bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deciphering a beetle clock: individual and sex-dependent variation in daily activity patterns
Authors: R Reshma , Prüser Tobias , Schulz Nora K. E. , Mayer Paula M. F. , Ogueta Maite , Stanewsky Ralf , Kurtz Joachim
Published: March 2024

Circadian clocks are inherent to most organisms, including cryptozoic animals that seldom encounter direct light, and regulate their daily activity cycles. A conserved suite of clock genes underpins these rhythms. In this study, we explore the circadian behaviors of the red flour beetleTribolium castaneum, a significant pest impacting stored grain globally. We report on how daily light and temperature cues synchronize distinct activity patterns in these beetles, characterized by reduced morning activity and increased evening activity, anticipating the respective environmental transitions. Although less robust, rhythmicity in locomotor activity is maintained in constant dark and constant light conditions. Notably, we observed more robust rhythmic behaviors in males than females with individual variations exceeding those previously reported for other insect species. RNA interference targeting theClockgene disrupted locomotor activity rhythms. Our findings demonstrate the existence of a circadian clock and of clock-controlled behaviors inT. castaneum. Furthermore, they highlight substantial individual differences in circadian activity, laying the groundwork for future research on the relevance of individual variation in circadian rhythms in an ecological and evolutionary context.
Ibudilast Protects Retinal Bipolar Cells from Excitotoxic Retinal Damage and Activates the mTOR Pathway
Authors: Hamadmad Sumaya , Heisler-Taylor Tyler , Goswami Sandeep , Hawthorn Evan , Chaurasia Sameer , Martini Dena , Summitt Diana , Zaatari Ali , Urbanski Elizabeth G , Bernstein Kayla , Racine Julie , Satoskar Abhay , El-Hodiri Heithem M. , Fischer Andy J. , Cebulla Colleen M.
Published: March 2024

Ibudilast, an inhibitor of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and phosphodiesterase (PDE), has been recently shown to have neuroprotective effects in a variety of neurologic diseases. We utilize a chick excitotoxic retinal damage model to investigate ibudilast’s potential to protect retinal neurons. Using single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), we find that MIF, putative MIF receptors CD74 and CD44, and several PDEs are upregulated in different retinal cells during damage. Intravitreal ibudilast is well tolerated in the eye and causes no evidence of toxicity. Ibudilast effectively protects neurons in the inner nuclear layer from NMDA-induced cell death, restores retinal layer thickness on spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and preserves retinal neuron function, particularly for the ON bipolar cells, as assessed by electroretinography. PDE inhibition seems essential for ibudilast’s neuroprotection, as AV1013, the analogue that lacks PDE inhibitor activity, is ineffective. scRNA-seq analysis reveals upregulation of multiple signaling pathways, including mTOR, in damaged Müller glia (MG) with ibudilast treatment compared to AV1013. Components of mTORC1 and mTORC2 are upregulated in both bipolar cells and MG with ibudilast. The mTOR inhibitor rapamycin blocked accumulation of pS6 but did not reduce TUNEL positive dying cells. Additionally, through ligand-receptor interaction analysis, crosstalk between bipolar cells and MG may be important for neuroprotection. We have identified several paracrine signaling pathways that are known to contribute to cell survival and neuroprotection and might play essential roles in ibudilast function. These findings highlight ibudilast’s potential to protect inner retinal neurons during damage and show promise for future clinical translation.

Graphical Abstract

Main Points

- Ibudilast, a MIF and PDE inhibitor, preserves the form and function of the retina, especially bipolar cells, during excitotoxic damage

- Ibudilast upregulates multiple signaling pathways, including mTOR, in damaged Müller glia and bipolar cells
Stable and robust Xi and Y transcriptomes drive cell-type-specific autosomal and Xa responsesin vivoandin vitroin four human cell types
Authors: Blanton Laura V. , San Roman Adrianna K. , Wood Geryl , Buscetta Ashley , Banks Nicole , Skaletsky Helen , Godfrey Alexander K. , Pham Thao T. , Hughes Jennifer F. , Brown Laura G. , Kruszka Paul , Lin Angela E. , Kastner Daniel L. , Muenke Maximilian , Page David C.
Published: March 2024

Recentin vitrostudies of human sex chromosome aneuploidy showed that the Xi (“inactive” X) and Y chromosomes broadly modulate autosomal and Xa (“active” X) gene expression in two cell types. We tested these findingsin vivoin two additional cell types. Using linear modeling in CD4+ T cells and monocytes from individuals with one to three X chromosomes and zero to two Y chromosomes, we identified 82 sex-chromosomal and 344 autosomal genes whose expression changed significantly with Xi and/or Y dosagein vivo. Changes in sex-chromosomal expression were remarkably constantin vivoandin vitroacross all four cell types examined. In contrast, autosomal responses to Xi and/or Y dosage were largely cell-type-specific, with up to 2.6-fold more variation than sex-chromosomal responses. Targets of the X- and Y-encoded transcription factors ZFX and ZFY accounted for a significant fraction of these autosomal responses bothin vivoandin vitro. We conclude that the human Xi and Y transcriptomes are surprisingly robust and stable across the four cell types examined, yet they modulate autosomal and Xa genes – and cell function – in a cell-type-specific fashion. These emerging principles offer a foundation for exploring the wide-ranging regulatory roles of the sex chromosomes across the human body.
Cluster-free annotation of single cells using Earth mover’s distance-based classification
Authors: Forlin Rikard , Tajvar Pouria , Wang Nana , Dimarogonas Dimos , Brodin Petter
Published: March 2024

