bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phylogenomics recovers multiple origins of portable case making in caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera), nature’s underwater architects
Authors: Frandsen Paul B. , Holzenthal Ralph W. , Espeland Marianne , Breinholt Jesse , Thomas Thorpe Jessica A. , Simon Sabrina , Kawahara Akito Y. , Plotkin David , Hotaling Scott , Li Yiyuan , Nelson C. Riley , Niehuis Oliver , Mayer Christoph , Podsiadlowski Lars , Donath Alexander , Misof Bernhard , Moriarty Lemmon Emily , Lemmon Alan , Morse John C. , Liu Shanlin , Pauls Steffen U. , Zhou Xin
Published: July 2024

Caddisflies (Trichoptera) are among the most diverse groups of freshwater animals with more than 16 000 described species. They play a fundamental role in freshwater ecology and environmental engineering in streams, rivers and lakes. Because of this, they are frequently used as indicator organisms in biomonitoring programmes. Despite their importance, key questions concerning the evolutionary history of caddisflies, such as the timing and origin of larval case making, remain unanswered owing to the lack of a well-resolved phylogeny. Here, we estimated a phylogenetic tree using a combination of transcriptomes and targeted enrichment data for 207 species, representing 48 of 52 extant families and 174 genera. We calibrated and dated the tree with 33 carefully selected fossils. The first caddisflies originated approximately 295 million years ago in the Permian, and major suborders began to diversify in the Triassic. Furthermore, we show that portable case making evolved in three separate lineages, and shifts in diversification occurred in concert with key evolutionary innovations beyond case making.
Biogeographic and seasonal differences in consumer pressure underlie strong predation in the tropics
Authors: Repetto Michele F. , Torchin Mark E. , Ruiz Gregory M. , Schlöder Carmen , Freestone Amy L.
Published: July 2024

Biotic interactions play a critical role in shaping patterns of global biodiversity. While several macroecological studies provide evidence for stronger predation in tropical regions compared with higher latitudes, results are variable even within the tropics, and the drivers of this variability are not well understood. We conducted two complementary standardized experiments on communities of sessile marine invertebrate prey and their associated predators to test for spatial and seasonal differences in predation across the tropical Atlantic and Pacific coastlines of Panama. We further tested the prediction that higher predator diversity contributes to stronger impacts of predation, using both direct observations of predators and data from extensive reef surveys. Our results revealed substantially higher predation rates and stronger effects of predators on prey in the Pacific than in the Atlantic, demonstrating striking variation within tropical regions. While regional predator diversity was high in the Atlantic, functional diversity at local scales was markedly low. Peak predation strength in the Pacific occurred during the wet, non-upwelling season when ocean temperatures were warmer and predator communities were more functionally diverse. Our results highlight the importance of regional biotic and abiotic drivers that shape interaction strength and the maintenance of tropical communities, which are experiencing rapid environmental change.
Atypical contribution of caspase-3 to melanoma cancer cell motility by regulation of coronin 1B activity
Authors: Berthenet Kevin , Diazzi Serena , Jamard Catherine , Stopa Kinga , Dragan Stefan , Fanfone Deborah , Nguyen Trang , Al Nathalie , Virard Francois , Meurette Olivier , Popgeorgiev Nikolay , Hernandez-Vargas Hector , Ablain Julien , Ichim Gabriel
Published: July 2024

Recent studies have unveiled unexpected connections between cell death and cell motility. While traditionally recognized for their pro-apoptotic roles, caspases have emerged as regulators of physiological processes beyond cell death, including cellular differentiation and motility. In some particularly aggressive cancers like melanoma, caspase-3, a prominent executioner caspase, is unexpectedly and inexplicably highly expressed. Here, we describe a novel non-apoptotic role for caspase-3 in melanoma cell motility. Through comprehensive molecular and cellular analyses, we demonstrate that caspase-3 is constitutively associated with the cytoskeleton and crucially regulates melanoma cell migration and invasionin vitroandin vivo. Mechanistically, caspase-3 interacts with and modulates the activity of coronin 1B, a key regulator of actin polymerization, thereby promoting melanoma cell motility, independently of its apoptotic protease function. Furthermore, we identify specificity protein 1 (SP1) as a transcriptional regulator ofCASP3expression, and show that its inhibition reduces caspase-3 expression and impairs melanoma cell migration. Overall, this study provides insights into the multifaceted roles of caspase-3 in cancer progression, highlighting its relevance as a novel target for anti-metastatic therapies.
Distinct neutrophil effector functions in response to different isolates ofLeishmania aethiopica
Authors: Adem E. , Cervera E. Cruz , Yizengaw E. , Takele Y. , Shorter S. , Cotton J.A. , Getti G. , Kropf P.
Published: July 2024

Background

In Ethiopia, cutaneous leishmaniasis is mainly caused byLeishmania(L.)aethiopicaparasites and presents in three main clinical forms. It is still not clear if the host immune response plays a role in the development of these different presentations. Since neutrophils are likely to be one of the first immune cells present at the site of the sand fly bite, we set up anin vitromodel of infection of neutrophils withL. aethiopicaand assessed neutrophil effector functions. We used freshly isolated clinical isolates and one isolate that has been kept in culture for decades.

