bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Premature MeCP2 Expression Disturbs the Subtype Specification of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons
Authors: He Xi-Biao , Guo Fang , Li Kexuan , Yan Jiaqing , Lee Sang-Hun
Published: November 2021

Midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons are associated with locomotor and psychiatric disorders. DA subtype is specified in ancestral neural precursor cells (NPCs) and maintained throughout neuronal differentiation. Here we show that endogenous expression of MeCP2 coincides with DA subtype specification in mouse mesencephalon, and premature expression of MeCP2 prevents in vitro cultured NPCs from acquiring DA subtype through interfering NURR1 transactivation of DA phenotype genes. By contrast, MeCP2 overexpression does not disturb DA subtype in DA neurons. By analyzing the dynamic change of DNA methylation along DA neuronal differentiation at the promoter of DA phenotype gene tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), we show that Th expression is determined by TET1-mediated de-methylation of NURR1 binding sites within Th promoter. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrate that MeCP2 dominates the DNA binding of the corresponding sites thereby blocking TET1 function in DA NPCs, whereas TET1-mediated de-methylation prevents excessive MeCP2 binding in DA neurons. The significance of temporal DNA methylation status is further confirmed by targeted methylation/demethylation experiments showing that targeted de-methylation in DA NPCs protects DA subtype specification from MeCP2 overexpression, whereas targeted methylation disturbs subtype maintenance in MeCP2-overexpressed DA neurons. These findings suggest the appropriate timing of MeCP2 expression as a novel determining factor for guiding NPCs into DA lineage.
An interplay between viruses and bacteria associated with marine sponges from the White Sea revealed by metagenomics
Authors: Rusanova Anastasiia , Fedorchuk Victor , Toshchakov Stepan , Dubiley Svetlana , Sutormin Dmitry
Published: November 2021

Sponges are remarkable holobionts harboring extremely diverse microbial and viral communities. However, the interactions between the components within holobionts and between a holobiont and environment are largely unknown, especially for polar organisms. To investigate possible interactions within the sponge-associated communities and between them, we probed the microbiomes and viromes of cold-water sympatric sponges Isodictya palmata, Halichondria panicea, and Halichondria sitiens by 16S and shotgun metagenomics. We showed that the bacterial and viral communities associated with these White Sea sponges are species-specific and different from the surrounding water. Extensive mining of bacterial antiphage defense systems in the metagenomes revealed a variety of defense mechanisms. The abundance of defense systems was comparable in the metagenomes of the sponges and the surrounding water, thus distinguishing the White Sea sponges from those inhabiting the tropical seas. We developed a network-based approach for the combined analysis of CRISPR-spacers and protospacers. Using this approach, we showed that the virus-host interactions within the sponge-associated community are typically more abundant than the inter-community interactions. Additionally, we detected the occurrence of viral exchanges between the communities. Our work provides the first insight into the metagenomics of the three cold-water sponge species from the White Sea and paves the way for a comprehensive analysis of the interactions between microbial communities and associated viruses.
A dynamic clamp protocol to artificially modify cell capacitance
Authors: Pfeiffer Paul , Tomás Federico José Barreda , Wu Jiameng , Schleimer Jan-Hendrik , Vida Imre , Schreiber Susanne
Published: November 2021

Abstract

Dynamics of excitable cells and networks depend on the membrane time constant, set by membrane resistance and capacitance. Whereas pharmacological and genetic manipulations of ionic conductances are routine in electrophysiology, experimental control over capacitance remains a challenge. Here, we present capacitance clamp, an approach that allows to mimic a modified capacitance in biological neurons via an unconventional application of the dynamic clamp technique. We first demonstrate the feasibility to quantitatively modulate capacitance in a mathematical neuron model and then confirm the functionality of capacitance clamp in in vitro experiments in granule cells of rodent dentate gyrus with up to threefold virtual capacitance changes. Clamping of capacitance thus constitutes a novel technique to probe and decipher mechanisms of neuronal signaling in ways that were so far inaccessible to experimental electrophysiology.
Frequency modulated timer regulates mammalian hibernation
Authors: Gibo Shingo , Yamaguchi Yoshifumi , Kurosawa Gen
Published: November 2021

