bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suicide attempts: genetic and environmental risk factors, impact, and healthcare utilization—an analysis of nationwide data
Authors: Nguyen Thuy-Dung , Hu Kejia , Borges Karen , Kuja-Halkola Ralf , Butwicka Agnieszka , Brikell Isabell , Crowley James J. , Chang Zheng , D’Onofrio Brian M. , Larsson Henrik , Lichtenstein Paul , Rück Christian , Bulik Cynthia M. , Sullivan Patrick F. , Fang Fang , Lu Yi
Published: June 2024

Background

Suicide is a major public health challenge, and a suicide attempt is an indicator of future mortality. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of initial suicide attempts.

Methods

Using Swedish national registers, we conducted a population-based cohort study of 3.7 million individuals followed from age 10 to a maximum age of 57. Suicide attempts were identified in hospital and death registers using ICD self-harm codes (intentional, with lethal methods, or leading to hospitalization or death). We investigated incidence, risk factors, outcomes, and familial aggregation, heritability, genetic correlations with psychiatric disorders, and healthcare visits in the month before and after initial suicide attempt.

Findings

The lifetime risk of suicide attempt in the study population was 4.6%, with greater risk in females and highest risk among ages 18-24. Overdose/poisoning were the most common methods. Prior history of psychiatric disorders, general medical diseases, and adverse life events were associated with increased risk of initial suicide attempt, while higher socioeconomic status was protective. Individuals with an initial suicide attempt were at substantially elevated risks of subsequent attempts (hazard ratio, HR, 23.4), suicide mortality (HR 16.4), and all-cause mortality (HR 7.3). One in ten families in Sweden had at least one individual who attempted suicide, and it tended to aggregate within families. The estimate of heritability was 42%, and genetic correlations of suicide attempts with psychiatric disorders ranged 0.48-0.85. At least 60% of those who made an initial suicide attempt had a healthcare contact in the month preceding the attempt.

Interpretation

The study provides comprehensive insights into suicidal behavior. Suicide attempts are major markers of poor mental health and risk for subsequent morbidity and mortality; indeed, they may carry the greatest mortal risk seen in clinical psychiatry. Our results underscore the need for systematic prevention efforts for individuals who have recently attempted suicide.
Resistance but not endurance training suppresses glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ) expression in human skeletal muscle
Authors: Paul Sebastian , Donath Lars , Hoppstädter Jessica , Hecksteden Anne
Published: June 2024

The glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ) serves as an anti-inflammatory regulator of gene expression in different tissues and is also expressed in human skeletal muscle. GILZ mediates the anti-myogenic and myotoxic side effects of statins via a shift in the Akt/FoxO signaling pathways. Recent evidence suggests that GILZ suppression is regulated by physical exercise, with external load being the decisive factor. Interestingly, statin treatment is rarely tolerated by habitually exercising individuals due to statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS). The opposing regulation of GILZ underpins this detrimental interaction of key measures of cardiovascular prevention. This interaction hypothetically differs between diverging exercise modalities in a mechanosensitive manner. To verify emerging evidence, we conducted a systematic search of the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repository for studies reporting the acute effects of either endurance (END), conventional resistance (RT), or eccentric resistance training (ECC). 15 studies with 204 participants (22 females; 182 males, 18 to 90 years of age) were included in the analysis. Participants’ activity levels ranged from sedentary to trained. RT resulted in the highest GILZ suppression, significantly differing from the expressional change after END (-0.46 ± 1.11 vs. -0.07 ± 1.08; p = 0.03), but not from ECC (-0.46 ± 1.11 vs. -0.46 ± 0.95; p = 0.19). Furthermore, subgrouping revealed that RT-experienced participants exhibited a more pronounced GILZ suppression than their inexperienced counterparts (-0.98 ± 0.66 vs. -0.34 ± 1.16; p = 0.001). Our results strengthen the assumption that mechanical loading can be considered a key mediator of exercise-induced changes in GILZ expression.
Peak alpha frequency is not significantly altered by five days of experimental pain and repetitive transcranial stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
Authors: Millard Samantha K. , Chiang Alan K.I. , Chowdhury Nahian , Chang Wei-Ju , Furman Andrew J. , De Martino Enrico , Graven-Nielsen Thomas , Schabrun Siobhan M. , Seminowicz David A.
Published: June 2024

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) holds promise as a non-invasive pain treatment. Given the link between individual peak alpha frequency (PAF) of resting-state electroencephalographic recordings and pain sensitivity, and the potential for rTMS to modulate PAF, we investigated these relationships through a secondary analysis of established rTMS-induced analgesia in an experimental model of sustained muscle pain.

In a randomised, single-blind, sham-controlled experiment, 30 healthy adults underwent either active (n=15) or sham (n=15) high-frequency rTMS (20 min) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for five consecutive days following induction of sustained experimental pain by nerve growth factor (NGF) injected into the right extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle. The pain intensity was assessed daily for 14 days on a numerical rating scale (NRS). PAF of the resting state electroencephalography (5 min) was assessed before and one day after the five rTMS treatment days.