Results

Our results showed by flow cytometry that up to a quarter of neutrophils were associated withL. aethiopica; and confocal microscopy demonstrated that all isolates can be internalised. The clinical isolates ofL. aethiopicaassociated more efficiently with neutrophils than the long-term culturedL. aethiopica.At 18hrs, two distinct populations of neutrophils were identified that associated withL. aethiopica, CD15highand CD15lowneutrophils.

Our results also showed that all parasites induced apoptosis inL. aethiopica-associated neutrophils.

Moreover, our results showed that after 2 hrs,L. aethiopica-associated neutrophils upregulated their production of ROS, but to a greater extent with the long-term culturedL. aethiopica. After 18 hrs of incubation, CD15lowparasite+showed an impaired ability to produce ROS as compared to CD15highparasite+.

Conclusion

Using thisin vitromodel, our results show that differentL. aethiopicaparasite isolates, most notably long-term cultured parasites, impacted differently on neutrophil effector functions.
Investigating Ligand-Mediated Conformational Dynamics of Pre-miR21: A Machine-Learning-Aided Enhanced Sampling Study
Authors: Aureli Simone , Bellina Francesco , Rizzi Valerio , Gervasio Francesco Luigi
Published: July 2024

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNA strands that regulate the activity of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) by affecting the repression of protein translation, and their dysregulation has been implicated in several pathologies. miR21 in particular has been implicated in tumourigenesis and anticancer drug resistance, making it a critical target for drug design. miR21 biogenesis involves precise biochemical pathways, including the cleavage of its precursor, pre-miR21, by the enzyme Dicer. The present work investigates the conformational dynamics of pre-miR21, focusing on the role of adenine29 in switching between Dicer-binding-prone and inactive states. We also investigated the effect of L50, a cyclic peptide binder of pre-miR21 and a weak inhibitor of its processing. Using time series data and our novel collective variable-based enhanced sampling technique OneOPES, we simulated these conformational changes and assessed the effect of L50 on the conformational plasticity of pre-miR21. Our results provide insight into peptide-induced conformational changes and pave the way for the development of a computational platform for the screening of inhibitors of pre-miR21 processing that considers RNA flexibility, a stepping stone for an effective structure-based drug design, with potentially broad applications in drug discovery.

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The Potent PHL4 Transcription Factor Effector Domain Contains Significant Disorder
Authors: Fonda Blake D. , Murray Dylan T.
Published: July 2024

The phosphate-starvation response transcription-factor protein family is essential to plant response to low-levels of phosphate. Proteins in this transcription factor (TF) family act by altering various gene expression levels, such as increasing levels of the acid phosphatase proteins which catalyze the conversion of inorganic phosphates to bio-available compounds. There are few structural characterizations of proteins in this TF family, none of which address the potent TF activation domains. The phosphate-starvation response-like protein-4 (PHL4) protein from this family has garnered interest due to the unusually high TF activation activity of the N-terminal domain. Here, we demonstrate using solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements that the PHL4 N-terminal activating TF effector domain is mainly an intrinsically disordered domain of over 200 residues, and that the C-terminal region of PHL4 is also disordered. Additionally, we present evidence from size-exclusion chromatography, diffusion NMR measurements, and a cross-linking assay suggesting full-length PHL4 forms a tetrameric assembly. Together, the data indicate the N- and C-terminal disordered domains in PHL4 flank a central folded region that likely forms the ordered oligomer of PHL4. This work provides a foundation for future studies detailing how the conformations and molecular motions of PHL4 change as it acts as a potent activator of gene expression in phosphate metabolism. Such a detailed mechanistic understanding of TF function will benefit genetic engineering efforts that take advantage of this activity to boost transcriptional activation of genes across different organisms.

