bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genome-wide Discovery for Diabetes-Dependent Triglycerides-Associated Loci
Authors: Selvaraj Margaret Sunitha , Paruchuri Kaavya , Haidermota Sara , Bernardo Rachel , Rich Stephen S. , Peloso Gina M. , Natarajan Pradeep
Published: January 2022

We aimed to discover loci associated with triglyceride (TG) levels in the context of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 424,120 genotyped participants of the UK Biobank (UKB) with T2D status and TG levels. We stratified the cohort based on T2D status and conducted association analyses of TG levels for genetic variants with minor allele count (MAC) at least 20 in each stratum. Effect differences of genetic variants by T2D status were determined by Cochran’s Q-test and we validated the significantly associated variants in the Mass General Brigham Biobank (MGBB). Among 21,176 T2D and 402,944 non-T2D samples from UKB, stratified GWAS identified 19 and 315 genomic risk loci significantly associated with TG levels, respectively. Only chr6p21.32 exhibited genome-wide significant heterogeneity (I2=98.4%; pheterogeneity=2.1×10−15), with log(TG) effect estimates of -0.066 (95%CI: - 0.082, -0.050) and 0.002 (95%CI: -0.002, 0.006) for T2D and non-T2D, respectively. The lead variant rs9274619:A (allele frequency 0.095) is located 2Kb upstream of the HLA-DQB1 gene. We replicated this finding among 25,137 participants (6,951 T2D cases) of MGBB (pheterogeneity=9.5×10−3). Phenome-wide interaction association analyses showed that the lead variant was strongly associated with a concomitant diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) as well as diabetes-associated complications. In conclusion, we identified an intergenic variant near HLA-DQB1 significantly associates with decreased triglycerides only among those with T2D and highlights an immune overlap with T1D.
Benefits and Cost of a $35 Insulin Cost-Sharing Cap for Medicare Patients
Authors: Chua Kao-Ping , Lee Joyce M. , Tucker Joshua E. , Seo Dominique , Conti Rena M.
Published: January 2022

BACKGROUND

To improve insulin affordability, Congress is considering capping insulin cost-sharing to $35 per 30-day supply for Medicare patients. The potential benefits and cost of this cap are unclear. Additionally, it is unknown whether the benefits of this cap would vary between Medicare patients with type 1 versus type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the IQVIA Longitudinal Prescription Database, which reports prescriptions dispensed from 92% of U.S. pharmacies, and the Optum Clinformatics Data Mart, a national claims database from Medicare Advantage patients. The IQVIA analysis included patients who only had dispensed insulin prescriptions paid by Medicare in 2019. We estimated the proportion of Medicare patients who would benefit from an insulin cost-sharing cap of $35 per 30-day supply. Among these patients, we calculated the mean annual decrease in insulin out-of-pocket spending. We summed this decrease across patients to estimate the cap’s cost to the federal government. The Optum analysis included Medicare Advantage patients with diabetes and ≥1 dispensed insulin prescription in 2019. We used linear regression to compare the proportion of patients who would benefit from a $35 cap and annual savings among these patients by diabetes type, adjusting for demographic characteristics and payer type.

RESULTS

The IQVIA analysis included 2,227,229 patients who only had dispensed insulin prescriptions paid by Medicare in 2019. Mean (SD) age was 69.2 (11.4) years. The $35 cap would benefit 887,051 (39.0%) of patients, lowering annual insulin out-of-pocket spending by $338, from $687 to $349. Across all patients in the sample, aggregate savings (i.e., the cap’s cost to the federal government) would be $299,402,402, or a mean of $134.4 per patient. Among the 60,300 Medicare Advantage patients in the Optum Analysis, mean age was 72.6 (9.3) years; 2,686 (4.5%) had type 1 diabetes and 57,614 (95.6%) had type 2 diabetes. The $35 cap would benefit a higher proportion of patients with type 1 diabetes (64.0%) compared with patients with type 2 diabetes (59.4%). Among patients with type 1 diabetes who would benefit from the cap, annual savings would be greater ($284) compared with their counterparts with type 2 diabetes ($231; p<.001 in adjusted analyses for all comparisons).

