bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuropeptide Modulation Enables Biphasic Inter-network Coordination via a Dual-Network Neuron
Authors: Gnanabharathi Barathan , Fahoum Savanna-Rae H , Blitz Dawn M
Published: March 2024

Linked rhythmic behaviors, such as respiration/locomotion or swallowing/chewing often require coordination for proper function. Despite its prevalence, the cellular mechanisms controlling coordination of the underlying neural networks remain undetermined in most systems. We use the stomatogastric nervous system of the crabCancer borealisto investigate mechanisms of inter-network coordination, due to its small, well characterized feeding-related networks (gastric mill [chewing, ∼0.1 Hz]; pyloric [filtering food, ∼1 Hz]). Here, we investigate coordination between these networks during the Gly1-SIFamide neuropeptide modulatory state. Gly1-SIFamide activates a unique triphasic gastric mill rhythm in which the typically pyloric-only LPG neuron generates dual pyloric- plus gastric mill-timed oscillations. Additionally, the pyloric rhythm exhibits shorter cycles during gastric mill rhythm-timed LPG bursts, and longer cycles during IC, or IC plus LG gastric mill neuron bursts. Photoinactivation revealed that LPG is necessary to shorten pyloric cycle period, likely through its rectified electrical coupling to pyloric pacemaker neurons. Hyperpolarizing current injections demonstrated that although LG bursting enables IC bursts, only gastric mill rhythm bursts in IC are necessary to prolong the pyloric cycle period. Surprisingly, LPG photoinactivation also eliminated prolonged pyloric cycles, without changing IC firing frequency or gastric mill burst duration, suggesting that pyloric cycles are prolonged via IC synaptic inhibition of LPG, which indirectly slows the pyloric pacemakers via electrical coupling. Thus, the same dual-network neuron directly conveys excitation from its endogenous bursting and indirectly funnels synaptic inhibition to enable one network to alternately decrease and increase the cycle period of a related network.

Significance Statement

Related rhythmic behaviors frequently exhibit coordination, yet the cellular mechanisms coordinating the underlying neural networks are not determined in most systems. We investigated coordination between two small, well-characterized crustacean feeding-associated networks during a neuropeptide-elicited modulatory state. We find that a dual fast/slow network neuron directly shortens fast network cycles during its slow, intrinsically generated bursts, likely via electrical coupling to fast network pacemakers, despite rectification favoring the opposite direction. Additionally, the fast network is indirectly prolonged during another slow-network phase, via chemical synaptic inhibition that is likely funneled through the same electrical synapse. Thus, a dual-network neuron alternately reinforces and diminishes neuropeptide actions, enabling distinct frequencies of a faster network across different phases of a related slower rhythm.
Prioritizing disease-related rare variants by integrating gene expression data
Authors: Guo Hanmin , Urban Alexander Eckehart , Wong Wing Hung
Published: March 2024

Rare variants, comprising a vast majority of human genetic variations, are likely to have more deleterious impact on human diseases compared to common variants. Here we present carrier statistic, a statistical framework to prioritize disease-related rare variants by integrating gene expression data. By quantifying the impact of rare variants on gene expression, carrier statistic can prioritize those rare variants that have large functional consequence in the diseased patients. Through simulation studies and analyzing real multi-omics dataset, we demonstrated that carrier statistic is applicable in studies with limited sample size (a few hundreds) and achieves substantially higher sensitivity than existing rare variants association methods. Application to Alzheimer’s disease reveals 16 rare variants within 15 genes with extreme carrier statistics. The carrier statistic method can be applied to various rare variant types and is adaptable to other omics data modalities, offering a powerful tool for investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying complex diseases.
“Comparison between topical Platelet Rich Plasma and Normal Saline dressing, in conjunction with Total Contact Casting in Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcer– a Randomized Control Trial”
Authors: Das Subha , Kumar Sanyal , Pandey Sanjay Kumar , Kumar Anjani , Kumar Niraj , Kumar Ranjeet
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Wound care, which includes cleaning and fostering a moist wound healing environment, play a crucial role in the management of diabetic foot ulcers.. Total-contact casts are widely used as the most effective external technique for off-loading plantar ulcers. This study compared the effectiveness of PRP and normal saline dressings in conjunction with TCC.

Methods

36 patients with diabetic foot ulcers were divided into two groups using computer generated randomization into PRP and NS groups with 18 patients in each group. The PRP group was given autologous PRP, and the NS group was given wet dressing with NS, following which TCC was applied in each case for off-loading. Follow-up was performed every 15 days for 90 days. In each follow-up measurement and TCC application, the time to heal and PUSH score was used to measure the condition of the wound.

