bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RNA N6-adenine methylation dynamics impactHyaloperonospora arabidopsidisresistance inArabidopsis
Authors: Furci Leonardo , Berthelier Jérémy , Saze Hidetoshi
Published: January 2024

In plants, epitranscriptomic mark N6-adenine methylation (m6A) is dynamically regulated by (a)biotic stressors. However, there is limited knowledge on m6A dynamics at single nucleotide resolution on specific RNA molecule under stresses, and their role in environmental adaptation. By using Oxford Nanopore Technology direct RNA sequencing (ONT-DRS) and a neural network model, here we show transcript-specific dynamics of m6A modification at single nucleotide resolution by biotic stress duringHyaloperonospera arabidopsidis(Hpa) infection inArabidopsis. In wild-type seedlings, pathogen infection causes significant reduction of global m6A ratios, which correlates with activation of m6A-modified transcripts. Defect of m6A deposition in the m6A mutanthakai-1mimics m6A reduction fromHpainfection at ∼70% of sites, resulting in constitutive overexpression of basal defence genes and enhanced resistance against the pathogen. Our results demonstrate that m6A dynamics impact defence response against pathogen, providing a promising target for future crop improvement strategies.
Eicosatetraynoic Acid Regulates Pro-Fibrotic Pathways in an Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Macrophage:Human Intestinal Organoid Model of Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Jurickova Ingrid , Dreskin Benjamin W. , Angerman Elizabeth , Bonkowski Erin , Tominaga Kentaro , Iwasawa Kentaro , Braun Tzipi , Takebe Takanori , Helmrath Michael A. , Haberman Yael , Wells James M. , Denson Lee A.
Published: January 2024

Background and Aims

We previously identified small molecules predicted to reverse an ileal gene signature for future Crohn’s Disease (CD) strictures. Here we used a new human intestinal organoid (HIO) model system containing macrophages to test a lead candidate, eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA).

Methods

Induced pluripotent stem cell lines (iPSC) were derived from CD patients and differentiated into macrophages and HIOs. Macrophages and macrophage:HIO co-cultures were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with and without ETYA pre-treatment. Cytospin and flow cytometry characterized macrophage morphology and activation markers, and RNA sequencing defined the global pattern of macrophage gene expression. TaqMan Low Density Array, Luminex multiplex assay, immunohistologic staining, and sirius red polarized light microscopy were performed to measure macrophage cytokine production and HIO pro-fibrotic gene expression and collagen content.

Results

iPSC-derived macrophages exhibited morphology similar to primary macrophages and expressed inflammatory macrophage cell surface markers including CD64 and CD68. LPS-stimulated macrophages expressed a global pattern of gene expression enriched in CD ileal inflammatory macrophages and matrisome secreted products, and produced cytokines and chemokines including CCL2, IL1B, and OSM implicated in refractory disease. ETYA suppressed CD64 abundance and pro-fibrotic gene expression pathways in LPS stimulated macrophages. Co-culture of LPS-primed macrophages with HIO led to up-regulation of fibroblast activation genes includingACTA2andCOL1A1, and an increase in HIO collagen content. ETYA pre-treatment prevented pro-fibrotic effects of LPS-primed macrophages.

Conclusions

ETYA inhibits pro-fibrotic effects of LPS-primed macrophages upon co-cultured HIO. This model may be used in future untargeted screens for small molecules to treat refractory CD.
Spatiotemporal structure of multimodal cues influences color and odor integration in a model insect, the bumblebeeBombus impatiens
Authors: Graver Katelyn , Sommer Jessica , Rao Vijay , Tafuri Giovanni , Sprayberry Jordanna D. H.
Published: January 2024

Bumblebees rely on diverse sensory information to locate flowers while foraging. The majority of research exploring the relationship between visual and olfactory floral cues is performed at local spatial scales and applicable to understanding floral selection. Floral-cue use during search remains underexplored. This study investigates how the bumblebeeBombus impatiensuses visual versus olfactory information from flowers across behavioral states and spatial scales. At local spatial scales, non-flying animals in an associative learning paradigm will generalize to either unimodal attribute of a learned color + odor cue with equal likelihood. However, bumblebees flying in a wind tunnel shift cue-use strategy depending on the spatiotemporal scale of cue encounter. When both color and odor cues mimic local/ within patch spatial scale, bumblebees weigh color information of a learned floral-cue more heavily. When cues mimic an intermediate/ between patch spatial scale, bumblebees weigh color and odor information equally, and show the highest response to fully intact multimodal cues. Thus the spatiotemporal scale of sensory information influences how bumblebees utilize multimodal floral cues.

