bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal trajectories of the neural encoding mechanisms of speech-sound features during the first year of life
Authors: Puertollano Marta , Ribas-Prats Teresa , Gorina-Careta Natàlia , Ijjou-Kadiri Siham , Arenillas-Alcón Sonia , Mondéjar-Segovia Alejandro , Gómez-Roig María Dolores , Escera Carles
Published: November 2023

Infants quickly recognize the sounds of their mother language, perceiving the spectrotemporal acoustic features of speech. However, the underlying neural machinery remains unclear. We used an auditory evoked potential termed frequency-following response (FFR) to unravel the neural encoding maturation for two speech sound characteristics: voice pitch and temporal fine structure. The FFR was elicited by a two-vowel stimulus (/oa/) in a sample of 41 healthy-term neonates, tested at birth and retested at the ages of six and twelve months. Results revealed a reduction in neural phase-locking time to the stimulus envelope from birth to six months, remaining stable thereafter. While neural encoding of voice pitch remained consistent, temporal fine structure encoding matured rapidly from birth to six months, without further improvement from this age onwards. Results highlight the critical importance of the first six months in the maturation of neural encoding mechanisms, crucial for phoneme discrimination during early language acquisition.
Comparative study on chromatin loop callers using Hi-C data reveals their effectiveness
Authors: Chowdhury H. M. A. Mohit , Boult Terrance , Oluwadare Oluwatosin
Published: November 2023

The chromosome is a fundamental component of cell biology, housing DNA that encapsulates hierarchical genetic information. DNA compresses its size by forming loops, and these loop regions contain numerous protein particles, including CTCF, SMC3, H3 histone, and Topologically Associating Domains (TADs). In this study, we conducted a comprehensive study of 22 loop calling methods. Additionally, we have provided detailed insights into the methodologies underlying these algorithms for loop detection, categorizing them into five distinct groups based on their fundamental approaches. Furthermore, we have included critical information such as resolution, input and output formats, and parameters. For this analysis, we utilized the primary and replicate GM12878 Hi-C datasets at 5KB and 10KB resolutions. Our evaluation criteria encompassed various factors, including loop count, reproducibility, overlap, running time, Aggregated Peak Analysis (APA), and recovery of protein-specific sites such as CTCF, H3K27ac, and RNAPII. This analysis offers insights into the loop detection processes of each method, along with the strengths and weaknesses of each, enabling readers to effectively choose suitable methods for their datasets. We evaluate the capabilities of these tools and introduce a novel Biological, Consistency, and Computational robustness score (BCCscore) to measure their overall robustness ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of their performance.
Modelling glioblastoma resistance to temozolomide. Combination of spheroid and mathematical models to simulate cellular adaptation in vitro
Authors: Pérez-Aliacar Marina , Ayensa-Jiménez Jacobo , Ranđelović Teodora , Ochoa Ignacio , Doblaré Manuel
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Drug resistance is one of the biggest challenges in the fight against cancer. In particular, in the case of glioblastoma, the most lethal brain tumour, resistance to temozolomide (the standard of care drug for chemotherapy in this tumour), is one of the main reasons behind treatment failure and hence responsible for the poor prognosis of patients diagnosed with this disease.

In this paper, we combine the power of three-dimensional in vitro experiments of treated glioblastoma spheroids with mathematical models of tumour evolution and adaptation. We use a novel approach based on internal variables for modelling the acquisition of resistance to temozolomide that is observed in a group of treated spheroids in the experiments. These internal variables describe the cell’s phenotypic state, which depends on the history of drug exposure and affects cell behaviour. We use model selection to determine the most parsimonious model and calibrate it to reproduce the experimental data, obtaining a high level of agreement between the in vitro and in silico outcomes. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to investigate the impact of each model parameter in the predictions. More importantly, we show the utility of our model for answering biological questions, such as what is the intrinsic adaptation mechanism, or for separating the sensitive and resistant populations. We conclude that the proposed in silico framework, in combination with experiments, can be useful to improve our understanding of the mechanisms behind drug resistance in glioblastoma and to eventually set some guidelines for the design of new treatment schemes.
Increased FAN1 expression by mRNA-LNP attenuates CAG repeat expansion in Huntington patients’ iPSC-derived astrocytes
Authors: Cheng Yung-Chih , Nocula-Lugowska Gosia , Ramirez Julita A. , Fan Xiaoyu , Jin Fang , Jiang Zhihua , Bennett Eric , Li Jin , Hokanson David , Grandhi Sneha , Chen Michelle , Cheng Congsheng , Lin Guan-Yu , Lin Laura , Lepsy Chris , Chaparro-Riggers Javier , Bloom Laird , Morrissey David , Stewart Morag , Tadin-Strapps Marija , Chiang Shian-Huey
Published: November 2023