Results

In the PRP group, the mean wound size 8.28±1.18 and the mean Push tool total 13.44±0.98 at base line which gradually decreased, and finally, on day 90, it was reduced to 0.61±1.20 and 1.89±3.68, respectively. In NS group the mean wound size 8.45±1.13 and mean Push tool total 13.50±0.92 at baseline which was gradually decreased and finally at day 90 it was reduced to 1.58±1.55 and 4.61±4.37 respectively. A significant difference was observed in both groups during the final evaluation. Compared with the NS group, the PRP group showed greater improvement.

Conclusion

Both autologous PRP and NS are effective in treating DFU, when used along with TCC. However, PRP therapy is better at reducing the healing time and hospital visits.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Colonoscopy Wait Times by Procedure Indication
Authors: Thibault Melina , Barkun Alan , Martel Myriam , Russell Alton W.
Published: March 2024

Background: Patients are referred for colonoscopy for symptom assessment, screening, and surveillance. Public health measures to mitigate the spread of the COVID−19 pandemic disrupted services and increased patient delays for colonoscopy services in Quebec. The differential impact of these interruptions by colonoscopy indication is largely unknown. Methods: Using 2018−2022 retrospective clinical data from two high-volume Montreal endoscopy centres and provincial administrative data, we characterized changes in colonoscopy wait times and the proportion of waitlisted patients who were delayed (wait time exceeded provincial guidelines) by procedure indication and demographics. We used regression to examine patient characteristics associated with delayed procedures during pre- and intra−COVID−19 periods. We used time series analysis to characterize trends in the proportion of waitlisted patients delayed. Results: The COVID-19−related public health measures resulted in record-high delays (median increase in wait times of 34−159% across indications). While older patients experienced longer wait times pre-pandemic, intra−COVID−19 wait times increased disproportionately for patients younger than 50. The proportion of waitlisted patients delayed peaked mid−2020 (56.9% for screening; 56.0% for symptom assessment patients). By early 2022, the proportion delayed had fallen to 37.3% for screening patients but remained at 53.8% for symptom assessment patients. Conclusions: In Quebec, intra-COVID-19 colonoscopy delays disproportionately impacted symptom assessment procedures and younger patients. Additional capacity or improved triaging may be needed to address persistent delays. Understanding the effects of the pandemic on colonoscopy services can help inform strategies to mitigate harms from on-going delays in Quebec.
Hand-Crafted Quantitative Radiomic Analysis of Computed Tomography Scans Using Machine and Deep Learning Techniques Accurately Predicts Histological Subtypes of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Panchawagh Suhrud
Published: March 2024

Background

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) histological subtypes impact treatment decisions. While pre-surgical histopathological examination is ideal, it’s not always possible. CT radiomic analysis shows promise to predict NSCLC histological subtypes.

Objective

To use CT scan radiomic analysis from NSCLC-Radiomics data to predict NSCLC histological subtypes using machine learning and deep learning models.

Methods

422 CT scans from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) were analyzed. Primary neoplasms were segmented by expert radiologists. Using PyRadiomics, 2446 radiomic features were extracted; post-selection, 179 features remained. Machine learning models like logistic regression, SVM, random forest, XGBoost, LightGBM, and CatBoost were employed, alongside a deep neural network (DNN) model.

Results

Random forest demonstrated the highest accuracy at 78% (95% CI: 70%-84%) and AUC-ROC at 94% (95% CI: 90%-96%). LightGBM, XGBoost, and CatBoost had AUC-ROC values of 95%, 93%, and 93% respectively. The DNN’s AUC was 94.4% (95% CI: 94.1% to 94.6%). Logistic regression had the least efficacy. For histological subtype prediction, random forest, boosting models, and DNN were superior.

Conclusions

Quantitative radiomic analysis with machine learning can accurately determine NSCLC histological subtypes. Random forest, ensemble models, and DNNs show significant promise for pre-operative NSCLC classification, which can streamline therapy decisions.
Reprogramming genetic circuits using space
Authors: Alejaldre Lorea , Miró-Bueno Jesús , Hueso-Gil Angeles , Grozinger Lewis , Tas Huseyin , Geißler Sina , Goñi-Moreno Ángel
Published: March 2024

Genetic circuits confer computing abilities to living cells, performing novel transformations of input stimuli into output responses. Circuit editing often focuses on substituting DNA components, such as RBSs, regulators, or promoters, from part libraries to achieve desired performance. However, this approach is inherently limited by the availability of DNA components. Here, we show that circuit performance can be reprogrammed without altering its DNA sequence by using a library of positions: a set of physical locations within the cell’s volume. Using bacteria as the living chassis, we engineer 219 spatially unique genetic circuits of four different types—three regulatory cascades and a toggle switch—by either inserting the entire circuit in a specific chromosomal position or separating and distributing circuit modules. Their analysis, together with a mathematical model, reveals that spatial positioning can be used not only to optimize circuits but also to switch circuits between modes of operation, giving rise to new functions as circuit complexity increases. We provide foundational insights into leveraging intracellular space for circuit design.
Towards sequential conjugation-assisted laboratory evolution (SCALE) of Cas nucleases
Authors: Swartjes Thomas , Doets Kristel , Staals Raymond HJ , van der Oost John
Published: March 2024