Grouping individual cells in clusters and annotating these based on feature expression is a common procedure in single-cell analysis pipelines. Multiple methods have been reported for single-cell mRNA sequencing and cytometry datasets where the vast majority rely on sequential 2-step procedures involving I) cell clustering based on notions of similarity and II) cluster annotation via manual or semi-automated methods. However, as arbitrary borders are drawn between more or less similar groups of cells, one cannot guarantee that all cells within a cluster are of the same type. Further, dimensionality reduction has been shown to cause considerable distortion in high-dimensional datasets and is prone to variable annotations of the same cell when relative changes occur in data composition. Another limitation of existing methods is that simultaneous analyses of large sets of cells are computationally expensive and difficult to scale for growing datasets or metanalyses across multiple datasets. Here we present an alternative method based on calculation of Earth Mover’s Distance and a Bayesian classifier coupled to Random Forest, which annotates one cell at a time removing the need for prior clustering and resulting in improved accuracy, better scaling with increasing cell numbers and less computational resources needed.
Estrogen regulation and functional role of FGFR4 in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer
Authors: Ding Kai , Chen Lyuqin , Levine Kevin , Sikora Matthew , Tasdemir Nilgun , Dabbs David , Jankowitz Rachel , Hazan Rachel , Shah Osama S , Atkinson Jennifer M , Lee Adrian V , Oesterreich Steffi
Published: March 2024

Background

Resistance to endocrine therapy is a major challenge of managing estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer. We previously reported frequent overexpression of FGFR4 in endocrine resistant cell lines and breast cancers that recurred and metastasized following endocrine therapy, suggesting FGFR4 as a potential driver of endocrine resistance. In this study, we investigated the role of FGFR4 in mediating endocrine resistance and explored the therapeutic potential of targeting FGFR4 in advanced breast cancer.

Methods

A gene expression signature of FGFR4 activity was examined in ER+ breast cancer pre- and post-neoadjuvant endocrine therapy and the association between FGFR4 expression and patient survival was examined. A correlation analysis was used to uncover potential regulators of FGFR4 overexpression. To investigate if FGFR4 is necessary to drive endocrine resistance, we tested response to FGFR4 inhibition in long term estrogen deprived (LTED) cells and their paired parental cells. Doxycycline inducible FGFR4 overexpression and knockdown cell models were generated to examine if FGFR4 was sufficient to confer endocrine resistance. Finally, we examined response to FGFR4 monotherapy or combination therapy with fulvestrant in breast cancer cell lines to explore the potential of FGFR4 targeted therapy for advanced breast cancer and assessed the importance of PAM50 subtype in response to FGFR4 inhibition.

Results

A FGFR4 activity gene signature was significantly upregulated post neoadjuvant aromatase inhibitor treatment, and high FGFR4 expression predicted poorer survival in patients with ER+ breast cancer. Gene expression association analysis using TCGA, METABRIC and SCAN-B datasets uncovered ER as the most significant gene negatively correlated with FGFR4 expression. ER negatively regulates FGFR4 expression at both the mRNA and protein level across multiple ER+ breast cancer cell lines. Despite robust overexpression of FGFR4, LTED cells did not show enhanced responses to FGFR4 inhibition compared to parental cells. Similarly, FGFR4 overexpression, knockdown or hotspot mutations did not significantly alter response to endocrine treatment in ER+ cell lines, nor did FGFR4 and fulvestrant combination treatment show synergistic effects. The HER2-like subtype of breast cancer showed elevated expression of FGFR4 and an increased response to FGFR4 inhibition relative to other breast cancer subtypes.

Conclusions

Despite ER-mediated upregulation of FGFR4 post endocrine therapy, our study does not support a general role of FGFR4 in mediating endocrine resistance in ER+ breast cancer. Our data suggests that specific genomic backgrounds such as HER2 expression may be required for FGFR4 function in breast cancer and should be further explored.
Ventral hippocampus mediates inter-trial responding in signaled active avoidance
Authors: Oleksiak Cecily R. , Plas Samantha L. , Carriaga Denise , Vasudevan Krithika , Maren Stephen , Moscarello Justin M.
Published: March 2024

