bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TERT prevents obesity-induced metabolic disorders by promoting adipose stem cell expansion and differentiation
Authors: Braud Laura , Bernabe Manuel , Vernerey Julien , Miranda Antonio M.A. , Dominguez Andrea , Churikov Dmitri , Richaud Manon , Mc Allan Liam , Lachaud Christophe , Gil Jesus , Scott Will , Géli Vincent
Published: January 2025

Obesity is linked to limited adipose tissue (AT) remodeling capacity, leading to hypertrophic adipocytes, senescence, and inflammation. We used a mouse model expressingmTert(p21+/Tert) from the Cdkn1a locus to investigate the role of mTERT in obesity-induced metabolic disorders. Conditional expression of mTERT reduces metabolic disorders associated with obesity. In AT, this is accompanied by a decrease in the number of senescent p21-positive cells, very short telomeres, and oxidative DNA damage. Single nucleus RNA-seq data reveal TERT expression attenuates senescence induced by HFD in particular in adipose stem and progenitor cells (ASPC). We show that ASPC expansion and differentiation are promoted in p21+/Tertobese mice, thereby reducing metabolic disorders. We further report that mTERT remodels the landscape of macrophages in AT of obese mice. Strikingly, inactivation of mTERT catalytic activity in p21+/Tert(p21+/TertCi) mice suppresses the promotion of adipocyte formation, but neither affects attenuation of senescence nor macrophage remodeling. These results highlight mTERT’s canonical and non-canonical functions in reducing obesity-associated metabolic disorders. Conditional expression of TERT thus appears as a potential therapeutic option for obesity.
Tastes and retronasal odours evoke a shared flavour-specific neural code in the human insula
Authors: Khorisantono Putu Agus , Veldhuizen Maria G. , Seubert Janina
Published: January 2025

During food consumption, tastes combine with retronasal odours to form flavour, which leads to a link so robust that retronasal odours can elicit taste sensations without concurrent taste stimulation. However, the cortical integration of these parallel sensory signals remains unclear. Here, we combine a flavour-binding paradigm and functional neuroimaging to test whether retronasal odorants evoke encoding patterns in the insula similar to those of their paired tastants. Healthy participants attended a familiarisation session with congruent sweet and savoury flavours followed by two fMRI sessions where they separately received the constituent tastants and odorants. Multivariate pattern analysis revealed classification of retronasal odours within the insula, exhibiting overlapping representations with their associated tastes, particularly in the ventral anterior insula. Additionally, we observed temporal instability in insular taste representations, paralleling findings in rodent gustatory cortex. These findings underscore the robust integration of gustatory and retronasal olfactory processing that underpin the flavour percept.
Optimising CAR-T cell sensitivity by engineering matched extracellular sizes between CAR/antigen and CD2/CD58 adhesion complexes
Authors: Burton Jake , Siller-Farfán Jesús A. , Andre Violaine , Jenkins Edward , Barton Michael I. , Bustamante Eguiguren Sofia , Cabezas Caballero Jose , Davis Simon J. , Weikl Thomas R , van der Merwe P. Anton , Dushek Omer
Published: January 2025

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells exhibit low antigen sensitivity, which restricts their therapeutic efficacy and leads to patient relapses when cancer cells downregulate antigen expression. Despite the pressing need to overcome this limitation, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that enhancing CAR sensitivity to match the sensitivity of the T-cell receptor (TCR) can be achieved by engineering matched extracellular sizes of CAR/antigen and CD2/CD58 complexes. We find that different CAR/antigen sizes, which are generated by different CAR architectures and different target antigens, require a different CD2/CD58 size to optimise sensitivity. This extracellular size-matching improves antigen engagement and co-localisation of CAR/antigen and CD2/CD58 complexes. We also find that size-matching controls co-inhibition of CARs by PD-1/PD-L1. These findngs highlight the importance of size-matching for signal integration by surface receptors and offers a new approach to tune CAR-T cell sensitivity by matching or mismatching extracellular sizes.

