bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Loci associated with cave-derived traits concentrate in specific regions of the Mexican cavefish genome
Authors: Wiese Jonathan , Richards Emilie , Kowalko Johanna E. , McGaugh Suzanne E.
Published: April 2024

A major goal of modern evolutionary biology is connecting phenotypic evolution with its underlying genetic basis. The Mexican cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus), a characin fish species comprised of a surface ecotype and a cave-derived ecotype, is well suited as a model to study the genetic mechanisms underlying adaptation to extreme environments. Here we map 206 previously published quantitative trait loci (QTL) for cave-derived traits inA. mexicanusto the newest version of the surface fish genome assembly, AstMex3. This analysis revealed that QTL cluster in the genome more than expected by chance, and this clustering is not explained by the distribution of genes in the genome. To investigate whether certain characteristics of the genome facilitate phenotypic evolution, we tested whether genomic characteristics, such as highly mutagenic CpG sites, are reliable predictors of the sites of trait evolution but did not find any significant trends. Finally, we combined the QTL map with previously collected expression and selection data to identify a list of 36 candidate genes that may underlie the repeated evolution of cave phenotypes, includingrgrbwhich is predicted to be involved in phototransduction. We found this gene has disrupted exons in all non-hybrid cave populations but intact reading frames in surface fish. Overall, our results suggest specific “evolutionary hotspots” in the genome may play significant roles in driving adaptation to the cave environment inAstyanax mexicanusand demonstrate how this compiled dataset can facilitate our understanding of the genetic basis of repeated evolution in the Mexican cavefish.
LRRK2 kinase inhibition protects against Parkinson’s disease-associated environmental toxicants
Authors: Ilieva Neda M. , Hoffman Eric K. , Ghalib Mohammed A. , Greenamyre J. Timothy , De Miranda Briana R.
Published: April 2024

Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) is epidemiologically linked with exposure to toxicants such as pesticides and solvents, which comprise a wide array of chemicals that pollute our environment. While most are structurally distinct, a common cellular target for their toxicity is mitochondrial dysfunction, a key pathological trigger involved in the selective vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons. We and others have shown that environmental mitochondrial toxicants such as the pesticides rotenone and paraquat, and the organic solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) appear to be influenced by the protein LRRK2, a genetic risk factor for PD. As LRRK2 mediates vesicular trafficking and influences endolysosomal function, we postulated that LRRK2 kinase activity may inhibit the autophagic removal of toxicant damaged mitochondria, resulting in elevated oxidative stress. Conversely, we suspected that inhibition of LRRK2, which has been shown to be protective against dopaminergic neurodegeneration caused by mitochondrial toxicants, would reduce the intracellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and prevent mitochondrial toxicity from inducing cell death. To do this, we testedin vitroif genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of LRRK2 (MLi2) protected against ROS caused by four toxicants associated with PD risk – rotenone, paraquat, TCE, and tetrachloroethylene (PERC). In parallel, we assessed if LRRK2 inhibition with MLi2 could protect against TCE-induced toxicityin vivo, in a follow up study from our observation that TCE elevated LRRK2 kinase activity in the nigrostriatal tract of rats prior to dopaminergic neurodegeneration. We found that LRRK2 inhibition blocked toxicant-induced ROS and promoted mitophagyin vitro, and protected against dopaminergic neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial damage caused by TCEin vivo. We also found that cells with the LRRK2 G2019S mutation displayed exacerbated levels of toxicant induced ROS, but this was ameliorated by LRRK2 inhibition with MLi2. Collectively, these data support a role for LRRK2 in toxicant-induced mitochondrial dysfunction linked to PD risk through oxidative stress and the autophagic removal of damaged mitochondria.
Control of behavioral uncertainty by divergent frontal circuits
Authors: Wang Yihan , Sun Qian-Quan
Published: April 2024

Both ambiguous inference from current input and internal belief from prior input causes uncertainty. The uncertainty is typically manifested as a normal distribution at behavioral level when only current inference is manipulated as variable. When prior belief is varying, some decision relevant neural representations are dissociated. Under this circumstance, it is unclear how to describe the uncertainty and how dissociated neural representations cooperate to control the uncertainty. By simulating an unpredictable environment, which incurs conflicting valence-dependent prior beliefs, we found that a behavioral outcome, waiting time, does not follow a normal, but a log-normal distribution. By combining electrophysiological recordings, computational modeling, optogenetic manipulation, scRNA-seq and MERFISH, we showed that the formation of this behavioral outcome requires the temporally hierarchical cooperation of the neural representation of decision confidence and B230216N24Rik marked neural representation of positive and negative belief in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). In summary, our results provide a mechanistic link between the dynamics of valence-dependent prior beliefs and behavioral uncertainty.
Cognitive Mechanisms of Aberrant Self-Referential Social Perception in Psychosis and Bipolar Disorder: Insights from Computational Modeling
Authors: Lasagna Carly A. , Tso Ivy F. , Blain Scott D. , Pleskac Timothy J.
Published: April 2024

Background and Hypothesis

Individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) show disruptions in self-referential gaze perception—a social perceptual process related to symptoms and functioning. However, our current mechanistic understanding of these dysfunctions and relationships is imprecise.

