bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antigen-driven CD8+T cell clonal expansion is a prominent feature of MASH in humans and mice
Authors: Burtis Abbigayl E.C. , DeNicola Destiny M.C. , Ferguson Megan E. , Santos Radleigh G. , Pinilla Clemencia , Kriss Michael S. , Orlicky David J. , Tamburini Beth A. Jirón , Gillen Austin E. , Burchill Matthew A.
Published: March 2024

Background and Aims

Chronic liver disease due to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a rapidly increasing global epidemic. MASH progression is a consequence of the complex interplay between inflammatory insults and dysregulated hepatic immune responses. T lymphocytes have been shown to accumulate in the liver during MASH, but the cause and consequence of T cell accumulation in the liver remain unclear. Our study aimed to define the phenotype and T cell receptor diversity of T cells from human cirrhotic livers and an animal model of MASH to begin resolving their function in disease.

Approach and Results

In these studies, we evaluated differences in T cell phenotype in the context of liver disease we isolated liver resident T cell populations from individuals with cirrhosis and a murine model of MASH. Using both 5’ single cell sequencing and flow cytometry we defined the phenotype and T cell receptor repertoire of liver resident T cells during health and disease.

Conclusions

MASH-induced cirrhosis and diet-induced MASH in mice resulted in the accumulation of activated and clonally expanded T cells in the liver. The clonally expanded T cells in the liver expressed markers of chronic antigenic stimulation, includingPD1,TIGITandTOX. Overall, this study establishes for the first time that T cells undergo antigen-dependent clonal expansion and functional differentiation during the progression of MASH. These studies could lead to the identification of potential antigenic targets that drive T cell activation, clonal expansion, and recruitment to the liver during MASH.
Probing chromatin accessibility with small molecule DNA intercalation and nanopore sequencing
Authors: Bai Gali , Dhillon Namrita , Felton Colette , Meissner Brett , Saint-John Brandon , Shelansky Robert , Meyerson Elliot , Hrabeta-Robinson Eva , Hodjat Babak , Boeger Hinrich , Brooks Angela N.
Published: March 2024

Genome-wide identification of chromatin organization and structure has been generally probed by measuring accessibility of the underlying DNA to nucleases or methyltransferases. These methods either only observe the positioning of a single nucleosome or rely on large enzymes to modify or cleave the DNA. We developed adduct sequencing (Add-seq), a method to probe chromatin accessibility by treating chromatin with the small molecule angelicin, which preferentially intercalates into DNA not bound to core nucleosomes. We show that Nanopore sequencing of the angelicin-modified DNA is possible and allows visualization and analysis of long single molecules with distinct chromatin structure. The angelicin modification can be detected from the Nanopore current signal data using a neural network model trained on unmodified and modified chromatin-free DNA. Applying Add-seq toSaccharomyces cerevisiaenuclei, we identified expected patterns of accessibility around annotated gene loci in yeast. We also identify individual clusters of single molecule reads displaying different chromatin structure at specific yeast loci, which demonstrates heterogeneity in the chromatin structure of the yeast population. Thus, using Add-seq, we are able to profile DNA accessibility in the yeast genome across long molecules.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Higher prevalence of sacbrood virus in highbush blueberry pollination units
Authors: McAfee Alison , French Sarah K. , Tsvetkov Nadejda , Higo Heather , Common Julia , Pernal Stephen F. , Giovenazzo Pierre , Hoover Shelley E. , Guzman-Novoa Ernesto , Currie Robert W , Veiga Patricia Wolf , Conflitti Ida M. , Pepinelli Mateus , Tran Lan , Zayed Amro , Guarna M. Marta , Foster Leonard J.
Published: March 2024

Highbush blueberry pollination depends on managed honey bees (Apis mellifera) for adequate fruit set; however, beekeepers have raised concerns about poor health of colonies after pollinating this crop. Postulated causes include agrochemical exposure, nutritional deficits, and interactions with parasites and pathogens, particularlyMelisococcus plutonius(the causal agent of European foulbrood disease), but other pathogens could be involved. To broadly investigate common honey bee pathogens in relation to blueberry pollination, we sampled adult honey bees from colonies at time points corresponding to before (t1), during (t2), at the end (t3), and after (t4) highbush blueberry pollination in British Columbia (BC), Canada, across two years (2020 and 2021). Nine viruses as well asM. plutonius,Vairimorpha ceranaeandV. apis(formerlyNosema ceranaeandN. apis) were detected by PCR and microscopy and compared among colonies located near and far from blueberry fields. We found a significant interactive effect of time and blueberry proximity on the multivariate pathogen community, mainly due to differences at t4 (corresponding to roughly six weeks after the beginning of the pollination period). Post-hoc comparisons of pathogens in near and far groups at t4 showed that detections of sacbrood virus (SBV), which was significantly higher in the exposed group, was the primary driver. The association of SBV with highbush blueberry pollination may be contributing to the health decline that beekeepers observe after pollinating this crop, likely in combination with other factors.
Structure ofAquifex aeolicusLumazine Synthase by Cryo-Electron Microscopy to 1.42Å Resolution
Authors: Savva Christos G. , Sobhy Mohamed A. , De Biasio Alfredo , Hamdan Samir M.
Published: March 2024

