bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward Localizing Psychosis in Pathologically Confirmed Neurodegenerative Disease
Authors: Breithaupt Andrew G. , Naasan Georges , Shdo Suzanne M , Lopez Lucia , Spina Salvatore , Grinberg Lea , Seeley William W , Gorno-Tempini Maria Luisa , Rabinovici Gil , Kramer Joel H. , Rosen Howard J. , Miller Bruce L , Rankin Katherine P
Published: February 2025

Psychosis is a common symptom in neurodegenerative diseases that contributes to significant patient and caregiver burden. While neuroimaging studies have implicated various brain regions in psychosis, findings have been inconsistent across different disease entities and psychosis subtypes. This study aimed to identify structural neuroanatomic changes associated with specific patterns of psychotic content across pathologically confirmed neurodegenerative diseases. We examined 283 autopsy-confirmed neurodegenerative disease cases (70 with psychosis) at a tertiary medical center, representing diverse clinical syndromes and pathologies. Psychotic content was systematically classified using standardized criteria. Voxel-based morphometry analyses of MRI were conducted to identify structural correlates of psychotic features across all syndromes, within specific clinical syndromes, and within pathological subtypes. Overall, delusions were associated with atrophy in the right temporal lobe and bilateral frontal lobes, particularly when the delusions were persecutory or paranoid. Together, these regions support processing of external stimuli, reward, emotion, self-awareness, and executive function. By contrast, misidentification delusions correlated with right ventral temporal-occipital atrophy, implicating selective disruption of ventral visual stream processing. No consistent patterns of atrophy were found with hallucinations. Our findings suggest that damage to temporal and frontal subregions predisposes individuals with neurodegeneration to develop delusions across clinical syndromes and pathologies. This study provides support for the theory that dysfunction in brain circuits supporting reward, emotion, self-awareness, processing of external sensory signals, and executive functioning can lead to new-onset delusional beliefs in neurodegenerative disease. These insights suggest shared mechanisms between “neurologic” and “psychiatric” disorders that could inform future prognostic and therapeutic approaches.
Longitudinal epigenetic rewiring in lung immune cells in patients with post-COVID-19 condition
Authors: Nikesjö Frida , Smiljanic Jelena , Sayyab Shumaila , Martínez-Enguita David , Gustafsson Mika , Rosvall Martin , Hedman Kristofer , Lerm Maria
Published: February 2025

Background

Post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) affects millions globally, presenting as persistent multisystem symptoms. Despite various hypotheses, the biological mechanisms underlying PCC remain unclear. Previous studies have linked PCC to alterations in the DNA methylome of blood immune cells, but the effects on lung cells over time remain unknown.

Methods

Patients (n=13) with persistent symptoms following COVID-19 in 2020-2021 donated blood and sputum samples at inclusion and after one year. Symptom and physiological testing data were collected concurrently. DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles were analysed longitudinally and compared to pre-pandemic DNAm data from healthy controls.

Results

While peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) showed no significant changes, longitudinal DNAm changes were observed in neutrophil- and macrophage-enriched fractions. The changes were significantly associated with symptoms and physiological measures. Pathway analysis showed enrichment for cellular processes involved in cardiac function.

Conclusions

We identified longitudinal DNAm changes in lung immune cells associated with pathways linked to cardiac function. These changes correlate with symptom burden and heart and lung metrics. The results suggest potential disease mechanisms and aid the development of diagnostic tools.
Machine Learning Models for Dynamic Assessment of Extubation Readiness in Pediatric Critical Care
Authors: Liu Yuxuan , Cuevas-Asturias Sofia , Alexander Emma C , Ormond Jake , Aw Tuan Chen , Aramburo Angela , Ray Samiran , Faisal A. Aldo , Ramnarayan Padmanabhan
Published: February 2025

Importance

Determining the optimal timing for extubation in critically ill children remains challenging, with premature extubation leading to increased morbidity and mortality, while prolonged ventilation exposes patients to ventilator-associated complications.

Objective

To develop and validate machine learning models for dynamic assessment of extubation failure risk (nowcasting) and extubation readiness (forecasting) in mechanically ventilated children.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Retrospective cohort study using electronic health records from two pediatric intensive care units in London, UK (2013-2022), including 3,815 ventilation episodes in children aged 0-17 years.

Exposure(s)

Mechanical ventilation via endotracheal tube using pressure control-BIPAP (PC) or spontaneous pressure support CPAP (PS) modes.

Main outcomes and measures

Primary outcomes were extubation failure (requiring reintubation within 48 hours) and extubation readiness (successful extubation within 12 hours). Both models incorporated demographic, physiological, ventilation, and medication data, with varying historical context lengths to optimize prediction accuracy.