Study Design

The present study used mathematical modeling to uncover cognitive processes driving gaze perception abnormalities in SZ and BD, and how they relate to cognition, symptoms, and social functioning. We modeled the behavior of 28 SZ, 38 BD, and 34 controls (HC) in a self-referential gaze perception task using drift-diffusion models (DDM) parameterized to index key cognitive components: drift rate (evidence accumulation efficiency), drift bias (perceptual bias), start point (expectation bias), threshold separation (response caution), and non- decision time (encoding/motor processes).

Study Results

Results revealed that aberrant gaze perception in SZ and BD was driven by less efficient evidence accumulation, perceptual biases predisposing self-referential responses, and greater caution (SZ only). Across SZ and HC, poorer social functioning was related to greater expectation biases. Within SZ, perceptual and expectancy biases were associated with hallucination and delusion severity, respectively.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that diminished evidence accumulation and perceptual biases may underlie altered gaze perception in patients and that SZ may engage in compensatory cautiousness, sacrificing response speed to preserve accuracy. Moreover, biases at the belief and perceptual levels may relate to symptoms and functioning. Computational modeling can, therefore, be used to achieve a more nuanced, cognitive process-level understanding of the mechanisms of social cognitive difficulties, including gaze perception, in individuals with SZ and BD.
Efficient Simulation of Viral Transduction and Propagation for Biomanufacturing
Authors: Destro Francesco , Braatz Richard D.
Published: April 2024

Viral transduction is a main route for gene transfer to producer cells in biomanufacturing. Designing a transduction-based biomanufacturing process poses significant challenges, due to the complex dynamics of viral infection and virus-host interaction. This article introduces a software toolkit composed of a multiscale model and an efficient numeric technique that can be leveraged for determining genetic and process designs that optimize transduction-based biomanufacturing platforms. Viral transduction and propagation for up to two viruses simultaneously can be simulated through the model, considering viruses in either lytic or lysogenic stage, during batch, perfusion, or continuous operation. The model estimates the distribution of the viral genome(s) copy number in the cell population, which is an indicator of transduction efficiency and viral genome stability. The infection age distribution of the infected cells is also calculated, indicating how many cells are in an infection stage compatible with recombinant product expression and/or with viral amplification. The model can also consider the presence in the system of defective interfering particles, which can severely compromise the productivity of biomanufacturing processes. Model benchmarking and validation are demonstrated for case studies on the baculovirus expression vector system and influenza A propagation in suspension cultures.

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Genetic admixture predictors of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in the South African Cape Coloured population
Authors: Carter R. Colin , Yang Zikun , Akkaya-Hocagil Tugba , Jacobson Sandra W. , Jacobson Joseph L. , Dodge Neil C. , Hoyme H. Eugene , Zeisel Steven H. , Meintjes Ernesta M. , Kizil Caghan , Tosto Giuseppe
Published: April 2024

Ancestrally admixed populations are underrepresented in genetic studies of complex diseases, which are still dominated by European-descent populations. This is relevant not only from a representation standpoint but also because of admixed populations’ unique features, including being enriched for rare variants, for which effect sizes are disproportionately larger than common polymorphisms. Furthermore, results from these populations may be generalizable to other populations. The South African Cape Coloured (SACC) population is genetically admixed, with one of the highest prevalences of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) worldwide. We profiled its admixture and examined associations between ancestry profiles and FASD outcomes using two longitudinal birth cohorts (N=308 mothers, 280 children) designed to examine effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on development. Participants were genotyped via MEGA-ex array to capture common and rare variants. Rare variants were overrepresented in our SACC cohorts, with numerous polymorphisms being monomorphic in other reference populations (e.g., ∼30,000 and ∼221,000 variants in gnomAD European and Asian populations, respectively). The cohorts showed global African (51%; Bantu and San); European (26%; Northern/Western); South Asian (18%); and East Asian (5%; largely Southern regions) ancestries. The cohorts exhibited high rates of homozygosity (6%), with regions of homozygosity harboring more deleterious variants when lying within African local-ancestry genomic segments. Both maternal and child ancestry profiles were associated with FASD risk and altered severity of prenatal alcohol exposure-related cognitive deficits in the child. Our findings indicate that the SACC population may be a valuable asset to identify novel disease-associated genetic loci for FASD and other diseases.
Desynchronization between timers provokes transient arrest duringC. elegansdevelopment
Authors: Romero-Expósito Francisco J. , Moreno-Rivero Almudena , Muñoz-Barrera Marta , García-Sánchez Sabas , Rodríguez-Peris Fernando , Gritti Nicola , Sartor Francesca , Merrow Martha , van Zon Jeroen S. , Mata-Cabana Alejandro , Olmedo María
Published: April 2024

