bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychoeducation for Pathologic Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder: A Review and Proposal for a Good Psychiatric Management-based Six-week Group Program
Authors: Blay Martin , Duarte Miguel , Benmakhlouf Ines , Amate Melissa , Perroud Nader , Speranza Mario , Choi-Kain Loïs , Ronningstam Elsa
Published: July 2024

Pathologic narcissism (PN) and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are 2 common and stigmatized clinical constructs that are known to have large consequences for patients’ functioning and mental health-related outcomes. To date, no treatment for these conditions has been empirically validated, but there is a relative consensus about the importance of psychoeducation. Here we present a model for a psychoeducational intervention for patients with PN or NPD. We start with a review of the current evidence on the role of psychoeducation in different treatment models for PN, and we discuss several aspects regarding the content and format of this type of intervention. Based on this review, we outline a 6-week Good Psychiatric Management-based psychoeducation group program that we developed. We also describe how such a psychoeducational intervention can be implemented individually, with fewer resources, in general care settings. Finally, we discuss the strengths and limitations of our approach and elaborate on the rationale for our proposal. We believe that this program proposal is a first step in the development of psychoeducational programs for PN and NPD that can be further corrected and enhanced.
Good-enough Care? How Patients’ Perceptions of Counselors’ Professional Skills Relate to Everyday Life in Forensic Long-stay Units
Authors: Degrauwe Steven , Dierckx Kim , Van Bulck Vicky , Gouwy Marie-Céline , Verbeke Lize , Vergauwe Jasmine , De Clercq Barbara
Published: July 2024

The overall goal of long-term forensic care is to strive toward acceptable levels of adaptation and quality of life (QoL) of the forensic patient in the institutional context. While the bulk of the literature has focused on the deleterious consequences of personality pathology in this regard, research investigating the contribution of the quality of the therapeutic relationship has remained rather scant. Assuming that the perceived competence of the direct counselor, as perceived by patients, forms an important aspect in this regard, the central aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between patients’ perceptions of their therapist’s professional skills, their self-reported maladaptive behavior on the ward, and their experienced QoL. To this end, we recruited patients (N = 60) in long-stay forensic units and investigated their perceptions of 10 specific skills displayed by their therapist, along a “too little—too much” rating scale. The results revealed that patients who had the overall impression that their counselor was equipped with an adequate set of professional skills showed less maladaptive behavior and perceived a higher QoL on the ward. Conversely, at a more specific competence level, only a positive relationship between a counselor’s predictability and self-reported QoL was found. Taken together, these results highlight that an overall professional skill evaluation matters in the context of forensic patients’ adaptation and QoL in their long-stay units, with the counselor’s predictability serving as a crucial aspect in obtaining the most favorable outcomes.
Revolutionizing Organ Transplantation With Robotic Surgery
Authors: Broering Dieter C. , Raptis Dimitri A. , Malago Massimo , Clavien Pierre-Alain ,   the MIOT Collaborative
Published: July 2024

Objective:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of robotic techniques on organ transplantation outcomes.

Background:

The evolution of organ transplantation is becoming influenced by the adoption of minimally invasive techniques, transitioning from laparoscopic to robotic methods. Robotic surgery has emerged as a significant advancement, providing superior precision and outcomes compared with traditional approaches.

Methods:

This perspective includes a systematic review of the literature, original data from a high-volume center, as well as an international survey focusing on perceptions related to robotic versus laparoscopic and open approaches.

Results:

The systematic review and meta-analysis revealed lower morbidity with robotic donor nephrectomy, recipient kidney transplant and donor hepatectomy. Our center’s experience, with over 3000 minimally invasive transplant procedures (kidney, liver, donor, and recipient), supports the superiority of robotic transplant surgery (RTS). The global survey confirms this shift, revealing a preference for robotic approaches due to their reduced morbidity, despite challenges such as access to the robotic system and cost.

Conclusions:

This comprehensive overview including a systematic review, original data, and perceptions derived from the international survey demonstrate the superiority of robotic transplant surgery (RTS) across a range of organ transplantations, for both donors and recipients. The future of RTS depends on the efforts of the surgical community in addressing challenges such as economic implications, the need for specialized surgical training for numerous surgeons, as well as wide access to robotic systems worldwide.
L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine Alleviated Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury and Primary Graft Dysfunction in Rat Lung Transplants
Authors: Sun Xiangfu , Huang Ai , Zhang Huan , Song Naicheng , Huang Zhihong , Xin Gaojie , Wang Zhaokai , Liu Mingyao , Jiang Ke , Huang Lei
Published: July 2024

Background.

Concern of ischemia-reperfusion injury reduces utilization of donor lungs. We hypothesized adding L-alanyl-L-glutamine (L-AG) to preservation solution may protect donor lungs from ischemia-reperfusion injury through its multiple cytoprotective effects.

Methods.