The pre-registered analysis revealed no significant changes in PAF following five consecutive days of active (from 9.90±0.39 Hz to 9.95±0.38 Hz) or sham (from 9.86±0.44 Hz to 9.81±0.35 Hz) rTMS, suggesting that the impact of rTMS on NGF- induced pain is independent of PAF modulation. However, exploratory analysis indicated an association between the absolute difference of baseline PAF to 10 Hz (i.e. the rTMS frequency) and higher NRS pain ratings at Day 5 in participants receiving active rTMS. This suggests that rTMS is more efficient when delivered close to the individual PAF and necessitates further exploration of PAF’s role in rTMS-induced pain relief.

Disclosures:The Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP) is supported by the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF121). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Gravitational wave analogs in spin nematics and cold atoms
Authors: Chojnacki Leilee , Pohle Rico , Yan Han , Akagi Yutaka , Shannon Nic
Published: June 2024

Large-scale gravitational phenomena are famously difficult to observe, making parallels in condensed matter physics a valuable resource. Here we show how spin nematic phases, found in magnets and cold atoms, can provide an analog to linearized gravity. In particular, we show that the Goldstone modes of these systems are massless spin-2 bosons, in one-to-one correspondence with quantized gravitational waves in flat spacetime. We identify a spin-1 model supporting these excitations and, using simulation, outline a procedure for their observation in a 23Na spinor condensate.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Optimized
α/β
pulse shape discrimination in Borexino
Authors: Basilico D. , Bellini G. , Benziger J. , Biondi R. , Caccianiga B. , Calaprice F. , Caminata A. , Chepurnov A. , D’Angelo D. , Derbin A. , Di Giacinto A. , Di Marcello V. , Ding X. F. , Di Ludovico A. , Di Noto L. , Drachnev I. , Franco D. , Galbiati C. , Ghiano C. , Giammarchi M. , Goretti A. , Gromov M. , Guffanti D. , Ianni Aldo , Ianni Andrea , Jany A. , Kobychev V. , Korga G. , Kumaran S. , Laubenstein M. , Litvinovich E. , Lombardi P. , Lomskaya I. , Ludhova L. , Machulin I. , Martyn J. , Meroni E. , Miramonti L. , Misiaszek M. , Muratova V. , Nugmanov R. , Oberauer L. , Orekhov V. , Ortica F. , Pallavicini M. , Pelicci L. , Penek Ö. , Pietrofaccia L. , Pilipenko N. , Pocar A. , Raikov G. , Ranalli M. T. , Ranucci G. , Razeto A. , Re A. , Rossi N. , Schönert S. , Semenov D. , Settanta G. , Skorokhvatov M. , Singhal A. , Smirnov O. , Sotnikov A. , Tartaglia R. , Testera G. , Unzhakov E. , Vishneva A. , Vogelaar R. B. , von Feilitzsch F. , Wojcik M. , Wurm M. , Zavatarelli S. , Zuber K. , Zuzel G. ,   BOREXINO Collaboration
Published: June 2024

Borexino could efficiently distinguish between α and β radiation in its liquid scintillator by the characteristic time profile of its scintillation pulse. This α/β discrimination, first demonstrated on the ton scale in the counting test facility prototype, was used throughout the lifetime of the experiment between 2007 and 2021. With this method, the α events are identified and subtracted from the solar neutrino events similar to β. This is particularly important in liquid scintillators, as the α scintillation is strongly quenched. In Borexino, the prominent Po210 decay peak was a background in the energy range of electrons scattered from Be7 solar neutrinos. Optimal α/β discrimination was achieved with a , with a higher ability to leverage the timing information of the scintillation photons detected by the photomultiplier tubes. An event-by-event, high efficiency, stable, and uniform pulse shape discrimination was essential in characterizing the spatial distribution of background in the detector. This benefited most Borexino measurements, including solar neutrinos in the pp chain and the first direct observation of the CNO cycle in the Sun. This paper presents key milestones in α/β discrimination in Borexino as a term of comparison for current and future large liquid scintillator detectors.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Gravitational form factors of charmonia
Authors: Xu Siqi , Cao Xianghui , Hu Tianyang , Li Yang , Zhao Xingbo , Vary James P.
Published: June 2024

We investigate the gravitational form factors of charmonium. Our method is based on a Hamiltonian formalism on the light front known as basis light-front quantization. The charmonium mass spectrum and light-front wave functions were obtained from diagonalizing an effective Hamiltonian that incorporates confinement from holographic QCD and one-gluon exchange interaction from light-front QCD. We proposed a quantum many-body approach to construct the hadronic matrix elements of the energy momentum tensor T++ and T+−, which are used to extract the gravitational form factors A(Q2) and D(Q2). The obtained form factors satisfy the known constraints, e.g., the von Laue condition. From these quantities, we also extract the energy, pressure and light-front energy distributions of the system. We find that hadrons are multilayer systems.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Detecting dark domain walls through their impact on particle trajectories in tailored ultrahigh vacuum environments
Authors: Clements Kate , Elder Benjamin , Hackermueller Lucia , Fromhold Mark , Burrage Clare
Published: June 2024

