonsri Chukiet , Boonyasana Pimonpun , Bureecam Chira , Tian Guowei
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of a parallel market mechanism in forecasting the exchange rate of Myanmar Kyat (MMK) after the 2021 Myanmar coup. This paper seeks to answer how an official fixed exchange rate is influenced by a parallel market rate during the military coup. This study demonstrates both the benefit of understanding the impact of a market mechanism and the unique value of leveraging deep learning (DL).

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies DL for the first time to forecast the daily official exchange rates and parallel exchange rates, covering the period January 5, 2021–August 22, 2022. This study shows the insights available from forecasting the market exchange rate of MMK in parallel markets that are sensitive to political changes for Myanmar.

Findings

After the February 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the subsequent use of an untrusted exchange rate system in Myanmar resulted in a sharp gap between the official and the parallel exchange rates. The study shows that the actual forecasting of exchange rates is primarily a reflection of an active market mechanism rather than official exchange rates set by the monetary authorities.

Originality/value

No previous study has forecast the exchange rate of Myanmar since the latest Myanmar coup in 2021. This study contributes crucial predictions, provides a robust technique “deep learning”.
Are acute hospital trust mergers associated with improvements in the quality of care?
Authors: Beveridge James , Lugo-Palacios David G. , Clarke Jonathan
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study aims to assess the extent to which acute hospital trust mergers in England are associated with quality improvements.

Design/methodology/approach

We apply an event study design using difference-in-difference (DID) and coarsened exact matching to compare the before-and-after performance of eight mergers from 2011 to 2015.

Findings

We find little evidence that mergers contribute to quality improvements other than some limited increases in the proportion of patients waiting a maximum of 18 weeks from referral to treatment. We postulate that financial incentives and political influence could have biased management effort towards waiting time measures.

Research limitations/implications

Inherent sample size constraints may limit generalisability. Merger costs and complexity mean they are unlikely to offer an efficient strategy for helping to clear elective care backlogs. We recommend further research into causal mechanisms to help health systems maximise benefits from both mergers and emerging models of hospital provider collaboration.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to study the quality impact of a new wave of acute hospital mergers taking place in the English National Health Service from 2011 onwards, applying a group-time DID estimator to account for multiple treatment timings.
Trade-off between knowledge-dynamic mechanisms in linking perceived injustice with organizational performance: moderation function of job experience
Authors: Selem Kareem M. , Shoukat Muhammad Haroon
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This paper, underpinned by knowledge dynamics theory (KDT), seeks to investigate the pivotal role of knowledge translation mechanisms such as knowledge hiding (KH) and knowledge sharing (KS) in the nexus between perceived organizational injustice (POI) and organizational performance (OP). Furthermore, we examined the moderating effect of job experiences on the nexuses between KH-OP and KS-OP.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 289 hospital professionals at 23 private hospitals in Pakistan using a time-lagged approach. PLS-SEM was run to test hypotheses.

Findings

KH and KS significantly established the POI-OP linkage, while employee job experience improved the KH-OP and KS-OP relationships.

Practical implications

Findings suggest that policymakers should develop policies for private hospital employees to reduce perceived injustice by emphasizing equal treatment and transparency in hospitals. Well-formulated policies help reduce perceived injustice, likely encouraging knowledge translation among hospital employees, resulting in increased OP.

Originality/value

Drawing on KDT, this paper provides a novel approach for testing knowledge translation mechanisms between POI and OP relationships through pivotal roles of KH and KS and job experiences.
The impact of visionary leadership on product quality from the perspective of quality assurance managers in small and medium-sized companies: the mediating role of continual improvement
Authors: Alkhawaldeh Khleef
Published: October 2024

Purpose

A review of relevant literature supported the need to examine the nature of the relationships (if any) between visionary leadership, continual improvement and product quality. This study examined the relationship between visionary leadership and product quality and investigated the mediating role of continual improvement in the relationship between visionary leadership and product quality.

Design/methodology/approach

Visionary leadership, continual improvement and product quality were measured through a questionnaire developed based on a theoretical framework derived from the literature and distributed to quality assurance managers in small and medium-sized companies in the engineering, electrical and information technology sectors in Jordan.

Findings

The results indicated that the levels of visionary leadership, continual improvement and product quality are good and more from the perspective of quality assurance managers in these companies. The results also indicated that there is a positive, statistically significant relationship between visionary leadership and continual improvement and between continual improvement and product quality. Moreover, the results indicated that the relationship between visionary leadership and product quality is partially mediated by continual improvement. This indicates that there is a direct, positive and statistically significant relationship between visionary leadership and product quality.

