bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Duration of Feminizing Hormone Therapy on Facial Fat Volumes
Authors: Moghadam Shahrzad , Roca Yvonne , LaGuardia Jonnby S. , Huang Kelly X. , Chin Madeline G. , Bedar Meiwand , Fadich Sarah K. , Lee Justine C.
Published: November 2023

Background:

Gender-affirming feminizing hormone therapy induces body fat redistribution. However, the amount and timing of facial fat changes in response to feminizing hormone therapy are unknown, despite being relevant to counseling and surgical planning for facial gender-affirming surgery. The authors assessed the influence of feminizing hormone therapy duration on malar and temporal fat volume.

Methods:

Malar and temporal fat volumes were compared using computed tomography in transfeminine patients (age, 20 to 29 years; body mass index, 18.5 to 24.9) treated with feminizing hormone therapy for less than 2 years versus 2 years or longer. Patients with previous surgical or nonsurgical facial soft-tissue interventions were excluded. Multivariable linear regressions evaluated the contribution of hormone therapy duration to malar and temporal fat volumes.

Results:

A total of 45 patients were included, 30 (66.7%) treated with feminizing hormone therapy for 2 years or longer and 15 (33.3%) treated for less than 2 years (median [interquartile range], 44.5 [33.5 to 65.6] versus 15.0 [11.0 to 18.0] months; P < 0.001). Patients treated with hormone therapy for 2 years or longer demonstrated a 1.6-fold greater malar fat volume (5.5 [4.2 to 6.3] versus 3.4 [2.3 to 4.2] cm3; P < 0.001) and 1.4-fold greater temporal fat volume (2.8 [2.4 to 3.6] cm3 versus 2.0 [1.7 to 2.4] cm3; P = 0.01) compared with those treated for less than 2 years. When accounting for other contributory variables, such as body mass index, skull size, and total soft-tissue depth, in multivariable linear regression models, hormone therapy duration of 2 years or longer independently predicted higher malar (β = 0.51, P < 0.001) and temporal (β = 0.32, P = 0.02) fat volumes.

Conclusion:

Feminizing hormone therapy increases malar and temporal fat volumes by approximately 2 cm3 and 0.8 cm3 for each area, respectively, after 2 years of treatment.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
A National Assessment of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Cleft Lip Repair
Authors: Peck Connor J. , Parsaei Yassmin , Jazayeri Hossein E. , Desai Mayur M. , Lopez Joseph , Uribe Flavio A. , Steinbacher Derek
Published: November 2023

Purpose:

The authors examined the effects of race and ethnicity on the likelihood of experiencing delays to surgery, postoperative surgical complications, and prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS) after primary cleft lip repair.

Methods:

Patients who underwent cleft lip repair were identified in the 2006 through 2012 Kids’ Inpatient Database. Primary outcomes were defined as treatment after 6 months of age, any surgical complication, LOS greater than 1 day, and total hospital charges. Multivariable analyses were performed to adjust for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics that might account for differences in outcomes.

Results:

There were 5,927 eligible patients with cleft lip: 3,724 White, 1,316 Hispanic, 279 Black, 277 Asian or Pacific Islander, and 331 other (including American Indian or Alaska Native, multiple races, or races/ethnicities not specified within the dataset). Across all outcomes, there were significant unadjusted differences (P < 0.001) by race and ethnicity, with White children having the lowest odds of delayed surgery, complications, and prolonged LOS, and the lowest charges. Multivariable analyses suggested that differences in baseline health status may account for much of this disparity in combination with factors such as income, insurance type, and location. Even after adjusting for covariates, significantly increased odds of delayed surgery and higher charges remained for Hispanic and Asian or Pacific Islander patients.

Conclusion:

There are significant differences in the odds of delays, complications, prolonged hospital stays, and total charges among patients with cleft lip of different races or ethnicities. Advocacy efforts to ameliorate disparity in early infant health may subsequently improve equity in cleft outcomes.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Risk, II.
Anatomy of the anterior ribs and the composition of the costal margin: A cadaver study
Authors: Patel Arjun , Privette Alicia , Bauman Zachary , Hansen Adam , Kubalak Steven , Eriksson Evert
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND

Traditional rib anatomy and costal margin teaching contends that the costal margin consists of a combined costal cartilage made up of ribs 7 to 10. Variations in 9th and 10th rib anatomy have been observed. We sought to evaluate the variability of interchondral joints and the make-up of the costal margin.

METHODS

Cadaveric dissections were performed to evaluate the anatomy of the anterior ribs and the composition of the costal margin. Experienced chest wall surgeons evaluated this anatomy through a standardized dissection and assessment. Dissection videos were performed to allow for further review/assessment.