Statements and Declarations

This work was internally funded by Muhlenberg College. The authors have no competing interests
Modeling platinum resistance in a stem-like patient-derived ovarian cancer sample
Authors: Suzuki Tise , Conant Ashlyn , Jung Yeonkyu , Bax Ryan , Antonissen Ashley , Chen Wanqiu , Yu Gary , Ioffe Yevgeniya J. , Wang Charles , Unternaehrer Juli J.
Published: January 2024

Background

Chemoresistance and tumor recurrence remain a significant challenge in ovarian cancer. Particularly in the context of platinum resistance, many mechanisms have been identified, including the activation of cellular processes like epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which generates cells with stemness characteristics. Current models of platinum resistance are limited or not adequate representations of the heterogeneity of the disease. Thus, to advance our understanding of chemoresistance in the context of cancer stem cells (CSC) in ovarian cancer, this study aims to develop an effective model for cisplatin resistance using a patient-derived cancer stem-like sample.

Methods

PDX4, a patient-derived cancer cell line with stem-like properties, was exposed to increasing concentrations of cisplatinin vitroin parallel with vehicle treated cells. Once chemoresistance was established and confirmed, the resistance model was validated through comprehensive molecular profiling through RNA- and miRNA-sequencing, followed by the assessment of alterations in cell morphology, protein expression, and functional properties in the context of EMT and cancer stemness. Moreover, we explored potential signaling pathways involved in cisplatin resistance in these stem-like cancer cells.

Results

Our findings reveal the presence of distinct molecular signatures and phenotypic changes in cisplatin resistant PDX4 compared to their sensitive counterparts. Furthermore, we observed that chemoresistance was not inherently linked with increased stemness. In fact, although resistant cells expressed a combination of EMT and stemness markers, functional assays revealed that they were less proliferative, migratory, and clonogenic. JAK-STAT, hypoxia, and PI3K signaling pathways were enriched in these cells, indicating the activation of pathways that assist in DNA damage tolerance and cellular stress management.

Conclusion

This novel, syngeneic model provides a valuable platform for investigating the underlying mechanisms of cisplatin resistance in a clinically relevant context, contributing to the development of targeted therapeutic strategies tailored to combat resistance in stem-like ovarian cancer.
Hepatoblast iterative apicobasal polarization is regulated by extracellular matrix remodeling
Authors: Delpierre Julien , Valenzuela José Ignacio , Bovyn Matthew , Martins Nuno Pimpao , Belicova Lenka , Repnik Urska , Bebelman Maarten , Seifert Sarah , Haas Pierre A , Kalaidzidis Yannis L , Zerial Marino
Published: January 2024

Hepatocytes have a unique multiaxial polarity with several apical and basal surfaces. The prevailing model for the emergence of this multipolarity and the coordination of lumen formation between adjacent hepatocytes is based on asymmetric cell division. Here, investigating polarity generation in liver cell progenitors, the hepatoblasts, during liver developmentin vivoandin vitro, we found that this model cannot explain the observed dynamics of apical lumen formation in the embryonic liver. Instead, we identified a new mechanism of multi-axial polarization: We found that polarization can be initiated in a cell-autonomous manner by re-positioning apical recycling endosomes (AREs) to the cell cortex via fibronectin sensing through Integrin αV. Using live cell imaging we showed that this process repeats, leading to multiaxial polarity independently of cell division. We found that establishment of oriented trafficking leads to secretion of the metalloprotease MMP13, allowing neighboring hepatoblasts to synchronize their polarization by sensing extracellular matrix (ECM) distribution and enabling lumen opening. Finally, active remodeling of ECM in proximity of nascent apical surfaces closes a positive feedback loop of polarization, whereas disruption of this loop by either blocking MMP13 or downregulating Integrin αV prevents formation of the bile canaliculi network. Integration of this feedback loop into a simple mathematical model reproduces the observed dynamics of bile canaliculi network formation during liver development quantitatively. Our combined findings thus suggest a new mechanism of polarization coupling to self-organization at the tissue scale.
Incorporation of a cost of deliberation time in perceptual decision making
Authors: Kira Shinichiro , Zylberberg Ariel , Shadlen Michael N.
Published: January 2024

Many decisions benefit from the accumulation of evidence obtained sequentially over time. In such circumstances, the decision maker must balance speed against accuracy, and the nature of this tradeoff mediates competing desiderata and costs, especially those associated with the passage of time. A neural mechanism to achieve this balance is to accumulate evidence in suitable units and to terminate the deliberation when enough evidence has accrued. To accommodate time costs, it has been hypothesized that the criterion to terminate a decision may become lax as a function of time. Here we tested this hypothesis by manipulating the cost of time in a perceptual choice-reaction time task. Participants discriminated the direction of motion in a dynamic random-dot display, which varied in difficulty across trials. After each trial, they received feedback in the form of points based on whether they made a correct or erroneous choice. They were instructed to maximize their points per unit of time. Unbeknownst to the participants, halfway through the experiment, we increased the time pressure by canceling a small fraction of trials if they had not made a decision by a provisional deadline. Although the manipulation canceled less than 5% of trials, it induced the participants to make faster decisions while lowering their decision accuracy. The pattern of choices and reaction times were explained by bounded drift-diffusion. In all phases of the experiment, stopping bounds were found to decline as a function of time, consistent with the optimal solution, and this decline was exaggerated in response to the time-cost manipulation.
Gap collapse and flat band induced by uniaxial strain in
1T−TaS2
Authors: Nicholson C. W. , Petocchi F. , Salzmann B. , Witteveen C. , Rumo M. , Kremer G. , Ivashko O. , von Rohr F. O. , Werner P. , Monney C.
Published: January 2024

