bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EMDiffuse: a diffusion-based deep learning method augmenting ultrastructural imaging and volume electron microscopy
Authors: Lu Chixiang , Chen Kai , Qiu Heng , Chen Xiaojun , Chen Gu , Qi Xiaojuan , Jiang Haibo
Published: July 2023

Electron microscopy (EM) revolutionized the way to visualize cellular ultrastructure. Volume EM (vEM) has further broadened its three-dimensional nanoscale imaging capacity. However, intrinsic trade-offs between imaging speed and quality of EM restrict the attainable imaging area and volume. Isotropic imaging with vEM for large biological volumes remains unachievable. Here we developed EMDiffuse, a suite of algorithms designed to enhance EM and vEM capabilities, leveraging the cutting-edge image generation diffusion model. EMDiffuse demonstrates outstanding denoising and super-resolution performance, generates realistic predictions without unwarranted smoothness, improves predictions’ resolution by ∼30%, and exhibits excellent transferability by taking only one pair of images to fine-tune. EMDiffuse also pioneers the isotropic vEM reconstruction task, generating isotropic volume similar to that obtained using advanced FIB-SEM even in the absence of isotropic training data. We demonstrated the robustness of EMDiffuse by generating isotropic volumes from six public datasets obtained from different vEM techniques and instruments. The generated isotropic volume enables accurate organelle reconstruction, making 3D nanoscale ultrastructure analysis faster and more accessible and extending such capability to larger volumes. More importantly, EMDiffuse features self-assessment functionalities and guarantees reliable predictions for all tasks. We envision EMDiffuse to pave the way for more in-depth investigations into the intricate subcellular nanoscale structures within large areas and volumes of biological systems.
The anti-tubercular callyaerins target theMycobacterium tuberculosis-specific non-essential membrane protein Rv2113
Authors: Podlesainski David , Adeniyi Emmanuel T. , Gröner Yvonne , Schulz Florian , Krisilia Violetta , Rehberg Nidja , Richter Tim , Sehr Daria , Xie Huzhuyue , Simons Viktor E. , Kiffe-Delf Anna-Lene , Kaschani Farnusch , Ioerger Thomas R. , Kaiser Markus , Kalscheuer Rainer
Published: July 2023

Spread of antimicrobial resistances in the pathogenMycobacterium tuberculosisremains a public health challenge. Thus, there is a continuous need for new therapeutic options with modes-of-action differing from current antibiotics. Previously, bioactivity-guided isolation identified the callyaerins, a class of hydrophobic cyclopeptides with an unusual (Z)-2,3-di-aminoacrylamide unit, as promising antitubercular agents. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying their antimycobacterial properties. Structure-activity relationship studies enabled the identification of the structural determinants relevant for their antibacterial activity. The antitubercular callyaerins are bacteriostatics selectively active againstM. tuberculosis, including extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains, with minimal cytotoxicity against human cells and a promising intracellular activity in a macrophage infection model. Via spontaneous resistance mutant screens and various chemical proteomics approaches, we showed that they act by direct targeting of the non-essential,M. tuberculosis-specific putative membrane protein Rv2113, thereby triggering a complex stress response inM. tuberculosischaracterized by global downregulation of lipid biosynthesis, cell division, DNA repair and replication. Our study thus not only identifies Rv2113 as a newM. tuberculosis-specific target for antitubercular drugs, which should result in less harm of the microbiome and weaker resistance development in off-target pathogens. It furthermore demonstrates that also non-essential proteins may represent efficacious targets for antimycobacterial drugs.
Interchromosomal Colocalization with Parental Genes Is Linked to the Function and Evolution of Mammalian Retrocopies
Authors: Yan Yubin , Tian Yuhan , Wu Zefeng , Zhang Kunling , Yang Ruolin
Published: July 2023

Retrocopies are gene duplicates arising from reverse transcription of mature mRNA transcripts and their insertion back into the genome. While long being regarded as processed pseudogenes, more and more functional retrocopies have been discovered. How the stripped- down retrocopies recover expression capability and become functional paralogs continually intrigues evolutionary biologists. Here, we investigated the function and evolution of retrocopies in the context of three-dimensional (3D) genome organization. By mapping retrocopy-parent pairs onto sequencing-based and imaging-based chromatin contact maps in human and mouse cell lines and onto Hi-C interaction maps in five other mammals, we found that retrocopies and their parental genes show a higher-than-expected interchromosomal colocalization frequency. The spatial interactions between retrocopies and parental genes occur frequently at loci in active subcompartments and near nuclear speckles. Accordingly, colocalized retrocopies are more actively transcribed and translated, and are more evolutionarily conserved than noncolocalized ones. The active transcription of colocalized retrocopies may result from their permissive epigenetic environment and shared regulatory elements with parental genes. Population genetic analysis of retroposed gene copy number variants (retroCNVs) in human populations revealed that retrocopy insertions are not entirely random in regard to interchromosomal interactions and that colocalized retroCNVs are more likely to reach high frequencies, suggesting that both insertion bias and natural selection contribute to the colocalization of retrocopy-parent pairs. Further dissection implies that reduced selection efficacy, rather than positive selection, contributes to the elevated allele frequency of colocalized retroCNVs. Overall, our results hint a role of interchromosomal colocalization in the “resurrection” of initially neutral retrocopies.
Novel role for peptidoglycan carboxypeptidases in maintaining the balance between bacterial cell wall synthesis and degradation
Authors: Obando Manuela Alvarado , Dörr Tobias
Published: July 2023