Expansion of repeat sequences within the human genome can lead to disease pathogenesis, such as Huntington’s Disease, primarily affecting the nervous system. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of age-at-onset in Huntington’s disease (HD) patients demonstrated DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes are modifiers of somatic expansion and may be potential therapeutic targets for repeat expansion (RE) disorders. FAN1, a Fanconi anemia-associated nuclease, has been reported as an influencer of repeat expansion in the RE mouse models. Here, we show the first demonstration that FAN1 knock-out in HD patient-derived fibroblasts and results in increased CAG repeat length. We also develop a robust novel cell-based platform using stem cell technology to produce the HD patients’ iPSC-derived astrocytes (iAstro). This platform is a disease-relevant system and has a significantly wider assay window, making it more suitable to assess the effect of gene modulation on CAG repeats. A substantial and exponential increase in repeat instability was exhibited in this HD patient’s iPSC-derived astrocytes platform. Over-expression of FAN1 protein viaFAN1plasmid transfection in this platform reduced CAG repeat instability, suggesting that upregulation of FAN1 protein may have a potential protective effect in CAG repeat expansion for a therapeutic setting. We leveraged the mRNA-LNP modality to enhance FAN1 protein expression and revealed that codon-optimizedFAN1mRNA-LNP robustly prevented increased CAG repeat in HD patients’ iPSC-derived astrocytes platform. The data from these cell-based platforms highlight that FAN1 plays a protective role in attenuating expanded somaticHTTCAG repeats and shed light on new therapeutic directions against repeat expansion disorders.
AttSiOff: A self-attention-based approach on siRNA design with inhibition and off-target effect prediction
Authors: Liu Bin , Yuan Ye , Pan Xiaoyong , Shen Hongbin , Jin Cheng
Published: November 2023

Motivation

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is often used for function study and expression regulation of specific genes, as well as the development of small molecule drugs. Selecting siRNAs with high inhibition and low off-target effects from massive candidates is always a great challenge. Increasing experimentally validated samples prompt the development of machine-learning-based algorithms, including Support Vector Machine (SVM), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), and Graph Neural Network (GNN). However, these methods still suffer from limited accuracy and poor generalization to design both potent and specific siRNAs.

Results

In this study, we propose a novel approach for siRNA inhibition and off-target effect prediction, named AttSiOff. It combines self-attention-based siRNA inhibition predictor with an mRNA searching package and an off-target filter. The predictor gives the inhibition score via analyzing the embedding of siRNA and local mRNA sequences, generated from pre-trained RNA-FM model, as well as other meaningful prior-knowledge-based features. Self-attention mechanism can detect potentially decisive features, which may determine the inhibition of siRNA. It captures global and local dependencies more efficiently than normal convolutions. The 10-fold cross-validation results indicate that our model achieves a significant improvement of correlation between prediction and label, compared with all existing methods. And it reaches better performance of generalization and robustness on cross-dataset validation. In addition, the mRNA searching package could find all mature mRNAs for given gene name from GENOMES database, and the off-target filter can calculate the amount of unwanted off-target binding sites, which affects the specificity of siRNA. Experiments on mature siRNA drugs show that our entire framework, AttSioff, have excellent convenience and operability in practical applications.

Contact

yuanye_auto@sjtu.edu.cnorchengjin520@sjtu.edu.cn.
MIRit: an integrative R framework for the identification of impaired miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in complex diseases
Authors: Ronchi Jacopo , Foti Maria
Published: November 2023

Background

MicroRNAs are crucial regulators of gene expression that participate in nearly every cellular process. Due to their central role, miRNAs are frequently implicated in the development of pathological conditions, as their dysregulation significantly disrupts normal cellular functioning. Consequently, a thorough characterization of the involvement of dysregulated miRNAs in disturbed pathways is imperative for understanding the mechanisms behind diseases. Nevertheless, the limited availability of analytical methods for joint multi-omic analysis of miRNA-mRNA datasets frequently yields inconclusive and contradictory findings. Specifically, the lack of statistical frame-works designed for integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA data across biological conditions, as well as the insufficiency of methods suitable for non-sample-matched data, severely restricts the understanding of miRNA networks and the repro-ducibility of the conclusions drawn. To address these limitations, here we present MIRit, an open-source and all-in-one R package that enables integrative multi-omic miRNA analyses using various statistical approaches.

Results

To showcase MIRit’s capabilities, we evaluated the pipeline on a thyroid cancer dataset, comparing 8 papillary thyroid carcinoma samples to contralateral healthy tissue, as well as on Alzheimer’s disease data, comparing temporal cortex samples from patients to those from healthy individuals. In the first case, MIRit revealed that upregulation of miR-146b-5p and miR-146b-3p caused downregulation of PAX8, resulting in decreased thyroid hormone transcription. In contrast, in the second dataset, MIRit showed that disrupted miRNA-mRNA networks in patients with Alzheimer’s disease impact neuroinflammation, glutamatergic signaling, and neuroprotection. In particular, overexpression of miR-320a-3p may reduce SERPINF1, potentially leading to the accumulation ofAβ1−42fragments.

