bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TNF Superfamily Member 14 Drives Post-Influenza Depletion of Alveolar Macrophages Enabling Secondary Pneumococcal Pneumonia
Authors: Malainou Christina , Peteranderl Christin , Ferrero Maximiliano Ruben , Vazquez-Armendariz Ana Ivonne , Alexopoulos Ioannis , Better Julian , Estiri Mohammad , Schultheis Hendrik , Hoppe Judith , del Rio Maria-Luisa , Rodriguez-Barbosa Jose Ignacio , Pfeffer Klaus , Günther Stefan , Looso Mario , Gruber Achim D. , Vadász István , Matt Ulrich , Herold Susanne
Published: July 2024

Secondary bacterial infection, often caused byStreptococcus pneumoniae(Spn), is one of the most frequent and severe complications of influenza A virus (IAV)-induced pneumonia. Phenotyping of the pulmonary innate immune landscape after IAV infection revealed a significant depletion of the tissue-resident alveolar macrophage (TR-AM) population at day 7, which was associated with increased susceptibility to Spn outgrowth. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying TR-AM depletion, and to define putative targets for treatment, we combined single-cell transcriptomics and cell-specific PCR profiling in an unbiased manner, usingin vivomodels of IAV infection and IAV/Spn co-infection. The TNF superfamily 14 (TNFSF14) ligand-receptor axis was revealed as the driving force behind post-influenza TR-AM death during the early infection phase, enabling the transition to pneumococcal pneumonia, while intrapulmonary transfer of genetically modified TR-AMs and antibody-mediated neutralization of specific pathway components alleviated disease severity. With a mainly neutrophilic expression and a high abundance in the bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) of patients with severe virus-induced ARDS, TNFSF14 emerged as a novel determinant of virus-driven lung injury. Targeting the TNFSF14-mediated intercellular communication network in the virus-infected lung can, therefore, improve host defense, minimizing the risk of subsequent bacterial pneumonia, and ameliorating disease outcome.
Multi-Modal CLIP-Informed Protein Editing
Authors: Yin Mingze , Zhou Hanjing , Zhu Yiheng , Lin Miao , Wu Yixuan , Wu Jialu , Xu Hongxia , Hsieh Chang-Yu , Hou Tingjun , Chen Jintai , Wu Jian
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Proteins govern most biological functions essential for life, but achieving controllable protein discovery and optimization remains challenging. Recently, machine learning-assisted protein editing (MLPE) has shown promise in accelerating optimization cycles and reducing experimental workloads. However, current methods struggle with the vast combinatorial space of potential protein edits and cannot explicitly conduct protein editing using biotext instructions, limiting their interactivity with human feedback. To fill these gaps, we propose a novel method called ProtET for efficient CLIP-informed protein editing through multi-modality learning. Our approach comprises two stages: in the pretraining stage, contrastive learning aligns protein-biotext representations encoded by two large language models (LLMs), respectively. Subsequently, during the protein editing stage, the fused features from editing instruction texts and original protein sequences serve as the final editing condition for generating target protein sequences. Comprehensive experiments demonstrated the superiority of ProtET in editing proteins to enhance human-expected functionality across multiple attribute domains, including enzyme catalytic activity, protein stability and antibody specific binding ability. And ProtET improves the state-of-the-art results by a large margin, leading to significant stability improvements of 16.67% and 16.90%. This capability positions ProtET to advance real-world artificial protein editing, potentially addressing unmet academic, industrial, and clinical needs.
Dopamine reveals adaptive learning of actions representation
Authors: Come Maxime , Gulmez Aylin , Keshishian Loussineh , Jehl Joachim , Bousseyrol Elise , Didienne Steve , Vicq Eleonore , Le Borgne Tinaïg , Mourot Alexandre , Faure Philippe
Published: July 2024

Efficient decision-making requires two key processes: learning values from actions and identifying a set of relevant actions to learn from in a given context. While dopamine (DA) is a well-known substrate for signaling reward prediction errors (RPEs) from selected actions to adjust behavior, the process of establishing and switching between action representations is still poorly understood. To address this gap, we used fiber photometry and computational modelling in a three-armed bandit task where mice learned to seek rewards delivered through three successive rule sets, displaying distinct strategies in each rule. We show that DA dynamically reflected RPEs computed from different task features, revealing context- specific internal representations. Our findings demonstrate that mice not only learned and updated action values but also action representations, adapting the features from which they learn across rules for flexible adjustment of their decision strategy.
Encoding of antennal position and velocity by the Johnston’s organ in hawkmoths
Authors: Mukunda Chinmayee L , Sane Sanjay P
Published: July 2024