Originality/value

To the author’s knowledge, this is the first study that examined the relationship between visionary leadership, continual improvement and product quality and investigated the mediating role of continual improvement in the relationship between visionary leadership and product quality. This study concluded that visionary leadership is the driver of all improvement initiatives and activities, which in turn improve the final products. The study contributes to the literature by revealing that visionary leadership leads to continual improvement and thus product quality, supporting the sequential relationship between them. Accordingly, the study provides useful theoretical insights and practical implications.
Hypertension and Cognitive Dysfunction in a Pregnant Rat Model of PE; a Role for CD4+ T Cells
Authors: Deer Evangeline , Herrock Owen , Simmons Kimberly , Campbell Nathan , Amaral Lorena , Zheng Baoying , Morris Rachael , Wallace Kedra , Cleveland ELizabeth Hawthorne , Belk Sheila , Dodd Cameronne , LaMarca Babbette
Published: October 2024

Objective

Preeclampsia (PE) is associated with hypertension (HTN) during pregnancy and activated CD4+ T cells, inflammatory cytokines, and autoantibodies to the angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1‐AA). Having had COVID‐19 (CV) during pregnancy is associated with an increased incidence of a PE‐like phenotype. Both PE and CV have long‐lasting neurological implications and studies show that nonpregnant COVID patients produce AT1‐AA. We have shown that CD4+ T cells from PE women cause a PE phenotype in nude athymic rats. In this study, we sought to examine the role of CD4+ T cells from PE with a CV History (Hx) to contribute to a PE phenotype and to determine the importance of CD4+ T cells in cognitive dysfunction during pregnancy.

Methods

At delivery, blood and placentas were collected, and one million placental CD4+ T cells from each PE and each normotensive patient, with (NT) or without (NP) a CV (Hx) during pregnancy, were isolated, purified, and injected i.p. into a gestational day (GD) 12 pregnant nude athymic rat (one patient/rat). At GD19, blood pressure (MAP) and circulating factors were assessed in recipient rats. Cognitive function and memory were assessed using Novel Object Recognition and Barnes Maze tests, respectively. Placental ACE‐2 activity and AT1‐AA were measured from COVID Hx patients. A one‐ or two‐way ANOVA with Bonferroni's multiple comparisons test was used for statistical analysis.

Results

Blood pressure was increased in patients with PE, with or without COVID, compared to NT patients. There were no significant changes in placental ACE activity in patients with COVID Hx with or without PE. AT1‐AA was elevated in PE patients and in both PE and NT COVID Hx compared to control NP. In pregnant recipient rats, MAP increased in CV Hx PE (113 ± 2, n = 8) compared to CV Hx NT (101 ± 5, n = 6). PE and PE CV Hx CD4+ T Cell recipient rats exhibited impaired memory and cognitive dysfunction (p < 0.05), compared to control groups. Recipient rats of PE CV Hx CD4+ T cells had elevated AT1‐AA compared to NT CV Hx recipients. Both COVID Hx groups and recipients of PE CD4+ T cells had elevated TNF alpha compared to NP.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that pregnant patients with a Hx of COVID during pregnancy produce AT1‐AA, with or without PE. Recipients of CD4+ T cells from PE with or without a CV Hx during pregnancy cause HTN and elevated AT1‐AA. TNF‐α is elevated in PE and in CV Hx NT and PE recipients. Interestingly, recipients of T cells from PE patients with or without a Hx of CV had worse cognitive function during pregnancy, compared to recipient rats of NP CD4+ T cells. These data demonstrate the importance of CD4+ T cells in HTN and impaired neurological function during PE in the presence or absence of a prior COVID‐19 infection during pregnancy.
Victims of the Itaewon crowd crush died twice: The role of justice beliefs (general vs. personal) and fatalism in predicting victim‐blaming
Authors: Choi Hoon‐Seok , Seo Jeong‐Gil
Published: October 2024

The current study analyzes how the two facets of justice beliefs (GBJW and PBJW) relate to victim‐blaming in a recent man‐made disaster that occurred during the Halloween Festival in Seoul, South Korea. We also explore the psychological mechanism that underlies the link between justice beliefs and victim‐blaming by analyzing the mediating role of fatalism. We conducted a two‐wave survey over the first 10 days of the disaster (N = 185 and 154 for Time 1 and Time 2, respectively). We found that the GBJW positively predicted victim‐blaming at both Time 1 and Time 2, and this relationship was mediated by fatalistic cognitions about life. By contrast, the PBJW was not related to victim‐blaming across the two measurement points. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the findings and directions for future research on the link between justice beliefs and victim‐blaming.
CFO Power and Audit Quality
Authors: Alyafai Ayoob , Islam Ariful , Singh Harjinder , Sultana Nigar
Published: October 2024