CONCLUSIONS

A $35 insulin cost-sharing cap would benefit a sizable proportion of Medicare patients using insulin and may particularly lower out-of-pocket spending for patients with type 1 diabetes. The estimated cost of this cap to the federal government would be $134.4 per Medicare patient using insulin.
DWV 3C protease uncovers the diverse catalytic triad in insect RNA viruses
Authors: Yuan Xuye , Kadowaki Tatsuhiko
Published: January 2022

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is the most prevalent Iflavirus that is infecting honey bees worldwide. However, the mechanisms of its infection and replication in host cells are poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed the structure and function of DWV 3C protease (3Cpro), which is necessary for the cleavage of the polyprotein to synthesize mature viral proteins. We found that the 3Cpros of DWV and picornaviruses share common enzymatic properties, including sensitivity to the same inhibitors, such as rupintrivir. The predicted structure of DWV 3Cpro by AlphaFold2, the predicted rupintrivir binding domain, and the protease activities of mutant proteins revealed that it has a Cys-His-Asn catalytic triad. Moreover, 3Cpros of other Iflaviruses and Dicistrovirus appear to contain Asn, Ser, Asp, or Glu as the third residue of the catalytic triad, suggesting diversity in insect RNA viruses. Both precursor 3Cpro with RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and mature 3Cpro are present in DWV-infected cells, suggesting that they may have different enzymatic properties and functions. DWV 3Cpro is the first 3Cpro characterized among insect RNA viruses, and our study uncovered both the common and unique characteristics among 3Cpros of Picornavirales. Furthermore, the specific inhibitors of DWV 3Cpro could be used to control DWV infection in honey bees.
Regulating bacterial behavior within hydrogels of tunable viscoelasticity
Authors: Bhusari Shardul , Sankaran Shrikrishnan , del Campo Aránzazu
Published: January 2022

Engineered living materials (ELMs) are a new class of materials in which living organism incorporated into diffusive matrices uptake a fundamental role in material’s composition and function. Understanding how the spatial confinement in 3D affects the behavior of the embedded cells is crucial to design and predict ELM’s function, regulate and minimize their environmental impact and facilitate their translation into applied materials. This study investigates the growth and metabolic activity of bacteria within an associative hydrogel network (Pluronic-based) with mechanical properties that can be tuned by introducing a variable degree of acrylate crosslinks. Individual bacteria distributed in the hydrogel matrix at low density form functional colonies whose size is controlled by the extent of permanent crosslinks. With increasing stiffness and decreasing plasticity of the matrix, a decrease in colony volumes and an increase in their sphericity is observed. Protein production surprisingly follows a different pattern with higher production yields occurring in networks with intermediate permanent crosslinking degrees. These results demonstrate that, bacterial mechanosensitivity can be used to control and regulate the composition and function of ELMs by thoughtful design of the encapsulating matrix, and by following design criteria with interesting similarities to those developed for 3D culture of mammalian cells.
A Saturation-Mutagenesis Analysis of the Interplay Between Stability and Activation in Ras
Authors: Hidalgo Frank , Nocka Laura M. , Shah Neel H. , Gorday Kent , Latorraca Naomi R. , Bandaru Pradeep , Templeton Sage , Lee David , Karandur Deepti , Pelton Jeffery G. , Marqusee Susan , Wemmer David E. , Kuriyan John
Published: January 2022

Cancer mutations in Ras occur predominantly at three hotspots: Gly 12, Gly 13, and Gln 61. Previously, we reported that deep mutagenesis of H-Ras using a bacterial assay identified many other activating mutations (Bandaru et al. eLife, 2017). We now show that the results of saturation mutagenesis of H-Ras in mammalian Ba/F3 cells correlate well with results of bacterial experiments in which H-Ras or K-Ras are co-expressed with a GTPase-activating protein (GAP). The prominent cancer hotspots are not dominant in the Ba/F3 data. We used the bacterial system to mutagenize Ras constructs of different stabilities and discovered a feature that distinguishes the cancer hotspots. While mutations at the cancer hotspots activate Ras regardless of construct stability, mutations at lower-frequency sites (e.g., at Val 14 or Asp 119) can be activating or deleterious, depending on the stability of the Ras construct. We characterized the dynamics of three non-hotspot activating Ras mutants by using NMR to monitor hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX). These mutations result in global increases in HDX rates, consistent with the destabilization of Ras. An explanation for these observations is that mutations that destabilize Ras increase nucleotide dissociation rates, enabling activation by spontaneous nucleotide exchange. A further stability decrease can lead to insufficient levels of folded Ras – and subsequent loss of function. In contrast, the cancer hotspot mutations are mechanism-based activators of Ras that interfere directly with the action of GAPs. Our results demonstrate the importance of GAP surveillance and protein stability in determining the sensitivity of Ras to mutational activation.
Development and Validation of Fluorinated Amino Acid Parameters for use with the AMBER ff15ipq Protein Force Field
Authors: Yang Darian T. , Gronenborn Angela M. , Chong Lillian T.
Published: January 2022

