bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The irregular fruit green netting: An eggplant domestication trait controlled by theSmGLK2gene with implications in fruit colour diversification
Authors: Arrones Andrea , Manrique Silvia , Baraja-Fonseca Virginia , Plazas Mariola , Prohens Jaime , Portis Ezio , Barchi Lorenzo , Giuliano Giovanni , Gramazio Pietro , Vilanova Santiago
Published: July 2023

The distribution of chlorophylls in the eggplant (Solanum melongena) fruit peel can be uniform or display an irregular green netting pattern. The fruit green netting phenotype, manifested as a gradient of dark green netting, more intense in the proximal part of the fruit on a pale green background, is commonly present in eggplant wild relatives as well as in some eggplant landraces. During domestication and modern breeding of eggplant, uniform fruit colour has been selected. However, the fruit green netting contributes to a greater diversity of fruit colours. Here, we have used over 2,300 individuals from several germplasm and experimental populations, including a multi-parental MAGIC population for candidate genomic region identification, an F2population for BSA-Seq, and advanced backcrosses for edges-to-core fine mapping, to determine thatSmGLK2is the gene underlying the irregular netting in eggplant fruits. We have also analysed the gene sequence of 178S. melongenaaccessions and 22 wild relative species for tracing the evolutionary changes that the gene has undergone over the course of domestication. Three different mutations were identified leading to the absence of netting. The main causative indel results in the appearance of a premature stop codon disrupting the protein conformation and function, which was confirmed by Western blotting analysis and confocal microscopy observations.SmGLK2has a major role in the regulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis in eggplant fruit peel, and therefore in eggplant fruit photosynthesis.
DDASR: Domain-Distance Adapted Super-Resolution Reconstruction of MR Brain Images
Authors: Cong Shan , Cui Kailong , Yang Yuzun , Zhou Yang , Wang Xinxin , Luo Haoran , Zhang Yichi , Yao Xiaohui
Published: July 2023

High detail and fast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences are highly demanded in clinical settings, as inadequate imaging information can lead to diagnostic difficulties. MR image super-resolution (SR) is a promising way to address this issue, but its performance is limited due to the practical difficulty of acquiring paired low- and high-resolution (LR and HR) images. Most existing methods generate these pairs by down-sampling HR images, a process that often fails to capture complex degradations and domain-specific variations. In this study, we propose a domain-distance adapted SR framework (DDASR), which includes two stages: the domain-distance adapted down-sampling network (DSN) and the GAN-based super-resolution network (SRN). The DSN incorporates characteristics from unpaired LR images during down-sampling process, enabling the generation of domain-adapted LR images. Additionally, we present a novel GAN with enhanced attention U-Net and multi-layer perceptual loss. The proposed approach yields visually convincing textures and successfully restores outdated MRI data from the ADNI1 dataset, outperforming state-of-the-art SR approaches in both perceptual and quantitative evaluations. Code is available athttps://github.com/Yaolab-fantastic/DDASR.
Disentangling gene expression burden identifies generalizable phenotypes induced by synthetic gene networks
Authors: Hasnain Aqib , Borujeni Amin Espah , Park Yongjin , Becker Diveena , Maschhoff Paul , Urrutia Joshua , Rydell Linus , Balakrishnan Shara , Dorfan Yuval , Voigt Christopher A. , Yeung Enoch
Published: July 2023

Large-scale genetic circuits are rapidly becoming critical components for the next generation of biotechnologies and living therapeutics. However, the relationship between synthetic and host gene expression is poorly understood. To reveal the impact of genetic circuits on their host, we measure the transcriptional response of wild-type and engineeredE. coliMG1655 subject to seven genomically integrated circuits and two plasmid-based circuits across 4 growth time points and 4 circuit input states resulting in 1007 transcriptional profiles. We train a classifier to distinguish profiles from wild-type or engineered strains and use the classifier to identify synthetic construct burdened genes, i.e., genes whose dysregulation is dependent on the presence of a genetic circuit and not what is encoded on the circuit. We develop a deep learning architecture, capable of disentangling influence of combinations of perturbations, to model the impact that synthetic genes have on their host. We use the model to hypothesize a generalizable, synthetic cell state phenotype and validate the phenotype through antibiotic challenge experiments. The synthetic cell state results in increased resistance toβ-lactam antibiotics in gram-negative bacteria. This work enhances our understanding of circuit impact by quantifying the disruption of host biological processes and can guide the design of robust genetic circuits with minimal burden or uncover novel biological circuits and phenotypes.
Mitochondria Exhibit Changes in Morphology/Function to Support Increased Glutamate Release in TauP301LNeurons Prior to Reduction in Presynaptic Vesicle Release
Authors: Cotter Rachel , Hellums Morgan , Gray Delaney , Batista David , Pfitzer Jeremiah , Reed Miranda N. , Gramlich Michael W.
Published: July 2023