Light scalar fields, with double well potentials and direct matter couplings, undergo density driven phase transitions, leading to the formation of domain walls. Such theories could explain dark energy or dark matter or source the nanohertz gravitational-wave background. We describe an experiment that could be used to detect such domain walls in a laboratory environment, solving for the scalar field profile and showing how the domain wall affects the motion of a test particle. We find that, in currently unconstrained regions of parameter space, the domain walls leave detectable signatures.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Entanglement, soft modes, and celestial holography
Authors: Chen Hong Zhe , Myers Robert , Raclariu Ana-Maria
Published: June 2024

We evaluate the vacuum entanglement entropy across a cut of future null infinity for free Maxwell theory in four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. The Weyl invariance of 4D Maxwell theory allows us to embed the Minkowski spacetime inside the Einstein static universe. The Minkowski vacuum can then be described as a thermofield double state on the (future) Milne wedges of the original and inverted Minkowski patches. We show that the soft mode contribution to entanglement entropy is due to correlations between asymptotic charges of these Milne wedges or, equivalently, nontrivial conformally soft (or edge) mode configurations at the entangling surface.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Minimal Design of the Elephant Trunk as an Active Filament
Authors: Kaczmarski Bartosz , Leanza Sophie , Zhao Renee , Kuhl Ellen , Moulton Derek E. , Goriely Alain
Published: June 2024

One of the key problems in active materials is the control of shape through actuation. A fascinating example of such control is the elephant trunk, a long, muscular, and extremely dexterous organ with multiple vital functions. The elephant trunk is an object of fascination for biologists, physicists, and children alike. Its versatility relies on the intricate interplay of multiple unique physical mechanisms and biological design principles. Here, we explore these principles using the theory of active filaments and build, theoretically, computationally, and experimentally, a minimal model that explains and accomplishes some of the spectacular features of the elephant trunk.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Noncentrosymmetric, transverse structural modulation in
SrAl4
, and elucidation of its origin in the
BaAl4
family of compounds
Authors: Ramakrishnan Sitaram , Kotla Surya Rohith , Pi Hanqi , Maity Bishal Baran , Chen Jia , Bao Jin-Ke , Guo Zhaopeng , Kado Masaki , Agarwal Harshit , Eisele Claudio , Nohara Minoru , Noohinejad Leila , Weng Hongming , Ramakrishnan Srinivasan , Thamizhavel Arumugam , van Smaalen Sander
Published: June 2024

At ambient conditions SrAl4 adopts the BaAl4 structure type with space group I4/mmm. It undergoes a charge-density-wave (CDW) transition at TCDW=243 K, followed by a structural transition at TS=87 K. Temperature-dependent single-crystal x-ray diffraction (SXRD) leads to the observation of incommensurate superlattice reflections at q=σc* with σ=0.1116 at 200 K. The CDW has orthorhombic symmetry with the noncentrosymmetric superspace group F222(00σ)00s, where F222 is a subgroup of Fmmm as well as of I4/mmm. Atomic displacements mainly represent a transverse wave, with displacements that are 90 deg out of phase between the two diagonal directions of the

I

-centered unit cell, resulting in a helical wave. Small longitudinal displacements are provided by the second harmonic modulation. The orthorhombic phase realized in SrAl4 is similar to that found in EuAl4, except that no second harmonic could be determined for the latter compound. Electronic structure calculations and phonon calculations by density functional theory (DFT) have failed to reveal the mechanism of CDW formation. No clear Fermi surface nesting, electron-phonon coupling, or involvement of Dirac points could be established. However, DFT reveals that Al atoms dominate the density of states near the Fermi level, thus corroborating the SXRD measurements. SrAl4 remains incommensurately modulated at the structural transition, where the symmetry lowers from orthorhombic to b-unique monoclinic. The present work draws a comparison on the modulated structures of nonmagnetic SrAl4 and magnetic EuAl4 elucidating their similarities and differences, and firmly establishing that although substitution of Eu to Sr plays little to no role in the structure, the transition temperatures are affected by the atomic sizes. We have identified a simple criterion that correlates the presence of a phase transition with the interatomic distances. Only those compounds XAl4−xGax (X=Ba, Eu, Sr, Ca; 0<x<4) undergo phase transitions, for which the ratio c/a falls within the narrow range 2.51<c/a<2.54.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Projective measurements can probe nonclassical work extraction and time correlations
Authors: Hernández-Gómez Santiago , Gherardini Stefano , Belenchia Alessio , Lostaglio Matteo , Levy Amikam , Fabbri Nicole
Published: June 2024

