bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single-molecule systems for detection and monitoring of plasma circulating nucleosomes and oncoproteins in Diffuse Midline Glioma
Authors: Erez Nir , Furth Noa , Fedyuk Vadim , Wadden Jack , Aittaleb Rayan , Schwark Kallen , Niculcea Michael , Miclea Madeline , Mody Rajen , Franson Andrea , Eze Augistine , Nourmohammadi Niku , Nazarian Javad , Venneti Sriram , Koschmann Carl , Shema Efrat
Published: November 2023

The analysis of cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) and proteins in the blood of cancer patients potentiates a new generation of non-invasive diagnostics and treatment monitoring approaches. However, confident detection of these tumor-originating markers is challenging, especially in the context of brain tumors, in which extremely low amounts of these analytes circulate in the patient’s plasma. Here, we applied a sensitive single-molecule technology to profile multiple histone modifications on millions of individual nucleosomes from the plasma of Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG) patients. The system reveals epigenetic patterns that are unique to DMG, significantly differentiating this group of patients from healthy subjects or individuals diagnosed with other cancer types. We further develop a method to directly capture and quantify the tumor-originating oncoproteins, H3-K27M and mutant p53, from the plasma of children diagnosed with DMG. This single-molecule system allows for accurate molecular classification of patients, utilizing less than 1ml of liquid-biopsy material. Furthermore, we show that our simple and rapid detection strategy correlates with MRI measurements and droplet-digital PCR (ddPCR) measurements of ctDNA, highlighting the utility of this approach for non-invasive treatment monitoring of DMG patients. This work underscores the clinical potential of single-molecule-based, multi-parametric assays for DMG diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
Density dependent survival drives variation in density dependent population growth of an insect pest
Authors: Buddh Shyamsunder , Krishna Sandeep , Agashe Deepa
Published: November 2023

Several ecological processes – from population dynamics to species co-existence – are driven by density dependence (DD) in population growth rate. Thus, to predict and manage ecological outcomes, we need a deep understanding of which factors and demographic traits drive variation in DD. In the insect pestTribolium castaneum, we found large variation in DD across habitats but not across source populations. We modeled DD in population growth as the product of DD in fecundity and survival, experimentally estimating each parameter. Across habitats, survival parameters varied more than fecundity, including in simulations with varying parameter values. Thus, DD in survival drives variation in density-dependent population growth, and should evolve rapidly under strong density-dependent selection. Our general framework combining detailed experiments and simulations with a simple model can be used for other species to better understand the causes and consequences of density dependent population growth.
Defining minimal selective concentrations of amoxicillin, doxycycline and enrofloxacin in broiler-derived cecal fermentations by phenotype, microbiome and resistome
Authors: Swinkels Aram F. , Fischer Egil A.J. , Korving Lisa , Kusters Nina E. , Wagenaar Jaap A. , Zomer Aldert L.
Published: November 2023

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging worldwide problem. Exposure to antimicrobials selects for resistant bacteria which are a health threat for humans and animals. The concentration at which selection for resistant bacteria occurs is often lower than the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and also differs between environments. Defining this minimal selective concentration (MSC) under natural conditions is essential to understand the selective window for resistant bacteria which are exposed to residual antimicrobials in humans, animals and the environment.

In this study we estimated the MSCs of three antimicrobial compounds, amoxicillin, doxycycline and enrofloxacin in a complex microbial community by conducting fermentation assays with cecal material derived from broilers. We examined the phenotypic resistance ofEscherichia coli, resistome and microbiome after 6 and 30 hours of fermenting in the presence of antimicrobials of interest. The concentrations are 10 to 100 times lower than the epidemiological cut-off values inE. colifor the respective antimicrobials as determined by EUCAST (https://mic.eucast.org/). In contrast to the amoxicillin and doxycycline exposure we could not determine any molecular resistance mechanism in the resistome analysis for the enrofloxacin exposure, likely because they are the result of point mutations.

Our findings show at which concentrations there still is selection for AMR bacteria. This knowledge can be used to manage the risk of the emergence of AMR bacteria.

Importance

Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging threat to the health of humans and animals; it might affect economic prosperity in the future. The rise of antimicrobial resistant bacteria is a consequence of the use of antimicrobial compounds in humans and animals which selects for resistant bacteria. It is critical to understand the relation between the concentrations of antimicrobial compounds and their selection for antimicrobial resistant bacteria. In our study we are providing the minimal selective concentrations for amoxicillin, doxycycline and enrofloxacin by using cecal fermentations assays.
The role of IL-6 in dopamine dysregulation underlying anhedonia phenotype in rats
Authors: Varela Roger B , Macpherson Heather , Houghton Tristan , Daygon Dara , Tye Susannah J
Published: November 2023

Aims

To investigate the role of peripheral metabolic change and chronic low-grade inflammation on striatal dopamine dynamics and anhedonia-like behaviour induced by hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis disruption.

