bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Single-cell Perturbation Landscape of Colonic Stem Cell Polarisation
Authors: Qin Xiao , Rodriguez Ferran Cardoso , Sufi Jahangir , Vlckova Petra , Claus Jeroen , Tape Christopher J.
Published: February 2023

Cancer cells are regulated by oncogenic mutations and microenvironmental signals, yet these processes are often studied separately. To functionally map how cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic cues co-regulate cell-fate in colorectal cancer (CRC), we performed a systematic single-cell analysis of 1,071 colonic organoid cultures regulated by 1) CRC oncogenic mutations, 2) microenvironmental fibroblasts and macrophages, 3) stromal ligands, and 4) signalling inhibitors. Multiplexed single-cell analysis revealed a stepwise epithelial differentiation landscape dictated by combinations of oncogenes and stromal ligands, spanning from fibroblast-induced Clusterin (CLU)+revival colonic stem cells (revCSC) to oncogene-driven LRIG1+hyper-proliferative CSC (proCSC). The transition from revCSC to proCSC is regulated by decreasing WNT3A and TGF-β-driven YAP signalling and increasing KRASG12Dor stromal EGF/Epiregulin-activated MAPK/PI3K flux. We find APC-loss and KRASG12Dcollaboratively limit access to revCSC and disrupt stromal-epithelial communication – trapping epithelia in the proCSC fate. These results reveal that oncogenic mutations dominate homeostatic differentiation by obstructing cell-extrinsic regulation of cell-fate plasticity.

Highlights

1,071-condition single-cell transition map of colonic stem cell polarisation regulated by oncogenic and mircoenvironmental cues.

Fibroblasts polarise WT colonic epithelia towardsClu+revCSC via TGF-β1 and YAP signalling.

APC-loss and KRASG12Ddrive aBirc5+,Lrig1+, andEphb2+proCSC fate via MAPK and PI3K.

Oncogenic mutations disrupt stromal regulation of epithelial plasticity, trapping cells in the proCSC fate.
Differentiation state and culture conditions impact neural stem/progenitor cell-derived extracellular vesicle bioactivity
Authors: Dutta Dipankar , Pirolli Nicholas H , Levy Daniel , Tsao Jeffrey , Seecharan Nicholas , Xu Xiang , Wang Zihui , Jia Xiaofeng , Jay Steven M.
Published: February 2023

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from neural progenitor/stem cells (NPSCs) have shown promising efficacy in a variety of preclinical models. However, NPSCs lack critical neuroregenerative functionality such as myelinating capacity. Further, culture conditions used in NPSC EV production lack standardization and identification of optimal conditions for NPSC EV neurogenic bioactivity. Here, we assessed whether further differentiated oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) and immature oligodendrocytes (iOLs) that give rise to mature myelinating oligodendrocytes could yield EVs with neurotherapeutic properties comparable or superior to those from NPSCs as well as mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), as MSC EVs are also commonly reported to have neurotherapeutic activity. We additionally examined the effects of four different extracellular matrix (ECM) coating materials (laminin, fibronectin, Matrigel, and collagen IV) and the presence or absence of growth factors (EGF, bFGF, and NGF) in cell culture on the ultimate properties of EVs. The data show that OPC EVs and iOL EVs performed similarly to NPSC EVs in PC-12 proliferation and RAW264.7 mouse macrophage antiinflammatory assays, but NPSC EVs performed better in a PC-12 neurite outgrowth assay. Additionally, the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF) in culture was found to be maximize NPSC EV bioactivity among the conditions tested. NPSC EVs produced under rationally-selected culture conditions (fibronectin + NGF) enhanced axonal regeneration and muscle reinnervation in a rat nerve crush injury model. These results highlight the impact of culture conditions on NPSC EV neuroregenerative bioactivity, thus providing additional rationale for standardization and optimization of culture conditions for NPSC EV production.

Table of Contents

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) purified from neural progenitor/stem cells (NPSCs) have been investigated for neurotherapeutic activity, however significant variability in culture conditions limits reproducibility and efficacy of this approach. Here, we examined the impact of extracellular matrix (ECM) components and growth factors in NPSC culture on the bioactivity on the bioactivity of their EVs. The results show that EVs from NPSCs cultured with a rationally-selected ECM type (fibronectin) and growth factor (nerve growth factor (NGF)) enhanced nerve regeneration and muscle recovery in a rat sciatic nerve crush injury model.
You shall know a species by the company it keeps: leveraging co-occurrence data to improve ecological prediction
Authors: Siefert Andrew , Laughlin Daniel C. , Sabatini Francesco Maria
Published: February 2023

Making predictions about species, including how they respond to environmental change, is a central challenge for ecologists. Due to the huge number of species, ecologists seek generalizations based on species’ traits and phylogenetic relationships, but the predictive power of trait-based and phylogenetic models is often low. Species co-occurrence patterns may contain additional information about species’ ecological attributes not captured by traits or phylogenies.