DNA endonucleases such as the CRISPR-associated enzymes Cas9 and Cas12a constitute powerful molecular tools with a wide range of applications. To facilitate optimization of these enzymes, we investigated a fullyin vivoselection system for laboratory evolution based on plasmid conjugation. In the proposed method, DNA cleavage promotes plasmid transfer to other cells, allowing cleaving variants to spread through the bacterial culture via consecutive conjugations. We have investigated whether the conjugation system of the F plasmid ofE. coliis suitable for laboratory evolution of Cas nucleases. Through a series of conjugation experiments, we found (i) that the F plasmid can spread through bacterial cultures, (ii) that the FinOP conjugation inhibition system is a potential nuclease target as it can prevent transfer of non-cleaving variants (counterselection), and (iii) that a trimmed version of the F plasmid allows for consecutive conjugations. Overall, we were able to show that in many regards, conjugation can indeed be used as means ofin vivolaboratory evolution. We discuss the potential of the here presented concept for a yet to be developed laboratory evolution platform.
High-throughput Kinetics using Capillary Electrophoresis and Robotics (HiKER) platform used to Study T7, T3, and Sp6 RNA Polymerase Misincorporation
Authors: Carter Zachariah I. , O’Brien William B. , Lund Sean , Gardner Andrew F.
Published: March 2024

T7 RNA Polymerase (RNAP) is a well-studied and widely used enzyme with recent applications in the production of RNA vaccines. For over 50 years denaturing sequencing gels have been used as a key analysis tool for probing the kinetic mechanism of T7 RNAP nucleotide addition. However, sequencing gels are both slow and low throughput limiting their utility for comprehensive enzyme analysis. Here, we report the development of HiKER; (High-throughputKinetics using CapillaryElectrophoresis andRobotics) a high-throughput pipeline to quantitatively measure enzyme kinetics. We adapted a traditional polymerase misincorporation assay for fluorescent detection at scale allowing rapid estimates of RNAP misincorporation in different experimental conditions. In addition, high-throughput kinetics reactions were automated using an open-source OT-2 liquid handling robot. The platform allows multiple weeks’ worth of data to be collected in mere days. Using this platform, ∼1500 time points were collected in a single workday. T7 RNAP exhibited dramatic differences in both observed rate constant and amplitude depending on the mismatch examined. An average misincorporation frequency of ∼45 misincorporations per million bases was estimated using HiKER and is consistent with previous observations from next generation sequencing studies. Misincorporation time courses for T3 RNAP and Sp6 RNAP were similar to T7 RNAP suggesting conserved kinetic mechanisms. Interestingly, dramatic changes in the extent of misincorporation were observed in the three RNAPs depending on the mismatch. Extension from base mismatch experiments showed differences between T7, T3, and Sp6 RNAP. Sp6 RNAP was the slowest to extend from a mismatch followed by T7 RNAP and then T3 RNAP. Taken together the results presented here demonstrate the capabilities of HiKER to carry out high-throughput enzymology studies. Importantly, this pipeline and the corresponding analysis strategies are affordable, open-source, and broadly applicable to many enzymes.
Loss of an extensive ciliary connectome induces proteostasis and cell fate switching in a severe motile ciliopathy
Authors: Brody Steven L. , Pan Jiehong , Huang Tao , Xu Jian , Xu Huihui , Koenitizer Jeffrey , Brennan Steven K. , Nanjundappa Rashmi , Saba Thomas G. , Berical Andrew , Hawkins Finn J. , Wang Xiangli , Zhang Rui , Mahjoub Moe R. , Horani Amjad , Dutcher Susan K.
Published: March 2024

Motile cilia have essential cellular functions in development, reproduction, and homeostasis. Genetic causes for motile ciliopathies have been identified, but the consequences on cellular functions beyond impaired motility remain unknown. Variants inCCDC39andCCDC40cause severe disease not explained by loss of motility. Using human cells with pathological variants in these genes,Chlamydomonasgenetics, cryo-electron microscopy, single cell RNA transcriptomics, and proteomics, we identified perturbations in multiple cilia-independent pathways. Absence of the axonemal CCDC39/CCDC40 heterodimer results in loss of a connectome of over 90 proteins. The undocked connectome activates cell quality control pathways, switches multiciliated cell fate, impairs microtubule architecture, and creates a defective periciliary barrier. Both cilia-dependent and independent defects are likely responsible for the disease severity. Our findings provide a foundation for reconsidering the broad cellular impact of pathologic variants in ciliopathies and suggest new directions for therapies.
Chemoproteomics reveals immunogenic and tumor-associated cell surface substrates of ectokinase CK2α
Authors: Delaveris Corleone S. , Kong Sophie , Glasgow Jeff , Loudermilk Rita P. , Kirkemo Lisa L. , Zhao Fangzhu , Salangsang Fernando , Phojanakong Paul , Camara Serrano Juan Antonio , Steri Veronica , Wells James A.
Published: March 2024