Single particle Cryo-Electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) has become an essential structural determination technique with recent hardware developments making it possible to reach atomic resolution at which individual atoms, including hydrogen atoms, can be resolved. Thus Cryo-EM allows not only unprecedented detail regarding the structural architecture of complexes but also a better understanding surrounding their chemical states. In this study we used the enzyme involved in the penultimate step of riboflavin biosynthesis as a test specimen to benchmark a recently installed microscope and determine if other protein complexes could reach a resolution of 1.5Å or better which so far has only been achieved for the iron carrier ferritin. Using state of the art microscope and detector hardware as well as the latest software techniques to overcome microscope and sample limitations, a 1.42Å map ofAquifex aeolicuslumazine synthase (AaLS) was obtained from a 48-hour microscope session. In addition to water molecules and ligands involved in AaLS function, we can observe positive density for ∼50% of hydrogen atoms. A small improvement in resolution was achieved by Ewald sphere correction which was expected to limit the resolution to ∼1.5Å for a molecule of this diameter. Our study confirms that other protein complexes can be solved to near-atomic resolution. Future improvements in specimen preparation and protein complex stabilization may allow more flexible macromolecules to reach this level of resolution and should become a priority of study in the field.
Cannabinoid Receptor Signaling is Dependent on Sub-Cellular Location
Authors: Thomas Alix , Lobingier Braden , Schultz Carsten , Laguerre Aurelien
Published: March 2024

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are membrane bound signaling molecules that regulate many aspects of human physiology. Recent advances have demonstrated that GPCR signaling can occur both at the cell surface and internal cellular membranes. Our findings suggest that cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) signaling is highly dependent on its subcellular location. We find that intracellular CB1 receptors predominantly couple to Gαi while plasma membrane receptors couple to Gαs. Here we show subcellular location of CB1, and its signaling, is contingent on the choice of promoters and receptor tags. Heterologous expression with a strong promoter or N terminal tag resulted in CB1 predominantly localizing to the plasma membrane and signaling through Gαs. Conversely, CB1 driven by low expressing promoters and lacking N-terminal genetic tags largely localized to internal membranes and signals via Gαi. Lastly, we demonstrate that genetically encodable non-canonical amino acids (ncAA) offer a solution to the problem of non-native N-terminal tags disrupting CB1 signaling. We identified sites in CB1R and CB2R which can be tagged with fluorophores without disrupting CB signaling or trafficking using (trans-cyclooctene attached to lysine (TCO*A)) and copper-free click chemistry to attach fluorophores in live cells. Together, our data demonstrate the origin of location bias in cannabinoid signaling which can be experimentally controlled and tracked in living cells through promoters and novel CBR tagging strategies.
VASP phase separation with priming proteins of fast endophilin mediated endocytosis modulates actin polymerization
Authors: Narayan Karthik B. , James Honey Priya , Cope Jonathan , Mondal Samsuzzoha , Baeyens Laura , Milano Francesco , Zheng Jason , Krause Matthias , Baumgart Tobias
Published: March 2024

Actin polymerization is essential in several clathrin-independent endocytic pathways including fast endophilin mediated endocytosis (FEME), however the actin machinery involved in FEME has been elusive. Here, we show that the actin polymerase VASP colocalizes and interacts directly with the FEME priming complex. We identify endophilin (EDP) as a VASP binding partner and establish novel non-canonical interactions between EDP and the EVH1 and EVH2 domains of VASP. The major FEME regulators EDP and lamellipodin (LPD) interact multivalently with VASP undergoing liquid-liquid phase separation both in solution and on lipid membranes. We show that priming complex mimicking condensates localise actin polymerization, with LPD-VASP promoting and EDP antagonising actin assembly, suggesting a novel role for EDP during the priming step of FEME. Finally, we show that LPD and EDP recruits and clusters VASP on lipid membranes mimicking the plasma membrane’s inner leaflet to locally assemble actin filaments. Our results support a model where actin polymerization in FEME is spatiotemporally initiated by the depletion of EDP, mediated by receptor activation.