Quantum correlation functions are a natural way to encode multitime information, as they are ubiquitous in analysis from fluctuation theorems to information scrambling. Correlation functions can be identified with quasiprobabilities associated to quantum processes. In this work we show how these can be measured via error-cancellation techniques, using projective measurements only and no ancillae. The scheme is implemented in a nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond undergoing a unitary quantum work protocol. We reconstruct quantum-mechanical time correlations encoded in the Margenau-Hills quasiprobabilities by observing work extraction peaks five times those of sequential projective energy measurement schemes and in violation of newly derived stochastic bounds. We interpret the phenomenon via anomalous energy exchanges due to the underlying negativity of the quasiprobability distribution.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Buckling instability in a chain of sticky bubbles
Authors: Lee Carmen L. , Dalnoki-Veress Kari
Published: June 2024

A slender object undergoing an axial compression will buckle to alleviate the stress. Typically the morphology of the deformed object depends on the bending stiffness for solids, or the viscoelastic properties for liquid threads. We study a chain of uniform sticky air bubbles that rise due to buoyancy through an aqueous bath. A buckling instability of the bubble chain with a characteristic wavelength is observed. If a chain of bubbles is produced faster than it is able to rise, the dominance of viscous drag over buoyancy results in a compressive stress that is alleviated by buckling the bubble chain. Using low Reynolds-number hydrodynamics, we predict the critical buckling speed, the terminal speed of a buckled chain, and the geometry of the buckles.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Cross-Cap Defects and Fault-Tolerant Logical Gates in the Surface Code and the Honeycomb Floquet Code
Authors: Kobayashi Ryohei , Zhu Guanyu
Published: June 2024

We consider the Z2 toric code, surface code, and Floquet code defined on a nonorientable surface, which can be considered as families of codes extending Shor’s nine-qubit code. We investigate the fault-tolerant logical gates of the Z2 toric code in this setup, which corresponds to e↔m exchanging symmetry of the underlying Z2 gauge theory. We find that nonorientable geometry provides a new way for the emergent symmetry to act on the code space, and discover the new realization of the fault-tolerant Hadamard gate of the two-dimensional surface code with a single cross cap connecting the vertices nonlocally along a slit, dubbed a nonorientable surface code. This Hadamard gate can be realized by a constant-depth local unitary circuit modulo nonlocality caused by a cross cap. Via folding, the nonorientable surface code can be turned into a bilayer local quantum code, where the folded cross cap is equivalent to a bilayer twist terminated on a gapped boundary and the logical Hadamard only contains local gates with intralayer couplings when being away from the cross cap, as opposed to the interlayer couplings on each site needed in the case of the folded surface code. We further obtain the complete logical Clifford gate set for a stack of nonorientable surface codes and similarly for codes defined on Klein-bottle geometries. We then construct the honeycomb Floquet code in the presence of a single cross cap, and find that the period of the sequential Pauli measurements acts as a HZ logical gate on the single logical qubit, where the cross cap enriches the dynamics compared with the orientable case. We find that the dynamics of the honeycomb Floquet code is precisely described by a condensation operator of the Z2 gauge theory, and illustrate the exotic dynamics of our code in terms of a condensation operator supported at a nonorientable surface.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Response to the rebuttal of the article Pathological crystal structures
Authors: Raymond Kenneth N. , Girolami Gregory S.
Published: June 2024

We stand fully behind our earlier suggestion [Raymond & Girolami (2023). Acta Cryst. C79, 445–455] that the claim by Fish and co-workers [Chen et al. (1995). J. Am. Chem. Soc.
117, 9097–9098; Smith et al. (2014). Organometallics, 33, 2389–2404] of a linear two-coordinate rhodium(I) species is incorrect, and that the putative rhodium atom is in fact silver.
Crystal structures of the isomeric dipeptides L-glycyl-L-methionine and L-methionyl-L-glycine
Authors: Babu Sainath , Fronczek Frank R. , Uppu Rao M. , Claville Michelle O.
Published: June 2024

The oxidation of methionyl peptides can contribute to increased biological (oxidative) stress and development of various inflammatory diseases. The conformation of peptides has an important role in the mechanism of oxidation and the intermediates formed in the reaction. Herein, the crystal structures of the isomeric dipeptides Gly-Met (Gly = glycine and Met = methionine) and Met-Gly, both C7H14N2O3S, are reported. Both molecules exist in the solid state as zwitterions with nominal proton transfer from the carboxylic acid to the primary amine group. The Gly-Met molecule has an extended backbone structure, while Met-Gly has two nearly planar regions kinked at the C atom bearing the NH3 group. In the crystals, both structures form extensive three-dimensional hydrogen-bonding networks via N—H...O and bifurcated N—H...(O,O) hydrogen bonds having N...O distances in the range 2.6619 (13)–2.8513 (13) Å for Gly-Met and 2.6273 (8)–3.1465 (8) Å for Met-Gly.
Strategic procurement management of railroad rolling stock in the European Union
Authors: Jarzębowski Sebastian , Mondy Christopher , Dalewska-Mądra Izabela , Enz Matias
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Like a well-designed procurement strategy, a well-designed rolling stock strategy promotes the development of a railroad company and contributes to its competitive advantage. Effective implementation of the rolling stock strategy enhances the likelihood of enjoying the benefits of the strategy’s design. A successful implementation relies on the strategy being known, understood, controlled and communicated to the entire organization.