Conclusions

The adoption of MIRit’s pipeline permits a comprehensive evaluation of perturbed regulatory networks in human diseases through a novel approach for integrative pathway analysis of miRNA-mRNA data. Specifically, MIRit enables the characterization of impaired networks at the molecular level, providing an outstanding advantage in the functional characterization of key dysregulated factors involved in disease pathogenesis and progression. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate the efficacy and usability of MIRit, making it a valuable tool for researchers in the field.
Neuronal calcium spikes enable vector inversion in theDrosophilabrain
Authors: Ishida Itzel G. , Sethi Sachin , Mohren Thomas L. , Abbott L.F. , Maimon Gaby
Published: November 2023

A typical neuron signals to downstream cells when it is depolarized and firing sodium spikes. Some neurons, however, also fire calcium spikes when hyperpolarized. The function of such bidirectional signaling remains unclear in most circuits. Here we show how a neuron class that participates in vector computation in the fly central complex employs hyperpolarization-elicited calcium spikes to invert two-dimensional mathematical vectors. When cells switch from firing sodium to calcium spikes, this leads to a ∼180° realignment between the vector encoded in the neuronal population and the fly’s internal heading signal, thus inverting the vector. We show that the calcium spikes rely on the T-type calcium channel Ca-a1T, and argue, via analytical and experimental approaches, that these spikes enable vector computations in portions of angular space that would otherwise be inaccessible. These results reveal a seamless interaction between molecular, cellular and circuit properties for implementing vector math in the brain.
Nitrite deteriorates bioreactor performance by reducing growth ofCa.Brocadia sapporoensis instead of inhibiting the anammox activity
Authors: Qiao Xuejiao , Zhang Liyu , Wu Yang , Deng Chunfang , Zhang Yichi , Zhang Xue , Yan Yan , Zhuang Weiqin , Yu Ke
Published: November 2023

Effects of nitrite on anammox activities have been of widespread concern. However, the molecular mechanisms of specific microorganisms in anammox systems responding to nitrite remain unexplored. This study investigated the effects of excess nitrite on core metabolism of AnAOB and symbiotic bacteria, and further elucidated the response mechanism of these effects on microbial growth and nitrogen removal performance. Specifically, nitrogen removal process in a continuous-flow anaerobic ammonia oxidation membrane bioreactor completely collapsed when the nitrite concentration reached 243 mg N/L. Integrated meta-omics analyses demonstrated that excess nitrite disrupted the energy metabolism ofCa.Brocadia sapporoensis (AMXB1), reducing the energy available for establishing tolerance. It disrupted cell replication by impairing biosynthesis process of AMXB1, especially DNA replication and the formation of vital cell structures, e.g., cell membrane and cell wall, as well as the cellular protection system, leading to the collapse of the anammox system. In addition, the cross-feeding of glycogen, lipopolysaccharide and amino acid between AMXB1 and symbiotic bacteria was hindered by excess nitrite, which also contributed to the anomalous cell proliferation and metabolism of AMXB1. These findings contribute to our understanding of the ability of anammox consortia to respond to nitrite stress and process stability in engineered ecosystems.

Highlights

NO--N concentration of 243 mg N/L caused the performance collapse of a continuous-flow anammox MBR.

Excess nitrite likely disrupted the energy metabolism of AMXB1, reducing the energy availability for mitigating nitrite toxicity.

The cross-feeding between AMXB1 and symbiotic bacteria was hindered by excess nitrite.

The hindrance of cross-feeding was reversed as the concentration of nitrite decreased.

Graphical abstract
Deciphering the heterogeneity of differentiating hPSC-derived corneal limbal stem cells through single-cell RNA-sequencing
Authors: Vattulainen Meri , Smits Jos G.A. , Lima Cunha Dulce , Ilmarinen Tanja , Skottman Heli , Zhou Huiqing
Published: November 2023

A comprehensive understanding of the human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) differentiation process stands as a prerequisite for the development hPSC-based therapeutics. In this study, single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed to decipher the heterogeneity during differentiation of three hPSC lines towards corneal limbal stem cells (LSCs). The scRNA-seq data revealed nine clusters encompassing the entire differentiation process, among which five followed the anticipated differentiation path of LSCs. The remaining four clusters were previously undescribed cell states that were annotated as either mesodermal-like or undifferentiated subpopulations, and their prevalence was hPSC line-dependent. Distinct cluster-specific marker genes identified in this study were confirmed by immunofluorescence analysis and employed to purify hPSC-derived LSCs, which effectively minimized the variation in the line-dependent differentiation efficiency. In summary, scRNA-seq offered molecular insights into the heterogeneity of hPSC-LSC differentiation, allowing a data-driven strategy for consistent and robust generation of LSCs, essential for future advancement toward clinical translation.

Highlights

hPSCs to LSCs spans epithelial, mesodermal, and undifferentiated cell states.

scRNA-seq reveals the cell line-dependent differentiation heterogeneity.

