bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inducing Specific Chromosome Mis-Segregation in Human Cells
Authors: Tovini Laura , Johnson Sarah C. , Andersen Alexander M. , Spierings Diana Carolina Johanna , Wardenaar René , Foijer Floris , McClelland Sarah E.
Published: April 2022

Cancer cells display persistent underlying chromosomal instability that results in chromosome mis-segregation, the formation of micronuclei, and abnormal numbers of chromosomes (aneuploidy). These features are common to nearly all human cancers, with individual tumour types intriguingly exhibiting characteristic subsets of whole, and sub-chromosomal aneuploidies. To date, few methods to induce specific aneuploidies at will exist, hampering the investigation of functional consequences of recurrent aneuploidies. Moreover, although some human cell lines with specific aneuploidies exist, the acute cellular responses to specific chromosomal instability events remain unknown. We therefore investigated the possibility of sabotaging the mitotic segregation of specific chromosomes using nuclease-dead CRISPR-Cas9 (dCas9) as a cargo carrier to specific genomic loci. We recruited the kinetochore-nucleating domain of centromere protein CENP-T to assemble ectopic kinetochores either near the centromere of chromosome 9, or the telomere of chromosome 1. Ectopic kinetochore assembly led to increased chromosome instability and aneuploidy of the target chromosomes, providing the potential to create ‘designer karyotypes’ and study their immediate downstream cellular responses in a wide range of cell types. Overall, our findings provide new insights into ectopic kinetochore biology, and also represent an important step towards investigating the role of specific aneuploidy and chromosome mis-segregation events in diseases associated with aneuploidy.
Nucleosome sliding by the Chd1 chromatin remodeler relies on the integrity of the DNA duplex
Authors: Park Sangwoo , Ha Taekjip , Bowman Gregory D.
Published: April 2022

Chromatin remodelers use a helicase-type ATPase motor to shift DNA around the histone core. Although not directly reading out the DNA sequence, some chromatin remodelers are biased by DNA sequences, suggesting that they may be sensitive to properties of the DNA duplex. Here, we present a high-throughput method for determining nucleosome positioning in vitro using site-specific DNA cleavage coupled with next-generation sequencing. This method allowed us to systematically test how the introduction of poly(dA:dT) tracts and other perturbations affected the distribution of nucleosomes remodeled by the Chd1 remodeler. We found that Chd1 is sensitive to poly(dA:dT) tracts as short as 3 bp, and that its nucleosome sliding activity is severely perturbed by DNA mismatches and single-nucleotide insertions. These results suggest that remodelers rely on the integrity of duplex DNA for nucleosome sliding. We also discovered that DNA on the nucleosome can shift in the absence of a remodeler when multiple mismatches are placed at superhelix location 2 (SHL2). This DNA movement in response to a disruption of the double helix may explain why SHL2 is the preferred site of engagement by most chromatin remodelers.
Extensive de novo activity stabilizes epigenetic inheritance of CG methylation in Arabidopsis transposons
Authors: Lyons David B. , Briffa Amy , He Shengbo , Choi Jaemyung , Hollwey Elizabeth , Colicchio Jack , Anderson Ian , Feng Xiaoqi , Howard Martin , Zilberman Daniel
Published: April 2022

Cytosine methylation within CG dinucleotides (mCG) can be epigenetically inherited over many generations. Such inheritance is thought to be mediated by a semiconservative mechanism that produces binary present/absent methylation patterns. However, we show here that in Arabidopsis thaliana h1ddm1 mutants, intermediate heterochromatic mCG is stably inherited across many generations and is quantitatively associated with transposon expression. We develop a mathematical model that estimates the rates of semiconservative maintenance failure and de novo methylation at each transposon, demonstrating that mCG can be stably inherited at any level via a dynamic balance of these activities. We find that DRM2 – the core methyltransferase of the RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway – catalyzes most of the heterochromatic de novo mCG, with de novo rates orders of magnitude higher than previously thought, whereas chromomethylases make smaller contributions. Our results demonstrate that stable epigenetic inheritance of mCG in plant heterochromatin is enabled by extensive de novo methylation.
ISM-FLUX: MINFLUX with an array detector*
Authors: Slenders Eli , Vicidomini Giuseppe
Published: April 2022