Peptidoglycan (PG) is the main component of the bacterial cell wall; it maintains cell shape while protecting the cell from internal osmotic pressure and external environmental challenges. PG synthesis is essential for bacterial growth and survival, and a series of PG modifications are required to allow expansion of the sacculus. Endopeptidases (EPs), for example, cleave the crosslinks between adjacent PG strands to allow the incorporation of newly synthesized PG. EPs are collectively essential for bacterial growth and must likely be carefully regulated to prevent sacculus degradation and cell death. However, EP regulation mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we used TnSeq to uncover novel EP regulation factors inVibrio cholerae. This screen revealed that the carboxypeptidase DacA1 (PBP5) alleviates EP toxicity.dacA1is essential for viability on LB medium, and this essentiality was suppressed by EP overexpression, revealing that EP toxicity both mitigates, and is mitigated by, a defect indacA1. A subsequent suppressor screen to restore viability ofΔdacA1in LB medium was answered by hypomorphic mutants in the PG synthesis pathway, as well as mutations that promote PG degradation. Our data thus reveal a key role of DacA1 in maintaining the balance between PG synthesis and degradation.
NNV024, a novel humanized anti-CD37 antibody with enhanced ADCC and prolonged plasma half-life in human FcRn transgenic mice for treatment of NHL
Authors: Generalov Roman , Fiorito Elisa , Foss Stian , Pascal Veronique , Heyerdahl Helen , Repetto-Llamazares Ada H. V. , Andersen Jan Terje , Tjønnfjord Geir E. , Skånland Sigrid S. , Dahle Jostein
Published: July 2023

There is an unmet medical need for new therapeutic approaches and targets for patients with non- Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who relapse or are refractory to anti-CD20 immunotherapy. Therefore, we developed a humanized IgG1antibody targeting CD37, which was tailored to be afucosylated for enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) (NNV024). In line with this, NNV024 induced three-fold more potent ADCC activity against patient-derived chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells compared with anti-CD20 obinutuzumab. Moreover, NNV024 showed 2-fold higher ADCC activity than anti-CD20 rituximab and a recombinant version of DuoHexaBody-CD37 against both NHL and CLL cells. Survival was significantly longer after NNV024 treatment than with obinutuzumab in a mouse model. In addition, NNV024 showed a favourable plasma half-life in human FcRn transgenic mice of about 9-days, which was 2-fold longer than that of obinutuzumab and DuoHexaBody-CD37. These results warrant the further development of NNV024 as a treatment for NHL.
Cryo-electron tomography of enterovirus cell entry and endosome escape
Authors: Ishemgulova Aygul , Mukhamedova Liya , Trebichalská Zuzana , Rájecká Veronika , Payne Pavel , Šmerdová Lenka , Moravcová Jana , Hrebík Dominik , Buchta David , Škubník Karel , Füzik Tibor , Vaňáčová Štěpánka , Nováček Jiří , Plevka Pavel
Published: July 2023

Enveloped viruses deliver their genomes into the cell cytoplasm by membrane fusion; in contrast, membrane penetration by non-enveloped viruses is more diverse and less well understood. Enteroviruses, one of the largest groups of non-enveloped viruses, cause diseases ranging from the common cold to life-threatening encephalitis. To initiate infection, most enteroviruses enter cells by endocytosis. However, how enterovirus particles or RNA genomes cross the endosome membrane into the cytoplasm remains unknown. Here we used cryo-electron tomography of infected cells to show that endosomes containing rhinovirus 2, echovirus 18, echovirus 30, or enterovirus 71 deform, rupture, and release their content into the cytoplasm. Blocking endosome acidification with bafilomycin A1 reduced the number of enterovirus particles that released their genomes in endosomes, but did not prevent them from reaching the cytoplasm. Inhibiting N-WASP-mediated post-endocytic membrane remodeling with wiskostatin promoted abortive enterovirus genome release in endosomes. We show that the rupture of endosomes also occurs in uninfected cells. In summary, our results indicate that cellular membrane remodeling disrupts enterovirus-containing endosomes and thus releases the virus genomes and particles into the cytoplasm. Since the studied enteroviruses employ different receptors for cell entry but are all delivered into the cytoplasm by cell-mediated endosome disruption, it is possible that many other enteroviruses utilize endosome rupture to infect cells.
Unlocking the Role of Endothelial MPL Receptor and JAK2V617F Mutation: Insights into Cardiovascular Dysfunction in MPNs and CHIP
Authors: Zhang Haotian , Kafeiti Nicholas , Lee Sandy , Masarik Kyla , Zheng Haoyi , Zhan Huichun
Published: July 2023

