bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical Network Constraints Define the Lognormal Architecture of the Brain's Connectome
Authors: Piazza Ben , Barabasi Daniel L , Ferreira Castro Andre , Menichetti Giulia , Barabasi Albert-Laszlo
Published: February 2025

The brain has long been conceptualized as a network of neurons connected by synapses. However, attempts to describe the connectome using established network science models have yielded conflicting outcomes, leaving the architecture of neural networks unresolved. Here, by performing a comparative analysis of eight experimentally mapped connectomes, we find that their degree distributions cannot be captured by the well-established random or scale-free models. Instead, the node degrees and strengths are well approximated by lognormal distributions, although these lack a mechanistic explanation in the context of the brain. By acknowledging the physical network nature of the brain, we show that neuron size is governed by a multiplicative process, which allows us to analytically derive the lognormal nature of the neuron length distribution. Our framework not only predicts the degree and strength distributions across each of the eight connectomes, but also yields a series of novel and empirically falsifiable relationships between different neuron characteristics. The resulting multiplicative network represents a novel architecture for network science, whose distinctive quantitative features bridge critical gaps between neural structure and function, with implications for brain dynamics, robustness, and synchronization.
Methionine dependence in cancer cells due to lack of B12-dependent methionine synthase activity
Authors: El Husseiny Mohamed , Nilsson Roland
Published: February 2025

Human cells can synthesize methionine from homocysteine and folate-coupled methyl groups via the B12-dependent enzyme methionine synthase (MTR). Yet, it has been known for decades that cancer cells fail to grow when methionine is replaced by homocysteine, a phenomenon known as methionine dependence. The underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we report evidence that methionine dependence is caused by low MTR activity secondary to a B12 deficiency. High levels of the B12 cofactor were required to revert methionine-dependent cancer cells to grow on homocysteine. The adapted (revertant) cells display gene expression signatures consistent with reduced invasion and metastasis. Metabolic flux analysis indicated that methionine-dependent cells do not fully activate MTR when cultured in homocysteine. High concentrations of homocysteine partially rescued growth of methioninedependent cells. Expression of a B12-independent methionine synthase enzyme in cancer cells restored growth on homocysteine and normalized the SAM:SAH ratio, while overexpression of the B12-dependent human enzyme had no effect. These data establish a biochemical basis for the long-standing question of methionine dependence in cancer, and may open up new avenues for exploiting the phenomenon for cancer therapy.
Decoding the neural basis of sensory phenotypes in Autism
Authors: Kolisnyk Matthew , Lyons Kathleen M , Choi Eun Jung , Vandewouw Marlee , Stojanoski Bobby , Anagnostou Evdokia , Kushki Azadeh , Nicolson Robert , Kelley Elizabeth , Georgiades Stelios , Lerch Jason , Crosbie Jennifer , Schachar Russell James , Ayub Muhammad , Jones Jessica , Arnold Paul , Liu Xudong , Stevenson Ryan
Published: February 2025

Background: Differences in sensory processing are a defining characteristic of autism, affecting up to 87% of autistic individuals. These differences cause widespread perceptual changes that can negatively impact cognition, development, and daily functioning. Recent research identified five sensory processing phenotypes with varied behavioural presentations; however, their neural basis remains unclear. This study aims to ground these sensory phenotypes in unique patterns of functional connectivity. Methods: We analyzed data from 146 autistic participants in the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Network. We classified participants into sensory phenotypes using k-means clustering of scores from the Short Sensory Profile. We then computed a connectivity matrix from 200 cortical and 32 subcortical regions and calculated graph-theoretic measures (betweenness centrality, strength, local efficiency, clustering coefficient) to assess information exchange between these regions. We then trained machine learning models to use these measures to classify between all pairs of sensory phenotypes. Results: We replicated that our sample of autistic participants was best categorized into five sensory phenotypes. The machine learning models distinguished 7/10 phenotype pairs using graph-theoretic measures (p < 0.005). Information exchange within and between the somatomotor network, orbitofrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, prefrontal cortex and subcortical areas were highly predictive of sensory phenotype. Conclusions: This study shows that distinct sensory phenotypes in autism correspond with unique patterns of functional connectivity. Cortical, subcortical, and network-level connectivity all play a role in shaping distinct sensory processing styles in autism. These findings lay the groundwork for understanding these phenotypes and highlight opportunities to develop interventions in cases of maladaptive sensory processing
Evolutionary history of the widespread association between placozoans and diverse Rickettsiales symbionts
Authors: Mankowski Anna , Leisch Nikolaus , Hadfield Michael G , Huettel Bruno , Dubilier Nicole , Gruber-Vodicka Harald R
Published: February 2025