We propose using ordination to encode the information contained in species co-occurrence data in low-dimensional vectors that can be used to represent species in ecological prediction. We present an efficient method to derive species vectors from co-occurrence data using GloVe, an unsupervised learning algorithm originally designed for language modeling. To demonstrate the method, we used GloVe to generate vectors for nearly 40,000 plant species using co-occurrence statistics derived from a global vegetation dataset and tested their ability to predict elevational range shifts in European montane plant species.

Co-occurrence-based species vectors were weakly correlated with traits or phylogeny, indicating that they encode unique information about species. Models including co-occurrence-based vectors explained twice as much variation in species range shifts as models including only traits or phylogenetic information.

Given the widespread availability of species occurrence data, species vectors learned from co-occurrence patterns are a widely applicable and powerful tool for encoding ecological information about species, with many potential applications for describing and predicting the ecology of species, communities, and ecosystems.
Restructuring of olfactory representations in the fly brain around odor relationships in natural sources
Authors: Yang Jie-Yoon , O’Connell Thomas F. , Hsu Wei-Mien M. , Bauer Matthew S. , Dylla Kristina V. , Sharpee Tatyana O. , Hong Elizabeth J.
Published: February 2023

A core challenge of olfactory neuroscience is to understand how neural representations of odor are generated and progressively transformed across different layers of the olfactory circuit into formats that support perception and behavior. The encoding of odor by odorant receptors in the input layer of the olfactory system reflects, at least in part, the chemical relationships between odor compounds. Neural representations of odor in higher order associative olfactory areas, generated by random feedforward networks, are expected to largely preserve these input odor relationships1–3. We evaluated these ideas by examining how odors are represented at different stages of processing in the olfactory circuit of the vinegar flyD. melanogaster. We found that representations of odor in the mushroom body (MB), a third-order associative olfactory area in the fly brain, are indeed structured and invariant across flies. However, the structure of MB representational space diverged significantly from what is expected in a randomly connected network. In addition, odor relationships encoded in the MB were better correlated with a metric of the similarity of their distribution across natural sources compared to their similarity with respect to chemical features, and the converse was true for odor relationships encoded in primary olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). Comparison of odor coding at primary, secondary, and tertiary layers of the circuit revealed that odors were significantly regrouped with respect to their representational similarity across successive stages of olfactory processing, with the largest changes occurring in the MB. The non-linear reorganization of odor relationships in the MB indicates that unappreciated structure exists in the fly olfactory circuit, and this structure may facilitate the generalization of odors with respect to their co-occurence in natural sources.
Neuronal Transcriptome Disruption, Tau Accumulation and Synapse Loss in Alzheimer’s Knock-in Mice Require Cellular Prion Protein
Authors: Stoner Austin , Fu Li , Nicholson LaShae , Zheng Chao , Toyonaga Takuya , Spurrier Joshua , Laird Will , Cai Zhengxin , Strittmatter Stephen M.
Published: February 2023

Background

Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a high-affinity cell-surface receptor for Amyloid-β oligomers (Aßo). In certain overexpression models of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), pharmacology and genetics demonstrate its essential role for synaptic plasticity impairment, memory deficits and synapse loss. However, PrPC’s role in AD-related phenotypes with endogenous expression levels, its role in tau accumulation and its effect on imaging biomarkers are unknown. The necessity of PrPCfor transcriptomic alterations driven by Aß across cell types is unexplored.

Methods

The role of PrPCwas examined as a function of age in homozygousAppNL-G-F/hMaptdouble knock-in mice (DKI). Phenotypes ofAppNL-G-F/hMaptmice with a deletion ofPrnpexpression (DKI;Prnp-/-) were compared with DKI mice with intactPrnp, mice with a targeted deletion ofPrnp (Prnp-/-), and mice with intactPrnp(WT). Phenotypes examined included behavioral deficits, synapse loss by PET imaging, synapse loss by immunohistology, tau pathology, gliosis, inflammatory markers, and snRNA-seq transcriptomic profiling.

Results

By 9 months age, DKI mice showed learning and memory impairment, but DKI;Prnp-/-andPrnp-/-groups were indistinguishable from WT. Synapse loss in DKI brain, measured by [18F]SynVesT-1 SV2A PET or anti-SV2A immunohistology, was prevented byPrnpdeletion. Accumulation of Tau phosphorylated at aa 217 and 202/205, C1q tagging of synapses, and dystrophic neurites were all increased in DKI mice but each decreased to WT levels withPrnpdeletion. In contrast, astrogliosis, microgliosis and Aß levels were unchanged between DKI and DKI;Prnp-/-groups. Single-nuclei transcriptomics revealed differential expression in neurons and glia of DKI mice relative to WT. For DKI;Prnp-/-mice, the majority of neuronal genes differentially expressed in DKI mice were no longer significantly altered relative to WT, but most glial DKI-dependent gene expression changes persisted. The DKI-dependent neuronal genes corrected byPrnpdeletion associated bioinformatically with synaptic function. Additional genes were uniquely altered only in thePrnp-/-or the DKI;Prnp-/-groups.