We have shown that tauopathy models display early-stage hyperexcitability due to increased presynaptic glutamate release that is mediated by an increase in vesicular glutamate transporter-1 (VGlut1). This hyperexcitability increases energy demand which in turn would increase demand on mitochondria. It is unclear, however, how early-stage presynaptic changes in glutamate release are supported by or influence the function of mitochondria. Using Large Area Scanning Electron Microscopy (LA-SEM) and fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrate that mitochondrial changes in morphology, structure, and function in CA1/CA3 hippocampal neurons decrease resting mitochondrial membrane potential in P301L mice. However, P301L mitochondria maintain a high membrane potential during levels of high activity, suggesting that they can support increased energy demand during hyperexcitability. These activity-dependent differences in membrane potential can be rescued by inhibiting ATP-dependent VGlut1 vesicle refilling. This indicates that the increased VGlut1 per vesicle observed in P301L mice contributes to the differences in mitochondria membrane potential. Notably, the mitochondrial dysfunction in P301L mice occurs before any observable alterations in presynaptic release mechanics, suggesting these changes may represent early therapeutic targets. Finally, we propose a model of increased glutamate-mediated changes in mitochondrial morphology and function in P301L neurons that represents a potentially targetable pathway to reduce or arrest neurodegeneration.
Delineation of the Trigeminal-Lateral Parabrachial-Central Amygdala Tract in Humans: An Ultra-High Field Diffusion MRI Study
Authors: Kaya Batu , Cioffi Iacopo , Moayedi Massieh
Published: July 2023

Orofacial pain is thought to be more unpleasant than pain elsewhere in the body due to the importance of the face in social, feeding, and exploratory behaviors. Nociceptive information from the orofacial region is carried to the brain via the trigeminal nerve (CNV) via the trigeminal brainstem sensory nuclear complex (VBSNC). Pre-clinical evidence revealed a monosynaptic circuit from CNV to the lateral parabrachial nucleus (latPB), which underlies the greater unpleasantness elicited by orofacial pain. The latPB further projects to the central amygdala (CeA), which contributes to the affective component of pain in rodents. However, this circuit has yet to be delineated in humans. Here, we aimed to resolve this circuit using 7T diffusion-weighted imaging from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). We performed probabilistic tractography in 80 participants to resolve the CNV-latPB-CeA circuit. The basolateral amygdala (BLAT) was used as a negative control, given that we did not anticipate CNV-latPB-BLAT connectivity. Connectivity strengths were compared using a repeated-measures ANOVA with factors ‘hemisphere’ (left; right), and ‘target’ (CeA; BLAT), with sex included in the model for both pilot and validation samples. Only the ‘target’ factor was significant in both samples (FPilot= 11.4804,p= 0.005;FValidation= 69.113, p < .001).Post hoctests showed that the CeA had significantly stronger connectivity strength than the BLAT (pTukey-Pilot= 0.005;pTukey-Validation< 0.001). □This study delineates the human CNV-latPB-CeA circuit for the first timein vivo.This circuit may provide a neuroanatomical substrate for the affective dimensions of orofacial pain.

This study delineates the human trigeminal-parabrachio-amygdalar circuitin vivo.This circuit may provide a neuroanatomical substrate for the affective dimension of orofacial pain.
Maternal adaptations in mouse lactation are vulnerable to diet-induced excess adiposity
Authors: Breznik Jessica A. , Ribeiro Tatiane A. , Yeo Erica , Kennelly Brianna K. E. , Wang Xuanyu , Quin Candice , Cowbrough Braeden , Verdú Elena F. , Bowdish Dawn M. E. , Sloboda Deborah M.
Published: July 2023

Lifetime maternal risk of obesity is increased by excess gestational weight gain, which alters maternal metabolic adaptations in pregnancy, but the effects of excess weight retention/adiposity in the early postpartum period have not been extensively studied. The pathophysiology of excess adiposity and its accompanying immunometabolic dysregulation are associated with impaired intestinal barrier function in both non-pregnant and pregnant contexts. Using a mouse model, we investigated effects of diet-induced excess adiposity on maternal physiological adaptations during lactation. We report that in lactation, excess adiposity altered maternal intestinal morphology, influenced local immune cell composition and phenotype, increased intestinal permeability, and altered whole-body glucose metabolism as well as peripheral inflammation and immune cell composition. Many of these effects persisted two months post-lactation in mice with excess adiposity. Our findings have important implications for the development of interventions for periconceptual/perinatal excess adiposity and emphasize that further studies are needed to better understand effects of excess adiposity on maternal postpartum health.
Melatonin Targets MoIcl1 and Works Synergistically with Fungicide Isoprothiolane in Rice Blast Control
Authors: Bi Ruiqing , Li Renjian , Xu Zhenyi , Cai Huanyu , Zhao Juan , Zhou Yaru , Wu Bangting , Sun Peng , Yang Wei , Zheng Lu , Chen Xiao-Lin , Luo Chao-Xi , Teng Huailong , Li Qiang , Li Guotian
Published: July 2023

