bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermally stable high-loading single Cu sites on ZSM-5 for selective catalytic oxidation of NH
3
Authors: Chen Lu , Guan Xuze , Wu Xinbang , Asakura Hiroyuki , Hopkinson David G. , Allen Christopher , Callison June , Dyson Paul J. , Wang Feng Ryan
Published: July 2024

Rigorous comparisons between single site- and nanoparticle (NP)-dispersed catalysts featuring the same composition, in terms of activity, selectivity, and reaction mechanism, are limited. This limitation is partly due to the tendency of single metal atoms to sinter into aggregated NPs at high loadings and elevated temperatures, driven by a decrease in metal surface free energy. Here, we have developed a unique two-step method for the synthesis of single Cu sites on ZSM-5 (termed Cu
S
/ZSM-5) with high thermal stability. The atomic-level dispersion of single Cu sites was confirmed through scanning transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The Cu
S
/ZSM-5 catalyst was compared to a CuO NP-based catalyst (termed Cu
N
/ZSM-5) in the oxidation of NH
3
to N
2
, with the former exhibiting superior activity and selectivity. Furthermore, operando XAFS and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy studies were conducted to simultaneously assess the fate of the Cu and the surface adsorbates, providing a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of the two catalysts. The study shows that the facile redox behavior exhibited by single Cu sites correlates with the enhanced activity observed for the Cu
S
/ZSM-5 catalyst.
Activating an invertebrate bistable opsin with the all-trans 6.11 retinal analog
Authors: Rodrigues Matthew J. , Tejero Oliver , Mühle Jonas , Pamula Filip , Das Ishita , Tsai Ching-Ju , Terakita Akihisa , Sheves Mordechai , Schertler Gebhard F. X.
Published: July 2024

Animal vision depends on opsins, a category of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that achieves light sensitivity by covalent attachment to retinal. Typically binding as an inverse agonist, 11-cis retinal photoisomerizes to the all-trans isomer and activates the receptor, initiating downstream signaling cascades. Retinal bound to bistable opsins isomerizes back to the 11-cis state after absorption of a second photon, inactivating the receptor. Bistable opsins are essential for invertebrate vision and nonvisual light perception across the animal kingdom. While crystal structures are available for bistable opsins in the inactive state, it has proven difficult to form homogeneous populations of activated bistable opsins either via illumination or reconstitution with all-trans retinal. Here, we show that a nonnatural retinal analog, all-trans retinal 6.11 (ATR6.11), can be reconstituted with the invertebrate bistable opsin, Jumping Spider Rhodopsin-1 (JSR1). Biochemical activity assays demonstrate that ATR6.11 functions as a JSR1 agonist. ATR6.11 binding also enables complex formation between JSR1 and signaling partners. Our findings demonstrate the utility of retinal analogs for biophysical characterization of bistable opsins, which will deepen our understanding of light perception in animals.
Early metformin treatment: An effective approach for targeting fragile X syndrome pathophysiology
Authors: Choi Jung-Hyun , Marsal-García Laura , Peraldi Eve , Walters Caleb , Huang Ziying , Gantois Ilse , Sonenberg Nahum
Published: July 2024

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common genetic cause of autism spectrum disorder engendered by transcriptional silencing of the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (
FMR1
) gene. Given the early onset of behavioral and molecular changes, it is imperative to know the optimal timing for therapeutic intervention. Case reports documented benefits of metformin treatment in FXS children between 2 and 14 y old. In this study, we administered metformin from birth to

Fmr1
−/y

mice which corrected up-regulated mitogen-2 activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase and mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling pathways and specific synaptic mRNA-binding targets of FMRP. Metformin rescued increased number of calls in ultrasonic vocalization and repetitive behavior in

Fmr1
−/y

mice. Our findings demonstrate that in mice, early-in-life metformin intervention is effective in treating FXS pathophysiology.
Architecture of Late Antique/Medieval Rome
Authors: Kalas Gregor
Published: July 2024

Investigations of architecture in the city of Rome during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages have examined the final phases of imperial patronage, the emergence of Christian basilicas, and the development of papal projects that displayed how the bishops competed with secular authorities. The maintenance of the ancient city remained significant in the incorporation of impressive architectural fragments into newer structures and the widespread adaptation and preservation of entire buildings, demonstrating that medieval Romans upheld the built environment they inherited. The architecture of Rome also encompasses urbanism, which can be understood through its infrastructure and the outdoor liturgical or ritual activities together with pilgrimage that provide insights into the urban network of streets. After about 1980, impressive excavations conducted by prominent archaeologists who carefully attended to post-classical phases have revealed unanticipated insights. Their discoveries indicate that the innovative repurposing of buildings and the protective repairs of much of the infrastructure helped medieval residents to act with resilience in the face of catastrophes and population decline after the fifth century ce. Recent investigations continually discuss papal sponsorship’s vital importance; yet scholars have challenged the pope-centered narratives due to the prominence of clerics, monks, lay patrons, and secular authorities who also shaped Rome’s architecture.
The Parthian Empire
Authors: Cameron Hamish
Published: July 2024