Significance

Transcription factor proteins upregulate genes and are essential to concerted biological response to environmental conditions like stress or low nutrient availability. In this work, we show the activating effector domain of the potent PHL4 transcription factor protein is primarily disordered, without well-defined secondary structure, and that the isolated effector domain behaves similarly in isolation as it does in the full-length protein. Our finding is consistent with protein transcription factors often having regions of disorder within their functional activator domains.
Highly multiplexed cytokine analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage and plasma reveals age-related dynamics and correlates of inflammation in children
Authors: Shanthikumar Shivanthan , Gubbels Liam , Davies Karen , Walker Hannah , Wong Anson Tsz Chun , Levi Eric , Saffery Richard , Ranganathan Sarath , Neeland Melanie R.
Published: July 2024

Despite the central role of cytokines in mediating inflammation that underlies a range of childhood diseases, cytokine testing remains primarily limited to research settings and surrogate markers of inflammation are often used to inform clinical diagnostic and treatment decisions. There are currently no reference ranges available for cytokines in healthy children, either systemically (in blood) or at sites of disease (such as the lung). In our study, we aimed to develop an openly accessible reference of cytokines in the airways and blood of healthy children spanning 1 to 16 years of age. We examined how cytokine concentration changes during childhood and assessed whether a core set of cytokine markers could be used to indirectly evaluate the response of a broad spectrum of inflammatory analytes. To develop our reference, a total of 78 unique analytes were measured in cell-free bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and plasma from 78 children. We showed that age profoundly impacts soluble immune analyte concentration in both sample types and identified a highly correlative core set of 10 analytes in BAL and 11 analytes in plasma capable of indirectly evaluating the response of up to 34 inflammatory mediators. This study addresses an urgent need to develop reference ranges for cytokines in healthy children to aid in diagnosis of disease, to determine eligibility for, and to monitor the effects of, cytokine-targeted monoclonal antibody therapy.
Aberrant N-glycosylation is a therapeutic target in carriers of a common and highly pleiotropic mutation in the manganese transporter ZIP8
Authors: Tomar Vartika , Kang John , Lin Ruxian , Brant Steven R. , Lazarev Mark , Tressler Caitlin , Glunde Kristine , Zachara Natasha , Melia Joanna
Published: July 2024

The treatment of defective glycosylation in clinical practice has been limited to patients with rare and severe phenotypes associated with congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG). Carried by approximately 5% of the human population, the discovery of the highly pleiotropic, missense mutation in a manganese transporter ZIP8 has exposed under-appreciated roles for Mn homeostasis and aberrant Mn-dependent glycosyltransferases activity leading to defective N-glycosylation in complex human diseases. Here, we test the hypothesis that aberrant N-glycosylation contributes to disease pathogenesis of ZIP8 A391T-associated Crohn’s disease. Analysis of N-glycan branching in intestinal biopsies demonstrates perturbation in active Crohn’s disease and a genotype-dependent effect characterized by increased truncated N-glycans. A mouse model of ZIP8 391-Thr recapitulates the intestinal glycophenotype of patients carrying mutations in ZIP8. Borrowing from therapeutic strategies employed in the treatment of patients with CDGs, oral monosaccharide therapy with N-acetylglucosamine ameliorates the epithelial N-glycan defect, bile acid dyshomeostasis, intestinal permeability, and susceptibility to chemical-induced colitis in a mouse model of ZIP8 391-Thr. Together, these data support ZIP8 391-Thr alters N-glycosylation to contribute to disease pathogenesis, challenging the clinical paradigm that CDGs are limited to patients with rare diseases. Critically, the defect in glycosylation can be targeted with monosaccharide supplementation, providing an opportunity for genotype-driven, personalized medicine.
A NATUrally Randomized trial Evaluating a vaccine-like strategy to lower LDL by inhibiting PCSK9 on the lifetime risk of major cardiovascular events (NATURE-PCSK9)
Authors: Ference Brian A , Ference Thatcher B. , Catapano Alberico L , Nicholls Stephen J. , Ray Kausik K
Published: July 2024

Background

Maintaining low levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) over time has the potential to substantially reduce the lifetime risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, the optimal timing of lowering LDL to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular events is unknown.

Methods

We combined evidence from Mendelian randomization studies and randomized trials to develop a causal AI algorithm to estimate the benefit of lowering LDL on the risk of major cardiovascular events (MCVE) in discrete time-units of exposure. We tested the accuracy of this algorithm among 440,371 participants randomized by nature to a partial loss-of-function (LOF) variant in the PCSK9 gene, and 46,488 participants in two large randomized trials of PCSK9 inhibitors. We then used this algorithm to estimate the benefit of lowering LDL using a once-yearly dose of an siRNA directed against PCSK9 beginning at different ages among 2.3 million men and women.

