bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wastewater-Based Analysis of Antihistamines to Investigate Pollinosis Symptom Burden at Population-Scale
Authors: Baumgartner Stephan , Salvisberg Michelle , Clot Bernard , Crouzy Benoît , Schmid-Grendelmeier Peter , Singer Heinz , Ort Christoph
Published: November 2023

Background

Pollinosis, or hay fever, is the most prevalent allergic disorder. Assessing the impact of real-world pollen exposure on symptoms remains challenging due to the extensive efforts required at the patient level.

Objectives

We explore the potential of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to investigate the impact of exposure to specific pollen taxa on symptoms and to assess self-medication patterns of second-generation antihistamines at a population-scale.

Methods

In Zurich (Switzerland), 279 wastewater samples were collected from 2021-2023. Each sample represents a 24-hour period with excreta from approximately 471,000 individuals. Eleven antihistamine markers were analyzed in the samples using liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry. The relationship between antihistamine loads in wastewater and concentrations of airborne pollen (47 taxa) was investigated using multivariate linear regression analysis.

Results

The loads of three second-generation antihistamines in wastewater showed strong day-to-day variation correlating with airborne pollen patterns. About 50% of the annual fexofenadine consumption was linked to acute pollen exposure, 20% to baseline consumption during pollen season, and 30% was independent of pollen. Alder, birch, grasses, hornbeam, plane, and plantain explained most of the variance in consumption (R2= 0.82), with grass pollen alone causing a quarter of the annual consumption. Increased fexofenadine consumption during periods without elevated concentrations of common allergenic pollen suggests the presence of additional triggers for allergy symptoms, potentially yew pollen.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that WBE can effectively capture substantial day-to-day variation in antihistamine consumption caused by pollen exposure symptoms. As such, WBE is an objective, cost-effective, and questionnaire-independent method for investigating pollinosis at a population-scale.
Optogenetic confirmation of transverse-tubular membrane excitability in intact cardiac myocytes
Authors: Scardigli M. , Pásek M. , Santini L. , Palandri C. , Conti E. , Crocini C. , Campione M. , Loew L. , de Vries A. A. F. , Pijnappels D. A. , Pavone F. S. , Poggesi C. , Cerbai E. , Coppini R. , Kohl P. , Ferrantini C. , Sacconi L.
Published: November 2023

T-tubules (TT) form a complex network of sarcolemmal membrane invaginations, essential for well-coordinated excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) and, thus, homogeneous mechanical activation of cardiomyocytes. ECC is initiated by rapid depolarization of the sarcolemmal membrane. Whether TT membrane depolarisation is active (local generation of action potentials; AP) or passive (following depolarisation of the outer cell surface sarcolemma; SS) has not been experimentally assessed in cardiomyocytes. Based on the assessment of ion flux pathways needed for AP generation, we hypothesise that TT are excitable. We therefore explored TT excitability experimentally, using an all-optical approach to stimulate and record trans-membrane potential changes in TT that were electrically insulated from the SS membrane by transient osmotic shock. Our results establish that cardiomyocyte TT can generate AP. These AP show electrical features that differ substantially from those observed in SS, consistent with differences in the density of ion channels and transporters in the two different membrane domains. We propose that TT-generated AP represent a safety mechanism for TT AP propagation and ECC, which may be particularly relevant in pathophysiological settings where morpho-functional changes reduce the electrical connectivity between SS and TT membranes.

KEY POINTS

Cardiomyocytes are characterized by a complex network of membrane invaginations (the T-tubular system) that propagate action potentials to the core of the cell, ensuring synchronous and uniform cell contraction.

In this study, we investigate whether the T-tubular system is able to generate action potentials autonomously, rather than following depolarization of the outer cell surface sarcolemma.

For this purpose, we developed a fully optical platform to probe and manipulate the electrical dynamics of sub-cellular membrane domains.

Our findings demonstrate that T-tubules are intrinsically excitable, revealing distinct characteristics of self-generated T-tubular action potentials.

This active electrical capability may serve as a protective mechanism against voltage drops occurring within the T-tubular network.
Kinetic and structural characterization of human NUDIX hydrolases NUDT15 and NUDT18 as catalysts of isoprene pyrophosphate hydrolysis
Authors: Scaletti Emma R. , Unterlass Judith E. , Almlöf Ingrid , Koolmeister Tobias , Vallin Karl S. , Kapsitidou Despina , Helleday Thomas , Stenmark Pål , Jemth Ann-Sofie
Published: November 2023