Conclusions

A functionalPrnpgene is required inAppNL-G-F/hMaptdouble knock-in mice for synapse loss, phospho-tau accumulation and neuronal gene expression. These data support the efficacy of targeting the Aßo-PrPCinteraction to prevent Aßo-neurotoxicity and pathologic tau accumulation in AD.
Mitigation of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Greywater Treated at Household Level
Authors: Shuai Weitao , Itzhari Daniella , Ronen Zeev , Hartmann Erica M.
Published: February 2023

Greywater often contains microorganisms carrying antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Reuse of greywater thus potentially facilitates the enrichment and spread of multidrug resistance, posing a possible hazard for communities that use it. As water reuse becomes increasingly necessary, it is imperative to determine how greywater treatment impacts ARGs. In this study, we characterize ARG patterns in greywater microbial communities before and after treatment by a recirculating vertical flow constructed wetland (RVFCW). This greywater recycling method has been adopted by some small communities and households for greywater treatment; however, its ability to remove ARGs is unknown. We examined the taxonomic and ARG compositions of microbial communities in raw and treated greywater from five households using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Total ARGs decreased in abundance and diversity in greywater treated by the RVFCW. In parallel, the microbial communities decreased in similarity in treated greywater. Potentially pathogenic bacteria associated with antimicrobial resistance and mobile genetic elements were detected in both raw and treated water, with a decreasing trend after treatment. This study indicates that RVFCW systems have the potential to mitigate antimicrobial resistance-related hazards when reusing treated greywater, but further measures need to be taken regarding persistent mobile ARGs and potential pathogens.
Oncogenic KrasG12Dspecific non-covalent inhibitor reprograms tumor microenvironment to prevent and reverse early pre-neoplastic pancreatic lesions and in combination with immunotherapy regresses advanced PDAC in a CD8+T cells dependent manner
Authors: Mahadevan Krishnan K. , McAndrews Kathleen M. , LeBleu Valerie S. , Yang Sujuan , Lyu Hengyu , Li Bingrui , Sockwell Amari M. , Kirtley Michelle L. , Morse Sami J. , Moreno Diaz Barbara A. , Kim Michael P. , Feng Ningping , Lopez Anastasia M. , Guerrero Paola A. , Sugimoto Hikaru , Arian Kent A. , Ying Haoqiang , Barekatain Yasaman , Kelly Patience J. , Maitra Anirban , Heffernan Timothy P. , Kalluri Raghu
Published: February 2023

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with mutations in Kras, a known oncogenic driver of PDAC; and theKRASG12Dmutation is present in nearly half of PDAC patients. Recently, a non-covalent small molecule inhibitor (MRTX1133) was identified with specificity to the KrasG12Dmutant protein. Here we explore the impact of KrasG12Dinhibition by MRTX1133 on advanced PDAC and its influence on the tumor microenvironment. Employing different orthotopic xenograft and syngeneic tumor models, eight different PDXs, and two different autochthonous genetic models, we demonstrate that MRTX1133 reverses early PDAC growth, increases intratumoral CD8+effector T cells, decreases myeloid infiltration, and reprograms cancer associated fibroblasts. Autochthonous genetic mouse models treated with MRTX1133 leads to regression of both established PanINs and advanced PDAC. Regression of advanced PDAC requires CD8+T cells and immune checkpoint blockade therapy (iCBT) synergizes with MRTX1133 to eradicate PDAC and prolong overall survival. Mechanistically, inhibition of mutant Kras in advanced PDAC and human patient derived organoids (PDOs) induces Fas expression in cancer cells and facilitates CD8+T cell mediated death. These results demonstrate the efficacy of MRTX1133 in different mouse models of PDAC associated with reprogramming of stromal fibroblasts and a dependency on CD8+T cell mediated tumor clearance. Collectively, this study provides a rationale for a synergistic combination of MRTX1133 with iCBT in clinical trials.
DNA 5-methylcytosine regulates genome-wide formation of G-quadruplex structures
Authors: Niu Kangkang , Xiang Lijun , Li Xiaoyu , Li Jin , Li Yuanli , Zhang Chu , Liu Junpeng , Zhang Xiaojuan , Peng Yuling , Xu Guanfeng , Xiang Hui , Wang Hao , Song Qisheng , Feng Qili
Published: February 2023