The hippocampus has a central role in regulating contextual processes in memory. We have shown that pharmacological inactivation of ventral hippocampus (VH) attenuates the context-dependence of signaled active avoidance (SAA) in rats. Here, we explore whether the VH mediates intertrial responses (ITRs), which are putative unreinforced avoidance responses that occur between trials. First, we examined whether VH inactivation would affect ITRs. Male rats underwent SAA training and subsequently received intra-VH infusions of saline or muscimol before retrieval tests in the training context. Rats that received muscimol performed significantly fewer ITRs, but equivalent avoidance responses, compared to controls. Next, we asked whether chemogenetic VH activation would increase ITR vigor. In male and female rats expressing excitatory (hM3Dq) DREADDs, systemic CNO administration produced a robust ITR increase that was not due to nonspecific locomotor effects. Then, we examined whether chemogenetic VH activation potentiated ITRs in an alternate (non-training) test context and found it did. Finally, to determine if context-US associations mediate ITRs, we exposed rats to the training context for three days after SAA training to extinguish the context. Rats submitted to context extinction did not show a reliable decrease in ITRs during a retrieval test, suggesting that context-US associations are not responsible for ITRs. Collectively, these results reveal an important role for the VH in context-dependent ITRs during SAA. Further work is required to explore the neural circuits and associative basis for these responses, which may be underlie pathological avoidance that occurs in humans after threat has passed.
Health activism, vaccine, and mpox discourse: BERTopic based mixed-method analyses of tweets from sexual minority men and gender diverse (SMMGD) individuals in the U.S.
Authors: Wang Yunwen , O’Connor Karen , Flores Ivan , Berdahl Carl T. , Urbanowicz Ryan J. , Stevens Robin , Bauermeister José A. , Gonzalez-Hernandez Graciela
Published: March 2024

Objectives

To synthesize discussions among sexual minority men and gender diverse (SMMGD) individuals on mpox, given limited representation of SMMGD voices in existing mpox literature.

Methods

BERTopic (a topic modeling technique) was employed with human validations to analyze mpox-related tweets (n= 8,688; October 2020—September 2022) from 2,326 self-identified SMMGD individuals in the U.S.; followed by content analysis and geographic analysis.

Results

BERTopic identified 11 topics: health activism (29.81%); mpox vaccination (25.81%) and adverse events (0.98%); sarcasm, jokes, emotional expressions (14.04%); COVID-19 and mpox (7.32%); government/public health response (6.12%); mpox symptoms (2.74%); case reports (2.21%); puns on the virus’ naming (i.e., monkeypox; 0.86%); media publicity (0.68%); mpox in children (0.67%). Mpox health activism negatively correlated with LGB social climate index at U.S. state level,ρ= -0.322,p= 0.031.

Conclusions

SMMGD discussions on mpox encompassed utilitarian (e.g., vaccine access, case reports, mpox symptoms) and emotionally-charged themes—advocating against homophobia, misinformation, and stigma. Mpox health activism was more prevalent in states with lower LGB social acceptance.

Public Health Implications

Findings illuminate SMMGD engagement with mpox discourse, underscoring the need for more inclusive health communication strategies in infectious disease outbreaks to control associated stigma.
Beveled shaped axial oxygenator with improved hemodynamics
Authors: Franke B. , Goubergrits L.
Published: March 2024

Oxygenators are a lifesaving technology used for blood oxygenation and decarboxylation in case of acute respiratory failure, chronic lung disease, and during open-heart surgery. Devices typically consist of a bundle of thousands of fiber membranes in a housing, with gas flowing inside the fibers and blood flowing in the opposite direction outside the fibers. Both ends of the fiber membranes are attached with an adhesive to prevent direct contact between gas and blood. The shape of the volume through which the blood flows is determined by the housing of the oxygenator and the internal end surfaces of the bonded parts of the fiber-membrane bundle. The traditional potting process results in a volume shape that is associated with stagnation zones, which are known to promote thrombus formation. In this study, an adapted potting process is proposed which results in a blood compartment with beveled end faces of the glued bundle parts. Using a numerical study, we have demonstrated that the novel oxygenator design results in optimized flow conditions.
Three Prime Repair Exonuclease 1 preferentially degrades the integration-incompetent HIV-1 DNA through favorable kinetics, thermodynamic, structural and conformational properties
Authors: Prakash Prem , Khodke Purva , Balasubramaniam Muthukumar , Davids Benem-Orom , Hollis Thomas , Davis Jamaine , Pandhare Jui , Kumbhar Bajarang , Dash Chandravanu
Published: March 2024