Isoprene pyrophosphates play a crucial role in the synthesis of a diverse array of essential nonsterol and sterol biomolecules, and serve as substrates for post-translational isoprenylation of proteins, enabling specific anchoring to cellular membranes. Hydrolysis of isoprene pyrophosphates would be a means to modulate their levels, downstream products, and protein isoprenylation. While NUDIX hydrolases from plants have been reported to catalyze the hydrolysis of isoprene pyrophosphates, homologous enzymes with this function in animals have not yet been identified. In this study, we screened an extensive panel of human NUDIX hydrolases for activity in hydrolyzing isoprene pyrophosphates. We found that human NUDT15 and NUDT18 efficiently catalyze the hydrolysis of several physiologically relevant isoprene pyrophosphates. Notably, we demonstrate that geranyl pyrophosphate is an excellent substrate for NUDT18, which displays a catalytic efficiency of 2.1·105M-1s-1, thus making it the best substrate identified for NUDT18 to date. Similarly, geranyl pyrophosphate proved to be the best isoprene pyrophosphate substrate for NUDT15, with a catalytic efficiency of 4.0·104M-1s-1. LC-MS analysis of NUDT15 and NUDT18 catalyzed isoprene pyrophosphate hydrolysis revealed the generation of the corresponding monophosphates and inorganic phosphate. Furthermore, we solved the crystal structure of NUDT15 in complex with the hydrolysis product geranyl phosphate at a resolution of 1.70 Å. This structure revealed that the active site nicely accommodates the hydrophobic isoprenoid moiety and aided in identifying key binding residues. By overexpressing NUDT15 and NUDT18 in cells, we demonstrated a decrease in cellular cholesterol levels. Collectively, our findings strongly imply that isoprene pyrophosphates are endogenous substrates of NUDT15 and NUDT18, and support their involvement in animal isoprene pyrophosphate metabolism.
Oligomerisation mediated by the D2 domain of DTX3L is critical for DTX3L-PARP9 reading function of mono-ADP-ribosylated androgen receptor
Authors: Vela-Rodríguez Carlos , Yang Chunsong , Alanen Heli I. , Eki Rebeka , Abbas Tarek A. , Maksimainen Mirko M. , Glumoff Tuomo , Duman Ramona , Wagner Armin , Paschal Bryce M. , Lehtiö Lari
Published: November 2023

Deltex proteins are a family of E3 ubiquitin ligases that encode C-terminal RING and DTC domains that mediate interactions with E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes and recognise ubiquitination substrates. DTX3L is unique among the Deltex proteins based on its N-terminal domain architecture. The N-terminal D1 and D2 domains of DTX3L mediate homo-oligomerisation, and the D3 domain interacts with PARP9, a protein that contains tandem macrodomains with ADP-ribose reader function. While DTX3L and PARP9 are known to heterodimerize, they assemble into a high molecular weight oligomeric complex, but the nature of the oligomeric structure, including whether this contributes to the ADP-ribose reader function is unknown. Here, we report a crystal structure of the DTX3L N-terminal D2 domain and show that it forms a tetramer with, conveniently, D2 symmetry. We identified two interfaces in the structure: a major, conserved interface with a surface of 973 Å2and a smaller one of 415 Å2. Using native mass spectrometry, we observed molecular species that correspond to monomers, dimers and tetramers of the D2 domain. Reconstitution of DTX3L knockout cells with a D1-D2 deletion mutant showed the domain is dispensable for DTX3L-PARP9 heterodimer formation, but necessary to assemble an oligomeric complex with efficient reader function for ADP-ribosylated androgen receptor. Our results suggest that homo-oligomerisation of DTX3L is important for mono-ADP-ribosylation reading by the DTX3L-PARP9 complex and to a ligand-regulated transcription factor.
A homing rescue gene drive with multiplexed gRNAs reaches high frequency in cage populations but generates functional resistance
Authors: Chen Jingheng , Hou Shibo , Feng Ruobing , Xu Xuejiao , Liang Nan , Champer Jackson
Published: November 2023

CRISPR homing gene drive is a potent technology with considerable potential for managing populations of medically and agriculturally significant insects. It induces a bias in the inheritance of the drive allele in progeny, rapidly spreading desired genes throughout the population. Homing drives operate by Cas9 cleavage followed by homology-directed repair, copying the drive allele to the wild-type chromosome. However, resistance alleles formed by end-joining repair pose a significant obstacle to the spread of the drive. To address this challenge, we created a homing drive targeting the essential but haplosufficienthairygene. Our strategy involves spreading the drive construct through the homing process, eliminating nonfunctional resistance, which are recessive lethal, while rescuing drive-carrying individuals with a recoded version ofhairy. This strategy eliminates resistance more slowly than a previous strategy targeting haplolethal genes, but it may be easier to construct in non-model organisms. Our drive inheritance rate was moderate, and multigenerational cage studies showed quick drive spread to 96-97% of the population. However, the drive failed to reach the whole population due to the formation of functional resistance alleles, despite use of four gRNAs, a strategy that previously was successful at preventing functional resistance. Sequencing showed that these alleles had a large deletion and must have utilized an alternate start codon. The resistance allele had a modest fitness advantage over the drive in a cage study, which could prevent long-term persistence of the drive, especially if cargo genes had an additional fitness cost. Thus, revised design strategies targeting more essential regions of a target gene may often be necessary to avoid such functional resistance, even when using multiplexed gRNAs.
Structural and functional characterisation of the interaction between the influenza A virus RNA polymerase and the CTD of host RNA Polymerase II
Authors: Keown Jeremy , Baazaoui Alaa , Šebesta Marek , Štefl Richard , Carrique Loic , Fodor Ervin , Grimes Jonathan
Published: November 2023