Teaser

Liquid-like condensates formed by actin polymerases and endocytic proteins, localise and regulate actin polymerization.
A TLR4 ligand-based adjuvant for promoting the immunogenicity of Typhoid subunit vaccines
Authors: Alugupalli Kishore R.
Published: March 2024

None of the typhoid Vi Polysaccharide (ViPS) subunit vaccines incorporate adjuvants, and the immunogenicity of ViPS vaccines (e.g. Typbar TCV®and Typhim Vi®) is in part due to associated TLR4 ligands such as endotoxin present in these vaccines. Since endotoxin content in vaccines is variable and kept very low due to inherent toxicity, I hypothesized that incorporating a defined amount of a non-toxic TLR4-ligand such as monophosphoryl lipid A in ViPS vaccines would improve their immunogenicity. To test this hypothesis, I developed an monophosphoryl lipid A-based adjuvant formulation named Turbo. Admixing Turbo with Typbar TCV®(ViPS-conjugated to tetanus toxoid) increased the levels of anti-ViPS IgM, IgG1, IgG2b, IgG2a/c and IgG3 in inbred and outbred mice. In infant mice, a single immunization with Turbo adjuvanted Typbar TCV®, resulted in a significantly increased and durable IgG response, and improved the control of bacterial burden compared to mice immunized without Turbo. Similarly, when adjuvanted with Turbo, the antibody response and control of bacteremia were also improved in mice immunized with Typhim Vi®, an unconjugated vaccine. The immunogenicity of unconjugated ViPS is inefficient in young mice and is lost in adult mice when immunostimulatory ligands in ViPS are removed. Nevertheless, when adjuvanted with Turbo, poorly immunogenic ViPS induced a robust IgG response in young and adult mice, and this was observed even under antigen-limiting conditions. These data suggest that incorporation of Turbo as an adjuvant will make typhoid vaccines more immunogenic regardless of their intrinsic immunogenicity or conjugation status and maximize the efficacy across all ages.
Exploring variations in lipids among drug-resistant and sensitiveMycobacterium tuberculosisby Thin layer chromatography and mass spectrometry
Authors: Kumar Kavitha , Giribhattanavar Prashant , Sagar B. K. Chandrasekhar , Patil Shripad A.
Published: March 2024

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb)lipids are important in the host–pathogen interplay, variation in the lipids organization of cell wall can act as an adaptive response. Specific cell wall structures can possibly result in suboptimal intracellular concentrations of anti-TB drugs, which favors the acquisition of drug resistance. Therefore, lipids fromM.tb(drug resistant and sensitive) were analyzed by 2D-thin layer chromatography and mass spectrometry. GraphPad Prism was used to perform Mann Whitney-U test to determine the statistical significance. Difference observed for total lipid content among different resistant isolates was insignificant. However, increase in phospholipids was identified in multi-drug resistant (MDR) isolate compared to sensitive isolate. Isoniazid, streptomycin-isoniazid, and isoniazid-ethambutol resistant isolates showed increased alpha-mycolic acids. MDR isolate showed a marginal decrease in alpha- and keto-form. Mycolipenic acid was seen only in sensitive isolate, and mycosanoic acids were observed in all the resistant isolates. Among the resistant isolates, there was an insignificant increase in the total phthiocerol dimycocerosates and sulfolipids. Drug resistance was associated with compositional imbalance of lipids. However, investigations to determine whether the changes notices are induced by the drugs is to be explored, which could give an insight into the drug resistant organisms pathogenesis.
Functional characterization of fatty acid synthase inHermetia illucens
Authors: Jiang Yuguo , Xue Wei , Peng Zhidan , Hou Peng , Kou Zongqing , Chen Bihui , Lu Huimeng , Huang Yongping
Published: March 2024

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is a key role inde novolipogenesis (DNL) in most lives. In insects, type I FAS functions in homodimer, activated by a phosphopantetheine transferase (PPT), tode novoproduce essential saturated fatty acid for cellular processes. In a nova insect speciesHermetia illucens(Diptera: Stratiomyidae), different from most animals and insects, lauric acid (LA) accumulates to a noticeable level, near content of that in coconut oil or palm kernel oil. However, the origin of LA, fromde novobiosynthesis or as degraded products from long chain fatty acid, was still ambiguous. Here, in this study, we mined aFASgenes (HiOGS16234) fromH. illucensgenome and initially characterized its abilities of LA production in a free-fatty-acid producible yeast. After clear the yeast metabolites background of fatty acid by deletion ofScFAS1andScELO1sequentially, which responsible for fatty acid genesis and elongation respectively, functions of HiOGS16234 fromH. illucenswasin vitroelucidated by analyzing its product portfolio. Through protein domain swap in HiOGS16234, we found the ketoacyl synthase domain and thioesterases domain were responsible for the different product portfolio of HiOGS16234, compared with DmFASN1. Throughin vitroassay in yeast, the origin of LA in BSF was firstly elucidated at molecular level, which support DNL origin hypothesis in BSF.
Activity of zebrafish THAP9 transposase and zebrafish P element-like transposons
Authors: Kutnowski Nitzan , Ghanim George E. , Lee Yeon , Rio Donald C.
Published: March 2024