Design/methodology/approach

The research consists of an extensive literature review as well as a series of workshops with rolling stock suppliers, railway authorities and representatives and rail users.

Findings

This paper presents a collection of solutions for passenger rail rolling stock procurement. The authors offer guidance to the strategic procurement of rolling stock in the European Union (EU) and propose key performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of a rolling stock strategy.

Research limitations/implications

While this study presents a thorough evaluation of rolling stock procurement practices, it is limited by its geographic isolation. Future studies should compare the procurement practices discussed here to others in the EU, as well as in North America, South America and Asia. Additionally, this study focused on the passenger rail segment. Passenger transport is an important function of the rail network in the EU, but future research should expand the assessment of rolling stock procurement strategies to freight rail as well.

Originality/value

Overall, this work provides visibility into common rolling stock procurement practices in complex EU railway markets. This work expands the literature through a review of these practices and through enabling research into best practices or a commonly accepted procurement model.
Curricular innovation for economic symbiosis: a neural network approach to aligning university supply chain programs with regional industry demands
Authors: Daigle Jamie L. , Stading Gary , Hall Ashley
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The study aims to refine the local university’s supply chain management curriculum to meet regional industry demands, thus boosting the local economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Mixed-methods action research combined with neural network modeling was employed to align educational offerings with the needs of the local supply chain management industry.

Findings

The research indicates that curriculum revisions, informed by industry leaders and modeled through neural networks, can significantly improve the relevance of graduates' skills to the SCM sector.

Research limitations/implications

The study is specific to one region and industry, suggesting a need for broader application to verify the findings.

Practical implications

Adopting the recommended curricular changes can yield a workforce better prepared for the SCM industry, enhancing local business performance and economic health.

Social implications

The study supports a role for higher education in promoting economic vitality and social welfare through targeted, responsive curriculum development.

Originality/value

This study introduces an innovative approach, integrating neural network analysis with action research, to guide curriculum development in higher education based on industry requirements.
Intersectional collaboration and the development of prevention infrastructures: a qualitative study
Authors: de Bekker Ankie , Reckman Päivi , Kemper Peter , Lemmens Lidwien
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Investing in prevention could be of great benefit to public health. Especially for people with health risks, such as overweight, depressive symptoms, low social-economic status or people who experience loneliness or a sedentary lifestyle. In the Netherlands, different parties are responsible for financing and organising selective and indicated preventive interventions: the government, municipalities and health insurance companies. The aim of this study was two-fold: First, to describe the transition towards a sustainable prevention infrastructure. And second, to gain insight into barriers and facilitators associated with intersectoral collaboration regarding organising prevention for high-risk groups.

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal qualitative study was conducted among collaborative networks working together to build a prevention infrastructure. During a five-year study period, 86 semi-structured interviews were held. The COM-B model was used for data analysis.

Findings

Barriers to intersectoral collaboration are: unknown (cost-)effectiveness, limited incentives to invest in collaboration, lack of clarity about responsibilities, differences in priorities and organisational culture between municipalities and health insurers. Facilitators are commitment, trust, sharing knowledge between parties, meeting regularly within the network and acknowledgement of mutual responsibilities. Also, national policy interventions targeted at the development of regional prevention infrastructures facilitated collaboration.

Originality/value

This study shows that collaboration regarding prevention is becoming increasingly common. It can be concluded that the transition towards a sustainable prevention infrastructure has started. The relationship between key stakeholders, like municipalities and health insurers, is generally stronger than it was five years ago. They have a better understanding of each other’s interests and expectations.
Economic policy uncertainty and firm’s profitability: the role of logistics infrastructure
Authors: Jumah Zahid , Moazzam Muhammad , Manzoor Wajiha , Safdar Nabeel
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study investigates the effect of economic policy uncertainty on the firm profitability through moderating role of logistics infrastructure index using US non-financial firms listed at NASDAQ.

Design/methodology/approach

We used secondary data set which includes firm-level indicators of 2,323 non-financial US firms listed at NASDAQ over the period of 1998–2018. Ordinary least squares regression with multiple fixed effects used to analyze the data and estimate hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that economic policy uncertainty negatively impacts the firm’s profitability whereas the logistics infrastructure positively moderates the negative impact of EPU on the firm’s profitability.