Influenza A viruses (IAV), causing seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics, rely on interactions with host proteins for their RNA genome transcription and replication. The viral RNA polymerase utilizes host RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and interacts with the serine 5 phosphorylated (pS5) C-terminal domain (CTD) of Pol II to initiate transcription. Our study, using single-particle electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM), reveals the structure of the 1918 pandemic IAV polymerase bound to a synthetic pS5 CTD heptad repeat peptide. The structure shows that the CTD peptide binds at the C-terminal domain of the PA viral polymerase subunit (PA-C) and reveals a previously unobserved position of the 627 domain of the PB2 subunit near the CTD. We identify crucial residues of the CTD peptide mediating interactions with positively charged cavities on PA-C, explaining the preference of the viral polymerase for pS5 CTD. Functional analysis of mutants targeting the CTD-binding site within PA-C reveals reduced transcriptional function with normal replication, while other mutants display defects in both transcription and replication, highlighting the multifunctional role of PA-C in viral RNA synthesis. Our study provides insights into the structural and functional aspects of the influenza virus polymerase-host Pol II interaction and identifies a target for antiviral development.
pH selects for distinct N2O-reducing microbiomes in tropical soil microcosms
Authors: Sun Yanchen , Yin Yongchao , He Guang , Cha Gyuhyon , Ayala-del-Río Héctor L. , González Grizelle , Konstantinidis Konstantinos T. , Löffler Frank E.
Published: November 2023

Nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas with ozone destruction potential, is mitigated by the microbial reduction to dinitrogen catalyzed by N2O reductase (NosZ). Bacteria with NosZ activity have been studied at circumneutral pH but the microbiology of low pH N2O reduction has remained elusive. Acidic (pH<5) tropical forest soils were collected in the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico, and microcosms maintained with low (0.02mM) and high (2mM) N2O assessed N2O reduction at pH 4.5 and 7.3. All microcosms consumed N2O, but long lag times of up to 7 months were observed in microcosms with 2 mM N2O. Comparative metagenome analysis revealed thatRhodocyclaceaedominated in circumneutral microcosms under both N2O feeding regimes. In acidic microcosms,Peptococcaceaedominated in high-N2O, andHyphomicrobiaceaein low-N2O microcosms. Seventeen metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) recovered from these microcosms harborednosoperons, with all eight MAGs derived from acidic microcosms carrying the clade II typenosZ, lacking nitrite reductase genes (nirS,nirK). Five of these MAGs represented novel taxa indicating an unexplored N2O-reducing diversity exists in acidic tropical soils. A survey of pH 3.5-5.7 soil metagenome datasets revealed thatnosZgenes commonly occur, suggesting broad distribution of N2O reduction potential in acidic soils.
Connectomic reconstruction predicts the functional organization of visual inputs to the navigation center of theDrosophilabrain
Authors: Garner Dustin , Kind Emil , Nern Aljoscha , Houghton Lucy , Zhao Arthur , Sancer Gizem , Rubin Gerald M. , Wernet Mathias F. , Kim Sung Soo
Published: November 2023

Many animals, including humans, navigate their surroundings by visual input, yet we understand little about how visual information is transformed and integrated by the navigation system. InDrosophila melanogaster, compass neurons in the donut-shaped ellipsoid body of the central complex generate a sense of direction by integrating visual input from ring neurons, a part of the anterior visual pathway (AVP). Here, we densely reconstruct all neurons in the AVP using FlyWire, an AI-assisted tool for analyzing electron-microscopy data. The AVP comprises four neuropils, sequentially linked by three major classes of neurons: MeTu neurons, which connect the medulla in the optic lobe to the small unit of anterior optic tubercle (AOTUsu) in the central brain; TuBu neurons, which connect the anterior optic tubercle to the bulb neuropil; and ring neurons, which connect the bulb to the ellipsoid body. Based on neuronal morphologies, connectivity between different neural classes, and the locations of synapses, we identified non-overlapping channels originating from four types of MeTu neurons, which we further divided into ten subtypes based on the presynaptic connections in medulla and postsynaptic connections in AOTUsu. To gain an objective measure of the natural variation within the pathway, we quantified the differences between anterior visual pathways from both hemispheres and between two electron-microscopy datasets. Furthermore, we infer potential visual features and the visual area from which any given ring neuron receives input by combining the connectivity of the entire AVP, the MeTu neurons’ dendritic fields, and presynaptic connectivity in the optic lobes. These results provide a strong foundation for understanding how distinct visual features are extracted and transformed across multiple processing stages to provide critical information for computing the fly’s sense of direction.
A fluorogenic complementation tool kit for interrogating lipid droplet-organelle interaction
Authors: Li Xiao , Gamuyao Rico , Wu Ming-Lun , Cho Woo Jung , Kurtz Nathan B. , King Sharon V. , Petersen R.A. , Stabley Daniel R. , Lindow Caleb , Climer Leslie , Shirinifard Abbas , Ferrara Francesca , Throm Robert E. , Robinson Camenzind G. , Carisey Alex , Tebo Alison G. , Chang Chi-Lun
Published: November 2023