Mammalian hibernators decrease basal metabolism and body temperature (Tb) to minimize energy expenditure in harsh seasons. During hibernation, Tb drops to low temperature (<10 °C) and remains constant for days, known as deep torpor in small mammalian hibernators. Spontaneous interbout arousals interrupt torpor bouts, when Tb recovers to euthermic state ~37 °C. Torpor-interbout arousal event repeats during several months of hibernation. However, little is known about mechanisms governing Tb fluctuation across torpor-interbout arousal cycles during hibernation. Recent improvement in data-logging techniques enables us to monitor Tb for more than hundred days with high precision, opening up new avenues for quantitative analysis to address the principle governing Tb fluctuation. Here, we analyzed Tb fluctuation across torpor-interbout arousal cycle of Syrian hamster, which can hibernate in response to chronic cold and short photoperiod under a laboratory condition, using generalized harmonic analysis and discovered a model with frequency modulation quantitatively reproducing Tb fluctuation. This analysis also identified an unexpectedly longer period of 120–430 days as the period that modulates another period of several days, generating Tb fluctuation for Syrian hamster. We propose that concerted action of two endogenous periods governs torpor-interbout arousal cycles during hibernation.
The overlapping modular organization of human brain functional networks across the adult lifespan
Authors: Gu Yue , Li Liangfang , Zhang Yining , Ma Junji , Yang Chenfan , Xiao Yu , Shu Ni ,   Cam-CAN, Lin Ying , Dai Zhengjia
Published: November 2021

Previous lifespan studies have demonstrated that the brain functional modular organization would change along with the adult lifespan. Yet, they assumed mutual exclusion among functional modules, ignoring convergent evidence for the existence of modular overlap. To reveal how age affects the overlapping functional modular organization, this study applied a detection algorithm requiring no prior knowledge of the resting-state fMRI data of a healthy cohort (N = 570, 18-88 years). Age-related regression analyses found a linear decrease in the overlapping modularity and the similarity of modular structure and overlapping node (i.e., region involved in multiple modules) distribution. The number of overlapping nodes increased with age, but the increment was distributed unevenly. In addition, across the adult lifespan and within each age group, the nodal overlapping probability consistently exhibited positive correlations with both functional gradient and flexibility. Further, we showed that the influence of age on memory-related cognitive performance might be explained by the change in the overlapping functional modular organization. Together, our results revealed age-related decreased segregation from the perspective of brain functional overlapping modular organization, providing new insight into the adult lifespan change in brain function and its influence on cognitive performance.
Synaptic Self-Organization of Spatio-Temporal Pattern Selectivity
Authors: Dehghani-Habibabadi Mohammad , Pawelzik Klaus Richard
Published: November 2021

Spiking model neurons can be set up to respond selectively to specific spatio-temporal spike patterns by optimization of their input weights. It is unknown, however, if existing synaptic plasticity mechanisms can achieve this temporal mode of neuronal coding and computation. Here it is shown that changes of synaptic efficacies which tend to balance excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs can make neurons sensitive to particular input spike patterns. Simulations demonstrate that a combination of Hebbian mechanisms, hetero-synaptic plasticity and synaptic scaling is sufficient for self-organizing sensitivity for spatio-temporal spike patterns that repeat in the input. In networks inclusion of hetero-synaptic plasticity leads to specialization and faithful representation of pattern sequences by a group of target neurons. Pattern detection is robust against a range of distortions and noise. The proposed combination of Hebbian mechanisms, hetero-synaptic plasticity and synaptic scaling is found to protect the memories for specific patterns from being overwritten by ongoing learning during extended periods when the patterns are not present. This suggests a novel explanation for the long term robustness of memory traces despite ongoing activity with substantial synaptic plasticity. Taken together, our result promote the plausibility of precise temporal coding in the brain.

Author summary

Neurons communicate using action potentials, that are pulses localized in time. There is evidence that the exact timing of these so called spikes carries information. The hypothesis, however, that computations in brains are indeed based on precise patterns of spikes is debated, particularly because this would require the existence of suitable detectors. While theoretically, individual neurons can perform spike pattern detection when their input synapses are carefully adjusted, it is not known if existing synaptic plasticity mechanisms indeed support this coding principle. Here, a combination of basic but realistic mechanisms is demonstrated to self-organize the synaptic input efficacies such that individual neurons become detectors of patterns repeating in the input. The proposed combination of learning mechanisms yields a balance of excitation and inhibition similar to observations in cortex, robustness of detection against perturbations and noise, and persistence of memory against plasticity during ongoing activity without the learned patterns. The proposed learning mechanism enables groups of neurons to incrementally acquire sets of patterns thereby faithfully representing their ’which’ and ’when’ in sequences. These results suggest that computations based on spatio-temporal spike patterns might emerge without any supervision from the synaptic plasticity mechanisms present in the brain.
Multiplexed detection of bacterial nucleic acids using Cas13 in droplet microarrays
Authors: Thakku Sri Gowtham , Ackerman Cheri M. , Myhrvold Cameron , Bhattacharyya Roby P. , Livny Jonathan , Ma Peijun , Gomez Giselle Isabella , Sabeti Pardis C. , Blainey Paul C. , Hung Deborah T.
Published: November 2021