Transposable elements are mobile DNA segments that are found ubiquitously across the three domains of life. One family of transposons, called P elements, were discovered in the fruit flyDrosophila melanogaster. Since their discovery, P element transposase-homologous genes (called THAP-domain containing 9 or THAP9) have been discovered in other animal genomes. Here, we show that the zebrafish (Danio rerio) genome contains both an active THAP9 transposase (zfTHAP9) and mobile P-like transposable elements (calledPdre). zfTHAP9 transposase can excise one of its own elements (Pdre2) andDrosophilaP elements.DrosophilaP element transposase (DmTNP) is also able to excise the zebrafishPdre2 element, even though it’s distinct from theDrosophilaP element. However, zfTHAP9 cannot transposePdre2 orDrosophilaP elements, indicating partial transposase activity. Characterization of the N-terminal THAP DNA binding domain of zfTHAP9 shows distinct DNA binding site preferences from DmTNP and mutation of the zfTHAP9, based on known mutations in DmTNP, generated a hyperactive protein,. These results define an active vertebrate THAP9 transposase that can act on the endogenous zebrafishPdreandDrosophilaP elements.
All eukaryotic SMC proteins induce a twist of -0.6 at each DNA-loop-extrusion step
Authors: Janissen Richard , Barth Roman , Davidson Iain F. , Taschner Michael , Gruber Stephan , Peters Jan-Michael , Dekker Cees
Published: March 2024

Eukaryotes carry three types of Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) protein complexes, condensin, cohesin, and SMC5/6, which are ATP-dependent motor proteins that remodel the genome via DNA loop extrusion. SMCs modulate DNA supercoiling, but it has remained incompletely understood how this is achieved. Here we present a single-molecule magnetic tweezers assay that directly measures how much twist is induced by an individual SMC in each loop-extrusion step. We demonstrate that all three SMC complexes induce the same large negative twist (i.e., a linking number change ΔLk of -0.6 at each loop-extrusion step) into the extruded loop, independent of step size. Using ATP-hydrolysis mutants and non-hydrolysable ATP analogues, we find that ATP binding is the twist-inducing event during the ATPase cycle, which coincides with the force-generating loop-extrusion step. The fact that all three eukaryotic SMC proteins induce the same amount of twist indicates a common DNA-loop-extrusion mechanism among these SMC complexes.
Upstream open reading frames may contain hundreds of novel human exons
Authors: Ji Hyun Joo , Salzberg Steven L
Published: March 2024

Several recent studies have presented evidence that the human gene catalogue should be expanded to include thousands of short open reading frames (ORFs) appearing upstream or downstream of existing protein-coding genes, each of which would comprise an additional bicistronic transcript in humans. Here we explore an alternative hypothesis that would explain the translational and evolutionary evidence for these upstream ORFs without the need to create novel genes or bicistronic transcripts. We examined 2,199 upstream ORFs that have been proposed as high-quality candidates for novel genes, to determine if they could instead represent protein-coding exons that can be added to existing genes. We checked for the conservation of these ORFs in four recently sequenced, high-quality human genomes, and found a large majority (87.8%) to be conserved in all four as expected. We then looked for splicing evidence that would connect each upstream ORF to the downstream protein-coding gene at the same locus, thus creating a novel splicing variant using the upstream ORF as its first exon. These protein coding exon candidates were further evaluated using protein structure predictions of the protein sequences that included the proposed new exons. We determined that 582 out of 2,199 upstream ORFs have strong evidence that they can form protein coding exons that are part of an existing gene, and that the resulting protein is predicted to have similar or better structural quality than the currently annotated isoform.

Author Summary

We analyzed over 2000 human sequences that have been proposed to represent novel protein-coding genes, and that reside just upstream of known genes. These “upstream ORFs” (uORFs) would represent a surprisingly large addition to the human gene catalogue, which after decades of refinement now contains just under 20,000 protein-coding genes. They would also create over 2000 new bicistronic genes, which number only 10 in current human annotation databases. We hypothesized that rather than novel genes, these sequences might instead represent novel exons that can be spliced into existing protein-coding genes, creating new isoforms of those genes. Using a combination of transcriptional evidence and computational predictions, we show that at least 582 of the previously-described uORFs can be used to create novel protein-coding exons, generating new transcripts and new protein isoforms, but not requiring the addition of entirely new genes to the human gene catalogue. We also demonstrate that the predicted three-dimensional structure of some of the new protein isoforms hints at new or improved functions for existing proteins.
Paradoxical choice of Korean consumers: categorization effect, health halo and averaging bias
Authors: Yim Eunsong , Park Kwangmin
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This research aims to elucidate why consumers decide to eat meals that seem to be higher in calories and salt, despite their goal being to consume fewer calories and sodium. Korean participants are to be used for this study. The present research further investigated the impacts of categorization and averaging bias in relation to the health halo phenomenon, specifically focusing on traditional food and textured vegetable protein (soy meat) burgers. Thus, the present research investigated how consumers' intentions contrasted with their consumption goals in food choice circumstances.