We developed force field parameters for fluorinated aromatic amino acids enabling molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of fluorinated proteins. These parameters are tailored to the AMBER ff15ipq protein force field and enable the modeling of 4, 5, 6, and 7F-tryptophan, 3F- and 3,5F-tyrosine, and 4F- or 4-CF3-phenylalanine. The parameters include 181 unique atomic charges derived using the Implicitly Polarized Charge (IPolQ) scheme in the presence of SPC/Eb explicit water molecules and 9 unique bond, angle, or torsion terms. Our simulations of benchmark peptides and proteins maintain expected conformational propensities on the μs-timescale. In addition, we have developed an open-source Python program to calculate fluorine relaxation rates from MD simulations. The extracted relaxation rates from protein simulations are in good agreement with experimental values determined by 19F NMR. Collectively, our results illustrate the power and robustness of the IPolQ lineage of force fields for modeling structure and dynamics of fluorine containing proteins at the atomic level.
Acetyl-CoA mediated autoacetylation of fatty acid synthase in de novo lipogenesis
Authors: Miao Ting , Kim Jinoh , Kang Ping , Bai Hua
Published: January 2022

De novo lipogenesis (DNL) is a highly regulated metabolic process, which is known to be activated through transcriptional regulation of lipogenic genes, including fatty acid synthase (FASN). Unexpectedly, we find that the expression of FASN protein remains unchanged during Drosophila larval development when lipogenesis is hyperactive. Instead, acetylation modification of FASN is highly upregulated in fast-growing larvae. We further show that lysine K813 is highly acetylated in developing larvae, and its acetylation is required for upregulated FASN activity, body fat accumulation, and normal development. Intriguingly, K813 is rapidly autoacetylated by acetyl-CoA in a dosage-dependent manner, independent of known acetyltransferases. Furthermore, the autoacetylation of K813 is mediated by a conserved P-loop-like motif (N-xx-G-x-A). In summary, this work uncovers a novel role of acetyl-CoA-mediated autoacetylation of FASN in developmental lipogenesis and reveals a self-regulatory system that controls metabolic homeostasis by linking acetyl-CoA, lysine acetylation, and DNL.

Graphical Abstract:

Highlights:

Acetylation modification of FASN, but not protein expression, positively correlates with de novo lipogenesis during Drosophila larval development

Site-specific acetylation at K813 residue enhances FASN enzymatic activity

K813 residue is autoacetylated by acetyl-CoA, independent of KATs

A novel N-xx-G-x-A motif is required for autoacetylation of K813
LIX1 controls digestive mesenchyme-derived cell fate decision by regulating cristae organization in mitochondria
Authors: Guérin Amandine , Angebault Claire , Kinet Sandrina , Cazevieille Chantal , Rojo Manuel , Fauconnier Jérémy , Lacampagne Alain , Mourier Arnaud , Taylor Naomi , de Santa Barbara Pascal , Faure Sandrine
Published: January 2022

Limb Expression 1 (LIX1) is a master regulator of digestive mesenchymal progenitor and GastroIntestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) cell proliferation by controlling the expression of the Hippo effectors YAP1/TAZ and KIT. However, the underlying mechanisms of these LIX1-mediated regulations and tumor promotion remain to be elucidated. Here, we report that LIX1 is S-palmitoylated on cysteine 84 and localized in mitochondria. LIX1 knock-down affects the mitochondrial ultrastructure, resulting in decreased respiration and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production. This is sufficient to downregulate YAP1/TAZ and reprogram KIT-positive GIST cells towards the smooth muscle cell lineage with reduced proliferative and invasive capacities. Mechanistically, LIX1 knock-down impairs the stability of the mitochondrial proteins PHB2 and OPA1 that are found in complexes with mitochondrial-specific phospholipids and are required for cristae organization. Supplementation with unsaturated fatty acids counteracts the effects of LIX1 knock-down on mitochondrial morphology and ultrastructure, restores YAP1/TAZ signaling, and consequently KIT levels. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that LIX1 contributes to GIST aggressive potential by modulating YAP1/TAZ and KIT levels, a process that depends on mitochondrial remodeling. Our work brings new insights into the mechanisms that could be targeted in tumors in which YAP1 and TAZ are implicated.
Stimulating thesir2-pgc-1ɑaxis rescues exercise capacity and mitochondrial respiration inDrosophila tafazzinmutants
Authors: Damschroder Deena , Zapata-Pérez Rubén , Houtkooper Riekelt H. , Wessells Robert
Published: January 2022

Cardiolipin (CL) is a phospholipid required for proper mitochondrial function. Tafazzin remodels CL to create highly unsaturated fatty acid chains. However, whentafazzinis mutated, CL remodeling is impeded, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and the disease Barth syndrome. Patients with Barth syndrome often have severe exercise intolerance, which negatively impacts their overall quality of life. Boosting NAD+levels can improve symptoms of other mitochondrial diseases, but its effect in the context of Barth syndrome has not been examined. We demonstrate for the first time that nicotinamide riboside (NR) can rescue exercise tolerance and mitochondrial respiration in aDrosophila tafazzinmutant and that the beneficial effects are dependent onsir2andpgc-1α. Overexpressingpgc-1αincreased the total abundance of cardiolipin in mutants. In addition, muscles and neurons were identified as key targets for future therapies becausesir2orpgc-1αoverexpression in either of these tissues is sufficient to restore the exercise capacity ofDrosophila tafazzinmutants.