In multicellular organisms, developmental timers integrate internal and external cues to control numerous cellular processes that need to be temporally coordinated. The molting timer and the developmental timer run in parallel duringC. elegansdevelopment. We reveal a novel state of transient arrest of the molting timer upon delay of the developmental timer. This means that synchronous development is not inherent but requires active synchronization of parallel timers. Additional timer variability, like that provoked by modulation of nutrient sensing pathways, increases desynchrony between these timers and consequently extends transient arrest. Mutation of the insulin receptor genedaf-2reduces the speed of both timers but has a larger impact on the developmental timer, that then appears delayed relative to the molting timer. In this context, prolonged arrest of the molting timer provides a mechanism for resynchronization.

Teaser

Active resynchronization at specific checkpoints of two parallel timers controlling developmental events.
Dynamics of MicroRNA Secreted via Extracellular Vesicles During the Maturation of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium
Authors: Pollalis Dimitrios , Gopinadhan Nair Gopa Kumar , Leung Justin , Bloemhof Clarisa Marie , Bailey Jeffrey K. , Pennington Britney O. , Kelly Kaitlin R. , Khan Amir I. , Yeh Ashley K. , Sundaram Kartik S. , Clegg Dennis O. , Peng Chen-Ching , Xu Liya , Georgescu Constantin , Wren Jonathan , Lee Sun Young
Published: April 2024

Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells are exclusive to the retina, critically multifunctional in maintaining the visual functions and health of photoreceptors and the retina. Despite their vital functions throughout lifetime, RPE cells lack regenerative capacity, rendering them vulnerable and central to degenerative retinal diseases. With advancements in stem cell technology enabling the differentiation of functional cells from pluripotent stem cells and leveraging the robust autocrine and paracrine functions of RPE cells, extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by RPE cells hold significant therapeutic potential in supplementing RPE cell activity. While previous research has primarily focused on the trophic factors secreted by RPE cells, there is a lack of studies investigating miRNA, which serves as a master regulator of gene expression. Profiling and defining the functional role of miRNA contained within RPE-secreted EVs is critical as it constitutes a necessary step in identifying the optimal phenotype of the EV secreting cell and understanding biological cargo of EVs to develop EV-based therapeutics. In this study, we present a comprehensive profile of miRNA in small extracellular vesicles (sEV) secreted during RPE maturation following differentiation from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). This exploration is essential for ongoing efforts to develop and optimize EV-based intraocular therapeutics utilizing RPE-secreted EVs, which may significantly impact the function of dysfunctional RPE cells.
Baseline microbiome composition impacts resilience to and recovery following antibiotics
Authors: Chen Chia-Yu , Löber Ulrike , Bartolomaeus Hendrik , Maier Lisa , Müller Dominik N. , Wilck Nicola , Jarquín-Díaz Víctor Hugo , Forslund-Startceva Sofia K.
Published: April 2024

The gut microbiome of healthy individuals naturally undergoes temporal changes linked to the dynamics of its community components1. These dynamics are only observable in longitudinal studies; they are particularly relevant to understanding ecosystem responses to external environment disturbances. External exposures, such as antibiotic treatment, significantly reshape the gut microbiome, impacting both pathogen and commensal microbes2. The gut microbiome plays pivotal roles in digestion, nutrient absorption, and mental health, influencing immune systems, obesity, and various diseases3-6. Consequently, beyond the short-term effects on the host gut microbiome dynamics, alterations resulting from antibiotic exposure also have enduring repercussions on human health and physiological equilibrium7. Therefore, enhancing gut microbiome resilience during antibiotic treatment is essential, with the goal of mitigating prolonged adverse effects. Here, we explored the impact of pre-antibiotic microbial and functional profiles on resilience, suggesting that specific baseline features exhibit greater resilience to antibiotics-induced changes. Our results identified an unculturedFaecalibacterium prausnitziitaxon as a species at baseline associated with diminished resilience. We demonstrated that this association could be linked to the role of thisF. prausnitziitaxon as a keystone species. Additionally, we observed the influence of other commensal bacteria, such asBifidobacterium animalisandLactobacillus acidophilus, as well as functional modules, such as multidrug resistance efflux pump, on resilience. This lays the foundations for designing targeted strategies to promote a resilient gut microbiome before antibiotic treatment, alleviating possible prolonged effects on human health.
Regulation of angiogenesis by endocytic trafficking mediated by cytoplasmic dynein 1 light intermediate chain 1
Authors: Johnson Dymonn , Colijn Sarah , Richee Jahmiera , Yano Joseph , Burns Margaret , Davis Andrew E. , Pham Van N. , Saric Amra , Jain Akansha , Yin Ying , Castranova Daniel , Melani Mariana , Fujita Misato , Grainger Stephanie , Bonifacino Juan S. , Weinstein Brant M. , Stratman Amber N.
Published: April 2024