Design/methodology/approach

We partitioned the survey due to the COVID-19 epidemic. A single, well trained surveyor first surveyed customers at cafés in Seoul and six other Korean cities. We received 102 in-person survey replies. A total of 254 advanced degree or undergraduate students from two universities completed an online questionnaire. There are 356 responses. Two studies were conducted where participants were instructed to evaluate the perceived healthiness, calorie content, and sodium level of different food items. The specifics of each study are elucidated in the main body of the paper.

Findings

This study shows that Koreans categorize meals as virtue or vice depending on their perceived healthiness, validating the categorization effect. Furthermore, this research demonstrated that consumers' perceptions of the health benefits of traditional meals and soy meat burgers impact their categorization. Koreans also assessed the average of the vice and virtue and found vice-virtue combination meals healthier than the vice alone. This affects how calories and sodium are perceived. This study also shown that high virtue affects averaging bias more than weak virtue in meals with vice and virtue combo.

Originality/value

This study extended food categorization and averaging bias to non-US consumers and confirmed this contradictory meal choice is universal. Health halo also affects food health perception. The results of this study revealed that Koreans consider traditional food healthier than western junk food. Korean customers incorrectly assume soy meat burgers have fewer calories and sodium than regular burgers. Thus, this study explains Korean consumers' food health misconceptions related to paradoxical consumption.
How wicked is modern slavery: a consideration of Raškovic’s “taming wicked problems”
Authors: Burmester Brent
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This is a response to “Taming wicked problems”, a paper recently published in CPOIB in which modern slavery is framed as a wicked problem. The purpose of this study is to convey the author’s appraisal of its contribution to policymaking regarding modern slavery in global supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

The author engages in a discursive review of “Taming wicked problems”, taking inspiration from its perceived strengths and weaknesses to expand on the problem of modern slavery as a challenge to international business (IB) researchers.

Findings

“Taming wicked problems” is welcomed as a provocative contribution to modern slavery research in IB, although it is perceived to give too little critical attention to the problem of modern slavery itself.

Research limitations/implications

This is, by design, a subjective assessment of the treatment of modern slavery and policy from the perspective of an IB researcher who has previously studied the phenomenon without a wicked problem framing.

Practical implications

Modern slavery is a serious problem for IB scholars, as they have failed to extrapolate it from their analysis of international business strategy. This paper is intended to advance the disciplinary defence of vulnerable workers exploited to the ultimate benefit of MNEs.

Social implications

IB must engage critically with international business strategies that heighten the risk of human rights violations. The persistence of modern slavery disadvantages all persons in employment.

Originality/value

This paper seeks to better define the offense implicit in modern slavery so to inform critical IB research into its causes and deterrence.
A study of sustainability risks from industry 4.0 perspective: taxonomy and future research avenues
Authors: Choudhary Divya , Nandy Indranil
Published: March 2024

Purpose

A large number of organisations are moving towards adopting Industry 4.0 (I4.0), and simultaneously, the emphasis on attaining sustainability development goals is also increasing. Hence, it is imperative to understand the interplay between I4.0 and sustainability. However, the literature addressing the same is still in infancy. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to fill this gap in the literature by exploring the potential sustainability impacts of I4.0 on the organisations and society in terms of sustainability risks.

Design/methodology/approach

To gain an understanding of sustainability aspects in the I4.0 context, relevant literature is gathered using Scopus and Web-of-Science database. An in-depth review of 51 research papers is performed to determine the sustainability risks associated with I4.0.

Findings

From the study, a total of 16 sustainability risks are identified, and I4.0 sustainability risk taxonomy is developed. The proposed taxonomy extends the sustainability implications of I4.0 beyond the triple bottom line umbrella and includes the organisational perspective as well. Furthermore, the study provides future research avenues to scholars by positing five potential research questions under different risk management stages.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides an understanding of sustainability risks associated with the adoption of I4.0. The findings will help practitioners streamline their production and operation processes by finding out possible solution to the sustainability risks of their smart factories in advance. The present research will act as a stepping stone towards I4.0 sustainability. The proposed research questions will assist the future researchers in extending the field of I4.0.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to address the topic of sustainability risks in the context of I4.0.
Wine tourism experiences of Chinese tourists: a tourist-centric perspective
Authors: Wu Doris Chenguang , Cao Chenyu , Wu Ji , Hu Mingming
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Wine tourism is gaining increasing popularity among Chinese tourists, making it necessary to thoroughly examine tourist behavior. While online reviews posted by wine tourists have been extensively studied from the perspectives of destinations and wineries, the perspective of the tourists themselves has been overlooked. To address this gap, this study aims to identify significant attributes intrinsic to the tourism experiences of Chinese wine tourists by adopting a text-mining approach from a tourist-centric perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use topic modeling to extract these attributes, calculate topic intensity to understand tourists’ attention distribution across these attributes and conduct topical sentiment analysis to evaluate tourists’ satisfaction levels with each attribute. The authors perform importance-performance analyses (IPAs) using topic intensity and sentiment scores. Furthermore, the authors conduct semistructured in-depth interviews with Chinese wine tourists to gain insights into the underlying reasons behind the key findings.