Insect antennae function as versatile, multimodal sensory probes in diverse behavioural contexts. In addition to their primary role as olfactory organs, they serve essential mechanosensory functions across insects, including auditory perception, vestibular feedback, airflow detection, gravity sensing, and tactile sensation. These diverse functions are facilitated by the mechanosensory Johnston’s organ (JO), located at the joint between the second antennal segment, known as the pedicel, and the flagellum. The pedicel-flagellum joint lacks muscles which means that the Johnston’s organs can perceive only passive deflections of the flagellum. Earlier work which characterized the sensitivity and short response time of the sensory units of JO in hawkmoths, showed that their sensitivity to a broad frequency range is range-fractionated. This vastly expands the functional repertoire of the JO. However, it is not clear what components of antennal kinematics are encoded by the JO. Here, we conducted experiments to test the hypothesis that JO neurons encode the position and velocity of angular movements of the flagellum. We recorded intracellularly from the axons of primary sensory neurons of JO while stimulating it with ramp-and-hold stimuli in which antennal position or antennal angular velocity was maintained at various constant values. Our study shows that JO neurons encode angular velocity and position of the antenna in their response. We also characterized the neural adaptation of the responses to angular velocities and positions. A majority of neurons were sensitive to a movement in the ventrad direction, in the direction of gravity. The adaptation and the directional response properties give rise to a nonlinear hysteresis-like response. Together, these findings highlight the neurophysiological basis underlying the functional versatility of the JO.
Saturation transposon mutagenesis enables genome-wide identification of genes required for growth and fluconazole resistance in the human fungal pathogenCryptococcus neoformans
Authors: Billmyre R. Blake , Craig Caroline J. , Lyon Joshua , Reichardt Claire , Eickbush Michael T. , Zanders Sarah E.
Published: July 2024

Fungi can cause devastating invasive infections, typically in immunocompromised patients. Treatment is complicated both by the evolutionary similarity between humans and fungi and by the frequent emergence of drug resistance. Studies in fungal pathogens have long been slowed by a lack of high-throughput tools and community resources that are common in model organisms. Here we demonstrate a high-throughput transposon mutagenesis and sequencing (TN-seq) system inCryptococcus neoformansthat enables genome-wide determination of gene essentiality. We employed a random forest machine learning approach to classify theCryptococcus neoformansgenome as essential or nonessential, predicting 1,465 essential genes, including 302 that lack human orthologs. These genes are ideal targets for new antifungal drug development. TN-seq also enables genome-wide measurement of the fitness contribution of genes to phenotypes of interest. As proof of principle, we demonstrate the genome-wide contribution of genes to growth in fluconazole, a clinically used antifungal. We show a novel role for the well-studiedRIM101pathway in fluconazole susceptibility. We also show that 5’ insertions of transposons can drive sensitization of essential genes, enabling screenlike assays of both essential and nonessential components of the genome. Using this approach, we demonstrate a role for mitochondrial function in fluconazole sensitivity, such that tuning down many essential mitochondrial genes via 5’ insertions can drive resistance to fluconazole. Our assay system will be valuable in future studies ofC. neoformans, particularly in examining the consequences of genotypic diversity.
Monkey lateral prefrontal cortex subregions differentiate between perceptual exposure to visual stimuli
Authors: Leaman Kyoko , Yusif Rodriguez Nadira , Ahuja Aarit , Basu Debaleena , McKim Theresa H. , Desrochers Theresa M
Published: July 2024

Each day, humans must parse visual stimuli with varying amounts of perceptual experience, ranging from incredibly familiar to entirely new. Even when choosing a novel to buy at a bookstore, one sees covers they have repeatedly experienced intermixed with recently released titles. Visual exposure to stimuli has distinct neural correlates in the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) of nonhuman primates. However, it is currently unknown if this function may be localized to specific subregions within LPFC. Specifically, we aimed to determine whether the posterior fundus of area 46 (p46f), an area that responds to deviations from learned sequences, also responds to less frequently presented stimuli outside of the sequential context. We compare responses in p46f to the adjacent subregion, posterior ventral area 46 (p46v), which we propose may be more likely to show exposure-dependent responses due to its proximity to novelty responsive regions. To test whether p46f or p46v represent perceptual exposure, we performed awake functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on three male monkeys as they observed visual stimuli that varied in their number of daily presentations. Here we show that p46v, but not p46f, shows preferential activation to stimuli with low perceptual exposure, further localizing exposure-dependent effects in monkey LPFC. These results align with previous research that has found novelty responses in ventral LPFC and are consistent with the proposal that p46f performs a sequence-specific function. Further, they expand on our knowledge of the specific role of LPFC subregions and localize perceptual exposure processing within this broader brain region.
Genetic diversity and evolution of rice centromeres
Authors: Xie Lingjuan , Huang Yujie , Huang Wei , Shang Lianguang , Sun Yanqing , Chen Quanyu , Bi Shuangtian , Suo Mingyu , Zhang Shiyu , Yang Chentao , Zheng Xiaoming , Jin Weiwei , Qian Qian , Fan Longjiang , Wu Dongya
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Understanding the mechanisms driving centromere evolution is crucial for deciphering eukaryotic evolution and speciation processes. Despite their widely recognized characteristics of conserved function in cell division, the centromeres have showed high diversity in composition and structure between species. The mechanism underlying this paradox remain poorly understood. Here, we assembled 67 high-quality rice genomes fromOryzaAA group, encompassing both Asian and African rice species, and conducted an extensive analysis of over 800 nearly complete centromeres. Throughde novoannotation of satellite sequences and employing a progressive compression strategy, we quantified the local homogenization and multi-layer nested structures of rice centromeres and found that genetic innovations in rice centromeres primarily arise from internal structural variations and retrotransposon insertions, along with a certain number of non-canonical satellite repeats (sati). Despite these rapid structural alterations, the single-base substitution rate in rice centromeres appears relatively lower compared to the chromosome arms. Contrary to the KARMA model forArabidopsiscentromere evolution, our model (RICE) suggests that centrophilic LTRs contribute to the decline of progenitor centromeres composed of satellite repeats, and facilitate the formation of evolutionary neo-centromeres, which are enriched with extended CENH3 binding regions beyond the native satellite arrays in plant genomes. In summary, this study provides novel insights into genomic divergence and reproductive barriers among rice species and subspecies, and advances our understanding of plant centromere evolution.
L-Phenylalanine is a metabolic checkpoint of human Th2 cells
Authors: Kulkarni Abhijeet J , Rodriguez-Coira Juan , Stocker Nino , Radzikowska Urszula , García-Cívico Antonio J , Delgado Dolset María Isabel , Contreras Nuria , Jardón Parages Inés , Saiz Sanchez Vanessa , Serrano Pilar , Izquierdo Elena , Gomez-Casado Cristina , Sanchez-Solares Javier , Pablo-Torres Carmela , Obeso David , Moreno-Aguilar Carmen , Luisa Espinazo Maria , Eljaszewicz Andrzej , Koch Jana , Baerenfaller Katja , Heider Anja , Tan Ge , Escribese Maria M , Ruiz-Leon Berta , Akdis Cezmi A , Argüello Rafael J. , Barber Domingo , Villaseñor Alma , Sokolowska Milena
Published: July 2024

