bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Linking Pre- and Perinatal Risk Factors to a Multivariate Fusion of Child Cortical Structure
Authors: Lindseth Linn R. S. , Beck Dani , Westlye Lars T. , Tamnes Christian K. , Norbom Linn B.
Published: October 2024

Pre- and perinatal factors such as maternal pregnancy and child birth complications affect child brain development, emphasizing the importance of early life exposures. While most previous studies have focused on a few variables in isolation, here, we investigated associations between a broad range of pregnancy- and birth-related variables and multivariate cortical brain MRI features. Our sample consisted of 8,396 children aged 8.9 to 11.1 years from the ABCD Study. Through multiple correspondence analysis and factor analysis of mixed data, we distilled numerous pre- and perinatal variables into four overarching dimensions; maternal pregnancy complications, maternal substance use, compromised fetal growth, and newborn birth complications. Vertex-wise measures of cortical thickness, surface area, and curvature were fused using linked independent component analysis. Linear mixed effects models showed that maternal pregnancy complications and compromised fetal growth, including low birth weight, being born preterm, or as a twin, were associated with smaller global surface area. Additionally, compromised fetal growth was associated with two regional patterns reflecting a complex combination of 1) smaller occipital, inferior frontal and insular cortex, larger fronto-temporal cortex, thinner pre- and post-central cortex, and thicker inferior frontal and insular cortex, and 2) smaller and thicker occipital and temporal lobe cortex, and larger and thinner insular cortex. In contrast, maternal substance use and newborn birth complications showed no associations with child cortical structure. By employing a multifactorial and multivariate morphometric fusion approach, we connected complications during pregnancy and fetal growth to global surface area and specific regional signatures across child cortical MRI features.

Significance Statement

Early life stages, including the prenatal and perinatal periods, are critically important for a wide range of real-life outcomes. In this study, we linked maternal complications during pregnancy and compromised fetal growth to both globally reduced cortical surface area and complex cortical structural patterns later in late childhood. Our findings underscore the importance of providing support to mothers and children during these crucial phases, helping to ensure optimal conditions for healthy child development.
Investigating the effects of prednisolone on behavior in mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors: Verhaeg M.A.T. , van de Vijver D. , Tanganyika-de Winter C.L. , van der Pijl E.M. , Mastenbroek L.J.M. , Leka U. , Stan T.L. , van Putten M.
Published: October 2024

Background

Next to progressive muscle loss, Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients suffer from behavioral and cognitive problems. This is due to mutations in theDMDgene, that result in the lack of dystrophin in both the muscles and brain. As part of the standards of care, patients receive corticosteroids (prednisolone or deflazacort) to slow down muscle degeneration. The precise consequences of chronic corticosteroid usage on the behavior of DMD patients remain unclear, mainly due to challenges of recruiting corticosteroid naïve patients into clinical studies.

Objective

This study used DMD mouse models, representing mutations resulting in lack of one or more dystrophin isoforms, to analyze the effects of corticosteroid treatment on different behavioral domains.

Methods

Prednisolone (PDN) or placebo was administered via a subcutaneous 60-day slow release pellet (66 µg/day) and mice were subjected to several behavioral tests.

Results

Unfortunately, the pellet only exposed mice to PDN for half of the intended duration. During the time of PDN exposure, we found a small amelioration in anxiety but were unable to find any differences in social interaction and spatial learning and memory.

Conclusions

Short term exposure to PDN via a slow release pellet does not seem to negatively affect anxiety, social interaction or spatial learning and memory. We cannot rule out that a longer treatment period than 4 weeks would affect behavior in DMD mice.
Aging increases the distinctiveness of emotional brain states across rumination, worry, and positive thinking
Authors: Misaki Masaya , Tsuchiyagaito Aki , Guinjoan Salvador , Paulus Martin
Published: October 2024

Emotional well-being improves with age, but how neural activity related to emotional brain states changes with aging remains unclear. This study examined individualized brain activation patterns for rumination, worry, and positive thinking to explore age-related variations in emotional state representation. Thirty-five participants (aged 18-64) recalled autobiographical events tied to these emotional states during fMRI scanning. Brain activity was analyzed using an individualized machine learning classifier. Results showed increased discriminability of rumination and worry with age, with older adults exhibiting heightened activation in cognitive control regions during rumination and reduced activation in the cingulate and temporoparietal junction during worry. No significant age-related changes were found for positive thinking, although increased discriminability between positive and negative states correlated with well- being (FDR < 0.05). These findings suggest that aging enhances cognitive control during rumination and reduces anxiety responses during worry, potentially contributing to improved emotional well-being in older adults.
How relevant is the prior? Bayesian causal inference for dynamic perception in volatile environments
Authors: Meijer David , Barumerli Roberto , Baumgartner Robert
Published: October 2024

Interpreting sensory prediction errors can be challenging in volatile environments because they can be caused by stochastic noise or by outdated predictions. Noisy signals should be integrated with prior beliefs to improve precision, but the two should be segregated when environmental changes render prior beliefs irrelevant. Bayesian causal inference provides a statistically optimal solution to deal with uncertainty about the causes of prediction errors. However, the method quickly becomes memory intensive and computationally intractable when applied sequentially.