Interlayer coupling is strongly implicated in the complex electronic properties of 1T−TaS2. Uniaxial strain engineering offers a route to modify this coupling in order to elucidate its interplay with the electronic structure and electronic correlations. Here, we employ angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to reveal the effect of uniaxial strain on the electronic structure in 1T−TaS2. The gap of the normally insulating ground state is significantly reduced, with a correlated flat band appearing close to the Fermi level. Temperature-dependent ARPES measurements reveal that the flat band only develops below the commensurate charge density wave (CCDW) transition, where interlayer dimerization produces a band insulator in unstrained samples. Electronic structure calculations suggest that the correlated flat band is stabilized by a modified interlayer coupling of the Ta dz2 electrons. Further hints of a strain-induced structural modification of the interlayer order are obtained from x-ray diffraction. Our combined approach provides critical input for understanding the complex phase diagram of this platform material for correlated physics.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
New model comparison for semi-inclusive charged-current electron and muon neutrino scattering by
Ar40
in the energy range of the MicroBooNE experiment
Authors: Franco-Patino J. M. , Dolan S. , González-Jiménez R. , Barbaro M. B. , Caballero J. A. , Megias G. D.
Published: January 2024

In this work we present a comparison of semi-inclusive muon and electron neutrino cross sections with Ar40 target measured by the MicroBooNE collaboration with the predictions of an unfactorized model based on the relativistic distorted wave impulse approximation (RDWIA) and the SuSAv2-MEC model implemented in the neutrino event generator GENIE. The predictions based on the RDWIA approach, with a realistic description of the initial state and a phenomenological relativistic complex optical potential for the description of final state interactions, better describe the measured cross sections than GENIE-SuSAv2 and RDWIA with a purely real potential.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Bouncing dark matter
Authors: Puetter Lucas , Ruderman Joshua T. , Salvioni Ennio , Shakya Bibhushan
Published: January 2024

We present a novel mechanism for thermal dark matter production, characterized by a “bounce”: the dark matter equilibrium distribution transitions from the canonical exponentially falling abundance to an exponentially rising one, resulting in an enhancement of the freeze-out abundance by many orders of magnitude. We discuss several realizations of bouncing dark matter. The bounce allows the present-day dark matter annihilation cross section to be significantly larger than the canonical thermal target, improving the prospects for indirect detection signals.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Detecting fast neutrino flavor conversions with machine learning
Authors: Abbar Sajad , Nagakura Hiroki
Published: January 2024

Neutrinos in dense environments like core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) and neutron star mergers (NSMs) can undergo fast flavor conversions (FFCs) once the angular distribution of neutrino lepton number crosses zero along a certain direction. Recent advancements have demonstrated the effectiveness of machine learning (ML) in detecting these crossings. In this study, we enhance prior research in two significant ways. First, we utilize realistic data from CCSN simulations, where neutrino transport is solved using the full Boltzmann equation. We evaluate the ML methods’ adaptability in a real-world context, enhancing their robustness. In particular, we demonstrate that when working with artificial data, simpler models outperform their more complex counterparts, a noteworthy illustration of the bias-variance tradeoff in the context of ML. We also explore methods to improve artificial datasets for ML training. In addition, we extend our ML techniques to detect the crossings in the heavy-leptonic channels, accommodating scenarios where νx and ν¯x may differ. Our research highlights the extensive versatility and effectiveness of ML techniques, presenting an unparalleled opportunity to evaluate the occurrence of FFCs in CCSN and NSM simulations.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Hydrodynamical approach to chirality production during axion inflation
Authors: Gorbar E. V. , Momot A. I. , Prikhodko O. O. , Teslyk O. M.
Published: January 2024

We study chirality production in the pseudoscalar inflation model of magnetogenesis, taking into account the Schwinger effect and particle collisions in plasma in the relaxation time approximation. We consider the Schwinger production of one Dirac fermion species by an Abelian gauge field in two cases: (i) fermions carry only the weak charge with respect to the U(1) group and (ii) they are also charged with respect to another strongly coupled gauge group. While the gradient-expansion formalism is employed for the description of the evolution of the gauge field, plasma is described by a hydrodynamical approach, which allows us to determine the number, energy density, and chirality of produced fermions. It is found that, while chirality production is very efficient for both weakly and strongly interacting fermions, the resulting gauge field is typically stronger in the case of strongly interacting fermions, due to suppression of the Schwinger conductivity by particle collisions.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Anisotropic multiband superconductivity in
2M−WS2
probed by controlled disorder
Authors: Ghimire Sunil , Joshi Kamal R. , Kończykowski Marcin , Grasset Romain , Datta Amlan , Tanatar Makariy A. , Bérubé Damien , Xu Su-Yang , Fang Yuqiang , Huang Fuqiang , Orth Peter P. , Scheurer Mathias S. , Prozorov Ruslan
Published: January 2024