Research limitations/implications

Economic policy uncertainty is a significant challenge for managerial decision making and a direct threat to a firm’s profitability. The results of this study imply that the state of logistics infrastructure must be considered as an important policy tool by the senior management to mitigate the negative impact of economic policy uncertainty and to safeguard a firm’s profitability.

Originality/value

This study highlights that logistic infrastructure plays an important role in alleviating the adverse effect of economic policy uncertainty on the profitability of a US non-financial firm.
Learning to do good: developing capabilities to deliver social value from public procurement within English public authorities
Authors: Lonsdale Chris , le Mesurier Nicholas
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how social procurement (SP)-related capabilities might be developed within public authorities.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper utilizes qualitative research, based upon an inductive research design. This leads to a model to inform future research and practice.

Findings

Within the context of a “disconnected and nascent institutional field of practice” (Loosemore et al., 2023), the research generated rich data illustrating how certain English public authorities have developed relatively mature SP capabilities and applied them within the procurement process. The former included the appointment of “champions”; the founding of groups/units; training using webinars, online resources and case studies; “toolkits”, including policy documents, process guidance and measurement tools and networking. The latter included consultation with social value recipients and close engagement with both internal stakeholders and suppliers. The research also revealed the internal political skills of “champions”, as SP challenges incumbent logics regarding procurement objectives and practices.

Practical implications

First, the paper provides a potential roadmap for organisational capability development. Second, the research makes clear that public authorities should not seek to reinvent the capability wheel. Engagement with peers, advisory bodies, established “toolkits”, etc. is imperative, with much expertise publicly available. Third, it also suggests that smaller public authorities might seek to act as part of a consortium rather than go it alone, given the investment required for effective SP. Fourth, the research showed that practitioners need to understand SP as not simply a development challenge but also a political one.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the literature by analysing SP from the largely overlooked resource-based perspective, by providing rich data on buy-side practice, by usefully adding to the literature's emerging “practice theme” and by offering guidance to buy-side managers within public authorities.
Linking the UN sustainable development goals to life cycle impact applied to a university campus
Authors: Giusti Gabriela , Farrapo Junior Antonio Carlos , Silva Daiane Vitória , Silva Diogo A.L.
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The study aims to explore the relationship between the SDGs and the environmental and social impacts of university classes. It evaluates the potential contributions of different teaching models to the SDGs, providing insights into sustainable teaching systems.

Findings

In-person classes exhibited hotspots in transportation and energy consumption. Scenarios I and II, involving virtual and hybrid classes, increased eutrophication potential and water scarcity due to higher food consumption, negatively impacting SDGs. However, all scenarios showed positive contributions to SDGs 2, 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.

Design/methodology/approach

This research integrates Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to assess the environmental and social impacts of classes at the Federal University of São Carlos, Sorocaba campus in Brazil. Three scenarios were analyzed: (I) virtual classes, (II) hybrid classes and (III) in-person classes with improved energy efficiency.

Research limitations/implications

The study primarily focuses on environmental and social impacts, excluding other factors like class quality. Integrating Life Cycle Costing and Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment could provide a more holistic evaluation in the future.

Practical implications

The methodology adopted offers valuable insights for managing the impacts of university performance and aligning teaching systems with the SDGs. It enables institutions to make informed decisions for sustainability in education.

Social implications

The research emphasizes the importance of considering social impacts alongside environmental ones when assessing sustainability in educational institutions. It encourages universities to engage stakeholders in sustainability efforts.

Originality/value

This research innovatively combines LCA and the SDGs in the context of university education providing a replicable methodology for evaluating and enhancing sustainability in teaching systems and from a more quantitative perspective.
Rebranding after international acquisitions: challenges of legitimation in emerging and developed countries
Authors: Ramos Manoella Antonieta , Andersson Svante , Aagerup Ulf
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study describes how a multinational enterprise (MNE) gains acceptance after rebranding acquired brands from different countries among its internal and external stakeholders and identifies factors that influence this process.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a single case-study approach, including 18 semi-structured in-depth interviews with employees of a firm involved in the rebranding process in six countries. The countries are Sweden, Germany, the United States, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.

Findings

The findings reveal how the MNE integrated brands it acquired in different international markets into one overarching corporate brand. The study shows that in emerging countries, external legitimation (external implementation process, country profiles and customer buy-in) constitutes the most significant challenge. By contrast, in developed countries, internal legitimation (employee buy-in and internal implementation process) is more challenging.

Research limitations/implications

The study contributes to and extends the rebranding literature by using a legitimation lens to analyze the rebranding process. This lens shows how internal and external stakeholders are both crucial to successful rebranding. The study provides a comprehensive perspective of the process, identifies challenging factors and differentiates between their importance in emerging and developed countries.