Methods

Wistar rats were trained in a progressive-ratio/concurrent effort-related choice paradigm to assess effort-related decision making. After reaching a stable baseline, animals received daily injections of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) or saline for 24 days. On the 23rdand 24thday, animals received a bupropion challenge (10mg/kg and 20mg/kg respectively) 30 minutes prior to the behavioural testing session. On the 25thday, animals received a single injection of bupropion (20mg/kg) 30 minutes prior to euthanasia. Peripheral and central inflammatory markers were assessed through ELISA and In-Cell Western assay; glucose transport activity was assessed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells though a commercial assay kit; brain levels of dopaminergic and inflammatory markers were assessed in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) through immunohistochemistry; and serum central carbon metabolism metabolites were assessed through a metabolomics approach.

Results

ACTH induced an anhedonia-like phenotype, decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) levels in the NAc, increased peripheral IL-6 levels, and decreased glucose transport activity and glucose metabolites when compared to control group. Bupropion treatment was not able to reverse the anhedonic phenotype. Glucose uptake was positively correlated to behaviour; TH levels were correlated to microglia volume; metabolites were correlated to TH levels; and IL6 was correlated to TH levels and metabolites.

Conclusion

Chronic ACTH treatment can induce treatment-resistant anhedonia in rats, and the interaction between peripheral immunometabolic state and central dopamine synthesis is a potential mechanism underlying this phenotype.
Evaluation of the risk relationship between average alcohol volume consumed and suicide: An analysis of mortality linked cohort data
Authors: Lange Shannon , Zhu Yachen , Probst Charlotte
Published: November 2023

Objective

To evaluate the relationship between average alcohol volume consumed per day and suicide.

Methods

Data from the annual, cross-sectional US National Health Interview Survey, 1997-2018, was obtained, and linked to the 2019 National Death Index. The association between average alcohol volume consumed in grams per day (g/day) and suicide was quantified using Cox proportional hazards model (multiplicative) and Aalen’s additive hazard model. All analyses were stratified by sex, and adjusted for education, marital status, race/ethnicity, and survey year.

Results

On the multiplicative scale, for males, former drinkers and those who consumed on average (40, 60] g/day had about 53% (HR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.10, 2.13) and 77% (HR=1.77, 95% CI: 1.17, 2.66) greater risk of dying by suicide, compared to lifetime abstainers, respectively. There was no significant association found for former or current drinkers among females, on the multiplicative scale. On the additive scale, for males and females, being a former drinker was associated with 11.4 (95% CI: 2.3, 20.4) and 5.6 (95% CI: 0.8, 10.4) additional deaths per 100,000 person years, compared to lifetime abstainers. For males only, drinking (40, 60] g/day on average was associated with 23.2 (95% CI: 6.7, 39.7) additional deaths per 100,000 person years. Level of education was not found to modify the focal relationship for males or females.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that the relationship between average alcohol volume consumed per day and suicide is nuanced. Additional research on the respective relationship is needed, including repeated measures of average alcohol consumption over time.

What is already known on this topic

There is a dearth of studies on the sex-specific relationship between average alcohol volume consumed per day and suicide. The one existing study, from South Korea, found that for males as average alcohol volume consumed increased, the likelihood of death by suicide also increased. For females it was not possible to estimate the risk associated with the upper level of consumption due to a zero-cell count.

What this study adds

This is the first systematic investigation of the sex-specific relationship between average alcohol volume consumed per day and death by suicide using a large linked dataset from the United States. It is also the first to evaluate the modifying effect of education, an important indicator of socioeconomic status, on the respective relationship.

How this study might affect research, practice or policy

The findings were not in line with the sparse existing literature, indicating that this line of research is not yet resolved and more research is needed.
Prostate cancer patient stratification by molecular signatures in the Veterans Precision Oncology Data Commons
Authors: Hernandez Kyle M. , Venkat Aarti , Elbers Danne C. , Bihn John R. , Brophy Mary T. , Do Nhan V. , La Jennifer , Liu Qiong , Prokhorenkov Andrew , Metoki-Shlubsky Noah , Sung Feng-Chi , Paller Channing J. , Fillmore Nathanael R. , Grossman Robert L.
Published: November 2023

