bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The S. cerevisiae m6A-reader Pho92 impacts meiotic recombination by controlling key methylated transcripts
Authors: Scutenaire Jérémy , Plassard Damien , Matelot Mélody , Villa Tommaso , Zumsteg Julie , Libri Domenico , Séraphin Bertrand
Published: March 2022

N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most abundant internal modification of eukaryotic mRNAs, participates in the post-transcriptional control of gene expression. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, m6A is only found during meiosis. Although the deletion of the m6A- methyltransferase Ime4 impairs this process, the molecular impact of m6A on gene expression remains ill defined. Here we investigated the function of the budding yeast m6A reader Pho92. We found that Pho92 is specifically expressed during meiosis and impacts meiotic progression. We used high-throughput RNA sequencing and mapping of Pho92-binding sites following UV-crosslinking to show that Pho92 is recruited to specific mRNAs in an m6A-dependent manner during the meiotic prophase, preceding their down-regulation. Strikingly, point mutations altering m6A sites in mRNAs targeted by Pho92 are sufficient to delay their down-regulation and, in one case, to impact meiotic progression. Altogether, our results indicate that Pho92 facilitate the meiotic progression by accelerating the down-regulation of timely-regulated mRNAs during meiotic recombination.
Lipolysis of bone marrow adipocytes is required to fuel bone and the marrow niche during energy deficits
Authors: Li Ziru , Bowers Emily , Zhu Junxiong , Yu Hui , Hardij Julie , Bagchi Devika P. , Mori Hiroyuki , Lewis Kenneth T. , Granger Katrina , Schill Rebecca L. , Romanelli Steven M. , Abrishami Simin , Hankenson Kurt D. , Singer Kanakadurga , Rosen Clifford J. , MacDougald Ormond A.
Published: March 2022

To investigate roles for bone marrow adipocyte (BMAd) lipolysis in bone homeostasis, we created a BMAd-specific Cre mouse model in which we knocked out adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL, Pnpla2). BMAd-Pnpla2-/- mice have impaired BMAd lipolysis, and increased size and number of BMAds at baseline. Although energy from BMAd lipid stores is largely dispensable when mice are fed ad libitum, BMAd lipolysis is necessary to maintain myelopoiesis and bone mass under caloric restriction. BMAd-specific Pnpla2 deficiency compounds the effects of caloric restriction on loss of trabecular bone, likely due to impaired osteoblast expression of collagen genes and reduced osteoid synthesis. RNA sequencing analysis of bone marrow adipose tissue reveals that caloric restriction induces dramatic elevations in extracellular matrix organization and skeletal development genes, and energy from BMAd is required for these adaptations. BMAd-derived energy supply is also required for bone regeneration upon injury, and maintenance of bone mass with cold exposure.
Confrontation of AlphaFold2 models with cryo-EM and crystal structures enlightens alternate geometries of the CYP102A1 multidomain protein
Authors: Urban Philippe , Pompon Denis
Published: March 2022

Large range structural dynamics plays a critical role for the function of electron transfer proteins. This information is generally not available from crystallographic structures, while cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) can provide some elements but frequently with a degraded spatial resolution. Recently, AlphaFold-based structural modelling was extended to the prediction of protein complexes. In this work, bacterial CYP102A1 from Priestia megaterium was used as a test case to evaluate the capability of AlphaFold2 to predict alternative structures critical for catalysis. CYP102A1 monooxygenase, a NADPH-supported fatty acid hydroxylase, works as a soluble homodimer, each monomer harboring two flavins (FAD and FMN) and one heme cofactors. Large conformational changes are required during catalytic cycle to allow successive electron transfers from FAD to FMN and finally heme iron. We used the recently released AlphaFold2_advanced notebook (AF2A), to predict the possible alternate conformations supporting electron transfers in CYP102A1 homodimer. Challenging AF2A-derived models with previously reported experimental data revealed an unforeseen domain connectivity of the diflavin reductase part of the enzyme. Intermolecular crossed complex constitutes a novel type of structural organization never previously described. The predicted formation within the dimer of a stable complex between the heme containing domains was challenged and found consistent with uninterpreted features of reported crystallographic structures and cryo-EM imaging. The particularly efficient CYP102A1 catalytic mechanism was revisited to the light of the new evidenced connectivity in which the FMN-binding domain of each monomer oscillates on themselves to alternatively receive and transfer electrons without needing large structural change in the dimer. Such model was found explanatory for previously contradictory reported biochemical data. Possibility to mimic CYP102A1 structural organization into bicomponent eukaryotic P450 systems was evaluated by designing and modeling in silico synthetic reductase domains built from composite sequence segments from P. megaterium and human origins. More generally, this work illustrates how the ability of AF2A to predict alternate complex structures can enlighten and explain conformational changes critical for bio-assemblies.
Stability and expression of SARS-CoV-2 spike-protein mutations
Authors: Bæk Kristoffer T. , Mehra Rukmankesh , Kepp Kasper P.
Published: March 2022