Due to their primary responsibilities over the financial reporting process, chief financial officers (CFOs) accumulate critical knowledge, and therefore power, within organisations. We examine whether such powerful CFOs use their influence to increase or decrease audit quality. Using a wide range of proxies for audit quality and a comprehensive measure of CFO power, we find that powerful CFOs are associated with lower levels of audit quality, suggesting that powerful CFOs pursue an agenda of self‐interest. Our results are robust to alternative specifications of our variables, including endogeneity. As a result of our findings, we contribute not only to the academic literature but also provide useful research outcomes, such as aiding with legislation to strengthen corporate governance structures within firms to monitor such powerful CFOs.
Immunoglobin attenuates fulminant myocarditis by inhibiting overactivated innate immune response
Authors: Wen Jianpei , Li Huihui , Zhou Yufei , Du Hengzhi , Hu Guo , Wen Zheng , Tang Du , Wang Yanwen , Cui Xinwu , Zhou Zhou , Wang Dao Wen , Chen Chen
Published: October 2024

Background and Purpose

Fulminant myocarditis (FM) is a myocardial inflammatory disease that can result from either viral diseases or autoimmune diseases. In this study, we have determined the treatment effects of immunomodulatory drugs on FM.

Experimental Approach

FM was induced in A/JGpt mice by intraperitoneal administration of coxsackievirus B3, after which immunoglobins were administered daily by intraperitoneal injection. On the seventh day, the cardiac structure and function were determined using echocardiography and cardiac catheterisation. Single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) was performed to evaluate CD45+ cells in the heart.

Key Results

Immunoglobin, a typical immunomodulatory drug, dramatically reduced mortality and significantly improved cardiac function in mice with FM. ScRNA‐seq revealed that immunoglobin treatment effectively modulated cardiac immune homeostasis, particularly by attenuating overactivated innate immune responses. At the cellular level, immunoglobin predominantly targeted Plac8+ monocytes and S100a8+ neutrophils, suppressing their proinflammatory activities, and enhancing antigen processing and presentation capabilities, thereby amplifying the efficiency and potency of the immune response against the virus. Immunoglobin benefits are mediated by the modulation of multiple signalling pathways, including relevant receptors on immune cells, direction of inflammatory cell chemotaxis, antigen presentation and anti‐viral effects. Subsequently, Bst2-ILT7 ligand‐receptor‐mediated cellular interactions manipulated by immunoglobin were further confirmed in vivo.

Conclusions and Implications

Immunoglobin treatment significantly attenuated FM‐induced cardiac inflammation and improved cardiac function by inhibiting overactivated innate immune responses.
Between advocacy and commodification on Instagram: A case study of sharenting a child with disabilities
Authors: Ruiz‐Gomez Alexandra , Marôpo Lidia , Jorge Ana
Published: October 2024

This study examines the advocacy for children with disabilities in the context of sharenting practices on social media. The focus is on a case study of a 5‐year‐old British girl with Down syndrome (DS) named AC, whose Instagram account is managed by her mother. The study involved analysing all the content shared on the account, including single images, carousels, and videos (n = 1195), Reels (n = 310), pinned highlights (n = 6), and content tagged by other accounts (n = 74). The Instagram narratives were inductively categorized into three groups: Normalizing DS, Coping with DS, and DS macro‐level advocacy. The sharenting portrayal of AC has contributed to the growth of a supportive community challenging social stereotypes while promoting a more inclusive society. However, the study raises concerns about privacy, commodification, and self‐representation of the child in the context of sharenting advocacy. The mother's efforts to blend advocacy with commodification may compromise AC's privacy in pursuit of public recognition of DS children and financial benefits. While the social media portrayal attempts to offer the child's perspective, this case may not accurately represent self‐advocacy.
Medicalisation, development and adult power: Exploring the contributions of the medical system to child disenfranchisement in theory and society
Authors: Alford Luke
Published: October 2024

The marginalisation of children globally is frequently justified by appeal to medical, developmental science. While childhood has increasingly become recognised as a social construct, this research has focused largely on education and legal structures, leaving this medicalisation unexamined. This essay closes that gap by examining the medicalisation of childhood and the contribution of the medical system to adult power. These are approached in separate sections. The first portion of this essay addresses the theoretical and rhetorical manner in which children are medicalised, using Piaget's theories as examples of a trend to over‐state the universality of childhood deficiencies and assume adult competences. Latour's work on the scientific black‐box is combined with Halliday's assessment of scientific language to examine how these theories are transformed from specific psychological findings, into assumed objective truths, carrying disenfranchising assumptions about children into public discourse. The essay's second part examines the practical role of the medical system in mobilising adultist discourses and disempowering children, through the operation of scientific management. This is built up from discussions of childbirth and adolescence to wider issues of medical power as it permeates educational, legislative and media spaces through Samuel's concept of biocertification. Finally, these two parts meet in highlighting the role of medicalisation in maintaining the hegemony of adult power through its veil of objectivity and expansive reach. I contend anthropological works referenced throughout the essay show that medicalised narratives of childhood are insufficient but culturally contingent and thus open to revision.