The history of the Parthian Empire traditionally begins in 247 bce, when the founder of the Arsacid dynasty, Arsaces I, seized control of the Seleucid satrapy of Parthia (Parthyaia and Parthyene in Greek and Parθava in Old Persian) and ends with the defeat of Ardavan (or Artabanus) IV by the rebellious Sasanid Persian king Ardashir in 224 ce. The ruling dynasty of the state was the Arsacids, named for their founder Arsaces, thus leading to the alternate name of the state as the Arsacid Empire. “Arsacid” (or “Arsakid”) is increasingly used by specialists to refer to the period and state structure, but the geographic and ethnic term “Parthian” is still commonly used to refer to all aspects of this empire. The all-inclusive “Parthian” with its ethnic connotations can lead to conceptual confusion, particularly in the attribution of cultural products to the groups that produced them. The most important difficulty in studying the Parthians is the nature of our sources. The Parthians did not leave an extensive literature of their own; most of our written sources are Greek and Roman authors writing within the political and ideological structures of rival empires: external at best and hostile at worst. In particular, the tendency for Roman authors to minimize Parthian power compared to their own has cast a long shadow. Similarly, their successors, the Sasanid Persians, saw them as interlopers between their own empire and the earlier Achaemenids, referring to them as “petty kings.” These source biases influence the treatment of the Parthians in modern scholarship, with strands of Orientalism and Eurocentrism persisting even in recent works. Material culture is essential for understanding the Parthian Empire, especially numismatic evidence. The chronology of Arsacid kings relies in large part on the work of numismatists, in part owing to the ambiguity of royal names in our external written sources. The result is that the dates and even existence of some kings remain unsettled. In the absence of internal written evidence, much of our knowledge of Parthian culture must also derive from material culture. This is complicated by local diversity across the empire and by debates over the degree to which various aspects of Parthian culture should be attributed to Hellenizing influences from the Seleucids, the nomadic origins of Arsaces and the Parni in Central Asia, or local Iranian customs.
Rare and Orphan Diseases and Social Work Practice
Authors: Levine Carol
Published: July 2024

Social workers in diverse settings provide patients and their families with information, emotional support, and referrals to appropriate resources. When the patient’s condition is undiagnosed or designated a “rare” or “orphan” disease, social workers may face questions similar to those encountered in more familiar diseases. Often, however, they face quite different challenges. An estimated 70–80 percent of rare diseases are genetic in origin, influenced not only by single genes or combinations but also by environmental conditions and infections. In the United States, a disease is considered rare if fewer than two hundred thousand people are affected at a given time. Many countries have higher or lower thresholds. “Orphan” diseases may or may not be rare by prevalence measurement, but they have not been adequately researched because drug manufacturers consider the costs too high for the low potential customer base. And while most chronic disease patients are adults, especially older adults, rare diseases are often seen at birth, in the first few years of life, or when the child is a teenager. Families may not get an accurate diagnosis for years, while symptoms worsen and even lead to early death. Medical bills mount in frustrating searches for drugs and other therapies still in development or not yet on the drawing board. Despite these barriers, it is an exciting time to be involved in rare diseases. Since the late twentieth century, new technologies have added new research possibilities, and new funding for drug development is becoming available. For social workers, it is an opportune time to apply their skills and knowledge of human behavior and emotional and resource needs to a growing field. It is also a time when major social, economic, and demographic changes are being newly addressed in health care. The comparatively small number of patients diagnosed with each of the estimated seven thousand to ten thousand rare diseases identified so far has stimulated many national and international collaborations, some cited in this article. Many of these are patient and family centered, areas that benefit from social work input. And this knowledge has stimulated new questions about the role social workers and patients/families can play in research and advocacy, how to influence public policy, how to combat stigma and discrimination, and other ethical and practical problems. These are challenging times for experienced social workers and those new to the field; but collaborating with colleagues in health care and related fields, they can offer help and hope to patients, families, and communities.
The Golden Girls
Authors: Berzsenyi Christyne
Published: July 2024