The intrinsically superconducting Dirac semimetal 2M−WS2 is a promising candidate for realizing proximity-induced topological superconductivity in its protected surface states. A precise characterization of the bulk superconducting state is essential to understand the nature of surface superconductivity in the system. Here, we report a detailed experimental study of the temperature-dependent London penetration depth, λ(T), the upper critical field, Hc2(T), and the effects of nonmagnetic disorder on these quantities, as well as on the superconducting transition temperature Tc in single crystals of 2M−WS2. We observe a power-law variation of λ(T)∝T3 at temperatures below 0.35Tc. Nonmagnetic pointlike disorder induced by 2.5 MeV electron irradiation at various doses results in a significant suppression of Tc. These observations are markedly different from expectations for a fully gapped isotropic s−wave superconductor. Together with the substantial increase of slope, dHc2/dT|T=Tc, with increasing disorder, our results suggest a strongly anisotropic s++ multiband superconducting state. These results have direct consequences for the expected proximity-induced superconductivity of the topological surface states.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Precision spectroscopy of fast, hot, exotic isotopes using machine-learning-assisted event-by-event Doppler correction
Authors: Udrescu S. M. , Torres D. A. , Garcia Ruiz R. F.
Published: January 2024

We propose an experimental scheme for performing sensitive, high-precision laser spectroscopy studies on fast exotic isotopes. By inducing a stepwise resonant ionization of the atoms traveling inside an electric field and subsequently detecting the ion and the corresponding electron, time-, and position-sensitive measurements of the resulting particles can be performed. Using a mixture density network, we can leverage this information to predict the initial energy of individual atoms and thus apply a Doppler correction of the observed transition frequencies on an event-by-event basis. We conduct numerical simulations of the proposed experimental scheme and show that kHz-level uncertainties can be achieved for ion beams produced at extreme temperatures (>108 K), with energy spreads as large as 10 keV and nonuniform velocity distributions. The ability to perform in-flight spectroscopy, directly on highly energetic beams, offers unique opportunities to study short-lived isotopes with lifetimes in the millisecond range and below, produced in low quantities, in hot and highly contaminated environments, without the need for cooling techniques. Such species are of marked interest for nuclear structure, astrophysics, and new physics searches.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Sensing directional noise baths in levitated optomechanics
Authors: Gosling J. M. H. , Pontin A. , Iacoponi J. H. , Barker P. F. , Monteiro T. S.
Published: January 2024

Optomechanical devices are being harnessed as sensors of ultraweak forces for applications ranging from inertial sensing to the search for the elusive dark matter. For the latter, there is a focus on detection of either higher energy single recoils or ultralight, narrow-band sources; a directional signal is expected. However, the possibility of searching for a stochastic stream of weak impulses, or more generally a directional broadband signal, need not be excluded; with this and other applications in mind, we apply Gaussian white noise impulses with a well defined direction Ψ to a levitated nanosphere trapped and 3D cooled in an optical tweezer. We find that cross-correlation power spectra offer a calibration-free distinctive signature of the presence of a directional broadband force and its orientation quadrant, unlike normal power spectral densities (PSDs). We obtain excellent agreement between theoretical and experimental results. With calibration we are able to measure the angle Ψ, akin to a force compass in a plane. We discuss prospects for extending this technique into the quantum regime and compare the expected behavior of quantum baths and classical baths.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Dynamics and phases of nonunitary Floquet transverse-field Ising model
Authors: Su Lei , Clerk Aashish , Martin Ivar
Published: January 2024

Inspired by current research on measurement-induced quantum phase transitions, we analyze the nonunitary Floquet transverse-field Ising model with complex nearest-neighbor couplings and complex transverse fields. Unlike its unitary counterpart, the model shows a number of steady phases, stable to integrability-breaking perturbations. Some phases have robust edge modes and/or spatiotemporal long-range orders in the bulk. The transitions between the phases have extensive entanglement entropy, whose scaling with the system size depends on the number of the real quasiparticle modes in the spectrum at the transition. In particular, the volume-law scaling appears on some critical lines, protected by pseudo-Hermiticity. Both the scaling of entanglement entropy in steady states and the evolution after a quench are compatible with the non-Hermitian generalization of the quasiparticle picture of Calabrese and Cardy at least qualitatively.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis, crystal voids, interaction energy calculations and energy frameworks, and DFT calculations of 1-(4-methylbenzyl)indoline-2,3-dione
Authors: Rharmili Nohaila , Abdellaoui Omar , Ouazzani Chahdi Fouad , Mague Joel T. , Hökelek Tuncer , Mazzah Ahmed , Kandri Rodi Youssef , Sebbar Nada Kheira
Published: January 2024