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of infections is fundamental to individual patient care and public health management. Nucleic acid detection methods are critical to this effort, but are limited either in the breadth of pathogens targeted or by the expertise and infrastructure required. We present here a high-throughput system that enables rapid identification of bacterial pathogens, bCARMEN, which utilizes: (1) modular CRISPR-Cas13-based nucleic acid detection with enhanced sensitivity and specificity; and (2) a droplet microfluidic system that enables thousands of simultaneous, spatially multiplexed detection reactions at nanoliter volumes; and (3) a novel pre-amplification strategy that further enhances sensitivity and specificity. We demonstrate bCARMEN is capable of detecting and discriminating 52 clinically relevant bacterial species and several key antibiotic resistance genes. We further develop a proof of principle system for use with stabilized reagents and a simple workflow with optical readout using a cell phone camera, opening up the possibility of a rapid point-of-care multiplexed bacterial pathogen identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing.

Significance Statement

In this paper, we use a novel primer design method combined with droplet-based CRISPR Cas13 detection to distinguish 52 clinically relevant bacterial pathogens in a single assay. We also apply the method to detect and distinguish a panel of major antibiotic resistance genes, which is of critical importance in this era of rising antibiotic resistance. Finally, we make key advances towards making our diagnostic assay deployable at the point-of-care, with a simplified emulsion-free assay process that uses mobile phone camera for detection and reduces infrastructure/skilled labor requirements.
An integrated resource for functional and structural connectivity of the marmoset brain
Authors: Tian Xiaoguang , Chen Yuyan , Majka Piotr , Szczupak Diego , Perl Yonatan Sanz , Yen Cecil Chern-Chyi , Tong Chuanjun , Feng Furui , Jiang Haiteng , Glen Daniel , Deco Gustavo , Rosa Marcello G. P. , Silva Afonso C. , Liang Zhifeng , Liu Cirong
Published: November 2021

Comprehensive integration of structural and functional connectivity data is required to model brain functions accurately. While resources for studying the structural connectivity of non-human primate brains already exist, their integration with functional connectivity data has remained unavailable. Here we present a comprehensive resource that integrates the most extensive awake marmoset resting-state fMRI data available to date (39 marmoset monkeys, 710 runs, 12117 mins) with previously published cellular-level neuronal tracing (52 marmoset monkeys, 143 injections) and multi-resolution diffusion MRI datasets. The combination of these data allowed us to (1) map the fine-detailed functional brain networks and cortical parcellations; (2) develop a deep-learning-based parcellation generator that preserves the topographical organization of functional connectivity and reflects individual variabilities, and (3) investigate the structural basis underlying functional connectivity by computational modeling. This resource will enable modeling structure-function relationships and facilitate future comparative and translational studies of primate brains.
Systematic assessment of lipid profiles for the discovery of tissue contributors to the circulating lipid pool in cold exposure
Authors: Jain Raghav , Wade Gina , Ong Irene , Chaurasia Bhagirath , Simcox Judith
Published: November 2021

Plasma lipid levels are altered in chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well as acute stresses such as fasting and cold exposure. Advances in mass spectrometry based lipidomics have uncovered the complexity of the plasma lipidome which includes over 500 lipids that serve functional roles including energy substrate and signaling molecule. The plasma lipid pool is maintained through regulation of tissue production, secretion, and uptake. A major challenge is establishing the tissues of origin and uptake for various plasma lipids, which is necessary to determine the lipid function. Using cold exposure as an acute stress, we performed global lipidomics on the plasma and nine tissues that may contribute to the circulating pool. We found that numerous species of plasma acylcarnitines (ACars) and ceramides were significantly changed with cold exposure. Through computational assessment, we identified the liver and brown adipose tissue (BAT) as major contributors and consumers of circulating ACars, in agreement with our previous work. We further identified the kidney and intestine as novel contributors to the circulating ACar pool and validated these findings with gene expression analysis. Regression analysis also identified that the BAT and kidney as regulators of the plasma ceramide pool. These studies provide an adaptable computational tool to assess tissue contribution to the plasma lipid pool. Our findings have implications in understanding the function of plasma ACars and ceramides, which are elevated in metabolic diseases.

There are over 500 identified lipids in circulating plasma, many without known origin or function. Using untargeted lipidomics on plasma and nine other tissues of cold exposed mice, we identified novel regulation of circulating acylcarnitines through the kidney and intestine, and a multiorgan system that regulates plasma ceramides. Our findings offer new targets for the study and functional characterization of circulating lipids in acute cold exposure and a computational resource for other investigators to explore multi-tissue lipidome remodeling during cold exposure.

Highlights

Global lipidomics atlas of 9 tissues and plasma demonstrate dynamic shift with cold exposure.