Contact sites between lipid droplets and other organelles are essential for cellular lipid and energy homeostasis. Detection of these contact sites at nanometer scale over time in living cells is challenging. Here, we developed a tool kit for detecting contact sites based onFluorogen-ActivatedBimolecular complementation atCONtact sites, FABCON, using a reversible, low affinity split fluorescent protein, splitFAST. FABCON labels contact sites with minimal perturbation to organelle interaction. Via FABCON, we quantitatively demonstrated that endoplasmic reticulum (ER)- and mitochondria (mito)-lipid droplet contact sites are dynamic foci in distinct metabolic conditions, such as during lipid droplet biogenesis and consumption. An automated analysis pipeline further classified individual contact sites into distinct subgroups based on size, likely reflecting differential regulation and function. Moreover, FABCON is generalizable to visualize a repertoire of organelle contact sites including ER-mito. Altogether, FABCON reveals insights into the dynamic regulation of lipid droplet-organelle contact sites and generates new hypotheses for further mechanistical interrogation during metabolic switch.
Proteomic profiling of aging brains identifies key proteins by which cognitively healthy centenarians defy their age by decades
Authors: Ganz Andrea B. , Zhang Meng , Koopmans Frank , Li Ka Wan , Miedema Suzanne S.M. , Rozemuller Annemieke J.M. , Hulsman Marc ,   Netherlands Brain Bank, Scheltens Philip , Hoozemans Jeroen J.M. , Reinders Marcel J.T. , Smit August B. , Holstege Henne
Published: November 2023

Some individuals reach extreme ages without any signs of cognitive decline. Here, we show that based on key proteins, cognitively healthy centenarians have a biologically younger brain. We compared the brain proteomic signatures of 58 self-reported cognitively healthy centenarians with 61 non-demented individuals and 91 AD patients. The abundance of 472 proteins strongly associated with AD Braak stages of which 64 were differentially regulated in centenarians. With increasing Braak stages, the abundance of toxic peptides of MAPT increased in AD patients, while these remained low in centenarians. Furthermore, the abundance of 174 proteins strongly changed with age, of which 108 were differentially regulated in centenarians. In fact, in brains from centenarians the abundances of essential proteins were representative of brains from individuals who were a median 18- and up to 28-years ‘younger’. The proteins involved represent diverse cellular processes, and suggest that maintained protein homeostasis is central in maintaining brain-health.
An integrated approach of TAM and TPB with financial literacy and perceived risk for influence on online trading intention
Authors: Raut Rajdeep Kumar , Kumar Santosh
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a decision-making framework by investigating the impact of perceived risk and computer self-efficacy on the intention to use online stock trading. Furthermore, it demonstrates the mediation effect of attitude and perceived risk as well as the moderating effect of financial literacy.

Design/methodology/approach

An integration of two popular models, technology acceptance model (TAM) and theory of planned behaviour (TPB), is used to provide a sound theoretical base and enhance the understanding of investors’ behaviour towards online trading platforms. The proposed hypothesised model was examined using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results obtained from this study indicate that all variables, except subjective norms, had a significant impact on investors’ intention to trade online. Perceived risk was found to be a partial mediator between computer self-efficacy and the intention of investors. Finally, financial literacy was also found as a significant moderator for online trading intention of investors.

Practical implications

This study shows the significance of using the TAM and TPB together to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence an investor’s behaviour in adopting and using technology for online trading. The hybrid approach of TAM and TPB could be considered for a more nuanced and complete understanding of technology adoption and usage in risky affairs like investment decisions. Again, the significant moderating role of financial literacy provides a lance to look into the scope for improvements in investment decision-makings.