After the primary response, circulating memory CD4+T effector and T regulatory cells (Treg) regulate recall responses, which are impaired in allergy. Using mass spectrometry, we discovered distinct metabolomes of these cells in humans and their unique enrichment in amino acids. By assessing energy metabolism inin vitroandex vivosingle-cell analyses, we determined that increased intracellular L-phenylalanine boosts glycolysis while limiting OXPHOS in CD4+T, memory CD4+T and Th2, but not in Treg cells. L-phenylalanine also restrains memory CD4+T proliferation in an IL4I1-dependent manner and inhibits Th2 cell proliferation and differentiation. RNA-sequencing, metabolomics, flow cytometry and proteomics, validatedin vitroand across patients’ cohorts, revealed an impairment in LAT1-dependent transport of L-phenylalanine into Th2 cells in allergy with an increase in its intracellular processing, accompanied by an expansion of pathogenic Th2 cells. Thus, our study identifies L-phenylalanine as a checkpoint in the development, energy metabolism and function of Th2 cells.
Odor-based real-time detection and identification of pests and diseases attacking crop plants
Authors: Arce Carla C. M. , Mamin Marine , Röder Gregory , Kanagendran Arooran , Degen Thomas , Defossez Emmanuel , Rasmann Sergio , Akiyama Terunobu , Minami Kosuke , Yoshikawa Genki , Lopez-Hilfiker Felipe , Cappellin Luca , Turlings Ted C. J.
Published: July 2024

Plants respond to attacks by herbivores and pathogens by releasing specific blends of volatile compounds and the resulting odor can be specific for the attacking species. We tested if these odors can be used to monitor the presence of pests and diseases in agriculture. Two methods were used, one employing piezoresistive membrane surface stress sensors and the other proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry. Under laboratory conditions, both techniques readily distinguished between maize plants that were either undamaged, infested by caterpillars, or infected by a fungal pathogen. Under outdoor conditions, the spectrometer could be used to recognize plants with simulated caterpillar damage with about 80% accuracy. Further finetuning of these techniques should lead to the development of odor-sensing mobile devices capable of alerting farmers to the presence and exact location of pests and diseases in their fields.
scPRINT: pre-training on 50 million cells allows robust gene network predictions
Authors: Kalfon Jérémie , Samaran Jules , Peyré Gabriel , Cantini Laura
Published: July 2024

A cell is governed by the interaction of myriads of macromolecules. Such a network of interaction has remained an elusive milestone in cellular biology. Building on recent advances in large foundation models and their ability to learn without supervision, we present scPRINT, a large cell model for the inference of gene networks pre-trained on more than 50M cells from the cellxgene database. Using novel pretraining methods and model architecture, scPRINT pushes large transformer models towards more interpretability and usability in uncovering the complex biology of the cell. Based on our atlas-level benchmarks, scPRINT demonstrates superior performance in gene network inference to the state of the art, as well as competitive zero-shot abilities in denoising, batch effect correction, and cell label prediction. On an atlas of benign prostatic hyperplasia, scPRINT highlights the profound connections between ion exchange, senescence, and chronic inflammation.
Nucleoside diphosphate kinase A (NME1) catalyzes its own oligophosphorylation
Authors: Celik Arif , Schöpf Felix , Stieger Christian E. , Morgan Jeremy A. M. , Lampe Sarah , Ruwolt Max , Liu Fan , Hackenberger Christian P. R. , Roderer Daniel , Fiedler Dorothea
Published: July 2024