Patients with JAK2V617F-positive myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) are at a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Endothelial cells (ECs) carrying the JAK2V617F mutation can be detected in many MPN patients. Here, we investigated the impact of endothelial JAK2V617F mutation on CVD development using both transgenic murine models and human induced pluripotent stem cell lines. Our findings revealed that JAK2V617F mutant ECs promote CVDs by impairing endothelial function and undergoing endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). Importantly, we found that inhibiting the endothelial thrombopoietin receptor MPL suppressed JAK2V617F-induced EndMT and prevented cardiovascular dysfunction caused by mutant ECs. These findings propose that targeting the endothelial MPL receptor could be a promising therapeutic approach to manage CVD complications in patients with JAK2V617F-positive MPNs and CHIP. Further investigations into the impact of other CHIP-associated mutations on endothelial dysfunction are needed to improve risk stratification for individuals with CHIP.
FoxP3 recognizes microsatellites and bridges DNA through multimerization
Authors: Zhang Wenxiang , Leng Fangwei , Wang Xi , Ramirez Ricardo N. , Park Jinseok , Benoist Christophe , Hur Sun
Published: July 2023

FoxP3 is a transcription factor (TF) essential for development of regulatory T cells (Tregs), a branch of T cells that suppress excessive inflammation and autoimmunity1-5. Molecular mechanisms of FoxP3, however, remain elusive. We here show that FoxP3 utilizes the Forkhead domain––a DNA binding domain (DBD) that is commonly thought to function as a monomer or dimer––to form a higher-order multimer upon binding to TnG repeat microsatellites. A cryo-electron microscopy structure of FoxP3 in complex with T3G repeats reveals a ladder-like architecture, where two double-stranded DNA molecules form the two “side rails” bridged by five pairs of FoxP3 molecules, with each pair forming a “rung”. Each FoxP3 subunit occupies TGTTTGT within the repeats in the manner indistinguishable from that of FoxP3 bound to the Forkhead consensus motif (FKHM; TGTTTAC). Mutations in the “intra-rung” interface impair TnG repeat recognition, DNA bridging and cellular functions of FoxP3, all without affecting FKHM binding. FoxP3 can tolerate variable “inter-rung” spacings, explaining its broad specificity for TnG repeat-like sequencesin vivoandin vitro. Both FoxP3 orthologs and paralogs show similar TnG repeat recognition and DNA bridging. These findings thus reveal a new mode of DNA recognition that involves TF homo-multimerization and DNA bridging, and further implicates microsatellites in transcriptional regulation and diseases.
Genetic control of the dynamic transcriptional response to immune stimuli and glucocorticoids at single-cell resolution
Authors: Resztak Justyna A. , Wei Julong , Zilioli Samuele , Sendler Edward , Alazizi Adnan , Mair-Meijers Henriette E. , Wu Peijun , Wen Xiaoquan , Slatcher Richard B. , Zhou Xiang , Luca Francesca , Pique-Regi Roger
Published: July 2023

Synthetic glucocorticoids, such as dexamethasone, have been used as a treatment for many immune conditions, such as asthma and, more recently, severe COVID-19. Single-cell data can capture more fine-grained details on transcriptional variability and dynamics to gain a better understanding of the molecular underpinnings of inter-individual variation in drug response. Here, we used single-cell RNA-seq to study the dynamics of the transcriptional response to glucocorticoids in activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 96 African American children. We used novel statistical approaches to calculate a mean-independent measure of gene expression variability and a measure of transcriptional response pseudotime. Using these approaches, we showed that glucocorticoids reverse the effects of immune stimulation on both gene expression mean and variability. Our novel measure of gene expression response dynamics, based on the diagonal linear discriminant analysis, separated individual cells by response status on the basis of their transcriptional profiles and allowed us to identify different dynamic patterns of gene expression along the response pseudotime. We identified genetic variants regulating gene expression mean and variability, including treatment-specific effects, and showed widespread genetic regulation of the transcriptional dynamics of the gene expression response.
Extensive variation in germline de novo mutations inPoecilia reticulata
Authors: Lin Yuying , Darolti Iulia , van der Bijl Wouter , Morris Jake , Mank Judith E.
Published: July 2023