Originality/value

The paper develops an assessment framework for analysing the variables based on the hybrid approach for online trading intention in the context of a developing country.
Rising home bakers in India: leveraging online platforms for sales and marketing
Authors: Trivedi Twinkle Milan
Published: November 2023

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the case study, the students will be able to understand brand differentiation and marketing challenges faced by small businesses in emerging markets; recognize the significance of marketing strategies for a growing business in emerging markets; assimilate paid, owned and earned media to improvise the effectiveness of firm’s communication and digital marketing strategy; analyze the relevance of social media marketing in developing a brand; and create a content marketing strategy.

Case overview/synopsis

The case dilemma involved a possible course of action that Fusion Creations faced at the beginning of 2022 about marketing strategies across paid, earned and owned media. “Fusion Creations” was the creation of two sisters who were avid cake bakers since young age. They identified the demand for homemade cakes and the growing number of home bakers in India. It was during the Covid-19 pandemic that they faced challenges in terms of lockdown and scarcity of supply for baking essentials. Moreover, although the pandemic had brought most sections of the society worldwide to a standstill, home bakers were thriving. After the pandemic, these home bakers turned their passion into full-time profession. It was time for the sisters to view this stage as a challenge because of competition from aspiring entrepreneurs and rising home bakers, and convert it into an opportunity. Can Fusion Creation leverage the online social media platforms for their product sales and marketing? With presence established on various social media platforms, were they doing it right, or was there a better way? A few questions lay in front of Chaitali and Kena, owners and bakers of Fusion Creations.

Complexity academic level

This case is written for use in digital and social media marketing classes for graduation-level courses. The focus of the case aligns well with discussions of digital and social media marketing strategy. The case also has application in discussions regarding implementation of digital marketing strategy. Instructors that choose to emphasize social media strategies could assign this case to explore online marketing and digital communication.

Supplementary material

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS8: Marketing.
The influence of the labour market and COVID-19 on human resource practices in SMEs in China: a longitudinal study
Authors: Li Shaoheng , Rees Christopher J. , Zhang Hui
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the evolving perceptions and human resource (HR) responses of owners and HR managers of Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) towards local labour markets in the context of the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a two-stage longitudinal qualitative approach involving 52 interviews with owners and HR managers of Chinese SMEs in the pre- and post-pandemic time periods.

Findings

The findings reveal a shift from the perceptions of a general labour shortage to perceptions of specialised talent shortages and increasing geographical disparities in local labour markets. They further reveal that SMEs are increasingly likely to adopt efficiency-oriented, flexibility-enhancing HR practices in the face of high uncertainty.

Practical implications

The findings provide insights into the nature of the constraints of SMEs' sustainable development that need to be addressed by policymakers, SME owners and HR managers when they devise and implement policies relating to structure optimisation, labour market integration and mobility enhancement.

Originality/value

In contrast to extant literature that has examined the labour market at the national level, this study explores the views of SMEs (the demand side) by taking a localised perspective on how SMEs have responded to change through their HR practices.
Computer simulation of two phase power-law nanofluid of blood flow through a curved overlapping stenosed artery with induced magnetic field: entropy generation optimization
Authors: Kumawat Chandan , Sharma Bhupendra Kumar , Muhammad Taseer , Ali Liaqat
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of two-phase power law nanofluid on a curved arterial blood flow under the presence of ovelapped stenosis. Over the past couple of decades, the percentage of deaths associated with blood vessel diseases has risen sharply to nearly one third of all fatalities. For vascular disease to be stopped in its tracks, it is essential to understand the vascular geometry and blood flow within the artery. In recent scenarios, because of higher thermal properties and the ability to move across stenosis and tumor cells, nanoparticles are becoming a more common and effective approach in treating cardiovascular diseases and cancer cells.

Design/methodology/approach

The present mathematical study investigates the blood flow behavior in the overlapped stenosed curved artery with cylinder shape catheter. The induced magnetic field and entropy generation for blood flow in the presence of a heat source, magnetic field and nanoparticle (Fe3O4) have been analyzed numerically. Blood is considered in artery as two-phases: core and plasma region. Power-law fluid has been considered for core region fluid, whereas Newtonian fluid is considered in the plasma region. Strongly implicit Stone’s method has been considered to solve the system of nonlinear partial differential equations (PDE’s) with 10–6 tolerance error.

Findings

The influence of various parameters has been discussed graphically. This study concludes that arterial curvature increases the probability of atherosclerosis deposition, while using an external heating source flow temperature and entropy production. In addition, if the thermal treatment procedure is carried out inside a magnetic field, it will aid in controlling blood flow velocity.