RESULTS

Bilateral chest wall anatomy of 30 cadavers was evaluated (15 male, 15 female). The average age was 78 ± 12 years, and all patients were Caucasian. In all patients, the first rib attached to the manubrium, the second rib attached to the manubriosternal junction, and ribs 3 to 6 attached directly to the sternum. Interchondral joints were present between ribs 4/5—3%, 5/6—68%, 6/7—83%, 7/8—72%. Ribs combining to form a common costal cartilage via cartilaginous unions were observed between 6/7—3%, 7/8—45%, 8/9—30%, and 9/10—20%.

The 8th rib attached directly to the sternum without joining the 7th rib in 10% of cadavers. The 8th and 9th ribs had free tips in 45% and 60% of evaluations, respectively. The 10th rib was found to have a hooked tip in 25% of cases and was a floating rib without attachment to the 9th rib 52% of the time. Rib tip mobility was noted in ribs 8, 9, and 10 in 52%, 70%, and 90%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Interchondral joints are common between ribs 5 and 8. Significant variability exists in the chest wall and costal margin compared with traditional teaching. It is important for chest wall surgeons treating diseases of the costal margin to appreciate this anatomic variability.
Spastic Paraplegia Type 7-Associated Optic Neuropathy: A Case Series
Authors: Bell Carter A. , Ko Melissa W. , Mackay Devin D. , Bursztyn Lulu L. C. D. , Grossman Scott N.
Published: November 2023

Background:

Hereditary optic neuropathies comprise a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders. Optic neuropathy has been previously reported in families with spastic paraplegia type 7 (SPG7) gene mutations. However, the typical time course and clinical presentation of SPG7-associated optic neuropathy is poorly understood. We report a series of 5 patients harboring pathogenic SPG7 mutations who originally presented to a neuro-ophthalmology clinic with symptoms of optic neuropathy.

Methods:

Retrospective case series of 5 patients with pathogenic SPG7 mutations and optic atrophy from 3 neuro-ophthalmology clinics. Demographic, clinical, diagnostic, and treatment data were collected and reported by the clinician authors.

Results:

Five patients ranging in age from 8 to 48 years were evaluated in the neuro-ophthalmology clinic. Although there were variable clinical presentations for each subject, all noted progressive vision loss, typically bilateral, and several also had previous diagnoses of peripheral neuropathy (e.g., Guillain-Barré Syndrome). Patients underwent neuro-ophthalmic examinations and testing with visual fields and optic coherence tomography of the retinal nerve fiber layer. Genetic testing revealed pathogenic variants in the SPG7 gene.

Conclusions:

Five patients presented to the neuro-ophthalmology clinic with progressive vision loss and were diagnosed with optic atrophy. Although each patient harbored an SPG7 mutation, this cohort was phenotypically and genotypically heterogeneous. Three patients carried the Ala510Val variant. The patients demonstrated varying degrees of visual acuity and visual field loss, although evaluations were completed during different stages of disease progression. Four patients had a previous diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy. This raises the prospect that a single pathogenic variant of SPG7 may be associated with peripheral neuropathy in addition to optic neuropathy. These results support the consideration of SPG7 testing in patients with high suspicion for genetic optic neuropathy, as manifested by symmetric papillomacular bundle damage without clear etiology on initial workup. Applied judiciously, genetic testing, including for SPG7, may help clarify the cause of unexplained progressive optic neuropathies.
Automatic machine learning versus human knowledge-based models, property-based models and the fatigue problem
Authors: Castillo Enrique , Fernández Canteli Alfonso , Muñiz Calvente Miguel
Published: November 2023

This paper is devoted to emphasizing the importance of human-based knowledge and to present the original property-based models. The main idea is that models are built in terms of equations that reproduce and guarantee their satisfaction, which leads to non-arbitrary parametric models. The methods based on data alone are not sufficient to be applied to fatigue S–N and GRV-N models: first, the required high number of results in machine learning is not attained in fatigue; second, a black box cannot supply a comprehension of the fatigue phenomenon; third, the absence of a supporting model impedes extrapolation beyond the scope of experimentation; and fourth, many other data are required to include the stress ratio,
R
, while robust models are already available. These models are artificial intelligence mixed models, where its main part is human-based whereas the parameter estimation is solved based on data. The fatigue problem is used to illustrate the methodology and show that its generalization is applicable to other real problems. A detailed analysis of the fatigue model properties is done to show the readers how to extend those properties to other cases. Some future lines of research are suggested, followed by some conclusions.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Physics-informed machine learning and its structural integrity applications (Part 2)’.
Draft Genomes Announcement of Vietnamese Xanthomonas euvesicatoria strains causing Bacterial spot on Pepper
Authors: Subedi Aastha , Nga Nguyen Thi Thu , Tien Doan Thi Kieu , Minsavage Gerald V. , Roberts Pamela D. , Goss Erica M. , Jones Jeffrey B.
Published: November 2023