The rate of germline mutation is fundamental to evolutionary processes, as it generates the variation upon which selection acts. The guppy,Poecilia reticulata, is a model of rapid adaptation, however the relative contribution of standing genetic variation versus de novo mutation (DNM) to evolution in this species remains unclear. Here, we use pedigree-based approaches to quantify and characterize germline DNMs in three large guppy families. Our results suggest germline mutation rate in the guppy varies substantially across individuals and families. Most DNMs are shared across multiple siblings, suggesting they arose during early embryonic development. DNMs are randomly distributed throughout the genome, and male-biased mutation rate is low, as would be expected from the short guppy generation time. Overall, our study shows remarkable variation in germline mutation rate and provides insights into rapid evolution of guppies.
Distribution, cellular localization, and colocalization of several peptide neurotransmitters in the central nervous system ofAplysia
Authors: Hawkins Robert D. , Brodin Lennart , Theodorsson Elvar , Végvári Ákos , Kandel Eric R. , Hokfelt Tomas
Published: July 2023

Neuropeptides are widely used as neurotransmitters in vertebrates and invertebrates. In vertebrates, a detailed understanding of their functions as transmitters has been hampered by the complexity of the nervous system. The marine molluskAplysia, with a simpler nervous system and many large, identified neurons, presents several advantages for addressing this question and has been used to examine the roles of tens of peptides in behavior. To screen for other peptides that might also play roles in behavior, we observed immunoreactivity in individual neurons in the central nervous system of adultAplysiawith antisera raised against theAplysiapeptide FMRFamide and two mammalian peptides that are also found inAplysia, cholecystokinin (CCK) and neuropeptide Y (NPY), as well as serotonin (5HT). In addition, we observed staining of individual neurons with antisera raised against mammalian somatostatin (SOM) and peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI). However, genomic analysis has shown that these two peptides are not expressed in theAplysianervous system, and we have therefore labeled the unknown peptides stained by these two antibodies as XSOMand XPHI. There was an area at the anterior end of the cerebral ganglion that had staining by antisera raised against many different transmitters, suggesting that this may be a modulatory region of the nervous system. There was also staining for XSOMand, in some cases, FMRFamide in the bag cell cluster of the abdominal ganglion. In addition, these and other studies have revealed a fairly high degree of colocalization of different neuropeptides in individual neurons, suggesting that the peptides do not just act independently but can also interact in different combinations to produce complex functions. The simple nervous system ofAplysiais advantageous for further testing these ideas.
A hybrid machine-learning approach for analysis of methane hydrate formation dynamics in porous media with synchrotron CT imaging
Authors: Fokin Mikhail I. , Nikitin Viktor V. , Duchkov Anton A.
Published: July 2023

Fast multi-phase processes in methane hydrate bearing samples pose a challenge for quantitative micro-computed tomography study and experiment steering due to complex tomographic data analysis involving time-consuming segmentation procedures. This is because of the sample's multi-scale structure, which changes over time, low contrast between solid and fluid materials, and the large amount of data acquired during dynamic processes. Here, a hybrid approach is proposed for the automatic segmentation of tomographic data from time-resolved imaging of methane gas-hydrate formation in sandy granular media, which includes a deep-learning 3D U-Net model. To prepare a training dataset for the 3D U-Net, a technique to automate data labeling based on sample-specific information about the mineral matrix immobility and occasional fluid movement in pores is proposed. Automatic segmentation allowed for studying properties of the hydrate growth in pores, as well as dynamic processes such as incremental flow and redistribution of pore brine. Results of the quantitative analysis showed that for typical gas-hydrate stability parameters (100 bar methane pressure, 7°C temperature) the rate of formation is slow (less than 1% per hour), after which the surface area of contact between brine and gas increases, resulting in faster formation (2.5% per hour). Hydrate growth reaches the saturation point after 11 h of the experiment. Finally, the efficacy of the proposed segmentation scheme in on-the-fly automatic data analysis and experiment steering with zooming to regions of interest is demonstrated.
The significance of general skills training for early career graduates: relationships with perceived organizational support, job satisfaction and turnover intention
Authors: Pinnington Ashly , Mir Farzana Asad , Ai Zehua
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to address the mixed predictions about the relationship between general skills training and turnover intention of early career graduates by examining the mediating mechanisms of perceived organizational support (POS) and job satisfaction (JS) through which this relationship might be enacted. This study adopts organizational support theory as the guiding theory and examines the concept of POS as critical for predicting and explaining relationships in the conceptual framework.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative survey method was used on a sample of 147 Chinese early career graduate trainees. Analysis was conducted using partial least square-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

The main finding is that participation in general skills training (PGST) does not directly impact turnover intention, rather POS is a mechanism through which this negative relationship operates. This study also found significant evidence for serial mediation by POS on PGST and its relationship with turnover intention. Importantly, JS only has an effect on turnover intention when in the presence of serial mediation by POS.