Single-molecule localization based on the concept of MINFLUX allows for molecular resolution imaging and tracking. However, MINFLUX has a limited field-of-view (FOV) and therefore requires a precise pre-localization step. We propose ISM-FLUX, a localization technique that combines structured illumination with structured detection. We show via simulations that by replacing the point-detector with a small single-photon detector array (e.g., of 5 × 5 elements) and sequentially exciting the sample with four spatially separated doughnut-shaped beams, a localization uncertainty between 1 and 15 nm can be obtained over a FOV of more than 800 nm with 100 photons. The large FOV and the extra spatial information induced by the detector array relax the requirements on prior information on the fluorophore’s position. In addition, ISM-FLUX allows the localization of multiple molecules simultaneously. We calculate the effect of different parameters, such as the relative position of the doughnut beams, the number of detector pixels, the number of photons and the signal-to-background ratio, on the localization uncertainty. We predict that the combination of a good localization precision and the experimental simplicity of ISM-FLUX will help the wide adoption of MINFLUX and other derived microscopy techniques.
C. elegans Sine oculis/SIX-type homeobox genes act as homeotic switches to define neuronal subtype identities
Authors: Cros Cyril , Hobert Oliver
Published: April 2022

The classification of neurons into distinct types reveals hierarchical taxonomic relationships that reflect the extent of similarity between neuronal cell types. At the base of such taxonomies are neuronal cells that are very similar to one another but differ in a small number of reproducible and select features. How are very similar members of a neuron class that share many features instructed to diversify into distinct subclasses? We show here that the six very similar members of the C. elegans IL2 sensory neuron class, which are all specified by a homeobox terminal selector, unc-86/BRN3A/B, differentiate into two subtly distinct subclasses, a dorsoventral subclass and a lateral subclass, by the toggle switch-like action of the SIX/Sine-oculis homeobox gene unc-39. unc-39 is expressed only in the lateral IL2 neurons and loss of unc-39 leads to a homeotic transformation of the lateral into the dorsoventral class; conversely, ectopic unc-39 expression converts the dorsoventral subclass into the lateral subclass. Hence, a terminal selector homeobox gene controls both class-, as well as subclass-specific features, while a subordinate homeobox gene determines the ability of the class-specific homeobox gene to activate subtype-specific target genes. We find a similar regulatory mechanism to operate in a distinct class of six motor neurons. Our findings underscore the importance of homeobox genes in neuronal identity control and invite speculations about homeotic identity transformations as potential drivers of evolutionary novelty during cell type evolution in the brain.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Anatomical and molecular studies have revealed that in many animal nervous systems, neuronal cell types can often be subclassified into highly related subtypes with only small phenotypic differences. We decipher here the regulatory logic of such cell type diversification processes. We show that identity features of neurons that are highly similar to one another are controlled by master regulatory transcription factors and that phenotypic differences between related cell types are controlled by downstream acting transcription factors that promote or antagonize the ability of such a master regulatory factor to control unique identity features. Our findings help explain how neuronal cell types diversify and suggest hypothetical scenarios for neuronal cell type evolution.
The Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 impairs lipid metabolism and increases susceptibility to lipotoxicity: implication for a role of Nrf2
Authors: Nguyen Vi , Zhang Yuping , Gao Chao , Cao Xiaoling , Tian Yan , Carver Wayne , Kiaris Hippokratis , Cui Taixing , Tan Wenbin
Published: April 2022

Background/objectives

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients exhibit lipid metabolic alterations, but the mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the Spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) impairs lipid metabolism in host cells.

Methods

A Spike cell line in HEK293 was generated using the pcDNA vector carrying the Spike gene expression cassette. A control cell line was generated using the empty pcDNA vector. Gene expression profiles related to lipid metabolic, autophagic, and ferroptotic pathways were investigated. Palmitic acid (PA)-overload was used to assess lipotoxicity-induced necrosis.

Results

As compared with controls, the Spike cells showed a significant increase in lipid depositions on cell membranes as well as dysregulation of expression of a panel of molecules involved lipid metabolism, autophagy, and ferroptosis. The Spike cells showed an upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a multifunctional transcriptional factor, in response to PA. Furthermore, the Spike cells exhibited increased necrosis in response to PA-induced lipotoxicity compared to control cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner via ferroptosis, which could be attenuated by the Nrf2 inhibitor trigonelline.

Conclusions

The Spike protein impairs lipid metabolic and autophagic pathways in host cells, leading to increased susceptibility to lipotoxicity via ferroptosis which can be suppressed by a Nrf2 inhibitor. This data also suggests a central role of Nrf2 in Spike-induced lipid metabolic impairments.