Rickettsiales are an enigmatic clade of strictly host-associated bacteria, of which some are very common in aquatic habitats. Despite a wealth of sequencing-based observations, the hosts for many of these marine Rickettsiales are still unknown. The first molecular data from two closely related placozoan species points to Rickettsiales as abundant symbionts in these simple and early-branching animals. Given the electron microscopy observations of intracellular and Rickettsia-like-organisms in all placozoans examined, we systematically characterized the microbiomes of placozoan's with a focus on the Rickettsiales. Using single-animal metagenomics, we detected a consistent association with Rickettsiales from the Midichloriaceae and Rickettsiaceae, as well as several other commonly associated bacteria, including representatives from additional intracellular groups such as Chlamydiota as well as Margulisbacteria. Our comparative phylogenetic analyses of placozoans and their symbiotic Rickettsiales revealed a long evolutionary entanglement, with host species-specific replacements with other Rickettsiales clades in several placozoans. The common association across all placozoan lineages suggests a beneficial role. As placozoans gain more and more attention as an emerging model across the life sciences, it is imperative to consider the Rickettsiales symbionts, as they are commonly known as potent manipulators of their hosts' cellular and organismal biology in other associations.
Altered pseudostratified epithelial development of the lateral ventricle choroid plexus in Mllt11 mutants
Authors: Moore Sam , Stanton-Turcotte Danielle , Iulianella Angelo
Published: February 2025

The choroid plexuses (ChPs) are modified epithelial structures that penetrate all four cerebral ventricles and secrete cerebrospinal fluid. They consist of a central stroma that is vascularized with fenestrated blood vessels and connective tissue. The ChPs are of dual embryonic origin, with forebrain neuroepithelial cells contributing to the epithelial component and mesenchymal cells contributing to the stromal cells. The growth of the ChPs into the ventricular spaces is fueled by the migration and proliferation of neuroepithelial progenitor cells originating from the cortical hem. However, the genetic regulation of NEP migration during ChP development is not well understood. Here we report the role of Mllt11 (Af1q/Tcf7c) in regulating the formation of the ChP principally by regulating the migration of Otx1/2+ NEPs into the base of the fetal ChP, fueling its growth into the lateral ventricle. We also describe that Mllt11 mutants displayed a loss of the cuboid epithelial architecture of the ChP, altering the pseudostratified epithelial organization of the outer layers of the ChP.
Center vortices and the SU(3) conformal window
Authors: Mickley Jackson A. , Leinweber Derek B. , Nogradi Daniel
Published: February 2025

A novel approach for estimating the lower end of the SU(3) conformal window is presented through the study of center vortex geometry and its dependence on the number of fermion flavors Nf. Values ranging from Nf=2–8 are utilized to infer an upper limit for vortex behavior in the low Nf phase, which may inform the transition to the conformal window. The simulations are performed at a single lattice spacing and pion mass, both fixed for all Nf. Visualizations of the center vortex structure in three-dimensional slices of the lattice reveal a growing roughness in the vortex matter as a function of Nf, embodied by an increase in the density of vortex matter in the percolating cluster and a simultaneous reduction in secondary clusters disconnected from the percolating cluster in 3D slices. This is quantified by various bulk properties, including the vortex and branching point densities. A correlation of the vortex structure reveals a turning point near Nf≃5 past which a randomness in the vortex field becomes the dominant aspect of its evolution with Nf. As a byproduct, extrapolations to the vortex content of a uniform-random gauge field provide a critical point at which there must be a drastic shift in vacuum field structure. A precise estimate for the critical value is extracted as Nf*=11.43(16)(17), close to various other estimates.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Living dangerously with decoupled first and second generation scalars: SUSY prospects at the LHC
Authors: Baer Howard , Barger Vernon , Zhang Kairui
Published: February 2025

The string landscape statistical draw to large scalar soft masses leads to a mixed quasidegeneracy/decoupling solution to the supersymmetry (SUSY) flavor and CP problems where first/second generation matter scalars lie in the 20–40 TeV range. With increasing first/second generation scalars, SUSY models actually become more natural due to two-loop renormalization group (RG) effects that suppress the corresponding third generation soft masses. This can also lead to substantial parameter space regions that are forbidden by the presence of charge and/or color breaking minima of the scalar potential. We outline the allowed SUSY parameter space for the gravity-mediated three extra-parameter-nonuniversal Higgs model NUHM3. The natural regions with mh∼125  GeV, ΔEW≲30 and decoupled first/second generation scalar are characterized by rather heavy gluinos and EW gauginos, but with rather small μ and top squarks not far beyond LHC Run 2 limits. This scenario also explains why SUSY has so far eluded discovery at LHC in that the parameter space with small scalar and gaugino masses is all excluded by the presence of charge and/or color breaking minima.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Leptophilic axionlike particles at forward detectors
Authors: Jiang Xu-Hui , Lu Chih-Ting
Published: February 2025

