bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cas9 targeted nanopore sequencing with enhanced variant calling improves CYP2D6-CYP2D7 hybrid allele genotyping
Authors: Kaat Rubben , Laurentijn Tilleman , Koen Deserranno , Olivier Tytgat , Dieter Deforce , Van Nieuwerburgh Filip
Published: April 2022

CYP2D6 is one of the most challenging pharmacogenes to genotype due to the high similarity with its neighboring pseudogenes and the frequent occurrence of CYP2D6-CYP2D7 hybrids. Unfortunately, most current genotyping methods are therefore not able to correctly determine the complete CYP2D6-CYP2D7 sequence. Therefore, we developed a genotyping assay to generate complete allele-specific consensus sequences of complex regions by optimizing the PCR-free nanopore Cas9-targeted sequencing (nCATS) method combined with adaptive sequencing, and developing a new comprehensive long read genotyping (CoLoRGen) pipeline. The CoLoRGen pipeline first generates consensus sequences of both alleles and subsequently determines both large structural and small variants to ultimately assign the correct star-alleles. In reference samples, our genotyping assay confirms the presence of CYP2D6-CYP2D7 large structural variants, single nucleotide variants (SNVs), and small insertions and deletions (INDELs) that go undetected by most current assays. Moreover, our results provide direct evidence that the CYP2D6 genotype of the NA12878 DNA should be updated to include the CYP2D6-CYP2D7 *68 hybrid and several additional single nucleotide variants compared to existing references. Ultimately, the nCATS-CoLoRGen genotyping assay additionally allows for more accurate gene function predictions by enabling the possibility to detect and phase de novo mutations in addition to known large structural and small variants.

Author Summary

During the last decades, the usefulness of personalized medicine has become increasingly apparent. Directly linked to that is the need for accurate genotyping assays to determine the pharmacogenetic profile of patients. Continuing research has led to the development of genotyping assays that perform quite robustly. However, complex genes remain an issue when it comes to determining the complete sequence correctly. An example of such a complex but very important pharmacogene is CYP2D6. Therefore, we developed a genotyping assay in an attempt to generate complete allele-specific consensus sequences of CYP2D6, by optimizing a targeted amplification-free long-read sequencing method and developing a new analysis pipeline. In reference samples, we showed that our genotyping assay performed accurately and confirmed the presence of variants that go undetected by most current assays. However, the implementation of this assay in practice is still hampered as the selected enrichment strategies inherently lead to a low percentage of on-target reads, resulting in low on-target sequencing depths. Further optimization and validation of the assay is thus needed, but definitely worth considering for follow-up research as we already demonstrated the added value for generating more complete genotypes, which on its turn will result in more accurate gene function predictions.
Padé SSA: A frequency domain method for estimating the dynamics of stochastic reaction networks
Authors: Gupta Ankit , Khammash Mustafa
Published: April 2022

Dynamic analysis and control of living cells relies on mathematical representations of cellular processes that are themselves modelled as biomolecular reaction networks. Stochastic models for biomolecular reaction networks are commonly employed for analysing intracellular networks having constituent species with low-copy numbers. In such models, the main object of interest is the probability distribution of the state vector of molecular counts which evolves according to a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) called the Chemical Master Equation (CME). Typically this set is very large or even infinite, making the CME practically unsolvable in most cases. Hence the outputs based on the CME solution, like the statistical moments of various state components, are generally estimated with Monte Carlo (MC) procedures by simulating the underlying Markov chain with Gillespie’s Stochastic Simulation Algorithm (SSA). However to obtain statistical reliability of the MC estimators, often a large number of simulated trajectories are required, which imposes an exorbitant computational burden. The aim of this paper is to present a frequency domain method for mitigating this burden by exploiting a small number of simulated trajectories to robustly estimate certain intrinsic eigenvalues of the stochastic dynamics. This method enables reliable estimation of time-varying outputs of interest from a small number of sampled trajectories and this estimation can be carried out for several initial states without requiring additional simulations. We demonstrate our method with a couple of examples.
Effect of tempol on post-thaw semen parameters and fertility during chicken semen cryopreservation
Authors: Shanmugam M. , Mahapatra R.K.
Published: April 2022