New epitopes for immune recognition provide the basis of anticancer immunity. Due to the high concentration of extracellular adenosine triphosphate in the tumor microenvironment, we hypothesized that extracellular kinases (ectokinases) could have dysregulated activity and introduce aberrant phosphorylation sites on cell surface proteins. We engineered a cell-tethered version of the extracellular kinase CK2α, demonstrated it was active on cells under tumor-relevant conditions, and profiled its substrate scope using a chemoproteomic workflow. We then demonstrated that mice developed polyreactive antisera in response to syngeneic tumor cells that had been subjected to surface hyperphosphorylation with CK2α. Interestingly, these mice developed B cell and CD4+ T cell responses in response to these antigens but failed to develop a CD8+ T cell response. This work provides a workflow for probing the extracellular phosphoproteome and demonstrates that extracellular phosphoproteins are immunogenic even in a syngeneic system.
CDK12Loss Promotes Prostate Cancer Development While Exposing Vulnerabilities to Paralog-Based Synthetic Lethality
Authors: Tien Jean Ching-Yi , Chang Yu , Zhang Yuping , Chou Jonathan , Cheng Yunhui , Wang Xiaoju , Yang Jianzhang , Mannan Rahul , Shah Palak , Wang Xiao-Ming , Todd Abigail J. , Eyunni Sanjana , Cheng Caleb , Rebernick Ryan J. , Xiao Lanbo , Bao Yi , Neiswender James , Brough Rachel , Pettitt Stephen J. , Cao Xuhong , Miner Stephanie J. , Zhou Licheng , Wu Yi-Mi , Labanca Estefania , Wang Yuzhuo , Parolia Abhijit , Cieslik Marcin , Robinson Dan R. , Wang Zhen , Feng Felix Y. , Lord Christopher J. , Ding Ke , Chinnaiyan Arul M.
Published: March 2024

Biallelic loss of cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) defines a unique molecular subtype of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). It remains unclear, however, whetherCDK12lossper seis sufficient to drive prostate cancer development—either alone, or in the context of other genetic alterations—and whetherCDK12-mutant tumors exhibit sensitivity to specific pharmacotherapies. Here, we demonstrate that tissue-specificCdk12ablation is sufficient to induce preneoplastic lesions and robust T cell infiltration in the mouse prostate. Allograft-based CRISPR screening demonstrated thatCdk12loss is positively associated withTrp53inactivation but negatively associated withPteninactivation—akin to what is observed in human mCRPC. Consistent with this, ablation ofCdk12in prostate organoids with concurrentTrp53loss promotes their proliferation and ability to form tumors in mice, whileCdk12knockout in thePten-null prostate cancer mouse model abrogates tumor growth. BigenicCdk12andTrp53loss allografts represent a new syngeneic model for the study of androgen receptor (AR)-positive, luminal prostate cancer. Notably,Cdk12/Trp53loss prostate tumors are sensitive to immune checkpoint blockade.Cdk12-null organoids (either with or withoutTrp53co-ablation) and patient-derived xenografts from tumors withCDK12inactivation are highly sensitive to inhibition or degradation of its paralog kinase, CDK13. Together, these data identifyCDK12as abona fidetumor suppressor gene with impact on tumor progression and lends support to paralog-based synthetic lethality as a promising strategy for treatingCDK12-mutant mCRPC.
Is the HEFT matching unique?
Authors: Dawson Sally , Fontes Duarte , Quezada-Calonge Carlos , Sanz-Cillero Juan José
Published: March 2024

Physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM) can be described in a consistent and general way through the Higgs effective field theory (HEFT). Measurements of model-independent HEFT coefficients allow one to constrain the parameter space of BSM models via a matching procedure. In this work, we show that this procedure is not unique and depends on the scalings of the parameters of the Lagrangian. As examples, we consider three BSM models: the real singlet extension of the SM with a Z2 symmetry, the complex singlet extension of the SM and the two Higgs doublet model. We discuss several physical observables, and show that different scalings of the model parameters with the UV scale in the matching to the HEFT can yield quite different results. This complicates the interpretation of HEFT measurements in terms of parameters of BSM models. Additionally, as a byproduct, we report the first matching of the complex singlet extension to the HEFT.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Toward UV models of kinetic mixing and portal matter. V. Indirect probes of the new physics scale
Authors: Rizzo Thomas G.
Published: March 2024