One sentence summary

The antigen sensitivity of CAR-T cells can be tuned to match the sensitivity of TCR-T cells by varying the relative extracellular size of CAR/antigen and CD2/CD58 complexes.

Graphical abstract
Corticotropin-releasing hormone in melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer
Authors: Mueller Marcel , Melchers Susanne , Mueller Iris , Utikal Jochen , Krug Julia , Schmieder Astrid
Published: January 2025

Background

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is involved in the regulation of immunological and cellular processes. Recently, CRH has been found to be expressed in skin cancers, where its expression appears to correlate with the degree of malignancy.

Objective

This study correlates CRH expression in melanoma metastases with patient survival and compares the intensity of CRH expression in melanoma to that in less aggressive skin cancer entities.

Methods

Tissue microarrays with cores from 94 melanomas and 40 melanocytic nevi and 51 slides from 41 basal cell carcinomas (BCC) and 10 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) were immunohistochemically stained for CRH. The intensity of CRH expression in melanoma metastases was stratified by sex and correlated with patient survival. Furthermore, proliferation and apoptosis were assessed in CRH-stimulated A431 cells using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and an apoptosis detection kit.

Results

The intensity of CRH expression was higher in primary melanomas than in melanocytic nevi. Higher CRH expression was also found in melanoma metastases from women compared to men. However, higher CRH expression was correlated with reduced overall survival only in men. Compared to melanoma, BCCs and SCCs showed weaker CRH expression, which was in line with the finding that in vitro, CRH stimulation of the A431 cells reduced their proliferative activity.

Conclusion

CRH does not necessarily correlate with the degree of malignancy, as semi-malignant cancers such as BCC show higher levels of CRH expression than SCCs. In melanoma, CRH expression in metastases may be an important prognostic factor for overall survival in men, which needs further evaluation.

Statement of contribution

Marcel Mueller and Susanne Melchers performed all experiments and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Iris Mueller helped with the experiments and reviewed the manuscript, Jochen Utikal assembled the tissue microarrays and reviewed the manuscript, Julia Krug helped with the figures and reviewed the manuscript, and Astrid Schmieder designed and supervised the project and corrected the manuscript.
NNMT promotes tubular senescence and fibrosis in chronic kidney disease
Authors: Chanvillard Lucie , Lantermans Hildo , Wall Christopher , Thevenet Jonathan , Butter Loes , Tauzin Loic , Claessen Nike , Christen Stefan , Karaz Sonia , Lassueur Steve , Lizzo Giulia , Sanchez-Garcia José Luis , Métairon Sylviane , Holzwarth James A. , Ferro Valentina , Moco Sofia , van Bommel Erik J.M. , van Baar Michael J.B. , Hesp Anne C. , van Raalte Daniel H. , Roelofs Joris J.T.H. , Sanders Matthew J. , Feige Jerome N. , Sorrentino Vincenzo , Tammaro Alessandra
Published: January 2025

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global health issue, projected to become the fifth leading cause of mortality by 2040. Renal tubular cell senescence is a key driver of kidney fibrosis, the final manifestation of CKD. However, current treatment strategies, do not target senescent cells, as the underlying mechanisms driving this dysfunctional phenotype remain poorly described. Here, we identify nicotinamide-N-methyltransferase (NNMT), as a critical mediator of tubular senescence and fibrosis in CKD. Using human RNAseq profiles of CKD, we show that NNMT expression in the renal tubulointerstitium is strongly associated with CKD pathology and transcriptional signatures of cellular senescence. In human diabetic kidney disease biopsies, NNMT levels correlate with the senescence marker p21, kidney function decline, and fibrosis. Spatial transcriptomics further highlights that NNMT-positive tubules are senescent, fibrotic, and surrounded by a pro-inflammatory microenvironment. Preclinical models of early-stage CKD, show upregulation of NNMT and association with senescence. Overexpression of NNMT in TGF-β-stimulated tubular epithelial cells promotes senescence and partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), while inhibition of NNMT in kidney cells and organoids is protective. Altogether, we identify NNMT as a novel therapeutic target in the early stages of CKD with the potential to reduce tubular senescence, fibrosis and significantly slow disease progression.
Understanding the biochemical significance of the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier in the rodent malarial parasite,Plasmodium berghei
Authors: Pandey Nivedita , Sen Roy Chitralekha , Bellur Asutosh , Balaram Hemalatha
Published: January 2025

Mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) protein has been established as the key pyruvate transporter across the inner mitochondrial membrane. InPlasmodium, flux through the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is low in the asexual stages that is upregulated in the gametocytes with greater utilization of glutamine than glucose to drive the cycle. Acetyl-CoA in the mitochondrion has been established to be essential for the parasite. In this context, we established the biochemical function ofP. bergheiMPC as a pyruvate transporter through functional complementation in yeast. InP. berghei, both subunits, MPC1 and MPC2 were found to localize to the mitochondrion and surprisingly, were found to be non-essential for the blood stages and for ookinete formation. Through metabolite tracing studies using13C6-glucose and13C515N2L-glutamine, we have derived the biochemical basis for this observed phenotype of Δmpc1Δmpc2parasites. Our studies suggest the presence of an aminotransferase localized to the mitochondrion that converts alanine to pyruvate, leading to the continued production of acetyl-CoA in the organelle even in the absence of MPC. This highlights the existence of metabolic plasticity, a survival strategy, that enables the utilization of different metabolic precursors for the generation of acetyl-CoA in the mitochondrion.
Chiari II brain malformation is secondary to open spina bifida
Authors: Clark Maryam , Edwards Timothy J. , Savery Dawn , Galea Gabriel L. , Samy Nagaraj , Pauws Erwin , Kessaris Nicoletta , Greene Nicholas D.E. , Copp Andrew J.
Published: January 2025

The Chiari II brain malformation affects 90% of children with open spina bifida. The hindbrain herniates through the foramen magnum into the vertebral canal leading to frequent hydrocephalus and occasional respiratory emergency. Chiari II is not confined to the back of the brain, but is a global brain syndrome, with supratentorial defects that are associated with learning disability, affecting 20-25% of children with open spina bifida. The reason for the association between Chiari II and open spina bifida has long been debated. Separate effects on the brain and spinal cord of causative genetic or non-genetic factor(s) are possible. Conversely, Chiari II may be secondary to open spina bifida, and a prominent hypothesis cites chronic leakage of cerebrospinal fluid through the open spinal lesion as causative. To resolve the issue of causation, we bred mice in whichPax3gene function is conditionally deleted byCdx2Cre, specifically in the lower body, whereas the head is wild-type. Open spina bifida is seen in allCdx2cre; Pax3fl/flfetuses, together with many of the features of Chiari II in the wild-type brain of the mice. These include: hindbrain and cerebellar herniation, cortical thinning, hypogenesis of the corpus callosum and hippocampus, heterotopic neurons in the cerebral cortex and habenula and thickening of the proliferative zone. We conclude that the brain defects of Chiari II arise secondary to open spina bifida, with the implication that these may occur early in human gestation through disturbed neurogenesis. TheCdx2cre; Pax3fl/flmouse provides a model for improved understanding of Chiari II pathogenesis.
Recombination, truncation and horizontal transfer shape the diversity of cytoplasmic incompatibility patterns
Authors: Namias Alice , Martinez Julien , Boussou Iliana , Terretaz Kevin , Conner Will , Justy Fabienne , Makoundou Patrick , Perriat-Sanguinet Marco , Labbé Pierrick , Sicard Mathieu , Landmann Frederic , Weill Mylène
Published: January 2025