Dynein cytoplasmic 1 light intermediate chain 1 (LIC1,DYNC1LI1) is a core subunit of the dynein motor complex. The LIC1 subunit also interacts with various cargo adaptors to regulate Rab-mediated endosomal recycling and lysosomal degradation. Defects in this gene are predicted to alter dynein motor function, Rab binding capabilities, and cytoplasmic cargo trafficking. Here, we have identified adync1li1zebrafish mutant, harboring a premature stop codon at the exon 12/13 splice acceptor site, that displays increased angiogenesis.In vitro, LIC1-deficient human endothelial cells display increases in cell surface levels of the pro-angiogenic receptor VEGFR2, SRC phosphorylation, and Rab11-mediated endosomal recycling.In vivo, endothelial-specific expression of constitutively activeRab11aleads to excessive angiogenesis, similar to thedync1li1mutants. Increased angiogenesis is also evident in zebrafish harboring mutations inrilpl1/2, the adaptor proteins that promote Rab docking to Lic1 to mediate lysosomal targeting. These findings suggest that LIC1 and the Rab-adaptor proteins RILPL1 and 2 restrict angiogenesis by promoting degradation of VEGFR2-containing recycling endosomes. Disruption of LIC1- and RILPL1/2-mediated lysosomal targeting increases Rab11-mediated recycling endosome activity, promoting excessive SRC signaling and angiogenesis.
Beyond Natural Immune Repertoires: Synthetic Antibodies
Authors: Veggiani Gianluca , Sidhu Sachdev S.
Published: April 2024

Synthetic antibody libraries, in which the antigen-binding sites are precisely designed, offer unparalleled precision in antibody engineering, exceeding the potential of natural immune repertoires and constituting a novel generation of research tools and therapeutics. Recent advances in artificial intelligence–driven technologies and their integration into synthetic antibody discovery campaigns hold the promise to further streamline and effectively develop antibodies. Here, we provide an overview of synthetic antibodies. Our associated protocol describes how to develop highly diverse and functional synthetic antibody phage display libraries.
Proton and neutron density distributions at supranormal density in low- and medium-energy heavy-ion collisions. II. Central Pb
+
Pb collisions
Authors: Stone J. R. , Danielewicz P. , Iwata Y.
Published: April 2024

This paper represents a continuation of our investigation into the limitations on total, proton, and neutron particle number densities, as well as the asymmetry of proton and neutron density distributions achievable in central heavy-ion collisions. We explore these aspects at low and medium energies within the framework of the Boltzmann-Uhlenbeck-Uehling (pBUU) transport and time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) models. Previous studies, focusing on symmetric and asymmetric collisions of Ca and Sn nuclei [1], and initial results on Pb-nuclei collisions [2], emphasized the role of the Coulomb interaction in these events. Our findings indicated that: (i) the highest total densities predicted at Ebeam=800 MeV/nucleon were on the order of ≈2.5ρ0 (ρ0=0.16fm−3), (ii) the proton-neutron asymmetry for maximal densities, δ=(ρnmax−ρpmax)/(ρnmax+ρpmax), did not generally exceed the asymmetry in the initial state of the collision at all beam energies and tended to decrease during the reaction, and (iii) a significant portion of this asymmetry had its microscopic origin in Coulomb forces, masking the pure nuclear contribution. These new findings, particularly relevant in the astrophysical context, are further examined in this work, focusing on the heaviest target-projectile combination Pb212,208 accessible in an experiment. We introduce the SkT3 Skyrme force model, not previously used for the Pb system, and compare it to the SV-bas and SV-sym34 models to explore the symmetry-energy dependence of the results. Contour plots of nucleonic densities are presented, contrasting the time evolution of the density distributions in low (TDHF) and high (pBUU) models. We also present the evolution of normalized maximal proton, neutron, and total nucleon number density with increasing beam energy in the full pBUU model and the Vlasov approximation, aiming to explore the impact of correlations in the reaction. The time evolution of the proton and neutron density distributions in the plane transverse to the beam direction is illustrated at both low and high beam energy. In conclusion, our detailed examination of the Pb system in this work provides further essential evidence that the aforementioned findings (i)–(iii) are only weakly dependent on system size and a symmetry-energy model, and thus, they are of more general importance.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Doubly heavy tetraquark states in the constituent quark model using diffusion Monte Carlo method
Authors: Ma Yao , Meng Lu , Chen Yan-Ke , Zhu Shi-Lin
Published: April 2024