Leptophilic axionlike particles (ALPs) exhibit rich phenomenology, focusing exclusively on interactions between an ALP and Standard Model leptons. Through integration by parts, it is shown that both the three-point interaction, aℓ¯ℓ, and the four-point interaction, aℓ−νW+, play significant roles, making the flavor portal particularly compelling. For ALPs with masses ranging from O(1)  MeV to O(1)  GeV, they can contribute to exotic hadron decays. Suppressed couplings naturally extend the ALP lifetime, presenting opportunities for detection at forward detectors. In this study, we explore ALPs with both electrophilic and muonphilic scenarios. We propose an inclusive search for various hadrons that undergo exotic decays at the LHC. In the electrophilic scenario, long-lived ALPs are searched in the Forward Search Experiment and its upgrading phase, Forward Search Experiment II. In the muonphilic scenario, where the ALP lifetime is significantly reduced due to its coupling to muons, we further investigate its detection potential at LHCb and its high-luminosity upgrade. Several benchmarks are analyzed, including electroweak-preserving, electroweak-violating, and left-right softly asymmetric models, to demonstrate possible experimental constraints.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Unique Forbidden Beta Decays at Zero Momentum Transfer
Authors: Seng Chien-Yeah , Glick-Magid Ayala , Cirigliano Vincenzo
Published: February 2025

We report an exploratory study of the O(α) structure-dependent electromagnetic radiative corrections to unique first-forbidden nuclear beta decays. We show that the insertion of angular momentum into the nuclear matrix element by the virtual or real photon exchange opens up the decay at vanishing nuclear recoil momentum which was forbidden at tree level, leading to a dramatic change in the decay spectrum not anticipated in existing studies. We discuss its implications for precision tests on the standard model and searches for new physics.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Angle-resolved spin noise spectroscopy in semiconductors: Two-state theory and experiments
Authors: Gribakin B. F. , Cronenberger S. , Boukari H. , Scalbert D.
Published: February 2025

Traditional spin noise spectroscopy generally does not address spatial spin correlations, which are in fact crucial for an in-depth understanding of spin relaxation. In semiconductors, one requires spin noise measurements at substantial angles from the incident beam to study spatial correlations on the relevant submicron scale. Recording electron spin noise over a wide range of angles via goniometric homodyne detection enables us to recover the spatiotemporal spectra of electron spin fluctuations with virtually no losses in spin noise power in reciprocal space. Applied to a series of insulating n-doped CdTe samples, the technique permits the separation of various spin motion mechanisms in reciprocal space. We show that cross correlations between localized and delocalized spins are crucial in explaining the observed long-distance spin jumps between neutral donors, and they have a profound impact on the spin relaxation of localized electrons even at temperatures that are low compared to the activation energy. We develop a theoretical two-state model based on Bloch equations that take these cross correlations into account via a release-and-trapping spin transport mechanism. The model is in quantitative agreement with the entire body of our experimental data, where spatiotemporal electron spin noise spectra are measured as functions of temperature, donor density, and magnetic field.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Entropy-driven zero-shot deep learning model selection for viral proteins
Authors: Yu Yuanxi , Jiang Fan , Zhong Bozitao , Hong Liang , Li Mingchen
Published: February 2025

Predicting the fitness of viral proteins is fundamental to understanding viral evolution and developing antiviral strategies. This study introduces the Venus-EEM, an entropy-driven ensemble model, aimed at improving the performance of zero-shot predictions for protein fitness across diverse viral datasets. We demonstrate that entropy serves as an effective criterion for selecting optimal zero-shot models, enabling adaptive model selection for different prediction tasks. By incorporating entropy-weighted ensemble learning from multiple protein language models, Venus-EEM achieves superior performance compared to existing methods. We validate the model's effectiveness through comprehensive evaluation on multiple viral datasets and a detailed case study of T7 RNA polymerase (T7 RNAP) activity. Our findings provide an effective approach for predicting viral protein mutations based on entropy, bridging fundamental physics principles with practical biological challenges.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Tracking chirality in photoelectron circular dichroism
Authors: Heger Marec W. , Reich Daniel M.
Published: February 2025