A lung transplantation cell culture model was used on human lung epithelial cells and pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells, and the effects of adding different concentrations of L-AG on basic cellular function were tested. Rat donor lungs were preserved at 4 °C with 8 mmol/L L-AG for 12 h followed by 4 h reperfusion or monitored for 3 d. Lung function, lung histology, inflammation, and cell death biomarker were tested. Computerized tomography scan was used and metabolomic analysis was performed on lung tissues.

Results.

Cold preservation with L-AG improved cell viability and inhibited apoptosis in cell culture. Rat donor lungs treated with L-AG during cold storage showed decreased peak airway pressure, higher dynamic compliance and oxygenation ability, reduced lung injury, apoptosis, and oxidative stress during reperfusion. L-AG treatment significantly changed 130 metabolites during reperfusion, with enhanced amino acid biosynthesis and tricarboxylic acid cycle. Furthermore, cold storage with L-AG decreased primary graft dysfunction grade, improved oxygenation, reduced pulmonary atelectasis, sign of infection, and pneumothorax in a rat left lung transplant 3-d survival model.

Conclusions.

Adding L-AG to cold preservation solution reduced lung injury and alleviated primary graft dysfunction by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell death with modified metabolic activities.
Pseudomonas beijingensis sp. nov., a novel species widely colonizing plant rhizosphere
Authors: Liao Kaiji , Wu Jingyi , Wang Can , Li Jun-Zhou , Wei Hai-Lei
Published: July 2024

A polyphasic taxonomic approach was used to characterize the three bacterial strains (FP830T, FP2034, and FP2262) isolated from the rhizosphere soil of rice, corn, and highland barley in Beijing, Heilongjiang, and Tibet, respectively, in PR China. These strains were Gram-negative, rod-shaped, and have one or two polar flagella. They exhibited optimal growth at 28 °C and pH 7.0 in the presence of 1 % (w/v) NaCl and showed fluorescence under ultraviolet light when cultivated on King’s B plates. The FP830T genome size is 6.4 Mbp with a G+C content of 61.0 mol%. FP830T has the potential to promote plant growth by producing various metabolites such as fengycin, pyoverdin, indole-3-acetic acid, and the volatile substance 2,3-butanediol. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that three isolates formed an independent branch, which most closely related to type strains Pseudomonas thivervalensis DSM 13194T and Pseudomonas zanjanensis SWRI12T. The values of average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization between three isolates and closest relatives were not higher than 93.7 and 52.3 %, respectively. The dominant cellular fatty acids were C16 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1
 ω7c/C16 : 1 ω6c), and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c/C18 : 1 ω6c). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, and aminophospholipid. The predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone (Q-9). Based on polyphasic taxonomic analysis, it was concluded that strains FP830T, FP2034, and FP2262 represented a novel species within the genus Pseudomonas, and Pseudomonas beijingensis sp. nov. was proposed for the name of novel species. The type strain is FP830T (=ACCC 62448T=JCM 35689T).
AI-driven Integration of Multimodal Imaging Pixel Data and Genome-wide Genotype Data Enhances Precision Health for Type 2 Diabetes: Insights from a Large-scale Biobank Study
Authors: Huang Yi-Jia , Chen Chun-houh , Yang Hsin-Chou
Published: July 2024

The rising prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) presents a critical global health challenge. Effective risk assessment and prevention strategies not only improve patient quality of life but also alleviate national healthcare expenditures. The integration of medical imaging and genetic data from extensive biobanks, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), is revolutionizing precision and smart health initiatives.

In this study, we applied these principles to T2D by analyzing medical images (abdominal ultrasonography and bone density scans) alongside whole-genome single nucleotide variations in 17,785 Han Chinese participants from the Taiwan Biobank. Rigorous data cleaning and preprocessing procedures were applied. Imaging analysis utilized densely connected convolutional neural networks, augmented by graph neural networks to account for intra-individual image dependencies, while genetic analysis employed Bayesian statistical learning to derive polygenic risk scores (PRS). These modalities were integrated through eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), yielding several key findings.

First, pixel-based image analysis outperformed feature-centric image analysis in accuracy, automation, and cost efficiency. Second, multi-modality analysis significantly enhanced predictive accuracy compared to single-modality approaches. Third, this comprehensive approach, combining medical imaging, genetic, and demographic data, represents a promising frontier for fusion modeling, integrating AI and statistical learning techniques in disease risk assessment. Our model achieved an Area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC) of 0.944, with an accuracy of 0.875, sensitivity of 0.882, specificity of 0.875, and a Youden index of 0.754. Additionally, the analysis revealed significant positive correlations between the multi-image risk score (MRS) and T2D, as well as between the PRS and T2D, identifying high-risk subgroups within the cohort.