Protein phosphorylation is a central regulatory mechanism in eukaryotic cell signaling, and was recently expanded to include protein pyrophosphorylation and protein polyphosphorylation. Here, we report the discovery of yet another mode of phosphorylation – protein oligophosphorylation. Using site-specifically phosphorylated and pyrophosphorylated nucleoside diphosphate kinase A (NME1), the effects of these modifications on enzyme activity were investigated. Phosphorylation, and more so pyrophosphorylation, on threonine 94 notably reduced the nucleoside diphosphate kinase activity. Nevertheless, both phosphoprotein and pyrophosphoprotein were able to catalyze their own oligophosphorylation – up to the formation of a hexaphosphate chain – using ATP as a co-factor. This reaction was critically dependent on the catalytic histidine residue H118, and cryo-EM analysis of the differently modified proteins suggests an intramolecular phosphoryl transfer, likelyviaa phosphohistidine intermediate. Oligophosphorylation of NME1 in biochemical samples, as well as cell lysates, was further confirmed using mass spectrometry, and oligophophorylation promoted a new set of protein interactions. Our results highlight the complex nature of phosphoregulation, and the methods described here provide the opportunity to investigate the impact of this novel modification in the future.
Network motifs exhibiting a differential response to spaced and massed inputs
Authors: Sreejan Ashley , Saxena Priyanka , Gadgil Chetan J.
Published: July 2024

One characteristic of long-term memory is the existence of an inverted U-shaped response to increasing intervals between training sessions, and consequently, an optimal spacing that maximizes memory formation. Current models of this spacing effect focus on specific molecular components and their interactions. Here, we computationally study the underlying network architecture, in particular, the potential of motif dynamics in qualitatively capturing the spacing effect in a manner that is independent of the animal model, biomolecular components, and the timescales involved. We define a common training and test protocol, and computationally identify network topologies that can qualitatively replicate the experimentally observed characteristics of the spacing effect. For 41 motifs derived from fundamental network architectures such as autoregulation, feedback, and feedforward motifs, we tested their capacity to manifest the spacing effect in terms of an inverted U-shaped response curve, using different combinations of stimulation protocols, response metrics, and kinetic parameters. Our findings indicate that positive feedback motifs where the stimulus enhances conversion reaction in the loop replicate the spacing effect across all response metrics, while feedforward motifs exhibit a metric-specific spacing effect. For some parameter combinations, linear cascades of activation and conversion reactions were found sufficient to qualitatively exhibit spacing effect characteristics.
Constraining the mass-spectra in the presence of a light sterile neutrino from absolute mass-related observables
Authors: Goswami Srubabati , Pachhar Debashis , Pan Supriya
Published: July 2024

The framework of three-flavor neutrino oscillation is a well-established phenomenon, but results from the short-baseline experiments, such as the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND) and MiniBooster Neutrino Experiment (MiniBooNE), hint at the potential existence of an additional light neutrino state characterized by a mass-squared difference of approximately 1  eV2. The new neutrino state is devoid of all Standard Model (SM) interactions, commonly referred to as a “sterile” state. In addition, a sterile neutrino with a mass-squared difference of 10−2  eV2 has been proposed to improve the tension between the results obtained from the Tokai to Kamioka (T2K) and the NuMI Off-axis νe Appearance (NOνA) experiments. Further, the nonobservation of the predicted upturn in the solar neutrino spectra below 8 MeV can be explained by postulating an extra light sterile neutrino state with a mass-squared difference around 10−5  eV2. The hypothesis of an additional light sterile neutrino state introduces four distinct mass spectra depending on the sign of the mass-squared difference. In this paper, we discuss the implications of the above scenarios on the observables that depend on the absolute mass of the neutrinos; namely, the sum of the light neutrino masses (Σ) from cosmology, the effective mass of the electron neutrino from beta decay (mβ), and the effective Majorana mass (mββ) from neutrinoless double beta decay. We show that some scenarios can be disfavored by the current constraints of the above variables. The implications for projected sensitivity of Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino Experiment (KATRIN) and future experiments like Project-8, next Enriched Xenon Observatory (nEXO) are discussed.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Leptogenesis in the minimal flipped
SU(5)
unification
Authors: Fonseca Renato , Malinský Michal , Miřátský Václav , Zdráhal Martin
Published: July 2024