In photoelectron circular dichroism (PECD) it is generally difficult to trace how and when the chirality of the molecule is imprinted onto the photoelectron. We present simulations of PECD in a simple model and employ chirality measures to establish a quantitative connection between the chirality of the potential, the electronic wave function's chirality, and the anisotropy of the photoelectron distribution. We show that these measures are suitable indicators for chirality, paving the way for tracking the chiral evolution from the nuclear scaffold to the final observable.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Precise quantum control of molecular rotation toward a desired orientation
Authors: Hong Qian-Qian , Dong Daoyi , Henriksen Niels E. , Nori Franco , He Jun , Shu Chuan-Cun
Published: February 2025

The lack of a direct map between control fields and desired control objectives poses a significant challenge in applying quantum control theory to quantum technologies. Here, we propose an analytical framework to precisely control a limited set of quantum states and construct desired coherent superpositions using a well-designed laser pulse sequence with optimal amplitudes, phases, and delays. This theoretical framework that corresponds to a multilevel pulse-area theorem establishes a straightforward mapping between the control parameters of the pulse sequence and the amplitudes and phases of rotational states within a specific subspace. As an example, we utilize this approach to generate 15 distinct and desired rotational superpositions of ultracold polar molecules, leading to 15 desired field-free molecular orientations. By optimizing the superposition of the lowest 16 rotational states, we demonstrate that this approach can achieve a maximum orientation value of |〈cosθ〉|max above 0.99, which is very close to the global optimal value of 1 that could be achieved in an infinite-dimensional state space. This work marks a significant advancement in achieving precise control over multilevel subsystems within molecules. It holds potential applications in molecular alignment and orientation, as well as in various interdisciplinary fields related to the precise quantum control of ultracold polar molecules, opening up considerable opportunities in molecular-based quantum techniques.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Classical Simulability of Quantum Circuits with Shallow Magic Depth
Authors: Zhang Yifan , Zhang Yuxuan
Published: February 2025

Quantum magic is a necessary resource for quantum computers to be not efficiently simulable by classical computers. Previous results have linked the of quantum magic, characterized by the number of T gates or the stabilizer rank, to classical simulability. However, the effect of the of quantum magic on the hardness of simulating a quantum circuit remains open. In this work, we investigate the classical simulability of quantum circuits with alternating Clifford and T layers across three tasks: amplitude estimation, sampling, and evaluating Pauli observables. In the case in which all T gates are distributed in a single layer, performing amplitude estimation and sampling to multiplicative error are already classically intractable under reasonable assumptions, but Pauli observables are easy to evaluate. Surprisingly, with the addition of just one T-gate layer or merely replacing all T gates with

T

1

/

2

, the Pauli evaluation task reveals a sharp complexity transition from being in P to being GapP-complete. Nevertheless, when the precision requirement is relaxed to 1/poly(n) additive error, we are able to give a polynomial-time classical algorithm to compute amplitudes, Pauli observables, and sampling from log﻿(n)-sized marginal distributions for any magic-depth-1 circuit that is decomposable into a product of diagonal gates. This rules out certain forms of quantum advantage in these circuits. Our research provides new techniques to simulate highly magical circuits while shedding light on their complexity and their significant dependence on the magic depth.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
The ManifoldEM method for cryo-EM: a step-by-step breakdown accompanied by a modern Python implementation
Authors: Ojha Anupam Anand , Blackwell Robert , Cruz-Chú Eduardo R. , Dsouza Raison , Astore Miro A. , Schwander Peter , Hanson Sonya M.
Published: February 2025

Resolving continuous conformational heterogeneity in single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a field in which new methods are now emerging regularly. Methods range from traditional statistical techniques to state-of-the-art neural network approaches. Such ongoing efforts continue to enhance the ability to explore and understand the continuous conformational variations in cryo-EM data. One of the first methods was the manifold embedding approach or ManifoldEM. However, comparing it with more recent methods has been challenging due to software availability and usability issues. In this work, we introduce a modern Python implementation that is user-friendly, orders of magnitude faster than its previous versions and designed with a developer-ready environment. This implementation allows a more thorough evaluation of the strengths and limitations of methods addressing continuous conformational heterogeneity in cryo-EM, paving the way for further community-driven improvements.
Borrower perceptions of additional lender services: an Oklahoma AgCredit example
Authors: Montgomery Jenna , DeVuyst Eric A. , Bir Courtney , Jones Rodney
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Customer retention and attraction are common concerns in the financial services industry but are acute concerns for farm credit associations, given competition from commercial banks. Not only do Farm Credit associations face restricted territories but also they have a considerably smaller borrowing population when compared to commercial banks. Oklahoma AgCredit, a Farm Credit association in east and central Oklahoma, is considering creating additional services to increase the number of business interactions they have with their member-borrowers. Their goal in adding services like crop and livestock insurance is to retain current customers and attract new borrowers. The purpose of this research is to assess current and prospective borrower responses to added services in terms of loan volume and insured crop acres and head of livestock. Survey results determine the change in expected loan volume from current customers and additional loan volume from previous and potential customers. The analysis finds that while little can be inferred regarding customer retention, additional services have a positive impact on customer attraction. Expected service utilization and coverage of common crop and livestock enterprises vary between customer subsamples, but all customer types indicated they would cover some level of livestock, forage, hay, wheat and sorghum. While a recommendation cannot be made based on this research, it does seem that expanding the services offered is a viable pursuit for an agricultural lender to improve customer attraction.