HIV-1 integration into the human genome is dependent on 3’-processing of the reverse transcribed viral DNA. Recently, we reported that the cellular Three Prime Repair Exonuclease 1 (TREX1) enhances HIV-1 integration by degrading the unprocessed viral DNA, while the integration-competent 3’-processed DNA remained resistant. Here, we describe the mechanism by which the 3’-processed HIV-1 DNA resists TREX1-mediated degradation. Our kinetic studies revealed that the rate of cleavage (kcat) of the 3’-processed DNA was significantly lower than the unprocessed HIV-1 DNA by TREX1. The efficiency of degradation (kcat/KM) of the 3’-processed DNA was also significantly lower than the unprocessed DNA. Furthermore, the binding affinity (Kd) of TREX1 was markedly lower to the 3’-processed DNA compared to the unprocessed DNA. Molecular docking and dynamics studies revealed distinct conformational binding modes of TREX1 with the 3’-processed and unprocessed HIV-1 DNA. Particularly, the unprocessed DNA was favorably positioned in the active site with polar interactions with the catalytic residues of TREX1. Additionally, a stable complex was formed between TREX1 and the unprocessed DNA compared the 3’-processed DNA. These results pinpoint the biochemical mechanism by which TREX1 preferentially degrades the integration-incompetent HIV-1 DNA and reveal the unique structural and conformational properties of the integration-competent 3’-processed HIV-1 DNA.
The impact of DNA extraction on the quantification ofLegionella, with implications for ecological studies
Authors: Cavallaro Alessio , Gabrielli Marco , Hammes Frederik , Rhoads William J.
Published: March 2024

Monitoring the levels of opportunistic pathogens in drinking water is important to plan interventions and understand the ecological niches that allow them to proliferate. Quantitative PCR is an established alternative to culture methods that can provide a faster, higher throughput, and more precise enumeration of the bacteria in water samples. However, PCR-based methods are still not routinely applied forLegionellamonitoring, and techniques such as DNA extraction differ notably between laboratories. Here, we quantify the impact that DNA extraction methods had on downstream PCR quantification and community sequencing. Through a community science campaign, we collected 50 water samples and corresponding shower hoses, and compared two commonly used DNA extraction methodologies to the same biofilm and water phase samples. The two methods showed clearly different extraction efficacies, which was reflected in both the quantity of DNA extracted and the concentrations ofLegionellaenumerated in both the matrices. Notably, one method resulted in higher enumeration in nearly all samples by about one order of magnitude and detectedLegionellain 21 samples that remained undetected by the other method. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed that the relative abundance of individual taxa, including sequence variants ofLegionella, significantly varied depending on the extraction method employed. Given the implications of these findings, we advocate for improvement in documentation of the performance of DNA extraction methods used in drinking water to detect and quantifyLegionella, and characterise the associated microbial community.
Medication Use is Associated with Distinct Microbial Features in Anxiety and Depression
Authors: Dilmore Amanda Hazel , Kuplicki Rayus , McDonald Daniel , Kumar Megha , Estaki Mehrbod , Youngblut Nicholas , Tyakht Alexander , Ackermann Gail , Blach Colette , MahmoudianDehkordi Siamak , Dunlop Boadie W. , Bhattacharyya Sudeepa , Guinjoan Salvador , Mandaviya Pooja , Ley Ruth E. , Kaddaruh-Dauok Rima , Paulus Martin P. , Knight Rob ,   Alzheimer Gut Microbiome Project Consortium
Published: March 2024

This study investigated the relationship between gut microbiota and neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs), specifically anxiety disorder (ANXD) and/or major depressive disorder (MDD), as defined by DSM-IV or V criteria. The study also examined the influence of medication use, particularly antidepressants and/or anxiolytics, classified through the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System, on the gut microbiota. Both 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and shallow shotgun sequencing were performed on DNA extracted from 666 fecal samples from the Tulsa-1000 and NeuroMAP CoBRE cohorts. The results highlight the significant influence of medication use; antidepressant use is associated with significant differences in gut microbiota beta diversity and has a larger effect size than NPD diagnosis. Next, specific microbes were associated with ANXD and MDD, highlighting their potential for non-pharmacological intervention. Finally, the study demonstrated the capability of Random Forest classifiers to predict diagnoses of NPD and medication use from microbial profiles, suggesting a promising direction for the use of gut microbiota as biomarkers for NPD. The findings suggest that future research on the gut microbiota’s role in NPD and its interactions with pharmacological treatments are needed.
A genetic exploration of the relationship between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and cardiovascular diseases
Authors: Lukas Eva , Veeneman Rada R , Smit Dirk JA ,   CHARGE Inflammation Working Group, Vermeulen Jentien M , Pathak Gita A , Polimanti Renato , Verweij Karin JH , Treur Jorien L
Published: March 2024

Background and Aims

Experiencing a traumatic event may lead to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), including symptoms such as flashbacks and hyperarousal. Individuals suffering from PTSD are at increased risk of cardiovascu-lar disease (CVD), but it is unclear why. This study assesses shared genetic liability and potential causal pathways between PTSD and CVD.

Methods

We leveraged summary-level data of genome-wide association studies (PTSD: N= 1,222,882; atrial fibril-lation (AF): N=482,409; coronary artery disease (CAD): N=1,165,690; hypertension: N=458,554; heart failure (HF): N=977,323). First, we estimated genetic correlations and utilized genomic structural equation modeling to identify a common genetic factor for PTSD and CVD. Next, we assessed biological, behavioural, and psychosocial factors as potential mediators. Finally, we employed multivariable Mendelian randomiza-tion to examine causal pathways between PTSD and CVD, incorporating the same potential mediators.