This study pioneers the integration of multimodal imaging pixels and genome-wide genetic variation data for precise T2D risk assessment, advancing the understanding of precision and smart health.
A randomised controlled trial of interventions to promote adoption of physical activity in adults with severe mental illness
Authors: Chapman Justin J. , Miatke Aaron , Dumuid Dorothea , Migueles Jairo , Suetani Shuichi , Korman Nicole , Trott Mike , Byrne Jacqueline , Siskind Dan , Johnston Donni , Sewell Jeanette , Breakspear Michael , Patterson Sue
Published: July 2024

Background and aims

Adults with severe mental illness (SMI) have lower physical activity (PA) than the general population. Supervised exercise interventions provide high support but may not effectively promote motivation, which is important for behaviour change. Motivational strategies such as PA counselling may target motivation more directly; however, the effectiveness in people with SMI is unclear.

Methods

This was a randomised controlled trial of interventions designed to promote PA in adults with SMI. Participants were randomised to either: (1) supervised exercise (GYM), or (2) motivational counselling and self-monitoring using fitness trackers (MOT). Group sessions were once/week over 8-weeks. The primary outcome was time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) assessed using GENEActiv accelerometers worn continuously. Change in MVPA was assessed using the cumulative change from baseline, and as a composition of light activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep.

Results

Sixty-four participants were allocated (63% male, 82% overweight/obese, 59% psychotic disorder). Accelerometer-derived MVPA increased for the MOT group between baseline and post-intervention, and the cumulative sum of change in MVPA from baseline in the MOT group was higher than the GYM group. Compositional analyses showed stable weekly activity profiles, with no significant changes attributable to group allocation.

Conclusions

The cumulative change in MVPA was higher for MOT than GYM; however, compositional analyses that considers MVPA as a composition of other daily behaviours showed no change in composition over the intervention period. Exercise interventions should incorporate motivational strategies and supervised exercise; future research should investigate behaviour change interventions with longer durations and more frequent sessions.

Registration details

The trial is registered under the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12617001017314).
Predictors of In-hospital Mortality among Cirrhotic Patients in Ethiopia: A Multicenter Retrospective Study
Authors: Elias Tamrat Petros , Shewaye Abate Bane , Chichaybelu Henok Fisseha , Nur Abdulsemed Mohammed , Berhane Kaleb Assefa , Minyilshewa Asteray Tsige , Kumsa Kibrab Bulto , Seid Biruck Mohammed
Published: July 2024

Background

Cirrhosis is a major global health problem and a leading cause of liver-related mortality. In Ethiopia specifically, cirrhosis is the 6thleading cause of death and is responsible for high hospitalization and mortality rates. However, until now, factors affecting in-hospital mortality in patients admitted due to complications of liver cirrhosis are poorly understood. This study assessed the predictors of in-hospital mortality among cirrhotic patients in Ethiopia.

Methods

A retrospective cross-sectional study using data collected from the electronic medical records of patients who were admitted for complications of liver cirrhosis between January 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, in the medical wards of Adera Medical Center, St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, and Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. Frequency and cross-tabulation were used for descriptive statistics. Predictor variables with a p-value <0.25 in bivariate analyses were included in the logistic regression. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to show the strength of the association. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Of the 299 patients included in the final analysis, the majority (79.6%) were males, and the median age of the study participants was 45 (IQR, 36–56) years. Hepatitis B virus (32.1%) was the most common etiology, followed by alcohol (30.1%) and hepatitis C virus (13.4%). More than half (52.9%) of the patients were in Child-Pugh class C, and around a quarter (26.1%) of the patients had comorbidities. Ascites (69.2%), Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (50.5%), and hepatic encephalopathy (44.8%) were the most common forms of presentation. The in-hospital mortality rate was 25.4%. West Haven Grade III or IV hepatic encephalopathy (AOR: 12.0; 95% CI 2.33–61.63; P <0.01), Hepatocellular Carcinoma (AOR: 9.05; 95% CI 2.18–37.14; P: 0.01), History of previous admission within one year period (AOR: 6.80; 95% CI 2.18–21.18; P <0.01), Acute Kidney Injury (AOR: 6.47; 95% CI 1.77–23.64; P <0.01), and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease – Sodium (MELD-Na) Score (AOR: 1.17; 95% CI 1.05–1.30; P: 0.02), were found to be predictors of in-hospital mortality.