Protein fold stability likely plays a role in SARS-CoV-2 S-protein evolution, together with ACE2 binding and antibody evasion. While few thermodynamic stability data are available for S-protein mutants, many systematic experimental data exist for their expression. In this paper, we explore whether such expression levels relate to the thermodynamic stability of the mutants. We studied mutation-induced SARS-CoV-2 S-protein fold stability, as computed by three very distinct methods and eight different protein structures to account for method- and structure-dependencies. For all methods and structures used (24 comparisons), computed stability changes correlate significantly (99% confidence level) with experimental yeast expression from the literature, such that higher expression is associated with relatively higher fold stability. Also significant, albeit weaker, correlations were seen for ACE2 binding. The effect of thermodynamic fold stability may be direct or a correlate of amino acid or site properties, notably the solvent exposure of the site. Correlation between computed stability and experimental expression and ACE2 binding suggests that functional properties of the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein mutant space are largely determined by a few simple features, due to underlying correlations. Our study lends promise to the development of computational tools that may ideally aid in understanding and predicting SARS-CoV-2 S-protein evolution.
The permeation of potassium ions through the lipid scrambling path of the membrane protein nhTMEM16
Authors: Cheng Xiaolu , Khelashvili George , Weinstein Harel
Published: March 2022

The TMEM16 family of transmembrane proteins includes Ca2+-activated phospholipid scramblases (PLS) that can also function as non-selective ion channels. Extensive structural and functional studies have established that a membrane-exposed hydrophilic groove in TMEM16 PLS can serve as a translocation pathway for lipids. However, it is still unclear how the TMEM16 PLS conduct ions. A “protein-delimited pore” model suggests that ions are translocated through a narrow opening of the groove region, which is not sufficiently wide to allow lipid movement, whereas a “proteolipid pore” model envisions ions and lipids translocating through an open conformation of the groove. We investigated the dynamic path of potassium ion (K+) translocation that occurs when an open groove state of nhTMEM16 is obtained from long atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and calculated the free energy profile of the ion movement through the groove with umbrella sampling methodology. The free energy profile identifies effects of specific interactions along the K+ permeation path. The same calculations were performed to investigate ion permeation through a groove closed to lipid permeation in the nhTMEM16 L302A mutant which exhibits a stable conformation of the groove that does not permit lipid scrambling. Our results identify structural and energy parameters that enable K+ permeation and suggest that the presence of lipids in the nhTMEM16 groove observed in the simulations during scrambling or in/out diffusion, affect the efficiency of K+ permeation to various extents.
Metagenomics Study of Bacterial Communities from Yamuna River water of city of Taj, Agra
Authors: Raghav Nupur , Saraswat Pooja , Srivastava Janendra Nath , Ranjan Rajiv
Published: March 2022

Yamuna river water of Agra city is heavily contaminated with toxic pollutants including heavy metal that causes severe damage to ecological and social aspects. At present, the direct use of river water for the purpose of drinking causes severe hazards due to anthropogenic activities causing environmental pollution in rivers. In present study, Yamuna River water was collected from three different sites of Agra city. Various physico-chemical parameters were estimated by following the standard methods of APHA and the concentration of heavy metals were measured using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). In case of physico-chemical parameters characterization, the obtained values were extremely above the permissible limits. On account of the research work; the Yamuna river water samples contains heavy metal concentrations (Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead and Nickel) above the desirable and admissible levels except for Zinc. During analysis of non-culturable bacteria a substantial bacterial diversity was observed in the Yamuna river water samples collected from different sites. The water samples were subjected to metagenomic analysis using Illumina platform which revealed that Proteobacteria (phylum), Betaproteobacteria (class), Burkholderiales (order), Comamonadaceae (family),Hydrogenophaga(genus) andChloroflexi bacterium OLB 14(species) were found as the most dominant bacterial taxonomic abundance in the river water samples. The presence of such bacterial communities in water indicates the availability of pollutants and suggests the futuristic use in the field of bioremediation.
Paradoxical activation of SREBP1c andde novolipogenesis by hepatocyte-selective ACLY depletion in obese mice
Authors: Yenilmez Batuhan , Kelly Mark , Zhang Guofang , Wetoska Nicole , Ilkayeva Olga R. , Min Kyounghee , Rowland Leslie , DiMarzio Chloe , He Wentao , Raymond Naideline , Lifshitz Lawrence , Pan Meixia , Han Xianlin , Xie Jun , Friedline Randall H. , Kim Jason K. , Gao Guangping , Herman Mark A. , Newgard Christopher B. , Czech Michael P.
Published: March 2022