Here, we systematically evaluate the predictive performance of Bayesian causal inference for perceptual decisions in a spatial prediction task based on noisy audiovisual sequences with occasional changepoints. We elucidate the simplifying assumptions of a previously proposed reduced Bayesian observer model, and we compare it to an extensive set of models based on alternative simplification strategies.

Model-free analyses revealed the hallmarks of Bayesian causal inference: participants seem to have integrated sensory evidence with prior beliefs to improve accuracy when prediction errors were small, but prior influence decreased gradually as prediction errors increased, signalling probable irrelevance of the priors due to changepoints. Model comparison results indicated that participants computed probability-weighted averages over the causal options (noise or changepoint), akin to the reduced Bayesian observer model. However, participants’ reliance on prior beliefs was systematically smaller than expected, and this was best explained by individually fitting lower-than-optimal parameters for the a-priori probability of prior relevance.

We conclude that perceptual decision makers utilize priors flexibly to the extent that they are deemed relevant, though also conservatively with a lower tendency to bind than ideal observers. Simplified consecutive Bayesian causal inference predicts key characteristics of belief updating in changepoint environments and forms a suitable foundation for modelling dynamic perception in a changing world.
A co-transcriptional mechanism for tightly controlling RNA homeostasis in yeast
Authors: Esteban-Serna Sofia , Widén Tove , Gwynne Mags , Farquhar Iseabail , Duchen Michael R , Swain Peter S , Granneman Sander
Published: October 2024

Transcription termination by the Nrd1-Nab3-Sen1 (NNS) complex is key in repressing pervasive transcription inSaccharomyces cerevisiae. Counterintuitively, during starvation, multiple mRNAs that are upregulated are also increasingly bound and prematurely terminated and degraded via NNS. Here we demonstrate that this NNS-mediated attenuation is important for controlling the expression and protein concentration of an evolutionarily conserved mitochondrial transporter, Pic2. Strikingly, we find that even a modest increase in Pic2 protein levels caused by defective NNS regulation has major phenotypical consequences, increasing cell volume and intracellular stress, prolonging cell cycle and decreasing growth rate. Disrupting Nab3 binding toPIC2globally redistributed Nrd1 binding, changing the levels of other NNS-regulated transcripts. We propose that imbalances in the availability of the subunits constituting the NNS complex underlie the cell volume and cycle anomalies. Collectively our results illustrate that even subtle changes in how RNA-binding proteins interact with a single RNA substrate can cause global defects and they emphasise the crucial role of the NNS complex in preserving microbial fitness during stress.

Highlights

NNS regulates the expression and protein concentration of a stress-response protein-coding gene (PIC2), improving cell fitness and adaptability to environmental challenges.

Creating an imbalance in RNA binding of Nab3 and Nrd1 forPIC2mRNA disturbs the homeostasis of co-regulated transcripts.

Even a modest defect in NNS regulation ofPIC2elicits severe defects in cell growth, increases cell size and intracellular stress, and prolongs the cell cycle.
Unveiling the Functional Fate of Duplicated Genes Through Expression Profiling and Structural Analysis
Authors: Vesztrocy Alex Warwick , Glover Natasha , Thomas Paul D. , Dessimoz Christophe , Julca Irene
Published: October 2024

Gene duplication is a major evolutionary source of functional innovation. Following duplication events, gene copies (paralogues) may undergo various fates, including retention with functional modifications (such as silencing, sub-functionalisation, or neo-functionalisation) or loss. When paralogues are retained, this results in complex orthology relationships, including one-to-many or many-to-many. In such cases, determining which one-to-one pair is more likely to have conserved functions, can be challenging. It has been proposed that, following gene duplication, the copy that diverges more slowly in sequence is more likely to maintain the ancestral function – referred to here as “the least diverged orthologue (LDO) conjecture”. This study explores this conjecture, using a novel method to identify asymmetric evolution of paralogues and apply it to all gene families across the Tree of Life in the PANTHER database. Structural data for over 1 million proteins and expression data for 16 animals and 20 plants were then used to investigate functional divergence following duplication. This analysis, the most comprehensive to date, revealed that whilst the majority of paralogues display similar rates of sequence evolution, significant differences in branch lengths following gene duplication can be correlated with functional divergence. Overall, the results support the least diverged orthologue conjecture, suggesting that the least diverged orthologue (LDO) tends to retain the ancestral function, whilst the most diverged orthologue (MDO) may acquire a new, potentially specialised, role.
Altricial brains and the evolution of infant vocal learning
Authors: Biazzi Renata B. , Takahashi Daniel Y. , Ghazanfar Asif A.
Published: October 2024