We use the diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) method to calculate the doubly heavy tetraquark Tcc system in two kinds of constituent quark models, the pure constituent quark model AL1/AP1 and the chiral constituent quark model. When the discrete configurations are complete and no spatial clustering is predetermined, the AL1/AP1 model gives an energy of Tcc close to the DD* threshold, and the chiral constituent quark model yields a deeply bound state. We further calculate all doubly heavy tetraquark systems with JP=0+,1+,2+, and provide the binding energies of systems with bound states. The I(JP)=0(0+) bcn¯n¯, 0(1+) bbn¯n¯, 0(1+) bcn¯n¯, 12(1+) bbs¯n¯ systems have bound states in all three models. Since the DMC method has almost no restriction on the spatial part, the resulting bound states have greater binding energies than those obtained in previous works.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Scrambling and recovery of quantum information in inhomogeneous quenches in two-dimensional conformal field theories
Authors: Goto Kanato , Nozaki Masahiro , Ryu Shinsei , Tamaoka Kotaro , Tan Mao Tian
Published: April 2024

We study various quantum quench processes induced by the Möbius/sine-square deformation of the Hamiltonian in two-dimensional conformal field theories starting from the thermofield double state in the two copies of the Hilbert space. These quantum quenches, some of which are directly related to the operator entanglement of the time-evolution operators, allow us to study scrambling and recovery of quantum information. In particular, under the sine-square deformed time evolution, we show from the time dependence of mutual information that the Bell pairs, initially shared by the subsystems of the two Hilbert spaces, may revive even after the mutual information for small subsystems is completely destroyed by quantum information scrambling dynamics. This mutual information is robust against the strong scrambling dynamics. As a consequence, the steady state has a nonlocal correlation shared not by any of two parties but by three parties. In the holographic dual description, a wormhole connecting the two Hilbert spaces may nonlinearly grow with time during the quantum quenches. We also propose effective pictures that describe the dynamics of mutual information during the time evolution by inhomogeneous Hamiltonians.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Security proof for variable-length quantum key distribution
Authors: Tupkary Devashish , Tan Ernest Y.-Z. , Lütkenhaus Norbert
Published: April 2024

We present a security proof for variable-length QKD in the Renner framework against IID collective attacks. Our proof can be lifted to coherent attacks using the postselection technique. Our first main result is a theorem to convert a sequence of security proofs for fixed-length protocols satisfying certain conditions to a security proof for a variable-length protocol. This conversion requires no new calculations, does not require any changes to the final key lengths or the amount of error-correction information, and at most doubles the security parameter. Our second main result is the description and security proof of a more general class of variable-length QKD protocols, which does not require characterizing the honest behavior of the channel connecting the users before the execution of the QKD protocol. Instead, these protocols adaptively determine the length of the final key, and the amount of information to be used for error correction, based upon the observations made during the protocol. We apply these results to the qubit BB84 protocol, and show that variable-length implementations lead to higher expected key rates than the fixed-length implementations.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Hegemony, global capitalism and the role of diplomacy in extractive industries
Authors: Andrew Jane , Baker Max
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This study explores a hegemonic alliance and the role of relational forms of accounting and accountablity in the making of contemporary capitalism.

Design/methodology/approach

We use the WikiLeaks “Cablegate” documents to provide an account of the detailed machinations between interest groups (corporations and the state) that are constitutive of hegemonic activity.

Findings

Our analysis of the “Cablegate” documents shows that the US and Chevron were crafting a central role for Turkmenistan and its president on the global political stage as early as 2007, despite offical reporting beginning only in 2009. The documents exemplify how “accountability gaps” occlude the understanding of interdependence between capital and the state.

Research limitations/implications

The study contributes to a growing idea that official accounts offer a fictionalized narrative of corporations as existing independently, and thus expands the boundaries associated with studying multinational corporate activities to include their interdependencies with the modern state.

Social implications

The study traces how global capitalism extends into new territories through diplomatic channels, as a strategic initiative between powerful state and capital interests, arguing that the outcome is the empowerment of authoritarian states at the cost of democracy.

Originality/value

The study argues that previous accounting and accountability research has overlooked the larger picture of how capital and the state work together to secure a mutual hegemonic interest. We advocate for a more complete account of these activities that circumvents official, often restricted, views of global capitalism.
Upskilling towards automation: a conversation with the experts
Authors: Murphy Liam
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This paper conducts empirical research to assess the new skillsets employees require in order to remain competitive in the age of automation.

Design/methodology/approach

Research is conducted through focus groups leveraging semi-structured interviews. Participants were selected via convenience sampling from UK-based consulting agencies operating in the public and private sectors.

Findings

The findings suggest that organizations are looking to upskill employees in 5 key skill blocks: Humanistic, Process engineering, Automation technologies, Self-leadership and Data driven. The findings also suggest that employee orientation towards these skill blocks will be critical for positive work opportunities in future.