Research limitations/implications

Cross-sectional study of a small survey sample. Nonetheless, the findings have major implications for research theories on the relationship of general skills training with employee turnover.

Social implications

PGST does not directly impact turnover intention, rather POS is a mechanism through which this negative relationship operates.

Originality/value

This research emphasizes the important role of POS in the relationship between early career graduate trainees’ PGST and their turnover intentions.
Evaluation of climate change effects on residential building cooling and heating demands in New Zealand: implications for energy efficiency standards and building codes
Authors: Jalali Zahra , Shamseldin Asaad Y. , Mannakkara Sandeeka
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Climate change reports from New Zealand claim that climate change will impact some cities such as Auckland from a heating-dominated to a cooling-dominated climate. The benefits and risks of climate change on buildings' thermal performance are still unknown. This paper examines the impacts of climate change on the energy performance of residential buildings in New Zealand and provides insight into changes in trends in energy consumption by quantifying the impacts of climate change.

Design/methodology/approach

The present paper used a downscaling method to generate weather data for three locations in New Zealand: Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The weather data sets were applied to the energy simulation of a residential case study as a reference building using a validated building energy analysis tool (EnergyPlus).

Findings

The result indicated that in Wellington and Christchurch, heating would be the major thermal load of residential buildings, while in Auckland, the main thermal load will change from heating to cooling in future years. The revised R-values for the building code will affect the pattern of dominant heating and cooling demands in buildings in Auckland in the future, while in Wellington and Christchurch, the heating load will be higher than the cooling load.

Originality/value

The findings of this study gave a broader insight into the risks and opportunities of climate change for the thermal performance of buildings. The results established the significance of considering climate change in energy performance analysis to inform the appropriate building codes for the design of residential buildings to avoid future costly changes to buildings.
Educational achievements and export earnings: a comparison between leader and follower countries
Authors: Alam Gazi Mahabubul , Forhad Md. Abdur Rahman
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study examines whether education in developing countries directly impacts their foreign income from the top export sector.

Design/methodology/approach

As most developing countries follow developed nations to shape their development, this study assumes developing countries as education-follower and developed countries as education-leader countries. Considering selected countries from the South Asian Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and African countries as follower countries and Group of Seven (G7) as leader countries, this study employs Dumitrescu-Hurlin Granger non-causality tests.

Findings

This study finds that education-follower countries' achievements do not directly impact foreign earnings from their leading export sectors. However, findings also confirm that leader countries have a bidirectional causal relationship between tertiary education and earnings from high technology exports.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study urging research-intensive education with comparative advantages in international trade. Using educational attainment on export earnings from the leading sector, findings support dependency theory in education is still existed.
Addressing sustainability challenges as part of director’s duty in Malaysia
Authors: Mustafa Khan Nurul Jannah , Mohd Ali Hasani , Md Noor Alam Hazlina Shaik
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The development of successful Sustainable Development Goals realization cannot be divorced from regulations governing sustainability information. Therefore, limited research on the regulatory environment regarding sustainability reporting in the Malaysian context requires further examination to ascertain the current framework. This study aims to critically assess the Malaysian Companies Act 2016 and Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (MCCG) to examine the regulatory environment regarding the sustainability reporting framework. The examination is done to determine the extent of support provided under the Malaysian regulatory environment for the said practice.

Design/methodology/approach

A doctrinal methodology that relies on the extant literature, statutory instruments and case laws complemented by content analysis is adopted to explore the current regulatory environment regarding sustainability reporting.

Findings

The findings indicate that the Companies Act 2016 has already paved the way for the integration of corporate sustainability through the Business Review Report (BRR). However, the application is voluntary and hence could lead to inconsistent implementation. The MCCG has introduced the integrated reporting practice, but the application is limited to large companies on “apply and report” approach. This practice is voluntary to other types of companies, which diminishes the importance of sustainability reporting and gives rise to doubt about its efficiency in addressing sustainability in the long term. The current framework for sustainability reporting cannot be considered satisfactory, given the significance of sustainable development to the Malaysian economy and society, due to a lack of appropriate legal obligations.

Originality/value

This study is presently amongst the available legal literature on sustainability reporting practice in Malaysia, adding to its originality. This paper hopes to stimulate discussion among academicians on incorporating sustainability principles in the Companies Act 2016 and expanding directors’ duties.
Performance relative to aspiration and SMEs' internationalization speed: the moderating effects of policy knowledge and institutional distance
Authors: Zhang Ying , Cheng Cong
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study seeks to explore the relationship between performance relative to aspiration and SMEs' internationalization speed, and moderating effects of top management's policy knowledge and institutional distance between the above relation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study tests the authors’ hypotheses using data on Chinese manufacturing SMEs over a 5-year period from 2013 to 2017. The authors leverage archival panel data on publicly listed companies on the SME Board, GEM and New OTC Market in the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. The authors then collected data from the WIND and ZEPHYR databases.