Results

The causal AI algorithm accurately estimated the benefit of lifelong lower LDL due to partial loss-of-function of the PCSK9 gene, and the benefit of lowering LDL with a PCSK9 inhibitor starting at a mean age of 61 years, with nearly superimposable observed and predicted event curves. Lowering LDL by 36% was estimated to reduce the lifetime risk of MCVE by 57% (HR: 0.43, 95%CI: 0.39-0.47) if started at age 30, by 48% (HR: 0.52, 95%CI: 0.50-0.54) if started at age 40, by 38% (HR: 0.62, 95%CI: 0.60-0.65) if started at age 50, and by 26% (HR: 0.74, 95%CI: 0.71-0.77) if started at age 60 years. Moderate LDL lowering starting at age 40 years was estimated to have a greater benefit than more aggressively LDL lowering beginning at age 55 years, with a lower residual risk at all ages. In addition, the benefit of earlier LDL lowering persisted throughout life leading to a quantifiable legacy benefit.

Conclusions

The benefit of lowering LDL is determined by the magnitude, duration, and timing of LDL lowering. Modest sustained LDL lowering beginning in early to middle adulthood, which can be achieved with a once-yearly dose of a PCSK9 siRNA, may be the optimal strategy to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular events by slowing the progression of atherosclerosis.
Estimating allele frequencies, ancestry proportions and genotype likelihoods in the presence of mapping bias
Authors: Günther Torsten , Goldberg Amy , Schraiber Joshua G.
Published: July 2024

Population genomic analyses rely on an accurate and unbiased characterization of the genetic composition of the studied population. For short-read, high-throughput sequencing data, mapping sequencing reads to a linear reference genome can bias population genetic inference due to mismatches in reads carrying non-reference alleles. In this study, we investigate the impact of mapping bias on allele frequency estimates from pseudohaploid data, commonly used in ultra-low coverage ancient DNA sequencing. To mitigate mapping bias, we propose an empirical adjustment to genotype likelihoods. Using data from the 1000 Genomes Project, we find that our new method improves allele frequency estimation. To test a downstream application, we simulate ancient DNA data with realistic post-mortem damage to compare widely used methods for estimating ancestry proportions under different scenarios, including reference genome selection, population divergence, and sequencing depth. Our findings reveal that mapping bias can lead to differences in estimated admixture proportion of up to 4% depending on the reference population. However, the choice of method has a much stronger impact, with some methods showing differences of 10%.qpAdmappears to perform best at estimating simulated ancestry proportions, but it is sensitive to mapping bias and its applicability may vary across species due to its requirement for additional populations beyond the sources and target population. Our adjusted genotype likelihood approach largely mitigates the effect of mapping bias on genome-wide ancestry estimates from genotype likelihood-based tools. However, it cannot account for the bias introduced by the method itself or the noise in individual site allele frequency estimates due to low sequencing depth. Overall, our study provides valuable insights for obtaining more precise estimates of allele frequencies and ancestry proportions in empirical studies.
Large-scale genomic analysis of the domestic dog informs biological discovery
Authors: Buckley Reuben M. , Ostrander Elaine A.
Published: July 2024

Recent advances in genomics, coupled with a unique population structure and remarkable levels of variation, have propelled the domestic dog to new levels as a system for understanding fundamental principles in mammalian biology. Central to this advance are more than 350 recognized breeds, each a closed population that has undergone selection for unique features. Genetic variation in the domestic dog is particularly well characterized compared with other domestic mammals, with almost 3000 high-coverage genomes publicly available. Importantly, as the number of sequenced genomes increases, new avenues for analysis are becoming available. Herein, we discuss recent discoveries in canine genomics regarding behavior, morphology, and disease susceptibility. We explore the limitations of current data sets for variant interpretation, tradeoffs between sequencing strategies, and the burgeoning role of long-read genomes for capturing structural variants. In addition, we consider how large-scale collections of whole-genome sequence data drive rare variant discovery and assess the geographic distribution of canine diversity, which identifies Asia as a major source of missing variation. Finally, we review recent comparative genomic analyses that will facilitate annotation of the noncoding genome in dogs.
Empirical relations for
α
-decay half-lives: The effect of deformation of daughter nuclei
Authors: Denisov V. Yu.
Published: July 2024

The influence of the daughter nuclei deformations on the α decay's half-life is modeled by adding the term depending on the quadrupole deformation parameter value to the empirical relations for the α-decay half-lives. It is shown that the addition of the deformation-dependent term led to a better description of the experimental data by the empirical expressions for the half-lives of the α decay than the ones without it. A new empirical expression for a description of the α-decay half-lives is proposed. The empirical relation for the α decay half-lives for the transitions from the ground state to the ground state and the lowest 2+ state of the even-even nuclei is discussed.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Confinement slingshot and gravitational waves
Authors: Bachmaier Maximilian , Dvali Gia , Valbuena-Bermúdez Juan Sebastián , Zantedeschi Michael
Published: July 2024