Highlights

The Spike protein increases lipid deposition in host cell membranes

The Spike protein impairs lipid metabolic and autophagic pathways

The Spike protein exaggerates PA-induced lipotoxicity in host cells via ferroptosis

Nrf2 inhibitor Trigonelline can mitigate the Spike protein-induced necrosis
Weak tension accelerates hybridization and dehybridization of short oligonucleotides
Authors: Hart Derek J. , Jeong Jiyoun , Gumbart James C. , Kim Harold D.
Published: April 2022

The hybridization and dehybridization of DNA subject to tension is relevant to fundamental genetic processes and to the design of DNA-based mechanobiology assays. While strong tension accelerates DNA melting and decelerates DNA annealing, the effects of tension weaker than 5 pN are less clear. In this study, we developed a DNA bow assay, which uses the bending rigidity of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) to exert weak tension on a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) target in the range of 2pN to 6pN. Combining this assay with single-molecule FRET, we measured the hybridization and dehybridization kinetics between a 15 nt ssDNA under tension and a 8-9 nt oligo, and found that both the hybridization and dehybridization rates monotonically increase with tension for various nucleotide sequences tested. These findings suggest that the nucleated duplex in its transition state is more extended than the pure dsDNA or ssDNA counterpart. Our simulations using the coarse-grained oxDNA2 model indicate that the increased extension of the transition state is due to exclusion interactions between unpaired ssDNA regions in close proximity to one another. This study highlights an example where the ideal worm-like chain models fail to explain the kinetic behavior of DNA in the low force regime.
Binding of the peptide deformylase on the ribosome surface modulates the structure and dynamics of the exit tunnel interior
Authors: McGrath Hugo , Černeková Michaela , Kolář Michal H.
Published: April 2022

Proteosynthesis on ribosomes is regulated at many levels. Conformational changes of the ribosome, possibly induced by external factors, may transfer over large distances and contribute to the regulation. The molecular principles of this long-distance allostery within the ribosome remain poorly understood. Here, we use structural analysis and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to investigate peptide deformylase (PDF), an enzyme that binds to the ribosome surface near the ribosomal protein uL22 during translation and chemically modifies the emerging nascent peptide. Our simulations of the entire ribosome–PDF complex reveal that the PDF undergoes a swaying motion on the ribosome surface at the sub-microsecond time scale. We show that the PDF affects the conformational dynamics of parts of the ribosome over distances of more than 5 nm. Using a supervised-learning algorithm we demonstrate that the exit tunnel is influenced by the presence or absence of PDF. Our findings suggest a possible effect of the PDF on the nascent peptide translocation through the ribosome exit tunnel.
In vivo temporal resolution of acute promyelocytic leukemia progression reveals a role of Klf4 in suppressing early leukemic transformation
Authors: Mas Glòria , Santoro Fabio , Blanco Enrique , Gamarra Figueroa Gianni Paolo , Le Dily François , Frigè Gianmaria , Vidal Enrique , Mugianesi Francesca , Ballaré Cecilia , Gutierrez Arantxa , Sparavier Aleksandra , Marti-Renom Marc A. , Minucci Saverio , Di Croce Luciano
Published: April 2022

Genome organization plays a pivotal role in transcription, but how transcription factors (TFs) rewire the structure of the genome to initiate and maintain the programs that lead to oncogenic transformation remains poorly understood. Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a fatal subtype of leukemia driven by a chromosomal translocation between the promyelocytic leukemia (PML) and retinoic acid receptor α (RARα) genes. We used primary hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and leukemic blasts that express the fusion protein PML-RARα as a paradigm to temporally dissect the dynamic changes in the epigenome, transcriptome, and genome architecture induced during oncogenic transformation. We found that PML-RARα initiates a continuum of topologic alterations, including switches from A to B compartments, transcriptional repression, loss of active histone marks, and gain of repressive histone marks. Our multiomics-integrated analysis identifies Klf4 as an early down-regulated gene in PML-RARα-driven leukemogenesis. Furthermore, we characterized the dynamic alterations in the Klf4 cis-regulatory network during APL progression and demonstrated that ectopic Klf4 overexpression can suppress self-renewal and reverse the differentiation block induced by PML-RARα. Our study provides a comprehensive in vivo temporal dissection of the epigenomic and topological reprogramming induced by an oncogenic TF and illustrates how topological architecture can be used to identify new drivers of malignant transformation.
CHD4 is recruited by GATA4 and NKX2-5 to repress noncardiac gene programs in the developing heart
Authors: Robbe Zachary L. , Shi Wei , Wasson Lauren K. , Scialdone Angel P. , Wilczewski Caralynn M. , Sheng Xinlei , Hepperla Austin J. , Akerberg Brynn N. , Pu William T. , Cristea Ileana M. , Davis Ian J. , Conlon Frank L.
Published: April 2022

The nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex is one of the central chromatin remodeling complexes that mediates gene repression. NuRD is essential for numerous developmental events, including heart development. Clinical and genetic studies have provided direct evidence for the role of chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 4 (CHD4), the catalytic component of NuRD, in congenital heart disease (CHD), including atrial and ventricular septal defects. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that CHD4 is essential for mammalian cardiomyocyte formation and function. A key unresolved question is how CHD4/NuRD is localized to specific cardiac target genes, as neither CHD4 nor NuRD can directly bind DNA. Here, we coupled a bioinformatics-based approach with mass spectrometry analyses to demonstrate that CHD4 interacts with the core cardiac transcription factors GATA4, NKX2-5, and TBX5 during embryonic heart development. Using transcriptomics and genome-wide occupancy data, we characterized the genomic landscape of GATA4, NKX2-5, and TBX5 repression and defined the direct cardiac gene targets of the GATA4–CHD4, NKX2-5–CHD4, and TBX5-CHD4 complexes. These data were used to identify putative cis-regulatory elements controlled by these complexes. We genetically interrogated two of these silencers in vivo: Acta1 and Myh11. We show that deletion of these silencers leads to inappropriate skeletal and smooth muscle gene misexpression, respectively, in the embryonic heart. These results delineate how CHD4/NuRD is localized to specific cardiac loci and explicates how mutations in the broadly expressed CHD4 protein lead to cardiac-specific disease states.
Fast-converging chain-cluster-based routing protocols using the Red-Deer Algorithm in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Dayal Kamalakshi , Bassoo Vandana
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The performance of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) applications is bounded by the limited resources of battery-enabled Sensor Nodes (SNs), which include energy and computational power; the combination of which existing research seldom focuses on. Although bio-inspired algorithms provide a way to control energy usage by finding optimal routing paths, those which converge slower require even more computational power, which altogether degrades the overall lifetime of SNs.

Design/methodology/approach

Hence, two novel routing protocols are proposed using the Red-Deer Algorithm (RDA) in a WSN scenario, namely Horizontal PEG-RDA Equal Clustering and Horizontal PEG-RDA Unequal Clustering, to address the limited computational power of SNs. Clustering, data aggregation and multi-hop transmission are also integrated to improve energy usage. Unequal clustering is applied in the second protocol to mitigate the hotspot problem in Horizontal PEG-RDA Equal Clustering.

Findings

Comparisons with the well-founded Ant Colony Optimisation (ACO) algorithm reveal that RDA converges faster by 85 and 80% on average when the network size and node density are varied, respectively. Furthermore, 33% fewer packets are lost using the unequal clustering approach which also makes the network resilient to node failures. Improvements in terms of residual energy and overall network lifetime are also observed.

Originality/value

Proposal of a bio-inspired algorithm, namely the RDA to find optimal routing paths in WSN and to enhance convergence rate and execution time against the well-established ACO algorithm. Creation of a novel chain cluster-based routing protocol using RDA, named Horizontal PEG-RDA Equal Clustering. Design of an unequal clustering equivalent of the proposed Horizontal PEG-RDA Equal Clustering protocol to tackle the hotspot problem, which enhances residual energy and overall network lifetime, as well as minimises packet loss.
Willingness to eat ethnic foods and food experience: a study on Khasi Food
Authors: Mawroh Hakamelamphylla , Dixit Saurabh Kumar
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The present study analyses Khasi Food as an ethnic food to be promoted as a tourism product encouraging tourists to visit Meghalaya, India. The food tourists are primarily motivated to eat Khasi Food to provide authentic ethnic food experiences. Therefore, the purpose of the paper is to explore the willingness of tourists to eat ethnic foods and the consequent ethnic Khasi Food Experience (KFE).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a convergent triangulation approach. Statistical data analysis and thematic analysis were incorporated, and the combined results were compared to see if they converged to achieve the same objective or purpose, which is willingness to eat ethnic foods that influences KFE in the study area (selected villages in East Khasi Hills District and West Jaiñtia Hills District).