Originality/value

The findings of this computational analysis hold great significance for clinical researchers and biologists, as they offer the ability to anticipate the occurrence of endothelial cell injury and plaque accumulation in curved arteries with specific wall shear stress patterns. Consequently, these insights may contribute to the potential alleviation of the severity of these illnesses. Furthermore, the application of nanoparticles and external heat sources in the discipline of blood circulation has potential in the medically healing of illness conditions such as stenosis, cancer cells and muscular discomfort through the usage of beneficial effects.
Households’ entry into non-farm entrepreneurship and the market exit of enterprises in rural Ethiopia
Authors: Abegaz Melaku , Ngoboka Pascal
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This paper examines household and community characteristics that influence the entry of rural households into non-farm entrepreneurship and investigates the various factors that influence the market exit of non-farm enterprises (NFEs).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use data from three rounds (2011/12, 2013/14 and 2015/16) of the World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Study – Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA). The authors employ panel logit and multilevel logit models to examine the probability of opening one or more enterprises and the enterprise exit rates.

Findings

Results indicate that the likelihood of starting a NFE is positively associated with primary education attainment, access to credit, experiencing idiosyncratic shocks and availability of formal financial institutions. Age, higher education attainment and rising farm input prices constrain entry into non-farm entrepreneurship. The enterprise exit rate is negatively associated with small-town residence, wealth, access to tar/gravel roads and cellphone communication.

Practical implications

Policymakers and administrators should strive to address the challenges that communities face in transportation, communication and financial services. Policies aimed at stabilizing prices and increasing access to mobile communication, primary education and road infrastructure could help expand the rural non-farm sector.

Originality/value

Previous studies primarily examined the determinants of participation in NFEs at a given time using cross-sectional data. The current study uses panel data to study the dynamics of NFE ownership by investigating households’ decisions to enter into or exit from the sector.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-09-2022-0611
Institutional quality, shadow economy and entrepreneurship: international evidence
Authors: Tran Pham Toan Khanh
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The impacts of institutional quality on entrepreneurship are well established. However, the effects of an external factor, such as the shadow economy, that moderates this relationship have largely been neglected in existing literature. As such, this paper investigates how the shadow economy moderates the effects of institutional quality on entrepreneurship in a global sample of 79 economies from 2006 to 2018, when the latest required data are available.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper utilizes the fixed-effect and generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation techniques. Various scenarios have been considered for the robustness of the analysis, including different estimation techniques, different estimates of the shadow economy and various subsamples of countries with different income levels.

Findings

Empirical findings indicate that improved institutional quality boosts entrepreneurship activities, while the extended shadow economy is associated with reduced entrepreneurship activities. Interestingly, the positive impacts of institutional quality on entrepreneurship will be lessened with a larger shadow economy. These findings have remained largely unchanged across samples of countries and different proxies and estimation techniques.

Practical implications

Findings from this paper offer policymakers the relationships between institutional quality, shadow economy and entrepreneurship and the moderating effects of shadow economy on the institutional quality–entrepreneurship nexus. The implication is that institutional quality should be strengthened while the shadow economy should be controlled to promote entrepreneurship initiatives.

Originality/value

To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first empirical study to explore the moderating effects of the shadow economy on the institutional quality–entrepreneurship nexus.
A systematic literature review on the relationship between servant leadership and its team and organizational level outcomes
Authors: Lu Jin , Falahat Mohammad , Cheah Phaik Kin
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to develop an in-depth understanding of the outcomes of servant leadership at the team and organizational levels. It reviews the relationship between servant leadership and its team- and organizational-level outcomes, and examines the mediation and moderation effect of the relationship. It further identifies the mechanism by which servant leadership is beneficial to the organization.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review is conducted, focused on 52 articles published between 2012 and 2022. Content analysis and descriptive analysis were used to respond to the research questions.

Findings

A new conceptual model was developed to better understand the outcomes, mediators and moderators of servant leadership at team and organization level.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should further explore outcomes of servant leadership at team and organizational levels and test how mediators affect the relationship between servant leadership and associated outcomes.

Practical implications

This study provides a framework for leaders on how servant leadership contributes to teams and organizations, and how a leader applies servant leadership.

Originality/value

This systematic review presents a new model that builds on existing research into servant leadership and its impact on team and organizational levels completed in the past decade. To date, there have been no reviews of servant leadership that focus only on outcomes at the team and organizational levels using a widely recognized database.
Listening to unheard voices: exploring salespeople’s perspectives on the value of corporate heritage
Authors: Al-Amad Amjad H. , Ali Sa’ad , Al-Haddad Hadeel B.
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine salespeople’s perspectives on the value of corporate heritage to relationship selling and the issue of trust in personal selling situations in the context of emerging markets.

Design/methodology/approach

An interpretive approach was adopted, and 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior salespeople in heritage institutions operating in Jordan.

Findings

This study reveals that corporate heritage is a valuable organizational resource for relationship selling. Reflecting the values of “trust” and “affinity,” corporate heritage confers trust to salespeople and their products in personal selling situations. Sales managers are advised to use corporate heritage to strengthen sales activities and empower salespeople.