In this paper, we introduce and numerically simulate a quantum-field-theoretic phenomenon called the gauge “slingshot” effect and study its production of gravitational waves. The effect occurs when a source, such as a magnetic monopole or a quark, crosses the boundary between the Coulomb and confining phases. The corresponding gauge field of the source, either electric or magnetic, gets confined into a flux tube stretching in the form of a string (cosmic or a QCD type) that attaches the source to the domain wall separating the two phases. The string tension accelerates the source toward the wall as sort of a slingshot. The slingshot phenomenon is also exhibited by various sources of other codimensionality, such as cosmic strings confined by domain walls or vortices confined by Z2 strings. Apart from the field-theoretic value, the slingshot effect has important cosmological implications, as it provides a distinct source for gravitational waves. The effect is expected to be generic in various extensions of the standard model such as grand unification.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Hybrid model of condensate and particle dark matter: Linear perturbations in the hydrodynamic limit
Authors: Proukakis Nick P. , Rigopoulos Gerasimos , Soto Alex
Published: July 2024

We analyze perturbations of self-interacting, scalar field dark matter that contains modes in both a coherent condensate state and an incoherent particlelike state. Starting from the coupled equations for the condensate, the particles’ phase-space distribution, and their mutual gravitational potential, first derived from first principles in earlier work by the authors, we derive a hydrodynamic limit of two coupled fluids and study their linearized density perturbations in an expanding universe, also including particle pressure under an assumption for an equation of state consistent with the dynamical equations. We find that away from the condensate-only or particle-only limits, and for certain ranges of the parameters, such self-interacting mixtures can significantly enhance the density power spectrum above the standard linear ΛCDM value at localized wave numbers, even pushing structure formation into the nonlinear regime earlier than expected in ΛCDM for these scales. We also note that such mixtures can lead to degeneracies between models with different boson masses and self-coupling strengths, in particular, between self-coupled models and noncoupled fuzzy dark matter made up of heavier bosons. These findings open up the possibility of a richer phenomenology in scalar field dark matter models and could further inform efforts to place observational limits on their parameters.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Impact of nanometer-thin stiff layer on adhesion to rough surfaces
Authors: Kumar Shubhendu , Gaire Babu , Persson B. N. J. , Dhinojwala Ali
Published: July 2024

Adhesives require molecular contact, which is governed by roughness, modulus, and load. Here, we measured adhesion for stiff glassy polymer layers of varying thickness on top of a soft elastomer with rough substrates. We found that a 90-nm-thick PMMA layer on a softer elastic block was sufficient to drop macroscopic adhesion to almost zero during the loading cycle. This drop in adhesion for bilayers follows the modified Persson-Tosatti model, where the elastic energy for conformal contact depends on the thickness and modulus of the bilayer. In contrast, we observed no dependence on thickness of the PMMA layer on the work of adhesion calculated using the pull-off forces. Understanding how mechanical gradients (like bilayers) affect adhesion is critical for areas such as adhesion, friction, and colloidal and granular physics.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Emergence of odd elasticity in a microswimmer using deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Lin Li-Shing , Yasuda Kento , Ishimoto Kenta , Komura Shigeyuki
Published: July 2024

We use the Deep Q-Network with reinforcement learning to investigate the emergence of odd elasticity in an elastic microswimmer model. For an elastic microswimmer, it is challenging to obtain the optimized dynamics due to the intricate elastohydrodynamic interactions. However, our machine-trained model adopts a transition strategy (the waiting behavior) to optimize the locomotion. For the trained microswimmers, we evaluate the performance of the cycles by the product of the loop area (called ) and the loop frequency and show that the average swimming velocity is proportional to the performance. By calculating the force-displacement correlations, we obtain the effective odd elasticity of the microswimmer to characterize its nonreciprocal dynamics. This emergent odd elasticity is shown to be closely related to the loop frequency of the cyclic deformation. Our work demonstrates the utility of machine learning in achieving optimal dynamics for elastic microswimmers and introduces postanalysis methods to extract crucial physical quantities such as nonreciprocality and odd elasticity.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Accelerating analysis of Boltzmann equations using Gaussian mixture models: Application to quantum Bose-Fermi mixtures
Authors: Dolgirev Pavel E. , Seetharam Kushal , Kanász-Nagy Márton , Robens Carsten , Yan Zoe Z. , Zwierlein Martin , Demler Eugene
Published: July 2024