Design/methodology/approach

Three groups of current and potential borrowers were surveyed to assess their current loan activity with Oklahoma AgCredit. Respondents were asked about their likely loan volume if an internal crop and livestock insurance agency was offered by Oklahoma AgCredit and their likely use of the crop and livestock insurance agency. Using survey results, the expected change in loan volume due to the proposed insurance enterprise was calculated.

Findings

Results show no statistically significant difference in current borrower loan intentions. However, there were six current borrowers who also operate crop and livestock insurance agencies. These borrowers likely biased results downward. A slight increase in borrowing from potential customers was found. A high percentage of current and potential borrowers, 70–80%, were likely to use the insurance service.

Originality/value

The study measures the expected impact of additional services by an agricultural lender in attracting and retaining borrowers.
Energy poverty and entrepreneurship: evidence from sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Ondoua Beyene Blaise , Ngnouwal Eloundou Georges , Mokompea Nyamou Jose Claude , Gallouj Camal
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Energy poverty is a major obstacle to economic and social development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where over 600 million people lack access to electricity. This situation stifles entrepreneurship, particularly in rural areas with non-existent energy infrastructure. This paper aims to examine the direct, indirect and nonlinear effects of energy poverty on entrepreneurship in SSA.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from 36 SSA countries (2007–2020), static panel data models were estimated with generalised least squares and Driscoll–Kraay methods to address cross-sectional dependence and heteroskedasticity.

Findings

The results reveal that reducing energy poverty significantly increases new business creation density. This effect remains robust across various estimation techniques. Indirectly, alleviating energy poverty enhances entrepreneurship by improving internet access and health outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis is limited to data up to 2020 and focuses on SSA, potentially limiting generalisability. The findings theoretically support the idea that reducing energy poverty can stimulate entrepreneurship by improving access to essential resources and infrastructure.

Practical implications

Policymakers should prioritise inclusive electricity access to stimulate entrepreneurship, particularly in rural areas where energy poverty is most severe.

Originality/value

This study provides empirical evidence on the link between energy poverty and entrepreneurship in SSA, a region often underrepresented in research. The use of robust econometric methods strengthens the findings’ validity.
Followers’ role breadth self-efficacy matters: examining the “double-edged sword” effects of empowering leadership
Authors: Sun Fang , Li Shao-Long , Lei Xuan , Lan Junbang
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Given the widespread adoption of empowerment in the workplace, increasing research has investigated the influences of empowering leadership. However, previous research has found confounding effects of it. This study aims to examine how and when empowering leadership exhibits “double-edged sword” effects on followers’ work outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a three-wave survey with a final sample of 215 full-time employees to test the research model.

Findings

The results indicate that followers’ role-breadth self-efficacy (RBSE) interacted with empowering leadership to predict their hindrance-related stress, subsequently influencing their turnover intention. Specifically, empowering leadership is found to elicit hindrance-related stress among followers with low RBSE. Furthermore, empowering leadership indirectly affects turnover intention by eliciting hindrance-related stress only among followers with low RBSE.

Originality/value

This study broadens the exploration of the “dark side” of empowering leadership, offering a more nuanced explanation of how it can lead to both beneficial and detrimental outcomes. It refines the understanding of empowering leadership’s effectiveness by highlighting the role of followers’ RBSE rather than focusing solely on the degree of empowerment. In addition, by contributing to the stress theory, this research demonstrates how individual differences influence followers’ cognitive appraisal of stress, shaping distinct stress experiences and driving the adoption of varying work-related coping strategies.
Uncertain static responses of structures involving type-1 and type-2 fuzzy external loadings
Authors: Mohapatra Dhabaleswar , Behera Diptiranjan , Chakraverty Snehashish
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Uncertainties present in the system parameters and/or external forces play a significant role in the static analysis of structures. Recently, fuzzy numbers have been used to model these uncertainties. It may be noted that when uncertainties are considered only for external loading in terms of type-1 or type-2 fuzzy numbers, the problem is converted to a fuzzy system of linear equations with crisp coefficients. In this regard, the purpose of this research is to propose a new technique to solve the fuzzy system of linear equations with crisp coefficients.