Results

Significant genetic correlations were found between PTSD and CAD, HT, and HF (rg=0.21-0.32, p≤3.08·10*16), but not between PTSD and AF. Insomnia, smoking, alcohol dependence, waist-to-hip ratio, and inflammation (IL6, C-reactive protein) partly mediated these associations. Mendelian randomization indicated that PTSD causally increases CAD (IVW OR=1.53, 95% CIs=1.19-1.96, p=0.001), HF (OR=1.44, CIs=1.08-1.92, p=0.012), and to a lesser degree hypertension (OR=1.25, CIs=1.05-1.49, p=0.012). While insomnia, smoking, alcohol, and inflammation were important mediators, independent causal effects also remained.

Conclusions

In addition to shared genetic liability between PTSD and CVD, we present strong evidence for causal effects of PTSD on CVD. Crucially, we implicate specific lifestyle and biological mediators (insomnia, substance use, inflammation) which has important implications for interventions to prevent CVD in PTSD patients.

Translational perspective

The significant mental and physical strain experienced by patients suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) remains a domain necessitating further insight for the development of effective intervention strategies. Our study elucidates the complex genetic architecture that underlies the relationship between PTSD and cardiovascular disease. We present evidence supporting a causal link from PTSD to coronary artery disease and heart failure. Further, we identify various mediators of this causality, including inflammatory markers, substance use, waist-to-hip ratio and sleep deprivation. Our work calls for tar-geted preventive and therapeutic approaches to reduce the dual burden of mental and physical disease in PTSD patients.
Color congruence on Instagram: the role of flow and aesthetic experience
Authors: Luarn Pin , Chen Chiao-Chieh , Chiu Yu-Ping
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Social media has emerged as a prominent platform for marketers and brands to disseminate brand-related information. This study aims to investigate the impact of color congruence between themes and background on marketing effectiveness, focusing specifically on Instagram.

Design/methodology/approach

A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate how color congruence between themes and background in brand posts influences flow and aesthetic experience, subsequently affecting marketing communication parameters such as brand attitude, visit intention, and eWOM on Instagram. Moreover, Adidas Originals was selected as the focal brand, and blue and white color was chosen as the primary color palette for the experimental material.

Findings

This study demonstrates that color congruence, regardless of brand layout or post, significantly influences flow and aesthetic experience, subsequently affecting marketing effectiveness.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of congruence theory and social media marketing, providing valuable insights for brands to enhance their communication through photographs and effectively manage their official Instagram accounts.
Adaptation and validation of the Polish version of the team boosting behaviors scale
Authors: Haffer Joanna
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The article aims to present the results of adapting the team boosting behaviors (TBB) scale to Polish cultural conditions and validating it.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology consisted of three steps. In the first step, I translated the TBB scale into Polish using a rigorous back-translation method. Next, to assess content validity, nine domain experts reviewed the initial version of the instrument for clarity and relevance. Finally, I applied the scale to a sample of 532 team members and underwent thorough psychometric testing to assess construct validity. I employed structural equation modeling (SEM) with the partial least squares (PLS) factor-based algorithm technique for confirmatory factor analysis to assess the scale’s reliability and validity.

Findings

After development, the Polish version of the TBB scale kept its three sub-scale structures. However, the validation process led to a slight reduction in the number of test items compared to the original scale.

Research limitations/implications

The findings imply that the Polish version of the scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing TBB. However, I recommend additional studies to confirm this instrument’s structure.

Originality/value

The results confirmed the reliability and relevance of the tool for measuring TBBs in Polish cultural conditions. The tool provides the basis for implementing further research with the TBB construct in Poland and internationally.
Cryptocurrencies as a means of payment in online shopping
Authors: Al Reshaid Faisal , Tosun Petek , Yanar Gürce Merve
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Cryptocurrencies are becoming increasingly attractive as alternatives to traditional currencies. Although many retailers accept cryptocurrencies as a means of payment in online shopping, consumers’ cryptocurrency adoption intention in online shopping (CCAI) is still low. This study aims to investigate the influence of attitudes, subjective norms, consumer trust, financial literacy and fear of missing out (FOMO) on CCAI.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research approach was followed using a consumer survey. Hypothesized relationships were tested through regression and mediation analyses.

Findings

The results revealed that consumers could accept cryptocurrencies as a means of payment in online shopping. Attitudes, subjective norms, consumer trust and financial literacy directly and positively influence CCAI, while they indirectly affect CCAI through the mediating impact of FOMO.

Practical implications

Marketing managers should improve consumers’ knowledge about cryptocurrencies and trust in online shopping to increase CCAI. Social media marketing can be appropriate, while the advertising content can address keeping up with others and staying connected.