Coexisting with the older and popular American president Ronald Reagan, the 1980s and 1990s saw a new phenomenon of appealing, mature central characters, fifty-five years of age and above, in long-running American television series, including Columbo (11 seasons, 69 episodes, 1968–2002), The Equalizer (4 seasons, 87 episodes, 1985–1989) Matlock (9 seasons, 195 episodes, 1986–1995), Murder She Wrote (9 seasons, 263 episodes, 1984–1996), In the Heat of the Night (8 seasons, 146 episodes, 1988–1995), Jake and the Fat Man (5 seasons, 106 episodes, 1987–1992) and its spin-off Diagnosis Murder (8 seasons, 178 episodes, 1993–2001), and The Golden Girls (7 seasons, 180 episodes, 1985–1992) and its spin-off, sans Dorothy, The Golden Palace (1 season, 24 episodes, 1992–1993). The hit, half-hour sitcom The Golden Girls (TGG/GG) uniquely featured an all-female ensemble cast of celebrities—Beatrice Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak, Betty White as Rose Nyland, Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux, and Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo. The character and dialogue–driven show addressed difficult topics of aging but with humor, including Alzheimer’s disease and other ailments, the death of loved ones, ageism, loss of youthful beauty, bodily deteriorations and functioning, love and passion at any age, and the like. Through the use of storytelling, the characters shared their personal histories and bonds of friendship, though even more as a supportive, alternative family; contradicted prevailing negative stereotypes of the elderly as purposeless, lonely, and unattractive; and entertained millions of viewers of all ages, who continue to watch the show in syndication on multiple television stations. Most importantly, the show managed to create a familial dynamic as housemates that viewers wished to emulate in their own lives, especially those without loving blood relations. Although the women were all white, the show often presented “alternative lifestyle” individuals and numerous minority characters with sensitivity as they face substantial social obstacles in mainstream culture. With the aid of general good health, The Golden Girls presented older age as a time of friendship, healing, growth, “restorying,” romance, and activity—images of positive communal living. Speaking volumes, the headline on Lifetime Television’s The Golden Girls website reads, “We love the Golden Girls!”—as opposed to “We love The Golden Girls.” Discernibly, fans’ devotion is not only to the show but to the characters themselves. Despite our contemporary popular American culture’s undeniable and overwhelming focus on youth, large audiences continue to embrace the show’s appealing portrayals of the senior women engaging in personally fulfilling and cognitively involved adventures together in the later part of life.
International Legal Personality
Authors: Loefflad Eric
Published: July 2024

Broadly speaking, “legal personality” is the ability of an entity to assert rights and incur duties within a given regime of law. Through this legal endowment, “persons” are actionably distinguished from “things.” Arguably, any order that falls within the category of “legal system” must possess some mechanism for determining which entities can or cannot claim the status of “legal person.” This issue of determination is particularly complicated within the domain of public international law for two important reasons. First of all, there is the matter of how, on a global scale, formulations of legal personality are boundlessly diverse in their manifestations, yet international law, the one legal regime that is universal in its global applicability, is not at all representative of this diversity. This raises a host of questions as to why and how international law came to validate certain formulations of legal personality at the expense of others, and whether it could be reimagined as more inclusive of the world’s diverse traditions in this regard. Secondly, and in an intimately related capacity, there is the matter of how international legal personality should be theorized in relation to international law’s distinct subjects and hierarchies among them. While debates on legal personality in other legal systems largely turn on comparing the “legal person” to the human individual (i.e., the “natural person”) as a typically assumed holder of legal rights and obligations, under international law, only the “full subject” in the form of the sovereign state can be said to possess incontestable international legal personality. However, this state-centrism does not remove consideration of the individual from the baseline theory of international legal personality. After all, the nature of the sovereign state within the international order as it was both comparable to the individual in a domestic order and derived its personality from being a collective amalgam of individuals was among the most important discourse within the classical law of nature and nations. As such, articulating international legal personality can be viewed as a grand exercise in “double analogy” in it that entails analogizing states with non-states and states with individuals. Because of these complexities, the question of international legal personality exists at the forefront of some of the most conception-defying debates on international law. Even a bibliographic outline of this topic must make difficult theoretical choices.
John Banville
Authors: D'hoker Elke
Published: July 2024