Hepatic steatosis associated with high fat diets, obesity and type 2 diabetes is thought to be the major driver of severe liver inflammation, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Cytosolic acetyl-coenzyme A (AcCoA), a central metabolite and substrate for de novo lipogenesis (DNL), is produced from citrate by ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY) and from acetate through AcCoA synthase short chain family member 2 (ACSS2). However, the relative contributions of these two enzymes to hepatic AcCoA pools and DNL rates in response to high fat feeding is unknown. We report here that hepatocyte-selective depletion of either ACSS2 or ACLY caused similar 50% decreases in liver AcCoA levels in obese mice, showing that both pathways contribute to generation of this DNL substrate. Unexpectedly however, the hepatocyte ACLY depletion in obese mice paradoxically increased total DNL flux measured by D2O incorporation into palmitate, while in contrast ACSS2 depletion had no effect. The increase in liver DNL upon ACLY depletion was associated with increased expression of nuclear sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP1c) and of its target DNL enzymes. This upregulated DNL enzyme expression explains the increased rate of palmitate synthesis in ACLY depleted livers. Furthermore, this increased flux through DNL may also contribute to the observed depletion of AcCoA levels due to its increased conversion to Malonyl CoA (MalCoA) and palmitate. Together, these data indicate that in HFD fed obese mice, hepatic DNL is not limited by its immediate substrates AcCoA or MalCoA, but rather by activities of DNL enzymes.
Identification of BAHD acyltransferases associated with acylinositol biosynthesis inSolanum quitoense(naranjilla)
Authors: Leong Bryan J. , Hurney Steven , Fiesel Paul , Anthony Thilani M. , Moghe Gaurav , Jones A. Daniel , Last Robert L.
Published: March 2022

Plants make a variety of specialized metabolites that can mediate interactions with animals, microbes and competitor plants. Understanding how plants synthesize these compounds enables studies of their biological roles by manipulating their synthesisin vivoas well as producing themin vitro. Acylsugars are a group of protective metabolites that accumulate in the trichomes of many Solanaceae family plants. Acylinositol biosynthesis is of interest because it appears to be restricted to a subgroup of species within the Solanum genus. Previous work characterized a triacylinositol acetyltransferase involved in acylinositol biosynthesis in the Andean fruit plantSolanum quitoense(lulo or naranjillo). We characterized three additionalS. quitoensetrichome expressed enzymes, and found that virus induced gene silencing of each caused changes in acylinositol accumulation. Surprisingly, thein vitrotriacylinositol products of these enzymes are distinct from those that accumulatein planta. These enzymes, nonetheless, provide an opportunities to test the biological impact and properties of these triacylinositolsin vitro.
Regionally distinct trophoblast regulate barrier function and invasion in the human placenta
Authors: Marsh Bryan , Zhou Yan , Kapidzic Mirhan , Fisher Susan , Blelloch Robert
Published: March 2022

The human placenta contains two specialized regions: the villous chorion where gases and nutrients are exchanged between maternal and fetal blood, and the smooth chorion which surrounds more than 70% of the developing fetus but whose cellular composition and function is poorly understood. Here, we use single cell RNA sequencing to compare the cell types and molecular programs between these two regions in the second trimester human placenta. Each region consists of progenitor cytotrophoblasts (CTBs) and extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) with similar gene expression programs. While CTBs in the villous chorion differentiate into syncytiotrophoblasts, they take an alternative trajectory in the smooth chorion producing a previously unknown CTB population which we term smooth-chorion-specific CTBs (SC-CTBs). Marked by expression of region-specific cytokeratins, the SC-CTBs form a stratified epithelium above a basal layer of progenitor CTBs. They express epidermal and metabolic transcriptional programs consistent with a primary role in defense against physical stress and pathogens. Additionally, we show that SC-CTBs closely associate with EVTs and secrete factors that inhibit the migration of the EVTs. This restriction of EVT migration is in striking contrast to the villous region where EVTs migrate away from the chorion and invade deeply into the decidua. Together, these findings greatly expand our understanding of CTB differentiation in these distinct regions of the human placenta. This knowledge has broad implications for studies of the development, functions, and diseases of the human placenta.

Impact Statement

Single cell RNA-sequencing of distinct regions of the human placenta identifies a smooth chorion-specific cytotrophoblast population responsible for unique functions of the smooth chorion, including acting as a barrier and restricting invasion.
Genomic insights into metabolic flux in ruby-throated hummingbirds
Authors: Gershman Ariel , Hauck Quinn , Dick Morag , Jamison Jerrica M. , Tassia Michael , Agirrezabala Xabier , Muhammad Saad , Ali Raafay , Workman Rachael E. , Valle Mikel , William Wong G. , Welch Kenneth C. , Timp Winston
Published: March 2022