Findings

The converged findings from statistical analysis and thematic analysis indicate that tourists who visited the study area were willing to eat ethnic foods, which is Khasi Food and their willingness to do so has a positive influence on KFE.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is original and the first of its kind because this study has not been conducted yet in the state of Meghalaya, India. This paper has an authentic value of projecting Khasi Food globally as a cultural and ethnic tourism product giving meaningful experiences to tourists and locals alike.
Incomes, employment and gender roles: understanding women's intrahousehold decision-making participation in Nicaragua
Authors: Gómez-Valle Roxana , Holvoet Nathalie
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This paper explores the relationship between married women's intrahousehold decision-making participation and marital gender roles, next to factors suggested in the household bargaining literature. Additionally, the authors investigate whether women's employment carries the same importance for decision-making participation as contributions to household incomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Using 2011/2012 Nicaraguan Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), the authors estimate multinomial logistic regressions for eight decision-making domains, analyzing three levels of decision-making: wife-dominant or sole decisions, joint decision-making (with the partner) and decision-making by someone else. The authors create an additive index for measuring internalized marital gender roles.

Findings

Women's intrahousehold decision-making participation is explained differently depending on the decision-making area and level of participation. Women with a better relative position vis-à-vis partners and not following patriarchal gender roles are more likely to make decisions jointly with their partners, but not alone. Women's age and educational level are the strongest predictors in the analysis. Women's employment reduces their decision-making participation in children's disciplining and daily cooking-related decisions.

Research limitations/implications

It focuses on married women only, while marital status might be a determinant of decision-making itself and left out the contribution of unearned incomes.

Practical implications

Interventions aimed at increasing women's intrahousehold decision-making participation should not only focus on economic endowments but also comprehend the gendered dynamics governing intrahousehold allocation.

Originality/value

The study incorporates quantitative measures of marital gender roles in the study of intrahousehold decision-making. It also contributes to the literature with insights from contexts where women's involvement in employment increased against a background of patriarchal gender roles.
Image needs of Pakistani visual artists in an academic setting abstract
Authors: Hussain Syed Tauseef , Soroya Saira Hanif , Ameen Kanwal
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This study aims to explore visual artists’ image needs and the obstacles they face in meeting them.

Design/methodology/approach

The visual artists, participating in the study, included painters, graphic designers, textile designers, architects and sculptors who were faculty members in two oldest art institutions of Pakistan. A total of 20 face-to-face interviews representing four participants from each visual artists group were conducted. The textual data were analyzed thematically, using NVIVO 12 software.

Findings

Results showed that under-study visual artists need images mainly for academic purposes (teaching, assignments, etc.) and for professional and research purposes. However, they require images quite often, as a majority of the respondents told that they need images on daily basis.

Social implications

The study findings provide an insight for information science professionals, system designers and image librarians regarding visual artists’ image using behavior.

Originality/value

As the researchers could not find any such study in local context, and a very few globally, therefore, this study may serve as a baseline for further research in this area.
The effects of IMF programs on income inequality: a semi-parametric treatment effects approach
Authors: Chletsos Michael , Sintos Andreas
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to provide new insights regarding the impact of International Monetary Fund (IMF) programs on income inequality.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a novel methodological approach proposed by Acemogluet al.(2019), using (1) the regression adjustment, (2) the inverse probability weighting and (3) the doubly robust estimator, which combines (1) and (2), and a sample of annual data for 135 developing countries over the time period 1970 to 2015.

Findings

The findings show that IMF programs are associated with greater income inequality for up to five years. By differentiating the effect of IMF programs, the authors find that only IMF non-concessional programs have a significant detrimental effect on income inequality, while IMF concessional programs do not have a consistent effect on income inequality. In addition, the authors find that only IMF programs with a higher number of conditions have a detrimental and statistically significant effect on income inequality, compared to IMF programs with a smaller number of conditions, where their effect on income inequality is found to be insignificant.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the analysis developed in this paper contributes to the existing literature by applying the most methodologically sound identification strategy, which does not rely on the linearity assumption, the selection of instruments or matching variables and additionally takes into account the selection bias related to IMF program participation.
Historical and social aspirations: influence of SME key decision makers’ resilience, social skills and stress on attaining firm performance goals
Authors: Gibb Jenny , Scott Jonathan M. , Teo Stephen , Thien George , Singh Smita , Ho Marcus
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This paper examines how some specific psychological characteristics and stress levels of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) key decision-makers (founders/managers) (KDMs) influence firm goal attainment based on two firm aspiration types.

Design/methodology/approach

This study hypothesizes that perceived resilience, social skills (self-promotion, ingratiation, expressiveness, social adaptability), and stress of SME KDMs will differently influence firm performance goal achievement based on firm historical versus social aspirations. IBM AMOS v27 is used to test these hypotheses on survey data of 267 Australian SME KDMs.