The present study evaluated addition of tempol during chicken semen cryopreservation on post-thaw semen parameters and fertility. Adult PD-1 line semen was cryopreserved using 4% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in Sasaki diluent (SD). In the semen cryomixture tempol (1 and 5 mM) was added at final concentrations. The semen with additives were filled in 0.5 ml French straws and exposed to liquid nitrogen vapours for 30 min and then stored in liquid nitrogen. The semen straw was thawed at 5°C for 100 sec and evaluated for sperm motility, live, abnormal and acrosome intact sperm. The seminal plasma was evaluated for lipid peroxidation. Fertilizing potential of the cryopreserved sperm was evaluated after insemination in the PD-1 line hens. The post-thaw sperm parameters were significantly (P<0.05) lower in the cryopreserved groups. The lipid peroxidation was significantly (P<0.05) higher in cryopreserved groups. The fertility was significantly (P<0.05) lower in all the cryopreserved groups. In conclusion, addition of tempol to cryopreservation mixture did not improve the post-thaw semen parameters or fertility.
Spatial modeling reveals nuclear phosphorylation and subcellular shuttling of YAP upon drug-induced liver injury
Authors: Wehling Lilija , Keegan Liam , Fernández-Palanca Paula , Hassan Reham , Ghallab Ahmed , Schmitt Jennifer , Schirmacher Peter , Kummer Ursula , Hengstler Jan G. , Sahle Sven , Breuhahn Kai
Published: April 2022

The Hippo signaling pathway controls cell proliferation and tissue regeneration via its transcriptional effectors yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ). In this context, the canonical pathway topology is characterized by sequential phosphorylation of kinases in the cytoplasm that define the subcellular localization of YAP and TAZ. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling the nuclear/cytoplasmic shuttling dynamics of both factors under physiological and tissue-damaging conditions are poorly understood. By implementing experimental data, partial differential equation (PDE) modeling, as well as automated image analysis, we demonstrate that nuclear phosphorylation contributes to differences between YAP and TAZ localization in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Treatment of hepatocyte-derived cells with hepatotoxic acetaminophen (APAP) overdose induces a biphasic protein phosphorylation eventually leading to nuclear protein enrichment of YAP but not TAZ. APAP-dependent regulation of nuclear/cytoplasmic YAP shuttling is not an unspecific cellular response but relies on the sequential induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT, synonym: protein kinase B), as well as elevated nuclear interaction between YAP and AKT. Mouse experiments confirm this consecutive sequence of events illustrated by the expression of ROS-, AKT-, and YAP-specific gene signatures upon APAP administration. In summary, our data illustrate the importance of nuclear processes in the regulation of Hippo pathway activity. YAP and TAZ exhibit different shuttling dynamics, which explains distinct cellular responses of both factors under physiological and tissue-damaging conditions.

Significance

We show that canonical view on the Hippo pathway must be extended by additional regulatory processes in cell nuclei. These processes significantly contribute to the activity of YAP and TAZ under unchallenged conditions (e.g., with cell density as physiological regulator of the Hippo kinase cassette) or under cell damaging conditions (e.g., after administration of APAP overdose). APAP-induced cellular damage activates YAP via distinct molecular processes as part of a cell-protective response.
Does Tesla valve work for microscale active swimmers? – a computational study
Authors: Rogers Ariel , Wang Yong
Published: April 2022

Although the Tesla valve is well-known for its diodicity for fluid flows and pressure drops, it is not clear whether and how the resistances experienced by active swimmers in the forward and reverse directions are different. Here we carried out a computational study on the diodicity of the Tesla valve for active swimmers in the absence of fluid flows. We simulated the active Brownian motion of the swimmers in a Tesla valve, followed by examining their trajectories and quantifying the fraction of active swimmers reaching the left or right end of the Tesla valve (in the forward or reverse direction, respectively). We also estimated the first passage time of the swimmers reaching the valve ends. We confirmed that, in the absence of fluid flows, the Tesla valve shows much higher resistance to active swimmers in the reverse direction than the forward direction. The current study provides a better understanding of the interaction of the Tesla valve with active swimmers and gives insight into potential applications of the Tesla valve in the filtering and sorting of motile microbes.
Autophagy slows the aging of Germline stem cells in Drosophila through modulation of E-cadherin
Authors: Murmu Nidhi , Shravage Bhupendra V.
Published: April 2022

Autophagy is a conserved process that degrades cytoplasmic components and organelles in metazoan cells including germline stem cells. Although autophagy is implicated in the aging of stem cells, the precise mechanism are still unknown. Here we show that elevating autophagy by overexpressing (OE) Drosophila Autophagy-related gene 8a (Atg8a) in the female Germline stem cells (GSCs) delays their loss due to aging. However, sustained elevated autophagy levels in old flies promote GSC loss due to cell death. In contrast, knockdown of Atg8a (Atg8aRNAi) in GSCs accelerates their loss. Atg8aOE GSCs show elevated autophagy flux, and increased mitotic activity even at 8 weeks of age. Atg8aOE GSCs possess smaller-sized mitochondria and exhibit reduced mitochondrial oxidative stress in the GSCs. However, in contrast Atg8aRNAi GSCs have elevated mitochondrial ROS and possess larger mitochondria. Finally, our data show that Atg8aOE GSCs occupy the stem cell niche for longer duration with the aid of elevated E-cadherin at the GSC-cap cell contact sites. Our data suggests that elevated autophagy promotes GSC maintenance and activity, and delays their aging.