Results

The median age of children in the study cohort (n=3815 ventilation episodes) was 8.0 months (56.2% male); extubation failure occurred in 315/3815 (8.3%). The nowcasting model achieved an area-under-the-receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.77. The forecasting model reached an AUROC of 0.85. Ventilation parameters dominated the nowcasting model, while medication response and patient characteristics drove the forecasting model.

Conclusions and Relevance

Our dual-model approach offers a structured framework for extubation decision-making in critically ill children, combining continuous monitoring of readiness with snapshot assessment of extubation failure risk. Prospective validation is needed; however, this strategy may help clinicians optimize the timing of ventilation liberation within pediatric intensive care.
Feasibility and acceptability of collecting passive phone usage and sensor data via Apple SensorKit
Authors: Funk Courtney , Zhao Zhuo , Horwitz Adam G. , Fang Yu , Pereira-Lima Karina , Kheterpal Vik , Sen Srijan , Frank Elena
Published: February 2025

Privacy is a growing concern in mobile health research, particularly regarding passive data. Apple SensorKit provides a novel platform for collecting phone and wearable usage and sensor data, however the acceptability and feasibility of collecting these sensitive data to research subjects remains unknown. We piloted the SensorKit platform with a large sample of first-year U.S. medical residents as part of the longitudinalIntern Health Study. Findings demonstrate that successful enrollment and retention rates can be achieved in a longitudinal e-Cohort study that collects SensorKit data, however lower opt-in rates among racial minorities suggest the need for further evaluation of the equity implications around specific data types in mobile health research.
Striatal and cerebellar interactions during reward-based motor performance
Authors: Lee Joonhee Leo , Casamento-Moran Agostina , Bastian Amy J , Cullen Kathleen E , Chib Vikram S
Published: February 2025

Goal-directed motor performance relies on the brain’s ability to distinguish between actions that lead to successful and unsuccessful outcomes. The basal ganglia (BG) and cerebellum (CBL) are integral to processing performance outcomes, yet their functional interactions remain underexplored. This study scanned participants’ brains with functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) while they performed a skilled motor task for monetary rewards, where outcomes depended on their motor performance and also probabilistic events that were not contingent on their performance. We found successful motor outcomes increased activity in the ventral striatum (VS), a functional sub-region of the BG, whereas unsuccessful motor outcomes engaged the CBL. In contrast, for probabilistic outcomes unrelated to motor performance, the BG and CBL exhibited no differences in activity between successful and unsuccessful outcomes. Dynamic causal modeling revealed that VS-to-CBL connectivity was inhibitory following successful motor outcomes, suggesting that the VS may suppress CBL error processing for correct actions. Conversely, CBL-to-VS connectivity was inhibitory after unsuccessful motor outcomes, potentially preventing reinforcement of erroneous actions. Additionally, interindividual differences in task preference, assessed by having participants choose between performing the motor task or flipping a coin for monetary rewards, were related to inhibitory VS-CBL connectivity. These findings highlight a performance-mediated functional network between the VS and CBL, modulated by motivation and subjective preferences, supporting goal-directed behavior.
Immunomodulation of Pancreatic Cancer via Inhibition of SUMOylation and CD155/TIGIT Pathway
Authors: de la Torre Medina Jorge , Joshi Utsav , Sonowal Himangshu , Kuang Yixuan , Ren Tianchen , Chen Dai-Hua , Tharuka Mohottige Don Neranjan , Nguyen-Ta Kim , Gros Hélène , Mikulski Zbigniew , Chen Yuan , White Rebekah R.
Published: February 2025

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the deadliest major cancer and has a profoundly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Previous studies have shown that inhibition of the E1 enzyme, which catalyzes the small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMO), with the small molecule TAK-981, can reprogram the TME to enhance immune activation and suppress tumor growth. We found that the CD-155/TIGIT pathway, a key regulator of immune evasion in PDAC, is influenced by SUMOylation. We hypothesized that the combination of SUMO E1 and TIGIT inhibition would synergistically induce anti-tumor immune effects. We used a clinically relevant orthotopic mouse model that consistently develops liver metastases to study this combination therapy alone and in the perioperative setting with surgical resection. The combination of SUMO E1 and TIGIT inhibition significantly prolonged survival. Complete responders exhibited protective immunity and enhanced T cell reactivity to model-specific alloantigens. Complementary immune analyses of resected tumors demonstrated that combination therapy more significantly reduces the abundance of regulatory FOXP3+CD4+ T cells than each monotherapy alone. The findings suggest that SUMO E1 inhibition enhances antibody-mediated elimination of Tregs through innate immune cells, potentially by activation of type I interferon responses. Our results highlight a mechanism to enhance the efficacy of anti-TIGIT therapy.