Findings

The study reveals that KDMs’ perceived resilience, social skills and stress differentially impact the achievement of firm performance goals when selecting firm-level historical and social aspirations. Resilience and some specific social skills can even have a detrimental effect on achieving firm goals when applying historical and social aspirations. Historical aspirations are based on the firm’s performance history, while social aspirations are based on the performance of a reference group of competitor firms. The differences in the relationship between these characteristics and the two aspiration types are also explained. Furthermore, the study reveals the important role of perceived stress levels in achieving firm performance goals, using both aspiration types.

Originality/value

This study is the first to investigate how the perceived use of some specific psychological characteristics of SME KDMs influence the ability to meet firm performance goals based on the discretionary use of historical and social aspirations and the relationship between these aspiration types. In this context, the paper explains the reasons for the differences and similarities in their use. Thus, this study provides an important empirical contribution to research on the emergent domain of micro-foundational SME goals.
Coupling of heat transfer and lubrication of cylinder liner-piston skirt conjunction and low-friction temperature strategy of cylinder liner
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Li Yujie , Li Menghan , Zhang Guorui , Liu Xiaori
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to understand the influence of cylinder liner temperature on friction power loss of piston skirts and the synergistic effect of cylinder liner temperature on lubrication and heat transfer between piston skirt and cylinder liner.

Design/methodology/approach

A method to calculate the influence of cylinder liner temperature on piston skirt lubrication is proposed. The lubrication is calculated by considering the different temperature distribution of the cylinder liner and corresponding piston temperature calculated by a new multilayer thermal resistance model. This model uses the inner surface temperature of the cylinder liner as the starting point, and the starting temperature corresponding to different positions of the piston is calculated using the time integral average. Besides, the transient heat transfer of mixed lubrication is taken into account. Six temperature distribution schemes of cylinder liner are designed.

Findings

Six temperature distributions of cylinder liner are designed, and the maximum friction loss is reduced by 34.4% compared with the original engine. The increase in temperature in the second part of the cylinder liner will lead to an increase in friction power loss. The increase of temperature in the third part of the cylinder liner will lead to a decrease in friction power loss. The influence of temperature change in the third part of the cylinder liner on friction power loss is greater than that in the second part.

Originality/value

The influence of different temperature distribution of cylinder liner on the lubrication and friction of piston skirt cylinder liner connection was simulated.
Examining the trend of humanitarian supply chain studies: pre, during and post COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Abdul Rahman Nor Aida , Ahmi Aidi , Jraisat Luai , Upadhyay Arvind
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This research aims to shed light on the trend of humanitarian supply chain (HSC) studies in the era of pre, during and post coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreaks. This study provides comprehensive bibliometric mapping published in the 21 top vintage sources globally providing detailed metadata on HSC articles. The manuscript objectives are threefold: to explore the documents that are published in the field of humanitarian logistics and supply chain; second, to identify details of articles in humanitarian logistics and supply chain and thirdly, to explore research the critical area published in the HSC in pre, during and post era of pandemic COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

This research adopts bibliometric analysis of HSC studies using the Biblioshiny, a shiny app for the Bibliometrix R package. The tool employed in this study decodes the data extracted from the Scopus database to various visualized forms. The review of the HSC studies in this research covers all related publications from 2006 to early 2022. The record of the article was scanned and refined accordingly.

Findings

A multi perspectives of HSC studies were explored, discussed and identified. The bibliometric analysis findings offer significant information on the current and future trend publications in the area of humanitarian logistics and supply chain. Additionally, it also provides significant information on the highly cited documents in humanitarian logistics and supply chain studies, most productive contributors, keywords analysis findings, most productive countries and sources, network analysis data on co-occurrence network and themes mapping information in the field of humanitarian logistics supply chain before and after pandemic COVID-19.

Research limitations/implications

A multi-perspective of HSC studies was explored only within the online Scopus database. It excludes other articles published in other databases. Future research could explore related articles published in other recognized databases.

Practical implications

Practitioners can use multi perspectives findings from pre, during and post-pandemic COVID-19 issues discussed in this paper to get new insight and perception of the issue to facilitate their current and future operation and strategy.

Originality/value

To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, this is the first bibliometric study to analyze the trend of HSC studies using Biblioshiny focusing on pre, during and post COVID-19 pandemic. The review highlights annual publication trends, most productive authors, most cited papers, most productive countries, most productive institutions and most productive sources, which leads to a number of future research agendas for future studies.
The impact of basic values on consumer purchase intention of takaful with moderating role of similarity of competitors
Authors: Sarfraz Amer , Khurshid Asif , Ahmad Wisal
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This study aims to determine the impact of basic human values on consumer purchase intention of takaful. The core purpose of this study is to establish the moderation of similarity of competitors between the proposed relationship of tradition value, conformity value and consumer purchase intention of takaful.