Hummingbirds are very well adapted to sustain efficient and rapid metabolic shifts. They oxidize ingested nectar to directly fuel flight when foraging but have to switch to oxidizing stored lipids derived from ingested sugars during the night or long-distance migratory flights. Understanding how this organism moderates energy turnover is hampered by a lack of information regarding how relevant enzymes differ in sequence, expression, and regulation. To explore these questions, we generated a chromosome level de novo genome assembly of the ruby-throated hummingbird (A. colubris) using a combination of long and short read sequencing and scaffolding using other existing assemblies. We then used hybrid long and short-read RNA-sequencing for a comprehensive transcriptome assembly and annotation. Our genomic and transcriptomic data found positive selection of key metabolic genes in nectivorous avian species and a deletion of critical genes (GLUT4, GCK) involved in glucostasis in other vertebrates. We found expression of fructose-specific GLUT5 putatively in place of insulin-sensitive GLUT4, with predicted protein models suggesting affinity for both fructose and glucose. Alternative isoforms may even act to sequester fructose to preclude limitations from transport in metabolism. Finally, we identified differentially expressed genes from fasted and fed hummingbirds suggesting key pathways for the rapid metabolic switch hummingbirds undergo.
Dynamic proteomic and phosphoproteomic atlas of corticostriatal axon neurodevelopment
Authors: Dumrongprechachan V. , Salisbury R. B. , Butler L. , MacDonald M. L. , Kozorovitskiy Y.
Published: March 2022

Mammalian axonal development begins in embryonic stages and continues postnatally. After birth, axonal proteomic landscape changes rapidly, coordinated by transcription, protein turnover, and post-translational modifications. Comprehensive profiling of axonal proteomes across neurodevelopment is limited, with most studies lacking cell-type and neural circuit specificity, resulting in substantial information loss. We create a Cre-dependent APEX2 reporter mouse line and map cell-type specific proteome of corticostriatal projections across postnatal development. We synthesize analysis frameworks to define temporal patterns of axonal proteome and phosphoproteome, identifying co-regulated proteins and phosphorylations associated with genetic risk for human brain disorders. We discover proline-directed kinases as major developmental regulators. APEX2 transgenic reporter proximity labeling offers flexible strategies for subcellular proteomics with cell type specificity in early neurodevelopment, a critical period for neuropsychiatric disease.
Structural efficiency of block for aviation piston heavy fuel engine
Authors: Pan Zhongjian , He Qinghua , Yang Jing
Published: March 2022

Purpose

High reliability and high power-to-weight ratio are the technical difficulties in the development of aviation piston heavy fuel engines. This paper aims to provide a design evaluation method of the aero piston engine block, which can help R&D personnel quickly evaluate the performance of engine block, including effective bearing capacity and fatigue deformation, save a lot of experimental time and shorten the R&D cycle.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, structural efficiency is used to evaluate the reliability and durability of the engine block. Structural efficiency is a new evaluation method that lists its corresponding connotation according to different objects. In this paper, the function of the engine block in the engine is explained in detail, and three quantifiable connotations of the structural efficiency of the engine block are put forward. In the subsequent calculation, the calculation is carried out according to the three indexes, and the calculation results are used as the indexes to evaluate the performance of the engine block.

Findings

The structural efficiency evaluation method proposed in this paper can quickly and effectively evaluate the performance of the block from many aspects. Under the same boundary conditions, the two design schemes are simulated and analyzed, and the durability test is carried out. The analysis and experimental results show that Scheme 2 has good performance, which verifies the feasibility of the evaluation method.

Originality/value

This paper provides a method for rapid evaluation of engine block performance.
Fractional order sliding mode control based on delayed output observer for unmanned aircraft system
Authors: Bist Ashutosh , Sondhi Swati
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to design the fractional order sliding mode controller for highly maneuverable remote piloted unmanned aircraft with time-varying delays.

Design/methodology/approach

With the assumption that the time-varying delays are bounded and identical for different outputs, an observer-based control technique is implied which reformulates the state variables based on the system model and delayed outputs. The estimated state variables are fed as feedback into the controller. Based on the delayed output observer, a fractional order sliding mode controller is designed. Further, the stability of the closed-loop system is analyzed and asymptotical convergence is realized using Lyapunov–Razumikhin theorem.

Findings

The simulation is done in Matlab and Simulink. The parametric variations and trajectory tracking results are illustrated which looks propitious.

Practical implications

In practical operation, measurement signal is often delayed, which significantly degrade the control performance or even disturb the stability. It is emphasized to choose attitude as the evaluation indicator for unmanned aerial vehicle time delay.