G-quadruplex structures (G4s) have been identified in genomes of multiple organisms and proven to play important epigenetic regulatory roles in various cellular functions. However, the G4 formation mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we found a negative correlation between DNA 5mC methylation and G4 abundance. The abundance of genomic G4s significantly increased when the whole-genome methylation level was reduced in DNMT1-knockout cells. This increase was then suppressed by DNMT1 over-expression. And more G4s were detected in the hypomethylated cancer cell line HepG2 and rectal cancer tissues. Besides, 5mC modification significantly inhibited G4 formation of the potential G-quadruplex sequences (PQSs). The transcription of genes with 5mC modification sites in their promoter PQSs was affected after treatment with G4 stabilizer pyridostatin or methylation inhibitor 5-aza-dC. The global reduction of genomic methylation elevates gene transcription levels through increased G4s. Taken together, DNA 5mC methylation prevents PQSs from folding into G4s in genomes.
C9orf72poly(PR) mediated neurodegeneration is associated with nucleolar stress
Authors: Cicardi ME , Hallgren JH , Mawrie D , Krishnamurthy K , Markandaiah SS , Nelson AT , Kankate V , Anderson EN , Pasinelli P , Pandey UB , Eischen CM , Trotti D
Published: February 2023

The ALS/FTD-linked intronic hexanucleotide repeat expansion in theC9orf72gene is translated into dipeptide repeat proteins, among which poly-proline-arginine (PR) displays the most aggressive neurotoxicityin-vitroandin-vivo. PR partitions to the nucleus when expressed in neurons and other cell types. Usingdrosophilaand primary rat cortical neurons as model systems, we show that by lessening the nuclear accumulation of PR, we can drastically reduce its neurotoxicity. PR accumulates in the nucleolus, a site of ribosome biogenesis that regulates the cell stress response. We examined the effect of nucleolar PR accumulation and its impact on nucleolar function and determined that PR caused nucleolar stress and increased levels of the transcription factor p53. Downregulating p53 levels, either genetically or by increasing its degradation, also prevented PR-mediated neurotoxic phenotypes both inin-vitroandin-vivomodels. We also investigated whether PR could cause the senescence phenotype in neurons but observed none. Instead, we found induction of apoptosisviacaspase-3 activation. In summary, we uncovered the central role of nucleolar dysfunction upon PR expression in the context of C9-ALS/FTD.
Dynamic correlations and possible diffusion pathway in the superionic conductor Cu2−x
Se
Authors: Roth Nikolaj , Brummerstedt Iversen Bo
Published: February 2023

The superionic conductor Cu2−x
Se has regained interest as a thermoelectric material owing to its low thermal conductivity, suggested to arise from a liquid-like Cu substructure, and the material has been coined a phonon-liquid electron-crystal. Using high-quality three-dimensional X-ray scattering data measured up to large scattering vectors, accurate analysis of both the average crystal structure as well as the local correlations is carried out to shed light on the Cu movements. The Cu ions show large vibrations with extreme anharmonicity and mainly move within a tetrahedron-shaped volume in the structure. From the analysis of weak features in the observed electron density, the possible diffusion pathway of Cu is identified, and it is clear from its low density that jumps between sites are infrequent compared with the time the Cu ions spend vibrating around each site. These findings support the conclusions drawn from recent quasi-elastic neutron scattering data, casting doubt on the phonon-liquid picture. Although there is diffusion of Cu ions in the structure, making it a superionic conductor, the jumps are infrequent and probably not the origin of the low thermal conductivity. From three-dimensional difference pair distribution function analysis of the diffuse scattering data, strongly correlated movements are identified, showing atomic motions which conserve interatomic distances at the cost of large changes in angles.
Numerical investigation of aerodynamically efficient wing tip-mounted propeller configuration using coupled RANS–BEM approach
Authors: Chandukrishna Y. , Venkatesh T.N.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Recent interest in electric aircraft has opened avenues for exploring innovative concepts and designs. Because of its potential to increase wing aerodynamic efficiency, the idea of wing tip-mounted propellers is becoming more popular in the context of electric aircraft. This paper aims to address the question of which configuration, tractor or pusher at wing tip is more beneficial.

Design/methodology/approach

The interactions between the wing and tip-mounted propellers in tractor and pusher configurations have been studied computationally. In this study, the propeller is modeled as a disk, and the blade element method (BEM) coupled with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD)–Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) solver is used to calculate propeller blade loading recursively. A direct comparison between the wing with tip-mounted propellers in tractor and pusher configurations is made by varying the direction of rotation and thrust.

Findings

Wing with tip-mounted propellers having inboard-up rotation is found to offer less drag in tractor and pusher configurations than those without propeller cases. Wing tip-mounted propeller in tractor configuration with inboard-up rotation offers higher wing aerodynamic efficiency than the other configurations. In tractor and pusher configurations with inboard-up rotating propellers, wing tip vortex attenuation is seen, whereas with outboard-up rotating propellers, the wing tip vortex amplification is observed.

Originality/value

SU2, an open-source CFD tool, is used in this study and BEM is coupled to perform RANS–BEM simulations. Both qualitative and quantitative comparisons were made between the tractor and pusher configurations, which may find its value when a question arises about the aerodynamically best propeller configuration at wing tips.
A multi-objective optimization model for outpatient care delivery with service fairness
Authors: Datta Soumyajyoti , Kapoor Rohit , Mehta Peeyush
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Outpatient care delivery is one of the key revenue sources of a hospital which plays a salient role in timely care delivery. The key purpose of the study is to propose a multi-objective simulation-based decision support model that considers the cost of care delivery and patient dissatisfaction as its two key conflicting objectives. Patient dissatisfaction considers service fairness. Patient idiosyncrasies such as no-show, unpunctuality and balking have been considered in the model involving multiple classes of patients.