Melatonin-a natural harmless molecule-displays versatile roles in human health and crop disease control such as for rice blast. Rice blast, caused by the filamentous fungusMagnaporthe oryzae, is one devastating disease of rice. Application of fungicides is one of the major measures in the control of various crop diseases. However, fungicide resistance in the pathogen and relevant environmental pollution are becoming serious problems. By screening for possible synergistic combinations, here, we discovered an eco-friendly combination for rice blast control, melatonin and the fungicide isoprothiolane. These compounds together exhibited significant synergistic inhibitory effects on vegetative growth, conidial germination, appressorium formation, penetration, and plant infection byM. oryzae. The combination of melatonin and isoprothiolane reduced the effective concentration of isoprothiolane by over 10-fold as well as residual levels of isoprothiolane. Transcriptomics and lipidomics revealed that melatonin and isoprothiolane synergistically interfered with lipid metabolism by regulating many common targets, including the predicted isocitrate lyase-encoding geneMoICL1. Furthermore, we show that melatonin and isoprothiolane interact with MoIcl1 using different techniques. This study demonstrates that melatonin and isoprothiolane function synergistically and can be used to reduce the dosage and residual level of isoprothiolane, potentially contributing to the environment-friendly and sustainable control of crop diseases.
Peripheral vascular strand development in nodules is controlled by a bHLH/HLH heterodimer
Authors: Srivastava Deevita , Ghosh Asim , Udvardi Michael , Ranjan Aashish , Sinharoy Senjuti
Published: July 2023

Only the Leguminosae family can develop root nodules with peripheral vasculature, an adaptation that grants them an advantage in optimizing nitrogen fixation efficiency.Medicago truncatuladevelops indeterminate nodules that possess peripheral vascular-strands encircling the central infection zone. How vascular-strands shifted from the nodule central part to the periphery remains unresolved. Here we show, MtbHLH1 (renamed as Nodule Vascular bundle Development 1) is required for the proper organization of vascular strands. Innvd1nodules, vascular strands pass through the infection zone.NVD2, an HLH transcription factor that lacks a DNA-binding domain, is activated by NVD1. Mutantnvd2nodules display a similar partially central vasculature.NVD2is expressed along the nodule vascular bundle and NVD2:GFP fusion protein localizes to the nodule vascular endodermis. The formation of the peripheral vasculature is dependent on the proper stoichiometry of NVD1 and NVD2 heterodimers, as NVD2 controls NVD1-mediated transcriptional activation by sequestering NVD1. Transcription ofNVD1is activated by auxin and Auxin Responsive transcription Factor (MtARF5). Transcriptome sequencing ofnvd1andnvd2nodules and visualization ofin situauxin and cytokinin signal outputs indicated aberrant auxin/cytokinin balance in these nodules. Our findings showed that the NVD1-NVD2 heterodimer plays a key role in the formation of an orderly peripheral vascular bundle around Medicago nodules.
A novel gapmer nanobiosensor for probing long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) expression dynamics during osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation
Authors: Fasciano Samantha , Luo Shuai , Wang Shue
Published: July 2023

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) are non-protein coding RNA molecules that are longer than 200 nucleotides. lncRNA plays diverse roles in gene regulation, chromatin remodeling, and cellular processes, influencing various biological pathways. However, probing the complex dynamics of lncRNA in live cells is a challenging task. In this study, a double-stranded gapmer locked nucleic acid (ds-GapM-LNA) nanobiosensor is designed for visualizing the abundance and expression of lncRNA in live human bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The sensitivity, specificity, and stability were characterized. The results showed that this ds-GapM-LNA nanobiosensor has very good sensitivity, specificity, and stability, which allows for dissecting the regulatory roles of cellular processes during dynamic physiological events. By incorporating this nanobiosensor with living hMSCs imaging, we elucidated lncRNA MALAT1 expression dynamics during osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. The data reveals that lncRNA MALAT1 expression is correlated with distinct sub-stages of osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation.
Relationship between luteal size and plasma progesterone concentration in pregnant and non-pregnant Indian crossbred dairy cows
Authors: Agarwal Sanjay , Gupta Harihar Prasad , Prasad Shiv , Khan Irfan Ahmad , Khanam Afroza , Khan Firdous Ahmad
Published: July 2023