Brief Summary

SUMOylation is a post-translational modification process critical for cancer. Inhibition of SUMOylation can improve the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer to immune checkpoint inhibition.
Identifying JNK-regulated phosphoproteome markers of anxiety-like behaviour in mouse hippocampus
Authors: Hong Ye , Siino Valentina , Flinkman Dani , Deshpande Prasannakumar , Martinez Sylvia Ortega , Fagerholm Veronica , Varidaki Artemis , Heemeryck Pierre , Sourander Christel , James Peter , Coffey Eleanor
Published: February 2025

JNKs mediate neuronal damage in neurodegenerative disease and inhibitors of JNK1 have shown anxiolytic and anti-depressive effects in mice. Here, we analyze the phosphoproteomes of hippocampus and nucleus accumbens from DJNKI-1 (JNK inhibitor)-infused mice. We correlate phospho-site changes with anxiety-like behaviours in the elevated plus maze and light-dark test and identify unique changes in responder mice. Among the DJNKI-1 regulated phosphosites, several lie within GSK3 motifs and are exclusively down-regulated. Consistent with this, GSK3β is inhibited and AKT activated. Importantly, we detect multilevel regulation of glucose metabolism enzymes including increased PDPK1-S241 phosphorylation, and a 5-fold increase in pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDHA1)-S-293 phosphorylation, signifying its inhibition. This suggests that JNK inhibitor drives a metabolic transformation to the neuronal Warburg response. This and a range of identified synaptic and cytoskeletal protein phosphosite changes are discussed in the context of JNK-regulated anxiety responses. The annotated hippocampal and nucleus accumbens phosphoproteomes described here will support a mechanistic understanding of the JNK pathway for future studies of brain disorders.
The effect of unilateral cortical blindness on lane position and gaze behavior in a virtual reality steering task
Authors: Giguere Arianna P. , Cavanaugh Matthew R. , Huxlin Krystel R. , Tadin Duje , Fajen Brett R. , Diaz Gabriel J.
Published: February 2025

Adults with cortically-induced blindness (CB) affecting a quarter to a half of their visual field show greater variability in lane positioning when driving compared to those with intact vision. Because humans rely on visual information from optic flow to control steering, we hypothesized that these lane biases are caused in part by a disruption to motion processing caused by CB. To investigate, we examined the steering behavior of 21 CB drivers (11 left-sided, 10 right-sided visual deficits) and 9 visually intact controls in a naturalistic virtual environment. Participants were instructed to maintain a central lane position while traveling at 19 m/s along a procedurally generated single-lane road. Turn direction (left/right) and turn radius (35m/55m/75m) varied between trials, and the quality of optic flow information was indirectly manipulated by altering the environmental texture density (low/medium/high). Right-sided CB participants maintained a similar average distance from the inner road edge as controls. Those with left-sided CB were less affected by changes in optic flow and turn direction. These differences were not explained by age, time since stroke, sparing of central vision, gaze direction, or saccade rate. Our results suggest that some left-sided CB participants place a lower weighting on optic flow information in the control of steering, possibly as a result of lateralization in the processing of motion. More broadly, our findings show that CB steering and gaze behavior are remarkably preserved despite the presence of visual deficits across large portions of the visual field.
Whole-body Bacteriophage Distribution Characterized by a Physiologically based Pharmacokinetic Model
Authors: Echterhof Arne , Dharmaraj Tejas , Blankenberg Patrick , Targ Bobby , Bollyky Paul L. , Smith Nicholas M. , Blankenberg Francis
Published: February 2025

In 2019 there were over 2.8 million cases of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection in the US with gram negative organisms having up to a 6% rate of mortality. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy holds great promise to treat such infections. However, the biologic features which influence the pharmacokinetics (PK) of phage have been difficult to characterize due to a lack of standardized protocols of phage purification, tissue assay, and labeling. Here we present robust methods for ultrapure phage preparation as well as non-destructive highly stable attachment of radio-iodide to phage using the well described Sulfo-SHPP linker. We purified and radiolabeled the phage strains, PAML-31-1, OMKO1, and Luz24 lytic to drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa for biodistribution assay in normal young adult CD-1 mice injected via penile vein. Groups of 5 mice were euthanized and tissues/organs removed for weighing and scintillation well counting of I-125 activity at 30 min, 1h, 2h, 4h, 8h, and 24h. A physiologically based PK (PBPK) model was then constructed focusing on compartments describing blood, lung, muscle, bone, liver, stomach, spleen, small intestines, large intestines, and kidney. Model permeability coefficient (PS) was estimated across all organs as being 0.0227. Tissue partition coefficients (KP) were estimated for high perfusion organs (lung and kidney) as 0.000138, GI organs (liver, spleen, and stomach) as 0.627, and all other organs as 0.220. Elimination was governed by MPS-mediated elimination (TMPS,deg) and active secretion at epithelial barriers (CLActive), which were estimated as 0.00301 h and 0.0145 L/h/kg, respectively. Monte Caro simulations showed that the rapid elimination phage in humans is expected, resulting in phage blood concentrations being lower than 102PFU/mL (limit of quantification by plaque assay) by 12 hours. As such, multi-dose regimens and continuous infusion regimens were the only strategies that allowed continuously detectible phage concentrations. Evaluation of different dose levels showed that at a maximum dose of 1012PFU, phage concentrations are expected to be approximately 107PFU/g. Our physiologically based PK model of phage represents the first rigorous pre-clinical assessment of phage PK utilizing contemporary pharmacometric approaches amenable to both pre-clinical and clinical study design.
HP-Bodies – Ancestral Condensates that Regulate RNA Turnover and Protein Translation in Bacteria
Authors: Guan Jian , Hurto Rebecca Lee , Rai Akash , Azaldegui Christopher A. , Ortiz-Rodríguez Luis A. , Biteen Julie S. , Freddolino Lydia , Jakob Ursula
Published: February 2025