Xanthomonas euvesicatoria, the primary causal agent of bacterial spot of pepper (BSP), poses a significant global challenge, resulting in substantial economic losses for pepper growers. We present the whole genome sequences of eight X. euvesicatoria strains associated with BSP in Vietnam. These genomes contribute to representation of all pepper production regions in the global sample of X. euvesicatoria genomes, enabling the development of precise global disease management strategies.
Constructing genotype and phenotype network helps reveal disease heritability and phenome-wide association studies
Authors: Cao Xuewei , Zhu Lirong , Liang Xiaoyu , Zhang Shuanglin , Sha Qiuying
Published: November 2023

Analyses of a bipartite Genotype and Phenotype Network (GPN), linking the genetic variants and phenotypes based on statistical associations, provide an integrative approach to elucidate the complexities of genetic relationships across diseases and identify pleiotropic loci. In this study, we first assess contributions to constructing a well-defined GPN with a clear representation of genetic associations by comparing the network properties with a random network, including connectivity, centrality, and community structure. Next, we construct network topology annotations of genetic variants that quantify the possibility of pleiotropy and apply stratified linkage disequilibrium (LD) score regression to 12 highly genetically correlated phenotypes to identify enriched annotations. The constructed network topology annotations are informative for disease heritability after conditioning on a broad set of functional annotations from the baseline-LD model. Finally, we extend our discussion to include an application of bipartite GPN in phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS). The community detection method can be used to obtain a priori grouping of phenotypes detected from GPN based on the shared genetic architecture, then jointly test the association between multiple phenotypes in each network module and one genetic variant to discover the cross-phenotype associations and pleiotropy. Significance thresholds for PheWAS are adjusted for multiple testing by applying the false discovery rate (FDR) control approach. Extensive simulation studies and analyses of 633 electronic health record (EHR)-derived phenotypes in the UK Biobank GWAS summary dataset reveal that most multiple phenotype association tests based on GPN can well-control FDR and identify more significant genetic variants compared with the tests based on UK Biobank categories.
Estimating Between Country Migration in Pneumococcal Populations
Authors: Belman Sophie , Pesonen Henri , Croucher Nicholas J. , Bentley Stephen D. , Corander Jukka
Published: November 2023

Streptococcus pneumoniae(the pneumococcus) is a globally distributed, human obligate opportunistic bacterial pathogen which, although often carried commensally, is also a significant cause of invasive disease. Apart from multi-drug resistant and virulent clones, the rate and direction of pneumococcal dissemination between different countries remains largely unknown. The ability for the pneumococcus to take a foothold in a country depends on existing population configuration, the extent of vaccine implementation, as well as human mobility since it is a human obligate bacterium. To shed light on its international movement, we used extensive genome data from the Global Pneumococcal Sequencing (GPS) project and estimated migration parameters between multiple countries in Africa. Data on allele frequencies of polymorphisms at housekeeping-like loci for multiple different lineages circulating in the populations of South Africa, Malawi, Kenya, and The Gambia were used to calculate the fixation index (Fst) between countries. We then further used these summaries to fit migration coalescent models with the likelihood-free inference algorithms available in the ELFI software package. Synthetic data were additionally used to validate the inference approach. Our results demonstrate country-pair specific migration patterns and heterogeneity in the extent of migration between different lineages. Our approach demonstrates that coalescent models can be effectively used for inferring migration rates for bacterial species and lineages provided sufficiently granular population genomics surveillance data. Further it can demonstrate the connectivity of respiratory disease agents between countries to inform intervention policy in the longer term.
Genomically integrated orthogonal translation inEscherichia coli, a new synthetic auxotrophic chassis with altered genetic code, genetic firewall, and enhanced protein expression
Authors: Karbalaei-Heidari Hamid Reza , Budisa Nediljko
Published: November 2023

In the last three decades, genetic code engineering has expanded protein biosynthesis options from the natural set of 20 canonical amino acids to over 250 non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs). This progress involves rewiring of protein translation by establishing Orthogonal Translation Systems (OTS) through orthogonal pairs. Traditionally encoded on plasmid vectors, these systems are often unstable and burdensome in large-scale fermentations. To moving forward from academia to reliable technology, it is crucial to integrate OTS genetic modules stably into a molecular chassis with a defined genome background. Here, we demonstrate genomically integrated OTS inEscherichia coli, creating a synthetic auxotrophic chassis with an altered genetic code. Using CRISPR-associated transposase tool (CASTs), we targeted multiple genome sites, inserting OTS components (enzymes, tRNA genes) non-disruptively. Our OTS system demonstrated site-specific incorporation ofm-oNB-Dopa through in-frame amber stop codon readthrough, enabling the expression of smart underwater bioglues. Simple metabolic labelling, introducing fluoroproline analogs enhancing conformational stability during orthogonal translation, further bolstered system robustness. These chassis, equipped also with synthetic auxotrophy form-oNB-Dopa, serve as a built-in genetic barrier (genetic firewall), ensuring safe bioproduction in genetically isolated settings.