Originality/value

This paper builds on the author’s previous work to produce a conceptual skills framework which can be used by organizations as a blueprint for upskilling their employees in a period of unprecedented technological advancement.
BIM implementation for Nigeria’s polytechnic built environment undergraduates: challenges and possible measures from stakeholders
Authors: Ebekozien Andrew , Aigbavboa Clinton , Samsurijan Mohamad Shaharudin , Azazi Noor Alyani Nor , Duru Okechukwu Dominic Saviour
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Studies show that building information modelling (BIM) technology can improve construction productivity regarding the design, construction and maintenance of a project life cycle in the 21st century. Revit has been identified as a frequently used tool for delivering BIM in the built environment. Studies about BIM technology via Revit are scarce in training middle-level workforce higher education institutions. Thus, this study aims to investigate the relevance of BIM technology and offer measures to promote digitalisation in Nigeria’s built environment polytechnic undergraduates via Revit.

Design/methodology/approach

Given the unexplored nature of training the middle-level workforce in Nigeria, 37 semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted across Nigeria, and saturation was achieved. The participants were knowledgeable about construction-related BIM. The researchers used a thematic analysis for the collected data and honed them with secondary sources.

Findings

Improved visualisation of design, effective and efficient work productivity, automatic design and quantification, improved database management and collaboration and data storage in the centrally coordinated model, among others, emerged as BIM’s benefits. BIM technology via Revit is challenging, especially in Nigeria’s polytechnic education curriculum. The 24 perceived issues were grouped into government/regulatory agencies-related, polytechnic management-related and polytechnic undergraduate students-related hindrances in Nigeria’s built environment.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to BIM implications for Nigeria’s built environment polytechnic undergraduates.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature paucity in attempting to uncover perceived issues hindering the implementation of BIM technology via Revit in training Nigeria’s built environment polytechnic undergraduates via a qualitative approach.
Impact of average daily rate on hotel’s newest atmosphere
Authors: Tran Xuan V. , McCullough Kaleigh , Blankenship Makayla , Barton Trista , Cohen Sophia , Harris Tabitha , Lopez Andrea , Simone Summer , Bolger Trace
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This study aims to create actionable guidelines for pricing decision-making by employing game a theory matrix to forecast the correlation between the average daily rate and the latest ambiance of hotels.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing a vector error correction model, the research employs game theory to assess the influence of the average daily rate on the hotel's newest atmosphere during both peak season (April–September) and valley season (October–March).

Findings

Findings indicate that during the peak season, when the average daily rate rises in resorts and falls in suburban areas, the hotel’s newest atmosphere is at its best in both types of accommodations. During the off-peak season, the hotel’s newest atmosphere is achieved when both resorts and suburban accommodations increase their average daily rates.

Research limitations/implications

There are two study constraints. One is the assumption that hotel guests in both parties prefer not to change hotels, but in fact they would. Two is a limited sample of two resort and suburban markets.

Practical implications

This suggests that the hotel’s newest atmosphere can draw both leisure and business travelers to suburban areas during the low season and more leisure travelers to resorts during the high season.

Social implications

The study’s findings have implications for revenue related to the hotel’s newest atmosphere and cleanliness for both suburban and resort hotels, particularly when promoting tourism collaboratively.

Originality/value

The study provides valuable insights for hotel managers in analyzing pricing strategies using matrices.
What drives consumers to post more photos in online reviews? A trait activation theory perspective
Authors: Cai Danting , Li Hengyun , Law Rob , Ji Haipeng , Gao Huicai
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the influence of the reviewed establishment’s price level and the user’s social network size and reputation status on consumers’ tendency to post more visual imagery content. Furthermore, it explores the moderating effects of user experiences and geographic distance on these dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a multi-method approach to explore both the determinants behind the sharing of user-generated photos in online reviews and their internal mechanisms. Using a comprehensive secondary data set from Yelp.com, the authors focused on restaurant reviews from a prominent tourist destination to construct econometric models incorporating time-fixed effects. To enhance the robustness of the authors’ findings, the authors complemented the big data analysis with a series of controlled experiments.

Findings

The reviewed establishments price level and the users reputation status and social network size incite corresponding motivations conspicuous display “reputation seeking” and social approval motivating users to incorporate more images in reviews. “User experiences can amplify the influence of these factors on image sharing.” An increase in the users geographical distance lessens the impact of the price level on image sharing, but it heightens the influence of the users reputation and social network size on the number of shared images.

Practical implications

As a result of this study, high-end establishments can increase their online visibility by leveraging user-generated visual content. A structured rewards program could significantly boost engagement by incentivizing photo sharing, particularly among users with elite status and extensive social networks. Additionally, online review platforms can enhance users’ experiences and foster more dynamic interactions by developing personalized features that encourage visual content production.