Human infant vocal development is strongly influenced by interactions with caregivers who reinforce more speech-like sounds. This trajectory of vocal development in humans is radically different from those of our close phylogenetic relatives, Old World monkeys and apes. In these primates most closely related to humans on the evolutionary tree, social feedback plays no significant role in their vocal development. Oddly, infant marmoset monkeys, a more distantly related New World primate, do exhibit socially guided vocal learning. To explore what developmental mechanism could have evolved to account for these behavioral differences, we hypothesized that the evolution of human and marmoset vocal learning in early infancy in both species is because they are born neurally altricial relative to other primate and in a cooperative breeding social environment. Our analysis found that, indeed, human and marmoset brain are growing faster at birth when compared with chimpanzees and rhesus macaques, making them altricial relative to these primates. We formalized our hypothesis using a logistic growth model showing that the maturation of a system dependent on the rate of brain growth and the amount of social stimuli benefits from an altricial brain and a cooperative breeding environment. Our data suggest that in primates, the evolution of socially guided vocal learning during early infancy in humans and marmosets was afforded by infants with a relatively altricial brain and behavior, sustained and stimulated by cooperative breeding environments.

Significance statement

Humans rely on social feedback from caregivers to learn how to produce species-typical sounds, whereas other primates like macaque monkeys or chimpanzees do not. What accounts for this difference in developmental strategies? We tested the hypothesis that being born with a more immature (thus more plastic) brain may be the reason by using marmoset monkeys. This species is more distantly related to humans but exhibit the same type of vocal learning and who have a similar socially rich infant care environment. We found that, indeed, human and marmoset brain are growing faster at birth when compared with chimpanzees and rhesus macaques, making them altricial relative to these primates and this explains their similar vocal developmental strategies.
Overcoming Challenges of Reproducibility and Variability for theClostridioides difficiletypification
Authors: Antón Lucía Bravo , Guerrero-López Alejandro , Schmidt-Santiago Lucía , Sevilla-Salcedo Carlos , Blázquez-Sánchez Mario , Rodríguez-Temporal David , Rodríguez-Sánchez Belén , Gómez-Verdejo Vanessa
Published: October 2024

The implementation of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry has had a profound impact on clinical microbiology, facilitating rapid bacterial identification through protein profile analysis. However, the application of this technique is limited by challenges related to the reproducibility and variability of spectra, particularly in distinguishing closely related bacterial strains, as exemplified by the differentiation ofClostridioides difficileribotypes. This study evaluates the integration of Machine Learning algorithms to enhance the robustness and accuracy of MALDI-TOF spectra analysis. For this purpose, we compared traditional classifiers to gain insight into how spectral variability affects their performance in bacterial typing. Furthermore, specific Data Augmentation techniques for MALDI-TOF spectra were designed to reduce the inherent variability in MALDI-TOF spectra, and to address the issue of limited sample sizes. The results demonstrate that these methods can significantly enhance the accuracy of classification ofC. difficilestrains especially when facing variability in the sample acquisition process. This highlights that the combination of domain adaptation with machine learning (ML) could make MALDI-TOF a more versatile and reliable tool in clinical diagnostics.
Skin bacterial community dynamics of hands and forearms before and after military field exercise
Authors: Glenna Susanne , Birkeland Einar E. , Orr Russell J. S. , Gilfillan Gregor D. , Dalland Marianne , Økstad Ole Andreas , Voie Øyvind A. , Rounge Trine B.
Published: October 2024

The human skin microbiome is crucial for skin health and immunity, especially in the context of extreme conditions faced by military personnel. Soldiers encounter unique stressors and hygienic challenges that can impact the microbial composition of their skin during field exercises and in regular occupational settings. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of a military field exercise on the diversity and composition of the skin bacterial microbiota using 16S rRNA sequencing. We conducted a longitudinal study during the NATO exerciseCold Response 2022, involving Norwegian soldiers (n= 19) engaged in outdoor training operations. Skin swabs were taken from soldiers’ hands and forearms directly before and after the 10-day winter field exercise, and following a 3-week post-exercise leave. Our results reveal hand and forearm-specific shifts in bacterial populations associated with the exercise, likely influenced by environmental exposure, reduced hygiene, and heightened social contact. Alpha diversity increased on forearms while remaining stable on hands, which appeared more resilient to perturbations. Both sites exhibited temporal changes in composition, with soil- and water-associated bacteria enriched post-exercise; most being transient on hands but more sustained on forearms. The soldiers’ microbiomes became more similar during the exercise, followed by divergence in the leave period. Neither skin site returned to original composition at follow-up, indicating that field exercises may have lasting effects on the microbiome. Our findings highlight the impact of outdoor exposure on microbial communities and suggest that resilience and stability differ between skin sites.