Veterans are at an increased risk for prostate cancer, a disease with extraordinary clinical and molecular heterogeneity, compared with the general population. However, little is known about the underlying molecular heterogeneity within the veteran population and its impact on patient management and treatment. Using clinical and targeted tumor sequencing data from the National Veterans Affairs health system, we conducted a retrospective cohort study on 45 patients with advanced prostate cancer in the Veterans Precision Oncology Data Commons (VPODC), most of whom were metastatic castration-resistant. We characterized the mutational burden in this cohort and conducted unsupervised clustering analysis to stratify patients by molecular alterations. Veterans with prostate cancer exhibited a mutational landscape broadly similar to prior studies, includingKMT2AandNOTCH1mutations associated with neuroendocrine prostate cancer phenotype, previously reported to be enriched in veterans. We also identified several potential novel mutations inPTEN,MSH6,VHL,SMO, andABL1. Hierarchical clustering analysis revealed two subgroups containing therapeutically targetable molecular features with novel mutational signatures distinct from those reported in the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer database. The clustering approach presented in this study can potentially be used to clinically stratify patients based on their distinct mutational profiles and identify actionable somatic mutations for precision oncology.
Enhancing hydrogen positions in X-ray structures of transition metal hydride complexes with dynamic quantum crystallography
Authors: Woińska Magdalena , Hoser Anna A. , Chodkiewicz Michał L. , Woźniak Krzysztof
Published: November 2023

Hirshfeld atom refinement (HAR) is a method which enables the user to obtain more accurate positions of hydrogen atoms bonded to light chemical elements using X-ray data. When data quality permits, this method can be extended to hydrogen-bonded transition metals (TMs), as in hydride complexes. However, addressing hydrogen thermal motions with HAR, particularly in TM hydrides, presents a challenge. At the same time, proper description of thermal vibrations can be vital for determining hydrogen positions correctly. In this study, we employ tools such as SHADE3 and Normal Mode Refinement (NoMoRe) to estimate anisotropic displacement parameters (ADPs) for hydrogen atoms during HAR and IAM refinements performed for seven structures of TM (Fe, Ni, Cr, Nb, Rh and Os) and metalloid (Sb) hydride complexes for which both the neutron and the X-ray structures have been determined. A direct comparison between neutron and HAR/SHADE3/NoMoRe ADPs reveals that the similarity between neutron hydrogen ADPs and those estimated with NoMoRe or SHADE3 is significantly higher than when hydrogen ADPs are refined with HAR. Regarding TM—H bond lengths, traditional HAR exhibits a slight advantage over the other methods. However, combining NoMoRe/SHADE3 with HAR results in a minor decrease in agreement with neutron TM—H bond lengths. For the Cr complex, for which high-resolution X-ray data were collected, an investigation of resolution-related effects was possible.
Making sense of the definition of public-private partnerships
Authors: Ke Yongjian , Cheng Zhe , Zhang Jingxiao , Liu Yong
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Despite the widespread study and application of public-private partnerships (PPPs) since the 1980s, the field lacks a universally accepted definition that captures the concept's complexity. This study aims to offer a definition and foster a more substantive and comprehensive discourse on PPPs to improve communication and understanding between academics and practitioners from diverse disciplines and legislative backgrounds.

Design/methodology/approach

Grounded in the family-resemblance concept proposed by German philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, this study conducts a comprehensive literature review to identify core and non-core elements frequently cited in PPP descriptions. The authors used these findings to develop the PPP sunflower model as a structured framework for defining PPPs.

Findings

The analysis elucidates six core elements consistently present in PPP descriptions: clarity of roles and responsibilities, appropriate risk allocation and sharing, injection of expertise and resources, cooperation and teamwork, a bundle of services, and long-term contracts. Coupled with identified non-core elements, these core components comprise the PPP sunflower model, a structured framework for defining PPPs that accommodates their multi-faceted nature.

Originality/value

The PPP sunflower model distinguishes itself as a unique contribution to the PPP literature. It offers a rigorous theoretical framework that can elucidate the complexity of PPPs for various stakeholders. The model serves as a practical tool for evaluating the authenticity and viability of PPP projects. The study's novelty lies in its adoption of the family-resemblance concept, thereby providing a comprehensive, multi-dimensional framework that enhances the understanding of PPPs across different disciplines and legislative contexts.
Attachment and attractiveness towards organizations: reinforcing the intention to stay amidst the “great resignation”
Authors: Patrick Warren Stanley , Thakur Munish , Jha Jatinder Kumar
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The motivation for this study is to understand the stressful situations leading to great resignation and evaluate the cognitions of psychological attachment (PA) and organizational attractiveness (OA) to mitigate this crisis, using the attachment theory as the theoretical basis.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study was conducted on individuals employed in Indian organizations (Nifty 50) to identify the most impactful cognitions underlying the dynamics between person–job fit (P-J fit) and the intention to stay (ITS).