Summary Statement

Nicotinamide riboside rescues the exercise capacity and mitochondrial function of aDrosophilamodel of Barth syndrome in a Sir2/Pgc-1ɑ dependent manner.
Cytokinin signalling regulates two-stage inflorescence arrest in Arabidopsis
Authors: Walker Catriona H. , Ware Alexander , Šimura Jan , Ljung Karin , Wilson Zoe , Bennett Tom
Published: January 2022

To maximise their reproductive success, flowering plants must correctly time their entry into and exit from the reproductive phase (flowering). While much is known about the mechanisms that regulate the initiation of flowering, the regulation of end-of-flowering remains largely uncharacterised. End-of-flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana consists of the quasi-synchronous arrest of individual inflorescences, but it is unclear how this arrest is correctly timed with respect to environmental stimuli and ongoing reproductive success. Here we show that Arabidopsis inflorescence arrest is a complex developmental phenomenon which includes a decline in size and cessation of activity in the inflorescence meristem (IM), coupled with a separable developmental arrest in all unopened floral primordia (floral arrest); these events occur well before the visible arrest of the inflorescence. We show that global removal of inflorescences can delay both IM arrest and floral arrest, but that local fruit removal only delays floral arrest, emphasising the separability of these processes. We test a role for cytokinin in regulating inflorescence arrest, and find that cytokinin treatment can delay arrest. We further show that gain-of-function cytokinin receptor hypersensitive mutants can delay floral arrest, and also IM arrest, depending on the expression pattern of the receptor; conversely, loss-of-function mutants prevent extension of flowering in response to inflorescence removal. Collectively, our data suggest that the dilution of cytokinin among an increasing number of sink organs leads to end-of-flowering in Arabidopsis by triggering IM and floral arrest, conversely meaning that a lack of reproductive success can homeostatically extend flowering in compensation.
High homozygosity of inversions in sunflower species largely averts accumulation of deleterious mutations
Authors: Huang Kaichi , Ostevik Kate L. , Elphinstone Cassandra , Todesco Marco , Bercovich Natalia , Owens Gregory L. , Rieseberg Loren H.
Published: January 2022

Recombination is critical both for accelerating adaptation and for the purging of deleterious mutations. Chromosomal inversions can act as recombination modifiers that suppress local recombination and, thus, are predicted to accumulate such mutations. In this study, we investigated patterns of recombination, transposable element abundance and coding sequence evolution across the genomes of 1,445 individuals from three sunflower species, as well as within nine inversions segregating within species. We also analyzed the effects of inversion genotypes on 87 phenotypic traits to test for overdominance. We found significant negative correlations of long terminal repeat retrotransposon abundance and deleterious mutations with recombination rates across the genome in all three species. However, we failed to detect an increase in these features in the inversions, except for a modest increase in the proportion of stop codon mutations in several very large or rare inversions. Moreover, there was little evidence of phenotypic overdominance in inversion heterozygotes, consistent with observations of minimal deleterious load. On the other hand, significantly greater load was observed for inversions in populations polymorphic for a given inversion compared to populations monomorphic for one of the arrangements, suggesting that the local state of inversion polymorphism affects deleterious load. These seemingly contradictory results can be explained by the geographic structuring and consequent excess homozygosity of inversions in wild sunflowers. Inversions contributing to local adaptation often exhibit geographic structure; such inversions represent ideal recombination modifiers, acting to facilitate adaptive divergence with gene flow, while largely averting the accumulation of deleterious mutations due to recombination suppression.
Transbilayer Coupling of Lipids in Cells Investigated by Imaging Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy
Authors: Bag Nirmalya , London Erwin , Holowka David A. , Baird Barbara A.
Published: January 2022

Plasma membrane hosts numerous receptors, sensors, and ion channels involved in cellular signaling. Phase separation of the plasma membrane is emerging as a key biophysical regulator of signaling reactions in multiple physiological and pathological contexts. There is much evidence that plasma membrane composition supports the co-existence liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (Ld) phases or domains at physiological conditions. However, this phase/domain separation is nanoscopic and transient in live cells. It is recently proposed that transbilayer coupling between the inner and outer leaflets of the plasma membrane is driven by their asymmetric lipid distribution and by dynamic cytoskeleton-lipid composites that contribute to the formation and transience of Lo/Ld phase separation in live cells. In this Perspective, we highlight new approaches to investigate how transbilayer coupling may influence phase separation. For quantitative evaluation of the impact of these interactions, we introduce an experimental strategy centered around Imaging Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (ImFCS), which measures membrane diffusion with very high precision. To demonstrate this strategy we choose two well-established model systems for transbilayer interactions: crosslinking by multivalent antigen of immunoglobulin E bound to receptor FcεRI, and crosslinking by cholera toxin B of GM1 gangliosides. We discuss emerging methods to systematically perturb membrane lipid composition, particularly exchange of outer leaflet lipids with exogenous lipids using methyl alpha cyclodextrin. These selective perturbations may be quantitatively evaluated with ImFCS and other high-resolution biophysical tools to discover novel principles of lipid-mediated phase separation in live cells in the context of their pathophysiological relevance.
Q&A participation and behavioral patterns on academic social networking sites: a comparative study of academic, corporate and government institutions on ResearchGate
Authors: Yan Weiwei , Deng Wanying , Sun Xiaorui , Wang Zihao
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to explore question and answer (Q&A) participation and behavioral patterns on academic social networking sites (ASNSs) from the perspective of multiple subjects such as academic, corporate and government institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