Uncovering what drives select biomolecules to form phase-separated condensatesin vivoand identifying their physiological significance are topics of fundamental importance. Here we show that nitrogen-starvedEscherichia coliproduce long-chain polyphosphates, which scaffold the RNA chaperone Hfq into phase-separating high molecular weight complexes together with components of the RNA translation and processing machinery. The presence of polyphosphate within these condensates, which we termed HP-bodies, controls Hfq function by selectively stabilizing polyadenylated RNAs involved in transcription and protein translation, and promoting interactions with translation- and RNA-metabolism-associated proteins involved inde novoprotein synthesis. Lack of polyphosphate prevents HP-body formation, which increases cell death and significantly hinders recovery from N-starvation. In functional analogy, we demonstrate that polyP contributes specifically to the formation of Processing (P)-bodies in human cell lines, revealing that a single, highly conserved and ancestral polyanion serves as the universal scaffold for functional phase-separated condensate formation across the tree of life.
mRNA stability factor HuR promotes immune evasion in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Guo Yifei , Finan Jennifer M. , Bartlett Alexandra Q. , Sivagnanam Shamilene , Blise Katie E. , Kirchberger Nell , Betre Konjit , Hawthorne Kevin , Chen Canping , Grossberg Aaron , Xia Zheng , Coussens Lisa M. , Sears Rosalie C. , Brody Jonathan R. , Eil Robert
Published: February 2025

The tumor microenvironment (TME) of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by a limited infiltration of tumor-specific T cells and anti-tumor T cell activity. Extracellular factors in the PDAC TME have been widely reported to mediate immune suppression, but the contribution from tumor-intrinsic factors is not well understood. The RNA-binding protein, HuR (ELAVL1), is enriched in PDAC and negatively correlates with T cell infiltration. In an immunocompetent Kras-p53-Cre (KPC) orthotopic model of PDAC, we found that genetic disruption of HuR impaired tumor growth. Importantly, we found that HuR depletion in tumors enhanced both T cell number and activation states. Mechanistically, HuR mediated the stabilization of mTOR pathway transcripts, and inhibition of mTOR activity rescued the impaired function of local T cells. Phenotypically, we found that HuR induced T-cell suppression in PDAC, as HuR depletion sensitize PDAC tumors to immune checkpoint blockade, while isogenic, wildtype tumors are resistant. Our findings describe a novel role of HuR in facilitating tumor immune suppression in the PDAC TME by inhibiting T cell infiltration and function, and implicate HuR inhibition as a potential therapeutic combination with immunotherapy.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study identified a novel mechanism that HuR supports pancreatic tumor growth by restricting T cell infiltration, promoting immune evasion. Our work supports targeting strategies against HuR in PDAC with the goal of enhancing PDAC sensitivity to immune-based cancer therapies, such as checkpoint blockade and T cell transfer.
Tracking mobilization uncovers an evolutionarily conserved mechanism in suppressing transpositions during somatic development
Authors: Luo Yi Ni , Liang Yu , Wu Shuheng , Deng Yazi , Wu Wei , Zhang ZZ Zhao , Wu Wei , Wang Lu
Published: February 2025

Transposon mobilizations could cause gene mutations and even genomic instability, whose aberrant activation is tightly linked with cancer, neurodegenerative disorder and other pathologies. However, the precise suppression mechanisms of transposon mobilizations during somatic development throughout evolution remain largely obscure. Here, by spatiotemporally monitoring transpositions with single-cell resolution, we determined a highly conserved mechanism in suppressing transposon mobilizations. We identified that Cramp1 safeguards the genomic integrity in bothDrosophilahindgut regeneration and mouse embryonic erythropoiesis through silencing transposon mobility. Cramp1 is characterized as a major hallmark that specifically binds to the DNA sequences of histone gene cluster to initiate transcription of linker histone H1, which subsequently promotes H3K36me2-established heterochromatin for transposon silencing. Our finding highlights that with the endless arms race between hosts and transposons during evolution, the core mechanisms will also evolve to suppress transposon mobilizations during somatic development.