Findings

The study identifies eleven attributes for domestic wine tourists and seven attributes for outbound wine tourists. From the reviews of both domestic and outbound tourists, three common attributes have been identified: “scenic view”, “wine tasting and purchase” and “wine knowledge”.

Practical implications

According to the results of the IPAs, there is a pressing need for enhancements in the wine tasting and purchasing experience at domestic wine attractions. Additionally, managers of domestic wine attractions should continue to prioritize the positive aspects of the family trip experience and scenic views. On the other hand, for outbound wine attractions, it is crucial for managers to maintain their efforts in providing opportunities for wine knowledge acquisition, ensuring scenic views and upholding the reputation of wine regions.

Originality/value

First, this study breaks new ground by adopting a tourist-centric perspective to extract significant attributes from real wine tourism reviews. Second, the authors conduct a comparative analysis between Chinese wine tourists who travel domestically and those who travel abroad. The third novel aspect of this study is the application of IPA based on textual review data in the context of wine tourism. Fourth, by integrating topic modeling with qualitative interviews, the authors use a mixed-method approach to gain deeper insights into the experiences of Chinese wine tourists.
Integrating advanced digital technologies in existing lean-based production systems: analysis of paradoxes, imbalances and management strategies
Authors: Johansson Peter E. , Bruch Jessica , Chirumalla Koteshwar , Osterman Christer , Stålberg Lina
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to advance the understanding of paradoxes, underlying tensions and potential management strategies when integrating digital technologies into existing lean-based production systems (LPSs), with the aim of achieving synergies and fostering the development of production systems.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a collaborative management research (CMR) approach to identify patterns of organisational tensions and paradoxes and explore management strategies to overcome them. The data were collected through interviews and focus group interviews with experts on lean and/or digital technologies from the companies, from documents and from workshops with the in-case researchers.

Findings

The findings of this paper provide insights into the salient organisational paradoxes embraced in the integration of digital technologies in LPS by identifying different aspects of the performing, organising, learning and belonging paradoxes. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate the intricacies and relatedness between different paradoxes and their resolutions, and more specifically, how a resolution strategy adopted to manage one paradox might unintentionally generate new tensions. This, in turn, calls for either re-contextualising actions to counteract the drift or the adoption of new resolution strategies.

Originality/value

This paper adds perspective to operations management (OM) research through the use of paradox theory, and we (1) provide a fine-grained perspective on why integration sometimes “fails” and label the forces of internal drift as mechanisms of imbalances and (2) provide detailed insights into how different management and resolution strategies are adopted, especially by identifying re-contextualising actions as a key to rebalancing organisational paradoxes in favour of the integration of digital technologies in LPSs.
Are lean and digital engaging better problem solvers? An empirical study on Italian manufacturing firms
Authors: Galeazzo Ambra , Furlan Andrea , Tosetto Diletta , Vinelli Andrea
Published: March 2024

Purpose

We studied the relationship between job engagement and systematic problem solving (SPS) among shop-floor employees and how lean production (LP) and Internet of Things (IoT) systems moderate this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

We collected data from a sample of 440 shop floor workers in 101 manufacturing work units across 33 plants. Because our data is nested, we employed a series of multilevel regression models to test the hypotheses. The application of IoT systems within work units was evaluated by our research team through direct observations from on-site visits.

Findings

Our findings indicate a positive association between job engagement and SPS. Additionally, we found that the adoption of lean bundles positively moderates this relationship, while, surprisingly, the adoption of IoT systems negatively moderates this relationship. Interestingly, we found that, when the adoption of IoT systems is complemented by a lean management system, workers tend to experience a higher effect on the SPS of their engagement.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation of this research is the reliance on the self-reported data collected from both workers (job engagement, SPS and control variables) and supervisors (lean bundles). Furthermore, our study was conducted in a specific country, Italy, which might have limitations on the generalizability of the results since cross-cultural differences in job engagement and SPS have been documented.

Practical implications

Our findings highlight that employees’ strong engagement in SPS behaviors is shaped by the managerial and technological systems implemented on the shop floor. Specifically, we point out that implementing IoT systems without the appropriate managerial practices can pose challenges to fostering employee engagement and SPS.