The relationship between luteal size and plasma progesterone concentration in purebred cows has been investigated previously. However, there is limited information on this topic in Indian crossbred cows. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between luteal size parameters (diameter and area) and plasma progesterone concentration in healthy pregnant and non-pregnant Indian crossbred cows. Fifty healthy lactating crossbred cows were artificially inseminated after estrus detection and retrospectively classified into pregnant (n=29) and non-pregnant (n=21) based on the results of ultrasonographic pregnancy diagnosis. Data on luteal diameter, luteal area, and plasma progesterone concentration collected on Days 7, 14, and 20 in non-pregnant cows and on Days 7, 14, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 60 in pregnant cows were analyzed. Spearman’s correlation test was used to evaluate the association between the corpus luteum size parameters and the plasma progesterone concentration. Luteal area was positively correlated with plasma progesterone concentration in both pregnant (ρ=0.48, P<0.001) and non-pregnant (ρ=0.43, P=0.001) cows. Luteal diameter had a relatively weaker correlation with plasma progesterone concentration in both pregnant (ρ=0.45, P<0.001) and non-pregnant (ρ=0.24, P=0.058) cows. These results suggest that luteal area is a better indicator of CL function than luteal diameter in healthy Indian crossbred cows.
Degradation of amyloid beta species by multi-copper oxidases
Authors: Yang Jing , Ran Kathleen , Ma Wenzhe , Chen Lucy , Chen Cindy , Zhang Can , Ye Hui , Lu Ying , Ran Chongzhao
Published: July 2023

Reduction of the production of amyloid beta (Aβ) species has been intensively investigated as potential therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the degradation of Aβ species, another potential beneficial approach, has been far less explored. In this study, we discovered that ceruloplasmin (CP), an important multi-copper oxidase (MCO) in human blood, could degrade Aβ peptides. We also found that the presence of Vitamin C could enhance the degrading effect in a concentration-dependent manner. We then validated the CP-Aβ interaction using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, fluorescence photometer, and fluorescence polarization measurement. Based on the above discovery, we hypothesized that other MCOs had similar Aβ-degrading functions. Indeed, we found that other MCOs could induce Aβ degradation as well. Remarkably, we revealed that ascorbate oxidase (AO) had the strongest degrading effect among the tested MCOs. Using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) neuron cells, we observed that AO could rescue neuron toxicity which induced by Aβ oligomers. In addition, our electrophysiological analysis with brain slices suggested that AO could prevent an Aβ-induced deficit in synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. To the best of our knowledge, our report is the first to demonstrate that MCOs have a degrading function for peptides/proteins. Further investigations are warranted to explore the possible benefits of MCOs for future AD treatment.
Improvement in Neoantigen Prediction via Integration of RNA Sequencing Data for Variant Calling
Authors: Nguyen Bui Que Tran , Tran Thi Phuong Diem , Nguyen Huu Thinh , Nguyen Thanh Nhan , Pham Thi Mong Quynh , Nguyen Hoang Thien Phuc , Tran Duc Huy , Nguyen Vy , Tran Thanh Sang , Pham Truong-Vinh Ngoc , Le Minh-Triet , Phan Minh-Duy , Giang Hoa , Nguyen Hoai-Nghia , Tran Le Son
Published: July 2023

Neoantigen-based immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy for improving the life expectancy of cancer patients. This therapeutic approach heavily relies on accurate identification of cancer mutations using DNA sequencing (DNAseq) data. However, current workflows tend to provide a large number of neoantigen candidates, of which only a limited number elicit efficient and immunogenic T-cell responses suitable for downstream clinical evaluation. To overcome this limitation and increase the number of high-quality immunogenic neoantigens, we propose integrating RNA sequencing (RNAseq) data into the mutation identification step in the neoantigen prediction workflow. In this study, we characterize the mutation profiles identified from DNAseq and/or RNAseq data in tumor tissues of 25 patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). We detected only 22.4% of variants shared between the two methods. In contrast, RNAseq-derived variants displayed unique features of affinity and immunogenicity. We further established that neoantigen candidates identified by RNAseq data significantly increased the number of highly immunogenic neoantigens (confirmed by ELISpot) that would otherwise be overlooked if relying solely on DNAseq data. In conclusion, this integrative approach holds great potential for improving the selection of neoantigens for personalized cancer immunotherapy, ultimately leading to enhanced treatment outcomes and improved survival rates for cancer patients.
In Vivo Three-dimensional Brain Imaging with Chemiluminescence Probes in Alzheimer’s Disease Models
Authors: Zhang Jing , Wickizer Carly , Ding Weihua , Van Richard , Yang Liuyue , Zhu Biyue , Yang Jun , Zhang Can , Shen Shiqian , Shao Yihan , Ran Chongzhao
Published: July 2023

Optical three-dimensional (3D) molecular imaging is highly desirable for providing precise distribution of the target-of-interest in disease models. However, such 3D imaging is still far from wide applications in biomedical research; 3D brain optical molecular imaging, in particular, has rarely been reported. In this report, we designed chemiluminescence probes with high quantum yields (QY), relatively long emission wavelengths, and high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) to fulfill the requirements for 3D brain imaging in vivo. With assistance from density-function theory (DFT) computation, we designed ADLumin-Xs by locking up the rotation of the double-bond via fusing the furan ring to the phenyl ring. Our results showed that ADLumin-5 had a high quantum yield of chemiluminescence and could bind to amyloid beta (Aβ). Remarkably, ADLumin-5’s radiance intensity in brain areas could reach 4×107photon/s/cm2/sr, which is probably 100-fold higher than most chemiluminescence probes for in vivo imaging. Because of its strong emission, we demonstrated that ADLumin-5 could be used for in vivo 3D brain imaging in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Significance Statement