Kinetic mixing of the dark photon, the gauge boson of a hidden U(1)D, with the Standard Model (SM) gauge fields to induce an interaction between ordinary matter and dark matter (DM) at 1-loop requires the existence of portal matter (PM) fields having both dark and SM charges. As discussed in earlier work, these same PM fields can also lead to other loop-level mechanisms besides kinetic mixing that can generate significant interactions between SM fermions and the dark photon in a manner analogous to those that can be generated between a Dirac neutrino and a SM photon, i.e., dark moments. In either case, there are reasons to believe, e.g., due to the renormalization group equation running of the U(1)D gauge coupling, that PM fields may have ∼TeV-scale masses that lie at or above those directly accessible to the HL-LHC. If they lie above the reach of the HL-LHC, then the only way to possibly explore the physics at this high scale in the short term is via indirect measurements made at lower energies, e.g., at lepton colliders operating in the mZ to 1 TeV range. In particular, processes such as e+e−→γ+DM or

e

+

e

−

→

f

¯

f

, where f is a SM fermion, may be most useful in this regard. Here we explore these possibilities within the framework of a simple toy PM model, introduced in earlier work, based on a non-Abelian dark gauge group completion operating at the PM scale. In the kinetic mixing setup, we show these efforts fail due to the inherently tiny cross sections in the face of substantial SM backgrounds. However, in the case of interactions via induced dark moments, since they necessarily take the form of higher dimensional operators whose influence grows with energy, we show that access to PM-scale information may become possible for certain ranges of the toy model parameters for both of these e+e− processes at a 1 TeV collider.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Rotation effect on the deconfinement phase transition in holographic QCD
Authors: Wang Jia-Hao , Feng Sheng-Qin
Published: March 2024

The impact of rotation on the deconfinement phase transition under the Einstein-Maxwell system of the soft and the hard wall models in holographic quantum chromodynamics is studied in this paper. The metric by cylindrical coordinates with rotation is introduced into the system to calculate the Hawking temperature. The first holographic study on the influence of the radius of a homogeneous rotating system on the phase diagram is proposed. It is found that the phase transition temperature hardly changes with the rotation angular velocity for a small rotation radius. Only with a larger rotation radius can the change in rotational angular velocity significantly alter the phase transition temperature. The phase transition temperature decreases rapidly with the increase of rotation angular velocity as the rotation radius increases.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Weakly constrained double field theory as the double copy of Yang-Mills theory
Authors: Bonezzi Roberto , Chiaffrino Christoph , Díaz-Jaramillo Felipe , Hohm Olaf
Published: March 2024

The weakly constrained double field theory, in the sense of Hull and Zwiebach, captures the subsector of string theory on toroidal backgrounds that includes gravity, B-field, and dilaton together with all of their massive Kaluza-Klein and winding modes, which are encoded in doubled coordinates subject to the “weak constraint.” Due to the complications of the weak constraint, this theory was only known to cubic order. Here we construct the quartic interactions for the case that all dimensions are toroidal and doubled. Starting from the kinematic C∞ algebra K of pure Yang-Mills theory and its hidden Lie-type algebra, we construct the L∞ algebra of weakly constrained double field theory on a subspace of the “double copied” tensor product space K⊗K¯, by doing homotopy transfer to the weakly constrained subspace and performing a nonlocal shift that is well-defined on the torus. We test the resulting three-brackets and establish their uniqueness up to cohomologically trivial terms, by verifying the Jacobi identities up to homotopy for the gauge sector.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
N-representable one-electron reduced density matrix reconstruction with frozen core electrons
Authors: Yu Sizhuo , Gillet Jean-Michel
Published: March 2024

Recent advances in quantum crystallography have shown that, beyond conventional charge density refinement, a one-electron reduced density matrix (1-RDM) satisfying N-representability conditions can be reconstructed using jointly experimental X-ray structure factors and directional Compton profiles (DCP) through semidefinite programming. So far, such reconstruction methods for 1-RDM, not constrained to idempotency, have been tested only on a toy model system (CO2). In this work, a new method is assessed on crystalline urea [CO(NH2)2] using static (0 K) and dynamic (50 K) artificial experimental data. An improved model, including symmetry constraints and frozen core-electron contribution, is introduced to better handle the increasing system complexity. Reconstructed 1-RDMs, deformation densities and DCP anisotropy are analysed, and it is demonstrated that the changes in the model significantly improve the reconstruction quality, even when there is insufficient information and data corruption. The robustness of the model and the strategy are thus shown to be well adapted to address the reconstruction problem from actual experimental scattering data.
Poly[(μ-2,3-diethyl-7,8-dimethylquinoxaline-κ2
N:N)(2,3-diethyl-7,8-dimethylquinoxaline-κN)-μ-nitrato-κ2
O:O′-nitrato-κ2
O,O′-disilver(I)]
Authors: Crundwell Guy , Leeds Ashley
Published: March 2024