Born in Wexford on 8 December 1945, John Banville was educated at the Christian Brothers and St Peter’s College in Wexford. He did not attend university, but worked as a clerk and started writing. In 1969 he became copy-editor at the Irish Press and in 1983 he joined The Irish Times, first as sub-editor and from 1988 to 1999 as literary editor. Stories published in magazines in the late 1960s became his first (and only) short story collection, Long Lankin (1970), quickly followed by two novels: Nightspawn (1971) and Birchwood (1973). In 1976, Banville published Doctor Copernicus, the first novel of his ambitious science tetralogy: a series devoted to the life and ideas of major scientists. Kepler (1981), The Newton Letter (1982), and Mefisto (1986) completed the series. Banville’s exploration of morally compromised self-centered narrators in these last two novels was continued in The Book of Evidence (1989). Based on the life of a notorious Dublin murderer, it attracted considerable media attention and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Ghosts (1993) and Athena (1995) completed this so-called art trilogy around Freddie Montgomery. The Untouchable, a fictionalized life of Soviet spy Anthony Blunt followed in 1997. Eclipse (2000), Shroud (2002), and Ancient Light (2012) form a second trilogy in Banville’s oeuvre, partly based on the life of deconstructionist critic Paul de Man. The year 2005 saw Banville win the Man Booker Prize for The Sea, the fictional memoir of a man who returns to a scene of childhood trauma while mourning the death of his wife. In the 1990s and 2000s Banville also branched out into other forms of writing. He adapted three plays of Heinrich von Kleist, The Broken Jug (1994), God’s Gift (2000), and Love in the Wars (2005); wrote two radio plays, A World Too Wide (2005) and Totdnauberg (2006); and adapted his own work and that of others for the screen. He also turned to crime fiction in 2006 with Christine Falls, published under the pseudonym of Benjamin Black. The book was well received and Banville has since written thirteen more crime fiction novels, under different pen names and, since 2020, his own name. While creating an entirely different fictional universe, mostly set in 1950s Ireland, the crime fiction does contain many Banville tropes and themes. Another “literary” novel, The Infinities was published in 2009, followed by The Blue Guitar (2015) and Mrs Osmond (2017), a sequel to Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady. In 2022 Banville wrote what he calls his final novel, The Singularities. It assembles a cast of characters from his previous novels in a fitting farewell. The Lock-Up (2023) is his last crime novel to date. Banville has won many literary awards, including the Kafka Prize and the Prince of Asturias Award. He was a member of Aosdána from 1984 to 2001.
Origin of Vertebrates
Authors: Galera Andrés
Published: July 2024

Vertebrates have inhabited the Earth for at least 400 million years, first appearing during the Cambrian period. Initially, as the name indicates, the representative anatomical characteristic of the group is an internal bony structure formed by vertebrae surrounding the spinal corp, that is, the vertebral column. It was the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck who had the ingenious idea of using this feature as a distinctive classificatory element. The nomenclature became official in 1801. Animals were then forever to be separated into vertebrates and invertebrates—a simple, effective, and convenient formula. With this differentiation, Lamarck highlights a substantial morphological fact. The animal kingdom has two anatomical outlines adapted to life. According to Lamarckian evolutionary theory, they were typologies diversified from a common origin caused by the environment. In 1859, Charles Darwin formulated his theory of evolution by natural selection. Similar in approach but with a different mechanism to explain the origin of species through continuous and selective morphological changes. Within the new Darwinian order, embryologists such as Anton Dohrn, William Bateson, Francis Balfour, Walter Gaskell, Alexander Kowalevsky, and Ray Lankester turned morphogenesis into the stage on which to study transformation. No doubt, knowing what happened and how it happened will be key questions for the development of evolutionary theory. Proving the invertebrate–vertebrate morphological transition, unimaginable to the naked eye, was fundamental to its validation. Who is the ancestor, how does the transformation occur, what phylogenetic lines does it represent, and which groups of extant invertebrates are closest to the earliest stage are questions that have shaped the research on the origin of vertebrates that began in the 19th century. Since then, clearing up the unknowns has been a complex biological problem that has had diverse interpretations and discordant answers. This intellectual discussion was based fundamentally and firstly by data from embryonic morphology, and later also by biochemical, genetic, and palaeontological data. Hypotheses, ideas, models, and theories all contribute to an unfinished debate.
A conserved phenylalanine motif among teleost fish provides insight for improving electromagnetic perception
Authors: Ricker Brianna , Castellanos Franco E. Alejandro , de los Campos Gustavo , Pelled Galit , Gilad Assaf A.
Published: July 2024