Conclusion

In-hospital mortality of cirrhotic patients is high in Ethiopia. West Haven grade III or IV hepatic encephalopathy is the leading cause of mortality. Hence, Prompt identification and management of hepatic encephalopathy and its precipitant at an earlier stage is crucial for better treatment outcomes and survival.
Adipogenin Dictates Adipose Tissue Expansion by Facilitating the Assembly of a Dodecameric Seipin Complex
Authors: Li Chao , Sun Xue-Nan , Funcke Jan-Bernd , Vanharanta Lauri , Joffin Nolwenn , Li Yan , Prasanna Xavier , Paredes Megan , Joung Chanmin , Gordillo Ruth , Vörös Csaba , Kulig Waldemar , Straub Leon , Chen Shuiwei , Velasco Joselin , Cobb Ayanna , Padula Davide La , Wang May-Yun , Onodera Toshiharu , Varlamov Oleg , Li Yang , Liu Chen , Nawrocki Andrea R. , Zhao Shangang , Oh Da Young , Wang Zhao V. , Goodman Joel M. , Wynn R. Max , Vattulainen Ilpo , Han Yan , Ikonen Elina , Scherer Philipp E.
Published: July 2024

Adipogenin (Adig) is an evolutionarily conserved microprotein and is highly expressed in adipose tissues and testis. Here, we identify Adig as a critical regulator for lipid droplet formation in adipocytes. We determine that Adig interacts directly with seipin, leading to the formation of a rigid complex. We solve the structure of the seipin/Adig complex by Cryo-EM at 2.98Å overall resolution. Surprisingly, seipin can form two unique oligomers, undecamers and dodecamers. Adig selectively binds to the dodecameric seipin complex. We further find that Adig promotes seipin assembly by stabilizing and bridging adjacent seipin subunits. Functionally, Adig plays a key role in generating lipid droplets in adipocytes. In mice, inducible overexpression of Adig in adipocytes substantially increases fat mass, with enlarged lipid droplets. It also elevates thermogenesis during cold exposure. In contrast, inducible adipocyte-specific Adig knockout mice manifest aberrant lipid droplet formation in brown adipose tissues and impaired cold tolerance.
Insight into the Interaction between Neuronal Calcium Sensors and Insulin
Authors: Kiran Uday , Sankeshi Venu , Sharma Yogendra
Published: July 2024

Calcium is crucial in insulin biology and Ca2+sensor proteins enforced in insulin release and signalling. The neuronal calcium sensor proteins (NCS) such as NCS-1 and VILIP are shown to be involved in insulin secretion from β-pancreatic cells. However, the expression of different NCS proteins in the pancreas and their functional significance and role in pathologies remained unexplored. The present work, through different biophysical methods, presented that NCS proteins interact with insulin. NCS-1, the founder member of NCS family proteins interacts with insulin in a Ca2+independent manner and Ca2+enhances the affinity of the interaction. The evolutionarily conserved cryptic EF-hand in NCS proteins was found to be an essential commodity for binding insulin. The presence of Ca2+binding first EF-hand abolishes the interaction with insulin and suggests the significance of non-functional EF-hand. The fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy show that insulin interaction induces structural changes in NCS-1, which is demonstrated by size exclusion chromatography and analytical ultra-centrifugation. The autism mutant NCS-1-R102Q relatively retained insulin binding properties but with a significant difference in binding thermodynamics. Considering substantial sequence similarity among different NCS proteins and localisation in the pancreas, we examined the insulin interaction with the neurocalcin delta (NCALD). The NCALD shows metal ion-independent insulin binding and contrary to NCS-1, the Ca2+abolishes the insulin binding. This highlights the differential regulation of Ca2+towards insulin interaction in NCS protein. Conclusively the present work highlight that NCS proteins interact with insulin and further investigation would aid to understand the significance of NCS proteins in insulin physiology/pathophysiology and possible new molecular targets in diabetes.
Accurate assembly of circular RNAs with TERRACE
Authors: Zahin Tasfia , Shi Qian , Zang Xiaofei Carl , Shao Mingfu
Published: July 2024

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a class of RNA molecules that forms a closed loop with their 5′ and 3′ ends covalently bonded. CircRNAs are known to be more stable than linear RNAs, have distinct properties and functions, and are promising biomarkers. Existing methods for assembling circRNAs heavily rely on the annotated transcriptomes, hence exhibiting unsatisfactory accuracy without a high-quality transcriptome. We present TERRACE, a new algorithm for full-length assembly of circRNAs from paired-end total RNA-seq data. TERRACE uses the splice graph as the underlying data structure that organizes the splicing and coverage information. We transform the problem of assembling circRNAs into finding paths that “bridge” the three fragments in the splice graph induced by back-spliced reads. We adopt a definition for optimal bridging paths and a dynamic programming algorithm to calculate such optimal paths. TERRACE features an efficient algorithm to detect back-spliced reads missed by RNA-seq aligners, contributing to its much-improved sensitivity. It also incorporates a new machine-learning approach trained to assign a confidence score to each assembled circRNA, which is shown to be superior to using abundance for scoring. On both simulations and biological data sets, TERRACE consistently outperforms existing methods by a large margin in sensitivity while achieving better or comparable precision. In particular, when the annotations are not provided, TERRACE assembles 123%–413% more correct circRNAs than state-of-the-art methods. TERRACE presents a significant advance in assembling full-length circRNAs from RNA-seq data, and we expect it to be widely used in future research on circRNAs.
Parameter-efficient fine-tuning on large protein language models improves signal peptide prediction
Authors: Zeng Shuai , Wang Duolin , Jiang Lei , Xu Dong
Published: July 2024