Findings

The results confirm a U-shaped relation between performance relative to aspiration and SMEs' internationalization speed, and show that this relation is steepening by top management's policy knowledge in home country but flattening by institutional distance as environmental dynamics.

Originality/value

The study findings contribute to the international business field by exploring how a firm's risk situation in internationalization can change, thereby influencing SMEs' international expansion.
How India defines organizational citizenship behaviour: an inductive study from an employee perspective
Authors: Deshmukh Adwaita , Natu Sadhana
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) holds importance for employees and employers. Although it is culturally relativistic, its definition is West-dominated. Conceptual investigations in non-Western cultures yield different dimensions of OCB. Existing OCB models lack contemporariness and reciprocity. Their perspective may be biased towards management. Practice based on such theory gives poor outcomes. To address these gaps, the authors reconceptualized OCB in the Indian context from an employee perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a qualitative study to build an employee-centric, inductive OCB model. The authors briefed respondents about the meaning of OCB and sought descriptions of instances of OCB performed or witnessed by them. The authors collected 478 descriptions from 49 private sector employees in India. The thematic analysis developed ten themes, each an OCB component, organized into four super-themes, denoting interpersonal, individual, organizational and community orientations.

Findings

Five OCB components are new emic additions by the model: Building social relationships, emotionally mature behaviour, learning and knowledge creation, housekeeping and event management, and higher order citizenship. Organizational governance participation is absent from the model. Housekeeping and relationship building are the most appearing OCBs, while voice is the least. Findings are discussed in relation to temporal and cultural background, respondent characteristics and perspective.

Practical implications

Organizations can better support employee OCBs by acknowledging OCBs unique to India, investigating low proportions of voice and civic virtue in the Indian model and informing people policies with this new knowledge.

Originality/value

This is the first attempt to build an inductive model of OCB in India from the employee perspective, making significant contributions to organizational theory and practice.
The strategic fit between strategic purchasing and purchasing involvement: the moderating role of leadership styles
Authors: Salhieh Loay , Mehiar Ala'a , Abushaikha Ismail , Reefke Hendrik , Bani-Ismail Loay
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study is to investigate and examine the impact of strategic purchasing practices (SPP) on strategic-fit (SF) by analyzing the influence of SPP on purchasing involvement in business strategy formulation with path-goal theory leadership styles as moderators.

Design/methodology/approach

Using survey data from 320 respondents representing 64 manufacturing firms in the Middle East, the authors measure SPP, purchasing involvement, leadership styles and SF of the purchasing function with business strategy.

Findings

Building on the path-goal approach to leadership, results suggest that participative, supportive and achievement-oriented leadership (AOL) styles are pure moderators, while directive leadership style (DLS) is a quasi-moderator in boosting the relationship between SPP and strategic purchasing involvement (SPI).

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of the sampling methodology and sample size restricts the scope for generalizing the hypotheses. Further, data were collected only from manufacturing companies. The paper provides managerial implications on purchasing involvement in business strategy formulation and the different roles of leadership styles.

Originality/value

This is the first scholarly work to examine the different leadership styles as a moderator that affects the strategic involvement and status of strategic purchasing.
Are scholar-type CEOs more conducive to promoting industrial AI transformation of manufacturing companies?
Authors: Xu Peng , Zhang Zichao
Published: July 2023

Purpose

In order to effectively promote the deep integration of artificial intelligence and the real economy and empower real enterprises to improve quality and efficiency, this study regards the CEO as a high-end innovation resource and aims to empirically test the impact of scholar-type CEOs on the industrial artificial intelligence (AI) transformation of manufacturing enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

Grounded on the upper echelons theory, this paper preliminarily selects A-share manufacturing listed companies in Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange that are affiliated to enterprise groups from 2014 to 2020 as samples. Furthermore, the Logit regression is conducted to analyze the influence of scholar-type CEOs about industrial AI transformation.

Findings

The results show that scholar-type CEO plays a significant role in promoting industrial AI transformation. The parent-subsidiary corporations executives' ties positively moderates the impact of scholar-type CEOs on industrial AI transformation. Further, internal control quality plays a partial mediating role between scholar-type CEOs and industrial AI transformation. Compared with private enterprises, scholar-type CEOs play a stronger role in promoting industrial AI transformation of state-owned enterprises.