Originality/value

This study addresses a critical gap in the literature by empirically examining the antecedents of CCAI within an original conceptual model based on the theoretical framework provided by the theory of planned behavior. Attitudes, subjective norms, trust and financial literacy influence CCAI, where FOMO plays a significant role as a mediator.
The status of digital and information literacies in South Africa from 2016 to 2022: a literature review
Authors: Shibambu Amos , Mojapelo Samuel Maredi
Published: March 2024

Purpose

In today’s information and knowledge society, it is indispensable for citizens to acquire the requisite digital and information literacy (IL) skills to search information independently to meet their multiple and diverse information needs. As a result of digitalisation in the world, development and acquisition of digital and information skills is critical even for students and learners to retrieve digitised and online information to meet or achieve their curriculum-related accomplishments. The purpose of this study is to investigate the status of the digital and information literacies in South Africa from 2016 to 2022.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study used a scoping review approach to collect data from research articles, conference articles and textbooks on digital literacy and IL – published in the years ranging between 2016 and 2022 from Google Scholar.

Findings

The major findings revealed that majority of the citizens especially students and learners lack digital and IL skills to recognise when information is needed, to find, locate, evaluate and use the retrieved information to meet an information need in a particular situation or context. Practical implications of this study include the alignment of curricula towards information and communication technologies to face the everchanging digital information technologies.

Originality/value

The study used scoping literature review research where empirical studies were retrieved and selected to address the objectives. This study provided significant approaches regarding promoting information and digital literacies in developing countries such as South Africa.
The cryptocurrency conundrum: the emerging role of digital currencies in geopolitical conflicts
Authors: Tiwari Milind , Lupton Cayle , Bernot Ausma , Halteh Khaled
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate technological innovations within the crypto space that have engendered novel financial crime risks and their potential utilization amidst geopolitical conflicts.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical paper uses an analysis of recent geopolitical events, with a key focus on using cryptocurrencies to undertake illicit activities.

Findings

The study found that cryptocurrencies and the innovations made within the crypto domain are used for both legitimate and illicit purposes, including money laundering, terrorism financing and sanction evasion.

Originality/value

This research contributes to understanding the critical role cryptocurrencies play amidst geopolitical conflicts and emphasizes the need for regulatory considerations to prevent their misuse. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first scholarly contribution that considers the evolving mechanisms afforded by cryptocurrencies amidst geopolitical conflicts in undertaking illicit activities.
How do gastronomic festivals trigger behavioral intentions? The role of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being
Authors: Keskin Emrah , Yayla Ozgur , Sezen Nevres , Dedeoğlu Bekir Bora
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Gastronomic festivals are important events to bring people together around food-themed activities. This study aimed at determining the relationships between festival quality, memorable food experience, loyalty, behavioral intention, hedonic well-being, and eudaimonic well-being. In this study, festival quality is the independent variable that affects the memorable food experience, the memorable food experience is the independent variable that affects loyalty, and loyalty is the independent variable that affects behavioral intent. Hedonic well-being and eudaimonic well-being are moderating variables. Behavioral intention is the dependent variable, while memorable food experience and loyalty are both dependent and independent variables.

Design/methodology/approach

The population consisted of local tourists visiting Orange Blossom Carnival held in Adana, Turkey. The survey technique and the convenience sampling method were preferred and 545 data were obtained.

Findings

The analysis results showed that all dimensions of the memorable food experience are strongly affected by festival quality. Plus, superior service approach and high value perception dimensions of the memorable food experience have significant effects on loyalty. Furthermore, destination loyalty was found to have a strong effect on behavioral intentions. Moreover, higher levels of Hedonic well-being (HWB) and Eudomenic well-being (EWB) were found to increase the effect of loyalty on behavioral intention; accordingly, the moderator roles of HWB and EWB were determined.

Practical implications

This article provides information that the memorable dining experiences of festival visitors who attend the Orange Blossom Carnival in Adana affect the quality of the festival and their intentions to loyalty. In addition, in the study, it was found that the well-being of carnival visitors had a moderating role in the effect of their loyalty on their behavioral intentions. Therefore, this article provides information on how the food experiences and well-being of the visitors at the gastronomy festival will affect which factors.

Originality/value

According to the findings, gastronomy-based events may affect tourists’ experiences, and tourists’ psychological well-being affects loyalty and behavioral intentions. Destination management organizations can learn about gastronomy-based festivals. The results of the study include a number of theoretical and practical findings for destination management organizations, festival managers, policy makers and academics working in the literature.
Aligning restaurants and artificial intelligence computing of food delivery service with product development
Authors: Wu Shu-Hua , Ku Edward C.S.
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This study aims to analyze how restaurants' collaboration with mobile food delivery applications (MFDAs) affects product development efficiency and argues that technological capabilities moderate relational ties impact the joint decision-making and development efficiency of restaurant products.

Design/methodology/approach

A product development efficiency model was formulated using a resource-based view and real options theory. In all, 472 samples were collected from restaurants collaborating with MFDAs, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was applied to the proposed model.