Originality/value

A novel fractional order sliding mode control technique is designed to enhance the trajectory tracking, thus autonomous flight performance, of the aircraft system. Also, the main idea behind this novel procedure is formulated for minimizing the parametric variations in presence of time delays.
Predicting SMEs performance through green supply chain practices: a mediation model link of business process performance
Authors: Ali Zulqurnain
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Because of the emergence of technological development, firms (i.e. small and medium enterprises (SMEs)) adopt innovative cost-reduction strategies to improve their processes. Therefore, the adoption of green supply chain practices (GSCP) is critical for SMEs to enhance their business process performance (BPP). This paper aims to investigate how GSCP directly and indirectly (via BPP) influences firm manufacturing performance using the resource-based view as a theoretical base. This research also pursues to examine the mediation mechanism of BPP in the linkage between GSCP and SMEs performance in manufacturing SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the survey method, the authors recruited 407 textile SMEs executives and validated the proposed model and relationships in AMOS.

Findings

The outcomes confirm that GSCPs are positively related to BPP and SME performance, and BPP significantly mediates the association between GSCP and SME performance.

Practical implications

The outcomes help SME executives to minimize operational costs, save time and reduce wastage by implementing GSCP in their manufacturing processes. SME executives can improve their internal business processes for attaining the best firm performance.

Social implications

This research provides a healthy workplace to employees by improving business processes performance, enhancing brand image, increasing employee morale and decreasing production wastage.

Originality/value

This research theoretically and empirically contributes to explore the impact of GSCP on textile SME performance, which was unexplored in strategic green supply chain and performance management literature. Furthermore, this is the first study that explores the mediation mechanism of BPP between GSCP and SMEs performance.
Comparative study on minimization of conduction and switching losses in cascaded multilevel inverter via reduced switches and equal voltage source-sharing
Authors: Batool Dania , Malik Qandeel , Muhammad Tila , Khan Adnan Umar , Kim Jonghoon
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Multilevel inverters play a major role in the development of high-power industrial applications. In traditional low-level inverters (e.g. 2-level), the switching frequency is restricted and the harmonic spectrum of the system is hard to meet power requirements. Similarly, high-level inverters consist of a large number of switches, complex modulation techniques and complex hardware architecture, which results in high power loss and a significant amount of harmonic distortion. Furthermore, it is a must to ensure that every switch experiences the same stress of voltage and current. The purpose of this paper is to present an inverter topology with lower conduction and switching losses via reduced number of switches and equal voltage source-sharing technique.

Design/methodology/approach

Herein, the authors present a cascaded multilevel inverter having less power switches, a simple modulation technique and an equal voltage source-sharing phenomenon implementation.

Findings

The modulation technique becomes more complex when equal voltage source-sharing is to be implemented. In this study, a novel topology for the multilevel inverter with fewer switches, novel modulation technique, equal voltage source-sharing and Inductor-Capacitor-Inductor filter implementation is demonstrated to the reduce harmonic spectrum and power losses of the proposed system.

Originality/value

The nine-level inverter design is validated using software simulations and hardware prototype testing; the power losses of the proposed inverter design are elaborated and compared with the traditional approach.
Benefits of business conference participation for Australian SME managers: a case study of a belt and road initiative conference
Authors: Djajadikerta Hadrian Geri , Ong Tricia , Ng Danny , Trireksani Terri
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This study aims to explore the benefits of participation in a topic-relevant business conference as a learning and professional development apparatus for senior managers of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It analyzes the experiences of 12 Australian SME senior managers who participated in a Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) business conference in Hong Kong.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through pre- and post-conference attendance interviews. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’s (2005) four levels framework was used to analyze the effectiveness of business conferences on the participants at four different levels of the framework: reaction, learning, behavior and results.

Findings

This study finds that the business conference has shown effectiveness for the participants at the reaction (Level 1), learning (Level 2) and behavior (Level 3), indicating that participation in a topic-relevant business conference is useful for the learning and professional development of SME managers. However, only a moderate level of results (Level 4) was identified from attending the BRI conference, which implies that the content and quality of the business conference may influence the achievement of expected results.

Originality/value

This paper contributes a new understanding of the benefits of topic-relevant business conference participation as a learning and professional development apparatus for SME senior managers.
Sustainability in hospitality and tourism: a review of key research topics from 1994 to 2020
Authors: Molina-Collado Arturo , Santos-Vijande María Leticia , Gómez-Rico Mar , Madera Juan M.
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the scientific research related to sustainability in hospitality and tourism from 1994 to 2020 by conducting bibliometric and science mapping analyses and to discuss the implications for prospective research opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

Keyword co-occurrences with 2,980 published papers collected from the Web of Science (Social Science Citation Index and Emerging Sources Citation Index) were used for the bibliometric-based analysis. The authors use SciMAT software which offers relevant outputs, such as research themes and graphical outputs (strategic diagrams, cluster networks and science mapping representing the temporal evolution of the themes).

Findings

The findings show that biodiversity conservation, sustainable attitudes, climate change, protected areas, satisfaction and environmental management were the focal motor-themes in the studied periods. Additionally, four areas for future investigation are identified and discussed: sustainable behavior and environmental sustainability; consumption, demand and economic growth; tourism development and strategies; and rural tourism, poverty, ethics and education.