We study the prospects of thermal leptogenesis in the framework of the minimal flipped SU(5) unified model in which the right-handed (RH) neutrino mass scale emerges as a two-loop effect. Despite its strong suppression with respect to the unification scale that tends to disfavor leptogenesis in the standard Davidson-Ibarra regime (and a notoriously large washout of the N1-generated asymmetry owing to a toplike Yukawa entry in the Dirac neutrino mass matrix) the desired ηB∼6×10−10 can still be attained in several parts of the parameter space exhibiting interesting baryon and lepton number violation phenomenology. Remarkably enough, in all these regions the mass of the lightest left-handed (LH) neutrino is so low that it yields mβ≲0.03  eV for the effective neutrino mass measured in beta decay, i.e., an order of magnitude below the design sensitivity limit of the KATRIN experiment. This makes the model potentially testable in the near future.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
GeV-scale dark matter with
p
-wave Breit-Wigner enhanced annihilation
Authors: Bélanger Genevieve , Chakraborti Sreemanti , Génolini Yoann , Salati Pierre
Published: July 2024

We consider a light scalar dark matter candidate with mass in the GeV range whose p-wave annihilation is enhanced through a Breit-Wigner resonance. The annihilation actually proceeds in the s-channel via a dark photon mediator whose mass is nearly equal to the masses of the incoming particles. We compute the temperature at which kinetic decoupling between dark matter and the primordial plasma occurs and show that including the effect of kinetic decoupling can reduce the dark matter relic density by orders of magnitude. For typical scalar masses ranging from 200 MeV to 5 GeV, we determine the range of values allowed for the dark photon couplings to the scalar and to the standard model particles after requiring the relic density to be in agreement with the value extracted from cosmological observations. We then show that μ and y-distortions of the cosmic microwave background spectrum and x-ray data from XMM-Newton strongly constrain the model and rule out the region where the dark matter annihilation cross section is strongly enhanced at small dispersion velocities. Constraints from direct detection searches and from accelerator searches for dark photons offer complementary probes of the model.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Hot corrosion behavior of selective laser melted TiC/GT D222 nickel-based composite in 75% Na2SO4 and 25% K2SO4 molten salt medium at 900°C
Authors: Lv Yuting , Ouyang Xing , Liu Yaojie , Tian Ying , Wang Rui , Wei Guijiang
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the differences in hot corrosion behavior of the GTD222 superalloy and TiC/GTD222 composite in a mixed salt of 75% Na2SO4 and 25% K2SO4 at 900°C.

Design/methodology/approach

The GTD222 superalloy and TiC/GTD222 nickel-based composite were prepared using selective laser melting (SLM). Subsequently, the hot corrosion behavior of the two alloys was systematically investigated in a salt mixture consisting of 75% Na2SO4 and 25% K2SO4 (Wt.%) at 900°C.

Findings

The TiC/GTD222 composite exhibited better hot corrosion resistance compared to the GTD222 superalloy. First, the addition of alloying elements led to the formation of a protective oxide film on the TiC/GTD222 composites 20 h before hot corrosion. Second, TiC/GTD222 composite corrosion surface has a higher Ti content, after 100 h of hot corrosion, the composite corrosion surface Ti content of 10.8% is more than two times the GTD222 alloy 4% Ti. The Ti and Cr oxides are tightly bonded, effectively resisting the erosion of corrosive elements.

Originality/value

The hot corrosion behavior of GTD222 superalloy and TiC/GTD222 composites prepared by SLM in a mixed salt of 75% Na2SO4 and 25% K2SO4 was studied for the first time. This study provides insights into the design of high-temperature alloys resistant to hot corrosion.
Good corporate governance, firm performance and COVID-19
Authors: Putra Ferdy
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This research is designed to analyze the effectiveness of the audit committee, nomination and remuneration committee, and ownership structure on company performance and how COVID-19 moderates the influence of these governance mechanisms on company performance.

Design/methodology/approach

437 annual reports of Indonesian manufacturing companies from 2018 to 2021 were used as research samples using multiple regression analysis and moderated regression analysis.

Findings

Good corporate governance plays a role in improving company performance. The presence of COVID-19 affects corporate governance, thereby reducing performance, but good corporate governance can limit this impact.

Practical implications

This research helps companies understand the effectiveness of the supervisory function in improving company performance. This research provides input for companies, regulators, and policymakers to pay attention to good corporate governance, especially when facing a crisis.

Originality/value

To my knowledge, research that examines corporate governance mechanisms and company performance related to COVID-19 and investigates whether COVID-19 moderates the influence of corporate governance mechanisms on company performance has never been conducted.
It makes me happy: anthropomorphism increases consumer preference for healthy food
Authors: Zhao Yichen , Zhou Shoujiang , Kang Qi
Published: July 2024

Purpose

People frequently experience a conflict between immediate pleasure and long-term health when consuming healthy food. This study investigates how anthropomorphizing healthy food influences consumers’ sense of pleasure and their subsequent food preferences.

Design/methodology/approach

Using different samples and food items, the authors conducted five online or laboratory studies to provide empirical support for the research hypothesis, rule out potential alternative explanations, and demonstrate boundary conditions.