Graphical Abstract

One-sentence Abstract

CRISPR-assisted transposition has enabled the development of a robust and biosafe Escherichia coli-based chassis with genomically integrated orthogonal translation components, enhancing synthetic protein production and laying the foundation for the transition of this research field from academia to reliable technology.
Adaptation to ER Stress by Slt2, Counterpart of Human MAP Kinase ERK1/2, via Enhancing Splicing and Translation ofHAC1mRNA inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Uppala Jagadeesh Kumar , Chakraborty Anish , George Jasmine , Mayer Kimberly Ann , Ghosh Chandrima , Dey Ritisha , Chaluvally-Raghavan Pradeep , Dey Madhusudan
Published: November 2023

Unfolded protein response (UPR) is a cellular strategy to increase the protein folding capacity of cells in response to stress within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In metazoan cells, three major UPR sensors Ire1, PERK and ATF6 work in concert by simultaneously activating intracellular signaling pathways and modulating a series of physiological processes such as attenuation of the general protein synthesis and expression of protein chaperones. In yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae, Ire1 is known to be the only UPR sensor, which mediates splicing ofHAC1mRNA in the cytoplasm and derepresses its translation. Hac1 is a transcription factor that increases the expression of protein folding enzymes and chaperones, thus enhancing the protein folding capacity of cells. In this study, we provide compelling evidence that kinase Slt2 plays a significant role in facilitating both the splicing and translation ofHAC1mRNA, while also serving as a key mediator in the activation of UPR genes through an alternative route. We also provide evidence that human extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1) or ERK2 served as a functional substitute for yeast Slt2 in the context of UPR. Furthermore, ERK1 exhibits an enhanced activation in human primary cells when grown in the presence of ER stressor. These findings collectively suggest that Slt2 responds to ER stress by activating the Ire1 pathway as well as initiating a parallel signaling pathway.
Protocol for VIVALDI Social Care: Pilot Study to reduce Infections, Outbreaks and Antimicrobial Resistance in Care Homes for Older Adults
Authors: Krutikov M , Fry Z , Azmi B , Lezard C , Thorn K , Patefield G , Childe G , Hudson J , Stirrup O , Jhass A , Turner N , Cassell J , Flowers P , Hayward A , Copas A , Green M , Shallcross L
Published: November 2023

Care home residents are vulnerable to severe outcomes from infections such as COVID-19 and influenza. However, measures to control outbreaks, such as care home closures to visitors and new admissions, have a detrimental impact on their quality of life. Many infections and outbreaks could be prevented but the first step is to measure them reliably. This is challenging in care homes due to the lack of data and research infrastructure. During the pandemic, the VIVALDI study measured COVID-19 infections in residents and staff by partnering with care providers and using routinely collected data. This study aims to establish sentinel surveillance and a research database to enable observational and future interventional studies in care homes. The project has been co-produced with care providers, staff, residents, relatives, and researchers.

The study (October 2023 to March 2025) will explore the feasibility of establishing a network of 500-1500 care homes for older adults in England that is underpinned by a linked data platform. No data will be collected from staff. The cohort will be created by regularly extracting resident identifiers from Digital Social Care Records (DSCR), followed by pseudonymisation and linkage to routinely collected datasets.

Following extensive consultation, we decided not to seek informed consent from residents for data collection, but they can ‘opt out’ of the study. Our goal is to be inclusive, and it is challenging to give every resident the opportunity to ‘opt in’ due to cognitive impairment and the requirement for consultees. The project, and all requests to use the data will be overseen by relatives, residents, staff, and care providers. The study has been provisionally approved by the Health Research Authority Confidentiality Advisory Group and the South-West Frenchay Research Ethics Committee. It is funded by the UK Health Security Agency.
The YTHDF1-3 proteins are bidirectionally influenced by the codon content of their mRNA targets
Authors: Moch Clara , Zou Limei , Pythoud Nicolas , Fillon Emilie , Bourgeois Gabrielle , Graille Marc , Carapito Christine , Chapat Clément
Published: November 2023

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant modification in eukaryotic mRNAs and plays critical roles in a broad variety of biological processes. Recognition of m6A by the YTHDF1-3 proteins results in the alteration of the translation efficiency and stability of methylated mRNAs, although their mode of action is still matter of debates. To decode the molecular basis of YTHDF1-3 action in human cells, we performed an unbiased proteomic screen of their full spectrum of interacting proteins using BioID (proximity-dependent biotin identification). Our systematic BioID mapping revealed that each YTHDF protein is a dynamic hub that associates with both mRNA silencing machineries and the translation apparatus. Based on this, we identified a direct interaction between YTHDF2 and the ribosomal protein RACK1, and found that the silencing activity of YTHDF2 is bidirectionally modulated by the codon content of its targeted mRNAs. Using a tethering reporter system that recapitulates this phenomenon, we confirmed that the three YTHDF proteins selectively repress mRNAs enriched in optimal codons, while they activate those enriched in non-optimal codons. Altogether, these results have important implications for understanding the underlying multiplicity of YTHDF1-3 and could reconcile seemingly contradictory data.
Differential neuronal vulnerability to C9orf72 repeat expansion driven by Xbp1 transcription signature
Authors: Shen Dunxin , Vincent Alec , Udine Evan , Buhidma Yazead , Anoar Sharifah , Tsintzas Elli , Maeland Marie , Rademakers Rosa , Isaacs Adrian M , Frigerio Carlo , van Blitterswijk Marka , Lashley Tammaryn , Niccoli Teresa
Published: November 2023