Research limitations/implications

This analysis shows insightful results processing a high number of published documents. However, the authors recommend further research focused on qualitative literature review for each critical topic.

Originality/value

The authors are unaware of analogous, completed and recent work about sustainability in hospitality and tourism. The authors believe this article is of great value to academics and practitioners because it synthesizes and disseminates the research topic while providing an outstanding basis for identifying research opportunities.
Linking transformational leadership with job satisfaction: the mediating roles of trust and team cohesiveness
Authors: Siswanto Siswanto , Yuliana Indah
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The study aims to investigate the roles of trust and team cohesiveness as mediating variables to transmit the effect of transformational leadership dimensions on job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a quantitative approach with 405 respondents as the samples. The respondents are teachers and staff of schools in East Java, Indonesia. The data are analyzed using partial least square (PLS).

Findings

Trust and team cohesiveness fully mediate the relationship between idealized influences on job satisfaction. Besides, idealized influence, inspirational motivation and individualized consideration directly affect job satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The relationship between transformational leadership and employee job satisfaction in educational institutions has been rarely explored. The study contributes to the literature on the role of trust and team cohesiveness in transmitting the effect of transformational leadership dimensions on job satisfaction of school employees.

Practical implications

To increase employee job satisfaction at schools, principals need to be highly concerned about trust in the leader–follower relationship. Therefore, principals are responsible for responding to the followers' needs and aspirations and caring for followers.

Originality/value

The significance of the result findings lies in the detailed model that transmits the direct and indirect effect of the transformational leadership dimensions on job satisfaction.
“There is no place like my mall”: consumer reactions to the absence of mall experiences
Authors: Vilnai-Yavetz Iris , Gilboa Shaked , Mitchell Vincent
Published: March 2022

Purpose

How can the situation of shoppers staying at home and being unable to experience malls prepare retailers for the new marketplace? The COVID-19 lockdown provides a unique opportunity to examine the value of mall experiences to shoppers. This study aims to suggest a new mall experiences loss (MEXLOSS) model for assessing the importance of mall experiences as the foundation of any future strategy for attracting shoppers back to the mall.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 498 British shoppers completed an online survey during the May 2020 COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Findings

When the exchanges of resources manifested in mall experiences are absent, the perceived difficulty of substituting an experience increases shoppers’ longing for the experience, which in turn increases both willingness to pay and mall loyalty but decreases well-being. Using a conceptualization of four types of mall experiences, i.e. functional, seductive, recreational and social, the functional and recreational experiences are shown to be the most valuable.

Practical implications

In the new more careful service marketplace, shoppers’ preferences are increasingly oriented toward health, safety, sustainability, collaboration and digitalization. To improve their resilience and attractiveness, malls need to adjust their layout, retail mix, digitalization, activities and connectivity according to these trends and to the characteristics of each mall experience.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to place a financial value on mall experiences and to use the absence of those experiences to assess their general and relative importance. The findings challenge previous assumptions about the superiority of online shopping and the decreasing attractiveness of malls.
Exploring a market-like organizational system’s performance by considering the efficiency/effectiveness trade-off in micro-level exchanges
Authors: Shi Lin
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The study explores how a market-like organizational system realizes efficient and/or effective development by investigating the efficiency/effectiveness trade-off in micro-level exchanges.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is motivated by two principles: reciprocity and similarity. Reciprocal benefits drive exchanges. Accordingly, two agents for a potential exchange should have different resources. However, differences in resources usually cause lack of trust, which hinders the efficient occurrence of exchanges. Alternatively, if two parties have similar resource positions, they can conduct an exchange efficiently. Nevertheless, the similarity makes the exchange less effective. Therefore, an efficiency/effectiveness trade-off exists in micro-level exchanges. To understand how different focuses on the efficiency/effectiveness trade-off shape the macro-level performance, the author develops a complex adaptive systems model for computer simulations.

Findings

The author finds that an efficiency-focus institution facilitates a market-like organizational system's rapid emergence but hinders the system's effective development.

Research limitations/implications

The study develops a model of how a dyadic exchange happens (or not) between any two parties in a competitive and uncertain environment and how the micro-level exchanges aggregate, suggesting one specific way to understand the micro-to-macro process of a market-like organizational system's economic dynamism. Future research is expected to improve the model with different contingencies.

Practical implications

The study's findings suggest that the efficiency-focus institution and the effectiveness-focus institution should be used at different times in a market-like organizational system's development process.

Originality/value

The study investigates the macro-level consequences building upon the micro-level efficiency/effectiveness trade-off.
Enhancement of vitamin D2 in edible mushroom using ultraviolet irradiation and assessing its storage and cooking stability
Authors: Malik Muneeb Ahmad , Jan Yasmeena , Haq Afrozul , Kaur Jasmeet , Panda Bibhu Prasad
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to optimize the parameters for enhancing the vitamin D2 formation in three edible mushroom varieties, namely, shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes), white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) and oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) using ultraviolet (UV) irradiation.