Findings

This study highlighted that a serial mediation relationship between PA (specifically “internalization”) and OA is influenced by the P-J “needs–supplies” fit, particularly during extraordinarily stressful times. Managers must re-emphasize PA and OA as core organizational resources that must be prioritized, maintained and refined to reinforce employees' intent to stay in their organizations.

Originality/value

No research has studied P-J fit, PA, OA, underpinned by the attachment theory to reinforce the ITS given the context of the great resignation triggered by the pandemic's extraordinarily stressful situation.
Ecological restoration for mega-infrastructure projects: a study based on multi-source heterogeneous data
Authors: Song Ruizhen , Gao Xin , Nan Haonan , Zeng Saixing , Tam Vivian W.Y.
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This research aims to propose a model for the complex decision-making involved in the ecological restoration of mega-infrastructure (e.g. railway engineering). This model is based on multi-source heterogeneous data and will enable stakeholders to solve practical problems in decision-making processes and prevent delayed responses to the demand for ecological restoration.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the principle of complexity degradation, this research collects and brings together multi-source heterogeneous data, including meteorological station data, remote sensing image data, railway engineering ecological risk text data and ecological restoration text data. Further, this research establishes an ecological restoration plan library to form input feature vectors. Random forest is used for classification decisions. The ecological restoration technologies and restoration plant species suitable for different regions are generated.

Findings

This research can effectively assist managers of mega-infrastructure projects in making ecological restoration decisions. The accuracy of the model reaches 0.83. Based on the natural environment and construction disturbances in different regions, this model can determine suitable types of trees, shrubs and herbs for planting, as well as the corresponding ecological restoration technologies needed.

Practical implications

Managers should pay attention to the multiple types of data generated in different stages of megaproject and identify the internal relationships between these multi-source heterogeneous data, which provides a decision-making basis for complex management decisions. The coupling between ecological restoration technologies and restoration plant species is also an important factor in improving the efficiency of ecological compensation.

Originality/value

Unlike previous studies, which have selected a typical section of a railway for specialized analysis, the complex decision-making model for ecological restoration proposed in this research has wider geographical applicability and can better meet the diverse ecological restoration needs of railway projects that span large regions.
Entrepreneurship by indigenous people in Canada and Australia: diverse modes and community implications
Authors: Yang Yanjiao , Lin Xiaohua , Anderson Robert B.
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Entrepreneurship by Indigenous people in Canada and Australia, while historically connected to the ancestral lands and traditional practices of Indigenous people, has been evolving and expanding in scope and nature. In this article, the authors aim to offer an integrative framework for capturing the contemporary dynamics and outcomes of entrepreneurship by Indigenous people as they pursue venture creation as part of their broader development aspirations.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on literature from place-based views of entrepreneurship and social identity theory, the authors develop a typology to account for four modes of entrepreneurship by Indigenous people along two contextual dimensions – Indigenous territory and Indigenous marker.

Findings

Indigenous practicing entrepreneurship may choose to conduct business within or outside of traditional lands and demonstrate more or less indigeneity in their business activities as they marshal resources and seek opportunities. The authors identify how these diverse Indigenous businesses contribute to the economic development among Indigenous communities as part of their ongoing struggle to rebuild their “nations” using business.

Originality/value

This article contributes by differentiating sociocultural vs economic resources in noneconomic contexts to develop a theoretical typology of Indigenous entrepreneurship. By detailing the relations between Indigenous territories and Indigenous lands and between Indigenous identity and Indigenous markers, the authors contribute to a more nuanced and practical conceptualization of Indigenous entrepreneurship.
Massive open online courses learners' continuance intention: shaping a roadmap to micro-credentials
Authors: Wang Yanan , Chaw Lee Yen , Leong Choi-Meng , Lim Yet Mee , Barut Abdulkadir
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study intends to investigate the determinants of learners' continuance intention to use massive open online courses (MOOCs) for personal or professional development.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed quantitative research design. The respondents were individual learners from six selected universities in China who used MOOCs for continuous learning. A purposive sampling technique was employed to obtain 270 valid samples. Data were analyzed and analytical outputs were produced using the techniques of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling and Importance-Performance Matrix.

Findings

Expectation confirmation was found to have a positive relationship with perceived usefulness, flow experience, learning self-efficacy and satisfaction with MOOCs. Perceived usefulness, flow experience and leaning self-efficacy were also found to have a positive relationship with MOOC satisfaction. In addition, perceived usefulness, flow experience, learning self-efficacy and MOOC satisfaction had a positive impact on continuance usage intention.