A G4C2 repeat expansion in the geneC9orf72(C9) is the most common genetic cause of sporadic and familial frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). What determines why cell death is triggered only in specific neuronal populations, while others remain ‘protected’ or are less susceptible to disease is still an open question. In particular, whether it is the transcriptional response to the accumulation of toxic insults or the initial cellular state that determines their vulnerability is still unknown.

We have carried out a large-scale profiling of single cell transcriptional signatures throughout disease development in aDrosophilamodel of C9 repeat toxicity. This enabled us to monitor transcriptional shifts and track changes in cell populations during disease progression. We have identified neuronal populations which are depleted in response to C9 repeat expression, and therefore vulnerable to toxicity. On the other hand, other neuron types are resistant to toxicity, and maintain their cell number during disease progression. Our findings suggest that a major determinant of vulnerability is the transcriptional state of the cell before it is exposed to C9 repeat expression. We have identified a conserved transcriptional profile that is associated with resistance to C9 repeat toxicity. Neurons resistant to disease display a higher expression of genes involved in protein homeostasis, with Xbp1 identified as a crucial transcription factor determining neuronal vulnerability.
Planar cell polarity is essential for the architectural patterning of the mammalian biliary tree
Authors: Raab Michaela , Christodoulou Ersi , Krishnankutty Roopesh , Younger Nicholas T , Gournopanos Konstantinos , von Kriegsheim Alexander , Waddell Scott H , Boulter Luke
Published: November 2023

In the developing liver, bipotent epithelial progenitor cells known as hepatoblasts undergo lineage segregation to form the two major epithelial cell types, hepatocytes that constitute the bulk of the liver parenchyma and biliary epithelial cells (cholangiocytes) which comprise the bile duct, a complex tubular network which is critical for normal liver function. Notch and TGFβ signalling promote the formation of a sheet of biliary epithelial cells, the ductal plate that organises into discontinuous tubular structures. How these structures elongate and connect to form a continuous duct remains undefined. Here, we show that the planar cell polarity protein, VANGL2 is expressed late in intrahepatic bile duct development and patterns the formation of cell-cell contacts between biliary cells. The patterning of these cell contacts regulates the normal polarisation of the actin cytoskeleton within biliary cells and loss ofVangl2-function results in the abnormal distribution of cortical actin remodelling resulting in the failure of bile duct formation. Planar cell polarity is a critical step in the post-specification sculpture of the bile duct and is essential for establishing normal tissue architecture.
(E)-3-(1,3-Diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1-(thiazol-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one
Authors: Koh Dongsoo
Published: November 2023

In the title molecule, C21H15N3OS, the C5=C6 double bond in the central enone group adopts a trans configuration. The dihedral angle between planes of the thiazole and pyrazole rings is 6.6 (2)°. In the crystal, pairs of C—H...O hydrogen bonds generate inversion dimers and another pair of C—H...N hydrogen bonds link the dimers into chains propagating along a-axis direction.
Cultivating loyalty in fast food through marketing cues
Authors: Hassan Hasliza , Lim Ser Chee , Rahman Muhammad Sabbir
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Cultivating customer loyalty is extremely crucial for fast-food players to remain competitive in the industry. This research is discovering the path to cultivate customer loyalty through experience that is built based on auditory, gustatory, haptic, olfactory and visual cues.

Design/methodology/approach

Quantitative research has been conducted by distributing survey questionnaires to customers at selected fast-food restaurants in urban areas. The collected data has been analyzed by descriptive and structural equation modeling analysis.

Findings

The customers' loyalty to fast food can be cultivated through gustatory, haptic and olfactory cues. However, auditory and visual are not functioning as marketing cues to cultivate customer loyalty.

Practical implications

The fast-food players may emphasize gustatory, haptic and olfactory marketing cues to cultivate customer loyalty. These cues can be shared through experience.

Originality/value

This study has discovered the potential ways to cultivate customer loyalty in dining at fast-food restaurants within the Malaysian market.
The effect of enabling performance measurement systems on team learning behaviour and team effectiveness
Authors: Toyosaki Hitomi
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the enabling performance measurement systems (PMS) on non-managerial employees’ team learning behaviours (TLB) and team effectiveness (TE) when the PMS is used as an enabler.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was conducted with non-managerial employees in Japan and a total sample of 474 responses were collected. Partial least squares structural equation modelling using Smart-PLS was used for the analysis.