Design/methodology/approach

It is very interesting to propose effective techniques to solve such problems. A methodology based on the parametric forms of the type-1 and type-2 fuzzy numbers is used to convert the fuzzy system into interval systems of equations. Further, the concept of double and triple parametric forms is utilised to solve the interval systems.

Findings

The proposed technique has been successfully implemented to solve the fuzzy linear system of equations in type-1 as well as type-2 fuzzy environments. Accordingly, sample mathematical problems as well as application problems, namely 8-bar truss structure and uniform rectangular sheet structure, have been solved. Further, present results have been contrasted with the solution obtained by the existing approaches and found to be in good agreement.

Originality/value

To deal with the uncertainty in the external loadings, type-1 and type-2 fuzzy numbers are used here. Also, the approach presented in this work to solve the fuzzy linear system of equations shows the originality of this research.
Facilities management: insights from India
Authors: Jadhav Tushar , Deshpande Rahul , Lavy Sarel
Published: February 2025

Purpose

In the past few years, India has seen an exponential growth in the built environment sector, which highlights the importance of facility or facilities management (FM). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the expectations, roles and skills required for successful FM operations within the built environment in India. The study also investigates the various educational programmes offered in FM in India.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses semi-structured interviews with FM practitioners from India. A total of 20 respondents have participated in the semi-structured interviews. The interview questions covered few important areas such as daily roles and responsibilities, skills required, challenges faced and areas for further development, among others. In addition to the semi-structured interviews, a roundtable discussion was also conducted with three FM experts from India.

Findings

The study provides insights in the roles delivered by FM professionals, their challenges and areas of improvement. The study further reveals the lack of formal FM education in India. The findings of this study will also help in the development of academic programmes that will foster research culture and assist in overcoming challenges faced by the FM sector.

Originality/value

There is limited research available that addresses the FM requirements for India. In addition, there is no research available that addresses the FM education in Indian context. This paper throws light on the FM requirements in India and provides the necessary inputs for enhancing FM education in India.
Portrait of traditional dance in wedding ceremonies amidst modernization as social identity in South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: Jamilah Jamilah , Jayadi Karta , Abduh Amirullah , Yatim Heriyati
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study aims to explore the South Sulawesi traditional dances in wedding ceremonies as key instruments for social identity construction, cultural heritage preservation and community-based economic growth. By examining the interplay of these dances within wedding ceremonies, the study aims to illuminate how artistic performances uphold ancestral values while adapting to contemporary social dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

Amidst the forces of globalization and technological advancement, this research uses qualitative case study research to capture the cultural essence of traditional dances. Using thematic analysis, the study reveals the dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity, highlighting the roles of cultural preservation and the construction of social identities. It discusses the implication of the potential of these dances as sustainable cultural tourism products, balancing economic benefits with the need for authentic representation.

Findings

The findings reveal that traditional wedding dances in South Sulawesi serve as powerful symbols of cultural identity, with distinct dances like Tari Paduppa and Tari Lalusu being performed during specific parts of the wedding ceremonies. These dances convey values such as gratitude, respect, unity, and social hierarchy. Furthermore, the findings highlight the role of these performances in sustaining the livelihood of artists and their potential as cultural tourism products. Additionally, parents, schools and government-led festivals jointly create a supportive ecosystem that encourages intergenerational participation. Despite challenges posed by global entertainment trends, stakeholders adapt performances through selective modernization, ensuring that authenticity and heritage value remain intact.

Originality/value

This study highlights the resilience and adaptability of traditional wedding dances as multifaceted cultural expressions that simultaneously foster social identity, economic viability and heritage continuity. By demonstrating how local communities integrate these dances into broader educational, familial and policy structures, the research contributes to discussions on intangible cultural heritage and offers practical insights for similar preservation efforts.
The effect of artificial intelligence awareness on frontline service employees’ silence: the roles of psychological contract breach and moral identity
Authors: Cheng Mengting , Zhang Long , Wang Haiqing
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the hospitality industry has triggered concerns among frontline service employees about their future careers, namely, AI awareness. This study aims to explore whether AI awareness influences frontline service employees’ silence through psychological contract breach and whether this process is contingent on frontline service employees’ moral identity, drawing on social exchange theory and moral identity theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from 355 frontline service employees in Chinese hotels using a two-wave survey. SPSS macro PROCESS Model 58 was used to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

AI awareness increases frontline service employees’ silence by prompting psychological contract breach. This process is moderated by frontline service employees’ moral identity. Specifically, moral identity mitigates the effect of psychological contract breach on silence.