Magnetoreceptive biology as a field remains relatively obscure; compared with the breadth of species believed to sense magnetic fields, it remains under-studied. Here, we present grounds for the expansion of magnetoreception studies among teleosts. We begin with the electromagnetic perceptive gene (EPG) from
Kryptopterus vitreolus
and expand to identify 72 teleosts with homologous proteins containing a conserved three-phenylalanine (3F) motif. Phylogenetic analysis provides insight as to how EPG may have evolved over time and indicates that certain clades may have experienced a loss of function driven by different fitness pressures. One potential factor is water type with freshwater fish significantly more likely to possess the functional motif version (FFF), and saltwater fish to have the non-functional variant (FXF). It was also revealed that when the 3F motif from the homologue of
Brachyhypopomus gauderio
(B.g.) is inserted into EPG—EPG(B.g.)—the response (as indicated by increased intracellular calcium) is faster. This indicates that EPG has the potential to be engineered to improve upon its response and increase its utility to be used as a controller for specific outcomes.
Global leaf sulfur stoichiometry and the relationships with nitrogen and phosphorus: phylogeny, growth form and environmental controls
Authors: Zhang Liangjian , Zuo Zhenjun , Qiao Xiujuan , Liu Yixuan , Qu Rui , Zhao Haocun , Wang Youxin , Zhao Peidong , Zhang Lin , Wu Zhigang , Wang Zhong
Published: July 2024

Sulfur (S) is an essential bioelement with vital roles in serving regulatory and catalytic functions and tightly coupled with N and P in plants. However, globally stoichiometric patterns of leaf S and its relationships to leaf N and P are less well studied. We compiled 31 939 records of leaf-based data for 2600 plant species across 6652 sites worldwide. All plant species were divided into different phylogenetic taxa and growth forms. Standard major axis analysis was employed to fit the bivariate element relationships. A phylogenetic linear mixed-effect model and a multiple-regression model were used to partition the variations of bioelements into phylogeny and environments, and then to estimate the importance of environmental variables. Global geometric mean leaf S, N and P concentrations were 1.44, 15.70 and 1.27 mg g
−1
, respectively, with significant differences among plant groups. Leaf S–N–P positively correlated with each other, ignoring plant groups. The scaling exponents of LN–LS, LP–LS and LN–LP were 0.64, 0.76 and 0.79, respectively, for all species, but differed among plant groups. Both phylogeny and environments regulated the bioelements. The variability, rather than mean temperature, controlled the bioelements. Phylogeny explained more for the concentrations of all the three bioelements than environments, of which S was the one most affected by phylogenetic taxa.
Whole genome sequence of Paracoccus sp. NFXS7, a carotenoid-producing bacterium isolated from a marine saltern
Authors: Bertrand Constança D.F. , Martins Rodrigo , Quintas-Nunes Francisco , Reynolds-Brandão Pedro , Barreto Crespo Maria T. , Nascimento Francisco X.
Published: July 2024

The study presents the whole genome sequence of the carotenoid-producing Paracoccus sp. NFXS7, isolated from a marine saltern in Setúbal, Portugal. The carotenoid-producing strain NFXS7 contains homologs of the crt genes involved in astaxanthin biosynthesis, making it a promising candidate for biotechnological applications.
Generation of tools for expression and purification of the phage-encoded Type I restriction enzyme inhibitor, Ocr
Authors: Alves Joana , Dry Inga , White John H. , Dryden David T.F. , Lynskey Nicola N.
Published: July 2024

DNA manipulation is an essential tool in molecular microbiology research that is dependent on the ability of bacteria to take up and preserve foreign DNA by horizontal gene transfer. This process can be significantly impaired by the activity of bacterial restriction modification systems; bacterial operons comprising paired enzymatic activities that protectively methylate host DNA, while cleaving incoming unmodified foreign DNA. Ocr is a phage-encoded protein that inhibits Type I restriction modification systems, the addition of which significantly improves bacterial transformation efficiency. We recently established an improved and highly efficient transformation protocol for the important human pathogen group A Streptococcus using commercially available recombinant Ocr protein, manufacture of which has since been discontinued. In order to ensure the continued availability of Ocr protein within the research community, we have generated tools and methods for in-house Ocr production and validated the activity of the purified recombinant protein.
Automated preparation of plasma lipids, metabolites, and proteins for LC/MS-based analysis of a high-fat diet in mice
Authors: Vu Ngoc , Maile Tobias M , Gollapudi Sudha , Gaun Aleksandr , Seitzer Phillip , O’Brien Jonathon J , Hackett Sean R , Zavala-Solorio Jose , McAllister Fiona E , Kolumam Ganesh , Keyser Rob , Bennett Bryson D
Published: July 2024