Findings

The results demonstrated that the design feature of global transparency in enabling PMS contributes to the enhancement of TE, with partial mediation through TLB. Furthermore, it was also evident that fostering TLB involves increasing the flexibility in PMS, specifically offering multiple options for collecting and aggregating performance information in various formats.

Originality/value

By examining the effects of the four features of enabling controls on TE and TLB, this study shows which features in an enabling PMS are important in motivating non-managerial employees at the operational level. The study not only fills a gap on the impact of enabling controls on non-managerial employees that has been under-researched but also makes an academic contribution in that it has deepened our understanding of four features that have not yet been fully elucidated.
Legal protection for gig workers' availability time: an empirical study of take-out platform riders in Beijing
Authors: Zhang Yanlong , Yan Dong
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This empirical study of one of China's biggest take-out platforms during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) explores the legal rights and protections for gig workers' availability time.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a quantitative survey and interviews of take-out platform riders, investigating the intrinsic features of working time and availability time. Labour law professionals and scholars are interviewed to verify the findings.

Findings

The availability time of take-out platform riders is difficult to define under the current legal working-time framework. There is a need for a specific method to define availability time, considering the multiple factors in gig-take-out-sector work. One option is to apply working-time regulations to availability time but to use a proportionality test to preserve flexibility whilst the platform offers protection to the riders during that time.

Research limitations/implications

Pandemic-related travel restrictions limited the authors' study to one take-out platform in Beijing. Future studies should cover a wider geographical area and multiple take-out platforms.

Originality/value

The study uniquely evaluates the availability time of take-out platform riders to determine appropriate public policy and theoretical implications. It proposes a proportionality test regulating riders' availability. In particular, the workers being “at leisure” during availability time could mitigate the platform's liability for full remuneration or moderate the ceiling of working hours. The occupational health and safety of riders must be fully protected, as they are still “at the platform's disposal” at that time.
Job attributes of key Sri Lankan construction professionals in addressing the challenges associated with climate change
Authors: Sandaruwan Iddamalgoda Pathiranage Tharindu , Bihara Janardana Jayasinghe Arachchige , Manoharan Kesavan
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Construction professionals are the major contributors to developing a sustainable construction industry, whereas architects, engineers and quantity surveyors are the key construction professionals who must play extraordinary roles in achieving better sustainable construction. Therefore, this study aims to identify the job attributes of key Sri Lankan construction professionals in addressing challenges associated with climate change.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a mixed research approach. A literature review and preliminary semi-structured interviews were used to appraise the job roles of architects, engineers and quantity surveyors in addressing challenges associated with climate change. The data collected through the qualitative approach were used in an online questionnaire survey, and the findings were analysed using the relative index method.

Findings

The findings highlight that regardless of the knowledge of the professional category on green rating tools, carbon footprint, adaptation of renewable energies for the reduction of energy consumption, building information modelling-related applications and waste management concepts/practices are the foremost job attributes required for the key Sri Lankan construction professionals in addressing challenges associated with climate change.

Research limitations/implications

The results from this study provide a handful of guidance to construction industry professionals, national and international professional institutions, non-governmental organisations and other relevant authorities to address climate change within the built environment by identifying ways for improving the relevant key job attributes of construction industry professionals.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that explores the job attributes of key Sri Lankan construction professionals in addressing the challenges associated with climate change.
Cultural events' service quality, satisfaction and loyalty: a case on an annual cultural diversity event in Borneo
Authors: Abdul Gapor Salfarina , Chin Chee Hua , Ngian Ek Tee , Wong Winnie Poh Ming , Kiew Jiet Ping , Toh Ting Ling
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the hard and soft measures of service quality and visitors' satisfaction, which ultimately contribute to visitor loyalty to the destination, specifically in the context of the Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF) in Sibu, Sarawak (Malaysia).

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a quantitative research approach with 427 valid responses from domestic and international tourists of BCF and employs the cognitive-affective-conative theory to examine how the festival impacts visitor loyalty.

Findings

The findings indicate that both hard and soft measures significantly contribute to the service quality and visitor satisfaction at the BCF. Additionally, service quality and visitor satisfaction were found to positively influence destination loyalty, while the relationship between legibility and visitor satisfaction was not significant.

Practical implications

The findings encourage the ministry and event organisers to adopt a destination event strategy that positions Sibu as an attractive event destination capable of attracting domestic and international tourists.