Signal peptides (SPs) play a crucial role in protein translocation in cells. The development of large protein language models (PLMs) and prompt-based learning provide a new opportunity for SP prediction, especially for the categories with limited annotated data. We present a parameter-efficient fine-tuning (PEFT) framework for SP prediction, PEFT-SP, to effectively utilize pretrained PLMs. We integrated low-rank adaptation (LoRA) into ESM-2 models to better leverage the protein sequence evolutionary knowledge of PLMs. Experiments show that PEFT-SP using LoRA enhances state-of-the-art results, leading to a maximum Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) gain of 87.3% for SPs with small training samples and an overall MCC gain of 6.1%. Furthermore, we also employed two other PEFT methods, prompt tuning and adapter tuning, in ESM-2 for SP prediction. More elaborate experiments show that PEFT-SP using adapter tuning can also improve the state-of-the-art results by up to 28.1% MCC gain for SPs with small training samples and an overall MCC gain of 3.8%. LoRA requires fewer computing resources and less memory than the adapter tuning during the training stage, making it possible to adapt larger and more powerful protein models for SP prediction.
Quantum chaos in the presence of nonconformality
Authors: Saha Ashis , Gangopadhyay Sunandan
Published: July 2024

The behavior of a chaotic system and its effect on existing quantum correlation has been holographically studied in the presence of nonconformality. Keeping in mind the gauge/gravity duality framework, the nonconformality in the dual field theory has been introduced by considering a Liouville type dilaton potential for the gravitational theory. The resulting black brane solution is associated with a parameter η which represents the deviation from conformality. The parameters of chaos, namely, the Lyapunov exponent and butterfly velocity are computed by following the well-known shock wave analysis. The obtained results reveal that the presence of nonconformality leads to suppression of the chaotic nature of a system. Further, for a particular value of the nonconformal parameter η, the system achieves Lyapunov stability resulting from the vanishing of both the Lyapunov exponent as well as butterfly velocity. Interestingly, this particular value of η matches with the previously given upper bound of η known as Gubser bound in the literature. The effects of chaos and nonconformality on the existing correlation of a thermofield doublet state have been quantified by holographically computing the thermomutual information in both the presence and absence of the shock wave. Furthermore, the entanglement velocity is also computed, and the effect of nonconformality on it has been observed. Finally, the obtained results for the Lyapunov exponent and the butterfly velocity have also been computed from the pole-skipping analysis. The results from the two approaches agree with each other.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
CFT reconstruction of local bulk operators in half-Minkowski space
Authors: Bhattacharyya Arpan , Dogra Manas , Roy Shubho R.
Published: July 2024

We construct a holographic map that reconstructs massless fields (scalars, Maxwell field, and Fierz-Pauli field) in half-Minkowski spacetime in d+1 dimensions terms of smeared primary operators in a large-N factorizable CFT in Rd−1,1. This map is based on a Weyl (rescaling) transformation from the Poincaré wedge of AdS to the Minkowski half-space and on the Hamilton-Kabat-Lifschytz-Lowe smearing function, which reconstructs local bulk operators in the Poincaré AdS in terms of smeared operators on the conformal boundary of the Poincaré wedge. The massless scalar field is reconstructed up to the level of two-point functions, while the Maxwell field and massless spin-2 fields are reconstructed at the level of the one-point function. We also discuss potential ways the map can be generalized to higher dimensions, and to the full Minkowski space.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Chiral phase transition in soft-wall
AdS/QCD
with scalar-dilaton coupling
Authors: Bartz Sean P. , Meadows Robert C. , Brock Glenn
Published: July 2024

The chiral phase boundary of nuclear matter is expected to have a critical point where the rapid crossover of lattice methods at zero chemical potential becomes a first-order phase transition. Phenomenological models based on the AdS/CFT correspondence, known as AdS/QCD, have succeeded in capturing many features of nuclear matter, with recent progress in producing the expected critical point. We study a model that produces a critical point in the chiral phase diagram by introducing a coupling between the scalar chiral field and the dilaton. We examine the effect of the scalar-dilaton coupling on the critical point. We also study the zero-temperature chiral dynamics, which must allow for spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking in the limit of zero quark mass. We find that when the scalar-dilaton coupling is large enough to ensure correct zero-temperature chiral dynamics, a critical point is present only if the quark mass is greater than 12.8 MeV.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Broadband amplitude squeezing at room temperature in electrically driven quantum dot lasers
Authors: Zhao Shiyuan , Ding Shihao , Huang Heming , Zaquine Isabelle , Fabre Nicolas , Belabas Nadia , Grillot Frédéric
Published: July 2024