One-sentence abstract

Cramp1 plays an evolutionarily conserved role in specifically initiating linker histone H1 transcription and triggering H1-H3K36me2-established heterochromatin to suppress transposon mobilizations and maintain genome integrity during somatic development.
Fsr quorum sensing system restricts biofilm growth and activates inflammation in enterococcal infective endocarditis
Authors: Antypas Haris , Schmidtchen Verena , Staiger Willy Isao , Li Yanhong , Tan Rachel Jing Wen , Ng Kenneth Kok Fei , Neo Cheryl Jia Yi , Radhesh Shalome Meera , Tanoto Frederick Reinhart , da Silva Ronni A. G. , Colomer Winter Cristina , Manzano Caroline , Wong Jun Jie , Pethe Kevin , Hasse Barbara , Brugger Silvio Daniel , Wong Siu Ling , Van Tyne Daria , Zinkernagel Annelies S. , Kline Kimberly A.
Published: February 2025

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening biofilm-associated infection, yet the factors driving biofilm formation remain poorly understood. Here, we identified the Fsr quorum sensing (QS) system of Enterococcus faecalis as a potent negative regulator of IE pathogenesis. Using microfluidic and in vivo models, we show that Fsr is induced in late IE when bacteria become shielded from blood flow. Deleting Fsr altered biofilm metabolism and promoted robust biofilm growth and gentamicin tolerance in vivo. Furthermore, Fsr inactivation attenuated inflammation by disrupting IL-1β cleavage and activation via the Fsr-regulated gelatinase (gelE), allowing biofilm to grow unchecked by the immune system. Consistent with our pre-clinical findings, analysis of two IE patient cohorts linked naturally occurring Fsr-deficient E. faecalis to prolonged bacteremia. Overall, our findings provide insights into the role of QS in biofilm growth, persistence, and immune evasion in enterococcal IE.
Nuclear-level effective theory of
μ→e
conversion: Inelastic process
Authors: Haxton W. C. , Rule Evan
Published: February 2025

Mu2e and COMET will search for electrons produced via the neutrinoless conversion of stopped muons bound in 1s atomic orbits of Al27, improving existing limits on charged lepton flavor violation (CLFV) by roughly four orders of magnitude. Conventionally, μ→e conversion experiments are optimized to detect electrons originating from transitions where the nucleus remains in the ground state, thereby maximizing the energy of the outgoing electron. Clearly, detection of a positive signal in forthcoming experiments would stimulate additional work—including subsequent conversion experiments using complementary nuclear targets—to further constrain the new physics responsible for CLFV. Here we argue that additional information can be extracted without the need for additional experiments, by considering inelastic conversion in Al27. Transitions to low-lying nuclear excited states can modify the near-endpoint spectrum of conversion electrons, with the ratio of the elastic and inelastic responses being sensitive to the underlying CLFV operator. We extend the nuclear effective theory of μ→e conversion to the inelastic case, which adds five new response functions to the six that arise for the elastic process. We evaluate these nuclear response functions in Al27 and calculate the resulting conversion-electron signal, taking into account the resolution anticipated in Mu2e/COMET. We find that Al27 is an excellent target choice from the perspective of the new information that can be obtained from inelastic μ→e conversion.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Searching for resonant flavor-changing charged Higgs production at the LHC
Authors: Hou Wei-Shu , Krab Mohamed
Published: February 2025

We suggest a resonant cb¯→H+ production search, followed by bosonic H+→W+H weak decay at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In the general two-Higgs-doublet model (G2HDM) that has flavor-changing neutral Higgs couplings, H+ is resonantly produced via the top-charm ρtcVtb coupling at tree level, while H+→W+H weak decay occurs within the exotic second doublet, leading eventually to same-sign dilepton signals. We perform a signal-to-background analysis at the 14 TeV LHC and show that discovery seems possible with LHC Run 2 data already at hand.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
The impact of board subcommittees on firm performance: the moderating role of CEO duality according to the legal system
Authors: Bel-Oms Inmaculada , Grau Grau Alfredo
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the moderating role of chief executive officer (CEO) duality in the relationship between board subcommittees and audit committees with financial expertise on firm performance in European countries. To extend this research, the sample is divided into two subsamples based on common and civil law, with the latter being divided into the three subgroups of civil French law, civil German law and civil Scandinavian law.

Design/methodology/approach

Panel data for 3,448 observations from nine European countries are analyzed for the period 2016–2019. The model is estimated and contrasted with the generalized method of moments.

Findings

The main findings of this study show that CEO duality moderates positively the relationship between corporate governance committees and firm performance in Europe. Furthermore, the results indicate that CEO duality moderates positively on the association between corporate governance committees and firm performance in countries located by civil law. The findings also evidence that CEO duality moderates positively on the association between corporate governance and compensation committees and firm performance in countries located by Civil-French. Finally, the findings reveal that CEO duality moderates positively the relationship between audit committees with financial experts and firm performance performance in countries located by Civil-German.