Originality/value

The findings of this study contribute to the existing body of knowledge on event tourism and destination loyalty by applying the cognitive-affective-conative theory. This study marks the first of its kind, analysing both the tangible (hard) and intangible (soft) measures of service quality and their impact on visitor satisfaction, ultimately influencing visitor loyalty to the destination, particularly in the context of the BCF in Sibu, Sarawak.
Improving shuttle services quality in VUCA world: evidence from the IT industry
Authors: Pitchaimani Kalpana , Zouadi Tarik , Lokesh K.S. , Sreedharan V. Raja
Published: November 2023

Purpose

As the world is becoming more volatile and uncertain, organizations face much complexity in their daily operations. Further, there is a much ambiguity in business operations to achieve the effective utilization of resources. The work optimizes a novel constraint programming model approach of the utilization of shuttle services vehicle while considering cost savings, employee wellbeing and other real an Information Technology enabled service (ITES) industry constraints.

Design/methodology/approach

The present work considers a novel extension of the vehicle routing problem related to the shuttle service operation in an ITES industry in VUCA context. Additionally, the model considers the women safety aspects, which engages the company to provide a security guard for women employees in the night shift.

Findings

Numerical experiments were conducted on real instances data of ITES industrial partner. The results show that the vehicle utilization increased from 75% up to 96% while ensuring in parallel the wellbeing of employees and women safety during the night shift. Finally, the proposed model is converted to a decision support application allowing ITES partner to plan employees shuttle service operations efficiently.

Originality/value

Study has evaluated the shuttle services optimization for ITES industry using data from industrial which makes it a unique contribution to literature in shuttle operations. Further, the study used constraint programming to evaluate the vehicle utilization and security allocation, thereby introducing new parameter on security allocation in open VRP problem.
Entrepreneurial orientation and social performance of microfinance institutions in Indonesia
Authors: Riwu Kore Morrison Hendrik , Rokhim Rofikoh , Rachmawati Riani , Sudhartio Lily
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to examine the influence of entrepreneurial orientation on social performance and the influence of social performance on financial performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Indonesia. These tests use environmental dynamism as antecedents.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was conducted on a sample of 235 CEOs/top leaders of MFIs spread across all provinces in Indonesia. Data collection used survey questionnaires. Data testing used SPSS version 25, and structural modeling used Amos version 25.

Findings

The findings show that entrepreneurial orientation significantly influences the social performance of MFIs in Indonesia. Entrepreneurial orientation does not influence financial performance but must go through social performance mediation. Social performance has a significant effect on financial performance. The importance of MFIs improves social performance (depth and breadth of reach) to improve financial performance.

Practical implications

MFIs need to increase social contribution and responsibility to improve social performance which will impact financial performance.

Originality/value

Entrepreneurial orientation influence on financial performance goes through social performance. Social performance includes the depth of the reach to contribute to improving the quality of life of people experiencing poverty around the MFI's operations and the social responsibility of MFIs to the community through scholarships, free medical assistance, basic food assistance and building/renovating houses of worship and others.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-06-2023-0478
Safeguarding trust in a digital ecosystem
Authors: Aguiar Marcos , Kiderman Jeff , Shekar Harsha Chandra , Schilke Oliver
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the significance of safeguards in digital ecosystems and their role in generating trust among participants. This paper argues that the right mix and number of safeguards are crucial for an ecosystem’s growth and success. It offers ecosystem orchestrators concrete guidelines for how to implement and monitor safeguards.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on both consulting experience and publicly available information on several digital ecosystems.

Findings

This research conceptualizes safeguards as precautionary mechanisms that mandate or promote desirable behavior in an effort to engender trust among ecosystem participants. Safeguards can take various forms, including passwords, escrow, user privacy controls, ratings and reviews and policies and contracts. Striking the right balance of safeguards – neither too few nor too many – is crucial for ecosystem orchestrators. This paper identifies the factors that determine the optimal mix of safeguards, including the power asymmetry between sellers and buyers, the sophistication of participants, the nature of transactions, the cost of negative outcomes and the cost-benefit tradeoff.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to illuminate the relationship between safeguards and trust in the context of digital ecosystem. It is also one of the few attempts to provide managerial guidance for ecosystem designers trying to structure their platform for trust.
Overcoming the “blame game” in strategic climate communication: from decoupling accusations toward an arena-spanning agenda
Authors: Krämer Alexandra , Winkler Peter
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The climate crisis presents a global threat. Research shows the necessity of joint communication efforts across different arenas—media, politics, business, academia and protest—to address this threat. However, communication about social change in response to the climate crisis comes with challenges. These challenges manifest, among others, in public accusations of inconsistency in terms of hypocrisy and incapability against self-declared change agents in different arenas. This increasingly turns public climate communication into a “blame game”.

Design/methodology/approach

Strategic communication scholarship has started to engage in this debate, thereby acknowledging climate communication as an arena-spanning, necessarily contested issue. Still, a systematic overview of specific inconsistency accusations in different public arenas is lacking. This conceptual article provides an overview based on a macro-focused public arena approach and decoupling scholarship.