Findings

The findings of this study indicate three factors are critical to the product development efficiency between restaurants and MFDAs; restaurants must develop a strong connection with the latter to ensure meals are consistently served promptly. Developers of MFDAs should use artificial intelligence analysis, such as order records of different genders and ages or various consumption attributes, to collaborate with restaurants.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the few that considers the role of MFDAs as a product strategy for restaurant operations, and the factors the authors found can enhance restaurants’ product development efficiency. Second, as strategic artificial intelligence adaptation changes, collaborating firms and restaurants use such applications for product development to help consumers identify products.
Impact of the assertive and advisory role of internal auditing on proactive measures to enhance cybersecurity: evidence from GCC
Authors: Elmaasrawy Hamada Elsaid , Tawfik Omar Ikbal
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact of the assurance and advisory role of internal audit (ADRIA) on organisational, human and technical proactive measures to enhance cybersecurity (CS).

Design/methodology/approach

The questionnaire was used to collect data for 97 internal auditors (IAu) from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The authors used partial least squares (PLS) to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results show a positive effect of the ADRIA on each of the organisational proactive measures, human proactive measures and technical proactive measures to enhance CS. The study also found a positive effect of the confirmatory role of IA on both human proactive measures and technical proactive measures to enhance CS. No effect of the confirmatory role of IA on the organisational proactive measures is found.

Research limitations/implications

This study focused on only three proactive measures to enhance CS, and this study was limited to the opinions of IAu. In addition, the study was limited to using regression analysis according to the PLS method.

Practical implications

The results of this study show that managers need to consider the influential role of IA as a value-adding activity in reducing CS risks and activating proactive measures. Also, IAu must expand its capabilities, skills and knowledge in CS auditing to provide a bold view of cyber threats. At the same time, the institutions responsible for preparing IA standards should develop standards and guidelines that help IAu to play assurance and advisory roles.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of its kind that deals with the impact of the assurance and ADRIA on proactive measures to enhance CS. In addition, the study determines the nature of the advisory role and the assurance role of IA to strengthen CS.
Unveiling metaverse sentiments using machine learning approaches
Authors: Natarajan Thamaraiselvan , Pragha P. , Dhalmahapatra Krantiraditya , Veera Raghavan Deepak Ramanan
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The metaverse, which is now revolutionizing how brands strategize their business needs, necessitates understanding individual opinions. Sentiment analysis deciphers emotions and uncovers a deeper understanding of user opinions and trends within this digital realm. Further, sentiments signify the underlying factor that triggers one’s intent to use technology like the metaverse. Positive sentiments often correlate with positive user experiences, while negative sentiments may signify issues or frustrations. Brands may consider these sentiments and implement them on their metaverse platforms for a seamless user experience.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study adopts machine learning sentiment analysis techniques using Support Vector Machine, Doc2Vec, RNN, and CNN to explore the sentiment of individuals toward metaverse in a user-generated context. The topics were discovered using the topic modeling method, and sentiment analysis was performed subsequently.

Findings

The results revealed that the users had a positive notion about the experience and orientation of the metaverse while having a negative attitude towards the economy, data, and cyber security. The accuracy of each model has been analyzed, and it has been concluded that CNN provides better accuracy on an average of 89% compared to the other models.

Research limitations/implications

Analyzing sentiment can reveal how the general public perceives the metaverse. Positive sentiment may suggest enthusiasm and readiness for adoption, while negative sentiment might indicate skepticism or concerns. Given the positive user notions about the metaverse’s experience and orientation, developers should continue to focus on creating innovative and immersive virtual environments. At the same time, users' concerns about data, cybersecurity and the economy are critical. The negative attitude toward the metaverse’s economy suggests a need for innovation in economic models within the metaverse. Also, developers and platform operators should prioritize robust data security measures. Implementing strong encryption and two-factor authentication and educating users about cybersecurity best practices can address these concerns and enhance user trust.

Social implications

In terms of societal dynamics, the metaverse could revolutionize communication and relationships by altering traditional notions of proximity and the presence of its users. Further, virtual economies might emerge, with virtual assets having real-world value, presenting both opportunities and challenges for industries and regulators.

Originality/value

The current study contributes to research as it is the first of its kind to explore the sentiments of individuals toward the metaverse using deep learning techniques and evaluate the accuracy of these models.
The bundling sales pricing strategy of the closed-loop supply chain under patent protection
Authors: Cao Xiaogang , Zhang Cuiwei , Liu Jie , Wen Hui , Cao Bowei
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this article is based on the unit patent license fee model in the closed-loop supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper analyzes the impact of the bundling strategy of the retailer selling new products and remanufactured products on the closed-loop supply chain under the condition that the original manufacturer produces new products and the remanufacturer produces remanufacturing products.

Findings

The results show that alternative products can be bundled, and in many cases, the bundling of remanufactured products and new products is better than selling alone.