The generation of squeezed states of light lies at the heart of modern photonics-based quantum information technologies. Traditionally, optical nonlinear interactions have been employed to produce squeezed states. However, the harnessing of electrically pumped semiconductor lasers offers distinctive paradigms to achieve enhanced squeezing performance for real-world applications. We present the first evidence that quantum dot lasers enable the realization of broadband amplitude-squeezed states at room temperature across a wide frequency range, spanning from 3 GHz to 12 GHz. Our findings are corroborated by a stochastic simulation in agreement with the experimental data.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Customer destination-based experience and loyalty: exploring the role of tourists’ emotions
Authors: Piedade David , Guerreiro Manuela , Pinto Patrícia
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Following an experiential marketing approach, this study addresses whether customer destination-based experiences (CDBE) affect tourists’ loyalty and emotions and if positive and negative emotions mediate this relationship. Hence, this study aims to verify the role positive and negative emotions play in the link between CDBE and tourists’ loyalty in a safe and joyful tourism destination in Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model was tested using data collected from tourists visiting the Algarve region, a mature seaside tourism destination in southern Portugal. The relationships implicit in the model were tested through the partial least squares structural equation modelling method.

Findings

The findings highlight that positive and negative tourist’s emotional responses mediate the relationship between CDBE and loyalty. Moreover, tourists’ experience and loyalty are influenced by their positive and negative emotions. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Originality/value

Leveraged on extant research gaps, this study contributes to deepening the existing tourism literature by discussing whether CDBE affect tourists’ loyalty and emotions and whether these positive and negative emotions mediate that relationship in the context of a highly appraised touristic destination in Europe.
Challenges of strategic digital communications in local media industries during the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia, North Macedonia and Bulgaria
Authors: Simeunovic Bajic Natasa , Milosavljevic Ilija , Tuneva Marina , Angelova Vyara
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper seeks to analyze how local media in Serbia, North Macedonia and Bulgaria have integrated digital technologies and tools into their work and corporate communication during the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used in the research is based on a qualitative approach reflected in the use of semi-structured interviews with 26 media professionals. The research questions were: (1) In terms of their use of digital technologies, what are the differences and similarities between Serbia, Bulgaria and North Macedonia? (2) How did the local media digitize their work and internal communication during the state of emergency in the target countries? (3) Is there a digital divide between local and national media?

Findings

The results show changes in the work conditions for local media during the pandemic, both regarding the needs of the public and media professionals, along with a greater call for the integration of digital technologies and tools relative to the pre-pandemic period. The integration of digital technologies into local media’s daily work and the mechanisms in which they can change the way of reporting, production and work environment in this part of the world has been underresearched.

Research limitations/implications

This research is limited by the number of interviewed media professionals as well as the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results can be the basis for broader research on local media in Balkan countries that have not been the focus of academics so far.

Originality/value

The study looks at how digital technologies are integrated into media production processes as well as into internal strategic communication and work organization under the influence and conditions of the pandemic. This type of analysis has not yet been carried out in any of the three countries, and it is especially pertinent because it compares data from nations that are culturally similar yet have distinct political, social, and digital development and features. In addition to that, the study focuses on the impact of local media and thus contributes to theory further, as the impact of local media has been underresearched internationally despite its large influence on public opinion formation.
A tale of the likable change: the role of change in leadership behavior in improving employees’ willingness to take risks
Authors: Wibowo Amin , Paramita Widya , Indartoyo Ina , Nurhayati Neuneung
Published: July 2024

Purpose

A crisis period can reduce employees’ willingness to take risks, which are important predictors of organizational performance. Built upon the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, this study aims to examine the role of leadership’s behavioral change in promoting the willingness to take risks, as mediated by liking, at two different levels of task complexity.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey has been answered by 281 employees of businesses with various scales, in different sectors in Indonesia. Indonesia was selected as it is among the countries with a high power distance culture. Hence, employees are expected to favor more directive leadership changes in the postpandemic context.

Findings

Drawing upon the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, this study found that leaders’ behavioral change toward a more directive approach promotes a willingness to take risks, as the employees like this change regardless of the task’s complexity level.

Research limitations/implications

In an organization where the employees’ willingness to take risks is critical, the leaders should not simply adopt empowering leadership, as suggested by previous studies. However, leaders need to ensure that any change in leadership behavior during the transition period, either toward a more directive or empowering style, is favorable for the employees, regardless of the level of complexity of the tasks.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that Indonesian employees’ willingness to take risks increases only when the employees like the change in the style of leadership to a more directive one regardless of the level of task complexity. In addition, Indonesian employees have not perceived any substantial change in their leaders’ behavior after the pandemic, and they remain neutral about this type of leadership.
How do engineering suppliers create project value for buyers? A micro-foundational perspective
Authors: Yu Miao , Wang Xinnan , Yang Xiaotian , Sun Lu
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Value creation in engineering projects has received considerable research attention. However, buyers’ expectations regarding project value do not always translate into the actions of project team members (actors). Drawing upon resource orchestration theory to explore the micro-foundations of project value creation (PVC), we investigate how suppliers organize project team members to create project value that meets buyers’ expectations.