Although MRI, PET, CT, and SPECT have been routinely used for 3D imaging, including 3D brain imaging, they are considerably expensive. Optical imaging is largely low-cost and high throughput. However, the 3D capacity of optical imaging is always limited. Obviously, optical 3D molecular imaging is highly challenging, particularly for 3D brain imaging. In this report, we provided the first example of 3D brain imaging with chemiluminescence probes ADLumin-Xs, which have advantages in quantum yields (QY), emission wavelengths, and signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) to fulfill the requirements for 3D brain imaging. And we believe that such 3D capacity is potentially a game-changer for brain molecular imaging in preclinical studies.
Defining Dementia Subtypes Through Neuropsychiatric Symptom-Linked Brain Connectivity Patterns
Authors: Zhao Kanhao , Xie Hua , Fonzo Gregory A. , Carlisle Nancy , Osorio Ricardo S. , Zhang Yu
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND

Dementia is highly heterogeneous, with pronounced individual differences in neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and neuroimaging findings. Understanding the heterogeneity of NPS and associated brain abnormalities is essential for effective management and treatment of dementia.

METHODS

Using large-scale neuroimaging data from the Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS-3), we conducted a multivariate sparse canonical correlation analysis to identify functional connectivity-informed symptom dimensions. Subsequently, we performed a clustering analysis on the obtained latent connectivity profiles to reveal neurophysiological subtypes and examined differences in abnormal connectivity and phenotypic profiles between subtypes.

RESULTS

We identified two reliable neuropsychiatric subsyndromes – behavioral and anxiety in the connectivity-NPS linked latent space. The behavioral subsyndrome was characterized by the connections predominantly involving the default mode and somatomotor networks and neuropsychiatric symptoms involving nighttime behavior disturbance, agitation, and apathy. The anxiety subsyndrome was mainly contributed by connections involving the visual network and the anxiety neuropsychiatric symptom. By clustering individuals along these two subsyndromes-linked connectivity latent features, we uncovered three subtypes encompassing both dementia patients and healthy controls. Dementia in one subtype exhibited similar brain connectivity and cognitive-behavior patterns to healthy individuals. However, dementia in the other two subtypes showed different dysfunctional connectivity profiles involving the default mode, frontoparietal control, somatomotor, and ventral attention networks, compared to healthy individuals. These dysfunctional connectivity patterns were associated with differences in baseline dementia severity and longitudinal progression of cognitive impairment and behavioral dysfunction.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings shed valuable insights into disentangling the neuropsychiatric and brain functional heterogeneity of dementia, offering a promising avenue to improve clinical management and facilitate the development of timely and targeted interventions for dementia patients.
Polygenic basis of strong and rapid flowering time response to environment perturbations in wildArabidopsis thalianapopulation
Authors: Ji Yan , Han Yu , Dai Yifei , Hao Fan , Feng Xiao , Chen Qipian , Hao Ran , Chen Zhiqiang , Zhao Wei , Zhang Wenjia , Si Huan , Zan Yanjun
Published: July 2023

Despite the importance in understanding the impact of climate change, the genetics of rapid response to changing environments and its role in adaptive evolution remains elusive. Here, we studied flowering time response to environment changes using 514Arabidopsis thalianaworldwide accessions with re-sequencing genomes and flowering time measurements from ten unique environments with variable temperature, drought, daylight and competition stresses. We revealed a polygenic basis of flowering time mean and plasticity, underpinned by 52 mean and plasticity QTL. Widespread interaction between mean QTL, polygenic background and surrounding environments considerably altered the amount of additive genetic variance and allelic effects of detected QTL. This caused variability in phenotype plasticity and across environment variation in genetic variance, resulting in rapid flowering time response to environment perturbations. In addition, the plastic alleles showed a higher correlation with the environment factors than that from randomly sampled alleles, suggesting a potential role in climate adaptation. We therefore proposed a polygenic interaction model, whereby large effect QTL and polygenic background simultaneously interacted with the surrounding environment, underlying rapid response to changing environments. Results from our study thus provided deeper insights into the genetics of plasticity, with potential benefit in genomic selection of crops in heterogeneous environments and predicting changes in species distribution and the evolutionary trajectory of wild populations.
Perception of COVID-19 rapid antigen testing approach prior to flight schedule among air travelers: a questionnaire-based study
Authors: Shahid Mohammed , Joji Ronni Mol , Prabu Kumar Archana , Almarabheh Amer , Kosaraju Kranthi , Almahmeed Ali , Deifalla Abdel Halim Salem
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on people's lives, air travel and tourism. The authors explored travelers' perceptions of COVID rapid antigen tests before boarding aircraft, willingness to fly and the precautionary actions for safe air travel.