Findings

Drawing on a systematic literature review of climate-related strategic communication scholarship and key debates from climate communication research in neighboring domains, the authors develop a framework mapping how inconsistency accusations of hypocrisy and incapacity, that is, policy–practice and means–ends decoupling, manifest in different climate communication arenas.

Originality/value

This framework creates awareness for the shared challenge of decoupling accusations across different climate communication arenas, underscoring the necessity of an arena-spanning strategic communication agenda. This agenda requires a communicative shift from downplaying to embracing decoupling accusations, from mutual blaming to approval of accountable ways of working through accusations and from confrontation to cooperation of agents across arenas.
Measuring performance of farmer producer organisations using data envelopment analysis
Authors: Muniyoor Krishna , Pandey Rajan
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Farmers producer organisations (FPOs) play the most crucial role in the agriculture supply chain system, aiming to redress the balance between farming and marketing activities of agricultural produce. The purpose of this study is to assess the performance of FPOs using data envelopment analysis (usually referred to as DEA) on 34 FPO units selected from the state of Rajasthan.

Design/methodology/approach

One of the most commonly used techniques to examine business performance is the application of DEA. The application of DEA requires the selection of inputs and outputs. This study takes three inputs and three outputs based on the insights drawn from the field survey. While the input variables consist of total assets, paid-up capital and the number of economic activities, the three output variables are turnover, net profit and number of members benefitted. Broadly, these variables encapsulate the operational performance of the business units.

Findings

This study’s findings reveal that the estimated relative efficiency score of the input-oriented CCR (Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes) model ranges from 0.06 to 1. Interestingly, only one FPO has reported a relative efficiency (RE) score of one, whereas the remaining FPOs fall below the efficiency frontier. However, 15 FPOs report an RE score of one in the output-oriented CCR approach. Considering the estimates obtained in the input- and output-oriented BCC (Banker, Charnes and Cooper) models, this study found that about 20% of the FPOs report an efficiency score greater than 0.80. Moreover, three FPOs are on the frontier line. An examination of the scale efficiency score in the input-oriented model, 45% of the FPOs have an efficiency score greater than 0.80, whereas almost all FPOs achieve a scale efficiency score greater than 0.80 in the output-oriented model. Overall, the results imply that the FPOs should place greater emphasis on the efficient utilisation of the inputs to enhance the overall business performance and productivity.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study provide vital insights into the specific inputs and outputs that determine the performance efficiency of FPOs and identify the potential areas for improving the existing inefficient FPOs.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the repository of the existing empirical studies in three distinct ways. First, the authors hardly found any previous studies that quantitatively assess the business performance of FPOs using the DEA technique. Second, the effort to identify the slacks associated with each input and output variable in input- and output-oriented models gives insights on improvable areas for inefficient FPOs. Third, the authors attempt to demystify the empirical obfuscations by highlighting the major challenges FPOs face in the state of Rajasthan.
Enhancing digital service communication strategies
Authors: Lee Seonjeong Ally , Oh Haemoon
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Based on stimulus-organism-response theory, this study aims to explore how digital service communication strategies affected customers’ e-service agent use intentions through perceived warmth and competence.

Design/methodology/approach

A 2 × 2 scenario-based experiment was conducted to test the proposed relationships.

Findings

Findings indicated when a high-authority conversation party was engaged in digital service communications, customers showed higher e-service agent use intentions through perceived warmth and competence in an emoji-presence conversation style.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore the effects of digital service communication strategies on customers’ internal and behavioral responses.
Prominent scholars in Islamic economics and allied disciplines: a bibliometric review
Authors: Akbar Mohamed Aslam , Mohd Thas Thaker Mohamed Asmy , Mohammed Mustafa Omar , Nik Mat Nik Hziman , Abd.Aziz Hassanuddeen
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to address the lack of a proper database or finding system for scholars of Islamic economics (IE), as well as the dearth of literature on bibliographic search and trend analyses of scholars in this field. This study aims to adopt a bibliometric review of the bibliography of experts in IE and scholars in disciplines allied to IE.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a bibliometric review of the bibliography of experts in IE and scholars in disciplines allied to IE. The researchers collected data on scholars’ profiles and scholarly works and analyzed them to identify trends and patterns.

Findings

This study presents two main themes: the profiles of the scholars in IE and allied disciplines, and their scholarly works. The findings on the scholars’ profiles reveal that most scholars are contemporaries born between the 1940s and 1990s, concentrated in Malaysia and affiliated with the International Islamic University Malaysia. Regarding their scholarly works, the majority of their efforts resulted in 11,736 materials in the form of books, articles and conference papers spread across 13 sub-areas in IE.

Originality/value

This study fills the gap in literature by providing a database and finding system for scholars in IE and conducting a bibliographic search and trend analysis of scholars in this field. The findings shed light on the profiles of scholars and their scholarly works, which can guide future research in this area.