Adaptive resource for the selection of extraction method, data processing, and data analysis of multi-tissue global lipidomics data.

Regression analysis identified the liver, BAT, intestine, and kidney as regulators of the plasma acylcarnitine pool that are not apparent by lipid levels alone.

Acute cold exposure increases plasma ceramide levels, with the BAT and kidney as major contributors
Fingerprinting of skin cells by live cell Raman spectroscopy reveals melanoma cell heterogeneity and cell-type specific responses to UVR
Authors: Wilkinson Emma L. , Ashton Lorna , Kerns Jemma G. , Allinson Sarah L. , Mort Richard L.
Published: November 2021

Raman spectroscopy is an emerging dermatological technique with the potential to discriminate biochemically between cell types in a label free and non-invasive manner. Here we use live single cell Raman spectroscopy and principal component analysis (PCA) to fingerprint mouse melanoblasts, melanocytes, keratinocytes and melanoma cells. We show the differences in their spectra are attributable to biomarkers in the melanin biosynthesis pathway and that melanoma cells are a heterogeneous population that sit on a trajectory between undifferentiated melanoblasts and differentiated melanocytes. We demonstrate the utility of Raman spectroscopy as a highly sensitive tool to probe the melanin biosynthesis pathway and its immediate response to UV irradiation revealing previously undescribed opposing responses to UVA and UVB irradiation in melanocytes. Finally, we identify melanocyte specific accumulation of β-carotene correlated with a stabilisation of the UVR response in lipids and proteins consistent with a β-carotene mediated photoprotective mechanism. In summary our data show that Raman spectroscopy can be used to determine the differentiation status of cells of the melanocyte lineage and describe the immediate and temporal biochemical changes associated with UV exposure which differ depending on cell type, differentiation status and competence to synthesise melanin.
smBEVO: A computer vision approach to rapid baseline correction of single-molecule time series
Authors: Tran Khue , Bandyopadhyay Argha , Goldschen-Ohm Marcel P.
Published: November 2021

Single-molecule time series inform on the dynamics of molecular mechanisms that are occluded in ensemble-averaged measures. Amplitude-based methods and hidden Markov models (HMMs) frequently used for interpreting these time series require removal of low frequency drift that can be difficult to completely avoid in real world experiments. Current approaches for drift correction primarily involve either tedious manual assignment of the baseline or unsupervised frameworks such as infinite HMMs coupled with baseline nodes that are computationally expensive and unreliable. Here, we develop an image-based method for baseline correction using techniques from computer vision such as lane detection and active contours. The approach is remarkably accurate and efficient, allowing for rapid analysis of single-molecule time series contaminated with nearly any type of slow baseline drift.
Therapeutic Deep Brain Stimulation Disrupts Subthalamic Nucleus Activity Dynamics in Parkinsonian Mice
Authors: Schor Jonathan S , Montalvo Isabelle Gonzalez , Spratt Perry W E , Brakaj Rea J , Stansil Jasmine A , Bender Kevin J , Nelson Alexandra B
Published: November 2021

Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) relieves many motor symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (PD), but its underlying therapeutic mechanisms remain unclear. Since its advent, three major theories have been proposed: (1) DBS inhibits the STN and basal ganglia output; (2) DBS antidromically activates motor cortex; and (3) DBS disrupts firing dynamics within the STN. Previously, stimulation-related electrical artifacts limited mechanistic investigations using electrophysiology. We used electrical artifact-free calcium imaging to investigate activity in basal ganglia nuclei during STN DBS in parkinsonian mice. To test whether the observed changes in activity were sufficient to relieve motor symptoms, we then combined electrophysiological recording with targeted optical DBS protocols. Our findings suggest that STN DBS exerts its therapeutic effect through the disruption of STN dynamics, rather than inhibition or antidromic activation. These results provide insight into optimizing PD treatments and establish an approach for investigating DBS in other neuropsychiatric conditions.
Genomic hallmarks and therapeutic implications of G0 cell cycle arrest in cancer
Authors: Wiecek Anna J. , Cutty Stephen J. , Kornai Daniel , Parreno-Centeno Mario , Gourmet Lucie E. , Tagliazucchi Guidantonio Malagoli , Jacobson Daniel H. , Zhang Ping , Xiong Lingyun , Bond Gareth L. , Barr Alexis R. , Secrier Maria
Published: November 2021