Design/methodology/approach

All the participants were asked to complete the survey while reflecting on their experiences of air travel during this COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information of the participants and air travel preferences during pandemic. The survey was conducted through Google Form in both English and Arabic language. The link was shared through emails and WhatsApp.

Findings

In this survey, majority had willingness to fly during pandemic. 45.2% preferred to undergo rapid test before boarding, while 41.9% refused owing to no added benefit (23.8%) and nasal discomfort (9.3%) among others. The best indicators to resume safe air travel were COVID-19 vaccination (80.4%), wearing face mask during flying hours (70.8%) and maintain social distancing with aircraft seating (49.6%).

Research limitations/implications

The findings of the current survey could help the organizations and the biosecurity authorities to act and support accordingly and thus reduce passenger anxiety about resuming the flights, thereby increasing willingness to fly and preparing oneself and the aviation industry for future pandemics.

Originality/value

The findings of the current survey could help the organizations and the biosecurity authorities to act and support accordingly and thus reduce passenger anxiety about resuming the flights, thereby increasing willingness to fly, and preparing oneself and the aviation industry for future pandemics.
A risk assessment framework using neutrosophic theory for the halal supply chain under an uncertain environment
Authors: Khan Shahbaz , Haleem Abid , Khan Mohd Imran
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The complex network structure causes several disruptions in the supply chain that make risk management essential for supply chain management including halal supply chain (HSM). During risk management, several challenges are associated with the risk assessment phase, such as incomplete and uncertain information about the system. To cater this, the authors propose a risk assessment framework that addresses the issues of uncertainty using neutrosophic theory and demonstrated the applicability of the proposed framework through the case of halal supply chain management (HSCM).

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed framework is using the capabilities of the neutrosophic number which can handle uncertain, vague and incomplete information. Initially, the risk related to the HSC is identified through a literature review and expert’s input. Further, the probability and impact of each HSM-related risk are assessed using experts’ input through linguistic terms. These linguistic values are transformed into single-value trapezoidal neutrosophic numbers (SVTNNs). Finally, the severity of each HSM-related risk is determined through the multiplication of the probability and impact of each risk and prioritised the risks based on their severity.

Findings

A comprehensive risk assessment framework is developed that could be used under uncertainty. Initially, 16 risks are identified related to the HSM. Further, the identified risks are prioritised using the severity of the risks. The high-priority risk is “raw material status”, “raw material wholesomeness” and “origin of raw material” while “information integrity” and “people integrity” are low-priority risks.

Practical implications

HSM risk can be effectively assessed through the proposed framework. The proposed framework applied neutrosophic numbers to represent real-life situations, and it could be used for other supply chains as well.

Originality/value

The proposed method is effectively addressing the issue of linguistic subjectivity, inconsistent information and uncertainty in the expert’s opinion. A case study of the HSC is adopted to illustrate the efficiency and applicability of the proposed risk framework.
Implicit measures in leadership categorization theory: the case for using cognitive mapping and verbal protocols to study cross-categorization phenomena
Authors: Pitsi Safoora , Billsberry Jon , Barrett Mary
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper contributes to leadership categorization theory by advocating a new method to surface people's implicit leadership theories. The purpose of this new approach is to simultaneously capture individual difference in how they conceptualize leadership but within a common framework to allow for comparison of within- and between-person effects.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct a narrative review of the implicit leadership theory, leadership categorization theory, cognitive mapping and verbal protocol literature with the purpose of surfacing a research method that will overcome the problems of over-simplification and over-individualization in existing methods.

Findings

The authors argue that using a combination of cognitive mapping and verbal protocols can capture the idiosyncrasies of individual lay theories of leadership while retaining the ability to compare people's responses through a common framework. The authors provide an example of how this method can be used to elicit people's perceptions of one aspect of implicit leadership theories, intelligence.

Research limitations/implications

This new method will provide a methodology to test the subset propositions advocated by leadership categorization theory. These include the idea that subordinate level implicit leadership theories contain a subset of attributes found in the basic-level implicit leadership theories, that there is attribute integrity in superordinate implicit leadership theories through the levels, and the idea that people define leadership differently depending on the context they are observing.

Originality/value

Whereas previous approaches to surfacing people's implicit leadership theories either heavily constrain their responses with a predetermined generic suite of attributes or are totally open-ended and idiosyncratic, the authors advocate an approach that combines the best of both.
Analysis of melting of phase change material inserted a block via impinging turbulent slot jet
Authors: Oztop Hakan F. , Gür Muhammed , Selimefendigil Fatih , Coşanay Hakan
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to do a numerical analysis of the jet to a body filled with phase change material (PCM). The melting of the PCM filled body was investigated by the hot jet flow. Four different values of the Reynolds number were taken, ranging from 5 × 103 = Re = 12.5 103. Water, Al2O3 1%, Al2O3 2% and hybrid nanofluid (HNF; Al2O3–Ag mixture) were used as fluid types and the effects of fluid type on melting were investigated. At 60 °C, the jet stream was impinged on the PCM filled body at different Reynolds numbers.