Focused on the Q&A service of ASNSs, this study chooses ResearchGate (RG) as the target ASNS and collects a large-scale data set from it, involving a sample of users and a Q&A sample about academic, corporate and government institutions. First, it studies the law of Q&A participation and the distribution of the type of user according to the sample of users. Second, it compares question-asking behavior and question-answering behavior stimulated by questions among the three types of institutions based on the Q&A sample. Finally, it discusses the Q&A participation and behavioral patterns of the three types of institutions in academic Q&A exchanges with full consideration of institutional attributes, and provides some suggestions for institutions and ASNSs.

Findings

The results show that these three types of institutions generally have a low level of participation in the Q&A service of RG, and the numbers of questions and answers proposed by institutional users conform to the power-law distribution. There are differences in Q&A participation and Q&A behavioral patterns among academic, corporate and government institutions. Government and academic institutions have more users participating in the Q&A service and their users are more willing to ask questions, while corporate institutions have fewer users who participate in the Q&A service and their users are inclined to provide answers. Questions from corporate institutions attract much more attention than those from the other two types of institutions.

Originality/value

This study reveals and compares the Q&A participation and the behavioral patterns of the three types of institutions in academic Q&A, thus deepening the understanding of the attributes of institutions in the academic information exchange context. In practice, the results can help guide different institutions to use the Q&A service of ASNSs more effectively and help ASNSs to better optimize their Q&A service.
Research on the influence of online photograph reviews on tourists' travel intentions: rational and irrational perspectives
Authors: Zhu Zhangxiang , Zhang Xiaoqian , Wang Jing , Chen Sixuan
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The study aims to explore the effects of photograph quality on visual appeal, perceived usefulness and viewers' travel intentions from rational and irrational perspectives while simultaneously providing some references for the management and marketing of tourism destinations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study comprises four experiments combined with structural equation modeling to explore the influence mechanism of photograph quality on travel intentions.

Findings

(1) Higher-quality photographs offer greater visual appeal and perceived usefulness to viewers, and these relationships are moderated by the photograph source. Specifically, high-quality photographs generated by other tourists have more visual appeal and perceived usefulness to viewers. However, there are no significant differences in the impact of low-quality photographs generated by other tourists and destination marketing organizations (DMOs) on visual appeal and perceived usefulness. (2) Visual appeal and perceived usefulness significantly affect viewers' travel intentions, and visual appeal positively affects perceived usefulness. (3) Travel experience positively moderates the effects of visual appeal and perceived usefulness on viewers' travel intentions.

Originality/value

The study explores the effects of the visual appeal (irrational factor) and perceived usefulness (rational factor) associated with photograph quality on viewers' travel intentions. Photograph source and travel experiences have moderating effects on this influence mechanism.
The use of data analytics in external auditing: a content analysis approach
Authors: Jacky Yeamin , Sulaiman Noor Adwa
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This study examines the perceptions of interested stakeholders on the factors affecting the use of data analytics (DA) in financial statement audits. Response letters submitted by stakeholders of the auditing services to the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board's (IAASB) Data Analytics Working Group (DAWG) served as sources for analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The modified information technology audit model was used as a framework to perform a direct content analysis of all the 50 response letters submitted to the DAWG.

Findings

The analysis showed that a range of attributes, such as the usefulness of DA in auditing, authoritative guidance (auditing standards), data reliability and quality, auditors' skills, clients' factors and costs, were the factors perceived by stakeholders to be affecting the use of DA in external auditing.

Research limitations/implications

This study is subjected to the limitations inherent to all content analysis studies. Nonetheless, the findings offer additional insights about potential factors affecting the adoption of DA in audit practices.

Originality/value

The data noted in the published statements highlighted the perceptions of a range of stakeholders with regards to the factors affecting the use of DA in auditing.
Financial inclusion through Kiosk-based banking services: a study with reference to business correspondent models in the state of Kerala
Authors: Shafi M.K Muhammed , Reddy M. Ravindar
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The paper aims to study the outreach and performance of business correspondent (BC) models, which are implemented as a subsidiary agent of banks to accelerate the financial inclusion (FI) mission in India. In this regard, the study illustrates BC's products and services rendered to customers, forms of delivery channels and BC's view on banking services and Kiosk-based BC programs.