Therapy resistance in cancer is often driven by a subpopulation of cells that are temporarily arrested in a non-proliferative G0 state, which is difficult to capture and whose mutational drivers remain largely unknown. We developed methodology to robustly identify this state from transcriptomic signals and characterised its prevalence and genomic constraints in solid primary tumours. We show that G0 arrest preferentially emerges in the context of more stable, less mutated genomes which maintainTP53integrity and lack the hallmarks of DNA damage repair deficiency, while presenting increased APOBEC mutagenesis. We employ machine learning to uncover novel genomic dependencies of this process and validate the role of the centrosomal geneCEP89as a modulator of proliferation/G0 arrest capacity. Lastly, we demonstrate that G0 arrest underlies unfavourable responses to various therapies exploiting cell cycle, kinase signalling and epigenetic mechanisms in single cell data, and propose a G0 arrest transcriptional signature that is linked with therapeutic resistance and can be used to further study and clinically track this state.
Pathways to polar adaptation in fishes revealed by long-read sequencing
Authors: Hotaling Scott , Desvignes Thomas , Sproul John S. , Lins Luana S.F. , Kelley Joanna L.
Published: November 2021

Long-read sequencing is driving a new reality for genome science where highly contiguous assemblies can be produced efficiently with modest resources. Genome assemblies from long-read sequences are particularly exciting for understanding the evolution of complex genomic regions that are often difficult to assemble. In this study, we leveraged long-read sequencing data to generate a high-quality genome assembly for an Antarctic eelpout, Opthalmolycus amberensis, the first for the globally distributed family Zoarcidae. We used this assembly to understand how O. amberensis has adapted to the harsh Southern Ocean and compared it to another group of Antarctic fishes: the notothenioids. We showed that selection has largely acted on different targets in eelpouts relative to notothenioids. However, we did find some overlap; in both groups, genes involved in membrane structure, thermal tolerance, and vision have evidence of selection. We found evidence for historical shifts of transposable element activity in O. amberensis and other polar fishes, perhaps reflecting a response to environmental change. We were specifically interested in the evolution of two complex genomic loci known to underlie key adaptations to polar seas: hemoglobin and antifreeze proteins (AFPs). We observed unique evolution of the hemoglobin MN cluster in eelpouts and related fishes in the suborder Zoarcoidei relative to other Perciformes. For AFPs, we identified the first species in the suborder with no evidence of afpIII sequences (Cebidichthys violaceus) in the genomic region where they are found in all other Zoarcoidei, potentially reflecting a lineage-specific loss of this cluster. Beyond polar fishes, our results highlight the power of long-read sequencing to understand genome evolution.
The dorsal visual pathway represents object-centered spatial relations for object recognition
Authors: Ayzenberg Vladislav , Behrmann Marlene
Published: November 2021

Although there is mounting evidence that input from the dorsal visual pathway is crucial for object processes in the ventral pathway, the specific functional contributions of dorsal cortex to these processes remain poorly understood. Here, we hypothesized that dorsal cortex computes the spatial relations among an object’s parts – a processes crucial for forming global shape percepts – and transmits this information to the ventral pathway to support object categorization. Using fMRI with human participants (females and males), we discovered regions in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) that were selectively involved in computing object-centered part relations. These regions exhibited task-dependent functional and effective connectivity with ventral cortex, and were distinct from other dorsal regions, such as those representing allocentric relations, 3D shape, and tools. In a subsequent experiment, we found that the multivariate response of posterior IPS, defined on the basis of part-relations, could be used to decode object category at levels comparable to ventral object regions. Moreover, mediation and multivariate effective connectivity analyses further suggested that IPS may account for representations of part relations in the ventral pathway. Together, our results highlight specific contributions of the dorsal visual pathway to object recognition. We suggest that dorsal cortex is a crucial source of input to the ventral pathway and may support the ability to categorize objects on the basis of global shape.

Significance Statement

Humans categorize novel objects rapidly and effortlessly. Such categorization is achieved by representing an object’s global shape structure, that is, the relations among object parts. Yet, despite their importance, it is unclear how part relations are represented neurally. Here, we hypothesized that object-centered part relations may be computed by the dorsal visual pathway, which is typically implicated in visuospatial processing. Using fMRI, we identified regions selective for the part relations in dorsal cortex. We found that these regions can support object categorization, and even mediate representations of part relations in the ventral pathway, the region typically thought to support object categorization. Together, these findings shed light on the broader network of brain regions that support object categorization.
A two-phase plant-soil feedback experiment to explore biotic influences on Phragmites australis invasion in North American wetlands
Authors: Lee Sean F.H. , Mozdzer Thomas J. , Chapman Samantha K. , Mateu M. Gonzalez , Baldwin A. H. , Langley J. Adam
Published: November 2021