ITGA6 and AREG can be used to select pure LSC-like subpopulation.
Transcriptomic Implications of Toxic Effects of Nanoparticles on Metabolic Pathways of Liver Cells
Authors: Erden Tüçer Merve , Tunç Nazlican , Tüçer Suat , Şeker Urartu Özgür Şafak
Published: November 2023

While nanoparticles find applications in various fields such as cosmetics, drug delivery, and medicine, they also exhibit significant drawbacks. The adverse effects remain inadequately comprehended and necessitate further analysis. This study focuses on assessing the impacts of diverse nanoparticles on HepaRG cell spheroids prior to conducting RNA-Seq analysis, cell viability assays were performed to determine the concentrations of NPs that induce toxicity while maintaining 80% cell viability—a concentration sufficient to cause toxicity without total cell death. To mimic the cellular microenvironment, HepaRG cell spheroids were generated and treated with four distinct nanoparticles of varying sizes. Subsequently, these spheroids underwent RNA-seq analysis to identify specific genes responsive to nanoparticle-induced toxicity. Our findings demonstrate that exposure to nanoparticles substantially modifies gene transcription. Notably, 38 differentially expressed genes were shared across all four types of nanoparticles. These genes were linked to distinct categories of Gene Ontology (GO) terms, thereby clarifying their functions and metabolic pathways through GO and KEGG pathway analyses. Remarkably, processes such as apoptosis, sensitivity to metal ions, hypoxia, and oxidative stress consistently exhibited significant enrichment across all nanoparticle types.

Abstract Figure
Quantification of GTPase cycling rates of GTPases and GTPase : effector mixtures using GTPase Glo™assays
Authors: Tschirpke Sophie , Daalman Werner K-G. , Laan Liedewij
Published: November 2023

In different cellular activities like signal transduction, cell division, and intracellular transportation, small GTPases take on a vital role. Their functioning involves hydrolysing guanosine triphosphate (GTP) to guanosine diphosphate (GDP). In this article we explain the application of a commercially accessible GTPase assay, known as the GTPase Glo™ assay by Promega, for the quantitative investigation of GTPase - effector interactions and the interplay between effectors.

Basic Protocol

Conducting GTPase assays with GTPase : effector protein mixtures using the GTPase Glo™ assay (Promega).

Supporting Protocol 1

Analysing GTPase assays to correlate the assay readout (luminescence) to amount of remaining GTP.

Supporting Protocol 2

Fitting GTPase assay data to obtain GTPase cycling rates.
Defective Integrator activity shapes the transcriptome of patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Porozhan Yevhenia , Carstensen Mikkel , Thouroude Sandrine , Costallat Mickael , Rachez Christophe , Batsché Eric , Petersen Thor , Christensen Tove , Muchardt Christian
Published: November 2023

HP1α/CBX5 is an epigenetic regulator with a suspected role in multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, using high-depth RNA sequencing on monocytes, we identified a subset of MS patients with reduced CBX5 expression, correlating with progressive stages of the disease and extensive transcriptomic alterations. Examination of rare non-coding RNA species in these patients revealed impaired maturation/degradation of U snRNAs and enhancer-RNAs, indicative of a reduced activity of the Integrator, a complex with suspected links to increased MS risk. At protein-coding genes, compromised Integrator activity manifested in reduced pre-mRNA splicing efficiency and altered expression of genes regulated by RNA polymerase II pause-release. Inactivation of Cbx5 in the mouse mirrored most of these transcriptional defects and resulted in hypersensitivity to Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE). Collectively, our observations suggested a major contribution of the Integrator complex in safeguarding against transcriptional anomalies characteristic of MS, with HP1α/CBX5 emerging as an unexpected regulator of this complex’s activity. These findings bring novel insights into the transcriptional aspects of MS and provide potential new criteria in patient stratification.
Preoptic area controls sleep-related seizure onset in a genetic epilepsy mouse model
Authors: Potesta Cobie Victoria , Cargile Madeleine Sandra , Yan Andrea , Xiong Sarah , Macdonald Robert L. , Gallagher Martin J. , Zhou Chengwen
Published: November 2023

In genetic and refractory epileptic patients, seizure activity exhibits sleep-related modulation/regulation and sleep and seizure are intermingled. In this study, by using one hetGabrg2Q390XKI mice as a genetic epilepsy model and optogenetic methodin vivo, we found that subcortical POA neurons were active within epileptic network from the hetGabrg2Q390XKI mice and the POA activity preceded epileptic (poly)spike-wave discharges(SWD/PSDs) in the hetGabrg2Q390XKI mice. Meanwhile, as expected, the manipulating of the POA activity relatively altered NREM sleep and wake periods in both wt and the hetGabrg2Q390XKI mice. Most importantly, the short activation of epileptic cortical neurons alone did not effectively trigger seizure activity in the hetGabrg2Q390XKI mice. In contrast, compared to the wt mice, combined the POA nucleus activation and short activation of the epileptic cortical neurons effectively triggered or suppressed epileptic activity in the hetGabrg2Q390XKI mice, indicating that the POA activity can control the brain state to trigger seizure incidence in the hetGabrg2Q390XKI micein vivo.In addition, the suppression of POA nucleus activity decreased myoclonic jerks in theGabrg2Q390XKI mice. Overall, this study discloses an operational mechanism for sleep-dependent seizure incidence in the genetic epilepsy model with the implications for refractory epilepsy. This operational mechanism also underlies myoclonic jerk generation, further with translational implications in seizure treatment for genetic/refractory epileptic patients and with contribution to memory/cognitive deficits in epileptic patients.
CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing inSteinernemaentomopathogenic nematodes
Authors: Cao Mengyi
Published: November 2023