Findings

By conducting five empirical studies involving self-reported and actual eating preferences, this study found that anthropomorphism increases consumer preference for and actual intake of healthy food. Such an anthropomorphism effect is driven by the increased positive affect evoked by anthropomorphism. However, this positive effect is suppressed for consumers who experience low trust in their affective feelings. Additionally, the effect is weakened when consumers readily attribute their affective feelings to a target-irrelevant source.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on healthy consumption, anthropomorphism, and mood, revealing whether and how food anthropomorphism affects consumers. For marketers in the field of healthy food and relevant policymakers, anthropomorphic means can be employed, such as giving products human names, to enhance consumer preference for them. Moreover, anthropomorphizing can help alleviate consumers’ concerns about the relative lack of pleasurable taste in healthy foods and compensate for the lack of hedonic value that consumers may feel, thereby enhancing consumer welfare.

Highlights

Anthropomorphism increases consumer preference for healthy food and actual intake of it.

The anthropomorphism effect is driven by the increased positive affect evoked by anthropomorphism, through which affective feelings offer evaluative and decisional informativeness for judgments and decision-making.

The positive effect of anthropomorphism is suppressed for consumers who experience low trust in their affective feelings.

The anthropomorphism effect is weakened when consumers readily attribute their affective feelings to a target-irrelevant source.
Caring or selling? Communicating values or promoting products in PR education
Authors: Barlik Jacek
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study examines the role of values, social causes, PR ethics and sustainability in public relations (PR) curricula in a European country. PR students are asked about the value of learning imponderabilia versus technical skills needed in the PR industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The method used for this study is a quantitative online survey among PR students from six public universities with established PR programs. The study is another part of a long-term project about PR education, students' job prospects, the usefulness of PR studies at work and the role of values and technical skills in PR curricula.

Findings

This study shows that the PR students believe that their profession should include broader social issues, like equality, ethics, activism and ESG (ecological, social and governance). Most students report that their curricula cover ethics, sustainability and social responsibility and that these subjects would be useful in their future careers.

Research limitations/implications

Even though the study was conducted in one European country, it may be interesting to scholars and practitioners elsewhere and may be adopted and replicated.

Practical implications

Identifying PR students' needs, expectations and attitudes towards the PR industry and understanding the worldviews of new graduates, with their commitment to social causes and activism, should be helpful to their teachers and instructors, future employers or clients in terms of faster and more efficient onboarding.

Social implications

A better understanding of the current requirements for graduates of PR studies should help them find enough opportunities in the job market and improve the organizational communication of their future employers.

Originality/value

Measuring PR students' opinions on their educational experience, the role of professional skills and socially conscious, ethically oriented classes can contribute to better formulation of PR curricula and may be useful for the PR industry and academia in other countries.
Strategies for implementing risk management in Brazilian state governments
Authors: de Lorena Ana Luiza Freire , Costa Ana Paula Cabral Seixas
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study explores how public sector risk management (RM) is implemented in 6 Brazilian state governments, given the existence of contextual factors in the settings.

Design/methodology/approach

The cases were selected following a methodological protocol, resulting in the collection of 12 interviews with government policymakers (GPMs), supplemented with legislation and website content. All collected data were analysed through the qualitative content analysis method under the multi-case study methodology.

Findings

Empirical evidence shows that the settings strive to operationalise public sector RM by using implementation strategies. These strategies are developed by the GPMs and represent the consequence of the influence of three perceived contextual factors: weak sup-port from some public top managers, a pre-existent innovation-oriented culture, and risk types. Moreover, developing the maturity of RM implementation was observed as being difficult given the weak support from public top managers.

Practical implications

This study suggests that RM is not always easily implemented in the public context. Therefore, this article provides some tips that help mitigating this problem by involving actions that stimulate a deeper engagement of public top managers and that bring RM to a more strategic place in the governments.

Originality/value

This article explores RM in the public sector at the government level, demonstrating that strategies can be developed by GPMs to address contextual factors that can make the implementation of RM difficult, as indicated in the study.
Designing virtual mentoring programs based on students’ motivation to participate: a qualitative study
Authors: Hennig Frederike , Wesche Jenny Sarah , Handke Lisa , Kerschreiter Rudolf
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Mentoring supports children, adolescents and young adults on their career paths and presents an important extracurricular educational format. The COVID-19 pandemic created a strong impetus for the deployment of virtual mentoring programs (VMPs), in which mentors and mentees communicate completely or predominantly through information and communication technologies (ICTs). Because it is unclear whether VMPs remain an attractive offer to mentors and mentees in post-pandemic times, this study aims to investigate the specific motivations of mentors and mentees to participate in VMPs and to draw conclusions about the effective design of VMPs.

Design/methodology/approach

In a qualitative study, the authors recruited 200 university students for an online survey, in which participants provided text responses regarding their motivations to participate in a youth or academic VMP as a mentor or mentee.

Findings

Potential mentors and mentees expect social components in VMPs. However, the results suggest that participants expect less psychosocial compared to career-related support from virtual mentoring, expect meaningful connections to be established only to a certain extent and do not expect role modeling from mentors. Furthermore, participants voiced mixed opinions about the virtual nature of mentoring programs, revealing a general field of tension (i.e. virtuality improves flexibility vs virtuality impairs relationship building). On this basis, design suggestions regarding VMPs are provided.