Graphical abstract
Influence of ambient day light variations and age on the Iris-pupillary area ratio in beef cattle
Authors: Chojnacka Paulina , Kumar Arun HS
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Iris-pupillary area ratio (IPR) is an objective and non-invasive index of autonomic nervous system activity and stress, which can be confounded by light intensity or age of an individual. Evaluating the influence of ambient light intensity variations or age on IPR is necessary to improve the validity of IPR for its clinical application in objective assessment of welfare and stress.

Materials and Methods

In this study we evaluated the influence of ambient light intensity variations and age on IPR in beef cattle breeds (Limousin, Belgian Blue and Charolais) and analysed the data using correlation statistics.

Results

The correlation between the light intensity (20 to 500 lux; r = 0.22, p = 0.08) or age (10 to 145 months, r = 0.20, p = 0.12) and IPR was weak and statistically not significant. A sub-group analysis assessing the influence of gender on correlation between the light intensity and IPR also was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that within the ambient light intensity (20 to 500 lux) and age (10 to 145 months) the variation in IPR is minimal. Hence our results validate the merit of IPR in objectively measuring autonomic activity/stress and demonstrate the practicality of using IPR for welfare assessment under ambient light conditions in wider age cohorts of beef cattle.
Identification of large offspring syndrome during pregnancy through ultrasonography and maternal blood transcriptome analyses
Authors: Rivera Rocío Melissa , Goldkamp Anna Katherine , Patel Bhaumik Narendrabhai , Hagen Darren Erich , Soto-Moreno Edgar Joel , Li Yahan , Kim Chris , Miller Cliff , Williams Fred , Jannaman Elizabeth , Xiao Yao , Tribulo Paula , Estrada-Cortés Eliab , Brau-Rodríguez Astrid Roshealy , Hansen Peter James , Wu Zhoulin , Spinka Christine Marie , Martin Neal , Elsik Christine G.
Published: April 2022

The use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in cattle can result in large/abnormal offspring syndrome (LOS/AOS) which is characterized by macrosomia. LOS can cause dystocia and lead to the death of dam and calf. Currently, no test exists to identify LOS pregnancies. We hypothesized that fetal ultrasonography and/or maternal blood markers are useful to identify LOS. Bovine fetuses were generated by artificial insemination (control) or ART. Fetal ultrasonographies were taken on gestation day 55 (D55) and fetal collections performed on D56 or D105 (gestation in cattle ≈280 days). ART fetuses weighing ≥97 percentile of the control weight were considered LOS. Ultrasonography results show that the product of six D55 measurements can be used to identify extreme cases of LOS. To determine whether maternal blood can be used to identify LOS, leukocyte mRNA from 23 females was sequenced. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering grouped the transcriptomes of the two females carrying the two largest LOS fetuses. Comparison of the leukocyte transcriptomes of these two females to the transcriptome of all other females identified several misregulated transcripts on gestation D55 and D105 with LOC783838 and PCDH1 being misregulated at both time-points. Together our data suggest that LOS is identifiable during pregnancy in cattle.
Competition for H2A.Z between genes and repetitive elements establishes response to anti-viral immune activation
Authors: Meng Fanju W , Murphy Kristin E , Makowski Claire E , Murphy Patrick J
Published: April 2022

Activation of endogenous retroviruses leads to widespread transcriptional reprograming, affecting innate immune activation, metabolic control, and development. We find that the histone variant H2A.Z plays a central role in orchestrating these responses. Stimulating retroviral expression in zebrafish embryos causes H2A.Z to exit developmental gene promoters, which become silent, and to accumulate specifically at ‘primed’ repetitive elements, which are pre-marked by H3K27ac and H3K9me3. Remarkably, this rewiring is greatly influenced by total H2A.Z abundance, and developmental consequences of retrovirus activation are mitigated by H2A.Z over-expression. Our results uncover mechanisms whereby H2A.Z levels determine sensitivity to retroviral activation, and repetitive elements function as a nuclear sink to dramatically influence total transcriptional output.

Abstract Figure
cGASylation by a bacterial E1-E2 fusion protein primes antiviral immune signaling
Authors: Ledvina Hannah E. , Ye Qiaozhen , Gu Yajie , Quan Yun , Lau Rebecca K. , Zhou Huilin , Corbett Kevin D. , Whiteley Aaron T.
Published: April 2022