Molecular tool development in traditionally non-tractable animals opens new avenues to study gene functions in the relevant ecological context. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN)Steinernemaand their symbiotic bacteria ofXenorhabdusspp are a valuable experimental system in the laboratory and are applicable in the field to promote agricultural productivity. The infective juvenile (IJ) stage of the nematode packages mutualistic symbiotic bacteria in the intestinal pocket and invades insects that are agricultural pests. The lack of consistent and heritable genetics tools in EPN targeted mutagenesis severely restricted the study of molecular mechanisms underlying both parasitic and mutualistic interactions. Here, I report a protocol for CRISPR-Cas9 based genome-editing that is successful in two EPN species,S. carpocapsaeandS. hermaphroditum. I adapted a gonadal microinjection technique inS. carpocapsae, which created on-target modifications of a homologueSc-dpy-10(cuticular collagen) by homology-directed repair. A similar delivery approach was used to introduce various alleles inS. hermaphroditumincludingSh-dpy-10andSh-unc-22(a muscle gene), resulting in visible and heritable phenotypes of dumpy and twitching, respectively. Using conditionally dominant alleles ofSh-unc-22as a co-CRISPR marker, I successfully modified a second locus encoding Sh-Daf-22 (a homologue of human sterol carrier protein SCPx), predicted to function as a core enzyme in the biosynthesis of nematode pheromone that is required for IJ development. As a proof of concept,Sh-daf-22null mutant showed IJ developmental defectsin vivo(in insecta). This research demonstrates thatSteinernemaspp are highly tractable for targeted mutagenesis and has great potential in the study of gene functions under controlled laboratory conditions within the relevant context of its ecological niche.
High-fidelity, generalizable light-field reconstruction of biological dynamics with physics-informed meta neural representation
Authors: Yi Chengqiang , Ma Yifan , Sun Minglu , Yuan Xinyue , Zhu Lanxin , Sun Jiahao , Gao Shangbang , Zhang Meng , Zhang Yuhui , Wang Zhaoqiang , Tzung Hsiai , Li Dongyu , Liu Binbing , Fei Peng
Published: November 2023

Light field microscopy (LFM) offers rapid volumetric imaging of dynamic biological processes via 2D light field snapshots. However, LFM’s 2D-to-3D inversion with limited spatial-angular tomography leads to artifacts and poor axial resolution. Here, we introduce light-field meta neural representation (LFMNR), a new LFM reconstruction paradigm based on physics-informed implicit neural representation and meta learning, to address these issues for LFM. Leveraging INR’s continuity, LFMNR achieves self-supervised, artifact-free 3D reconstruction with enhanced structural fidelity (∼2.2-fold improvement), spatial resolution (∼4.4-fold enhancement) and data compression (∼10-fold), when compared to classical model-based light-field deconvolution. In addition, our meta-learning and progressive sampling strategies also mitigate INR’s intrinsic limitations in weak generalization and low representation speed scene by scene, thereby resulting in rapid representation (∼100-fold acceleration) of hundreds of consecutive volumes capturing sustained biological dynamics in three dimensions. LFMNR demonstrates superior performance across diverse biological samples without any prior spatial structure knowledge. We showcase LFMNR’s capability in observing cell apoptosis in several hours and capturing instantaneous organelle interactions at millisecond timescale. LFMNR approach readily delivers high-fidelity, high-speed 3D imaging with vast potential applications in biological research and provides a paradigm shift with extensive value for computational imaging reconstruction.
Analysis of Minda Corporation Ltd: leveraging strategic financial tools and analytics
Authors: Sriram Mahadevan
Published: November 2023

Learning outcomes

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to understand the calculation of cost of individual sources of funds and cost of capital, examine various tools such as economic value added and cash value added analyses which help determining whether a company has added value to its shareholders or not and explore the application of Benford’s law and the Beneish M-score in detecting manipulation of numbers in financial statements.