Originality/value

This study expands existing knowledge about VMPs by analyzing relevant factors when forming the intention to participate in a mentoring program, considering both youth and academic mentoring.
Design and application of a vehicle robot to FAST reflector surface
Authors: Zhu Lichun , Jiang Zhiqian , Qiao Long , Zou Meng , Chen Guangming
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce a wheeled vehicle robot for adapting to the surface terrain of the 500-m diameter reflector of the FAST radio telescope in China.

Design/methodology/approach

By analyzing vehicles applied for different off-road environments, a six-wheeled architecture with a passive “triple-bogie” suspension is selected. A subscale model of the vehicle robot is designed, along with statics modeling and multibody simulations of the dynamics on simulated reflector panel surfaces. The slope- and step-climbing abilities of the subscale vehicle are discussed in accordance with numerical and experimental tests. An engineering scale vehicle is subsequently manufactured and tested on surface terrains of lateral as well as vertical gaps, and is finally validated on the FAST reflector.

Findings

This model of vehicle robot exhibits strong structure stability under desired payload. It can stably cross lateral gaps for maximum surface slope 28° and can traverse vertical gap for maximum surface slope 23°. The traversing abilities satisfy the mobility requirements subjected to surface terrains of FAST reflector.

Originality/value

The engineering vehicle robot negotiates the lateral as well as vertical gaps between triangle panels and has been successfully applied to the FAST reflector serving for inspection and maintenance work.
Shaping the halal tourism industry landscape through NFT and metaverse: new horizons for halal brand and halal booking hotel
Authors: Aysan Ahmet Faruk , Syarif Muhammad Fazlurrahman
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study aims to examine the potential influence of Nonfungible Tokens (NFTs) and the Metaverse on the Halal tourism industry, with a particular emphasis on Halal brands and hotel booking platforms. This study also purpose to uncover the opportunities and challenges associated with the adoption of these technologies in the sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research approach is employed, encompassing a comprehensive literature review of the halal tourism industry, NFTs and the Metaverse. Furthermore, this study utilizes case studies of brands and hotel-booking platforms that have experimented with or integrated these technologies. This study aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the implications of digital technologies in the context of the halal tourism industry.

Findings

The study uncovered several opportunities provided by NFTs and the Metaverse for the Halal tourism industry, such as enhanced authentication and traceability of halal products and immersive experiences tailored to Muslim travelers. However, it also identifies challenges including compliance with Islamic principles, data privacy, cybersecurity and equitable access to technology.

Research limitations/implications

While the study has several significant implications, it acknowledges potential limitations related to the nascent nature of NFTs and the Metaverse. Future research should delve deeper into ethical, legal and socioeconomic issues surrounding the application of these technologies in the halal tourism industry.

Practical implications

The findings of this study have practical implications for halal brands, hotel-booking platforms and regulators. This study provides a roadmap for harnessing the transformative power of NFTs and the Metaverse while addressing potential challenges.

Social implications

This research underlines the necessity for collaboration among industry stakeholders, technology providers and regulators to ensure equitable access and adherence to Islamic principles. This study preserves a more inclusive and ethically compliant use of these technologies, potentially shaping the future of the halal tourism industry.

Originality/value

This study focuses on the intersection of NFTs, the Metaverse and the Halal tourism industry. It provides fresh insights into the transformative potential of these technologies, aiding halal brands and hotel booking platforms in creating distinctive value propositions and experiences.
Thermal management in grinding of superalloys – A critical review
Authors: Qian Ning , Jamil Muhammad , Ding Wenfeng , Fu Yucan , Xu Jiuhua
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper is supposed to provide a critical review of current research progress on thermal management in grinding of superalloys, and future directions and challenges. By understanding the current progress and identifying the developing directions, thermal management can be achieved in the grinding of superalloys to significantly improve the grinding quality and efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

The relevant literature is collected from Web of Science, Scopus, CNKI, Google scholar, etc. A total of 185 literature is analyzed, and the findings in the literature are systematically summarized. In this case, the current development and future trends of thermal management in grinding of superalloys can be concluded.

Findings

The recent developments in grinding superalloys, demands, challenges and solutions are analyzed. The theoretical basis of thermal management in grinding, the grinding heat partition analysis, is also summarized. The novel methods and technologies for thermal management are developed and reviewed, i.e. new grinding technologies and parameter optimization, super abrasive grinding wheel technologies, improved lubrication, highly efficient coolant delivery and enhanced heat transfer by passive thermal devices. Finally, the future trends and challenges are identified.