Plants can cultivate soil microbial communities that affect subsequent plant growth through a plant-soil feedback (PSF). Strong evidence indicates that PSFs can mediate the invasive success of exotic upland plants, but many of the most invasive plants occur in wetlands. In North America, the rapid spread of European Phragmites australis cannot be attributed to innate physiological advantages, thus PSFs may mediate invasion. Here we apply a two-phase fully-factorial plant-soil feedback design in which field-derived soil inocula were conditioned using saltmarsh plants and then were added to sterile soil mesocosms and planted with each plant type. This design allowed us to assess complete soil biota effects on intraspecific PSFs between native and introduced P. australis as well as heterospecific feedbacks between P. australis and the native wetland grass, Spartina patens. Our results demonstrate that native P. australis experienced negative conspecific feedbacks while introduced P. australis experienced neutral conspecific feedbacks. Interestingly, S. patens soil inocula inhibited growth in both lineages of P. australis while introduced and native P. australis inocula promoted the growth of S. patens suggestive of biotic resistance against P. australis invasion by S. patens. Our findings suggest that PSFs are not directly promoting the invasion of introduced P. australis in North America. Furthermore, native plants like S. patens seem to exhibit soil microbe mediated biotic resistance to invasion which highlights the importance of disturbance in mediating introduced P. australis invasion.
The mediating role of cost of capital in the relationship between capital structure and loan portfolio quality
Authors: Agasha Ester , Kamukama Nixon , Sserwanga Arthur
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish the mediating role of cost of capital in the relationship between capital structure and loan portfolio quality in Uganda's microfinance institutions (MFIs).

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional research design was adopted to collect data and partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to test the study hypotheses.

Findings

Cost of capital partially mediates the relationship between capital structure and loan portfolio quality. Hence, cost of capital acts as a conduit through which capital structure affects loan portfolio quality.

Research limitations/implications

Cost of capital was generalized as financial and administrative costs. The impact of costs like dividend pay-outs, interest rates and/or loan covenants on loan portfolio quality could be investigated individually.

Practical implications

MFIs should be vigilant about loan recovery by using strategies like credit rationing to ensure timely repayments.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the ongoing academic debate by identifying the significant indirect role of cost of capital in explaining loan portfolio quality.
Modelling the barriers of weather index insurance service adoption integrating expert mining and ISM Fuzzy-MICMAC
Authors: Singh Pankaj , Agrawal Gaurav
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore and prioritize the barriers that affect weather index-insurance (WII) adoption among customers by utilizing interpretive structural modelling (ISM) and fuzzy-MICMAC.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper utilized the combined approach in two phases. In first phase comprehensive literature study and expert mining method have been performed to identify and validate WII adoption barriers. In second phase, ISM has been utilized to examine the direct relationships among WII adoption barriers in order to develop a structural model. Further, fuzzy-MICMAC method has been utilized to analyse indirect relationships among barriers to explore dependence and driver power.

Findings

This study has identified 15 key barriers of WII adoption among customers and developed a structural model based on binary direct relationship using ISM. Later, the outcomes of ISM model have been utilized for analysing the dependence and driver power of each WII adoption barriers in cluster form using fuzzy-MICMAC. The customer awareness related WII adoption barrier are mainly at the top level, WII demand related barriers are in the centre and WII supply related barriers at the bottom level in ISM model.

Practical implications

The findings offered important insights for WII insurers to understand mutual relationships amongst WII adoption barriers and assists in developing strategy to eliminate dominant key barriers in order to enhance their customer base.

Originality/value

Based on best of author's knowledge this paper firstly integrates the ISM fuzzy-MICMAC method into identification and prioritization of barriers that affects WII adoption among customers.
Impact of news sentiment and topics on IPO underpricing: US evidence
Authors: Fedorova Elena , Druchok Sergei , Drogovoz Pavel
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The goal of the study is to examine the effects of news sentiment and topics dominating in the news field prior to the initial public offering (IPO) on the IPO underpricing.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors’ approach has several steps. The first is textual analysis. To detect the dominating topics in the news, the authors use Latent Dirichlet allocation. The authors use bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) pretrained on financial news corpus to evaluate the tonality of articles. The second is evaluation of feature importance. To this end, a linear regression with robust estimators and Classification and Regression Tree and Random Forest are used. The third is data. The text data consists of 345,731 news articles from Thomson Reuters related to the USA in the date range from 1 January 2011 to 31 May 2018. The data contains all the possible topics from the website, excluding anything related to sports. The sample of 386 initial public offerings completed in the USA from 1 January 2011 to 31 May 2018 was collected from Bloomberg Database.

Findings

The authors found that sentiment of the media regarding the companies going public influences IPO underpricing. Some topics, namely, the climate change and environmental policies and the trade war between the US and China, have influence on IPO underpricing if they appear in the media prior to the IPO day.