The indoline portion of the title molecule, C16H13NO2, is planar. In the crystal, a layer structure is generated by C—H...O hydrogen bonds and C—H...π(ring), π-stacking and C=O...π(ring) interactions. The Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H...H (43.0%), H...C/C...H (25.0%) and H...O/O...H (22.8%) interactions. Hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions are the dominant interactions in the crystal packing. The volume of the crystal voids and the percentage of free space were calculated to be 120.52 Å3 and 9.64%, respectively, showing that there is no large cavity in the crystal packing. Evaluation of the electrostatic, dispersion and total energy frameworks indicate that the stabilization is dominated by the dispersion energy contributions in the title compound. Moreover, the DFT-optimized structure at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level is compared with the experimentally determined molecular structure in the solid state.
Contagion by COVID-19 in the cities: commuting distance and residential density matter?
Authors: Alves Denis Fernandes , Silveira Neto Raul da Mota , Chagas André Luis Squarize , Menezes Tatiane Almeida De
Published: January 2024

Purpose

This study addresses the COVID-19 infection and its relationship with the city’s constructive intensity, commuting time to work and labor market dynamics during the lockdown period.

Design/methodology/approach

Microdata from formal workers in Recife was used to adjust a probability model for disease contraction.

Findings

The authors' results indicate that greater distance to employment increases the probability of infection. The same applies to constructive intensity, suggesting that residences in denser areas, such as apartments in buildings, condominiums and informal settlements, elevate the chances of contracting the disease. It is also observed that formal workers with completed higher education have lower infection risks, while healthcare professionals on the frontlines of combating the disease face higher risks than others. The lockdown effectively reduced contagion by limiting people’s mobility during the specified period.

Research limitations/implications

The research shows important causal relationships, making it possible to think about public policies for the health of individuals both when commuting to work and in living conditions, aiming to control contagion by COVID-19.

Practical implications

The lockdown effectively reduced contagion by limiting people’s mobility during the specified period.

Social implications

It is also observed that formal workers with completed higher education have lower infection risks, while healthcare professionals on the frontlines of combating the disease face higher risks than others.

Originality/value

The authors identified positive and significant relationships between these urban characteristics and increased contagion, controlling for neighborhood, individual characteristics, comorbidities, occupations and economic activities.
Green supply chain management practices and environmental performance in the healthcare sector: the mediating role of green innovation
Authors: Karim Rashed Al , Kawser Sakia , Rabiul Md Karim , Chowdhury Tabassum , Murtaza Fathima Nabeelah Yoonoos
Published: January 2024

Purpose

This study aims to assess the effects of green supply chain management (GSCM) strategies on health-care organizations’ environmental performance (EP). It also assesses that green innovation (GI), including green technology innovation (GTI) and green management innovation (GMI), plays mediating roles in the connection between GSCM and EP.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 375 health-care sector employees in the Chattogram division of Bangladesh provided opinions in the questionnaire survey. PLS-SEM was used to verify the data’s validity and reliability and assess the hypotheses.

Findings

The findings reveal that GSCM practices significantly positively impact GI and EP. Moreover, GTI and GMI mediate the relationship between GSCM and EP in Bangladesh’s health-care sector.

Practical implications

The current findings could promote environmental sustainability in Bangladesh’s health-care industry by fostering environmental collaboration.

Originality/value

The detection of the mediation effect of GTI and GMI on GSCM and EP is a unique contribution of this study that enriches the present GSCM and GI literature, particularly in the Bangladeshi health-care sector.
Cocreating innovative academia theory and practice to strengthen institutional positioning
Authors: Nayyar Varun , Mittal Amit
Published: January 2024

Purpose

In an effort to position higher education institutions to survive in this fiercely competitive environment, the paper aims to identify the direct and indirect relationships between higher education institutional positioning and exogenous factors (student engagement, employability, technology adaptation, teaching quality, and moral values).

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional data was collected from 1,015 students studying in the pre-final year of graduation or post-graduate course/program from various educational institutions that were shortlisted based on the Indian NAAC and NIRF rankings. Thereafter, robust assessment criteria of PLS-SEM were used for model assessment and computation of results.

Findings

The findings revealed that to develop the greatest platform for upcoming young talent, higher educational institutional positioning ought to be addressed as a priority, which in turn will result in better living standards for upcoming generations.

Research limitations/implications

Framing strategies for urban students can never match those living in rural areas, as they are deprived of money due to their level of upbringing from childhood, which creates a high difference in the psychological mindset of students while choosing a career path.