Originality/value

The outcomes of the study can serve as a practical reference for MOOC providers and decision-makers to develop relevant strategies to increase the course completion rates.
Innovation under uncertainty: who holds the upper hand? An empirical study of Armenian SMEs
Authors: Beglaryan Mane , Drampyan Anush , Sargsyan Parandzem
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Innovation is considered as an important tool to succeed and survive in periods of great uncertainty such as COVID-19 crisis. This paper aims to empirically examine the propensity to engage in product, process and organizational innovation under uncertainty among small and medium enterprises and how that propensity varies depending on the gender of the manager.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the results of 213 responses by managers of Armenian small and medium enterprises in the scope of GLOBE-2020 survey, the authors investigate the role of manager’s gender in encouraging innovative attitude under uncertainty. To measure the relationship between uncertainty and innovation (product, process and organizational), Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated between managers’ perception about the uncertainty and their perceptions of innovation within their companies compared to the players in the external environment. In addition, a linear regression was run between the three innovation types and uncertainty.

Findings

The results of our analysis confirmed the positive relationship between uncertainty and innovation. Moreover, our results indicate that male managers have a higher tendency to undertake innovation under external turbulence.

Originality/value

This study fills the gap in the literature by studying the relationship between uncertainty and innovation, focusing on SMEs during adversarial times, which in contrast to bigger companies are limited in terms of their resources and, hence, capacity to innovate. The paper examines the gender dimension as an internal factor affecting innovation under uncertainty in an under-researched country context of Armenia, where female entrepreneurs deal with unique challenges to engage in innovative activities.
Untangling the nexus between supplier relationship management and competitive advantage: insights on the role of procurement performance and supply chain responsiveness
Authors: Acquah Ishmael Nanaba , Asamoah David , Kumi Caleb Amankwaa , Akyeh Joseph , Agyemang Priscilla
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The study examines the intricate interplay between supplier relationship management (SRM), procurement performance, supply chain responsiveness (SCR) and competitive advantage. Additionally, the study examines the mediating role of procurement performance and SCR in the link between SRM and competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

A research model grounded in the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theory (DCT) was developed and tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Data were obtained from 122 firms in Ghana.

Findings

The study revealed that SRM has a positive and significant effect on procurement performance, SCR and competitive advantage. Additionally, SCR has a positive and significant effect on competitive advantage; however, procurement performance has a negative and insignificant effect on competitive advantage. It was also revealed that SCR partially mediates the relationship between SRM and competitive advantage but fully mediates the relationship between procurement performance and competitive advantage. Also, it was also revealed that procurement performance does not mediate the relationship between SRM and competitive advantage.

Research limitations/implications

The study contributes to literature by highlighting the mediating role of SCR in influencing the effect of SRM and procurement performance on competitive advantage.

Practical implications

Practically, the study findings highlight the need for firms to seek, build and manage meaningful relationships with their suppliers in order to enhance their competency and capability to influence their competitive position in the marketplace.

Originality/value

To the best of the researchers' knowledge, no prior study has examined the effect of SRM on procurement performance and SCR. Additionally, no previous study has examined the mediating role of procurement performance and SCR on the link between SRM and competitive advantage.
Unemployed foreign graduates: job prospects and options – a case analysis in Portugal
Authors: Oliveira-Silva Carla , Soares-Semedo Andreia , Lopez-Bermudez Beatriz
Published: November 2023

Purpose

When graduates cannot get a job in their field of study, they have to consider alternative scenarios: extending studies while waiting for labor market conditions to improve; continuing looking for a qualified job; accepting a less qualified job; creating their own business; change their country of residence, which in the case of foreign citizens living in Portugal may involve new emigration or return to the country of origin.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was conducted with 108 foreign graduates, unemployed, 47 of whom already hold Portuguese nationality. They were asked about their country of origin, nationality, graduation, field of education, previous jobs, unemployment and alternatives to face it.

Findings

The results suggest that the main options considered are extending studies, continuing to seek skilled employment or a second migration. The desire to return to the country varies according to gender and, in some cases, the country of origin.

Originality/value

There are no studies available on the possibilities for foreign recent graduate students in terms of their choices between entering the labor market or pursuing further education.
Tourism/Hospitality and family business: a perspective article
Authors: Kallmuenzer Andreas , López-Chávez Beatriz Adriana
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This perspective article provides a compact view on past and promising future research of family business in tourism/hospitality research, an industry that is dominated and driven by family firms.

Design/methodology/approach

This article draws on a review of key literature from family business and tourism/hospitality research, and synchronizes this literature for understanding the groundings and development of the field.

Findings

The article finds that there are peculiar research gaps and needs concerning gender roles, sub-industries/family networks, later generation conflicts as well as differences in life cycle stages between emerging and developing countries.

Originality/value

This article summarizes the state of the art of research for family business in tourism/hospitality and provides a novel agenda for theory advancement and research of practical relevance.
The ethical void: a critical analysis of commissioned expert reports on Swedish healthcare governance
Authors: Falkenström Erica , Höglund Anna T.
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute knowledge on ethical issues and reasoning in expert reports concerning healthcare governance, commissioned by the Swedish healthcare system.