In all organisms, innate immune pathways sense viral infection and rapidly activate potent immune responses while maintaining a high degree of specificity to prevent inappropriate activation (autoimmunity). In humans, the innate-immune receptor cGAS detects viral infection to produce the nucleotide second messenger cGAMP, which initiates STING-dependent antiviral signaling. Bacteria encode predecessors of the cGAS-STING pathway, termed cyclic oliogonucleotide-based antiphage signaling systems (CBASS), and bacterial cGAS detects bacteriophage infection to produce cGAMP. How bacterial cGAS activation is controlled, however, remains unknown. Here, we show that the CBASS-associated protein Cap2 primes bacterial cGAS for activation through a ubiquitin transferase-like mechanism. A cryoelectron microscopy structure of the Cap2–cGAS complex reveals Cap2 as an all-in-one ubiquitin transferase-like protein, with distinct domains resembling the eukaryotic E1 protein ATG7 and the E2 proteins ATG10 and ATG3. The structure captures a reactive-intermediate state with the cGAS C-terminus extending into the Cap2 E1 active site and conjugated to AMP. We find that Cap2 ligates the cGAS C-terminus to a target molecule in cells, a process we call cGASylation. cGASylation primes cGAS for a ∼50-fold increase in cGAMP production. We further demonstrate that Cap2 activity is balanced by a specific endopeptidase, Cap3, which deconjugates cGAS and antagonizes antiviral signaling. Our data demonstrate that bacteria control immune signaling using an ancient, minimized ubiquitin transferase-like system and provide insight into the evolution of E1 and E2 machinery across the kingdoms of life.
Irrational choices via a curvilinear representational geometry for value
Authors: Jurewicz Katarzyna , Sleezer Brianna J. , Mehta Priyanka S. , Hayden Benjamin Y. , Ebitz R. Becket
Published: April 2022

We make decisions by comparing values, but how is value represented in the brain? Many models assume, if only implicitly, that the representational geometry of value is linear. However, in part due to a historical focus on noisy single neurons, rather than neuronal populations, this hypothesis has not been rigorously tested. Here, we examined the representational geometry of value in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), a part of the brain linked to economic decision-making. We found that values were encoded along a curved manifold in vmPFC. This curvilinear geometry predicted a specific pattern of irrational decision-making: that decision-makers will make worse choices when an irrelevant, decoy option is worse in value, compared to when it is better. Indeed, we observed these irrational choices in behavior. Together, these results not only suggest that the representational geometry of value is nonlinear, but that this nonlinearity could impose bounds on rational decision-making.
De novosequencing, diploid assembly, and annotation of the black carpenter ant,Camponotus pennsylvanicus, and its symbionts by one person for $1000, using nanopore sequencing
Authors: Faulk Christopher
Published: April 2022

The black carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) is a pest species found widely throughout North America east of the Rocky Mountains. Its frequent infestation in human buildings justifies close genetic examination and its large size and small genome make it ideal for individual sequencing. From a single individual I used long-read nanopore sequencing to assemble a genome of 306 Mb, with an N50 of 565 Kb, and 60X coverage, with quality assessed by a 97.0% BUSCO score, improving upon related ant assemblies. The reads provided secondary information in the form of parasitic and symbiont genomes, as well as epigenetic information. I assembled a complete Wolbachia bacterial isolate with a genome size of 1.2 Mb and 76X coverage, as well as a commensal bacterium of the carpenter ant tribe, the species-specific symbiontBlochmannia pennsylvanicus, at 791 Kb, 2400X coverage, which matched to within 200 bp of its previously published reference. I also produced a complete mitochondrial genome with over 5000X coverage, revealing minor rearrangements and the first assembly for this species. DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation was measured simultaneously at whole genome, base-pair resolution level from the same nanopore reads and confirmed extremely low levels seen in the Formicidae family of Hymenoptera. A phased diploid assembly was built, revealing a moderate level of heterozygosity, with 0.16% of bases having biallelic SNPs from the two parental haplotypes. Protein prediction yielded 20,209 putative amino acid sequences and annotation identified 86% matched to previously known proteins. All assemblies were derived from a single Minion flow cell generating 20 Gb of sequence for a cost of $1047 including all consumable reagents. Adding fixed costs for required equipment and batch costs for reagents brings the cost to assemble an ant-sized genome to less than $5000. Complete analysis was performed in under 1 week on a commodity computer desktop with 64 Gb memory.
Munc13 supports vesicle fusogenicity after disrupting active zone scaffolds and synaptic vesicle docking
Authors: Tan Chao , de Nola Giovanni , Qiao Claire , Imig Cordelia , Brose Nils , Kaeser Pascal S.
Published: April 2022

Active zones consist of protein scaffolds that are tightly attached to the presynaptic plasma membrane. They dock and prime synaptic vesicles, couple them to Ca2+ entry, and target neurotransmitter release to postsynaptic receptor domains. Simultaneous RIM+ELKS ablation disrupts these scaffolds, abolishes vesicle docking and removes active zone-targeted Munc13, but some vesicles remain releasable. This enduring vesicular fusogenicity may be Munc13-independent or be mediated by non-active zone-anchored Munc13. We tested its Munc13-dependence by ablating Munc13-1 and Munc13-2 on top of RIM+ELKS in cultured hippocampal neurons. The hextuple knockout synapses lacked docked vesicles, but other ultrastructural features were near-normal despite the strong genetic manipulation. Removing Munc13 in addition to RIM+ELKS further impaired action potential-evoked release by decreasing the remaining pool of releasable vesicles. We conclude that Munc13 can support some fusogenicity without RIM and ELKS, and that presynaptic recruitment of Munc13, even without active zone-anchoring, suffices to generate some fusion-competent vesicles.
Obtaining Xenopus tropicalis Eggs
Authors: Lane Maura , Mis Emily K. , Khokha Mustafa K.
Published: April 2022