Originality/value

Superalloys have excellent physical and mechanical properties, e.g. high thermal stability, and good high-temperature strength. The superalloys have been broadly applied in the aerospace, energy and automobile industries. Grinding is one of the most important precision machining technologies for superalloy parts. Owing to the mechanical and physical properties of superalloys, during grinding processes, forces are large and a massive heat is generated. Consequently, the improvement of grinding quality and efficiency is limited. It is important to conduct thermal management in the grinding of superalloys to decrease grinding forces and heat generation. The grinding heat is also dissipated in time by enhanced heat transfer methods. Therefore, it is necessary and valuable to holistically review the current situation of thermal management in grinding of superalloys and also provide the development trends and challenges.
Effect of laser remelting on surface morphology and mechanical properties of laser deposition manufactured thin-walled Ti-6Al-4V alloy
Authors: He Bo , Tan Jian , Yang Guang , Yi Junzhen , Wang Yushi
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to systematically investigate the effect of laser remelting on the surface morphology and mechanical properties of laser deposition manufactured thin-walled Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

Design/methodology/approach

Thin-walled Ti-6Al-4V samples were prepared by laser deposition manufacturing (LDM) method and subsequently surface-treated by laser remelting in a controlled environment. By experiments, the surface qualities and mechanical properties of LDM Ti-6Al-4V alloy before and after laser remelting were investigated.

Findings

After laser remelting, the surface roughness of LDM Ti-6Al-4V alloy decreases from 15.316 to 1.813 µm, hard and brittle martensite presents in the microstructure of the remelted layer, and the microhardness of the laser remelted layer increases by 11.39%. Compared with the machined LDM specimen, the strength of the specimen including the remelted layer improves by about 5%, while the elongation and fatigue life decrease by about 72.17% and 64.60%, respectively.

Originality/value

The results establish foundational data for the application of laser remelting to LDM thin-walled Ti-6Al-4V parts, and may provide an opportunity for laser remelting to process the nonfitting surfaces of LDM parts.
Phosphorus controls symbiotic nitrogen fixation in fire‐dependent longleaf pine savannas
Authors: Tierney Julie A. , Wurzburger Nina
Published: July 2024

Symbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation has the potential to replenish fire‐induced N losses in frequently burned ecosystems. A strong relationship between fire and fixation may exist because fire volatilizes N and mineralizes phosphorus (P), creating N‐poor, P‐rich soils that favour plants capable of N‐fixation. However, human activities have enriched ecosystems with N, which may complicate the interplay among fire, fixation and soil P.

We evaluated how N and P modulate the relationship between fire and symbiotic N fixation in longleaf pine savannas, where it was previously documented that N fixation fails to replenish N losses from fire. Across gradients of stand age and fire frequency, we investigated how N and P availability influence fixation, and we established a nutrient addition experiment to evaluate the effects of N and P on legume growth, fixation and mycorrhizal investment.

We uncovered a clear signal of P limitation of herbaceous legumes. Legume growth and fixation were linked to the availability of soil mineral P and were further stimulated by P additions. In contrast, neither soil N availability nor N additions affected legume growth or fixation.

Synthesis. Our findings suggest that symbiotic N fixation in sandhill longleaf pine savannas is controlled by soil P availability, which varies according to soil age and parent material. Therefore, fixation may only counterbalance N losses from fire if there is enough P in the soil to support this process. Nonetheless, recent N enrichment in contemporary longleaf pine ecosystems may have reduced the importance of N fixation as a post‐fire recovery mechanism.
Nickel hyperaccumulation in Orthion and Mayanaea (Violaceae) from Mesoamerica
Authors: Navarrete Gutiérrez Dulce Montserrat , Pollard A. Joseph , Disinger Haley P. , van der Ent Antony , Cathelineau Michel , Pons Marie‐Noëlle , Cuevas Sánchez Jesús Axayacatl , Gómez Hernández Teodoro , Echevarria Guillaume
Published: July 2024

Research on metal hyperaccumulating plants has concentrated on New Caledonia, Brazil, Cuba, the Mediterranean basin, and southeastern Asia, while other regions remain under studied. This work used a systematic approach in the targeted search for new hyperaccumulators in Mesoamerica, with a focus on characterizing nickel (Ni) hyperaccumulation in six species of Orthion and the monotypic genus Mayanaea (Violaceae), to complement earlier global studies on the related genus Hybanthus. We screened major herbarium collections, using x‐ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis to measure metal concentrations in specimens of Orthion and Mayanaea ranging from Mexico to Nicaragua. In addition, fresh samples collected in Mexico were analyzed with associated rhizosphere soils. The results indicated that all species of Orthion and Mayanaea are able to hyperaccumulate Ni. Ni concentration ranges in leaves of herbarium specimens were (in mg kg−1 dry weight): Orthion guatemalense (380–5100), O. malpighiifolium (24–5620), O. montanum (1620–5850), O. oblanceolatum (60–1440), O. subsessile (450–18,700), and O. veracruzense (22–3660). The available specimen of Mayanaea caudata had foliar Ni concentration of 5390 mg kg−1. Field‐collected samples of O. veracruzense and O. subsessile had similar Ni concentrations to herbarium specimens. Additionally, many Orthion species were facultative hyperaccumulators of cobalt. This is the first report of Ni hyperaccumulation in Violaceae from the Western Hemisphere. Ni hyperaccumulation in Orthion and Mayanaea is consistent with published phylogenies showing that they belong to a clade which also includes strong hyperaccumulators in the genus Hybanthus from Australia and New Caledonia. Orthion subsessile has suitable traits to become a potential crop for agromining of Ni.