Research limitations/implications

This study has some limitations. First, this study may not have considered some characteristics that could influence firm performance from other empirical and theoretical approaches. Second, this study divided the sample according to La Porta et al. (1997) and Graff’s (2008) approaches, but other classifications from different studies may have led to different outcomes. Finally, this study did not examine the country-level aspects that influenced firm performance, such as culture and institutional characteristics beyond corporate governance, economic and political factors. This is a potential avenue for future research.

Practical implications

Managers can use the findings to make strategic company decisions, and they can help other directors understand the important effects CEO duality has on corporate boards because board subcommittees mitigate the negative effect of CEO duality on firm performance.

Originality/value

This study expands upon the research about the moderating role of CEO duality through the different board subcommittees, thereby presenting it as an instrument that greatly enhances firm performance. In this sense, this moderating role preserved firm performance when the agency theory was previously corroborated, and the independent management of CEO duality was found to negatively impact.
Black women’s green blues: songs as black women’s environmental expression and engagement in keeping a black feminist tradition
Authors: Johnson Jacquita N.
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Black women have been practically erased from reviews of environmentally-conscious songs. This may result from past findings demonstrating Black women’s disinterest in environmental issues, despite them having increased exposures to environmental degradation and subsequent adverse health outcomes. However, this assertion did not take into account Black women’s standpoints, nor the creative, alternative locations Black women use to express and engage in social issues—songs.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, I utilize Black feminist thought, a critical social theory and its matrix of domination as an analytical framework to understand and analyze Black women’s expression and engagement in environmental issues through song. Sample lyrics from one of the most popular blues songs that focus on an environmental theme is analyzed: Bessie Smith’s “Backwater Blues.” By demonstrating the viability of this strategy, I simultaneously evidence how Smith kept Black feminist thought’s Black women’s blues tradition.

Findings

This paper explores insights about an alternative location Black women use to express and engage in environmental issues– songs. It suggests that Black feminist thought’s matrix of domination is an effective analytical framework to highlight Black women’s expression and engagement in environmental issues and identify the power structures that shape them. It is also shown that Smith kept Black feminist thought’s Black women’s blues tradition. The environmental and related fields would benefit from incorporating Black feminist thought and creative expressions, such as songs, into the field to expand its thought, approaches and ultimately, its equitable impact.

Originality/value

This paper builds on and expands existing environmental literature by analyzing Black women’s expression and engagement in environmental issues from a Black women’s standpoint through the use of songs.
Investigating the impacts of psychological safety climate on mental ill health in the Vietnamese construction industry
Authors: Nguyen Minh Van , Khanh Ha Duy , Phan Chien Thanh , Thuc Le Dinh
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Mental ill health is prevalent among construction workers due to high job demands and unsafe working conditions. Psychological safety climate (PSC) has emerged as a potential solution for improving workplace mental health. However, there is still limited understanding of how different dimensions of PSC influence mental ill health. Thus, this study aims to explore the impact of PSC on the mental ill health of construction employees in the Vietnamese context.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 238 construction professionals using a non-probability sampling method. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze the relationships between various PSC dimensions and mental ill health.

Findings

The findings revealed that management commitment and management priority have the most significant influence on reducing mental ill health in the Vietnamese construction sector. While organizational communication and participation contribute, their impact is less pronounced but crucial in promoting employee well-being.

Originality/value

Firms should actively promote mental well-being by visibly prioritizing psychological health alongside productivity and providing resources for stress prevention. For policymakers, these findings suggest the need for regulations that encourage or mandate mental health programs. Additionally, the study highlights the need for employees to engage with mental health initiatives to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health discussions in the workplace.
Impact of internal environment on innovative work behaviour: moderating role of gender
Authors: Tiwari Sampada , Asma Asma , Tiwari Puja , Singh Basant Kumar
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between internal environment of the Indian service sector organisations and innovative work behaviour of their employees. Additionally, it examines the influence of gender of the employees on this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on responses collected from 612 Indian service sector employees, the study examines the impact of the factors constituting internal environment, namely, management support (MS), work discretion/ autonomy (WD), rewards (R), time availability (TA) and organisational boundaries (OB) on their innovative work behaviour (IWB). Structural equation modelling has been used to study this relationship. To study the moderating role of gender, multi-group analysis has been used.

Findings

The results show that all the factors constituting the internal environment significantly predict innovative work behaviour. The moderating effect of gender is found with regard to the impact of management support, work discretion and time availability on innovative work behaviour. However, no moderating effect is seen regarding the impact of rewards and organisational boundaries on innovative work behaviour.

Practical implications

This study assists managers in understanding the factors which are the facilitators and inhibitors of innovative work behaviour among employees. It also aids them in tailoring their approaches towards male and female employees to increase their involvement in innovative activities.