Case overview/synopsis

Nimmy Jacob, a newly recruited research analyst with an equity research firm, was entrusted with tracking the “auto ancillary industry”, specifically “Minda Corporation Ltd” (MIL). MIL was a leading diversified auto components manufacturing companies in India. The company’s share price meteorically rose during February 2021–2022 (Figure 1). The company’s turnover over the past few years had grown at a compounded annual growth rate of 15% during the three preceding years. The company had in the recent past bought a 15% stake in another competitor, Pricol Ltd, for a consideration of INR 400 crores and previously had used joint ventures and acquisitions to scale up its operations. Jacob, apart from the conventional financial analysis, had to ascertain whether all the strategic decisions were adding value to the shareholders’ investments by exploring the various tools available for the same and also calculate the minimum expected rate of return for MIL. Jacob was apprehensive about the financial statements, although the numbers for the company were good. Jacob was skeptical about a high-growth company having the incentive to manipulate its earnings. Manipulations could be in the form of abnormal increase in accruals, inconsistency in expenses and high days of receivables. Therefore, Jacobs used certain analytics/statistical tools to detect any manipulation of numbers in the financial statements of the company and to ascertain apt findings about the company.

Complexity academic level

This case study is intended for discussion in corporate finance, financial reporting and analysis and financial analytics at Master of Business Administration/undergraduate level.

Supplementary material

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS1: Accounting and finance
Salespeople and teams as stakeholder and knowledge managers: a service-ecosystem, co-creation, crossing-points perspective on key outcomes
Authors: Plouffe Christopher R. , DeCarlo Thomas E. , Fergurson J. Ricky , Kumar Binay , Moreno Gabriel , Schmitt Laurianne , Sleep Stefan , Volpers Stephan , Wang Hao
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the increasing importance of the intraorganizational dimension of the sales role (IDSR) based on service-ecosystem theory. Specifically, it examines how firms can improve interactions both internally and with external actors and stakeholders to both create and sustain advantageous “thin crossing points” (Hartmann et al. 2018). Academic research on sales ecosystems has yet to fully harness the rich insights and potential afforded by the crossing-point perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

After developing and unpacking the paper’s guiding conceptual framework (Figure 1), the authors focus on crossing points and the diversity of interactions between the contemporary sales force and its many stakeholders. They examine the sales literature, identify opportunities for thinning sales crossing points and propose dozens of research questions and needs.

Findings

The paper examines the importance of improving interactions both within and outside the vendor firm to thin crossing points, further develops the concept of the “sales ecosystem” and contributes a series of important research questions for future examination.

Research limitations/implications

The paper focuses on applying “thick” and “thin” crossing points, a key element of Hartman et al. (2018). The primary limitation of the paper is that it focuses solely on the crossing-points perspective and does not consider other applications of Hartman et al. (2018).

Practical implications

This work informs managers of the need to improve interactions both within and outside the firm by thinning crossing points. Improving relationships with stakeholders will improve many vendor firm and customer outcomes, including performance.

Originality/value

Integrating findings from the literature, the authors propose a conceptual framework to encompass the entire diversity of idiosyncratic interactions as well as long-term relationships the sales force experiences. They discuss the strategic importance of thinning crossing points as well as the competitive disadvantages, even peril, “thick” crossing points create. They propose an ambitious research agenda based on dozens of questions to drive further examination of the IDSR from a sales-ecosystem perspective.
The challenge of skill development through “experiencing” integrated marketing communications
Authors: O'Connor Christina , Moran Gillian
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is possibly “the richest and most accessible service-learning experience” in the marketing curriculum (Petkus, 2000, p. 68). Yet, despite this recognition, scholars and practitioners continue to lament the pronounced theory-practice gap between how IMC is taught and the practice of it in industry (Schultz and Patti, 2009; Kerr and Kelly, 2017). This research embeds IMC practice within a classroom setting and subsequently explores student marketers' perceptions of their skill development through experiential client-based learning.

Design/methodology/approach

An in-depth qualitative study demonstrates the value of integrating experiential learning within an IMC course, captured through students' reflective practice.

Findings

Evidence suggests that experiential, client-based projects are suitable for fostering key practice-based skills in the classroom through students “experiencing” IMC at work. However, this is not always easy. In fact, building key skills such as leadership, motivation, communications, organisation and teamwork presents various challenges for students, whilst students appear unaware of other pertinent skills (e.g. persuasion, critical thinking) gained through exposure to “real-world” IMC tasks.

Practical implications

Instructors adopting experiential learning in the marketing classroom have an opportunity to actively design tasks to embed key workplace skills to bridge the theory-practice gap. Client-based projects offer fertile ground for students to experience marketing in action whilst ultimately bolstering their confidence in their workplace skills.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the marketing education literature and acknowledges the importance of embedding key workplace skills into the contemporary marketing curriculum. An overview of challenges and solutions for instructors seeking to adopt experiential learning via client-based projects in the IMC classroom is presented within this research.
Economic policy uncertainty and the Greek economic crisis
Authors: Hardouvelis Gikas , Karalas Georgios , Karanastasis Dimitrios , Samartzis Panagiotis
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The authors construct an index of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) for Greece using textual analysis and analyze its role in the 10-year Greek economic crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

To identify the causal relationship between various measures of economic activity and EPU in Greece, the authors use a sophisticated “shock-based” structural vector autoregressive identification scheme. Additionally, the authors use two additional models to ensure the robustness of the results.