Blood plasma is one of the most commonly analyzed and easily accessible biological samples. Here, we describe an automated liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) platform that generates accurate, precise, and reproducible samples for metabolomic, lipidomic, and proteomic analyses from a single aliquot of plasma while minimizing hands-on time and avoiding contamination from plasticware. We applied mass spectrometry to examine the metabolome, lipidome, and proteome of 90 plasma samples to determine the effects of age, time of day, and a high-fat diet in mice. From 25 μL of mouse plasma, we identified 907 lipid species from 16 different lipid classes and subclasses, 233 polar metabolites, and 344 proteins. We found that the high-fat diet induced only mild changes in the polar metabolome, upregulated Apolipoproteins, and induced substantial shifts in the lipidome, including a significant increase in arachidonic acid (AA) and a decrease in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content across all lipid classes.
Gender variability in machine learning based subcortical neuroimaging for Parkinson’s disease diagnosis
Authors: Islam Nair Ul , Khanam Ruqaiya
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study evaluates machine learning (ML) classifiers for diagnosing Parkinson’s disease (PD) using subcortical brain region data from 3D T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI database). We aim to identify top-performing algorithms and assess gender-related differences in accuracy.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple ML algorithms will be compared for their ability to classify PD vs healthy controls using MRI scans of the brain structures like the putamen, thalamus, brainstem, accumbens, amygdala, caudate, hippocampus and pallidum. Analysis will include gender-specific performance comparisons.

Findings

The study reveals that ML classifier performance in diagnosing PD varies across subcortical brain regions and shows gender differences. The Extra Trees classifier performed best in men (86.36% accuracy in the putamen), while Naive Bayes performed best in women (69.23%, amygdala). Regions like the accumbens, hippocampus and caudate showed moderate accuracy (65–70%) in men and poor performance in women. The results point out a significant gender-based performance gap, highlighting the need for gender-specific models to improve diagnostic precision across complex brain structures.

Originality/value

This study highlights the significant impact of gender on machine learning diagnosis of PD using data from subcortical brain regions. Our novel focus on these regions uncovers their diagnostic potential, improves model accuracy and emphasizes the need for gender-specific approaches in medical AI. This work could ultimately lead to earlier PD detection and more personalized treatment.
Human resource management (HRM) practices and organizational commitment in higher educational institution (HEI): a mediating role for work engagement
Authors: Sharif Shahbaz , Malik Shahab Alam , Arooj Nimra , Albadry Omaima Munawar
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effects of HRM practices on administrative and faculty members’ work engagement and organizational commitment at Minhaj University Lahore, Pakistan. The primary objectives of the research are to investigate how HRM practices – such as selection and recruitment, training and development, rewards and compensation, job security, employee, participation and performance appraisal, directly and indirectly, influence organizational commitment via work engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a quantitative research methodology using a survey questionnaire given to academic and administrative staff at Minhaj University Lahore. For descriptive statistics, SPSS was used, and Smart PLS 3.3.3 was used for structural equation modelling (SEM).

Findings

The results indicate that while selection and recruitment, rewards and compensation and job security do not show a significant direct impact, training and development, employee participation and performance appraisal significantly influence work engagement. Moreover, work engagement also influenced organizational commitment. In addition, work engagement significantly mediates the relationship between training and development, employee participation, performance appraisal and organizational commitment. However, selection and recruitment, rewards and compensation and job security do not show significant mediation effects.

Practical implications

To enhance work engagement in Pakistani HEIs, focus on tailored training, active faculty participation, effective appraisals and competitive compensation while fostering a supportive environment and recognizing accomplishments to increase commitment and institutional performance.

Originality/value

This study emphasizes the importance of particular tactics catered to the regional academic context for institutional performance and sustainability, providing novel insights into enhancing work engagement and organizational commitment in Pakistani higher education.
The mediating role of shareholders score in fostering environmental innovation through integrated reporting: insight from Japan
Authors: Dhifi Kawther , Lajnef Karima
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between integrated reporting, environmental innovation and the mediating effect of shareholder scores within the context of Japan.

Design/methodology/approach

SEM on panel data are used to study the impact of the role of shareholder scores in mediating the effect of integrated reporting on environmental innovation. This empirical study was based on a sample of 420 companies operating in Japan for the period spanning 2010 and 2022.

Findings

Drawing upon empirical results, this research uncovers the pivotal role of the shareholder's score as a mediating factor in this relationship. A higher shareholder score signifies a governance structure that values shareholder input and fairness in treatment. Empowered shareholders leverage their influence to advocate for transparent reporting practices that encompass environmental considerations. Consequently, firms with elevated shareholder scores are more inclined toward environmental innovation, aligning their strategies with sustainability imperatives.