Originality/value

The study offers insights into how gender diversity among employees affects the relation between the factors constituting the internal environment of their organisations and their innovative behaviour.
Bottom-line mentality: systematic literature review and future research directions
Authors: Moazzam Sania , Malik Muhammad Abdur Rahman
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The purpose of current systematic literature review (SLR) is to propose 1) theoretical perspectives which may be adopted in future research to explain the antecedents and outcomes of bottom-line mentality (BLM); 2) social environmental factors which may be responsible for provoking employees’ BLM and 3) buffering variables which can curtail the negative outcomes of BLM.

Design/methodology/approach

We searched Google Scholar and Scopus database and looked for keywords “bottomline mentality” OR “BLM” OR “bottom line mentality” in the title, abstract and keywords. This study systematically reviewed 87 articles that have empirically examined BLM phenomenon.

Findings

Certain theoretical perspectives (i.e. social information processing theory, social exchange and social-cognitive theories) have been overly utilized to explain the phenomenon of BLM. Second, we identified the person, supervisor and organization-related antecedents leading to the development of BLM. Third, we found that BLM was positively related to certain employee behaviors (i.e. knowledge hiding, unethical behavior, social undermining) and negatively related to other behaviors (i.e. helping behavior and innovative work behaviors).

Originality/value

The current review is the first to propose buffering variables which may likely curtail the negative effects of BLM.
Assessment of factors inhibiting engagement of quantity surveyors on private residential building projects in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
Authors: Olatunde Nathaniel Ayinde , Awodele Imoleayo Abraham , Adebayo Bosede Olajumoke , Makanjuola Sola Samuel
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The study examined the factors inhibiting the engagement of Quantity Surveyors (QS) on private residential building projects in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria with a view to enhance the performance of such projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a qualitative research approach with the use of interview protocol for data collection. A Convenient sampling method was used to select 20 on-going residential building construction projects for the study in the Government Reserved Area, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The client and the architect of the selected projects were the population of research for interview. For data analysis, 28 successful interviews were used, while frequency, percentile and content analysis were the method of data analysis used.

Findings

The result indicated that the most important factor inhibiting the engagement of QSs on private residential building projects is lack of awareness of the benefit inherent in engagement of QS on residential projects. Other important factors are; the perception that engagement of QS will increase the construction cost, absence of legislation that mandate engagement of QS, usurpation of Quantity Surveyor’s roles by other professionals and the perception that engagement of QS is essential only in big projects.

Practical implications

It was recommended that every state chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) should start a series of awareness campaign program within their State to enlighten the populace on the services that a professional QS can offer them with emphasis on the benefits of engaging QS on the small scale projects such as residential building projects. More recommendation has it that as a matter of policy and requirement for building approval criteria, deliverables from QS should be made compulsory. This measure will help every potential residential building client to see QS as an important professional that must be engaged before their project can be successfully delivered.

Originality/value

The study attempted to investigate the factors inhibiting the engagement of QS on private residential building construction projects. This was motivated by the perceived prevalent of non-engagement of QS in the study area with the attendant poor project performance.
Cooperation or coopetition? Online platforms’ private label products encroachment and brand manufacturers’ pricing model selection
Authors: Zha Yong , Ren Lixiang , Li Quan
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study aims to explore the dynamics between the brand manufacturer’s revenue model choice and the platform’s private label product entry strategy, specifically, (1) Under the wholesale and agency models, when should the platform introduce its private label product to compete with the manufacturer? (2) Facing the potential threat of the platform’s entry, how should the manufacturer choose between the wholesale and agency models? (3) How does the platform’s entry strategy affect the manufacturer’s price decisions and demand? (4) What are the implications of the strategic interaction between the manufacturer’s model selection and the platform’s encroachment on social welfare and consumer surplus?

Design/methodology/approach

This study develops a multistage game model consisting of a manufacturer, a platform and consumers. The model describes the strategic interaction between the manufacturer and the platform, where the manufacturer first chooses one of the revenue models from the agency model and the wholesale model, followed by the platform’s decision whether to offer its own products to enter the competition, after which the two parties set the price of their products to compete on price according to their strategies, then the consumers make purchase decisions based on the principle of utility maximization.

Findings

For the platform, to not hurt its profitability in the manufacturer channel with too much competition, lower social utility sensitivity and lower similarity of product imitation rather favor platform entry. Platform entry affects manufacturers’ retail prices and demand differently across different revenue models. Interestingly, if the social utility sensitivity and imitation similarity are moderate, when the commissions extracted by the platform are low, manufacturers still have the incentive to adopt the wholesale model rather than the agency model. In addition, platform entry into competition increases consumer surplus and social welfare only when consumer sensitivity to social utility is low.