Design/methodology/approach

Two-dimensional analysis of melting of PCM inserted A block via impinging turbulent slot jet is numerically studied. Governing equations for turbulent flow are solved by using the finite element method via analysis and system fluent R2020.

Findings

The obtained results showed that the best melting occurred when the Reynolds number increased and the HNF was used. However, the impacts of using alumina-water nanofluid were slight. At Re = 12,500, phase completion time was reduced by about 13.77% when HNF was used while this was only 3.93% with water + alumina nanofluid as compared to using only water at Re = 5,000. In future studies, HNF concentrations will change the type of nanoenhanced PCMs. In addition, the geometry and jet parameters of the PCM-filled cube can be changed.

Originality/value

Effects of impinging jet onto PCM filled block and control of melting via impinging hot jet of PCM. Thus, novelty of the work is to control of melting in a block by impinging hot jet and nanoparticles.
Cavitation characteristics and energy loss in high-pressure differential control valve
Authors: Jin Haozhe , Wen Ruoshuang , Wang Chao , Liu Xiaofei
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the cavitation flow characteristics of the high-pressure differential control valve. The relationship between cavitation, flow coefficient and spool angle is obtained. By analyzing the relationship between different spool angles and energy loss, the energy loss at different spool angles is predicted.

Design/methodology/approach

A series of numerical simulations were performed to study the cavitation problem of a high-pressure differential control valve using the RNG k–e turbulence model and the Zwart cavitation model. The flow states and energy distribution at different spool angles were analyzed under specific working conditions.

Findings

The cavitation was the weakest when the spool angle was 120° or the outlet pressure was 8 MPa. The pressure and speed fluctuations of the valve in the throttle section were greater than those at other locations. By calculating the entropy production rate, the reason and location of valve energy loss are analyzed. The energy loss near the throttling section accounts for about 92.7% of the total energy loss. According to the calculated energy loss relationship between different regions of the spool angle, the relationship between any spool angle and energy loss in the [80,120] interval is proposed.

Originality/value

This study analyzes the cavitation flow characteristics of the high-pressure differential control valve and provides the law of energy loss in the valve through the analysis method of entropy. The relationship between spool angle and energy loss under cavitation is finally proposed. The research results are expected to provide a theoretical basis for the optimal design of valves.
Project managers' ability to explore and exploit predictive and iterative best practices
Authors: Marnewick Carl , Marnewick Annlizé L.
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Project managers face decisions every day and those decisions result in an “either or” situation. This is also true when it comes to the choice of a project management approach, i.e. predictive versus iterative. A case is made in this article that project managers should be ambidextrous and apply practices that are beneficial to the project, irrespective of the origin of the practices.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a questionnaire focussing on six themes. The results of 290 projects were analysed using ANOVA and boxplots to test for skewness and variances.

Findings

Based on the analysis of 117 practices, most of these projects could be classified as either hybrid or iterative projects. The results indicate that irrespective of the classification of the projects or the industry, projects are managed using a hybrid approach, with a tendency to incorporate more iterative practices than predictive practices.

Originality/value

This article contributes to the current debate on which approach is the best given certain circumstances.
Social sustainability and human rights in global supply chains
Authors: Cao Yinyin , Lawson Benn , Pil Frits K.
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Firms are accountable for upholding worker rights and well-being in their supply base. The authors unpack the evolution in lead firm thinking and practice about how to assure labor conditions at suppliers.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted interviews with the social sustainability leaders at 22 global corporations (“lead firms”) and their sustainability consultants to understand how they think about, and enact efforts, to support labor in their supply base. The authors complement this with an analysis of stated practice in proprietary supplier codes of conduct for the manufacturing and extractive-related firms in the S&P 500 and FTSE 350.

Findings

The authors’ interviews suggest firms follow two distinct and cumulative approaches: a transactional-based approach leveraging collective buyer power to enforce supplier compliance and a relational-based approach focused on mutual capacity building between lead (buyer) firms and their suppliers. The authors also see the emergence, in a small subset of firms, of a bottom-up approach that recognizes supplier workers as rights-holders and empowers them to understand and claim their rights.

Originality/value

The authors identify systematic convergence in supplier codes of conduct. While the transactional and relational approaches are well documented in the supply chain social sustainability literature, the rights-holder approach is not. Its emergence presents an important complement to the other approaches and enables a broader recognition of human rights, and the duty of Western firms to assure those rights.
Navigating identity formation via clothing during emerging adulthood
Authors: Brown Victoria
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to examine the experiences of emerging adults transitioning from college to career and the implications of this transition on clothing choice and identity formation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilized a phenomenological approach to address how appearances are used by emerging adults during the transition from college to the workplace and how those appearances help form identity.