Findings

EPU is negatively associated with domestic economic activity and economic sentiment, and positively with bond credit spreads. EPU is also estimated to have prolonged the crisis even in periods when macroeconomic imbalances were cured. The results are robust across various model specifications and different proxies of economic activity.

Originality/value

Brunnermeier (2017) observed that uncertainty may be central to understanding the evolution of the Greek crisis. Yet little attention has been paid to policy uncertainty in the existing long and growing literature on the Greek crisis. The authors attempt to fill this gap.
Navigating the path of family business research: a personal reflection
Authors: Mogaji Emmanuel
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This article provides a personal response to the questions raised by Ratten et al. (2023) on what family business researchers have learnt about the family business field and tips for the future.

Design/methodology/approach

This viewpoint article takes an autoethnographic reflective approach to address the five questions posed to distinguished family business researchers in Ratten et al. (2023).

Findings

In family business research, scholars must address key intersectionalities. These include evolving gender dynamics, global reach, the impact of technology and the growing importance of sustainability. Women's roles in family businesses need thorough examination, while family business definitions must account for global operations. The influence of technology demands exploration, and sustainability is crucial for businesses of all sizes. Scholars should offer theory and practical guidance, bridging the gap between research and real-world application in this evolving landscape.

Originality/value

This article highlights the critical intersectionalities shaping the family business field. Through the autoethnographic reflective approach, the article provides both verbatim advice and future-oriented tips, delivering original and innovative insights into the needs of the family business management domain.
Multi-faceted US uncertainty connectedness with domestic and global geopolitical risk
Authors: Kyriazis Nikolaos A. , Economou Emmanouil M.L.
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the spillover impacts that domestic or global aspects of geopolitical risk generate on uncertainty. The latter is derived from a spectrum of different sources in the USA (economic policy, monetary policy, fiscal policy, national security, government spending, taxation) from 1985 up to November 2022.

Design/methodology/approach

Vector autoregressive schemes are used to detect causality and reverse causality between each aspect of geopolitical risk and each source of US uncertainty.

Findings

Notably, national security generates higher geopolitical risk by almost 8% in the first month but decreases GPR by 2% in the third month after the shock. USA is found to constitute a cornerstone as regards global peace and that the overall economic or monetary conditions or war status in the USA are remarkably more influential toward domestic and global geopolitical uncertainty than separate strands of fiscal policymaking. Reverse causality displays sizably weaker effects overall.

Originality/value

This study sheds light on the determinants of geopolitical risk and domestic instability by an international perspective and provides a compass for better decision-making for fiscal and monetary policymakers and market participants.
Islamic vs. conventional banking: what about the efficiency during coronavirus?
Authors: Bakour Amal
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to investigate and to measure the efficiency of Islamic banks through a comparative study with their conventional counterparts during the coronavirus period for the case of MENA region.

Design/methodology/approach

Indeed, this study will use the parametric method for a panel of 92 banks, including 27 Islamic banks and 65 conventional banks, over a ten-year period (2012–2021) and from eight MENA countries, namely, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen and Tunisia.

Findings

The findings show that Islamic banks are more profitable than conventional banks before and during Covid-19, this result can be explained by the effectiveness of Shariah principles, differences in cost control, management and resource allocation. In addition, this study found that conventional banks outperformed Islamic banks after Covid-19.

Originality/value

This is a recent empirical study that investigates a timely and important topic.
Analyzing destination country risk profiles in business study abroad programs: a neural network approach
Authors: Brattin Rick L. , Sexton Randall S. , Austin Rebekah E. , Guo Xiang , Scarmeas Erica M. , Hulett Michelle J.
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study aims to identify how objective indicators of destination country risk differentiate business study abroad programs from those in other academic disciplines.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors trained a neural network model on six years of student-initiated inquiries about study abroad programs at a large US university. The model classified business versus nonbusiness study abroad programs using objective measures of destination country risk as the primary inputs.

Findings

The model correctly classifies business and nonbusiness study abroad programs with over 70% accuracy. Business programs were found to be 20% less likely to include destinations where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend nonroutine vaccinations and favor countries with higher Global Peace Index scores.

Practical implications

These results underscore the need to consider destination country risk in the design and administration of study abroad programs. An understanding of student preferences for lower risk destinations can contribute to improved planning, execution and student experiences in these programs.

Social implications

Better planning and management of study abroad programs based on understanding of destination country risk can lead to enhanced student safety and experiences.

Originality/value

This study offers a unique perspective on understanding study abroad programs by focusing on objective measures of destination country risk rather than risk perceptions. It also is, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the first to use a neural network to classify study abroad programs as business versus nonbusiness using objective measures of country-specify risk indicators.
Preventing club bankruptcy: exploring new financial regulation approaches in French football
Authors: Carin Yann , Brocard Jean-François
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to propose an analysis of financial regulation practices, identified thanks to an extensive benchmark carried out in eight European professional sports leagues.