Originality/value

The research model innovatively describes the strategic interaction between the manufacturer and the platform; to more accurately portray the consumer demand model, this model also introduces the parameters of the similarity of the platform’s products to the products of the manufacturer, as well as the social utility sensitivity of consumers. Conclusions are drawn on the choice of platform entry strategy versus the choice of revenue model for manufacturers. Relevant managerial insights are provided for both platforms and manufacturers, which partially explains the existing market situation.
The impact of artificial intelligence usage on supply chain resilience in manufacturing firms: a moderated mediation model
Authors: Yue Xiaochen , Kang Mary , Zhang Yanming
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Manufacturing firms must strengthen their supply chain resilience to survive in turbulent business environments. This study explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can be leveraged to enhance supply chain resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on organizational information processing theory, the research investigates the impact of AI usage on proactive and reactive supply chain resilience by fostering referent power in the context of demand dynamism. The study analyzes survey data from 285 Chinese manufacturing firms using structural equation modeling and regression analysis.

Findings

The results indicate that AI usage can enhance both proactive and reactive supply chain resilience. Referent power only mediates the relationship between AI usage and reactive supply chain resilience. Furthermore, this mediating effect is stronger under high-level demand dynamism.

Originality/value

This study highlights the value of AI usage in strengthening supply chain resilience and uncovers its underlying mechanisms. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Internet of things as an enabler of knowledge management in manufacturing firms: does supply chain visibility mediate?
Authors: Doe Precious
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to assess the enabling role of Internet of Things on knowledge management in manufacturing firms and if supply chain visibility mediates this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was a quantitative study. Survey data was collected from 205 manufacturing firms within the Ghana Free Zones area. PLS-SEM was used to test the hypothesized relationship.

Findings

The findings revealed that automation and connectivity have significant positive effects on knowledge acquisition, knowledge generation, and supply chain visibility, while interoperability and real-time data do not have significant effects. Supply chain visibility does not significantly mediate the relationships between IoT dimensions and knowledge management processes.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the limited literature by demonstrating the enabling role of IoT dimensions on knowledge management process and the mediating role of supply chain visibility in the context of manufacturing firms in emerging markets.
Research on the balanced scorecard for government entities: a literature review
Authors: Barros Rúben Silva
Published: February 2025

Purpose

New public management reforms have allocated a central place within public organisations to performance measurement. The balanced scorecard (BSC) is one of the models adapted and promoted for use in that setting. After more than 30 years of practice, this study reviews the leading literature published on the BSC for government entities and considers how it has been developed, the main insights gained and what could be investigated further.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review procedure inspired by a structured literature review process was conducted using the Scopus and Web of Science databases.

Findings

Our research approach allowed us to obtain 39 articles published in 26 journals, showing a steady interest over the period from 1999 to 2022. These studies mainly adopt a case study approach with a practical orientation. With diverse situations reported, ranging from more beneficial situations to ones involving greater difficulties, this study calls for future researchers to investigate not only the implementation and use issues of the BSC but also its continuing use over time and the course that its application may take. Additionally, future researchers should not ignore the political and social issues concerning its implementation and use. We also observe that qualitative approaches are likely to remain valuable research designs for pursuing our research suggestions.

Originality/value

This study offers a comprehensive review of the use of the BSC for government entities, connecting the results and considerations to further research with reflections on NPM.
Entrepreneurial identity construction among communitarians: unravelling the psychological mechanisms
Authors: Poblete Carlos , Acuña Cristina , Mahn Daniel , Rifo Felipe
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Nurturing the social identity approach, encompassing social identity theory and self-categorisation theory, this study aims to unravel the process of entrepreneurial identity construction among communitarians. It seeks to uncover the psychological mechanisms through which entrepreneurs categorise themselves as communitarians, highlighting the importance of community salience, trust and engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

This quantitative study comprises a sample consisting of 253 entrepreneurs. This research presents a sequential mediation model, drawing on salience, trust and engagement as antecedents of social entrepreneurial identity. By analysing the step-by-step mediation process, the research offers a nuanced understanding of how these community dynamics contribute to shaping entrepreneurial identity.

Findings

Entrepreneurs deeply connected to their communities do not naturally identify as communitarians; rather, it is the trust they build and the engagement they foster that shape their entrepreneurial identity. Communal bonds are not merely a backdrop for entrepreneurship but a driving force that moulds identity and action. This study evidenced that the salience of community positively influences community trust and engagement, which, in turn, enhances the development of entrepreneurial identity as communitarians. This underscores the role of social dynamics in shaping entrepreneurial attitudes, beliefs and behaviours.

Originality/value

This research confers a deeper understanding of how entrepreneurs construct and enact their identities, shedding light on the dynamic interplay between social context, shaping attitudes, cognition and behaviours. Exploring entrepreneurial identity among communitarians offers new insights into how social dynamics shape entrepreneurial actions. The study’s value extends to practical applications, offering guidance for policymakers and community leaders in fostering supportive environments that enhance entrepreneurship through greater community engagement and trust.