Originality/value

This research, anchored in trait activation theory, offers an innovative examination of the determinants of photo-posting behavior in online reviews by enriching the understanding of how the intricate interplay between users’ characteristics and situational cues can shape online review practices.
A lifecycle analysis of complex public procurement: an agency-institutional theory perspective
Authors: Forster Rick , Lyons Andrew , Caldwell Nigel , Davies Jennifer , Sharifi Hossein
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The study sets out to demonstrate how a lifecycle perspective on complex, public-sector procurement projects can be used for making qualitative assessments of procurement policy and practice and reveal those procurement capabilities that are most impactful for operating effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

Agency theory, institutional theory and the lifecycle analysis technique are combined to abductively develop a framework to identify, analyse and compare complex procurement policies and practices in public sector organisations. Defence is the focal case and is compared with cases in the Nuclear, Local Government and Health sectors.

Findings

The study provides a framework for undertaking a lifecycle analysis to understand the challenges and capabilities of complex, public-sector buyers. Eighteen hierarchically-arranged themes are identified and used in conjunction with agency theory and institutional theory to explain complex procurement policy and practice variation in some of the UK’s highest-profile public buyers. The study findings provide a classification of complex buyers and offer valuable guidance for practitioners and researchers navigating complex procurement contexts.

Originality/value

The lifecycle approach proposed is a new research tool providing a bespoke application of theory by considering each lifecycle phase as an individual but related element that is governed by unique institutional pressures and principal-agent relationships.
Investigating the impact of smart manufacturing on firms' operational and financial performance
Authors: Arcidiacono Francesco , Schupp Florian
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Smart manufacturing (SM) lies at the core of Industry 4.0. Uniform adoption of SM across business partners is crucial to exploit its value creation potential. However, firms' willingness to invest in SM is limited by insufficient or inconclusive evidence on its performance-related benefits. To close this gap, this paper develops and tests a model linking SM adoption to firms' financial performance. Improvements along the four dimensions of operational performance (i.e. cost quality, delivery and flexibility) mediate this relation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study follows an empirical research approach. In particular, survey data from 234 automotive component suppliers are analyzed via covariance-based structural equation modeling to explore the link between SM adoption and operational performance. Survey data are then matched with secondary data from balance sheets of 81 firms to investigate the impact of SM on financial performance via partial least square structural equation modeling.

Findings

Findings highlight that adoption of SM results in improvements in cost, quality, delivery performance, thus suggesting that SM is a mean to overcome performance trade-offs. Improvements in operational performance enabled by SM do not give rise to superior financial performance, thus implying that SM might support firms in maintaining the competitive position in the market, but could be insufficient to generate higher margin.

Originality/value

Results have implications for SM research and for manufacturing executives engaged in the adoption of SM, as they provide a detailed analysis of the impact of SM on operational performance and clarify the effect that SM adoption has on financial performance.
Determinants, mechanisms and consequences of UN SDGs reporting by universities: conceptual framework and avenues for future research
Authors: de Villiers Charl , Dimes Ruth , Molinari Matteo
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework that explores the determinants, mechanisms and consequences of reporting on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) by universities. The framework considers the relationship between reporting on the SDGs and the three main activities of universities: research, teaching and service. As universities hold a unique position in society, understanding their experiences with SDG reporting offers insights into the promotion and integration of SDGs into reporting and practice more broadly.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts a conceptual approach and draws on existing literature to develop a framework for understanding reporting on the UN SDGs by universities. The framework considers the challenges faced by universities in providing sustainability information and examines the motivations and outcomes associated with reporting. It also explores the coordination and collaboration necessary across departments within universities and discusses the risks associated with greenwashing.

Findings

The paper highlights that reporting on the UN SDGs can enhance university engagement with stakeholders, improve their reputation, and foster innovation and transdisciplinary research ideas. However, universities encounter challenges such as limited data availability, resource constraints, lack of coordination and competing priorities. The growing scepticism surrounding reporting motives has led to increased allegations of greenwashing within the sector.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the accounting literature by presenting a comprehensive framework that explores the determinants, mechanisms and consequences of reporting on the UN SDGs by universities. The framework offers insights into how reporting on SDGs can lead to embedding the SDGs in research, teaching and service activities and can be adapted to other organisational contexts. The paper also emphasises the need for further research on the mechanisms of reporting, which play a crucial role in driving long-lasting change.
The impact of blue and green lending on credit portfolios: a commercial banking perspective
Authors: Mirza Nawazish , Umar Muhammad , Sbia Rashid , Jasmina Mangafic
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The blue and green firms are notable contributors to sustainable development. Similar to other businesses in circular economies, blue and green firms also face financing constraints. This paper aims to assess whether blue and green lending help in optimizing the interest rate spreads and the likelihood of default.