Xenopus is a powerful model system for cell and developmental biology in part because frogs produce thousands of eggs and embryos year-round. For cell biological studies, egg extracts can mimic many processes in a cell-free system. For developmental biology, Xenopus embryos are a premier system, combining cut-and-paste embryology with modern gene manipulation tools. Xenopus tropicalis are particularly suited to genetic studies because of their diploid genome, as compared to the tetraploid genome of Xenopus laevis. When collecting eggs, there are differences in timing of steps, amounts of hormone administered, and handling of females between these species. In this protocol, X. tropicalis females are induced with a hormone that stimulates ovulation, and then eggs are collected. To administer the ovulation hormone and express eggs, it is necessary to be comfortable with handling frogs. Proficient handling of X. tropicalis requires practice, as they are relatively small, active, and slippery.
Microinjection of Xenopus tropicalis Embryos
Authors: Lane Maura , Mis Emily K. , Khokha Mustafa K.
Published: April 2022

Microinjection is an important technique used to study development in the oocyte and early embryo. In Xenopus, substances such as DNA, mRNA, and morpholino oligonucleotides have traditionally been injected into Xenopus laevis, because of their large embryo size and the relatively long time from their fertilization to first division. In the past few decades, Xenopus tropicalis has become an important model in developmental biology; it is particularly useful in genetic studies. The advent and rapid development of CRISPR–Cas9 technology has provided an array of targeted gene manipulations for which X. tropicalis is particularly suited. The equipment and protocol for X. tropicalis microinjection is broadly transferable from X. laevis. There are important differences between the species to consider, however, including the smaller embryo size and faster embryo development time in X. tropicalis. There are a number of solutions and reagents that differ in concentration and composition as well. Here we describe a microinjection protocol specifically for studies in X. tropicalis.
Crystal structure of 2-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)benzo[d]thiazole
Authors: Metwally Nadia H. , Elgemeie Galal H. , Jones Peter G.
Published: March 2022

The title compound, C15H13NO2S, was synthesized efficiently in the solid state by exploiting pepsin catalysis. The ring systems are nearly coplanar [interplanar angle of 5.38 (2)°] with an associated intramolecular S...O=C short contact of 2.7082 (4) Å. The packing involves C—H...O, C—H...π and π–π contacts.
Zero-divisor graphs of twisted partial skew generalized power series rings
Authors: Fahmy Mohammed H. , Ageeb Elokl Ahmed , Abdel-Khalek Ramy
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the ring structure of the twisted partial skew generalized power series ring RG,≤;Θ and the corresponding structure of its zero-divisor graph Γ̅RG,≤;Θ.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors first introduce the history and motivation of this paper. Secondly, the authors give a brief exposition of twisted partial skew generalized power series ring, in addition to presenting some properties of such structure, for instance, a-rigid ring, a-compatible ring and (G,a)-McCoy ring. Finally, the study’s main results are stated and proved.

Findings

The authors establish the relation between the diameter and girth of the zero-divisor graph of twisted partial skew generalized power series ring RG,≤;Θ and the zero-divisor graph of the ground ring R. The authors also provide counterexamples to demonstrate that some conditions of the results are not redundant. As well the authors indicate that some conditions of recent results can be omitted.

Originality/value

The results of the twisted partial skew generalized power series ring embrace a wide range of results of classical ring theoretic extensions, including Laurent (skew Laurent) polynomial ring, Laurent (skew Laurent) power series ring and group (skew group) ring and of course their partial skew versions.
Performance assessment and ranking of socially responsible companies in India using FAHP, TOPSIS and AltmanZ-score
Authors: Bhuvaneskumar A. , Sivakumar V.J. , Pushparaj Nancyprabha
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The present study aims to determine and benchmark the performance of socially responsible companies (SRCs) in India based on the financial, value-added and combined performance indicators by addressing the climate change problems at the grass-root level.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study has used the traditional financial, value-added and combined performance indicators to evaluate and rank the performance of 14 SRCs under the Bombay stock exchange (BSE)-Greenex sustainability index. The technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) algorithms calculate performance scores and assign weights to the indicators from 2015 to 2019. Further, the AltmanZ-score methodology has been applied to understand the SRCs propensity toward bankruptcy behavior. The parametrict-test is also performed on the outcomes of TOPSIS scores under different categories of indicators to check the statistical significance.