Practical implications

Organizations and managers should pay attention to the impact of AI on frontline service employees and take measures to help them better adapt to the rapidly changing work environment. In particular, it helps reduce frontline service employees’ silence by fostering positive attitudes toward AI, maintaining their psychological contracts and developing their moral identities.

Originality/value

This study enriches the research on the outcomes of AI awareness by directing our attention to frontline service employees’ silence. Moreover, this study not only explores the responses to AI awareness that frontline service employees make as “economic persons” but also examine whether they, as “moral persons,” regulate their responses contingent on their moral identity under the impact of AI. Exploring frontline service employees’ dual identities helps bring this research closer to the realities of managerial practice, thereby contributing to a better understanding and management of their complex responses to AI shocks.
Beyond metrics: shifting measures of research impact from citations and journal rankings to meaningful impacts on society
Authors: Crompton John L.
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to point out that most research published in hospitality and tourism industry journals is of no value to the visitor industries or society. It argues that a primary reason is the academic practice of evaluating the utility of its research with the inappropriate metrics of journal impact factors and citation counts. To become relevant, academic leaders must refocus evaluation of the field’s research on its meaningful impacts on society.

Design/methodology/approach

This study reviews the literature that differentiates the constructs of research quality and research impact and identifies their limitations.

Findings

The contention that either journal impact factors or citation counts adequately measure the usefulness of research is challenged. It is suggested that reliance on them has resulted in an academic self-serving “echo chamber.” The author argues the field should refocus away from the echo chamber to shift the primary evaluation of research to societal impact. Illustrations are offered from the author’s recent experiences that illustrate the fallacy of confusing citation counts with impact. The challenges of shifting to an impact assessment from the existing system are acknowledged, and a way forward is proposed.

Research limitations/implications

Continuing to embrace beguiling measures that are invested with a conventional, but false, aura of truth inevitably means the field’s scholarship will continue to be ignored.

Originality/value

An analytical critique of the prevailing metrics is undertaken, and a five-step process to shift the emphasis to societal impact is offered.
Design and application of eversion-growing firefighting robot with Yoshimura-ori steering mechanism
Authors: Li Sha , Yue Longwang , Wei Yangke , Liu Chong , Jiang Shuai , Wang Li
Published: February 2025

Purpose

To assist firefighters in extinguishing fires more safely and efficiently, this paper aims to present an eversion-growing firefighting robot that overcomes the maneuverability constraints of existing firefighting robots, which hinder their ability to approach fire sources effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

The robot uses an everting tube as the body, with the cavity formed during eversion to deliver water to the tip. The loading capacity models are extended by considering the mechanical reinforcement provided by the contact between the everting tube and obstacles. Then the authors design a steering mechanism based on the Yoshimura-ori structure to ensure the robot’s steering capabilities. Furthermore, the authors present a new tip mount for the eversion-growing robot in fire conditions.

Findings

Experiments demonstrate the robot’s ability to navigate obstacles effectively using the Yoshimura-ori steering mechanism and perform firefighting tasks successfully.

Originality/value

The robot innovatively overcomes traditional firefighting limitations and integrates the eversion-growing structure with the Yoshimura-ori steering mechanism, demonstrating effective obstacle-traversing capabilities in performing tasks.
What kind of documents can AI language model outputs be? The concept of artificially blended testimony
Authors: Donner Sascha
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The development of large language models (LLMs) has significantly enhanced capabilities in AI-powered text generation. The impact of this new technology, which is expected to significantly influence our work and private lives, on document creation is still largely unknown. This article is inspired by the article “What Kind of Science Can Information Science Be” by Buckland (2012).

Design/methodology/approach

Buckland’s (2012) considerations about the human’s central role in information science are applied to the question of how the human’s central role in documentation could be affected by the devolvement of LLMs. The Model of Documentation Activity (MoDA) (Donner, 2023) is used as a framework to evaluate the influence of LLM outputs as part of the documentation activity. LLM outputs are placed within the model after an analysis of their potential to be a document from conventional, functional and semiotic points of view.

Findings

An advanced and more detailed version of the MoDA, the MoDA2, is presented, which is intended to clarify the potential implications of LLMs on the documentation activity.

Originality/value

This article coins the term “artificially blended testimony” for LLM output as novel data provider along nature and testimony and demonstrates the value of the MoDA2 for exploring the impact of technological advances such as LLMs on the documentation process.
Talking about data: an analysis of data-team conversations and principals’ influence on them
Authors: Barnes Nicole , Fives Helenrose , Meyers Coby V. , Moon Tonya R.
Published: February 2025

Purpose

School principals are increasingly responsible for acting as instructional leaders, but research on data teams typically considers principals as secondary players responsible for ensuring that meetings occur but not necessarily for their quality. We investigated how elementary school principals in one district committed to data use influenced data team conversations.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, we analyze observation data of 34 data-team meetings held in four elementary schools in one rural district.