Design/methodology/approach

The current paper is an empirical study based on surveying 200 Kiosk-based BCs working in the state of Kerala. After the preliminary screening analysis of the data with outlier deletion, removal of missing values and normality test, both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were executed followed by reliability test, convergent and discriminant validity tests. Covariance-based structural equation modeling (CBSEM) was performed for CFA and inferential tests were carried out by using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) and analysis of a moment structures (AMOS) and Eviews.

Findings

Chiefly, eight operational forms of BCs were found from the field survey. Hypothetical tests show the significant impact of the serviceability of banks on BC's profitability. Validity tests such as average variance extracted (AVE), composite reliability (CR), maximum shared variance (MSV) and average shared variance (ASV) were established after the removal of the cross-loaded items of the questionnaire from the rotated component matrix. BCs perform main banking services especially bank account opening facility and Akshaya E-Centers are widely used for this model as Kiosk banking in the surveyed state.

Originality/value

So far, no study has encompassed empirical research on performance analysis and outreach of the BC model in the state of Kerala where this BC model well functions. Since the study is a novel form of banking channelization for FI, the study can contribute to understanding the further feasibility and future dimension of the model based on experimental views of BCs.
Platform riders' occupational stigma consciousness and workplace deviant behavior: the mediating role of self-depletion
Authors: Zhao Yue , Zhan Jing
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The study aims to analyze how occupational stigma consciousness affects workplace deviant behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a time-lagged research design. Data from 354 riders working on the platform were gathered, and multiple regression and bootstrapping were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Based on the ego depletion theory and resource perspective, the study explores the relationship between the occupational stigma consciousness and workplace deviant behavior of platform riders in China. Occupational stigma consciousness promotes workplace deviant behavior; self-depletion mediates the positive relationship between occupational stigma consciousness and workplace deviant behavior and workplace mindfulness exerts a negative moderating effect on the relationship between occupational stigma consciousness and self-depletion.

Originality/value

The study provides a resource perspective to understand how occupational stigma consciousness is related to workplace deviant behavior and how workplace mindfulness alleviates resource depletion caused by occupational stigma consciousness. The research results provide practical information for managers to reduce deviant behavior, which helps to promote riders' performance on the platform.
The multiple mediating effects of Korean workers’ perception of the fourth industrial revolution, career attitudes and future learning intent
Authors: Moon Hanna , Hong Sungpyo
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This study aims at analyzing the impact of perceptions of the fourth industrial revolution (crisis and opportunity) in the relationship between workers’ career attitudes and future learning intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzed the multiple mediating effect of the perception of the fourth industrial revolution in the relationship between career attitudes and future learning intention using data of 305 Korean workers. As career attitude variables, boundaryless and protean career orientation variables were used, and perception of the fourth industrial revolution was analyzed (opportunity and crisis perception).

Findings

Both workers’ boundaryless career orientation and protean career orientation influenced future learning intention through the perception of opportunity for the fourth industrial revolution. This result suggested that flexible career attitudes positively recognized the changes of the fourth industrial revolution and had an effect on promoting attitude toward future learning.

Research limitations/implications

The study confirmed that workers’ flexible career attitudes could promote perception of opportunity rather than crisis in changing situation and strengthen their intention to prepare for the future by mediating this perception. These results suggest that lifelong learning and competency development can be reinforced by facilitating perception of an opportunities for external change for individual career development.

Originality/value

Insights for personal career development were provided by analyzing the relationship between flexible career attitudes, which are increasing in importance in the modern society, and perceptions of changes in external environment.
Taking off the rose-colored glasses: the influence of crises on employee relationship management
Authors: Diers-Lawson Audra , Collins Lorraine
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The central aim of this research is to deepen the analysis of the influence that crises have on employee relations by using the stakeholder relationship management model (SRM) to analyze organizational employee relationship management (OERM).

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a questionnaire distributed in two organizations (UK-based public sector and private sector) that were experiencing a crisis at the time of data collection. Respondents identified whether they believed the organization was in crisis, if they defined it as in crisis classified what type of crisis it was, and then responded to questions about their relationship to the organization, the organization's post crisis stability and their own behavioral intentions.

Findings

The findings verify the applicability of the SRM in employee relations with three critical findings: (1) employees with higher income in the private sector were significantly less likely to believe their organization was in crisis; (2) the more ambiguous the blame for the crisis, the greater the damage on the relationship between organizations and employees; and (3) collective sensemaking in organizations is essential, but less likely when a crisis has damaged the relationship between employees and organizations.