Originality/value

While previous research has explained the significance of corporate heritage to relationship marketing, the significance of corporate heritage to relationship selling and the issue of trust in personal selling situations remain unexplored. Jordan represents a context that has been largely neglected despite being typical of the corporate heritage phenomenon.
Agency motives and the corporate diversification decision: perspectives of corporate executives in Nigeria
Authors: Ibekwe Ibeawuchi
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore the motives (especially the agency motives) for corporate diversification from the perspective of corporate executives who make such strategic decisions and manage the diversified firms daily.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research approach was adopted, and 12 chief executive officers (CEOs) of diversified firms in Nigeria were interviewed for their perspectives on the motives for corporate diversification.

Findings

Stewardship motives – diversification to use excess capacities in assets and resources to exploit opportunities in the market and defend against adverse environmental developments – were the most cited reasons for diversification. The relevant agency problem related to corporate diversification motive in Nigeria is the principal–principal (majority shareholder-minority shareholder) one. CEOs with substantial holdings in their firms indicated that they use diversification to reduce their investment risk and retain control of their portfolio.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that in corporate environments such as Nigeria that feature blockholding prominently, the corporate strategy-related agency problem that policymakers should pay greater attention to is the principal–principal conflict rather than the traditional agent–principal problem that has influenced corporate governance over the years. There is also a need to revise the dominant view that diversification is a value-destroying strategy motivated by the self-seeking behavior of managers who have little or no shares in the companies they manage.

Originality/value

The few studies on motives for corporate diversification that incorporated the perspectives of corporate executives did not address the agency motives of diversification. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that has done so.
Juxtaposition, encounter and drift: transformative social innovation through culture and the arts
Authors: Kruglanski Aviv
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to tentatively explore the benefits of placing art’s knowledge-building tradition, with its capacity to disrupt and reframe, at the centre of how we look at alternative organizing and alternative economic spaces, positioning lived experience, its uncertainties intact, at the heart of researching and practicing social enterprise (SE).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explores indeterminacy through two case-study narratives, one of an academic arts-based research project and the other of a unique organization it encountered.

Findings

The paper describes the way juxtaposition, encounter and drift value indeterminacy as central to generative processes, challenging the control central to management and its research.

Research limitations/implications

The paper proposes that adopting an arts-based approach that challenges control can create a research instrument sensitive to similar tendencies in case studies, thus highlighting what is different and alternative about them. This responds to concerns about the diminishing centrality of SE’s democratizing ethic expressed in its scholarship, about creativity in its research and about its socially transformative potential.

Practical implications

The practice, by SEs of an approach welcoming chance, encounter, meandering paths and place-making with porous boundaries, proliferates transformative possibilities and is linked to democratization and participation.

Originality/value

Though dangerously challenging to accepted notions of academic rigour, this paper proposes an unusual thought experiment tied in with lived experiences, in themselves experimental in practice.
Temperature and current density prediction in solder joints using artificial neural network method
Authors: Liu Yang , Xu Xin , Lv Shiqing , Zhao Xuewei , Xue Yuxiong , Zhang Shuye , Li Xingji , Xing Chaoyang
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Due to the miniaturization of electronic devices, the increased current density through solder joints leads to the occurrence of electromigration failure, thereby reducing the reliability of electronic devices. The purpose of this study is to propose a finite element-artificial neural network method for the prediction of temperature and current density of solder joints, and thus provide reference information for the reliability evaluation of solder joints.

Design/methodology/approach

The temperature distribution and current density distribution of the interconnect structure of electronic devices were investigated through finite element simulations. During the experimental process, the actual temperature of the solder joints was measured and was used to optimize the finite element model. A large amount of simulation data was obtained to analyze the neural network by varying the height of solder joints, the diameter of solder pads and the magnitude of current loads. The constructed neural network was trained, tested and optimized using this data.

Findings

Based on the finite element simulation results, the current is more concentrated in the corners of the solder joints, generating a significant amount of Joule heating, which leads to localized temperature rise. The constructed neural network is trained, tested and optimized using the simulation results. The ANN 1, used for predicting solder joint temperature, achieves a prediction accuracy of 96.9%, while the ANN 2, used for predicting solder joint current density, achieves a prediction accuracy of 93.4%.

Originality/value

The proposed method can effectively improve the estimation efficiency of temperature and current density in the packaging structure. This method prevails in the field of packaging, and other factors that affect the thermal, mechanical and electrical properties of the packaging structure can be introduced into the model.
Addressing the shortage of African American male teachers in minority-serving school districts with innovative partnerships
Authors: Rivers Jesse
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The paper discusses a partnership between Huston–Tillotson University (HT), a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and the Austin Independent School District (AISD), a minority-serving school district, both in Austin, Texas, with a grant provided by Apple Inc. (Apple). The purpose of the partnerships is that valuable relationships can increase the number of African American male teachers in primary and secondary education in minority-serving public schools. The African American Male Teacher Initiative (AAMTI) at HT was created as an innovative approach to recruit and select 20 African American males each year of a four-year grant provided by Apple.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviewed the literature on the lack and need for African American male public school teachers. Once the data is established during a three-to-four-year period, a mixed-method approach will be utilized to examine data retrieved from interviews, surveys, demographics of student participants, numerical data and retention and graduation rates. This will establish whether strategic partnerships can successfully increase the number of qualified African American males in public education.