The Boltzmann equation is a powerful theoretical tool for modeling the collective dynamics of quantum many-body systems subject to external perturbations. Analysis of the equation gives access to linear response properties including collective modes and transport coefficients, but often proves intractable due to computational costs associated with multidimensional integrals describing collision processes. Here, we present a method to resolve this bottleneck, enabling the study of a broad class of many-body systems that appear in fundamental science contexts and technological applications. Specifically, we demonstrate that a Gaussian mixture model can accurately represent equilibrium distribution functions, thereby allowing efficient evaluation of collision integrals. Inspired by cold atom experiments, we apply this method to investigate the collective behavior of a quantum Bose-Fermi mixture of cold atoms in a cigar-shaped trap, a system that is particularly challenging to analyze. We focus on monopole and quadrupole collective modes above the Bose-Einstein transition temperature, and find a rich phenomenology that spans interference effects between bosonic and fermionic collective modes, dampening of these modes, and the emergence of hydrodynamics in various parameter regimes. These effects are readily verifiable experimentally.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Deconfined quantum criticality of nodal
d
-wave superconductivity, Néel order, and charge order on the square lattice at half-filling
Authors: Christos Maine , Shackleton Henry , Sachdev Subir , Luo Zhu-Xi
Published: July 2024

We consider a SU(2) lattice gauge theory on the square lattice, with a single fundamental complex fermion and a single fundamental complex boson on each lattice site. Projective symmetries of the gauge-charged fermions are chosen so that they match with those of the spinons of the π-flux spin liquid. Global symmetries of all gauge-invariant observables are chosen to match with those of the particle-hole symmetric electronic Hubbard model at half-filling. Consequently, both the fundamental fermion and fundamental boson move in an average background π-flux, their gauge-invariant composite is the physical electron, and eliminating gauge fields in a strong gauge-coupling expansion yields an effective extended Hubbard model for the electrons. The SU(2) gauge theory displays several confining/Higgs phases: a nodal d-wave superconductor, and states with Néel, valence-bond solid, charge, or staggered current orders. There are also a number of quantum phase transitions between these phases that are very likely described by (2+1)-dimensional deconfined conformal gauge theories, and we present large flavor expansions for such theories. These include the phenomenologically attractive case of a transition between a conventional insulator with a charge gap and Néel order, and a conventional d-wave superconductor with gapless Bogoliubov quasiparticles at four nodal points in the Brillouin zone. We also apply our approach to the honeycomb lattice, where we find a bicritical point at the junction of Néel, valence bond solid (Kekulé), and Dirac semimetal phases.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Workplace small talk and task performance: the chain mediation role of relational energy and positive affect
Authors: Chen Yuling , Shao Jingzhi , Chen Charles Weizheng , Wan Fang
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Small talk, often regarded as a superficial interaction unrelated to work, is a pervasive and inescapable aspect of daily life and professional settings. In China, where the notion of guanxi – the cultivation of strategic relationships – is deeply valued, workplace small talk (WST) is a strategic tool used by employees to strengthen their interpersonal networks. This study aims to investigate the positive impact of WST on task performance within the Chinese workplace and explores the mechanisms underpinning this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a time-lagged research design to test its hypotheses using data from 516 employees across various Chinese firms.

Findings

This study revealed that WST exerts both direct and indirect positive effects on task performance. It boosts task performance indirectly via two mediators: relational energy and positive affect. This study also delineated a chain mediation model wherein WST sequentially elevates task performance by first enhancing relational energy and then fostering positive affect.

Originality/value

Counter to the prevailing focus on the negative repercussions of WST, this study sheds light on its beneficial outcomes, proposing novel pathways connecting WST to task performance. These insights contribute to both academic discourse and the development of practical management strategies.
Brexit and the fintech revolution in Europe: lessons from the Bulgarian digital finance sector
Authors: Radev Deyan , Penev Georgi
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the drivers of the resilience of the fintech sector in emerging Europe (EU) by analyzing the performance of 128 Bulgarian fintech companies in the period around the Referendum for Brexit in 2016. The Referendum was followed by a rapid growth of the Bulgarian fintech sector at a moment when venture capital funding was limited, which challenged firms to improve their fundamentals.

Design/methodology/approach

This empirical paper uses descriptive and panel data analysis based on the firm balance sheet and income statement data at the annual level.

Findings

The results show that larger and better-capitalized firms, which outsource their non-core activities and focus on their main competitive strengths, tend to have higher operating income and profit. The authors also find positive real-economy effects as these companies hire more actively to maintain growth. The results are primarily driven by the post-Brexit period of 2016–2019 when the authors find a tighter link between performance and firm fundamentals. These results have important managerial and policy implications and provide interesting directions for future research.

Practical implications

The findings have important management and policy implications. The authors argue that the flexibility of the Bulgarian fintech cluster, including the practice of Bulgarian fintech startups to outsource non-core activities; the readiness of universities to open new master programs to address firm demand for skilled labor and the startup-friendly environment in the main cluster hotspot, Sofia, has contributed to the resilience of the sector and can explain the drivers behind our findings. Fintech firms are very efficient in utilizing external services to foster their performance and growth, which may suggest that public policies that provide financial support for cloud services and outsourcing for startups during downturns or crises may improve economic growth and may have positive externalities for the supporting sectors that provide these services.