Originality/value

This paper provides new insights on how lean and new technologies contribute to the development of learning-to-learn capabilities at the individual level by empirically analyzing the moderating effects of IoT systems and LP on the relationship between job engagement and SPS.
Antecedents of residents’ support for cruise tourism in the Bahamas during the era of COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Park Ounjoung , Im Angie Yeonsook , Kim Dae-Young
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This study aims to disclose the antecedent factors for predicting support for cruise tourism in the Bahamas. It investigated the relationship between residents’ support for cruise tourism and the four indicators that were the positive/negative impact of cruise tourism on the community, perceived conflicts in sharing information and concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

Using 278 surveys of local residents near major cruise ports in the Bahamas, this study identified the salient variables in tourism impact and conflict factors. The survey questionnaire was adapted and developed from relevant studies and modified to suit the context of cruise tourism.

Findings

The results revealed that residents’ perceived conflict was insignificantly associated with their support for cruise tourism. In contrast, their concerns about COVID-19 and perceptions of the positive and negative cruise tourism impacts were statistically significant in predicting the likelihood of support for tourism.

Originality/value

This study suggests implications for enhancing the long-term growth of the cruise industry, which is vulnerable to environmental threats such as Covid-19.
Nexus between digital financial inclusion and economic growth: a panel data investigation of Asian economies
Authors: Ramesh Hegde Pramath , Guruprasad Leena S.
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between digital financial inclusion and economic growth in specific Asian countries, emphasizing the exploration of how digital financial inclusion dynamics impact gross domestic per capita income.

Design/methodology/approach

The study creates a digital financial inclusion composite index (DFII) by incorporating essential metrics from the Global Findex report. Economic growth is measured using Gross Domestic Product per capita income in its natural logarithmic form (LnPCI), with three control variables– employment-to-population ratio; population growth and inflation. The analysis utilizes a fixed-effect dummy variable model to examine the relationship, considering unobserved country-specific heterogeneity. 30 Asian countries have been selected for the study for the periods 2014, 2017 and 2021 based on their availability, as outlined in Table 4.

Findings

The research revealed a robust positive correlation between the Digital Financial Inclusion Index (DFII) and logarithmic GDP per capita income (LnPCI), indicating higher per capita income with enhanced digital financial inclusion. Employment and population exhibited minimal influence, whereas inflation had a notable negative effect on per capita income. Population growth showed a limited impact. The model demonstrated a high explanatory power for the dependent variable (high R-squared), and the residuals displayed low autocorrelation (Durbin–Watson of 1.96).

Originality/value

This study adds to the existing literature by examining the intricate connection between digital financial inclusion (DFI) and economic growth in 30 Asian countries, employing a comprehensive composite index for analysis.
Predictors of e-Nabız acceptance among physicians: an integration of UTAUT, trust, and privacy factors
Authors: Şahin Dilek , Kurutkan Mehmet Nurullah , Arslan Tuba
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Today, e-government (electronic government) applications have extended to the frontiers of health-care delivery. E-Nabız contains personal health records of health services received, whether public or private. The use of the application by patients and physicians has provided efficiency and cost advantages. The success of e-Nabız depends on the level of technology acceptance of health-care service providers and recipients. While there is a large research literature on the technology acceptance of service recipients in health-care services, there is a limited number of studies on physicians providing services. This study aims to determine the level of influence of trust and privacy variables in addition to performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating factors in the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model on the intention and behavior of using e-Nabız application.

Design/methodology/approach

The population of the study consisted of general practitioners and specialist physicians actively working in any health facility in Turkey. Data were collected cross-sectionally from 236 physicians on a voluntary basis through a questionnaire. The response rate of data collection was calculated as 47.20%. Data were collected cross-sectionally from 236 physicians through a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The study found that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, trust and perceived privacy had a significant effect on physicians’ behavioral intentions to adopt the e-Nabız system. In addition, facilitating conditions and behavioral intention were determinants of usage behavior (p < 0.05). However, no significant relationship was found between social influence and behavioral intention (p > 0.05).

Originality/value

This study confirms that the UTAUT model provides an appropriate framework for predicting factors influencing physicians’ behaviors and intention to use e-Nabız. In addition, the empirical findings show that trust and perceived privacy, which are additionally considered in the model, are also influential.
Exploring the landscape of big data applications in librarianship: a bibliometric analysis of research trends and patterns
Authors: Islam Md. Nurul , Hu Guangwei , Ashiq Murtaza , Ahmad Shakil
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This bibliometric study aims to analyze the latest trends and patterns of big data applications in librarianship from 2000 to 2022. By conducting a comprehensive examination of the existing literature, this study aims to provide valuable insights into the emerging field of big data in librarianship and its potential impact on the future of libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed a rigorous four-stage process of identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion to filter and select the most relevant documents for analysis. The Scopus database was utilized to retrieve pertinent data related to big data applications in librarianship. The dataset comprised 430 documents, including journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, reviews and books. Through bibliometric analysis, the study examined the effectiveness of different publication types and identified the main topics and themes within the field.