Importance

Optimizing soldier health and resilience is critical for maintaining military readiness and operational effectiveness. The skin, as the body’s first line of defense, is subjected to numerous challenges in military environments. Unique environmental and hygiene challenges can disrupt the skin microbiome and increase susceptibility to skin and soft tissue infections. This longitudinal research provides valuable insights into the effects of military service on the bacterial dynamics of the skin microbiome, but can also inform hygiene management and disease prevention in comparable situations.
Innovating for sustainability in food and beverage companies: the role of governance and environmental factors in climate change mitigation
Authors: Quiñoá-Piñeiro Lara , López-Cabarcos M. Ángeles , Piñeiro-Chousa Juan
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Focusing on the food and beverage (F&B) sectors, this study aims to identify combinations of external environmental factors (natural disasters and water stress) and internal corporate governance factors (corporate social responsibility [CSR] sustainability committee, board gender diversity and stakeholder engagement) that lead to the integration of climate change mitigation innovation and technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

A fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was conducted on a global sample of 262 listed companies in the F&B sectors. Two additional analyses were performed for European and Asian companies.

Findings

In the three models, the presence of CSR sustainability committees and stakeholder engagement was crucial for achieving the integration of climate change mitigation innovation and technologies. The relevance of board gender diversity differs between the European and Asian models, highlighting potential regional influences on corporate climate innovation decisions. The combination of external and internal factors is the key to justifying different approaches to achieving climate innovation.

Originality/value

This study offers insights into the factors driving the integration of climate change mitigation innovation and technologies into company strategies. Related strategies must combine external and internal factors to enhance the climate resilience and competitiveness of F&B companies while reducing their environmental impact.
Psychographic segmentation of alcohol quitters in behaviour change maintenance mode: utilisation of the activity interest opinion (AIO) framework
Authors: Ameyibor Leeford Edem Kojo , Saini Yvonne Kabeya
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study aims to cluster psychographic activities, interests and opinions of alcohol quitters in behaviour change maintenance mode to form segmentation bases for social policy and alcohol policy formulation that sustain the behaviour change.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-step cluster analysis was used to segment a cross-sectional sample of n = 501 former alcohol consumers based on their activity interest and opinion (AIO) framework through a multiple-response survey design.

Findings

Five clusters were found across five AIO themes of “people socialised with”, “relationship interest”, “ingredients of a good relationship”, “party activities” and “outing dressing”. The clusters were honesty-based relationship seekers, spiritual- and intellectual-based relationship seekers, attention seekers in a healthy relationship, self-conscious seeking a healthy relationship, and sincere, spiritual and intellectual-based relationship seekers.

Practical implications

The findings present an opportunity for social policy design that encourages alcohol-free social space creation, strong family ties, community and spiritual growth and incentives for long-term relationships as means of sustaining alcohol quitters’ behaviour. Equally, alcohol policies that match the themes of the clusters can be designed to aid sobriety sustenance.

Originality/value

This study advances knowledge of behaviour change maintenance and provides lifestyle segments of alcohol quitters as bases for further social and alcohol policy design to sustain gains in behaviour change.
Evaluation of static and rolling friction coefficients of granulated sugar using the discrete element method in a rolling mode rotating drum
Authors: Marcelino dos Santos Lorena , Fedalto Sartori Lucas , de Lima Luz Junior Luiz Fernando , Pedersen Voll Fernando Augusto
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This research investigates the behavior of granulated sugar particles of different sizes in a rotating drum at varying speeds, using the discrete element method (DEM) as a mathematical modeling approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The study conducted a data scan to determine both static and rolling friction coefficients. Based on benchmark studies, the Hertz–Mindlin contact model with rolling history elastic-plastic spring-dashpot (EPSD) and CDT (directional constant torque) models were employed to simulate the behavior of granulated sugar particles in a rotating drum under varying speeds.

Findings

In this research, the static and rolling friction coefficients presented the best values for granulated sugar near 0.60 and 1.5, respectively, applying the CDT model. The method demonstrated great accuracy in replicating experimental data.

Originality/value

This study enables comprehension of the behavior of the particles and particle system in a rotating drum at different speeds. The method may develop models that characterize and predict the main effects of particle systems to reduce project time and expense, especially in the food industry.
Taming a wild new term: exploring the concept of quiet quitting as a coping response
Authors: Armstrong Ryan , Pfandler Csenge
Published: October 2024

Purpose

“Quiet quitting” emerged as a term in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since gained immense popularity worldwide, working its way into common usage. However, disagreement exists over the term’s meaning and utility. Our paper critically considers the value of the construct of quiet quitting, proposing an initial operationalization of its properties.