Originality/value

This paper fulfills an identified need to study the drivers of Fintech performance to identify best practices for managerial actions during economic or political crises, as well as government policy recommendations. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is one of the first empirical academic studies that examine the impact of Brexit on the European Fintech sector and real economy. The identified managerial strategies for ensuring regional resilience to economic crises and political shocks can be applied in various settings within and outside the EU.
Awareness marketing: cause-related marketing without direct contribution
Authors: Minton Elizabeth A. , Cabano Frank Gregory
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Prior research has investigated the benefit of companies that engage in cause-related marketing initiatives. However, this prior research has not adequately examined cause-related marketing situations when brands raise awareness for a cause without contribution of tangible resources to the cause (i.e. awareness marketing); thus, the purpose of this paper is to introduce and test awareness marketing as a new type of cause-related marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

Through four experimental studies with different sample sources, the authors introduce and examine a new type of cause-related marketing (awareness marketing) as well as identify mediating explanatory mechanisms.

Findings

Awareness marketing produces similarly heightened purchase intentions to other types of cause-related marketing (e.g. financial donation) when compared to situations where cause-related marketing is not used. Awareness marketing can also lead to higher brand authenticity and brand originality perceptions in some situations when compared to cause-related marketing incorporating a financial donation component or when no cause-related marketing is used. Brand perceptions and consumers’ perceived self-brand connection mediate the relationship from cause-related marketing to purchase intentions.

Research limitations/implications

This research is limited by conducting studies in only experimental conditions and in one culture. Theoretical implications are provided to the literature on brand authenticity and self-brand connection. In doing so, the authors explain why awareness marketing is evaluated differently than other types of cause-related marketing or marketing without any cause reference.

Practical implications

Marketers would benefit from using awareness marketing (i.e. raising awareness for a cause without direct contribution to the cause) as a lower investment alternative to traditional cause-related marketing efforts.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research to introduce awareness marketing as a new type of cause-related marketing and compare it to traditional types of cause-related marketing, thereby providing novel contributions as to how cause-related marketing can effectively increase purchase intentions without making a financial, product or other tangible contribution to a cause.
Lean thinking and risk management in healthcare organizations: a systematic literature review and research agenda
Authors: Mendes Luis , França Grazielle
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Healthcare organizations have been facing challenges due to high costs and low efficiency in health services. The growth of costs and losses caused by avoidable mistakes lead to the search for solutions, and Health Lean Management appears as a potential solution to help in solving service quality problems, as well as reducing risks. This study aims to analyse the state of the art in the literature centred on the Lean approach in the context of risk management in healthcare organizations, and to identify new research opportunities, highlighting possible lines of future research.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a systematic literature review approach, 51 papers were considered relevant for this research, and reviewed to explore the development of literature in this area.

Findings

Based on the results, five main research streams were identified: (1) risk management oriented towards patient safety; (2) risk management oriented towards employee safety; (3) importance of attitudes and behaviours in risk reduction projects; (4) Lean tools used in healthcare risk management and (5) Integration of approaches. Moreover, several shortcomings were identified in literature.

Originality/value

Identified shortcomings represent significant opportunities for further research development.
Navigating academic and everyday life challenges in the US: the role of social media for international graduate students
Authors: He Dan
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the adaptive experiences of first-year international graduate students at a US university. It aims to understand the challenges they encounter, strategies they adopt with social media to navigate these challenges and tensions that emerge in their social media interactions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a qualitative multiple-case research design to collect data from 22 semistructured interviews with 11 participants. Additionally, 110 social media artifacts were collected, focusing on international students’ use of social media in everyday and academic contexts.

Findings

This paper offers empirical insights into social media’s role in helping international students address practical challenges and fulfill learning needs in academic studies, assistantships, cultural understanding and the constructions of ethnic and peer groups for emotional and social support. Additionally, it identifies tensions such as addiction, distractions, emotional distress and the creation of filter bubbles.

Research limitations/implications

Given the qualitative approach of this paper, the generalizability of study findings is limited. Future studies can focus on different sites to explore context-related issues, students across different years or use a longitudinal research design to further explore international students’ experiences in relation to social media use and its role in their adaptation over time.

Practical implications

This paper proposes implementing social media curricula in universities to educate students on media literacy and digital competence and create peer groups to support international students beyond classrooms.