Originality/value

To address the dearth of research on how firms legitimize a new brand in different national contexts, the study compares the rebranding process in multiple countries and discusses the factors influencing the rebranding process.
How to mitigate the negative effect of PDB on DIY preference
Authors: Li Yuan , Ruefenacht Matthias , Maas Peter
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the negative effect of power distance belief (PDB) on do-it-yourself (DIY) preference. It extends previous studies by delving into the underlying mechanism and identifying three theoretically driven moderators that could mitigate this negative effect.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses secondary data at the country level and conducts three experiments involving participants from the USA and Germany.

Findings

The results suggest that the adverse impact of PDB on DIY preference exists through the underlying mechanism of attitude toward customer power. This negative effect can be mitigated when individuals with high PDB focus on status, find themselves in a position of low power or engage in activities within a private consumption setting.

Practical implications

For DIY companies, this study offers crucial insights into the impact of cultural values on consumers’ DIY preferences. By customizing their marketing communications, companies can resonate with high PDB customers more effectively.

Originality/value

This research enhances DIY literature by introducing novel moderators within a theoretical framework, explaining why DIY preference might be low among individuals with high PDB and suggests ways to attenuate this effect.
Differential impact of money growth on inflationary outcomes: evidence from emerging markets using panel NARDL approach
Authors: Shrawan Aakanksha , Dubey Amlendu
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The study seeks evidence on the asymmetric effects of broad money growth on inflation in the short run and long run, in the context of emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs).

Design/methodology/approach

Using a panel dataset of 122 EMDEs (by distinguishing between inflation-targeting and non-inflation-targeting EMDEs), we employ the nonlinear counterpart of the autoregressive distributed lag framework, which provides evidence of asymmetric dynamics between money growth and inflation in EMDEs.

Findings

In consonance with the quantity theory of money, we find a long-run relationship between money growth and inflationary outcomes. We also find that the response of inflation is higher to a tightening episode in the monetary policy stance than to a loosening episode. The study also provides evidence that adopting the inflation targeting framework in EMDEs has led to a significant reduction in the inflation rates along with ensuring a higher magnitude of transmission from money supply growth to inflationary outcomes.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, the present study is one of the first attempts to evaluate the differential impact of broad money growth on inflationary outcomes, using a panel dataset of EMDEs. As a result of inherent differences in the financial structures of EMDEs vis-à-vis advanced nations, there is an imperative need to assess the dynamics of pass-through from money supply to inflation to gain an understanding of the mechanism of monetary transmission in these economies.
Unveiling the influence of anthropomorphic chatbots on consumer behavioral intentions: evidence from China and Indonesia
Authors: Wei Yuling , Syahrivar Jhanghiz , Simay Attila Endre
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Chatbots have been explored as a novel approach to enhancing consumer engagement by delivering more enjoyable, personalized services. This research aims to investigate the mechanism through which anthropomorphic elements of chatbots influence consumers' intentions to use the technology.

Design/methodology/approach

This research introduces five key concepts framed through the “computers-are-social-actors” (CASA) paradigm: form realism (FR), behavioral realism (BR), cognitive trust (CT), entertainment (EM) and chatbot usage intention (CUI). An online questionnaire garnered 280 responses from China and 207 responses from Indonesia. Data collection employed a combination of purposive and snowball sampling techniques. This research utilized structural equation modeling through the analysis of moment structures (AMOS) 27 software to test the hypotheses.

Findings

(1) FR positively predicts CT and EM, (2) FR negatively predicts CUI, (3) BR positively predicts CT and EM, (4) BR positively predicts CUI and (5) Both CT and EM mediate the relationship between FR and CUI, as well as between BR and CUI.

Originality/value

This research enriches the current literature on interactive marketing by exploring how the anthropomorphic features of chatbots enhance consumers' intentions to use such technology. It pioneers the exploration of CT and EM as mediating factors in the relationship between chatbot anthropomorphism and consumer behavioral intention. Moreover, this research makes a methodological contribution by developing and validating new measurement scales for measuring chatbot anthropomorphic elements.
Could synovial fluid be a useful substrate for the forensic analysis of diatoms?
Authors: Tambuzzi Stefano , Gentile Guendalina , Bailo Paolo , Primavera Riccardo , Andreola Salvatore , Zoja Riccardo
Published: June 2024

To date, synovial fluid has not been the subject of targeted analysis as a possible substrate to search for the presence of diatoms in the forensic context of drowning. However, its unique characteristics of production and isolation from the external environment could make it suitable for this purpose, similar to what has already been demonstrated in the literature for vitreous humor. By considering this, synovial fluid was analyzed in a specific case that came to our attention, where the coexisting signs of polytrauma and drowning were documented during autopsy, demonstrating a period of vitality during immersion. After a thin smear of the supernatant was obtained from the centrifugation of the synovial fluid sample, diatoms were successfully detected, consistent with those found in other organs and the water of the canal. The detection of diatoms in the synovial fluid was an objective finding, but its generalizability is limited because this was a pilot application. However, in cases where death by drowning is suspected and the body has multiple areas breached by trauma, the technique of analyzing diatoms in the synovial fluid could have great potential. Therefore, it is appropriate to further explore this technique in order to obtain more forensic evidence in such a setting.
Consumer acceptance and sensory perception of roasted American‐European hybrid hazelnuts
Authors: Booth Megan , Fu Mengying , Peterson Devin G.
Published: June 2024