Originality/value

If the retailer chooses bundling, for the remanufacturer, when certain conditions are met, the benefits of bundling are greater than the separate sales at that time; for the original manufacturer, when the recycling price sensitivity coefficient is high, the bundling is better than separate sales.
Intertwined rural and urban policing in the local communities of the Pomurje region in Slovenia
Authors: Eman Katja , Ivančić Damir , Bagari Dejan
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to present the results of research in the region covered by the Murska Sobota Police Directorate based on semi-structured interviews we conducted with community policing officers in the rural and urban areas of Pomurje.

Design/methodology/approach

Community policing is one of the more recent (yet hardly new) ways of ensuring security. It focuses on collaboration between citizens and the police, the joint identification of security issues and resolving them. Not long ago, it was established that policing varies depending on geographical criteria, specifically the urbanisation of the environment since police work in cities is often very narrowly specialised compared to in a rural environment. We were therefore interested in whether the Pomurje region also shows that it is easier to practise community policing in rural areas compared to cities.

Findings

The research results confirm previous findings; namely, that in urban areas approximately two-thirds of the population does not know the community policing officer, leading to the mutual cooperation between residents and the police being poorer than in rural areas. The conclusion describes ways of improving the established situation facing Pomurje.

Research limitations/implications

We see the limitations of the study in the peculiarities of the Pomurje region; therefore the results cannot be generalised and applied in areas of other police directorates.

Originality/value

The survey offers insight into rural and urban policing in the Pomurje region at the same time, focusing on possibilities for improvements.
Artificial intelligence-based surrogate model for computation of the electric field of high voltage transmission line ceramic insulator with corona ring
Authors: Alipour Bonab Shahin , Sadeghi Alireza , Yazdani-Asrami Mohammad
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The ionization of the air surrounding the phase conductor in high-voltage transmission lines results in a phenomenon known as the Corona effect. To avoid this, Corona rings are used to dampen the electric field imposed on the insulator. The purpose of this study is to present a fast and intelligent surrogate model for determination of the electric field imposed on the surface of a 120 kV composite insulator, in presence of the Corona ring.

Design/methodology/approach

Usually, the structural design parameters of the Corona ring are selected through an optimization procedure combined with some numerical simulations such as finite element method (FEM). These methods are slow and computationally expensive and thus, extremely reducing the speed of optimization problems. In this paper, a novel surrogate model was proposed that could calculate the maximum electric field imposed on a ceramic insulator in a 120 kV line. The surrogate model was created based on the different scenarios of height, radius and inner radius of the Corona ring, as the inputs of the model, while the maximum electric field on the body of the insulator was considered as the output.

Findings

The proposed model was based on artificial intelligence techniques that have high accuracy and low computational time. Three methods were used here to develop the AI-based surrogate model, namely, Cascade forward neural network (CFNN), support vector regression and K-nearest neighbors regression. The results indicated that the CFNN has the highest accuracy among these methods with 99.81% R-squared and only 0.045468 root mean squared error while the testing time is less than 10 ms.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, for the first time, a surrogate method is proposed for the prediction of the maximum electric field imposed on the high voltage insulators in the presence Corona ring which is faster than any conventional finite element method.
Telling abortion stories: The life of Florence P. Evans (1913–1935)
Authors: Stamler Hannah M.
Published: March 2024

This short article provides a coda to the special forum on ‘Reproductive Rights Beyond Roe’. It merges the history of abortion with what Stéphane Gerson calls ‘personal family history’ to consider how historians should imagine, remember and narrativise histories of abortions within their own families and networks of kin. The article does this by way of exploring the life of Florence P. Evans, the author's great aunt, who died of abortion‐related complications in 1935 at the age of twenty‐two years.
A study on the estimation of area of origin of swing cast‐off pattern
Authors: Lee Sang‐Yoon , Lim Hwa‐Seon , Yie Ho‐Yong , Rhee Ki‐Jong , Kim Sung‐Min , Seo Young‐Il
Published: March 2024

In bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA), a field of forensic science, there has been active discussion on the estimation of the area of origin of impact spatter. However, there is no established methodology to quantitatively analyze the area of origin of a swing cast‐off pattern. To quantitatively analyze the methodology of previous research on estimation of area of origin, a device for generating uniform swing cast‐off patterns was produced. Using artificial blood, 10 swing cast‐off patterns were generated on porous paper; in each, 10 blood drops were selected for the calculation of the impact angle. Hemospat software was used for individual bloodstain analysis, and an open source code was used for estimation of area of origin. Under the same conditions, an additional 10 swing cast‐off patterns were generated, and quantitative analysis was performed using trigonometric functions and an adjustment formula that minimized errors in calculating the impact angle. The adjustment formula was corrected to calculate the impact angle for the bloodstains on the porous surface. As uncertainty decreases, the error increases, and the point at which both uncertainty and error can be minimized is calculated as 75%. The existing formula included the trajectory in the estimated likelihood range in 75% of samples. When the adjustment formula was applied, the accuracy was improved, with the trajectory included in the area with a 90% likelihood.