Design/methodology/approach

This study supports the positivist philosophical paradigm and follows quantitative research methods, cross-sectional approach and close-ended questionnaire technique for data collection. The IBM SPSS and AMOS programs were used to perform data analysis.

Findings

The finding reveals that tradition value produces positive effect and stimulation value produces negative effect on consumer purchase intention of takaful. Meanwhile, the similarity of competitors moderates the proposed relationship of tradition value, conformity value and consumer purchase intention of takaful.

Research limitations/implications

The scope of this study is limited to measure the role of tradition value, conformity value, stimulation value and self-direction value. However, future studies should investigate the role of hedonism value, achievement value and universalism value in consumer purchase intention of takaful. Further, the data collection from three major cities of Pakistan is considered as a main limitation of this study including scarcity of time and resources. Future studies should enhance the geographical scope of research by including large and small cities, town and rural areas to enhance the generalization of the study.

Originality/value

The present study highlights leading challenges faced by takaful industry including the perception of similarity of competitors that create confusion in the mind of consumers. This study also introduces the role of basic human values in activating consumer’s intention to purchase takaful services.
The COVID-19 pandemic and herding behaviour among investors in Shariah-compliant stocks
Authors: Bougatef Khemaies , Nejah Imen
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic leads to the formation of herding behaviour among investors in Shariah-compliant stocks.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a sample of the stocks that constitute the Dow Jones Islamic Market Malaysia Titans 25 Index, over the period from 6 December 2017 to 12 March 2021.

Findings

This paper provides robust evidence on the contribution of the COVID-19 pandemic to the formation of herding behaviour in Shariah-compliant stocks. The findings also reveal that herding behaviour occurs only during falling market.

Research limitations/implications

The findings provide useful implications for policymakers and portfolio managers seeking to understand the behaviour of investors in Shariah-compliant stocks during turbulent periods. The presence of herding behaviour begs the question on the market efficiency and limits its potential to offer diversification benefits to investors. The findings suggest that policymakers and investors should mitigate misvaluations that occurred during the COVID-19 outbreak because the herding behaviour can drive stock prices away from their equilibrium values. Thus, regulators should adopt appropriate policies to enable the market to reach a more efficient level by monitoring and improving the quality of information and facilitate their transmission to the market. The misevaluation opportunity enables market timers to sell overpriced stocks and purchase underpriced stocks. The findings also imply that investors should implement effective hedging strategies to mitigate the downside risk. In addition, the results suggest that investors should devise their trading strategies in falling and rising markets during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originality/value

There is meagre literature on the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the formation of herding behaviour among investors. Studies conducted on herd behaviour are widely focused on Shariah non-compliant stocks, only a few ones deal with Shariah-compliant stocks. The novelty of this paper consists in addressing this gap in the literature through examining the presence of herding behaviour on the part of investors in Shariah-compliant stocks in Malaysia before and after the COVID-19 outbreak.
Sustainability of religious travel and tourism: a profile deviation perspective
Authors: Alhothali Ghada Talat , Mavondo Felix , Elgammal Islam
Published: April 2022

Purpose

In recent days, there has been an increasing interest towards achieving sustainable tourism objectives globally and specifically in Saudi Arabia. The benefits can be maximized if the government is successful in attracting current pilgrims and influence their future intention to revisit the country as tourists. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to measure pilgrims’ revisit intentions to understand more about the possibility of their potential contribution towards the Saudi tourism and hospitality industry in the evolving circumstances.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses configuration theory to identify the “ideal” type of the pilgrims and compares this to the rest to establish if they differ and if that difference matters. Data were collected from 278 visitors to the Holy Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, to perform Umrah.

Findings

The findings show that a large deviation from the “ideal pilgrim” is negatively related to revisiting intentions and dissemination of positive word of mouth (PWOM).

Research limitations/implications

The development of profiles gives a better understanding of organizations or people across several dimensions looked at holistically. Fundamental to the theory is that there are only a limited number of configurations that achieve optimal performance (however defined).

Originality/value

The analytical approach adopted in this paper leads to achieving verbal and statistical correspondence in tests of “gestalts”. The interest is in establishing whether this difference matters to intentions to revisit and providing PWOM.
Autonomous maintenance preparation system design with axioms
Authors: Muftuoglu Suleyman , Cevikcan Emre , Durmusoglu Bulent
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to support total productive maintenance implementers by providing a roadmap for autonomous maintenance (AM) preparation phase.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use the axiomatic design (AD) methodology with lean philosophy as a paradigm.