Interspecific American‐European hazelnut (Corylus americana × C. avellana) hybrids are being developed for the Upper Midwest region of the United States, which have potential economic and ecological benefits. Currently, researchers are working on pre‐commercialization initiatives to create a local hazelnut industry. However, a lack of knowledge on the sensory characteristics and consumer acceptability of the hybrid hazelnuts have been identified as potential limitations to production. This study investigated consumer responses to hybrid hazelnuts, employing hedonic ratings and check‐all‐that‐apply (CATA) questions. Twelve roasted hazelnut hybrids were subjected to consumer evaluation for liking (aroma, color, flavor, texture, and overall) and aroma and flavor descriptors. Consumers also evaluated two European hazelnut varieties for comparative purposes. Liking scores were significantly different (p < 0.05) across different hybrid varieties and when comparing specific hybrids with European varieties. CATA sensory profiles specific to different varieties were also observed and discriminating attributes were identified using multiple‐response methodologies. Penalty analysis based on CATA further identified the attributes roasty, hazelnut‐like, caramel‐like, chocolate‐like, sweet, and salty as primary drivers of aroma/flavor liking, while earthy, burnt, and bitter were identified as primary drivers of disliking. Overall, unique flavors that impacted liking were found in hybrid hazelnuts and, when compared with European hazelnuts, provided insights for breeding and post‐processing strategies to optimize product quality.
Characteristics of pectens in diurnal and nocturnal birds and a new functional proposal relating to non‐visual opsins
Authors: Kusakabe Ken Takeshi , Seto Miho , Harada Yumiko , Kusakabe Asako , Yustinasari Lita Rakhma , Hyoto Muneyoshi , Nakahara Chihiro , Gondo Ai , Kondo Tomohiro , Kano Kiyoshi , Kiso Yasuo , Imai Hiroyuki
Published: June 2024

The pecten is a fold‐structured projection at the ocular fundus in bird eyes, showing morphological diversity between the diurnal and nocturnal species. However, its biological functions remain unclear. This study investigated the morphological and histological characteristics of pectens in wild birds. Additionally, the expression of non‐visual opsin genes was studied in chicken pectens. These genes, identified in the chicken retina and brain, perceive light periodicity regardless of visual communication. Similar pleat numbers have been detected among bird taxa; however, pecten size ratios in the ocular fundus showed noticeable differences between diurnal and nocturnal birds. The pectens in nocturnal brown hawk owl show extremely poor vessel distribution and diameters compared with that of diurnal species. RT‐PCR analysis confirmed the expression of Opn5L3, Opn4x, Rrh and Rgr genes. In situ hybridization analysis revealed the distribution of Rgr‐positive reactions in non‐melanotic cells around the pecten vessels. This study suggests a novel hypothesis that pectens develop dominantly in diurnal birds as light acceptors and contribute to continuous visual function or the onset of periodic behaviour.
Genome sequencing differentiates a paracentric inversion from a balanced insertion enabling more accurate preimplantation genetic testing
Authors: Wincent Josephine , Helgadóttir Hafdís T. , Sergouniotis Fotios , Salazar Mantero Angelo , Carvalho Claudia M. B. , Malmgren Helena , Lindstrand Anna , Iwarsson Erik
Published: June 2024

Introduction

Distinguishing paracentric inversions (PAIs) from chromosomal insertions has traditionally relied on fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques, but recent advancements in high‐throughput sequencing have enabled the use of genome sequencing for such differentiation. In this study, we present a 38‐year‐old male carrier of a paracentric inversion on chromosome 2q, inv (2)(q31.2q34), whose partner experienced recurrent miscarriages.

Material and Methods

FISH analysis confirmed the inversion, and genome sequencing was employed for detailed characterization.

Results

Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) revealed that all assessed embryos were balanced, consistent with the low risk of unbalanced offspring associated with PAIs. While PAI carriers traditionally exhibit low risk of producing unbalanced offspring, exceptions exist due to crossover events within the inversion loop. Although the sample size was limited, the findings align with existing sperm study data, supporting the rare occurrence of unbalanced progeny in PAI carriers.

Conclusions

This study highlights the possibility of characterizing PAIs using genome sequencing to enable correct reproductive counseling and PGT decisions. Detailed characterization of a PAI is crucial for understanding potential outcomes and guiding PGT strategies, as accurate knowledge of the inversion size is essential for appropriate method selection in PGT. Given the very low risk of unbalanced offspring in PAI carriers, routine PGT may not be warranted but should be considered in specific cases with a history of unbalanced progeny or recurrent miscarriages. This study contributes to our understanding of PAI segregation and its implications for reproductive outcomes.