Design/methodology/approach

An in-depth analysis of ethical issues and reasoning in 36 commissioned expert reports was performed. Twenty-seven interviews with commissioners and producers of the reports were also carried out and analysed.

Findings

Some ethical issues were identified in the reports. But ethical reasoning was rarely evident. The meaning of ethical concepts could be devalued and changed over time and thereby deviate from statutory ethical goals and values. Several ethical issues of great concern for the Swedish public healthcare were also absent.

Practical implications

The commissioner of expert reports needs to ensure that comprehensive ethical considerations and ethical analysis are integrated in the expert reports.

Originality/value

Based on an extensive data material this paper reveals an ethical void in expert reports on healthcare governance. By avoiding ethical issues there is a risk that the expert reports could bring about reforms and control models that have ethically undesirable consequences for people and society.
Examining how coolness of service robots influences customers' delight: mediating role of perceived values
Authors: Wu Jia-Jhou , Chang Sue-Ting , Lin Yung-Ping , Lin Tom M.Y.
Published: November 2023

Purpose

When encountering novel technology, customers often use the term “cool” to express their thoughts; therefore, coolness has become crucial for launching service robots. However, research on the impact mechanism of “coolness” is lacking. This study explored the relationship between delight and behavioral intention regarding the coolness of service robots in the food and beverage industry while discussing the mediating roles of utilitarian and hedonic values.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaires were distributed online with links to the survey posted on restaurant discussion boards on Facebook and online community platforms such as Dcard. In total, 540 responses were deemed valid. The hypotheses were tested using the partial least squares structural equation modeling method.

Findings

The results indicate that coolness positively impacted both utilitarian and hedonic values and that both perceived values positively impacted delight. Moreover, coolness does not directly impact delight but must be mediated by perceived value to be effective.

Practical implications

Increasing customer perceptions of the coolness of service robots is recommended. Moreover, regarding customer revisits, utilitarian value services can delight customers more effectively than hedonic value services.

Originality/value

The stimulus-organism-response model was used to identify the relationships among coolness, perceived value, delight and behavioral intention. Moreover, the authors investigated the impact of coolness on utilitarian and hedonic values. These findings are significant for the development of smart restaurants and provide a critical reference for exploring service robots.
A Q&A primer and systematic review of meta-analytic reporting in organizational frontline service research
Authors: Lindsey-Hall Kristina K. , Michel Eric J. , Kepes Sven , Qi Ji (Miracle) , Weinzimmer Laurence G. , Wheeler Anthony R. , Leon Matthew R.
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a step-by-step primer on systematic and meta-analytic reviews across the service field, to systematically analyze the quality of meta-analytic reporting in the service domain, to provide detailed protocols authors may follow when conducting and reporting these analyses and to offer recommendations for future service meta-analyses.

Design/methodology/approach

Eligible frontline service-related meta-analyses published through May 2021 were identified for inclusion (k = 33) through a systematic search of Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, Business Source Complete, Web of Science, Google Scholar and specific service journals using search terms related to service and meta-analyses.

Findings

An analysis of the existing meta-analyses within the service field, while often providing high-quality results, revealed that the quality of the reporting can be improved in several ways to enhance the replicability of published meta-analyses in the service domain.

Practical implications

This research employs a question-and-answer approach to provide a substantive guide for both properly conducting and properly reporting high-quality meta-analytic research in the service field for scholars at various levels of experience.

Originality/value

This work aggregates best practices from diverse disciplines to create a comprehensive checklist of protocols for conducting and reporting high-quality service meta-analyses while providing additional resources for further exploration.
Modeling and solving the multi-objective energy-efficient production planning and scheduling with imperfect maintenance activities
Authors: Rastgar Iman , Rezaeian Javad , Mahdavi Iraj , Fattahi Parviz
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to propose a new mathematical model that integrates strategic decision-making with tactical-operational decision-making in order to optimize production and scheduling decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study presents a multi-objective optimization framework to make production planning, scheduling and maintenance decisions. An epsilon-constraint method is used to solve small instances of the model, while new hybrid optimization algorithms, including multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO), non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm, multi-objective harmony search and improved multi-objective harmony search (IMOHS) are developed to address the high complexity of large-scale problems.

Findings

The computational results demonstrate that the metaheuristic algorithms are effective in obtaining economic solutions within a reasonable computational time. In particular, the results show that the IMOHS algorithm is able to provide optimal Pareto solutions for the proposed model compared to the other three algorithms.