Findings

The performance scores of the TOPSIS algorithm indicate that the financial indicators of SRCs govern the firm performance significantly over the value-added indicators (VAIs). Further, parametrict-test results validate the outcomes of the performance scores by exhibiting that there is no significant difference between the traditional financial and VAIs at a 5% significance level. However, a few SRCs overall performance rankings have improved significantly after including VAIs. Moreover, the AltmanZ-score results also reveal that most of the SRCs evaluated in the study are stable, showcasing consistent performance and absent from bankruptcy behavior.

Practical implications

The study has practical implications as follows: (1) to facilitate a clear understanding of investors and portfolio managers in selecting appropriate companies under socially responsible investing (SRI); (2) to provide portfolio diversification insights for domestic and international investors besides advocating the necessity of investing in better performing sustainable companies to safeguard their investments against the future uncertainty and (3) the study results would benefit the regulatory bodies to frame appropriate sustainability policy interventions at the organization level.

Originality/value

In the context of ambiguous inferences on the performance of SRI, no prior study has been conducted to assess the performance of SRCs in the Indian version of sustainability index BSE-Greenex.
DRN-GAN: an integrated deep learning-based health degradation assessment model for naval propulsion system
Authors: Gao Jingtong , Dong Shaopeng , Cui Jin , Yuan Mei , Zhao Juanru
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new deep learning-based model to carry out better maintenance for naval propulsion system.

Design/methodology/approach

This model is constructed by integrating different deep learning algorithms. The basic idea is to change the connection structure of the deep neural network by introducing a residual module, to limit the prediction output to a reasonable range. Then, connect the Deep Residual Network (DRN) with a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), which helps achieve data expansion during the training process to improve the accuracy of the assessment model.

Findings

Study results show that the proposed model achieves a better prediction effect on the dataset. The average performance and accuracy of the proposed model outperform the traditional models and the basic deep learning models tested in the paper.

Originality/value

The proposed model proved to be better performed naval propulsion system maintenance than the traditional models and the basic deep learning models. Therefore, our model may provide better maintenance advice for the naval propulsion system and will lead to a more reliable environment for offshore operations.
Multi-objective optimization of cycle time and energy consumption in parallel robotic assembly lines using a discrete firefly algorithm
Authors: Soysal-Kurt Halenur , İşleyen Selçuk Kürşat
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Assembly lines are one of the places where energy consumption is intensive in manufacturing enterprises. The use of robots in assembly lines not only increases productivity but also increases energy consumption and carbon emissions. The purpose of this paper is to minimize the cycle time and total energy consumption simultaneously in parallel robotic assembly lines (PRAL).

Design/methodology/approach

Due to the NP-hardness of the problem, A Pareto hybrid discrete firefly algorithm based on probability attraction (PHDFA-PA) is developed. The algorithm parameters are optimized using the Taguchi method. To evaluate the results of the algorithm, a multi-objective programming model and a restarted simulated annealing (RSA) algorithm are used.

Findings

According to the comparative study, the PHDFA-PA has a competitive performance with the RSA. Thus, it is possible to achieve a sustainable PRAL through the proposed method by addressing the cycle time and total energy consumption simultaneously.

Originality/value

To the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first study addressing energy consumption in PRAL. The proposed method for PRAL is efficient in solving the multi-objective balancing problem.
Investigating the role of Fintech in the banking industry: what do we know?
Authors: Elia Gianluca , Stefanelli Valeria , Ferilli Greta Benedetta
Published: March 2022

Purpose

In recent years, the penetration of digital technologies in the financial industry determined the arising of Fintech, which generated a dynamic and rapid change that business operators and supervisory authorities in the banking industry are struggling to follow it. This is especially due to issues affecting financial intermediaries and customers, and potential risks of stability of the financial system. The aim of this paper is to provide a review of Fintech in the banking industry thus to update the knowledge about technology innovation in the banking sector, identify the major trends in the domain and delineate future research directions.

Design/methodology/approach

The study reviews 377 articles indexed on Scopus from 2014 to 2021 that focus on Fintech and the banking industry. The methodology adopted is structured in two steps: the keywords selection and the analysis of the documents extracted. The first step identified “Fintech” and “bank” as keywords to be searched within the title, abstract or keywords of documents indexed on Scopus; whereas the second step combined R and VOSviewer to provide a descriptive analysis of the dataset and the analysis of keywords and occurrences, respectively.

Findings

Results achieved in the study allow providing a systemic view of the Fintech in the banking industry, including the emergent phenomenon of digital banking. In particular, it is provided with a general overview and descriptive information on the entire sample of documents analyzed, their authors, the keywords used and the most cited works. Besides, a deepening on the model of digital banking is provided, by delineating the six dimensions of the key effects generated by the digital bank model.