Design/methodology/approach

We develop hypotheses related to the antecedents, characteristics and consequences of quiet quitting through a literature review and subsequent survey. The questionnaire was distributed to working professionals in Europe and assessed through multiple partial least squares analyses.

Findings

We propose quiet quitting as a coping strategy involving a combination of reduced effort, disengagement, disassociation and boundary-setting. 108 responses obtained through a survey of knowledge workers provide some support that these existing concepts indeed form a second-order construct with emergent properties not found when assessed individually. However, we suggest that the utility of quiet quitting as a distinct coping strategy is questionable and that generally, it is more useful to discuss its subcomponents separately.

Research limitations/implications

While limited by its cross-sectional nature, this work raises several potentially fruitful future lines of research and offers a first step in evaluating a relatively new term that is of substantial relevance to management scholarship and practice.

Originality/value

New concepts stemming from popular literature can be problematic, grounded in untested folk theory and riddled with ambiguity. At the same time, they can stretch our thinking and drive research in new directions if they can be sufficiently refined. We offer a new conceptualization of quiet quitting but question its usefulness.
Elevating logistics performance: harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in e-commerce
Authors: Malhotra Gunjan , Kharub Manjeet
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Artificial intelligence (AI) usage improves e-commerce logistics efficiency. However, many actors can play significant roles, such as supply chain consistency (SCC), last-mile logistics (LML) performance and collaboration and coordination among logistics firms. This study aims to assess how SCC and LML performance mediate and collaboration and coordination moderate the relationship between AI usage and logistics efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. A total of 245 valid responses were received from Indian e-commerce businesses. The data were then analysed using AMOS v25 and structural equational modelling using SPSS for regression, PROCESS macro for mediation and moderated mediation analysis.

Findings

The findings show that AI usage independently impacts logistics efficiency, with SCC and last-mile delivery performance as mediating variables. Collaboration and coordination among logistic firms are also critical moderators in enhancing AI’s efficacy in logistic operations. The study findings suggest the integration of AI into logistic operations and provide implications to managers on the urgency of fostering a collaborative and synchronised environment to utilise the full potential of AI in e-commerce businesses.

Originality/value

This study not only contributes to the field of logistics theory by presenting empirical data on the various ramifications of AI but also offers practical guidance for logistics firms, particularly those operating in developing economies, on how to strategically employ AI to enhance operational efficiency and attain a competitive advantage in the era of e-commerce logistics in the digital age.
Blockchain for sustainable consumption: an affordance and consumer value-based view
Authors: Hina Maryam , Islam Najmul , Dhir Amandeep
Published: October 2024

Purpose

There is little empirical evidence on how blockchain affordances may encourage consumers to make sustainable choices. Thus, this paper examines how blockchain affordances affect consumers’ sustainable consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

We focus on three blockchain affordances: transparency, traceability, and immutability in this paper. By integrating the affordance lens and theory of consumption values (TCV), we develop a research model wherein we posit that blockchain affordances influence several consumption values, which then affect consumers’ intention to purchase sustainable products. In the study, we designed a scenario and user interface for a novel blockchain-based app for sustainable consumption in the context of the fashion industry and surveyed 295 European consumers to examine the study’s research model. We then analyzed the collected data using the partial least squares technique.

Findings

The results show that blockchain affordances positively affect consumption values, including efficiency, social impression, trust, and sustainability information clarity. In turn, these values influence the consumers’ purchase intention of sustainable products. Additionally, our post hoc analysis shows that these consumption values fully mediate the effect of blockchain affordances on consumers’ purchase intention, where trust and sustainability information clarity is found to have a higher impact.

Originality/value

Empirical research studies focusing on understanding blockchain’s effect on sustainable consumption values have been limited in prior literature. This study, drawing on the affordance lens, proposes distinct blockchain affordances and empirically validates their impact on consumers’ sustainable purchase intention. By integrating TCV, it highlights the mediating mechanism that drives blockchain’s impact on consumers’ purchase intention. We empirically identify the values that mediate the effects of blockchain affordances on consumers’ purchase intention; further, we discuss implications for research and practice based on the study findings.
Orchestration mechanisms in sustainability-oriented innovation: a meta-organization perspective
Authors: Anzivino Alessia , Cantù Chiara Luisa , Sebastiani Roberta
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how orchestration mechanisms characterizing meta-organizations can support sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI) leveraged by digital transition.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a qualitative approach. The authors collected qualitative data from 41 in-depth interviews with key informants, participatory longitudinal observations and secondary data analysis related to a digital innovation hub (DIH) and its network.