Design/methodology/approach

We adopted two instructive engineering projects as comparative cases to analyze patterns in actor interactions in PVC.

Findings

The results reveal “social interaction-based value creation” and “structural interaction-based value creation,” which explain the PVC process from the collective-level buyer’s expectations and supplier’s value orientation, to individual-level actor interactions (mobilizing, connecting, and networking), knowledge orchestration activities (structuring, bundling, and leveraging), and finally the value creation process (identifying, configuring, and generating) in project teams to generate collective-level project benefits and values.

Originality/value

We propose a macro-approach to micro-foundations, with a focus on the buyer-expected PVC process on the supplier side. Furthermore, we explain how suppliers organize individual actions and orchestrate the individual knowledge through two patterns of individual-level actor interactions for collective-level PVC.
Innovative multi-setup modal analysis using random decrement technique: a novel approach for enhanced structural characterization
Authors: Sabamehr Ardalan , Amani Nima , Bagchi Ashutosh
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper introduces a novel multi-setup merging method and assesses its performance using simulated response data from a Finite Element (FE) model of a five-storey frame and experimental data from a cantilever beam tested in a laboratory setting.

Design/methodology/approach

In the research conducted at the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) in Roorkee, India, a cantilever beam was examined in a laboratory setting. The study successfully extracted the modal properties of the multi-storey building using the merging technique. Identified frequencies and mode shapes provide valuable insights into the building's dynamic behavior, which is essential for structural analysis and assessment. The sensor layout and data merging approach allowed for the capture of relevant vibration modes despite the limited number of sensors, demonstrating the effectiveness of the methodology.

Findings

The results show that reducing the number of sensors can impact the accuracy of the mode shapes. It is recommended to use a minimum of 8 sensor locations (every two floors) for the building under study to obtain reliable benchmark results for further evaluation, periodic monitoring, and damage identification.

Originality/value

The results demonstrate that the developed algorithm can improve the system identification process and streamline data handling. Furthermore, the proposed method is successfully applied to analyze the modal properties of a multi-storey building.
Interactive vs transactional: how social media ads engage consumers with disparate regulatory orientation and lay rationalism
Authors: Yang Pianpian , Jiang Yufan , Lin Yuxi , Geng Shuang , Wang Rui
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The growing number of firms leveraging social media ads highlight the urgent need for firms to understand social media ads and their effects on consumer perceptions and attitudes. This research examines whether and how different types of social media ads exert influences on ad engagement and how consumers’ psychological characteristics including regulatory orientation and lay rationalism moderate the influence of social media ads on ad engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

This research conducts three quasi experiments featuring two types of social media ads – interactive and transactional – to collect empirical evidence. Results are analyzed using ANOVA and Process in SPSS.

Findings

This research reveals that interactive ads lead to higher perceived enjoyment and perceived responsiveness, which further lead to higher ad engagement. Promotion focus moderates the effect of social media ads (interactive vs transactional ads) on perceived enjoyment and perceived responsiveness, and lay rationalism moderates the effect on perceived responsiveness, while prevention focus has no such effect.

Originality/value

First, this research establishes the connection between ad types and ad engagement in social media, which offers a new perspective to understand ad engagement. Second, it explores the underlying mechanisms of processing different types of social media ads. Third, it justifies the moderating effects of consumers’ regulatory orientation and lay rationalism on the effects of ad types on ad engagement, providing the first evidence on the moderating role of consumers’ lay rationalism in ad processing. This research helps firm marketers to fine-tune their social media ads according to consumer characteristics.
Intellectual capital and sustainability performance: the mediating role of digitalization
Authors: Li Ying , Li Jianyu , Zhai Yifei
Published: July 2024

Purpose

As a highly knowledge-intensive activity, digitalization is changing the construction industry landscape and is encouraging construction firms to explore the transformation. This study establishes a new theoretical model aimed at examining the impact of three types of intellectual capital (IC) on digitalization through the lens of knowledge-based view and explores how IC and digitalization influence sustainability performance from the triple bottom line principles.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data from Chinese construction firms using convenience sampling. A total of 181 valid responses were obtained. Then, a partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was executed through Smart PLS 3.0 software. The measurement model was assessed to ensure reliability and validity, and the structural model was analysed to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The empirical results confirm the positive impact of IC on digitalization and digitalization on sustainability performance. Moreover, digitalization plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between IC and sustainability performance.

Originality/value

The results provide empirical evidence supporting the different roles of IC and digitalization in improving sustainability. The findings contribute to enhancing the understanding of digitalization practices from the perspective of IC and provide theoretical and managerial implications for sustainability issues in the context of the construction industry.
Overwhelming effects of COVID-19 on public library services and recovery perspectives
Authors: Ćirić Jelena , Ćirić Aleksandar
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant decline in library lending, but the response from libraries was insufficient. While researchers have provided guidelines, quantitative analysis of the extent of the impact is lacking.