Originality/value

In the last 40 years ofEmployee Relations, the role of crisis in influencing OERM has not been meaningfully explored in the journal. Therefore, the piece makes an original contribution.
Food waste generation in a university and the handling efficiency of a university catering facility-scale automatic collection system
Authors: Mui Kwok Wai , Wong Ling Tim , Tsang Tsz-Wun , Chiu Yin Hei , Lai Kai-Wing
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the generation of food waste in a university and the handling efficiency of an automatic waste collection system.

Design/methodology/approach

The quantity of food waste generated and collected from a university canteen was surveyed. The food waste handling efficiencies using manual collection strategy and automated food waste collection system were determined by the density of food waste. Life-cycle costing analysis was done to evaluate the economic impacts of various food waste collection methods.

Findings

As compared with the manual collection approach, the automatic system can improve the food waste handling efficiency by 30% (from 0.01 to 0.007 bin kg−1) and reduce the water use by 20% (from 0.512 to 0.406 L kg−1); however, it also consumes 4.4 times more energy (from 0.005 to 0.027 kWh kg−1). Under ideal system operation, the 10-year cost of food waste collection was significantly reduced from $3.45 kg−1 in the manual collection to $1.79 kg−1, and the payback period of the system collection was 1.9 years without discount.

Practical implications

The outcomes of this study show that an automatic food waste collection system is feasible, and it is recommended for small- and medium-sized catering facilities (e.g. canteens and food courts) to improve food waste handling efficiency. This study also provides useful reference data of automatic food waste collection systems for planning food waste management programs for catering facilities.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the waste handling efficiency, operational expenditure and life-cycle cost of a small-scale automatic food waste collection system.
Key performance indicators for measuring performance of facilities management services in hotel buildings: a study from Sri Lanka
Authors: Dasandara Miyami , Dissanayake Piumi , Fernando Devsayura Jude
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The concept of facilities management (FM) has been acknowledged as a novel avenue brought in to ensure productivity and customer satisfaction in the Sri Lankan hotel industry. Accordingly, performance measurement (PM) has become a crucial entity, where key performance indicators (KPIs) have become the most important instruments of PM in determining how well these FM services are performing. Unfortunately, nowadays, the service quality of hotel buildings has significantly retreated due to the absence of a proper PM system with relevant KPIs. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify relevant KPIs to measure the performance of the FM services in Sri Lankan hotel buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed approach was used to conduct this study. Data were gathered through expert interviews and an expert survey. The expert interviews were conducted to identify the relevancy of KPIs that are discovered through literature review to the Sri Lankan context, and the expert survey was conducted to identify their level of importance. Collected data were analysed using content and statistical data analysis methods.

Findings

Empirical findings revealed that a PM system with relevant KPIs can be identified as a crucial requirement for FM services in hotel buildings in Sri Lanka to meet the customer needs successfully. Adequate and relevant KPIs are significantly vital for an effective PM system for FM services. Thus, ultimately, 68 most important KPIs have been captured amongst the generally identified KPIs, which can be used in developing a proper PM system to measure the performance of FM services in hotel buildings.

Originality/value

The previous studies have just focused on the PM in FM services in a general manner where a significant dearth in existing knowledge can be identified when it comes to exploring relevant KPIs for an effective PM system to be implemented in hotel buildings in Sri Lanka to measure the performance of FM services. Accordingly, the current study unveils the most important KPIs, which can be used in measuring the performance of FM services in hotel buildings. The study recommends the use of a proper PM system with identified KPIs by respective industry practitioners to enrich the performance of FM services in hotel buildings in Sri Lanka and thereby achieve the ultimate goals successfully.
How does network position influence project performance in Chinese megaprojects? An inter-organizational conflict-based perspective
Authors: Liu Cong , Cao Jiming , Wu Guangdong , Zhao Xianbo , Zuo Jian
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This study aims to explore the relationship between network position, various types of inter-organizational conflicts and project performance in the context of megaprojects.

Design/methodology/approach

Centrality and structural holes were used to represent network position. A theoretical model was developed, and a structured questionnaire survey was conducted with construction professionals involved in megaprojects. A total of 291 valid responses were obtained, which were analyzed via structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results showed that centrality negatively impacts project performance, while structural holes do not significantly impact project performance. Centrality negatively affects task conflicts, but positively affects process conflicts and relationship conflicts. Structural holes positively impact task conflicts, but negatively impact both process conflicts and relationship conflicts. Task conflict and relationship conflict exert constructive and destructive effects on project performance, respectively, while process conflict does not significantly impact project performance. Task conflict and relationship conflict play mediating roles. Task conflict weakens while relationship conflict strengthens the relationship between centrality and project performance. Task conflict strengthens while relationship conflict weakens the relationship between structure hole and project performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides a reference for the implementation of network governance, inter-organizational conflict management and project performance management in megaprojects. However, the impact of dynamic changes of inter-organizational conflicts and network position on project performance has not been discussed in the context of megaprojects. Future research may explore the impact of dynamic changes of conflicts and network position on project implementation.