Design/methodology/approach

This analysis is based on an unbalanced panel of banks from 20 eurozone countries for eleven years between 2012 and 2022. The key indicators of banking include interest rate spread and a market-based probability of default. The paper assesses how these indicators are influenced by exposure to green and blue firms after controlling for several exogenous factors.

Findings

The results show a positive relationship between green and blue lending and spread, while there is a negative link with the probability of default. This confirms that the blue and green exposure positively supports the credit portfolio both in terms of profitability and risk management.

Originality/value

The banking system is among the key contributors to corporate finance and to enable continuous access to sustainable finance, the banking firms must be incentivized. While many studies analyze the impact of green lending, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the very few that extend this analysis to blue economy firms.
Selecting information systems development models based on organizational culture: an integrated approach of DEMATEL and ANP
Authors: Vatan Ebrahim , Raissi Ardali Gholam Ali , Shahin Arash
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effects of organizational culture factors on the selection of software process development models and develops a conceptual model for selecting and adopting process development models with an organizational culture approach, using 12 criteria and their sub-criteria defined in Fey and Denison’s model (12 criteria).

Design/methodology/approach

The research hypotheses were investigated using statistical analysis, and then the criteria and sub-criteria were selected based on Fey and Denison’s model and the experts’ viewpoints. Afterward, the organizational culture of the selected company was measured using the data from 2016 and 2017, based on Fey and Denison’s questionnaire. Due to the correlation between the criteria, using the decision-making trial and evaluation technique, the correlation between sub-criteria were determined, and by analytical network process method and using Super-Decision software, the process development model was preferred to the 12 common models in information systems development.

Findings

Results indicated a significant and positive effect of organizational culture factors (except the core values factor) on the selection of development models. Also, by changing the value of organizational culture, the selected process development model changed either. Sensitivity analysis performed on the sub-criteria implied that by changing and improving some sub-criteria, the organization will be ready and willing to use the agile or risk-based models such as spiral and win-win models. Concerning units where the mentioned indicators were at moderate and low limits, models such as waterfall, V-shaped and incremental worked more appropriately.

Originality/value

While many studies were performed in comparing development models and investigating their strengths and weaknesses, and the impact of organizational culture on the success of information technology projects, literature indicated that the impact of organizational sub-culture prevailing in the selection of development process models has not been investigated. In this study, new factors and indicators were addressed affecting the selection of development models with a focus on organizational culture. Correlation among the factors and indicators was also investigated and, finally, a conceptual model was proposed for proper adoption of the models and methodologies of system development.
Fear of predators reduces body and physiological condition affecting offspring survival and the ‘quality’ of the survivors
Authors: Zanette Liana Y. , Allen Marek C. , Williams Tony D. , Fowler Melinda A. , Criscuolo Francois , Zahn Sandrine , Clinchy Michael
Published: April 2024

Predators affect the survival of developing young by eating them. More recently, the fear of being eaten has been uncovered as a powerful driver of offspring survival reducing recruited offspring numbers by 53%, but the mechanisms driving these effects are not well understood.

We exposed song sparrows to predator or non‐predator playbacks throughout three breeding seasons. We followed offspring as eggs through development and into maturity. We quantified the repercussions of being reared in a fearful environment on body (fat, mass, size) and physiological condition using 12 different measures categorized into six systems (oxygen carrying capacity, energy reserves, immune function, antioxidant protection, oxidative stress/damage, glucocorticoids). We further tracked offspring survival in the nest to maturity and determined which measures of condition significantly predicted survival.

We report that fear of predators affected offspring condition at all stages of life, with survival consequences. Predator‐playback offspring hatched from heavier eggs (8%) but quickly lost this advantage and never regained it. Nestlings reared by ‘frightened’ parents were as heavy and much leaner than non‐predator playback nestlings. This pattern extended throughout development into maturity where offspring reared by frightened parents were up to 31% leaner and 5% lighter. Predator‐playback nestlings also were evidently in poorer physiological condition, having shorter telomeres, while late dependency stage fledglings carried relatively less uric acid and more haptoglobin perhaps indicative of chronic susceptibility to infection.

Only body condition (mass and fat) predicted survival during peak mortality periods (nestling and early fledging), with the leanest lightest offspring from the predator‐playback treatment being least likely to survive. Thereafter, mass predicted survival irrespective of playback treatment. Similarly, at this later stage, offspring with less telomere loss and high uric acid levels survived best regardless of playback group.

Our findings reveal that fear of predators is a potent form of early life adversity which persistently alters the condition of offspring affecting early stage survival and the ‘quality’ of the survivors throughout their life. Development is fuelled by food and fear‐induced reductions in parental provisioning at the earliest stages likely instigated these effects, with consequences on the population growth rate.

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