Originality/value

First, this paper expands the research related to the influencing factors of industrial AI transformation based on upper echelons theory and clarifies the influencing mechanism of scholar-type CEOs affecting industrial AI transformation from the perspective of executives' behavior. Second, this study further enriches the research framework on the economic consequences of scholar-type CEOs and provides a useful supplement to the research literature in the field of upper echelons theory. Third, this paper is not limited to a single enterprise but involves the management practice of resource allocation within the enterprise groups, further clarifies the internal logic of the decision-making of industrial AI transformation of listed companies within the framework of enterprise groups, providing theoretical reference for the scientific design of the governance mechanism of parent-subsidiary companies.
Application of blockchain technology in the agri-food system: a systematic bibliometric visualization analysis and policy imperatives
Authors: Mohapatra Soumya , Sainath Banda , K.C. Anirudh , Lal Hminghlui , K. Nithin Raj , Bhandari Gunjan , Nyika Joan , R. Sendhil
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Blockchain technology (BCT), since its emergence touted to be disruptive, is gaining momentum, especially in the agri-food system owing to its multiple benefits.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors attempted to conduct a systematic bibliometric visualization analysis of the BCT in the agri-food system. The analysis investigated the list of countries and institutions that conducted research on BCT in agriculture, growth trend analysis in research publications, bibliographic coupling of journals using the VOSviewer tool, and the countries and institutions researching BCT.

Findings

The authors discovered that China, the USA and India were the highly active countries in BCT research and publication. However, India has only limited research collaboration with other countries as compared to China and the USA. The keyword analysis indicates the role of BCT in order to maintain the transparency of the supply chain by means of protecting the privacy of the personal data of the stakeholders.

Research limitations/implications

More research related to the implementation of BCT in livestock, fishery and agro-forestry sector is recommended.

Social implications

The case examined is of particular interest as it is concerned with efficient supply chain management.

Originality/value

This study adds value and evidence to the scope and benefits of BCT by providing a comprehensive literature review, with a special focus on the opportunities and challenges concerned with implementation of BCT in the Indian agri-food system.

Highlights

Blockchain technology (BCT) – a promising tool to resolve issues in agriculture supply chain.

BCT ensures transparency and protection of information along the supply chain transactions.

China, the USA and India are the highly active countries in BCT research and publication.

Multiple potential benefits to stakeholders are attributed to the BCT in the agri-food system.

The key challenge is to bridge the digital gap between developed and developing nations.

Future research on BCT should aim at easing and undistorted competition among stakeholders.
The place where only gays go: constructions of queer space in the narratives of sexually diverse refugees
Authors: Powell Alex
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of how gay and lesbian spaces are constructed and deployed within the context of asylum claims by sexually diverse people. Through doing this, the author details the ways in which the present deployment of place, as a form of evidence for a relatively fixed conception of sexual difference, does not correspond to the self-conceptions of sexually diverse asylum seekers.

Design/methodology/approach

This article draws on the experiences of eight sexually diverse refugees who agreed to participate in semi-structured interviews. Deploying a queer narrative analysis approach, these experiences are explored to develop a detailed understanding of how sexually diverse spaces are constructed within refugee status determinations. This interview-led approach is combined with a critical epistemology informed by the queer theory to understand the role of place in the construction of sexual identity.

Findings

The central finding of this article is that engagement/attendance with/in particular places and spaces is overdetermined as a form of evidence of LGBTIQA+ identity within refugee status determination. Further findings relate to the relationship between places and sexual identities more generally. The paper helps to shed light on how sexually diverse identities are conceived in essentially ontological and fixed terms, with the result that places are often flattened, with the diversity and tensions within them being ignored and occluded.

Originality/value

The originality of this study emerges from the analysis of new qualitative data. This originality is strengthened by the successful combination of empirical research, queer theoretical insights and the application of this combination to policy. This remaining a relatively rare combination. In addition, in contrast to the existing literature, the paper looks specifically at how LGBTIQA+ or queer spaces are conceptualised within refugee status determination processes.
Quantitative representation of school library service quality in Yogyakarta: evaluation using Libqual +Tm method
Authors: Saufa Arina Faila
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose was to measure the service quality of school library in Yogyakarta based on user perceptions using the Libqual +TM method that used three dimensional indicators; affect of service, information control and library as place.

Design/methodology/approach

The researcher used a quantitative method to examine the perceived scores, minimum expectations and ideal expectations given by the users, which then resulted in the average Adequency Gap (AG) and superiority gap (SG) scores. Researchers collected data through observation and distributed questionnaires to 93 respondents who were students in Yogyakarta.

Findings

The study found that (1) affect of service dimension, the user is satisfied with the librarian being very polite to the user with an AG score of 0.58 and an SG of −0.1. (2) The information control dimension shows that users are satisfied with the ease of searching for information with an AG score of 0.53 and an SG of −0.44. (3) The library as place dimension, users are satisfied with the library space which is always clean with an AG score of 0.4 and an SG of −0.13.