Design/methodology/approach

A model has been designed using data collected from field investigations. In the first stage, queuing theory based discrete event simulation model has been developed. Genetic algorithm has been used to solve the scalarized problem and obtain actionable insights. In the second stage, non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) has been involved to achieve the Pareto optimal fronts considering equal priority of the two objectives.

Findings

The computational results considering various parameter settings can help in efficient resource planning while ensuring better care delivery. The model proposed in the study provides structural insights on the business strategy of healthcare service providers on optimizing the dual goals of care delivery cost and service fairness.

Originality/value

The study is one of the early works that helps to improve the care delivery process by taking into consideration the environmental factors as well as service fairness. The study demonstrates the usage of simulation-based multi-objective optimization to provide a more sustainable patient centric care delivery.
Using Slutsky equation to find the hotel growth model in the destination life cycle: an empirical study in Myrtle Beach
Authors: Tran Xuan V.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the hotel growth model including hotel brand, culture and life cycle phases of the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the fastest growing tourism destination in the United States.

Design/methodology/approach

Culture reflecting consuming behaviour of low-context innovators and high-context imitators is measured by the price elasticity of demand (PED). Hotel brand reflecting guests’ hotel class is measured by the income elasticity of demand. Autoregressive distributed lag has been conducted on the Smith Travel Research data in 33 years (1989–2022) to determine the relationship among hotel brand, culture and life cycles.

Findings

Skilled labour is the key to make hotels grow. Therefore, increase room rates when hotels possess skilled professionals and decrease room rates when hotels have no skilled professionals. During the rejuvenation in Myrtle Beach (1999–2003), hoteliers increased room rates for innovators due to skilled professionals to increase revenue. Otherwise, a decrease in room rates due to lack of skilled professionals would lead to increase revenue.

Research limitations/implications

(1) Although Myrtle Beach is one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the US, it has a relatively small geographic area relative to the country. (2) Data cover over one tourist life cycle, so the time span is relatively short. Hoteliers can forecast the number of guests in different culture by changing room rates.

Practical implications

To optimize revenue, hoteliers can select skilled labour in professional design hotel brands which could make an increase in demand for leisure transient guests no matter what room rates increase after COVID-19 pandemic.

Social implications

The study has considered the applied ethical processes regarding revenue management that would maximize both revenue and customer satisfaction when it set up an increase in room rates to compensate for professional hotel room design or it decreases room rates for low-income imitators in exploration and development.

Originality/value

This research highlights that (1) skilled design in the luxury hotel brand is the key for the hotel growth and (2) there is a steady state of the growth model in the destination life cycle.
Optimal time for management review during testing process: an approach using S-curve two-dimensional software reliability growth model
Authors: Verma Vibha , Anand Sameer , Aggarwal Anu Gupta
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The software development team reviews the testing phase to assess if the reliability growth of software is as per plan and requirement and gives suggestions for improvement. The objective of this study is to determine the optimal review time such that there is enough time to make judgments about changes required before the scheduled release.

Design/methodology/approach

Testing utilizes majority of time and resources, assures reliability and plays a critical role in release and warranty decision-making reviews necessary. A very early review during testing may not give useful information for analyzing or improving project performance, and a very late review may delay product delivery and lead to opportunity loss for developers. Therefore, it is assumed that the optimal time for review is in the later stage of testing when the fault removal rate starts to decline. The expression for this time point is determined using the S-curve 2-D software reliability growth model (SRGM).

Findings

The methodology has been illustrated using the real-life fault datasets of Tandem computers and radar systems resulting in optimal review time of 14 weeks and 26 months, respectively, which is neither very early in testing nor very near to the scheduled release. The developer can make changes (more resources or postpone release) to expedite the process.

Originality/value

Most of the literature studies focus on determination of optimal testing or release time to achieve considerable reliability within the budget, but in this study, the authors determine the optimal review time during testing using SRGM to ensure the considerable reliability at release.
Member identity in fitness centres and its consequences: an examination of members and managers' perspectives
Authors: Pedragosa Vera , Biscaia Rui , Naylor Michael E. , Hedlund David P. , Dickson Geoff
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of member identity and its dimensions of power, urgency, external legitimacy, internal legitimacy and interest, on satisfaction and behavioural intentions in fitness centres.

Design/methodology/approach

Two studies were designed. In Study 1, data were collected from fitness centre members (n = 225) and structural equation modelling used to examine the dimensions of fitness centre member identity and its subsequent effect on satisfaction and behavioural intentions. In Study 2, interviews exploring member identity were conducted with members (n = 9) and managers (n = 7) and a content analysis contrasted their perceptions of power, urgency, internal legitimacy, external legitimacy and interest.