Findings

This is an exploratory research to find the most important factors in AM preparation phase. A decoupled AD design ensures an effective usage of training within industry (TWI) and the introduction of standardized work (SW). TWI provides value in importance it assigns to leaders, with its “train the trainers” approach and in preparing a training program. Besides being an effective training method, TWI job instruction (TWI JI) provides needed information infrastructure to front load operators SW and equipment trainings.

Research limitations/implications

Although AD, TWI and lean artifacts are generally field proven, the research is limited due to the lack of an industrial application.

Practical implications

In many real-life projects, companies do not know where to start and how to proceed, which leads to costly iterations. The proposed roadmap minimizes iterations and increases the chance of project success.

Originality/value

The authors apply AD for the first time to AM preparation phase despite it is used in the analysis of lean manufacturing. AD permits to structure holistically the most relevant lean manufacturing solutions to obtain a risk free roadmap. TWI has emerged as a training infrastructure; TWI JI-based operator SW training and the adaptation of JI structure to equipment training are original additions.
Random replacement policies to sustain the post-warranty reliability
Authors: Shang Lijun , Qiu Qingan , Wu Cang , Du Yongjun
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The study aims to design the limited number of random working cycle as a warranty term and propose two types of warranties, which can help manufacturers to ensure the product reliability during the warranty period. By extending the proposed warranty to the consumer's post-warranty maintenance model, besides the authors investigate two kinds of random maintenance policies to sustain the post-warranty reliability, i.e. random replacement first and random replacement last. By integrating depreciation expense depending on working time, the cost rate is constructed for each random maintenance policy and some special cases are provided by discussing parameters in cost rates. Finally, sensitivities on both the proposed warranty and random maintenance policies are analyzed in numerical experiments.

Design/methodology/approach

The working cycle of products can be monitored by advanced sensors and measuring technologies. By monitoring the working cycle, manufacturers can design warranty policies to ensure product reliability performance and consumers can model the post-warranty maintenance to sustain the post-warranty reliability. In this article, the authors design a limited number of random working cycles as a warranty term and propose two types of warranties, which can help manufacturers to ensure the product reliability performance during the warranty period. By extending a proposed warranty to the consumer's post-warranty maintenance model, the authors investigate two kinds of random replacement policies to sustain the post-warranty reliability, i.e. random replacement first and random replacement last. By integrating a depreciation expense depending on working time, the cost rate is constructed for each random replacement and some special cases are provided by discussing parameters in the cost rate. Finally, sensitivities to both the proposed warranties and random replacements are analyzed in numerical experiments.

Findings

It is shown that the manufacturer can control the warranty cost by limiting number of random working cycle. For the consumer, when the number of random working cycle is designed as a greater warranty limit, the cost rate can be reduced while the post-warranty period can't be lengthened.

Originality/value

The contribution of this article can be highlighted in two key aspects: (1) the authors investigate early warranties to ensure reliability performance of the product which executes successively projects at random working cycles; (2) by integrating random working cycles into the post-warranty period, the authors is the first to investigate random maintenance policy to sustain the post-warranty reliability from the consumer's perspective, which seldom appears in the existing literature.
Digital transformation for crisis preparedness: service employees’ perspective
Authors: Leo Wei Wei Cheryl , Laud Gaurangi , Chou Cindy Yunhsin
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Digital transformation (DT) has had a profound impact on how services are delivered, but its effects on service frontline employees in crisis have yet to be examined. Using conservation of resources theory, the purpose of this study is to empirically test the overall effects of DT within service organisations on service employees’ beliefs with respect to crisis preparedness, life satisfaction and customer orientation. It also examines the moderating effects of crisis-related anxiety and job experience on these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

This study’s hypotheses were tested quantitatively with an online survey of N = 592 frontline service employees working in hospitality and retail services organisation during the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. A post-hoc study of customer-facing supervisors (N = 268) was conducted to validate the study findings and establish generalisability.

Findings

DT predicts service employees’ beliefs regarding crisis preparedness. In turn, crisis preparedness increases life satisfaction and customer orientation. Moreover, crisis-related anxiety negatively moderates the relationship between DT and crisis preparedness. Post hoc analyses validate the results derived from service employees’ data. Surprisingly, there is no significant relationship between crisis preparedness and life satisfaction for supervisors/managers with low job experience.

Originality/value

This study makes an empirical contribution to the service management literature by examining the impact of DT on service employees’ beliefs with respect to crisis preparedness that subsequently influences their life satisfaction and ability to remain customer oriented during a crisis. It highlights an important intersection between technology and service work in terms of a transformative impact of DT on service employee outcomes during crises.