The structure of the title compound, [C14H18N2)2Ag2](NO3)2, contains subtle differences in ligand, metal, and counter-anion coordination. One quinoxaline ligand uses one of its quinoxaline N atoms to bond to one silver cation. That silver cation is bound to a second quinoxaline which, in turn, is bound to a second silver atom; thereby using both of its quinoxaline N atoms. A nitrate group bonds with one of its O atoms to the first silver and uses the same oxygen to bond to a silver atom (related by symmetry to the second), thereby forming an extended network. The second nitrate group on the other silver bonds via two nitrate O atoms; one silver cation therefore has a coordination number of three whereas the second has a coordination number of four. One of the quinoxaline ligands has a disordered ethyl group.
The impact of digital financial literacy on financial behavior: customers’ perspective
Authors: Abdallah Wael , Tfaily Fatima , Harraf Arrezou
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This study aims to examine the nexus between digital financial literacy and customers’ perceived financial behavior within the Kuwaiti context. Moreover, it will further explore how digital financial literacy relates to financial behavior dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collection was facilitated by creating a questionnaire derived from multiple literature sources. This study used a cross-sectional, time-based dimension. Data was analyzed using the partial least square (PLS) structural equation modeling approach, using the Smart-PLS 4 software for computation.

Findings

Findings demonstrated a significant relationship between digital financial literacy and financial behavior, with a path coefficient of 0.542, a p-value of 0.000 and an R2 value of 0.581. The explorative model revealed substantial relationships between many dimensions of digital financial literacy and various dimensions of financial behavior. More precisely, financial knowledge, awareness and decision-making were the factors that had the most significant impact on financial behavior.

Practical implications

Kuwaiti policymakers should consider including digital financial literacy programs in comprehensive financial education programs to improve public understanding of digital financial instruments and their consequences.

Originality/value

As the authors know, this is the initial endeavor to evaluate the relationship between digital financial literacy, financial behavior and their respective dimensions.
Applications of digital twin technology in construction safety risk management: a literature review
Authors: Luo Qianmai , Sun Chengshuang , Li Ying , Qi Zhenqiang , Zhang Guozong
Published: March 2024

Purpose

With increasing complexity of construction projects and new construction processes and methods are adopted, more safety hazards are emerging at construction sites, requiring the application of the modern risk management methods. As an emerging technology, digital twin has already made valuable contributions to safety risk management in many fields. Therefore, exploring the application of digital twin technology in construction safety risk management is of great significance. The purpose of this study is to explore the current research status and application potential of digital twin technology in construction safety risk management.

Design/methodology/approach

This study followed a four-stage literature processing approach as outlined in the systematic literature review procedure guidelines. It then combined the quantitative analysis tools and qualitative analysis methods to organize and summarize the current research status of digital twin technology in the field of construction safety risk management, analyze the application of digital twin technology in construction safety risk management and identify future research trends.

Findings

The research findings indicate that the application of digital twin technology in the field of construction safety risk management is still in its early stages. Based on the results of the literature analysis, this paper summarizes five aspects of digital twin technology's application in construction safety risk management: real-time monitoring and early warning, safety risk prediction and assessment, accident simulation and emergency response, safety risk management decision support and safety training and education. It also proposes future research trends based on the current research challenges.

Originality/value

This study provides valuable references for the extended application of digital twin technology and offers a new perspective and approach for modern construction safety risk management. It contributes to the enhancement of the theoretical framework for construction safety risk management and the improvement of on-site construction safety.
Nurturing family business resilience through strategic supply chain management
Authors: Pont Aina , Simon Alexandra
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The study aspires to enhance comprehension of the intricate interplay between supply chain management (SCM) and resilience in family businesses, thereby offering valuable insights to managers and policymakers endeavouring to foster resilience in uncertain environments.

Design/methodology/approach

Commencing from the premise that family businesses (FBs) prioritize the preservation of socio-emotional wealth (SEW) when formulating strategic decisions, this study endeavours to advance understanding of supply chain practices adopted by FBs and their direct impact on resilience during crisis situations or economically challenging periods. Through an exploratory case study of nine FBs, the present research reveals four pivotal strategies in SCM that contribute to their resilience: (i) reorganization of inventory management; (ii) cultivating close relationships with suppliers; (iii) emphasizing product quality and customer retention; and (iv) implementing cost reduction measures to bolster resilience. The aim of the study is to provide an in-depth understanding of the intricate interplay between SCM and resilience in FBs, thereby offering valuable insights to managers and policymakers endeavouring to foster resilience in uncertain environments.

Findings

Our approach offers a theoretical framework for SCM aligned with prior research on the interplay between characteristics of family businesses and resilience strategies. Furthermore, this paper illustrates how factors such as the emphasis on high-quality products and services by family businesses contribute to achieving non-economic objectives that owners adopt to reconcile family and business needs, creating intrinsic added value for the company. It reveals various challenges in SCM, including inventory organization changes, supplier closures and the significance of customer retention. Family businesses are implementing product and technology enhancements and leveraging digitization to enhance supply chain processes.