Findings

The results of Study 1 support the multidimensional construct of member identity and its positive influence on both satisfaction and behavioural intentions. Satisfaction mediated the relationship between member identity and behavioural intentions. In Study 2, managers and members expressed similar perceptions of the member identity dimensions: low power; urgency is issue-dependent; external legitimacy is recognized; members are perceived as legitimate; and most members exhibit high interest in their membership.

Originality/value

This study provides a deeper understanding of how member identity contributes to long-term relationships between members and fitness centres. It extends the body of consumer behaviour literature in the context of fitness centres.
Utilization of the mental health first aid ALGEE action plan: a longitudinal study
Authors: Laurene Kimberly R. , Bonnah Godslove , Patel Sweta , Kenne Deric R.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Mental health training programs exist to assist the public with aiding people experiencing mental distress. This study aims to examine the five steps of the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) ALGEE action plan to assess which steps were used most frequently and how personal characteristics were associated with utilization.

Design/methodology/approach

Individuals completing MHFA either at public schools with students ranging in age from 5 to 18 or at a university in the Northern central area of the USA were invited to participate. Prior to MHFA, participants completed an initial questionnaire, which included demographic questions and questions assessing the use of the MHFA ALGEE action plan, which is a plan to provide help to someone experiencing mental distress. Follow-up questionnaires were completed every quarter to assess the ALGEE action plan utilization at three-, six- and nine-months after completion of MHFA. A comparison group of individuals, not completing MHFA, was also included.

Findings

After completing MHFA, individuals demonstrated an increase in using the ALGEE action plan at three- and six-months, but by nine-months there was a reduction in utilization. In general, age, gender and race did not usually influence the usage of the ALGEE action plan.

Originality/value

Although other studies have measured the efficacy of MHFA, those studies have focused on participant predicted behaviors. The present study measured self-reported behavior and compared the behaviors to a comparison group over time.
Mapping the environmental, social and governance literature: a bibliometric and content analysis
Authors: Jain Karishma , Tripathi P.S.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to quantify and map academic literature of ESG from a bibliometric perspective and to provide a comprehensive review of the recent literature published in the high-rated journal articles.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyzed 867 and 388 documents from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) data respectively using bibliometric analysis. Biblioshiny and VOSviewer software was used for performance analysis and science mapping respectively. Further, manual content analysis of the 190 research articles published in the last five years was conducted.

Findings

The results demonstrate that ESG is an emerging domain in the field of sustainable finance as the number of publications and total citations are showing an upward trend. The top two journals in terms of productivity are the Journal of Sustainable Finance and Investment and Business Strategy and the Environment. The highest number of publications are from the United States and George Serafeim is the most influential author in the ESG domain. Further, the result of cluster analysis of bibliographic coupling reveals four intellectual themes, (1) ESG investing; (2) ESG disclosures and Integrated Reporting; (3) ESG performance and firm value and (4) Corporate Governance and ESG performance. The content analysis of the 190 high-quality journal articles presents the current 11 areas of research in ESG. The impact of ESG on firm value and ESG investment are the prominent themes, and the effect of ESG on the cost of capital and ESG audit and assurance are the emerging themes in this domain.

Research limitations/implications

The keyword search is solely focusing on the theme of the study. Further, other keywords such as Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate sustainability taken along with ESG may provide distinct results.

Practical implications

The study advances the understanding of the ESG domain by developing new possibilities to discover key research areas.

Originality/value

The present work provides a comprehensive and detailed bibliometric and content analysis of ESG literature. This study delineates the thorough literature review of journal articles published in the recent five years in high-rated journals.
The failure of transparency as self-regulation
Authors: Vigneau Laurence , Adams Carol A.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the existence of a transparency gap between voluntary external sustainability reporting and internal sustainability performance of an organisation arising from the operationalisation of transparency as an instrumental tool.

Design/methodology/approach

This study combined an analysis of a firm’s sustainability report (secondary data) with a qualitative case study data (primary data comprising interviews, meetings and internal documents) to understand how the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sustainability reporting guidelines are applied in practice.

Findings

By comparing what is reported with a range of primary case study data, this study finds evidence of transparency gaps, particularly in terms of the quality of measurement of sustainability performance, the materiality of issues covered and the completeness of the report. This study posits that voluntary disclosures following the GRI guidelines (transparency technique) shape the external expression of acceptable corporate behaviour (transparency norm) that is nevertheless at odds with actual behaviour or performance.

Practical implications

The findings indicate the importance of mandatory sustainability reporting requirements that facilitate accountability to all key stakeholders and that are externally assured and enforced. Such requirements might take the form of standards that put boundaries on judgement and address material sustainable development impacts and that are accompanied by implementation guidance. Non-financial assurance practices must be developed to cover adherence to reporting principles and processes.