Originality/value

The puzzle of IPO underpricing is studied from the point of Narrative Economics theory for the first time. While most of the works cover only some specific news segment, we use Thomson Reuters news aggregator, which uses such sources The New York Post, CNN, Fox, Atlantic, The Washington Post ? Buzzfeed. To evaluate the sentiment of the articles, a state-of-the-art approach BERT is used. The hypothesis that some common narratives or topics in the public discussion may impose influence on such example of biased behaviour like IPO underpricing has also found confirmation.
A simulation-based multi-objective genetic optimization framework for efficient building design in early stages: application for Vietnam's hot and humid climates
Authors: Le Gia Thanh Truc , Dang Hoang-Anh , Dinh Van-Binh , Tong Minh Quan , Nguyen Trung Kien , Nguyen Hong Hanh , Nguyen Dinh Quang
Published: November 2021

Purpose

In many countries, innovation in building design for improving energy performance, reducing CO2 emissions and minimizing life cycle cost has received much attention for sustainable development. This paper investigates the importance of optimization tools for enhancing the design performance in the early stages of Vietnam's cooling-dominated buildings in hot and humid climates using an integrated building design approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology of this study exploits the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) optimization algorithm coupled with building simulation to research a trade-off between the optimization of investment cost and energy consumption. Our approach focuses on the whole optimization problem of thermal envelope, glazing and energy systems from preliminary design phases. The methodology is then tested for a case study of a non-residential building located in Hanoi.

Findings

The results show a considerable improvement in design performance by our method compared to current building design. The optimal solutions present the trade-off between energy consumption and capital cost in the form of a Pareto front. This helps architects, engineers and investors make important decisions in the early design stages with a large view of impacts of all factors on energy performance and cost.

Originality/value

This is one of the original research to study integrated building design applying the simulation-based genetic optimization algorithm for cooling-dominated buildings in Vietnam. The case study in this article is for a non-residential building in the north of Vietnam but the methodology can also be applied to residential buildings and other regions.
Social identity, rationality, creativity
Authors: Kanzola Anna-Maria , Papaioannou Konstantina , Petrakis Panagiotis E.
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study examines the relationship between rationality and creativity by means of social identity theory for the Greek society (2019–2020).

Design/methodology/approach

The outline of the social identity was given through self-categorization via a distributed questionnaire. The types of behavior (rational, nonrational and loss-averse) were determined by using questions based on the Allais paradox. Principal components analysis (PCA) is used to extract the causal relationships.

Findings

The study findings demonstrate that rational individuals are more prompt to creative personality than nonrational individuals. Rational individuals are motivated to pursue creativity through life-improvement goals. Loss-averse individuals are driven through the contradictive incentive of adventure-seeking behavior without, however, being willing to easily give up their established assets.

Originality/value

This article contributes by explaining creativity among rational, nonrational and loss-averse individuals as a product of social identity theory. This contributes to the literature, by proposing that the application of social theories in economics could constitute a different foundation for economics. This refers to the notion of the social microfoundations of the political economy and macroeconomics.
Structural analysis of factors affecting the housing in Tabriz metropolis: a future study approach
Authors: Karami Sonya , Hajisharifi Arezoo , Zarghamfard Moslem , Armaqan Simin
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to survey the quantitative and qualitative indicators of housing in Tabriz and its comparison with urban areas of the province and the country (Iran) and identify the key indicators on the future of the housing situation in the Tabriz metropolis.

Design/methodology/approach

Statistical yearbooks, the censuses of different periods and the documentary-environmental scanning methods are used to collect the data and matrix of crossed impact multiplications applied to a classification (MICMAC) software is used for analyzing the data.

Findings

The results show that during the years 1976 to 2016, the quantitative and qualitative indicators of housing in Tabriz have improved. Also, by obtaining the environmental scanning method, 61 factors were selected in 5 areas that have the greatest impact on the future of housing in the Tabriz metropolis. Finally, 11 key factors that have the most impact on the future of housing in the Tabriz metropolis were selected. These factors are economic growth, inflation, household income and savings, land and housing prices, sanctions, exchange rate changes, bank facilities, unemployment rates, political changes, purchasing power and management style. Among these factors, economic factors play the most important role, and political-managerial factors come in the next place.

Originality/value

This paper proves two issues, namely, the housing market in Iran, especially in the metropolis of Tabriz is strongly influenced by macroeconomic factors and the political situation of society and slogans of housing market reform without fundamental changes and reforms in both economic and political sectors of society are demagogic and illogical.
When the going gets tough, the tough are let go? The effects of political ideology on leader tenure in organisations
Authors: Zhang Teng , Soderberg Andrew T.
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Drawing on moral foundations theory (MFT), this paper aims to examine the relationship between community-level political ideology, organisational performance and leader tenure by proposing and testing an “ideology-authority hypothesis” wherein political ideology moderates the relationship between organisational performance decline and leader tenure in organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used archival data pertaining to the performance of teams from the National Basketball Association (NBA), the tenure of the head coaches and the voting record of the communities in which the teams are located. The authors used hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) to test the relationships among these variables at multiple levels.