Originality/value

This paper adds value to informal learning literature focusing on international students.
Geopolitical risk and cash holdings: evidence from an emerging economy
Authors: Behera Manoja , Mahakud Jitendra
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study aims to examine the influence of geopolitical risk (GPR) on corporate cash holdings in an emerging market, India. It also investigates whether the effect of GPR on cash holdings varies across financially constrained and unconstrained firms, and across the different sectors.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the fixed-effect regression model to examine the effect of GPR on the corporate cash holdings of 2090 Indian firms from 2003 to 2021. To correct the potential endogeneity issue and ensure the robustness of the results, this study uses two-stage least squares regression, alternative cash holdings proxies, GPR measures and across the different periods (Global financial crisis and COVID-19).

Findings

The paper finds that GPR has a positive impact on the cash holdings of Indian firms. The authors also find that the positive relationship between GPR and cash holdings is consistent for financially constrained and unconstrained firms. Furthermore, the results also show that firms in the construction sector maintain higher cash reserves than other sectors.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first-ever studies which examines the effect of GPR on corporate cash holding for an emerging economy like India. The use of alternative measures of cash holding, GPR, and estimation methods make this study more robust.
A thematic review on the elements of facilities condition index (FCI) as facilities performance indicator
Authors: Raja Zilan Raja Nurul Waheeda , Che-Ani Adi Irfan , Abd Wahab Siti Rashidah Hanum
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to review the elements of facilities condition index (FCI) as one of the most widely used metrics for describing the physical condition of facilities and as a measure of financial indicator related to maintenance activity. This research will benefit future studies that focus on implementation of FCI and encourage the best practice when assessing the physical condition to evaluate the performance of facilities as well as to plan for maintenance action to be taken and financial implication involved based on the findings from FCI.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 33 studies from 2012 to 2022 were identified and extracted from four academic databased, named Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science and Mendeley. These published studies were selected because it matches with the inclusion requirements for research question, “What are the elements of facilities condition index discussed in the literature from 2012 to 2022?”. To answer the research question, the studies in ATLAS.ti were grouped into five major themes based on the codes and categories found.

Findings

This paper presents the findings of a thematic analysis of the current literature discussed about FCI. A total of 33 studies from 2012 to 2022 were identified and extracted from four academic databased, named Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science and Mendeley. A themed review was conducted, and five themes were identified as elements of FCI, which are named as follows: “Condition Assessment”, “Deferred Maintenance”, “Facilities Performance”, “Financial and Fund Allocation” and “Decision Making”.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils the fundamental elements on current FCI practices as well as intended to highlight existing practices that are essential to evaluate facilities performance and planning for maintenance strategies.
Good team players? The impact of team member knowledge, skills and abilities on sourcing teamwork and sourcing task-work effectiveness
Authors: Lonsdale Chris , Sanderson Joe , Esfahbodi Ali
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to enhance understanding of the use of sourcing teams (STs) by organisations in their procurement and supply chain management. The paper achieves this by exploring, within the context of the supply chain directorate of a global aerospace manufacturing company (GAMC), both the relationship between sourcing teamwork effectiveness (TE) and sourcing task-work effectiveness (TA) and the relationship between individual team member knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) and TE.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors develop a theoretical model positing positive links between both KSAs and TE and TE and TA. The model is empirically validated using partial least squares structural equation modelling in a survey of 108 ST members from a GAMC.

Findings

The authors identify that, within GAMC, four of five KSAs drive TE and further discover the direct effects of TE on improved TA. Additionally, the authors observe within GAMC the indirect effects of KSAs on TA cascading through TE.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include the use of a single firm and self-report measures for data collection. In spite of this, the paper has numerous research implications. Previous research on STs has combined factors related to TE and TA. In this paper, TE and TA were disaggregated, and the relationships between them were explored. The relationships were found to be positive within GAMC, a finding that strengthens the evidence base supporting the use of STs by organisations in their procurement and supply chain management. In addition, the paper also strengthened the evidence base regarding the importance of KSAs to TE, which complements existing research highlighting the importance of team-level factors and individual technical attributes.

Practical implications

The findings from GAMC suggest that executives/managers should take an individual as well as a team-level perspective when developing STs and should consider KSAs as well as technical knowledge when judging individuals’ suitability for inclusion within an ST. There are established KSA tests in the literature that could be used by managers for this task. The findings also inform executives/managers that TE matters for TA and needs attention and investment, especially where sourcing tasks concern high-value areas and/or critical incidents within supply chains.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to explore the relationship between TE and TA. Establishing that this relationship is a positive one provides critically important evidence regarding the efficacy of STs, which are widely used within procurement and supply chain management. It is also a rare study looking at TE from the perspective of individual team member KSAs, with further positive relationships revealed. Both findings enhance what is a very limited literature on a widely used practice within procurement and supply chain management.