Findings

The findings reveal how meta-organizations, such as DIHs, advance SOI – considering the potentialities of digital technologies – through four orchestration mechanisms: collaboration platform setup, SOI resource arrangement, SOI process enablement and SOI scale-up. Each mechanism is founded on recurrent SOI practices identified as aligning, assembling and progressing, and each is characterized by specific activities that depend on meta-organizations’ evolutionary purposes related to the stages of the creation process. The activation of mechanisms concerns a process outlining three sequential evolutionary trajectories: for assessing and regulating interaction, for promoting and coordinating collective action and for creating a collective identity.

Originality/value

This study contributes to meta-organization and orchestration research oriented toward SOI and leveraged by the digital transition, and considers the distinctive orchestration mechanisms and practices required to support SOI leveraged by the digital transition. Differently from previous research on orchestration and meta-organizations, this study considers the time perspective, and thus, the sequentiality of mechanisms (evolutionary trajectories) to achieve the purposes characterizing the stages of meta-organizations’ creation process.
Virtual or human? The impact of the influencer type on Gen Z consumer outcomes
Authors: Kholkina Valeriia , Chesnokova Elizaveta , Zelenskaya Elena
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Virtual influencers are a growing trend in digital marketing strategies. This paper aims to compare the impact of virtual and human influencers on Gen Z consumer outcomes (Source Trust, Intention to Follow, Word-of-Mouth and Brand Attachment).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors surveyed young consumers (N = 317) in Europe and the CIS. The data are analyzed through Welch’s t-test and partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

This study demonstrates that for Gen Z, human influencers are still a more effective marketing tool than virtual influencers. The latter arouse greater social-psychological distance that significantly affects consumer outcomes. Consumers with a higher need-for-uniqueness and novelty seeking have a lower social-psychological distance from virtual influencers.

Practical implications

This study offers valuable insights for practitioners in terms of influencer marketing decisions in the digital environment with respect to one of the most solvent target groups – Gen Z.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the empirical investigation of the impact of virtual influencers on the behavioral outcomes of Gen Z by including Novelty Seeking and Brand Attachment in the analysis. The research sample includes CIS and European consumers, which allows for a more comprehensive investigation.
Navigating the nexus of citizenship fatigue and knowledge sharing: the influence of employee vitality and tenure among university lecturers
Authors: Azila-Gbettor Edem M. , Novixoxo Jewel Dela , Honyenuga Ben Q.
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study aims to examine the influence of employee vitality and tenure on the nexus between citizenship fatigue and knowledge-sharing behaviour among academic staff in Ghanaian higher education institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 876 faculty members from traditional and technical universities was chosen for the study using convenience sampling technique. Data was analysed using PLS-SEM with SmartPLS 4.

Findings

Results reveal that citizenship fatigue negatively influences faculty members’ knowledge-sharing behaviour. In addition, employee vitality and tenure mitigate the negative influence of citizenship fatigue on faculty members’ knowledge-sharing behaviour.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that the management of higher education institutions should focus on creating a workplace culture that cultivates workplace vitality and promotes long tenure to reduce the negative influence of citizenship fatigue on the knowledge-sharing behaviour among faculty members.

Originality/value

This study represents one of the earliest attempts to examine a theoretical framework that connects citizenship fatigue, employee vitality, knowledge-sharing behaviour and employee tenure within the context of higher education.
Identifying NFT consumer segments: a consumption value theory and luxury perspective
Authors: Eastman Jacqueline , Yazdanparast Atefeh , Ketron Seth
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The present research takes a qualitative approach to examine young adult consumers’ perceptions and intentions toward non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The goal of the study is to identify consumer sub-segments of young adults based on their perceptions of/intentions toward NFTs.

Design/methodology/approach

This research utilized qualitative/thematic analysis.

Findings

The results revealed three sub-segments of young adults with different perceptions of NFTs. The largest group, Authenticators, perceive NFTs as luxurious digital possessions that are prestigious, have premium prices and are high quality. They are most likely to be early/late majority, but some are innovators/early adopters. The second-largest group, Pessimists, hold negative views about NFTs, seeing them as fads, silly and/or a waste of time and believing that investing in them is risky. These individuals are most likely to be laggards in terms of adoption. The smallest group, Futurists, hold forward-thinking views about NFTs. They are most likely to see themselves as innovators/early adopters, think of NFTs as the future of asset ownership, investment and digital life, and do not perceive them as overly risky.