Findings

The results provided empirical support for the “ideology-authority hypothesis”. Specifically, the magnitude of team winning percentage decrease from the previous season is positively associated with the tenure of the head coach in teams located in more conservative communities but not in teams located in more liberal communities.

Originality/value

This study examines leadership stability and change by highlighting the moral foundation of authority/subversion. The findings also illustrate the importance of a community-level variable – the general political climate of the community in which an organisation is embedded – in organisational decision-making.
A scoping review of occupational therapy interventions in the treatment of people with substance use disorders
Authors: Ryan Deirdre Anne , Boland Pauline
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Diagnosis of substance use disorders and addictive behaviours are growing worldwide. It is timely to examine and collate literature on the nature of occupational therapy intervention in this field, to increase understanding of current practice and inform future directions. The purpose of this paper is to source and synthesise literature on occupational therapy interventions used in the treatment of people experiencing addiction.

Design/methodology/approach

Four databases were searched in August 2019. A total of 597 titles were screened, and 18 studies with varying methods met inclusion criteria. A narrative synthesis of the included literature was arranged into themes to summarise key findings.

Findings

Findings were grouped into three themes about occupational therapy provision to people experiencing addiction: single occupation focused intervention; skills training (including sub-themes on daily living skills and vocational skills); and establishing a community-based sober routine.

Research limitations/implications

Further research on this topic should focus on efficacy of treatments and build on current findings to develop more rigorous research with appropriate sample sizes to support evidence-based practice.

Originality/value

This study presents a synthesis of how occupational therapy interventions have been used to treat people experiencing addiction issues. Findings indicate occupational therapy appears to fit well within addiction treatment and assert that occupational therapy is most supportive when interventions go beyond the teaching of skills alone to prioritise occupational engagement and client centred practice.
Celebrating IJPDLM's 50th anniversary: a reflection on its contributions and future directions
Authors: Wong Chee Yew
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This article celebrates the 50th anniversary of IJPDLM, reflects on the contribution of IJPDLM to the field of logistics and supply chain management (LSCM) and discusses future directions for the journal.

Design/methodology/approach

Descriptive analysis of manuscripts received and accepted by IJPDLM during 2015–2019 is used to provide an overview of the journal. Content analysis of selected articles is used to highlight important contributions of the journal. Changes made since 2020 are highlighted to inform future directions of IJPDLM. Invited articles are discussed and used to clarify future directions.

Findings

IJPDLM has made tremendous progress in informing and shaping the field of LSCM. Key issues addressed include sustainability and reverse logistics, omni-channel, e-commerce, retail logistics, risk, resilience, volatility, and complexity and digital technology innovation. The journal has expanded the use of methods beyond the typical qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the use of design science, experiment, conjoint analysis, qualitative comparative analysis, narrative analysis. The invited articles provide (1) a historical reflection of the purpose of the journal when it was launched, (2) new guidance on how to develop theories using literature review and grounded theories and (3) understanding of startups and supply chain ecosystems.

Practical implications

Some exemplar articles are highlighted to explain how IJPDLM informs LSCM managers, companies and policy makers.

Originality/value

This article explains the recent development and sets future directions for the LSCM field.
Moderating effects on sustainability reporting and firm performance relationships: a meta-analytical review
Authors: Prashar Anupama
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The past sustainability literature on the effects of nonfinancial disclosures on a firm's performance is highly fragmented. Thus, the authors raise the following research questions to test potential differences: Is sustainability reporting (SR) based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) or other systematic reporting framework associated with firm performance? Does quality or level of SR impact firm performance? Do firm-, industry- and country-level factors moderate the effect of SR on firm performance? Does the presence of publication bias affect this relationship?

Design/methodology/approach

Meta-analysis technique suggested by Hedges & Olkin (1985) was used to analyze a sample of 98 effect sizes reported in 60 studies published between 2010 and 2020 studying SR–performance associations. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were used to investigate the moderating variables accounting for this heterogeneity in the relationship.

Findings

Results reveal that level and quality of SR influence the market-, accounting- and operational-based measures of firm performance. Meta-regression results depict that for large, matured firms, or the ones with institutional investors as board members or the ones that actively participate SR quality awards, SR translates better into firm performance. Subgroup analyses demonstrate that the SR–firm performance relationship is moderated by the corporate governance (CG) system of the country and the firm's affiliation to environmentally sensitive industries.

Originality/value

These findings extend theoretical and practical understanding on effects of corporate sustainability communications on performance.