Originality/value

The findings contribute to understanding of how corporate governance mechanisms, particularly shareholder empowerment, interact with reporting practices to drive environmental initiatives, providing valuable implications for sustainable business practices globally.
Experience design of lifestyle communities: the future of hospitality and tourism
Authors: Zhang Tingting (Christina) , Hua Nan , Heo Jaewan , Wang Youcheng , Pizam Abraham
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a critical reflection on the experience design of the lifestyle communities in the hospitality and tourism industry. Specifically, this paper proposes a conceptual model that governs experience design in creating unique and memorable experiences for lifestyle communities.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a critical analysis of emerging phenomena, related literature and researchers’ experiences and insights.

Findings

The lifestyle community is conceptualized as a group of people who share a specific interest, value or activity and the type of its existence can be classified as physical, virtual or hybrid. As the importance of experience design has been highlighted in the hospitality and tourism industry, the study provides the guest experience design framework of lifestyle communities that suggests an operationalization of experience design that touches shared values of customers within lifestyle communities.

Research limitations/implications

This study introduces a framework that highlights the role of experience design in the development of lifestyle communities, thereby enriching the emerging body of knowledge. Additionally, the research illustrates how lifestyle communities diverge from traditional hospitality business models by using distinctive positioning strategies.

Practical implications

This study provides practical implications on how to capture the growing number of customers represented by lifestyle communities in the future. A deep understanding of frameworks may be crucial to establishing the experience design of lifestyle communities to correspond to the future of the hospitality and tourism industry.

Originality/value

This study remarks an initial attempt to provide a critical reflection of a rising contemporary issue: experience design and lifestyle communities. Conceptualization through a profound reflection of the issue offers insights to define existing phenomena and suggestions to capture future opportunities and actual management. Furthermore, future research directions in hospitality and tourism are elucidated by the provided conceptual frameworks.
Be a rainbow in own cloud: applying trait activation theory to trigger personality using conflict handling styles for intrapreneurial behaviour
Authors: Alam Muhammad Zubair , Rafiq Muhammad , Alafif Adnan , Nasir Sobia , Bashir Jawad
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Research in the field of intrapreneurial behaviour (IB) is developing in terms of the personality results of employees in various occupations. An important developing field is the study of how personality traits (PTs) influence occupational results. While previous theories like situationism focus on the impact of situations, the role of situations as a catalyst for personality in the context of IB has not been explored. Theories like person-job fit have also established the personality-job resemblance for performance measures. This paper aims to conceptualize the activation of PTs for IB responses from employees using trait activation theory (TAT).

Design/methodology/approach

The TAT explains the personality-triggering effect in diverse situations for performance measures. Plenty of research studies have established IB of employees as a performance measure at the individual level that further rejuvenates organisational performance measures. The current study aims to conceptualise how personality and situational factors interact to affect IB outcomes in firms using the TAT. Employees in different occupations utilise personality coherent conflict handling styles (CHS) to manage conflict situations, which might serve as situational cues to activate personality effects in employees engaged in IB.

Findings

A theoretical framework for understanding how situational cues activate PTs for IB development has been proposed in this study.

Practical implications

The findings of the study have repercussions for pedagogy and the practices that are currently used in human resource management.

Originality/value

The study concludes with a series of propositions by arguing and supporting literature on existing conceptions of the trait activation process. Attempting to advance the conceptualisation of TAT, the study also offered implications for theory, pedagogy and practice regarding the relationship between PTs, CHS and IB.
Exploring the relationship between taxpayers and tax authorities in the digital era: evidence on tax compliance behavior in emerging economies
Authors: Belahouaoui Rida , Attak El Houssain
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study aims to understand the determinants of the relationship between tax authorities and taxpayers in the digital era and how this relationship impacts tax compliance behavior, especially in the context of emerging countries like Morocco.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative methodology was adopted, involving interviews with tax inspectors and auditors, certified accountants’ experts and tax consultants. Data analysis was conducted using IRAMUTEQ software.