Originality/value

This study presents a new mathematical model that simultaneously determines green production planning and scheduling decisions by minimizing the sum of the total cost, makespan, lateness and energy consumption criteria. Integrating production and scheduling of a shop floor is critical for achieving optimal operational performance in production planning. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the integration of production planning and maintenance has not been adequately addressed.
Can green finance promote high-quality energy development? The case of China
Authors: Wang Bo , Dong Kangyin , Taghizadeh-Hesary Farhad
Published: November 2023

Purpose

China is a significant energy consumer with increasingly severe resource constraints and environmental problems, requiring low-carbon energy transformation and encouraging high-quality energy development (HED). Green finance significantly affects the effect on HED as a cutting-edge financial strategy to support environmental improvement and encourage green development.

Design/methodology/approach

Using panel data from 30 provinces from 2007 to 2019 and the system-generalized method of moments method, this paper investigates the impact of green finance on HED, and further explores their threshold effect, heterogeneous and asymmetry analysis.

Findings

The main results indicate that: (1) green finance positively affects HED in China; in other words, a 1% increase in the green finance index will boost HED by an average of 0.767%; (2) as the economy improves, the positive impact of green finance on HED will be even more significant and (3) the contribution of green finance to HED is more significant in the northern provinces and areas with lower HED levels.

Originality/value

This paper puts forward relevant policy suggestions to further improve the construction of the green financial system.
High-speed rail network and earnings management techniques usage trade-off: the moderating effects of governance and religion
Authors: Li Bin , Qizi Zhao , Shahab Yasir , Wu Xun , Ntim Collins G.
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of the development of high-speed rail (HSR) network on earnings management, especially on the trade-off between the usage of accruals-based earnings management (AM) and real earnings management (RM) techniques, and consequently, examines the extent to which the HSR network–earnings management nexus is moderated by governance and religion factors.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of Chinese A-listed firms over an 11-year period, this study uses regression techniques as the baseline methodology while controlling for industry and year-fixed effects. The authors also use endogeneity tests (including instrumental variable method, Generalized Methods of Moments estimation and difference-in-difference) and different robustness checks.

Findings

The key findings are threefold. First, the HSR network development reduces AM. This suggests that the presence of HSR network is effective in reducing information asymmetry. Second, the use of RM technique increases with the HSR network development. This indicates that managers do not seem to engage in less earnings management with the HSR network development but instead appear to switch from the easy-to-detect AM to the more costly RM approach. Finally, the HSR network and earnings management nexus is moderated by governance and religion factors.

Originality/value

This study provides new evidence on the trade-off between AM and RM by managers and pioneers in examining the impacts of governance and religion factors on the relationship between the HSR network and the trade-off of earnings management techniques.
Influence of artificial intelligence (AI) perception on career resilience and informal learning
Authors: Kong Haiyan , Jiang Xinyu , Zhou Xiaoge , Baum Tom , Li Jinghan , Yu Jinhan
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analysis may further enhance the automated and smart features of tourism and hospitality services. However, it also poses new challenges to human resource management. This study aims to explore the direct and indirect effects of employees’ AI perception on career resilience and informal learning as well as the mediating effect of career resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposed a theoretical model of AI perception, career resilience and informal learning with perceived AI as the antecedent variable, career resilience as the mediate variable and informal learning as the endogenous variable. Targeting the employees working with AI, a total of 472 valid data were collected. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with AMOS software.

Findings

Findings indicated that employees’ perception of AI positively contributes to career resilience and informal learning. Apart from the direct effect on informal learning, career resilience also mediates the relationship between AI perception and informal learning.

Originality/value

Research findings provide both theoretical and practical implications by revealing the impact of AI perception on employees’ career development, leaning activities, explaining how AI transforms the nature of work and career development and shedding lights on human resource management in the tourism and hospitality field.
Association of ATG16L1 and ATG5 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to hepatitis B virus infection and progression to HCC in central China
Authors: Wu Qiaoyu , Ouyang Yaoling
Published: November 2023

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a severe public health problem worldwide. The relationship between polymorphisms of autophagy‐related 16‐like 1 gene (ATG16L1) and autophagy‐related gene 5 (ATG5) with susceptibility to the stage of HBV infection has been reported in different populations. Nevertheless, this association is not seen in the population of central China. This study recruited 452 participants, including 246 HBV‐infected patients (139 chronically infected HBV without hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] and 107 HBV‐related HCC patients) and 206 healthy controls. Genotyping of ATG16L1 rs2241880 and ATG5 rs688810 were performed using Sanger sequencing and polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism, respectively. Our results indicated that the G allele of ATG16L1 rs2241880 was more frequent in healthy controls than in patients with chronicHBV infection. After adjusting for age and sex, an association between the ATG16L1 rs2241880 polymorphism and HBV infection was significant under the dominant and allele models (p = 0.009 and 0.003, respectively). However, no association between the ATG5 polymorphisms and HBV infection was observed. We also did not find a significant association between ATG16L1 and ATG5 polymorphisms and the progression of HBV‐related HCC. Therefore, the genetic polymorphism of ATG16L1 rs2241880 may be associated with susceptibility to HBV infection in the population of central China.
Landscape heterogeneity can partially offset negative effects of habitat loss on mammalian biodiversity in agroecosystems
Authors: do Carmo Pônzio Marcella , Pasqualotto Nielson , Zanin Marina , Chiarello Adriano Garcia , Pardini Renata
Published: November 2023