Originality/value

This paper contributes significantly to the field of FBs by highlighting the crucial role of SCM in enhancing business resilience during crises. It empirically examines how the SEW characteristics of FBs influence the reconfiguration of their supply chains to enhance resilience, presenting a theoretical model for this context. Our theoretical framework employs an SEW perspective to elucidate how FBs respond to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic by adapting their SCM processes to safeguard their social and emotional legitimacy, organizational visibility and reputation. These adaptations gain particular relevance during crises or turbulent conditions, potentially leading to alterations in how FBs formulate their supply chain strategies and manage supply chain-related processes.
Data driven predictive maintenance for large-scale asset-heavy process industries in Singapore
Authors: Karippur Nanda Kumar , Balaramachandran Pushpa Rani , John Elvin
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This paper aims at identifying the key factors influencing the adoption intention of data analytics for predictive maintenance (PdM) from the lens of the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework in the Singapore Process Industries context. The research model aids practitioners and researchers in developing a holistic maintenance strategy for large-scale asset-heavy process industries.

Design/methodology/approach

The TOE framework has been used in this study to consider a wide set of TOE factors and develop a research model with the support of literature. A survey is undertaken and the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique is adopted to test the hypotheses of the proposed model.

Findings

This research highlights the significant roles of digital infrastructure readiness, security and privacy, top management support, organizational competence, partnership with external consultants and government support in influencing adoption intention of data analytics for PdM. Perceived challenges related to organizational restructuring and process automation are not found significant in influencing the adoption intention.

Practical implications

This paper reports valuable insights on adoption intention of data analytics for PdM with relevant implications for the various stakeholders such as the leaders and senior managers of process manufacturing industry companies, government agencies, technology consultants and service providers.

Originality/value

This research uniquely validates the model for the adoption of data analytics for PdM in the process industries using the TOE framework. It reveals the significant technology, organizational and environmental factors influencing the adoption intention and highlights the relevant insights and implications for stakeholders.
Personal relationships of rural small businesses with community banks in times of crisis
Authors: Bednarik Zuzana , Marshall Maria I.
Published: March 2024

Purpose

As many businesses faced economic disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic and sought financial relief, existing bank relationships became critical to getting a loan. This study examines factors associated with the development of personal relationships of rural small businesses with community bank representatives.

Design/methodology/approach

We applied a mixed-method approach. We employed descriptive statistics, principal factor analysis and logistic regression for data analysis. We distributed an online survey to rural small businesses in five states in the United States. Key informant interviews with community bank representatives supplemented the survey results.

Findings

A business owner’s trust in a banker was positively associated with the establishment of a business–bank relationship. However, an analysis of individual trust’s components revealed that the nature of trust is complex, and a failure of one or more components may lead to decreased trustworthiness in a banker. Small businesses that preferred personal communication with a bank were more inclined to relationship banking.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the relatively small sample size and cross-sectional data, our results may not be conclusive but should be viewed as preliminary and as suggestions for future research. Bankers should be aware of the importance of trust for small business owners and of the actions that lead to increased trustworthiness.

Originality/value

The study extends the existing knowledge on the business–bank relationship by focusing mainly on social (instead of economic) factors associated with the establishment of the business–bank relationship in times of crisis and high uncertainty.
Advancing elderly healthcare: adapting UTAUT2 with inhibitors for wearable device continuance
Authors: Liang Ruo-yu , Li Yin , Wei Wei
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Wearable health devices (WHDs) have demonstrated significant potential in assisting elderly adults with proactive health management by utilizing sensors to record and monitor various aspects of their health, including physical activity, heart rate, etc. However, limited research has systematically explored older adults’ continued usage intention toward WHD. By utilizing the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2), this paper aims to probe the precursors of elderly adults’ continuance intention to use WHD from an enabler–inhibitor perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The research model was developed based on UTAUT2 and examined utilizing the partial least squares technique (PLS). The research data were collected through in-person meetings with older people (n = 272) in four cities in China.

Findings

Results reveal that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic values and perceived complexity are the positive predictors of elderly adults’ continuance intention to use WHDs. Technology-related anxiety and usage cost negatively influence the formation of older people’s continuance intention.

Originality/value

This work is an original empirical investigation that draws on several theories as guiding frameworks. It adds to the existing literature on the usage of wearable technologies and offers insights into how the elderly’s intentions to continue using WHDs can be developed. This study broadens the scope of the UTAUT2 application and presents an alternative theoretical framework that can be utilized in future research on the usage behavior of wearable devices by individuals.
Forecasting tourism demand with helpful online reviews
Authors: Liao Zhixue , Gou Xinyu , Wei Qiang , Xing Zhibin
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Online reviews serve as valuable sources of information, reflecting tourists’ attentions, preferences and sentiments. However, although the existing research has demonstrated that incorporating online review data can enhance the performance of tourism demand forecasting models, the reliability of online review data and consumers’ decision-making process have not been given adequate attention. To address the aforementioned problem, the purpose of this study is to forecast tourism demand using online review data derived from the analysis of review helpfulness.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose a novel “identification-first, forecasting-second” framework. This framework prioritizes the identification of helpful reviews through a comprehensive analysis of review helpfulness, followed by the integration of helpful online review data into the forecasting system. Using the SARIMAX model with helpful online review data sourced from TripAdvisor, this study forecasts tourist arrivals in Hong Kong during the period from August 2012 to June 2019. The SNAÏVE/SARIMA model was used as the benchmark model. Additionally, artificial intelligence models including long short-term memory, back propagation neural network, extreme learning machine and random forest models were used to assess the robustness of the results.