Findings

The study found that participants have a desire for high-status consumption, primarily fueled by social comparison and the desire to keep up with colleagues, a desire to express identity through clothing, even if they are working from home, and the tendency to convey maturity during this transitory time by dressing the part.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this study is the homogenous nature of participants. Most are white females in their 20s who work in the fashion industry. It would be fruitful to consider a more representative population of emerging adults to examine the role of clothing choice on identity formation during this critical time.

Practical implications

This study highlights the need for change in the retail sector, regarding which garments create a professional wardrobe. Since the pandemic, many companies have shifted to a casual dress code, thus rendering the historically professional wardrobe of business attire obsolete.

Originality/value

Examining what it means to be an emerging adult joining the workforce in today's post-pandemic world is a complex and ongoing process. This study provides insight into how this experience is navigated via clothing and how identities are shaped during this transition in a person's life.
Social media impact of tourism managers: a decision tree approach in happiness, social marketing and sustainability
Authors: Galiano-Coronil Araceli , Blanco-Moreno Sofía , Tobar-Pesantez Luis Bayardo , Gutiérrez-Montoya Guillermo Antonio
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study aims to analyze communication from the perspective of social marketing, positive emotions, and the topics chosen by Spanish tourist destinations to show their destination image. Additionally, this research shows a message classification model, based on the aforementioned characteristics, that has generated a greater impact, offering clarity to tourism managers on the type of content they should publish to achieve greater visibility.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used in this work combines content analysis and data mining techniques. The classification tree using the chi-square automatic interaction detector (CHAID) algorithm was selected to determine predictors of like behaviour.

Findings

The results show that the predictor variables have been emotions, social marketing and topics. Also, the characteristics of the messages most likely to have a high impact are those related to emotions of joy or happiness, their purpose is behavioural, and they talk about rural, cultural issues, special dates, getaways, or highlights of a town or city for something specific.

Originality/value

This study is the first to analyze the content of the tweets shared by destination tourism managers from a social marketing, positive emotions, and sustainability perspective, determining the possible predictors of likes on Twitter. The authors contribute to the literature by deepening the understanding of how social marketing and the positive emotions promoted drive a more significant impact in tourism communication campaigns on social media. The authors provide destination managers with a way better to understand the variables relevant to users in tourism content.
Young adult tourists’ intentions to visit rural community-based homestays
Authors: Lim Tze-Yin , Leong Choi-Meng , Lim Lucas Tee-Kiat , Lim Bibiana Chiu-Yiong , Lim Rodney Thiam-Hock , Heng Kiat-Sing
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the factors affecting the intention to visit community-based homestays among young adults in a developing country during the pandemic by incorporating the mediation effect of perceived values and moderation effects of safety and health concerns.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from young adults were gathered via a self-administered questionnaire, and 268 sets of surveys were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.

Findings

The perceived value of community-based homestays among young adults is positively affected by relaxation, learning and entertainment. Perceived value also mediates the relationship between each of the three said motivational push factors and the intention to visit a community-based homestay. The relationship between perceived value and intention to visit community-based homestays among young adults is unaffected by safety and health concerns.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis reveals that relaxation, learning and entertainment are key drivers of intentions to visit rural community-based homestays and that perceived value mediates links between them.

Practical implications

This study benefits the tourism authorities and marketers by enabling them to promote community-based homestays in the country among the young adult market.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by using the motivation theory and model of goal-oriented behaviour to investigate the moderating effects of health and safety concerns on young adults visiting intention. Young adults’ perceived value was also examined to study its mediating effects on visiting intention.
Grammaticalization as Conventionalization of Discursively Secondary Status: Deconstructing the Lexical–Grammatical Continuum
Authors: Boye Kasper
Published: July 2023

Despite intense research on grammaticalization, no satisfactory definition has so far been proposed. Some would argue that it is indeed impossible to come up with a precise definition as grammaticalization is an epiphenomenon. After pointing out problems in existing definitions, this article proposes a new definition of grammaticalization as a distinct kind of change. The definition is based not only on the theory of the lexical–grammatical distinction in Boye & Harder (2012), but also on a rejection of the definition of grammaticalization offered there. The proposal is that grammaticalization is a distinct kind of conventionalization: the conventionalization of discursively secondary status. It is argued that in addition to avoiding problems intrinsic to earlier definitions, this definition captures canonical and non‐canonical cases of grammaticalization, and allows us to be precise about what to include and what not to include under grammaticalization. Finally, three important implications are discussed. (1) Grammaticalization is not a type of overall change, but rather one part of overall changes that simultaneously include other aspects. (2) Grammaticalization involves gain rather than loss. (3) A lexical–grammatical continuum does not exists, but grammaticalization is bound up with other continua, including: a social‐level conventionalization continuum, a splitting continuum and a discourse prominence continuum.