Social implications

Transparency gaps that result from voluntary disclosure guidelines or standards being used to imply a transparency norm may undermine accountability for the impacts of the organisation and hinder alignment of business models and corporate strategies with sustainable development.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to a theoretical understanding of transparency as a form of self-regulation and has implications for the further development of sustainability reporting standards.
The impact of multiagent systems on autonomous production and supply chain networks: use cases, barriers and contributions to logistics network resilience
Authors: Nitsche Benjamin , Brands Jonas , Treiblmaier Horst , Gebhardt Jonas
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Academics and practitioners have long acknowledged the potential of multiagent systems (MAS) to automate and autonomize decision-making in logistics and supply chain networks. Despite the manifold promises of MAS, industry adoption is lagging behind, and the exact benefits of these systems remain unclear. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap by analyzing 11 specific MAS use cases, highlighting their benefits, clarifying how they can help enhance logistics network resilience and identifying existing barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-stage Delphi study was conducted with 18 industry experts. In the first round, these experts identified 11 use cases of MAS and their potential benefits, as well as any barriers that could hinder their adoption. In the second round, they assessed the identified use cases with regard to their potential to enhance logistics network resilience and improve organizational productivity. Furthermore, they estimated the complexity of MAS implementation. In the third round, the experts reassessed their evaluations in light of the evaluations of the other study participants.

Findings

This study proposes 11 specific MAS use cases and illustrates their potential for increasing logistics network resilience and enhancing organizational performance due to autonomous decision-making in informational processes. Furthermore, this study discusses important barriers for MAS, such as lack of standardization, insufficient technological maturity, soaring costs, complex change management and a lack of existing use cases. From a theoretical perspective, it is shown how MAS can contribute to resilience research in supply chain management.

Practical implications

The identification and assessment of diverse MAS use cases informs managers about the potential of this technology and the barriers that need to be overcome.

Originality/value

This study fills a gap in the literature by providing a thorough and up-to-date assessment of the potential of MAS for logistics and supply chain management. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the relevance of MAS for logistics network resilience using the Delphi method.
Servant leadership: developing others and addressing gender inequities
Authors: Andrade Maureen Snow
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Leaders typically want to be effective and be remembered for their achievements and positive influence. This practitioner study aims to examine theory and research on servant leadership to provide insights into how leaders can address current employment conditions and gender inequities.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines the key characteristics of servant leadership, compares them to other leadership models, discusses common criticisms and applies the theory to women’s career advancement.

Findings

The review identifies the advantages of servant leadership in terms of encouraging leadership development within organizations, particularly for women, to address the broken rung or lack of early career promotion.

Originality/value

The paper shares key characteristics of servant leadership, explores its differences to other leadership models and focuses on practicalities for developing others in the workplace with a particular emphasis on women.
Introduction of non-linear fracture mechanics in the modelling of a flip-chip component under drop impact
Authors: Belhenini Soufyane , El Fatmi Imad , Richard Caroline , Tougui Abdellah
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aims to contribute to the numerical modelling of drop impact on a flip-chip component assembled on printed circuit boards using solder micro-bumps. This contribution is based on the introduction of non-linear fracture mechanics in the numerical approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The integration of non-linear fracture mechanics into the numerical approach requires the proposal and validation of several simplifying assumptions. Initially, a dynamic 3D model was simplified to a dynamic 2D model. Subsequently, the dynamic 2D model is replaced with an equivalent static 2D model. The equivalent static 2D model was used to perform calculations considering the non-linear fracture mechanics. A crack was modelled in the critical bump. The J-integral was used as a comparative parameter to study the effects of crack length, crack position and chip thickness on the fracture toughness of the solder bump.

Findings

The different simplifying assumptions were validated by comparing the results obtained by the various models. Numerical results showed a high risk of failure at the critical solder bump in a zone close to the intermetallic layer. The obtained results were in agreement with the post-test observations using the “Dye and Pry” methods.

Originality/value

The originality of this study lies in the introduction of non-linear fracture mechanics to model the mechanical response of solder bumps during drop impact. This study led to some interesting conclusions, highlighting the advantage of introducing non-linear fracture mechanics into the numerical simulations of microelectronic components during a drop impact.
Can crisis management teams mitigate COVID‐19's effects? A comparative case study between China and the United States
Authors: Hossain Md Farid , Shi Todd Yuda , Yan Cassie Zexin
Published: February 2023

The COVID‐19 pandemic has been the world's greatest challenge since World War II. As an unprecedented global public health crisis, crisis management teams (CMTs) in the infected countries need to rethink to cope with the similar uncertainty and urgency of the ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic. The shared context of COVID‐19 allows us to explore a cross‐nation study of different constructs and CMT to communicate information about crises with the public effectively. Since the pandemic affected all countries, the comparison is warranted. Can CMTs mitigate the effects of COVID‐19? Based on the analysis of China and the US cases, our study explores how shared and common knowledge cognition among crisis responders plays a pivotal role in effective CMTs' communication while technological failures and inadequate information disrupt the system, worsening pandemics like COVID‐19. Furthermore, organizational dysfunction, such as institutional fragmentation, regulatory hurdles and bureaucratic arrogance, impede effective communication between CMTs. However, effective coordination and decisive leadership could improve coordination effectiveness and reduce crisis costs.
Towards Better Banking Crisis Prediction: Could an Automatic Variable Selection Process Improve the Performance?*
Authors: Liu Xianglong
Published: February 2023