Originality/value

The findings add to the scant literature on NFTs in marketing by documenting three potential sub-segments of young adult consumers for NFTs. NFT marketers should take care in effectively marketing NFTs’ value and addressing their risks to consumers as they relate to the identified consumer segments.
Carbon offset payment intentions in aviation industry: Altruism vs. Egoism and airline sustainability
Authors: Deng Pengfei , Zheng Peng , Xie Dan
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The issue of excessive carbon emissions continues to be a critical global challenge. As a prominent mode of transportation for long-distance travel, aircraft is widely acknowledged as a significant source of these emissions. Carbon offset initiatives function as ecological measures, helping to reduce the negative environmental impact. This study aims to explore how benefit appeals (BA) within the aviation industry impact tourists’ carbon offset payment intentions (COPIt).

Design/methodology/approach

In Studies 1 and 2, scenario-based experiments were conducted to explore how goal framing (GF) and (BA) interact to influence COPIt. Study 2 further investigated the mediating roles of moral responsibility and trust in airlines within this interaction. Study 3 used real-world surveys to examine the moderating influence of moral elevation, thereby supporting the interactive effects and mediation mechanisms identified in the earlier studies.

Findings

Across three studies, the authors consistently identified pivotal factors shaping COPIt in the context of air travel. Study 1 revealed that the combination of BA and GF significantly impacts COPIt, with egoistic appeals linked to loss framing and altruistic appeals connected to gain framing being particularly effective in encouraging COPIt. Study 2 extended these insights by showing that moral responsibility and trust in airlines serve as mediators between BA, GF and COPIt. In Study 3, moral elevation was found to moderate the influence of BA and GF on both moral responsibility and COPIt, deepening the understanding of these dynamics.

Originality/value

This study expands the range of factors affecting COPIt and delves into the underlying mechanisms through which BA and GF shape COPIt. Additionally, it advances current understanding by revealing the intricate processes influenced by moral elevation. The findings not only contribute to the existing knowledge on COPIt determinants but also offer practical guidance for the aviation industry and related sectors in promoting tourists’ participation in carbon offset programs.
Crossed effects of helminth infection and lead exposure on fitness: An experimental study in feral pigeons (Columba livia)
Authors: Jeantet Aurélie , Audebert Fabienne , Agostini Simon , Decencière Beatriz , Lorang Camille , Jamet Laura , Giner Clarisse , Flandi Emma , Nardou Nora , Lemaire Baptiste , Federici Pierre , Rozen‐Rechels David , Gasparini Julien
Published: October 2024

Living organisms are exposed to multiple environmental factors that can affect their fitness. The negative effects of these simultaneous stressors can be additive or can interact in negative synergistic or antagonistic ways to affect the health of exposed individuals. Parasites can accumulate pollutants in their own tissues and have been shown to increase the tolerance of their hosts to different pollutants (antagonistic interaction between parasites and pollutants). Through an experimental approach, we tested the existence of combined antagonistic effects between intestinal parasites and lead exposure on urban feral pigeons (Columba livia) which are known to be exposed to trace metal pollution and harbour a wide variety of internal and external parasites.

We experimentally exposed wild feral pigeons in captivity to two treatments: an anthelmintic treatment to eliminate intestinal nematode parasites; an exposure to lead for a period of 6 months. We tested the effects of these crossed treatments on several components of fitness: immunocompetence, reproduction, and body mass.

Our findings suggest that the overall effects of lead exposure, either alone or in combination with the presence of intestinal parasites (without anthelmintic treatment) were negative, through either additive or synergistic means.

Our results reveal the existence of negative combined effects between pollutant exposure and intestinal parasites, highlighting the importance of accounting for multiple stress factors when studying the effects of exposure to pollutants and/or other environmental stressors on the fitness of organisms.
Shedding light on pollination deficits: Cueing into plant spectral reflectance signatures to monitor pollination delivery across landscapes
Authors: Parry Catherine , Turnbull Colin , Barter Laura M. C. , Gill Richard J.
Published: October 2024

Pollination underlies plant yield, health and reproductive success in agricultural and natural systems worldwide. It is therefore concerning that declining animal pollinator populations compounded by growing demands for food are leading to rising pollination deficits, with globally significant economic and environmental implications.

Despite this urgent issue, accurate and scalable tools to quantify and track pollination across useful spatiotemporal scales are lacking. Here, we propose to shed new light on pollination deficits, looking to remote sensing platforms as a transformative mapping and monitoring tool and a solution for pollinator conservation and crop management.

Providing a synthesis of our current understanding of pollination‐triggered floral senescence and underlying ultrastructural and metabolic changes, we propose how spectral reflectance technologies could be applied to accurately detect pollination events in real‐time and at the landscape scale.