Originality/value

This study increases the current understanding of the impact of network position on project performance. Moreover, a new direction for network governance in the context of megaprojects is provided. This study also verified both the constructive and destructive effects of conflicts and the mediating role they play, thus supplementing the literature on inter-organizational conflict management in the construction field.
Custom emoji based emotion recognition system for dynamic business webpages
Authors: Isiaka Fatima , Adamu Zainab
Published: January 2022

Purpose

One of the contributions of artificial intelligent (AI) in modern technology is emotion recognition which is mostly based on facial expression and modification of its inference engine. The facial recognition scheme is mostly built to understand user expression in an online business webpage on a marketing site but has limited abilities to recognise elusive expressions. The basic emotions are expressed when interrelating and socialising with other personnel online. At most times, studying how to understand user expression is often a most tedious task, especially the subtle expressions. An emotion recognition system can be used to optimise and reduce complexity in understanding users' subconscious thoughts and reasoning through their pupil changes.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper demonstrates the use of personal computer (PC) webcam to read in eye movement data that includes pupil changes as part of distinct user attributes. A custom eye movement algorithm (CEMA) is used to capture users' activity and record the data which is served as an input model to an inference engine (artificial neural network (ANN)) that helps to predict user emotional response conveyed as emoticons on the webpage.

Findings

The result from the error in performance shows that ANN is most adaptable to user behaviour prediction and can be used for the system's modification paradigm.

Research limitations/implications

One of the drawbacks of the analytical tool is its inability in some cases to set some of the emoticons within the boundaries of the visual field, this is a limitation to be tackled within subsequent runs with standard techniques.

Originality/value

The originality of the proposed model is its ability to predict basic user emotional response based on changes in pupil size between average recorded baseline boundaries and convey the emoticons chronologically with the gaze points.
Bibliometric mapping of techno-scientific systems of small Latin American worlds
Authors: De la Vega Iván Manuel , Diaz Amorin Juan
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to compare the evolution of the scientific production of Costa Rica and Panama, from Central America and Paraguay and Uruguay, from South America in the period 2000–2018. To achieve this, first, a bibliometric mapping was performed using the Web of Science (WoS) database. Second, the triple helix model was used to determine whether there are similar patterns or marked differences in the distribution of this type of publications in the helices of government, academia and industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The steps followed in this study were as follows: design and application of an algorithm to perform WoS downloads; download the publications using the country descriptor; process data using R and VOSviewer; design of a profile of the selected countries based on indicators; and use of the triple helix model to determine the weight of the scientific production.

Findings

The data found corroborate that the small technoscientific worlds examined do not have the minimum Science & Technology personnel nor the capabilities in infrastructure and technological equipment, and that expenditure in this area is minimal and for these reasons, the production in the WoS is low.

Originality/value

Studying the small technoscientific worlds from a bibliometric perspective allows generating inputs to diagnose the state of these countries in this area, as no evidence of similar studies in these countries was found in Scopus or the WoS. Likewise, examining scientific production from the triple helix model makes it possible to identify the weaknesses of each actor, and the results can contribute to the design of better public policies.
A comparative study of formal coaching and mentoring programmes in higher education
Authors: Jones Jenni , Smith Helen A.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate two coaching and mentoring programmes focused on the ever-increasingly important aim of enhancing the chances of professional level employment for undergraduate students, at two UK universities. In addition, to offer recommendations to enhance coaching and mentoring success within higher education (HE).

Design/methodology/approach

Two similar programmes are compared; the first study is a coaching programme delivered in two phases involving over 1,500 students within the business school. The second study is a mentoring programme involving over 250 students over a ten-year period within the business school at a different institution.

Findings

The two programmes have been compared against the key success criteria from the literature, endorsed by coaching and mentoring experts. The results highlight the importance of integrating with other initiatives, senior management commitment, budget, an application process, clear matching process, trained coaches and mentors, induction for both parties, supportive material, ongoing supervision and robust evaluation and record keeping.

Research limitations/implications

The research focuses on two similar institutions, with comparable student demographics. It would have been useful to dig deeper into the effect of the diverse characteristics of coach/mentor and coachee/mentee on the effectiveness of their relationships. In addition, to test the assumptions and recommendations beyond these two institutions, and to validate the reach and application of these best practice recommendations further afield.

Practical implications

The results identify a number of best practice recommendations to guide HE institutions when offering coaching and mentoring interventions to support career progression of their students.

Originality/value

There are limited comparison studies between universities with undergraduate career-related coaching and mentoring programmes and limited research offering best practice recommendations for coaching and mentoring programmes in HE. The top ten factors offered here to take away will add value to those thinking of running similar programmes within HE.