Intensive, large‐scale agriculture promotes the conversion of natural habitats and diversified crops into monocultures, decreasing both native vegetation cover and landscape heterogeneity, leading to landscape simplification. Yet, a key knowledge gap persists on the relative impacts of the loss of native vegetation and landscape heterogeneity on biodiversity. Addressing this gap is pressing to support policies that conciliate agricultural production and biodiversity conservation and to move forward some scientific controversies, as the ‘land sharing versus land sparing’ and ‘habitat loss versus fragmentation’ debates.

Through a hierarchical sampling design that maximised variation, while minimising correlation, between landscape heterogeneity and native vegetation cover, we recorded the occurrence of medium and large‐bodied mammals in native vegetation and agricultural areas of 55 landscapes in a global conservation hotspot and a key commodity production area—the Brazilian Savanna, Cerrado. We compared simple, additive and interactive models to investigate the effects of landscape heterogeneity and native vegetation cover on richness and composition of native and invasive mammals.

Native and invasive mammal communities were affected by both native vegetation cover and landscape heterogeneity, although the effects of the first was stronger than the later. Both aspects had positive effects on native species richness and negative effects on invasive species richness, indicating that the loss of native vegetation and the reduction in landscape heterogeneity lead to biotic homogenisation. Yet, while landscape heterogeneity benefited most native species, the direction of its effect varied among invasive species and depended on native vegetation cover.

Synthesis and applications. Besides reducing habitat loss, avoiding landscape homogenisation is key for conciliating agricultural production and biodiversity conservation, pointing to the relevance of policies encouraging crop diversification. As increasing landscape heterogeneity can in part compensate the negative effects of losing native habitat on biodiversity in agroecosystems, policies can gain feasibility by adjusting the balance between native vegetation cover and landscape heterogeneity according to what best suits local restraints and demands.
The mechanisms underlying alcohol‐induced decreased splenic size: A network meta‐analysis study
Authors: Liu Xiangqian , Bishir Muhammed , Hodgkinson Colin , Goldman David , Chang Sulie L.
Published: November 2023

Background

Organ weight change is widely accepted as a measure of toxicologic pathology. We and other groups have shown that excessive alcohol exposure leads to decreased spleen weight in rodents. This study explores the mechanisms underlying alcohol‐induced splenic injury through a network meta‐analysis.

Methods

QIAGEN Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) and Mammalian Phenotype (MP) Ontology were used to identify alcohol‐related molecules associated with the small spleen phenotype. Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) and IPA bioinformatics tools were then used to analyze the biologic processes and enriched signaling pathways engaging these molecules. In addition, the “downstream effects analysis” algorithm was used to quantify alcohol's effects.

Results

IPA identified 623 molecules affected by alcohol and a Venn diagram revealed that 26 of these molecules overlapped with those associated with the MP Ontology of small spleen. The 26 molecules are TGFB1, CASP8, MTOR, ESR1, CXCR4, CAMK4, NFKBIA, DRD2, BCL2, FAS, PEBP1, TRAF2, ATM, IGHM, EDNRB, MDM2, GLRA1, PRF1, TLR7, IFNG, ALOX5, FOXO1, IL15, APOE, IKBKG, and RORA. Some of the 26 molecules were also associated with the MP Ontology of abnormal white pulp and red pulp morphology of the spleen, abnormal splenic cell ratio, decreased splenocyte number, abnormal spleen physiology, increased splenocyte apoptosis, and reduced splenocyte proliferation. STRING and IPA “Core Analysis” showed that these molecules were mainly involved in pathways related to cell apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and immune responses. IPA's “Molecular Activity Predictor” tool showed that concurrent effects of activation and inhibition of these molecules led to decreased spleen size by modulating apoptosis, proliferation, and migration of splenocytes.

Conclusions

Our network meta‐analysis revealed that excessive alcohol exposure can damage the spleen through a variety of molecular mechanisms, thereby affecting immune function and human health. We found that alcohol‐mediated splenic atrophy is largely mediated by increased apoptosis signaling, migration of cells, and inhibition of splenocyte proliferation.