Practical implications

The higher positioning of educational institutions clearly reflects the authentic learning environment, with professionalism leading to better student engagement with best industry practice.

Originality/value

Research novelty is highlighted as a more focused and streamlined approach to students’ career development and institution branding by reanalyzing and grouping various concepts of institutional positioning into a single model.
Leading countries and research networks advancing clean production and environmental sustainability in Southeast Asia
Authors: Sorooshian Shahryar , Ahadi Navidreza , Zainul Abideen Ahmed
Published: January 2024

Purpose

This study aims to assess the response of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to cleaner production and environmental sustainability, with a specific focus on identifying the leading countries and research networks driving these efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

A benchmarking academic journal was chosen, and the journal’s archive was comprehensively examined. To construct the data set, a conventional keyword search technique was applied in February 2023 to filter for ASEAN affiliations. The study used hybrid bibliometric analyses and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to analyze the collected data and address the research purpose.

Findings

The data analysis revealed a rising research trend, particularly after 2014. Malaysia had the most publications, followed by Thailand and Singapore, and their publications had the most cumulative citations among ASEAN countries. Research collaborations between Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore were frequent, but participation from other countries was low. The research topics on which ASEAN members focused were also identified, but it became apparent that there was little coordination. A scant few collaborations involving more than two countries were observed; thus, the MCDA analysis concluded that research leadership was absent in ASEAN countries.

Originality/value

This study contributes insights to the existing literature and offers a valuable overview of the research direction and collaboration status of cleaner production and environmental sustainability in the ASEAN region, thus benefiting policymakers. Additionally, this study introduces a novel approach combining bibliometrics analysis with MCDA to assess research collaboration, thus providing a novel methodology for future research policy evaluations.
Industrial revolutions and human capital for the new normal: a cross-country analysis of the university system
Authors: Vesperi Walter , Gagnidze Ineza , Sobolieva Tetiana
Published: January 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss the concepts of Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0, the New Normal and sustainable development (SD). The simultaneous existence of two Industrial Revolutions raises questions, thus, necessitating discussions and clarifications. The issue of SD has become a compulsory prerequisite for the future survival of humanity.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory and inductive methodology was used to examine the phenomenon under analysis. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered through a multi-step methodological process. A brief analysis using VoS viewer software enabled the authors to comprehend recent theoretical developments and analytical perspectives.

Findings

The findings underscore the relationship between the new sustainability challenges, digital transactions and organisational competitiveness. These intricate competitive challenges can be surmounted by focusing on educational offerings, particularly in universities. By forging international educational connections, the challenges posed by SD can be relatively easily overcome.

Originality/value

The authors conducted a comparative study of university students from four different countries: Georgia, Hungary, Italy and Ukraine. The authors observed differences in the average values across various countries, as well as disparities among respondents from the same country. Moreover, the results reveal a tendency among female respondents to be more inclined towards issues of green management and sustainability. SD cannot be realised without international collaboration. The authors present a schematic representation of the systemic connections among the universities of the participating countries to achieve SD.
Offline-to-online and online-to-offline (a reciprocal O2O model): re-patronage in an omni-channel
Authors: Liao Shu-Hsien , Hu Da-Chian , Liu Hui-Ling
Published: January 2024

Purpose

An omni-channel is a retailing strategy that the behavior of companies adopts many retail channel types to combine and integrate cross-channel sales to meet the comprehensive needs of customers in shopping, entertainment and social networking both online and offline. This leads to several research questions of retailing omni-channel in this study. First, do channel brand trust (CBT) and store image (SI) affect re-patronage intentions through customer satisfaction (CS)? Second, regarding online rating (OR) and online involvement (OI), will CS be determined by consumer perception as well as the relevance of those attributes to the customer's re-patronage intentions? Third, do OR and OI have a role in exploring the moderating effect in the research model? Fourth, if there are positive effects from this relationship, it can generate a positive power return online. In addition, online-to-offline moves on a path for case firm omni-channel with customers' OR and OI with a reciprocal positive influence.

Design/methodology/approach

This study aims to investigate the relationship between CBT, SI, CS and re-patronize intention in an omni-channel. By using structural equation models (SEMs), this study aims to investigate offline-to-online and online-to-offline re-patronizing in the Taiwan Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) omni-channel (N = 1,642). Two moderated mediation models are investigated in this study.

Findings

This study first found that CBT and CS use SI to influence re-patronize intention in the omni-channel. SI plays a mediating role in this process; OR and OI influence the relationships of CBT, CS and re-patronize intention with two moderating roles.