Synthesis and applications: We highlight where research efforts can be targeted to produce scalable methods for identifying field‐relevant bioindicators of pollination. We provide guidance on how spectral imaging accompanied by machine learning and coupled with autonomous operation technologies will enable applications to detect pollination delivery across complex landscapes. Ultimately, such an ecological application will transform our quantitative understanding of pollination services and, by directly linking plant yields and health, will reveal pollination deficits at high resolution to help mitigate risks to food security and ecosystem functioning.
Gastrointestinal fate of proteins from commercial plant–based meat analogs: Silent passage through the stomach, oxidative stress in intestine, and gut dysbiosis in Wistar rats
Authors: Sánchez‐Terrón G. , Martínez R. , Freire M. J. , Molina‐Infante J. , Estévez M.
Published: October 2024

Plant‐based meat analogs (PBMAs) are common ultra‐processed foods (UPFs) included in the vegan/vegetarian diets as presumed healthy alternatives to meat and meat products. However, such health claims need to be supported by scientific evidence. To gain further insight into this topic, two commercial UPFs typically sold as meat analogs, namely, seitan (S) and tofu (T), were included in a cereal‐based chow and provided to Wistar rats for 10 weeks. A group of animals had, simultaneously, an isocaloric and isoprotein experimental diet formulated with cooked beef (B). In all cases, experimental chows (∼4 kcal/g feed) had their basal protein concentration increased from 14% to 30% using proteins from S, T, or B. Upon slaughter, in vivo protein digestibility was assessed, and the entire gastrointestinal tract (digests and tissues) was analyzed for markers of oxidative stress and untargeted metabolomics. Metagenomics was also applied to assess the variation of microbiota composition as affected by dietary protein. Diets based on PBMAs showed lower protein digestibility than those containing meat and promoted an intense luminal glycoxidative stress and an inflammatory intestinal response. The fermentation of undigested oxidized proteins from T in the colon of Wistar rats likely led to formation of mutagenic metabolites such as p‐cresol. The presence of these compounds in the animal models raises concerns about the potential effects of full replacement of meat by certain PBMAs in the diet. Therefore, future research might target on translational human studies to shed light on these findings.
Structural Analysis for Qazzaz Metamorphic Core Complex, Northwestern Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia
Authors: AL‐HASHIM Mansour H. , KASSEM Osama M.K.
Published: October 2024

Identifying deformational mechanisms and associated structures at various scales, ranging from regional‐scale structures to microscopic fabric, is crucial for the assessment of tectonic development. Thirty‐three samples were taken from the Qazzaz metamorphic core complex to estimate the finite strain for felsic and mafic minerals. These samples included gneisses rocks, monzogranite, and metavolcano–sedimentary rocks for both the Thalbah and Bayda groups. Using the Rf/j and Fry methods, the axial ratios (XZ) range about 2.20 to 7.10 and 1.90 to 9.10, respectively. For various rock units, the strain measurements show moderate to highly deformation. Most of the observed samples show shallow WNW dipping along a N to WNW trend of finite strain (X). The short axes (Z) based to be subvertical foliation related with a subhorizontal foliation. The results demonstrate that contacts generated at semi‐brittle to ductile deformation and that the strain of magnitude has the same value for different lithologic units. It concluded that nappe generation in orogens results from pure shear deformation.
Surface and Deep Structure of the Hanshan–Wuwei Basins in the Lower Yangtze Region: Implications for Mesozoic Tectonic Evolution of the South China Block
Authors: KAN Tianxiang , LI Longming , ZHENG Hongjun , LI Jiahao , ZHAO Xilin , CHEN Mo
Published: October 2024

Indicating the tectonic features of the Hanshan–Wuwei basin can reconstruct the framework of the basins formed in Mesozoic and further understand the Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the South China Block. Studies on surface structure, regional stress field and deep geophysical characteristics of the Mesozoic Hanshan–Wuwei basin in Lower Yangtze region were carried out. NE–NNE trending folds and faults developed in the northern margin of the basins. The reconstruction of tectonic stress fields indicates four stress stages dominating the basins' evolution including NW–SE compression, N–S compression, NW–SE extension and NWW–SEE compression. 2D seismic profiles reveal coexistence of thrust, strike‐slip and normal faults in the basin. Combined with regional geological studies, the geodynamic processes for the formation of the Hanshan–Wuwei basin can be divided into five stages: 1) During the Late Triassic, EW trending foreland basin was formed by N–S compression; 2) From Mid‐Jurassic to Late Jurassic, continuous compression strengthened the foreland deformation and formed thrust nappes. In this stage, the integrated foreland basin was compartmentalized or fragmented, and transferred to the broken foreland basin; 3) NE‐trending sinistral strike‐slip movement at the beginning of the Early Cretaceous; 4) Regional extension resulted in normal faults and rift basins developing in the Late Cretaceous; 5) The NWW–SEE compression at the end of the Late Cretaceous caused NW sinistral strike‐slip faults to form, which partly transformed the rift basin.