Design/methodology/approach

Freshly harvested mushrooms were irradiated with UV-B and UV-C lamps. Further, mushrooms were treated with UV-B at a distance ranging between 10 and 50 cm from the UV light source, for 15–150 min, to maximize the conversion of ergosterol to vitamin D2. Analysis of vitamin D2 content in mushrooms before and after UV exposure was done by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Findings

HPLC results showed a significant (p < 0.001) increase in vitamin D2 levels of shiitake (17.3 ± 0.35 µg/g), button (24.9 ± 0.71 µg/g) and oyster (19.1 ± 0.35 µg/g) mushrooms, irradiated with UV-B at a distance of 20–30 cm for 120 min. Further, stability studies revealed that vitamin D2 levels in UV-B-irradiated mushrooms gradually increased for 48 and 72 h of storage at room and refrigeration temperatures, respectively. During cooking operations, 62%–93% of vitamin D2 was retained in UV-B-irradiated mushrooms.

Originality/value

This study describes the most effective parameters such as ideal wavelength, mushrooms size, duration of exposure and distance from UV sources for maximum vitamin D2 formation in edible mushrooms using UV irradiation. Further, assessment of vitamin D2 stability in UV exposed mushrooms during storage period and cooking operations has been carried out. In addition, this study also provides a comparison of the vitamin D2 levels of the three widely cultivated and consumed mushroom varieties treated simultaneously under similar UV exposure conditions.
Chair–CEO demographic dissimilarities and firm internationalization
Authors: Chow Yee Peng
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between chair–chief executive officer (CEO) demographic dissimilarities and firm internationalization.

Design/methodology/approach

The pooled ordinary least squares regression is used on a sample of listed firms in Malaysia from 2013 to 2017. This study considers three demographic dissimilarities between the chair and CEO, i.e. differences in age, educational background and nationality.

Findings

The results reveal that demographic dissimilarities between the chair and CEO, notably differences in nationality, may result in conflicting cognitive styles, which in turn may impede the firms’ ability to expand internationally, as compared to differences in age and educational background. The findings demonstrate the deleterious effects of demographic dissimilarity between these two individuals in the highest echelons on the firms’ internationalization strategy due to poor communication and lack of ability to cooperate when dissatisfaction and conflicts intensify between these corporate elites.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper makes the first attempt to examine the influence of chair–CEO demographic dissimilarities on firm internationalization. Previous studies examining firms’ internationalization strategy, for the most part, restricted their scope to either the board members or top management team characteristics, but had largely overlooked the nexus between nonexecutive and executive directors through the chair and CEO. A focus on the demographic dissimilarities between the co-leaders of the firm is essential to improve the understanding of the collaboration and rivalry between them, which may affect board effectiveness and firm internationalization.
Changes in taxonomic and functional diversity of dung beetles along a forest disturbance gradient in tropical karst ecosystems on islands of Vietnam
Authors: Bui Van Bac , Tran Dung Van , Bui The Doi , Le Bao Thanh , Bai Ming
Published: March 2022

Tropical karst ecosystems are an exceptionally unique and important landscape element of South East (SE) Asia. Unfortunately, these ecosystems have been increasingly disturbed due to forest conversions to anthropogenic land uses, illegal logging, and limestone quarrying. Karst regions have a high degree of endemic species, so their loss is likely to have negative consequences for species conservation as well as ecological processes. We investigated dung‐beetle communities from primary forests (PF), old secondary forests (>15 years since abandonment, OSF), young secondary forests (<10 years since abandonment, YSF), and Acacia plantations (<10 years old, AP) of karst ecosystems on Cat Ba Island (northern Vietnam). Our main aim was to provide a thorough and quantitative assessment of the taxonomic and functional diversity of dung beetles in the examined forests, and subsequently to determine the value of specific types of disturbed forests for biodiversity conservation. In total, 1458 dung beetles of 34 taxa were recorded. Community composition varied significantly among the forest types and was broadly separated into two groups: old‐growth forests (i.e., PF and OSF) and young‐growth forests (i.e., YSF and AP). While YSF and AP hosted severely impoverished dung‐beetle communities, OSF with a high forest canopy cover and high ground vegetation cover harbored species‐rich dung‐beetle communities similar to those found in PF. However, functional diversity significantly differed between PF and OSF. The data also revealed that community responses were due to changing patterns of trait compositions rather than species richness.
Parasitic infections by Group II Syndiniales target selected dinoflagellate host populations within diverse protist assemblages in a model coastal pond
Authors: Sehein Taylor R. , Gast Rebecca J. , Pachiadaki Maria , Guillou Laure , Edgcomb Virginia P.
Published: March 2022