Originality/value

This study first found that there is a reciprocal way with two paths in an omni-channel, starting with offline-to-online, in terms of confirming the relationship of CBT, CS and re-patronize intention in an omni-channel. There are positive effects from this relationship, and it can generate a positive power return online. In addition, we found that online-to-offline moves on a path that has a stronger influence of re-patronize intention for omni-channel with customers' OR and OI.
Dimensions and outcomes of experiential quality in the fitness industry: the case of Turkey
Authors: Sevilmiş Ali , Doğan Mehmet , Gálvez-Ruiz Pablo , García-Fernández Jerónimo
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The user experience during the use of activities and services is a fundamental aspect for sports managers and can provide a competitive advantage. The purpose of this study was to identify the dimensions of experiential quality and the relationship of this construct with customer trust and customer satisfaction in achieving behavioral intention.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a convenience sampling technique, a total of 322 gym users in Turkey participated. A two-step approach was used to test both the model and the research hypotheses [confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM)].

Findings

The interaction quality, physical environmental quality, outcome quality and enjoyment quality were positively related to experiential quality. Similarly, the experimental quality was positively related to customer satisfaction and customer trust. Finally, customer satisfaction was related to behavioral intentions.

Originality/value

This study provides empirical evidence about the importance of experiential quality to gain a competitive advantage in the context of fitness centers.
Social determinants of health and the well-being of the early care and education workforce: the role of psychological capital
Authors: Farewell Charlotte V. , Shreedar Priyanka , Brogden Diane , Puma Jini E.
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The early care and education (ECE) workforce plays a pivotal role in shaping early childhood developmental trajectories and simultaneously experiences significant mental health disparities. The purpose of this study is to investigate how social determinants of health and external stressors are associated with the mental health of ECE staff, which represent a low-resourced segment of the workforce; how psychological capital (psycap) can mitigate these associations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors administered an 89-item survey to 332 ECE staff employed in 42 Head Start centers in the USA. The authors ran three hierarchical linear regression models to analyze associations between social determinants of health, external sources of stress, psycap and potential moderation effects and mental health outcomes.

Findings

Individuals experiencing greater finance-related stress reported 0.15 higher scores on the depression scale and 0.20 higher scores on the anxiety scale than those experiencing less finance-related stress (p< 0.05). Individuals experiencing greater work-related stress reported 1.26 more days of poorer mental health in the past month than those experiencing less work-related stress (p < 0.01). After controlling for all sociodemographic variables and sources of stress, psycap was significantly and negatively associated with depressive symptomology (b-weight = −0.02, p < 0.01) and the number of poor mental health days reported in the past month (b-weight = −0.13, p < 0.05). Moderation models suggest that higher levels of psycap may mitigate the association between work-related stress and the number of poor mental health days reported in the past month (b-weight = −0.06, p = 0.02).

Originality/value

The implications of these findings suggest a need for policy change to mitigate social determinants of health and promote pay equity and multi-level interventio ns that target workplace-related stressors and psycap to combat poor mental health of the ECE workforce.
The scientific periphery and new flows of knowledge: the case of regional preprint servers
Authors: van Schalkwyk François
Published: January 2024

Purpose

It is unclear whether regional rather than global or discipline-focussed preprint platforms as an innovation in the communication of science are removing any of the barriers faced by researchers in the scientific periphery or whether they are increasing access to and visibility of science from the periphery. In response, this paper focusses on the uptake, visibility and academic impact of regional preprint publishing platforms in two peripheral regions (Africa and Latin America) to gain insights into the use and possible impact of regional preprint servers.

Design/methodology/approach

Comparative quantitative analysis using bibliometric and altmetric data to compare six preprint servers (two regional, one global and three discipline-specific).

Findings

There is evidence of the uptake of regional preprint servers, but the uptake is comparatively modest compared with global and discipline-focussed preprint servers. The academic and social visibility of preprints available on regional preprint servers is comparatively lower when compared to other preprint servers. The preprint server SciELO preprint in comparison to AfricArxiv shows signs of increasing growth and visibility, but more time is required to reach any definitive conclusions.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited by the short timeframe that the regional preprint servers have existed compared to some of the other preprint servers. The absence of reliable data on the research populations by region or globally by discipline places limits on the comparability of the raw data.

Originality/value

The article provides for the first time a detailed empirical analysis of the contribution of preprint servers targeted at researchers from the scientific periphery to global science.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-04-2023-0153
Regional differences in the prevalence of generalized pustular psoriasis in Japan
Authors: Fujita Hideki , Iwasaki Ryoko , Tsuboi Satoshi , Murashiuma Yoko , Akiyama Masashi
Published: January 2024

Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a rare form of psoriasis, is characterized by neutrophil‐rich, sterile pustules. In Japan, GPP has intractable and rare disease designation, which allows patients to access support from national and local governments for medical expenses. Previously, similar numbers of patients in Tokyo and Hokkaido have been shown to have GPP designation, despite different population sizes. Here, we determine whether there are regional differences in the proportion of patients receiving GPP designation status in Japan and aim to identify causal factors. In this descriptive, retrospective cohort study, publicly available data were collected on the number of patients with intractable and rare disease designation for GPP in each prefecture and age classification (April 2018–March 2021). Three other designated intractable and rare disease cohorts were included: pemphigus, rare skin diseases, and all diseases. The primary outcome was the standardized morbidity ratio (SMR) of patients at prefecture level (observed numbers divided by expected). Regional differences were compared with the statistical expectation for the total population and age distribution of each prefecture. Regional differences were observed in all cohorts. Overall, 1910 patients had GPP as a designated intractable and rare disease in 2020. Regional differences in SMRs for GPP were observed with high SMRs (≥1.5) in Hokkaido, Tottori, Kagawa, and Miyazaki, and low SMRs (<0.6) in Gunma and Kanagawa. Regional differences in SMRs for GPP did not correlate with the number of medical doctors or dermatologists or internal migration. The number of medical doctors or dermatologists correlated with SMRs in the rare skin diseases and total cohorts. Regional differences in Japan exist in the number of patients with GPP who have an intractable and rare disease designation. Managing rare diseases is an important public health issue, and further research is required to elucidate the factors contributing to these differences.
Forest tree community ecology and plant–soil feedback: Theory and evidence
Authors: Kadowaki Kohmei
Published: January 2024

Mounting evidence suggests that reciprocal interactions between plants and the soil microbiota can be a primary force that generates key macroscopic patterns of plant communities (coexistence, dominance, and succession) in forest ecosystems. The aim of this article is to review empirical and theoretical perspectives of plant–soil feedback research in the context of forest community ecology. I first use a simple theoretical model to get insights into an array of the dynamics generated by plant–soil feedback: negative plant–soil feedback maintains plant species diversity and reduces plant growth, while positive plant–soil feedback drives plant growth of certain species and hence their dominance. I then describe how ecologists have unveiled the enormously complex plant‐microbiota interaction (i.e., the soil conditioning experiment) and review the linkage of plant–soil feedback with three key plant community patterns: (i) dominance, (ii) spatial structure and (iii) succession. I highlight one belowground plant trait (mycorrhizal type) that can mediate these linkages: arbuscular mycorrhizal species tend to exhibit negative plant–soil feedback while ectomycorrhizal species tend to exhibit positive plant–soil feedback. Although mycorrhizal plant–soil feedback potentially explains the patterns of tree diversity from local to global scales, many questions remain. Future studies should expand plant–soil feedback theory to incorporate numerous other feedback mechanisms and test how mycorrhizal types mediate the net feedback effects that could propagate to shape large‐scale forest structures and dynamics.
Making a difference through trusted, high‐quality research and statistics
Authors: Bohman Mary
Published: January 2024

As applied and agricultural economists, Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) members work to provide high quality research and data to inform policy decisions. How do we ensure that decision makers see, and use, our research findings or data in the policy formulation process that includes many actors? The paper provides a framework for how information flows during the policy process and a strategy for effective research and data built around five equally important attributes: relevance; quality; trust; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and communication. Examples illustrate how the attributes lead to high impact information and focus on two federal research and statistics agencies, the Economic Research Service and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The paper concludes with strategies and examples of metrics to measure the impact of research and statistics.
Ascorbic acid deficiency amongst spondylodiscitis patients
Authors: Solis Waldo Gerard , Taylor Michael Adrian , Brooks Michael , Shaw Richard , Van Gelder Eleni Mylordi , Van Gelder James
Published: January 2024

Background

Spondylodiscitis can be a disabling and life‐threatening infection. Ascorbic Acid is crucial for neutrophil function and collagen formation. Its association and clinical relevance in spondylodiscitis has not been previously examined.

Aims

To determine the prevalence, characteristics, and clinical outcomes of spondylodiscitis patients with Ascorbic Acid deficiency.

Methods

Sixty‐eight consecutive patients admitted with spondylodiscitis, between December 2021 and August 2023 were included. Clinical characteristics, Ascorbic Acid levels and clinical outcomes were evaluated.

Results

Thirty‐seven patients had Ascorbic Acid levels taken during admission. The median initial Ascorbic Acid level was 15 μmol/L with an IQR 6.5–27 μmol/L. Depletion defined as <28 μmol/L was present in 78% of patients. Deficiency defined as ≤11 μmol/L was present in and 46% of patients. Patients with depletion were more likely to require Intensive Care Admission (absolute risk increase = 24.1%; 2.6%–45.7%). Fifteen patients had repeat serum levels taken during admission with median increase of 17 μmol/L and an IQR 0–26 μmol/L. Patients that received supplementation had a significantly greater increase in Ascorbic Acid levels compared with those that did not receive supplementation (P = 0.002).

Conclusion

Ascorbic acid deficiency is highly prevalent amongst spondylodiscitis patients. Depletion was associated with worse outcomes. Replacement significantly increased serum levels in comparison to standard hospital diet. The clinical significance of replacement remains to be evaluated.