This study proposes using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) method with cross‐validation to automate the variable selection process of the conventional multivariate logit early warning system (EWS), the purpose being to improve the prediction of systemic banking crises. Using a dataset covering 23 OECD countries with quarterly data from 1970Q1 to 2018Q3, model performance is evaluated in a recursive out‐of‐sample forecasting exercise, taking policy‐makers' preference of missed crises and false alarms into account. The results suggest that the automatic variable selection process can enhance the predictive performance of the EWS. It also highlights the importance of extracting information from variable interactions and lags that may not be easily identified and accessed by typical subjective variable pre‐selection. This simple approach is easy to interpret and is transparent, which are important aspects for effective policy communication. Five variables, namely credit growth, domestic and global credit gaps, real house price growth and the real effective exchange rate, are identified as the most important key indicators of systemic banking crises.
When food fights back: Cebid primate strategies of larval paper wasp predation and the high‐energy yield of high‐risk foraging
Authors: Barnett Adrian A. , Stone Anita I. , Shaw Peter , Ronchi‐Teles Beatriz , dos Santos‐Barnett Tereza , Pimenta Natalia C. , Kinap Natalia M. , Spironello Wilson R. , Bitencourt Aparecida , Penhorwood Gemma , Umeed Rebecca N. , de Oliveira Tadeu G. , Bezerra Bruna M. , Boyle Sarah A. , Ross Caroline , Wenzel John W.
Published: February 2023

Optimal foraging theory predicts that well‐defended potential foods should be exploited only when energy pay‐offs are great. Although stinging hymenopteran nests are both well‐defended and predated by primates, their larvae's energy yields rarely have been calculated, and predation‐linked foraging behaviours by primates infrequently documented. Based on 58 opportunistic observations of primates raiding wasp nests for larvae, we calculated energetic yields of low‐ and high‐risk wasp nest predation forCebus albifrons,Saimiri collinsi,S. sciureusandSapajus apella, and tested predictions derived from optimal foraging theory. We recorded how nests were processed and by which age‐sex classes, eaten nest fragment sizes, number of occupied and empty cells, and nest occupancy patterns (percent larvae/pupae, eggs, empty cells). Basal metabolic rate (BMR) calculations showed energetic yields from 15 min foraging on low‐risk nests (Polybia quadricincta) would meet energy needed to sustain adult female and maleC. albifronsBMR for 4.9 and 4.5 h, respectively; yields from high‐risk (Chartergus artifex) nests for 6.5 and 6.2 h;Mischocyttarussp. nest yields (low risk, but mimetically resembling other wasps) would meetS. collinsiBMR for 2.9 h (female) and 2.3 h (male), and 2.6 and 2.1 h, for the slightly largerS. sciureus, respectively. TheChartergusenergetic‐yield value is nearly 20% of a 36 g chocolate bar (741 kJ). Our data provide quantitative support for the common assertion that wasp larvae and pupae are high‐yield foods for primates. As predicted by optimal foraging, energetic yield is sufficient to offset the risk and pain of being stung.
Integrated analysis of lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles in patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion
Authors: Zhu Xiaoli , Du Mengxuan , Gu Heng , Wu Ruishan , Gao Mengge , Xu Hang , Tang Jia , Li Mingzhen , Liu Xiaohua , Zhong Xingming
Published: February 2023

Problem

Unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) is one of the most frustrating and confounding conditions in reproductive medicine, and its exact pathogenesis has not been clearly established.

Method of study

In this study, we used RNA sequencing to characterize the mRNA and lncRNA expression profiles in peripheral blood. Thereafter, enrichment analysis was performed to determine the functions of the differentially expressed genes, and Cytoscape was used to construct lncRNA‐mRNA interaction networks.

Results

Our results showed that the peripheral blood of patients with URSA has distinct mRNA and lncRNA expression profiles, with a total of 359 mRNAs and 683 lncRNAs being differentially expressed. Moreover, the top hub genes, including IGF1, PPARG, CCL3, RETN, SERPINE1, HESX1, and PRL, were identified and further validated using real‐time quantitative PCR. Furthermore, we demonstrated a lncRNA‐mRNA interaction network that achieved 12 key lncRNAs and their targeted mRNAs are involved in systemic lupus erythematosus, allograft rejection, and complement and coagulation cascades. Finally, the correlation between immune cell subtypes and IGF1 expression was evaluated; a negative correlation was observed with the proportion of natural killer cells, which increased significantly in URSA.

Conclusion

We identified seven top hub genes, constructed a lncRNA‐related network and suggested that IGF1 plays a key role in regulating maternal immune response by affecting NK and T cells’ function, which helps to identify the pathogenesis of URSA.