Protists are integral to marine food webs and biogeochemical cycles; however, there is a paucity of data describing specific ecological niches for some of the most abundant taxa in marker gene libraries. Syndiniales are one such group, often representing the majority of sequence reads recovered from picoplankton samples across the global ocean. However, the prevalence and impacts of syndinian parasitism in marine environments remain unclear. We began to address these critical knowledge gaps by generating a high‐resolution time series (March–October 2018) in a productive coastal pond. Seasonal shifts in protist populations, including parasitic Syndiniales, were documented during periods of higher primary productivity and increased summer temperature‐driven stratification. Elevated concentrations of infected hosts and free‐living parasite spores occurred at nearly monthly intervals in July, August, and September. We suggest intensifying stratification during this period correlated with the increased prevalence of dinoflagellates that were parasitized by Group II Syndiniales. Infections in some protist populations were comparable to previously reported large single‐taxon dinoflagellate blooms. Infection dynamics in Salt Pond demonstrated the propagation of syndinian parasites through mixed protist assemblages and highlighted patterns of host/parasite interactions that better reflect many other marine environments where single taxon blooms are uncommon.
Involvement of VIVID in white light‐responsive pigmentation, sexual development and sterigmatocystin biosynthesis in the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina
Authors: Shen Ling , Chapeland‐Leclerc Florence , Ruprich‐Robert Gwenaël , Chen Qiyi , Chen Siyu , Adnan Muhammad , Wang Jiangxin , Liu Gang , Xie Ning
Published: March 2022

Light serves as a source of information and regulates diverse physiological processes in living organisms. Fungi perceive and respond to light through a complex photosensory system. Fungi have evolved the desensitization mechanism to adapt to the changing light signal in a natural environment. White light exerts multiple essential impacts on the model filamentous fungus Podospora anserina. However, the light sensing and response in this species has not been investigated. In this study, we demonstrated that the loss of function of the light desensitization protein VIVID (VVD) in P. anserina triggered exacerbated light responses and therefore led to drastic morphological and physiological changes. The white light‐sensitive mutant Δvvd showed growth reduction, spermatia overproduction, enhanced hyphae pigmentation and reduced oxidative stress tolerance. We observed the decreased expression level of sterigmatocystin gene cluster by transcriptome analysis and finally detected the reduced production of sterigmatocystin in Δvvd in response to white light. Our data indicate that VVD acts as a repressor of white collar complex. This study exhibits a vital role of VVD in governing white light‐responsive gene expression and secondary metabolite production and contributes to a better understanding of the photoreceptor VVD in P. anserina.
Potential applications of pulsed electric field in cheesemaking
Authors: Gentès Marie‐Claude , Caron Annie , Champagne Claude P
Published: March 2022

Consumers show interest in preservation technologies that are not based on heating. This review examines the use of nonthermal technologies such as pulsed electric field (PEF) in cheesemaking. The effects of PEF on the destruction of pathogens in cheesemaking milk, as well as in brines, are examined. Additionally, PEF affects milk proteins and lipids, as well as starters, with potential consequences for the sensory properties of cheese. The challenges of scaling up the PEF in cheesemaking are addressed. In the aim of promoting durable agri‐food systems, applications of PEF in processes of cheese whey valorisation are also discussed.
Political tolerance in Europe: The role of conspiratorial thinking and cosmopolitanism
Authors: STOECKEL FLORIAN , CEKA BESIR
Published: March 2022

Tolerance has long been identified as a crucial feature of liberal democracies. Although the limits of tolerance are debated, the extent to which citizens are open and willing to accommodate others who are different from them is often regarded as a sign of a healthy and well‐functioning liberal democracy. The goal of this paper is to empirically investigate the state of political tolerance in Europe today. The main questions we ask are: What explains the different levels of tolerance across individuals in various countries? Which groups in society are the most likely targets of intolerance? We understand political tolerance as the willingness to allow the free articulation of interests and ideas in the political system of groups one opposes. Previous research emphasizes education, civic activism and threat perceptions as important determinants of tolerance. We redirect the debate to a set of novel correlates of tolerance. We argue that conspiratorial thinking and cosmopolitanism are critical factors that explain levels of tolerance among Europeans. The analysis employs original survey data collected as part of a mass survey conducted in 2017 in 10 European Union member states: Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. Our descriptive analysis shows that far‐right groups (i.e., fascists and neo‐Nazis) and Muslims are the most disliked groups in Europe. When it comes to the level of tolerance towards these groups, we find that more than half of the respondents in each country are willing to deny their most disliked group parliamentary representation. Moreover, we find that even after controlling for traditional determinants of tolerance, conspiratorial thinking and cosmopolitanism emerge as the most important predictors of political tolerance. Our analysis suggests that the recent rapid spread of various conspiracy theories related to the COVID‐19 pandemic is likely to have far‐reaching implications for tolerance as well.