Findings

We found that principals regularly dominated the data-team meetings, strongly influencing decisions related to students discussed, how they were discussed and what decisions were made as a result. Moreover, data-team decisions seldom resulted in actual instructional change but instead most regularly ended by “staying the course.”

Originality/value

There are a number of implications to consider as a result of the many squandered opportunities to leverage data to lead instructional change. This study is one of the few to focus on how principals influence (and can limit) data-team conversations about students and instructional response.
“What does the mirror reveal about your age?” A historical analysis of Tokalon cosmetic advertisements in 1930s Sweden
Authors: Kenalemang-Palm Lame M.
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to examine the construction of female beauty ideals in Tokalon advertisements in 1930s Sweden.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses the theoretical perspective of social semiotics and the methodology of multimodal critical discourse analysis to analyze a corpus of 91 Tokalon advertisements collected from the Swedish Historical Newspaper Archive.

Findings

The analysis indicates that women were encouraged to engage in beauty work practices to preserve the idealized white, youthful face. Working on and “perfecting” the female face was framed as a way for women to exercise their autonomy and emancipation. However, a closer analysis of the advertisements reveals that women’s empowerment was often measured in terms of securing male attention or finding a husband. Women who failed to enhance their appearance were positioned as at risk of being unloved and/or unmarried, while those who engaged in beauty work practices were rewarded with romantic success. Interestingly, however, the promotion of beauty practices was not rooted with traditional notions of the “male gaze”, but rather reflected an “autoerotic gaze” that emphasizes self-governance by modern women.

Originality/value

This paper demonstrates the significance of analyzing Swedish cosmetic advertisements from this period to understand their role in shaping constructions of femininity. It also highlights the important influence of American advertising styles and culture in Swedish advertising practices and how they helped shape beauty norms in Sweden.
Sustainability meets digital culture: the influence of ESG on financial performance in Malaysian manufacturing SMEs
Authors: Akhtar Farah , Senadjki Abdelhak , Vija Kumaran Vikniswari
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This paper examines how environmental, social and governance (ESG) intercedes the relationship between digital organizational culture and a firm’s financial performance. It sheds light on the moderating role of government policy in the relationship between digital organizational culture and financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The research employed a descriptive design, which surveyed 360 manufacturing firms from five Malaysian states. A quantitative research study used the application of structural equation modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS version 4.0 to test hypothesized relationships.

Findings

Key findings unveil a positive relationship between digital organizational culture, intellectual capital and financial performance. Results also reinforce that ESG significantly mediates the relationship between digital organizational culture and financial performance. Additionally, the government policy demonstrates a significant moderating effect on the relationship between digital organizational culture and financial performance. Hence inferring that the interchange and corresponding role of these factors can determine financial performance.

Research limitations/implications

The study’s cross-sectional nature and focus on Malaysian manufacturing enterprises suggest prospects for longitudinal inquiries across diverse cultural contexts and industry sectors. Additionally, the reliance on self-reported quantitative data, while methodologically validated, signifies the potential for future mixed-method studies to seize multi-layered insights into digital culture and ESG reporting.

Originality/value

The outcomes contribute to insights by extending a nuanced perspective about how ESG impacts financial performance and has practical implications for SME managers and policymakers for incorporating a digital sustainability agenda. It also increases our comprehension of the substantial role of government policy in boosting digitalization leads in the manufacturing industry in emerging economies.
From major revision to accept: strategies for crafting effective reviewer responses in contemporary business research
Authors: Philip Jestine , Winton Bradley Gene
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The importance of crafting an effective reviewer response document to a “Revise and Resubmit” decision on a manuscript is well known to scholars across business research. The empathy and clarity with which responses are explained can play a vital role in whether the revised manuscript is accepted or rejected. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, discuss techniques like “reviewer empathy” and emotional intelligence to better “choose your battles” and second, offer strategic writing tips when responding to a manuscript peer review.

Design/methodology/approach

In this conceptual paper, the authors first lay out the scholarly publication process followed by some practical tips and strategies on how authors might craft their response document.

Findings

Through this study, the authors hope that business researchers would walk away with a greater understanding of how best to craft a response document to satisfy editor and reviewer expectations as well as be able to manage with the emotional rigors of the revise and resubmit process.

Originality/value

There is limited information or guidance available to researchers on how to write clear response documents while keeping in mind the reviewers’ perspective.