Findings

The research highlights that the relationship's quality and the level of mutual trust between tax authorities and taxpayers are critical in determining tax compliance in the digital era. Central factors affecting this relationship encompass effective communication, simplification of tax procedures, clarity of tax laws and the digitization of tax services. Furthermore, the study emphasizes that these dynamics and determinants significantly influence the tax compliance behavior of taxpayers in Morocco, revealing intricate connections between relational aspects and compliance attitudes.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that fostering a mutually trusting relationship, through improved communication, simplification and digitization, can enhance taxpayer compliance. This is valuable for policymakers and tax authorities developing strategies to improve tax systems in emerging countries.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the sparse literature on the relationship between tax authorities and taxpayers in the and digital era, offering new insights into factors that influence tax compliance in the post COVID-19 crisis context. Its practical recommendations provide a foundation for developing strategies aimed at improving this relationship and, consequently, taxpayer compliance behavior in emerging countries.
The mediation effect of supervisor support and total rewards on the relationship between flexible work arrangements and turnover intentions in Gen Z
Authors: Protsiuk Olga
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Flexibility in the workplace is increasingly considered an important aspect of human resource strategy aimed at attracting and retaining a high-quality workforce. The purpose of this study is to explore the direct relationships between both employee- and employer-centered flexible work arrangements and turnover intentions, specifically focusing on Generation Z employees. In addition, this study also examines the mediating role of supervisor support and total rewards in these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a quantitative research design using a cross-sectional survey method to gather data from employees born from 1995 across three industries – logistics, retail sales, and manufacturing. Partial least-squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The survey was conducted online, ensuring a diverse geographical spread and adherence to the representativeness of Generation Z within these sectors.

Findings

Contrary to existing literature, the findings reveal no direct correlation between flexible working arrangements (FWAs) and turnover intentions in this demographic. Instead, the results highlight the significant mediating roles of perceived supervisor support and total rewards. Specifically, these factors were found to influence turnover intentions in relation to the availability of employee-centered FWAs. The findings provide theoretical and practical implications, suggesting an adaptation of human resource strategies to better align with the preferences and expectations of Generation Z in the workplace.

Originality/value

In contrast to existing literature, this study examines the relationship between the availability of two different types of flexible work arrangements (employee- and employer-centered) and turnover intentions, specifically among Generation Z employees. In addition, this research introduces mediation analysis to investigate the roles of perceived supervisor support and total rewards – constructs that have been rarely considered in the context of these relationships.
The interplay between person-environment fit, empowerment and job satisfaction: a moderation effect of leader-member-exchange
Authors: Ahmad Kamarul Zaman , Tabche Ibrahim , Behery Mohamed
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study aims to examine the interplay between person–environment fit (PE fit), empowerment and leader–member exchange (LMX) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Design/methodology/approach

The final sample consisted of 733 respondents collected randomly from various business sectors in the UAE. Data was analysed and tested for moderation using Smart-PLS.

Findings

This study’s results show LMX to be a negative moderator. They reveal that LMX plays a crucial role in the relationship between PE Fit and job satisfaction, particularly when the fit is poor. Moreover, LMX was found to be a significant negative moderator between empowerment and satisfaction, highlighting its importance when empowerment is lacking.

Research limitations/implications

It is important to note that the current study is cross-sectional, which means it cannot establish causation. Only a pure experimental design can provide such conclusive evidence. This limitation should be considered when interpreting the findings.

Practical implications

This research highlights a significant finding in turbulent times when PE fit and empowering practices are often lacking: LMX can play a compensatory role. This insight can be invaluable for human resources managers, offering a practical solution to maintaining employee satisfaction in challenging times.

Social implications

The positive impact of enhanced job satisfaction and improved work relationships extends beyond the organization to stakeholders and society at large.

Originality/value

This research fills a gap in the existing literature by investigating the interaction between the PE fit variable and other variables, such as LMX. This novel approach offers a new perspective for HR managers, potentially enabling them to enhance their strategies for improving employee satisfaction.
Improving the sales process of profitable perishable goods: an inventory control strategy in a planned economy
Authors: Riazi Hamid , Doroodian Mahmood , Afshar-Nadjafi Behrouz
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The purpose is to have appropriate planning for reducing costs during the procurement process and increasing profits during the sales period in a supply cycle at a retail store. To make the proposed model practical, efforts have been made to implement the existing constraints in a business environment and legal factors.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the objectives of this research, a mixed-methods approach was employed. Initially, sales data was collected, and industry experts were consulted to identify key products. A mathematical model and a particle swarm optimization algorithm were utilized for simulation and optimization. Furthermore, time series forecasting techniques were employed to estimate demand accurately.

Findings

The findings of this research emphasize the importance of considering all factors affecting costs simultaneously when utilizing tools to reduce costs during the planning period. It was observed that certain tools, which individually have a favorable effect on costs, may collectively result in an increase in costs over the examined period. This highlights the need for a comprehensive and integrated approach to planning.

Research limitations/implications

The business environment and legal factors in each country are among the factors that affect the performance of retailers, which has received less attention in previous research. This research aimed to address this gap by considering various factors. However, it is important to note that the proposed model has been investigated in research in hypermarkets and is applicable, but it cannot be generalized to other retailers.

Originality/value

Applicability and consideration of new limitations in simulation along with consideration of the complete process from buying to selling goods.