Originality/value

Two main elements of originality characterize this study. The first one is related to the fact that few review studies have been published on Fintech in the banking industry, and the second one concerns the multiple dimensions of the impact of Fintech in the banking sector, which includes customer, company, bank, regulation authority and society.
How teachers’ expectations influence their experiences with activity-based workplaces in higher education
Authors: Nooij Bernadette , Kingma Sytze , Veenswijk Marcel
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of teachers’ expectations on their experiences and satisfaction response dregarding the introduction of activity-based workplaces (ABWs) in a Dutch university of applied sciences.

Design/methodology/approach

The first author executed a three-year at-home ethnographic study as senior lecturer at the university in which the research was executed.

Findings

Teachers have will expectations, should expectations and want expectations that relate to the stages before, during and after the introduction of ABWs. Unmet should and will expectations negatively affect want expectations and not only influence teachers’ affective commitment to their work but also generate dissatisfaction and even anger toward the organization, showing the importance of monitoring all three types of expectations.

Research implications

Users evaluate their expectations against their experiences which can lead to the formation of (dis)satisfaction regarding the introduction of ABWs. To explain the satisfaction response, research should consider expectations and experiences.

Practical implications

Discrepancies between users’ expectations and experiences lead to dissatisfaction with ABWs. Involving users and aiming to capture their expectations in the design support professionals predicting satisfaction and preventing the organization from costly re-refurbishments.

Social implications

Exploring users' expectations creates an understanding of users' everyday processes and underlying values which can improve the fit between users and building and reduce costs. Reducing accommodation costs benefits society, as more money can be spent on education.

Originality/value

This paper integrates Lefebvre’s spatial theory and Oliver’s disconfirmation theory to study the influence of expectations on users’ experiences and describes the process before, during and after introducing ABWs.
Standardized outcome measures of mental health in research with older adults who are incarcerated
Authors: Prost Stephanie Grace , Golembeski Cynthia , Periyakoil Vyjeyanthi S. , Arias Jalayne , Knittel Andrea K. , Ballin Jessica , Oliver Heather D. , Tran Nguyen-Toan
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The targeted use of standardized outcome measures (SOMs) of mental health in research with older adults who are incarcerated promotes a common language that enables interdisciplinary dialogue, contributes to the identification of disparities and supports data harmonization and subsequent synthesis. This paper aims to provide researchers with rationale for using “gold-standard” measures used in research with community-dwelling older adults, reporting associated study sample psychometric indexes, and detailing alterations in the approach or measure.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors highlight the mental health of older adults who are incarcerated. They also discuss the benefits of SOMs in practice and research and then identify gold-standard measures of mental health used in research with community-dwelling older adults and measures used in research with older adults who are incarcerated. Finally, the authors provide several recommendations related to the use of SOMs of mental health in research with this population.

Findings

Depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder are common among older adults who are incarcerated. Researchers have used a variety of measures to capture these mental health problems, some parallel to those used with community-dwelling samples. However, a more targeted use of SOMs of mental health in research with this population will contribute to important strides in this burgeoning field.

Originality/value

This review offers several practical recommendations related to SOMs of mental health in research with older adults who are incarcerated to contribute to a rigorous evidence base and thus inform practice and potentially improve the health and well-being of this population.
Quality management in industry 4.0 environment: a morphological analysis and research agenda
Authors: Prashar Anupama
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Digitalised and interconnected production systems in the era of fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0 (I4.0) have triggered the need of reshaping the traditional Quality Management (QM) models and roles of quality professionals. The purpose of this paper is to review the body of literature on QM in the I4.0 environment (also termed as “Quality 4.0”) and identify future research possibilities.

Design/methodology/approach

The morphological analysis (MA) framework is used to identify research gaps in a systematic manner. We present the MA framework based on a literature review of 51 papers on the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) list identified using systematic review protocol.

Findings

The MA framework, built on six relevant dimensions, namely, production and operations function, scope of QM activities, enabling technologies, latent capabilities of digitalisation, performance metrics and QM principles, and 41 associated variants, reveals 367 research gaps as an upper bound of opportunities for future research.

Originality/value

This paper is possibly the first to use MA for reviewing the QM literature, presenting important contributions. The MA framework acts as a ready reckoner on the QM in I4.0 literature. It documents research gaps through the construction of a cross-consistency matrix.
Hybrid method to guide sustainable initiatives in higher education: a critical analysis of Brazilian municipalities
Authors: Paz Tainá da Silva Rocha , Rocha Junior Venicius Gonçalves da , Campos Priscila Celebrini de Oliveira , Paz Igor , Caiado Rodrigo Goyannes Gusmão , Rocha Antonio de Aragão , Lima Gilson Brito Alves
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to assist higher education institutions (HEIs) in their decision-making process to define initiatives and foster research projects contributing to sustainable development (SD) and minimizing the deficits found in the municipalities.

Design/methodology/approach

A documental analysis was performed to select HEIs and Brazilian regional development indicators. Then, the assessment of the sustainable and institutional performance of Brazilian municipalities that have HEIs consisted of three parts: clustering with an unsupervised machine learning model, ranking with a hybrid multi-criteria decision making method and visualization of sustainability performance with the dashboard.