Findings

This paper proposes and provides research evidence that African American male teachers can positively impact all students in the classroom setting.

Research limitations/implications

There is limited data to test a hypothesis on the effectiveness of a partnership between the university and public school to increase the number of African American male teachers through recruitment – selection and retention efforts. Therefore, follow-up research is needed for the first graduating class of 2024.

Practical implications

The broader impact of this paper is to show that partnerships between universities and public schools with corporate sponsorship can positively increase the number of African American male teachers prepared to teach in public schools through strategic recruitment and selection efforts.

Social implications

This paper can serve as a model for universities and school districts to implement. High placement of prepared Black male teachers in public schools can reduce the school-to-prison pipeline and juvenile homicides and defeat generational poverty.

Originality/value

Much research highlights the problems associated with a lack of African American male teachers. This paper includes the challenges but offers a sound basis for practical solutions.
Genetic mutations in pyoderma gangrenosum, hidradenitis suppurativa, and associated autoinflammatory syndromes: Insights into pathogenic mechanisms and shared pathways
Authors: Satoh Takashi K.
Published: November 2023

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG), hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), and the associated autoinflammatory syndromes, including pyogenic arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum, and acne (PAPA) syndrome, PSTPIP1‐associated myeloid‐related proteinemia inflammatory (PAMI) syndrome, pyoderma gangrenosum, acne, and hidradenitis suppurativa (PASH) syndrome, and pyogenic arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum, acne, and suppurative hidradenitis (PAPASH) syndrome are dermatological conditions characterized by chronic inflammation and tissue damage. Recent advances in genetic research have identified specific mutations associated with these disorders, shedding light on their underlying pathogenic mechanisms. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge of identified mutations and presumed pathophysiology in PG, HS, and the associated autoinflammatory syndromes.
Functional redundancy of seasonal vitamin B12 biosynthesis pathways in coastal marine microbial communities
Authors: Beauvais Maxime , Schatt Philippe , Montiel Lidia , Logares Ramiro , Galand Pierre E. , Bouget François‐Yves
Published: November 2023

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is a major cofactor required by most marine microbes, but only produced by a few prokaryotes in the ocean, which is globally B12‐depleted. Despite the ecological importance of B12, the seasonality of B12 metabolisms and the organisms involved in its synthesis in the ocean remain poorly known. Here we use metagenomics to assess the monthly dynamics of B12‐related pathways and the functional diversity of associated microbial communities in the coastal NW Mediterranean Sea over 7 years. We show that genes related to potential B12 metabolisms were characterized by an annual succession of different organisms carrying distinct production pathways. During the most productive winter months, archaea (Nitrosopumilus and Nitrosopelagicus) were the main contributors to B12 synthesis potential through the anaerobic pathway (cbi genes). In turn, Alphaproteobacteria (HIMB11, UBA8309, Puniceispirillum) contributed to B12 synthesis potential in spring and summer through the aerobic pathway (cob genes). Cyanobacteria could produce pseudo‐cobalamin from spring to autumn. Finally, we show that during years with environmental perturbations, the organisms usually carrying B12 synthesis genes were replaced by others having the same gene, thus maintaining the potential for B12 production. Such ecological insurance could contribute to the long‐term functional resilience of marine microbial communities exposed to contrasting inter‐annual environmental conditions.
‘Trips are the thing we all remember from our school days’: The learning value of school trips for children with special educational needs from the perspective of primary school teachers
Authors: Wythe Jessica
Published: November 2023

Various childhood and education theorists affirm the benefits of hands‐on and contextual learning opportunities for children and young people. Learners with special educational needs and disability (SEND) often display low levels of engagement. Teachers may utilise innovative pedagogical approaches to increase learning engagement and participation, such as taking their classes on a school trip. This study explores primary school teachers' views of using school trips to enhance learning and development for learners with SEND in the United Kingdom (UK). A questionnaire was distributed through Microsoft Forms, and 54 primary school teachers from the United Kingdom participated in this study. A range of open‐ended and closed questions facilitated the opportunity for the teachers to discuss the benefits and challenges of educational school trips for learners with SEND. The primary school teachers identified extensive affordances of educational school trips, with 100% of participants responding that school trips can have learning and developmental benefits for learners with SEND. Additionally, various skills were identified that the teachers believe school trips facilitate children with SEND to acquire and develop, including social skills. However, the teachers identified challenges and limitations to planning and implementing school trips, including accessibility and socio‐economic barriers.