Findings

The study found that the field of big data in librarianship is growing rapidly, with a significant increase in publications and citations over the past few years. China is the leading country in terms of publication output, followed by the United States of America. The most influential journals in the field are Library Hi Tech and the ACM International Conference Proceeding Series. The top authors in the field are Minami T, Wu J, Fox EA and Giles CL. The most common keywords in the literature are big data, librarianship, data mining, information retrieval, machine learning and webometrics.

Originality/value

This bibliometric study contributes to the existing body of literature by comprehensively analyzing the latest trends and patterns in big data applications within librarianship. It offers a systematic approach to understanding the state of the field and highlights the unique contributions made by various types of publications. The study’s findings and insights contribute to the originality of this research, providing a foundation for further exploration and advancement in the field of big data in librarianship.
How green advertising drives pro-environmental willingness to pay? Evidence from a within-participant between-group experiment
Authors: Guo Jianfeng , Yang Xiaohan , Yao Sihang , Gu Fu , Zhang Xuemei
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influences of positive-framed and negative-framed green advertising on pro-environmental WTP. This study also explores the impacts of regulatory focus, environmental concern and pleasant level on green advertising effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are collected from a within-participant between-group online experiment in China. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) is employed to investigate the impact of green advertising on WTP. Grouped regression and mediation analyses are conducted to explore the influences of regulatory focus, environmental concern and pleasure on advertising efficacy.

Findings

The experimental outcomes indicate that green advertising significantly increases participants’ pro-environmental WTP, and negative-framed advertising is more effective than its positive-framed counterpart. Prevention focus heightens receptivity to green advertising, and the relation of environmental concern to advertising effectiveness is inverted U-shaped. Pleasure mediates the effect of green advertising on the WTP, and this mediating role is influenced by emotional intensity when advertising is negatively framed.

Originality/value

Evidence suggests that green advertising may propel pro-environmental WTP by raising environmental awareness, but such a relationship remains severely understudied. As such, this study pioneers in exploring the impact of different-framed green advertising on pro-environmental WTP, extending the concept of green advertising to environmental management. By considering the influences of regulatory focus, environmental concern and pleasure, this study raises practical implications for designing green advertisements, such as increasing the usage of visual elements.
How is the ECB’s quantitative easing transmitted to the financial markets?
Authors: Aloui Donia , Ben Maatoug Abderrazek
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Over the last few years, the European Central Bank (ECB) has adopted unconventional monetary policies. These measures aim to boost economic growth and increase inflation through the bond market. The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of the ECB’s quantitative easing (QE) on the investor’s behavior in the stock market.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the authors theoretically identify the transmission channels of the QE shocks to the stock market. Then, the authors empirically assess the financial market’s responses to QE shocks in a data-rich environment using a factor augmented VAR (FAVAR).

Findings

The results show that the ECB’s unconventional monetary policy positively affects the stock market. A QE shock leads to an increase in stock prices and a drop in the realized volatility and the implied risk premium. The authors also suggest that the ECB’s QE is transmitted to the stock market through five main channels: the liquidity, the expectation, the portfolio reallocation, the interest rates and the risk premium channels.

Practical implications

The findings help to better understand the behavior of stock market assets in a data-rich economic context and guide investors and policymakers in the presence of unconventional monetary tools. For instance, decision-makers and investors should consider the short-term effect of the QE interventions and the changing behavior of the financial actors over time. In addition, high stock market returns can increase risk appetite. This can lead investors to underestimate the market risk. Decision-makers and market participants should take into consideration the impact of the large injection of money through the QE, which may raise the risk of a speculative bubble in the financial market.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that incorporates a theoretical and empirical analysis to explore QE transmission to the stock market in the European context. Unlike previous studies, the authors use the shadow rate proposed by Wu and Xia (2017) to quantify the effect of the ECB’s QE in a data-rich environment. The authors also include two key risk indicators – the stock market risk premium and the realized volatility – to capture investors’ behavior in the stock market following QE shocks.
Older adults' e-government use for bureaucratic and transactional purposes: the role of website-related perceptions and subjective digital skills
Authors: Rosenberg Dennis
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to establish the link between the attitudes older adults hold toward governmental websites, their subjective online public service use skills and their e-government use for bureaucratic (e.g. document downloading or filling them out online) and transactional (e.g. payment) purposes.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained from the 2020 Israel Social Survey and analyzed using binary logistic regression models. The sample included internet users aged 60 years and older (N = 735).

Findings

Subjective use skills were positively associated with each studied type of e-government use. Perception of security in providing personal information on governmental websites was also positively associated with both types of use. Perceived clarity and simplicity of governmental websites was (positively) related to transactional e-government use only.

Research limitations/implications

The results suggest that the types of e-government use in older adulthood are not contingent upon exactly the same factors. Moreover, attitudes toward e-government seem to be more relevant for transactional rather than bureaucratic e-government use in this lifespan period.

Originality/value

The study examines factors related to government website uses of various types in later life – a rarely studied topic in e-government research.