Findings

The critical analysis of institutional and sustainability indicators contributes to a more active role of HEIs in matters of social responsibility, with a more holistic view of the performance and quality of municipal education. Furthermore, this critical analysis creates a scenario where HEIs can develop public policy proposals in partnership with the government to mitigate the main issues identified.

Social implications

With this study, HEIs will be able to direct their actions to minimize the deficits found in the municipalities, consolidating their social responsibility.

Originality/value

This study proposes a new decision-support tool with a dashboard of indicators so that HEIs can foster research projects with a focus on regional SD.
Blockchain-enabled beer game: a software tool for familiarizing the application of blockchain in supply chain management
Authors: Sunny Justin , Pillai V. Madhusudanan , Nath Hiran V. , Shah Kenil , Ghoradkar Prajwal Pandurang , Philip Manu Jose , Shirswar Malhar
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce, conceptualize and demonstrate a software tool named “Blockchain-Enabled Beer Game” (BEBG) for familiarizing the application of blockchain in inventory management, one of the critical components of supply chain management.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper follows a methodology of design-based research and develops a software tool in the form of a role-play simulation game. The proposed game adopts the theme of the traditional beer distribution game to establish a blockchain-enabled scenario for inventory management. A decentralized application (DApp) was prototyped on the Ethereum blockchain to demonstrate the tool.

Findings

The proposed software tool is effective in teaching and training the application of blockchain in inventory management. While interacting with BEBG, players witness how each inventory-related transaction gets secured with blockchain. A basic understanding of the fundamentals of blockchain is a prerequisite for using this tool. BEBG is not self-explanatory, and an instructor is essential for assisting the players.

Originality/value

Software tools currently available to familiarize with blockchain technology cannot convey its practical applications. Addressing this gap, BEBG allows the users to experience the application of blockchain in inventory management. Academic institutions, especially business schools, can use this tool to teach the students the practical use of blockchain technology. Industries can adopt BEBG for training the employees. The research community can devise BEBG to infer the impact of blockchain in supply chain management.
The role of intermediaries in the MICE tourism value chain: consensus or dissonance?
Authors: Rojas-Bueno Alberto , Alarcón-Urbistondo Pilar , González-Robles Eva María
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Meetings, incentives, conventions/conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism is a segment of business travel, which is experiencing a process of disintermediation. Using the value chain concept, this study aims to analyze the role and value of intermediaries in the MICE value chain. As the interests and perceptions of stakeholders are different, the authors also study if there is consensus or dissonance in their opinion.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses mixed methods. First, by means of interviews with MICE professionals to identify the research variables and validate the test sample and questionnaire. Then, an international survey, which uses logistic regressions to identify the variables that support value. The post-hoc ANOVA test identifies the differences of opinions and determines the existence of consensus or dissonance.

Findings

Incoming agents create value by means of convenience and good rates and outbound agents by trust. The incoming agent is more valued and enjoys a position of power and therefore has more chances of remaining active in the market. However, there is no consensus about the role of intermediaries, hotels being the most dissonant stakeholder.

Originality/value

Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of disintermediation, this study uses a multifaceted perspective to identify the reasons that lead to value creation by intermediaries. This is vital for MICE stakeholders to acknowledge disintermediation and act consequently. Conclusions can also provide valuable guidance for intermediaries in other business to business interactions to better understand their value, competitive advantages and position of power.
Energy prices and the macroeconomy: new evidence from Hodrick–Prescott and Hamilton filters
Authors: Vatsa Puneet , Mixon Frank G.
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the cyclical associations among energy prices and key macroeconomic variables for the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

To this end, the recently developed Hamilton filter (HF) and the oft-used Hodrick–Prescott filter (HPF) are used. The two methods produce starkly different results regarding the relationships between energy prices on the one hand and output and employment on the other.

Findings

While the HF suggests that energy prices are acyclical, the HPF suggests they are procyclical. However, the associations between energy prices and inflation are robust across the two methods, indicating that energy prices are strongly correlated with – and lead – the consumer price index (CPI). Furthermore, unlike the results produced by the HPF, those produced by the HF are robust across seasonally adjusted and unadjusted data.

Research limitations/implications

Given the inherent seasonality in energy prices and the differences in the underlying processes that generate macroeconomic and energy prices, the results obtained from the HPF filter should be interpreted with caution.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that uses the recently developed HF to examine the associations between the cyclical behaviors of three key macroeconomic variables in the USA – the industrial production index, the CPI, and total nonfarm employment – and the prices of natural gas, crude oil, gasoline, diesel, and heating oil. Second, this study presents a comparison of the results produced by the two filtering techniques. Third, recognizing that energy prices are characterized by seasonality, this study tests the robustness of the results produced by the two filters across seasonally adjusted and unadjusted data.