Design/methodology/approach

Between 1970 and 2018, 81 French football clubs went bankrupt. The paper proposes an analysis of financial regulation practices in eight European professional sports leagues to enhance the prevention of bankruptcy of French football clubs. Three research questions are addressed: What are the financial and accounting disclosure practices in the main professional leagues? What assessment tools are employed to evaluate the financial risk and budgetary feasibility? What financial support measures exist for clubs and how are insolvency proceedings initiated by clubs? To identify financial regulation practices in professional sport, a selection of leagues was made based on their economic importance, specific regulatory tools used, and their approach to financial difficulties and the handling of insolvency proceedings.

Findings

Through an examination of financial regulation practices in other leagues, three main findings are highlighted: The significance of required financial documents and deadlines varies depending on the competition organizer; some leagues utilize ratio-based assessments rather than relying solely on opinions from financial oversight bodies; certain leagues have established assistance processes for troubled clubs as opposed to punitive measures resulting in administrative regulations.

Practical implications

This study proposes new financial regulation modalities to prevent the bankruptcy of French football clubs. Firstly, a reform management control is suggested. Secondly, the engagement of stakeholders in bankruptcy prevention is recommended. Lastly, the implementation of a dedicated policy to support clubs facing difficulties is proposed.

Originality/value

The French football federation and the professional league are important actors in the European football. Many bankruptcies are noted in these championships and since the COVID crisis, the financial situation of the clubs has deteriorated, pointing to a strong risk of bankruptcy in the coming years.
Stakeholder engagement during the COVID-19 crisis: perspectives from South Africa
Authors: Myeza Lindani , Kok Marianne , Lange Yvette , Maroun Warren
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine how governing bodies demonstrated stakeholder engagement during the time of the COVID-19 crisis in South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews with 18 participants, comprising of preparers of financial statements, board members and management consultants/advisors. The study also relied on the analysis of articles on corporate webpages and publications produced by professional bodies on the economic, social and environmental impact of COVID-19.

Findings

The results of this study indicated that governing bodies demonstrated stakeholder engagement during times of crisis through transparent reporting, corporate social responsibility initiatives and active stakeholder inclusivity.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the body of research on stakeholder engagement during a crisis and provides evidence of the role stakeholder inclusivity can play in responding to a crisis. The findings will be useful in understanding the importance of stakeholder engagement during times of crisis. The study is one of the first, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to evaluate how stakeholder engagement principles can be followed by governing bodies during a crisis.
The artificial intelligence-enabled customer experience in tourism: a systematic literature review
Authors: Ghesh Nada , Alexander Matthew , Davis Andrew
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The increased utilization of artificial intelligence-enabled applications (AI-ETs) across the customer journey has transformed customer experience (CX), introducing entirely new forms of the concept. This paper aims to explore existing academic research on the AI-enabled customer experience (AICX), identifying gaps in literature and opportunities for future research in this domain.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted in March 2022. Using 16 different keyword combinations, literature search was carried across five databases, where 98 articles were included and analysed. Descriptive analysis that made use of the Theory, Characteristics, Context, Methods (TCCM) framework was followed by content analysis.

Findings

This study provides an overview of available literature on the AICX, develops a typology for classifying the identified AI-ETs, identifies gaps in literature and puts forward opportunities for future research under five key emerging themes: definition and dynamics; implementation; outcomes and measurement; consumer perspectives; and contextual lenses.

Originality/value

This study establishes a fresh perspective on the interplay between AI and CX, introducing the AICX as a novel form of the experience construct. It also presents the AI-ETs as an integrated and holistic unit capturing the full range of AI technologies. Remarkably, it represents a pioneering review exclusively concentrating on the customer-facing dimension of AI applications.
An intuitive approach for measuring the resilience of biological communities to environmental change
Authors: Bowler Diana E.
Published: November 2023

Research Highlight: Sæther, B. E., Engen, S., & Solbu, E. B. (2023a). Assessing the sensitivity and resistance of communities in a changing environment. Journal of Animal Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365‐2656.14003. In the face of global change, conservation strategies can be informed by understanding which biological communities are most at risk. Metrics that reflect the ‘resilience’ of communities to change could have great utility, but there is still no consensus on the most useful way to measure it. Sæther et al. introduce an intuitive approach to thinking about and measuring resilience based on how variation in the total number of individuals within a community affects the number of species. By using dynamic species abundance distribution models, they also quantify the different sources of population‐level variation that contribute to community resilience. Evenness emerges as an important predictor of resilience, with more even communities predicted to be more sensitive to abundance loss. An attractive feature of their approach is the ability to estimate the key parameters using commonly used generalized linear mixed effects models, which they illustrate with a case study on forest bird communities. The approach is ripe for comparison across different systems to explore how these proposed metrics complement existing biodiversity metrics and how they help understand the risk of communities from environmental change.