Originality/value

This study broadens the view regarding the evaluation of school library services using certain methods so that they can be used to improve the quality of library services.
Evaluation of psychological empowerment of academics in innovative pedagogical delivery: the role of inclusive leadership and achievement orientation
Authors: Vem Linus Jonathan , Ng Siew Imm , Sambasivan Murali , Maimako Sabastian Seddi
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Innovative pedagogical delivery (IPD) and behaviour have been a major concern among academics in Nigeria. The purpose of this study is aimed at analyzing the impact of psychological empowerment (PE) on IPD through achievement orientation (AO) and perceived inclusive leadership (PIL) among academics of tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among the academics in Nigeria, and 350 responses were received. A multiple regression analysis was conducted using Smart-PLS version 3.

Findings

Findings are: (a) PE significantly impacts AO and IPD; (b) AO mediates the relationship between PE and IPD; and (c) PIL moderates the relationship between PE and AO.

Practical implications

It is recommended that practitioners and administrators in tertiary institutions pay attention to academics’ AO while integrating employee empowerment intervention for optimum results.

Originality/value

The findings emphasize AO in explaining the mechanism by which the relationship between PE and IPD holds sway. PIL explains the boundary conditions under which PE can effectively influence IPD.
Essential 1: justice is our “comprehensive mission”
Authors: Zenkov Kristien , Badiali Bernard , Burns Rebecca West , Coler Cynthia , Cosenza Michael , Goree Krystal , Polly Drew , Stoicovy Donnan , Bertrand Shamaine K. , Haddad Kerry , Crane Nelson , Lague Michelle
Published: July 2023

Purpose

To detail the revised Essential #1.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a description and case study of Essential #1.

Findings

This article includes the following elements: details of the rationale behind the revisions to the Essential; highlights of the specific changes to the Essential; and definitions of the key concepts related to the Essential.

Practical implications

This article provides the following: a “Deepening Our Learning” section, with a description of the Essential in action that might help others to integrate this ideal into their teaching and teacher education practices; and a reflection on potential impacts of the new elements of each Essential on existing or new PDS work.

Originality/value

This article provides a description and application of the revised Essential #1.
Public perceptions of the police and violence: an examination of both sides of the issue
Authors: Davila Mario A. , Hartley Deborah J. , Brown Ben
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to gain a broad understanding of public perceptions of the police and violence.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses survey data collected from a nationally representative sample (N = 1,223) by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Chicago. Descriptive, bivariate correlational and multivariate regression analyses of the data were conducted.

Findings

Descriptive analyses show the populace is equally concerned about the police use of violence and violence against the police, but bivariate analyses indicate the two types of concern are unrelated, and multivariate regression analyses show that few variables impact both types of concern. Consistent with prior research, young people and racial/ethnic minorities reported greater concerns about police violence than did older adults and Whites, yet neither age nor race/ethnicity impacted concerns about violence against the police. Perceived mistreatment by the police was the only variable which impacted perceptions of police violence and violence against the police in a consistent and cogent manner.

Originality/value

This study is the first to examine public perceptions of the police as both the agents and victims of violence. The results indicate public perceptions of the police are more complex than was previously believed.
African perspectives on researching social entrepreneurship
Authors: Farhoud Mohamed , Bignotti Alex , Hamann Ralph , Kauami Ngunoue Cynthia , Kiconco Michelle , Ghalwash Seham , De Beule Filip , Tladi Bontle , Matomela Sanele , Kgaphola Mollette
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Context matters in social entrepreneurship, and it matters a lot. Social entrepreneurs are deeply entrenched in the context where they operate: they respond to its challenges, are shaped by it, and attempt to shape it in turn. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how social entrepreneurship in Africa is still understood within the scope of Western theories, without much consideration for local variations of the commonly shared archetype of social entrepreneurship or for how African norms, values and beliefs may shape our common understanding of this phenomenon.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors survey the often-neglected literature on social entrepreneurship in Africa and bring it together in this paper to discuss – also from the vantage point of their own experience and research in diverse African countries – how important assumptions in the social entrepreneurship literature are confirmed, enriched or challenged by key dimensions of African contexts.

Findings

Four important themes in the literature on social entrepreneurship in Africa emerged – institutions, embedding values, entrepreneurial behaviour and bricolage and scaling impact – each with its own considerations of how African contexts may challenge predominant assumptions in the extant social entrepreneurship literature, as well as implications for future research.

Originality/value

The authors uncover ways in which the peculiarities of the African context may challenge the underlying – and mostly implicit – assumptions that have shaped the definition and analysis of social entrepreneurship. They end by offering their understanding of social entrepreneurship and its concomitant dimensions in Africa as a stepping stone for advancing the field in the continent and beyond.