Design/methodology/approach

Here, we examine library lending trends from 2019 to 2022, comparing the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, analyzing lending changes among adults and children and different types of literature, using a public library as a case study.

Findings

This study shows a significant decrease in lending practice, especially among adults, and later recovery. Digital, fine and scientific literature gained popularity compared to other types.

Originality/value

The research results can serve as library management guidelines in case of a new pandemic.
The architecture of marketing leadership: how different structures of marketing presence in the top management team drive new product performance
Authors: Mehrabi Hamed , Chen Yongjian (Ken) , Ranaweera Chatura
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Prior research seldom explores the different structures of marketing presence in the top management team (MPTMT) and their impact on new product performance. In this paper, we distinguish among three structures of MPTMT: (1) a dedicated MPTMT; (2) a joint marketing and sales MPTMT; and (3) a joint marketing and other operations MPTMT. We then examine how these three structures of MPTMT are related to cross-functional integration in NPD and, subsequently, new product performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Path analysis is used to test the model using data collected from 139 U.S. manufacturing firms. We conducted two rounds of survey data collection (with a one-year gap) to assess the potential effect of common method variance.

Findings

The results show that, compared with no MPTMT, all MPTMT structures positively affect cross-functional integration in NPD, which, in turn, enhances new product performance. However, joint MPTMT structures have a greater impact than a dedicated MPTMT. Our moderation analysis also reveals that as TMT heterogeneity increases, the effect of dedicated MPTMT diminishes, but the effects of the other two joint structures remain positive and stable.

Research limitations/implications

The model could include alternative mediating organizational processes and performance outcomes.

Practical implications

The findings provide managers with insight on how to configure and leverage marketing influence in the upper echelons in both SMEs and large firms.

Originality/value

The findings of this study highlight the importance of delineating MPTMT structures, understanding how they create value, and specifying their boundary conditions.
Research on interregional oil cooperation-sanctions with evolutionary game
Authors: Chen Wei , Kang Zengrui , Yang Hong , Shang Yaru
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The game strategies differ when different regions participate in the oil game. Under what circumstances will different participants choose cooperation or sanction strategies? This is the core issue of this paper.

Design/methodology/approach

Regarding the current and future game behavior between different regions in the oil trade, this paper constructs an evolutionary game model between two regions to explore the possibility of sanctions strategies between the two sides in different situations.

Findings

The research finds: (1) When the benefits of in-depth cooperation between the two regions are greater, both sides tend to adopt cooperative strategies. (2) When the trade conflict losses between the two regions are smaller, both sides adopt sanctions strategies. (3) When a strong region trades with a weak region, if the former adopts a sanctions strategy, the net profits are greater than the benefits of in-depth cooperation between the two regions. If the latter adopts a sanctions strategy, the net profits are less than the trade conflict losses between the two regions. There will be the strong region adopting a sanctions strategy and the weak region adopting a non-sanctions strategy. At this time, the latter should reasonably balance the immediate and future interests and give up some current interests in exchange for in-depth cooperation between the two regions. Otherwise, it will fall into the situation of unilateral sanctions by the strong against the weak.

Originality/value

There is no paper in the existing literature that uses the evolutionary game method to analyze the oil game problem between the two regions. This paper constructs a two-party evolutionary game model composed of crude oil importers and crude oil exporters and, based on this, analyzes the evolutionary stability between the two regions under sanctions and cooperation strategies, which enriches the energy research field.
Resisting together or displaced aggressing? How abusive supervision climate affects team member exchange and subordinates' organizational citizenship towards teammates
Authors: Ma Bei , Zhou Rong , Ma Xiaoliang
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Integrating balance theory and social identify theory, this paper proposes a multilevel model to explain how abusive supervision climate of team impacts the relationship among team members as well as subordinates’ behavior towards their teammates, especially organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted to collect two-wave and multi-source data from 398 employees nested in 106 teams from Chinese high-technology companies. Hierarchical linear modeling was conducted to examine the theoretical model.

Findings

The results indicate that there is an inverted U-shape association between abusive supervision climate and subordinates’ OCB towards coworker; team member exchange (TMX) mediates their inverted U-shaped link. Furthermore, we confirm that coworker support plays a vitally moderating role upon the curvilinear link of abusive supervision climate (ASC)–TMX; specifically, when employees perceive low coworker support, negative relations between ASC and TMX will be stronger.

Originality/value

This study identifies team members’ advantageous and adverse relational response to shared threat of ASC and examines coworker support as a moderator of ASC, which provides valuable insights into when and why employees tend to cooperate with their teammates to jointly confront their leader’s abuse and highlights the importance of coworkers, thus enabling organizations to deeply understand the wider influences of ASC on interpersonal relationship between team members.