Findings

The results demonstrate that online review data are subject to noise and bias, which can adversely affect the accuracy of predictions when used directly. However, by identifying helpful online reviews beforehand and incorporating them into the forecasting process, a notable enhancement in predictive performance can be realized.

Originality/value

First, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to focus on the data issue of online reviews on tourism arrivals forecasting. Second, this study pioneers the integration of the consumer decision-making process into the domain of tourism demand forecasting, marking one of the earliest endeavors in this area. Third, this study makes a novel attempt to identify helpful online reviews based on reviews helpfulness analysis.
Land‐use change in the past 40 years explains shifts in arthropod community traits
Authors: Martínez‐Núñez Carlos , Gossner Martin M. , Maurer Corina , Neff Felix , Obrist Martin K. , Moretti Marco , Bollmann Kurt , Herzog Felix , Knop Eva , Luka Henryk , Cahenzli Fabian , Albrecht Matthias
Published: March 2024

Understanding how anthropogenic activities induce changes in the functional traits of arthropod communities is critical to assessing their ecological consequences. However, we largely lack comprehensive assessments of the long‐term impact of global‐change drivers on the trait composition of arthropod communities across a large number of species and sites. This knowledge gap critically hampers our ability to predict human‐driven impacts on communities and ecosystems.

Here, we use a dataset of 1.73 million individuals from 877 species to study how four functionally important traits of carabid beetles and spiders (i.e. body size, duration of activity period, tolerance to drought, and dispersal capacity) have changed at the community level across ~40 years in different types of land use and as a consequence of land use changes (that is, urbanisation and loss of woody vegetation) at the landscape scale in Switzerland.

The results show that the mean body size in carabid communities declined in all types of land use, with particularly stronger declines in croplands compared to forests. Furthermore, the length of the activity period and the tolerance to drought of spider communities decreased in most land use types. The average body size of carabid communities in landscapes with increased urbanisation in the last ~40 years tended to decrease. However, the length of the activity period, the tolerance to drought, and the dispersal capacity did not change significantly. Furthermore, urbanisation promoted increases in the average dispersal capacities of spider communities. Additionally, urbanisation favoured spider communities with larger body sizes and longer activity periods. The loss of woody areas at the landscape level was associated with trait shifts to carabid communities with larger body sizes, shorter activity periods, higher drought tolerances and strongly decreased dispersal capacities. Decreases in activity periods and dispersal capacities were also found in spider communities.

Our study demonstrates that human‐induced changes in land use alter key functional traits of carabid and spider communities in the long term. The detected trait shifts in arthropod communities likely have important consequences for their functional roles in ecosystems.
OCCUR Shiny application: A user‐friendly guide for curating species occurrence records
Authors: Ronquillo Cristina , Stropp Juliana , Hortal Joaquin
Published: March 2024

Ecology increasingly relies on a massive volume of biodiversity occurrence records to draw insights into large‐scale biogeographical, ecological and evolutionary phenomena. This often involves defining a set of criteria that guides the collection, filtering and standardising of available records. These curation processes are often neither described in detail nor well documented. This hampers the comparability and reproducibility of studies and thus undermines the robustness of any ecological result. Yet, to date, there is no guide providing a friendly way to reason and document a complete data curation process.

We reviewed the available literature on data curation, including tools such as R packages and workflows. From this assessment, we created a complete guide organised into five modules that allows users to consciously select and validate occurrence records based on these curation criteria. This is presented in the user‐friendly Shiny R OCCUR application, available at https://ecoinformatic.shinyapps.io/OCCUR/.

OCCUR application provides a guide for researchers to deal with the trade‐off between data certainty and coverage generated in each data curation step. An interactive graph of these changes is provided within each module. OCCUR also produces a custom‐made final report including all steps used for data filtering. This report helps to streamline the writing of the methods section of manuscripts and technical reports, thus promoting the reproducibility of data curation processes.

This Shiny application provides an interactive overview of the data curation methods and their use for handling occurrence records from public repositories. It brings together the taxonomic, temporal and spatial dimensions of data and also the identification of duplicates of the records. OCCUR can be applied for multiple purposes, such as teaching R to ecologists or enhancing reproducibility of macroecology and biogeography.