Wolbachiaare endosymbiotic bacteria inducing various reproductive manipulations of which cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is the most common. CI leads to reduced embryo viability in crosses between males carryingWolbachiaand uninfected females or those carrying an incompatible symbiont strain. In the mosquitoCulex pipiens, theWolbachia wPip causes highly complex crossing patterns. This complexity is linked to the amplification and diversification of the CI causal genes,cidAandcidB, with polymorphism located in the CidA-CidB interaction regions. We previously showed correlations between the identity of gene variants and CI patterns. However, these correlations were limited to specific crosses, and it is still unknown whethercid gene polymorphism in males’ and females’Wolbachiacan explain and predict the wide range of crossing types observed inC. pipiens. Taking advantage of a new method enabling full-gene acquisition, we sequenced completecidrepertoires from 45wPip strains collected worldwide. We demonstrated that the extensive diversity ofcidgenes arises from recombination and horizontal transfers. We uncovered furthercidBpolymorphism outside the interface regions and strongly correlated with CI patterns. Most importantly, we showed that in everywPip genome, all but onecidBvariant are truncated. TruncatedcidBs located in palindromes are partially or completely deprived of their deubiquitinase domain, crucial for CI. The identity of the sole full-lengthcidBvariant seems to dictate CI patterns, irrespective of the truncatedcidBspresent. Truncated CidBs exhibit reduced toxicity and stability inDrosophilacells, which potentially hinders their loading into sperm, essential for CI induction.
Human mitochondrial transfer modeling reveals biased delivery from mesenchymal-to-hematopoietic stem cells
Authors: Dupard Steven J. , Pinheiro Joao M. , Baudet Aurélie , Garcia Alejandro Garcia , Zacharaki Dimitra , Gil David Hidalgo , Prithiviraj Sujeethkumar , Swaminathan Vinay , Bourgine Paul E.
Published: January 2025

Within the bone marrow (BM), the intercellular communication between hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) is critical for the life-long maintenance of functional hematopoiesis. In recent years, the transfer of mitochondria between MSCs and HSPCs has emerged as a key aspect of this communication, occurring both in stress and homeostatic conditions. In human, the mesenchymal-to-hematopoietic transfer process and functional impact remain cryptic, primarily due to a lack of robust models. To this end, we here describe the development and exploitation of iMSOD-mito, an immortalized human MSCs line bearing an inducible mCherry mitochondrial tag. Co-culture with primary healthy HSPCs or a leukemic cell line revealed a high mitochondrial transfer rate (>15%), exclusively relying on cell-to-cell contact. While all CD34+ blood cells received mitochondria, a preferential transfer towards phenotypic hematopoietic stem cells was identified. Similarly, using primary MSCs with genetically labelled mitochondria we confirmed a transfer to all CD34+ populations, albeit occurring at a lower frequency than with the iMSOD-mito (3.38%). By engineering 3D bone marrow niches in perfusion bioreactor, this transfer rate could be significantly increased, while the biased towards HSC as receiver was maintained. Functionally, mitochondria-receiving cells exhibited an increased mitochondria membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which in HSPCs was associated with retained quiescence in single cell divisional assay. In summary, we propose the iMSOD-mito as a standardized tool to model human mesenchymal-to-hematopoietic mitochondria transfer in 2D or 3D culture systems. Our work prompts the study of mitochondria transfer in both healthy or disease conditions, towards the design of regenerative therapies or identification of new targets in a malignant context.
Hierarchical architecture of neo-sex chromosomes and accelerated adaptive evolution in tortricid moths
Authors: Yang Fangyuan , Cao Li-Jun , Nguyen Petr , Ma Zhong-Zheng , Chen Jin-Cui , Song Wei , Wei Shu-Jun
Published: January 2025

Sex chromosomes can expand through fusion with autosomes, thereby acquiring unique evolutionary patterns. In butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), these sex chromosome–autosome (SA) fusions occur relatively frequently, suggesting possible evolutionary advantages. Here, we investigated how SA fusion affects chromosome features and molecular evolution in leafroller moths (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Phylogenomic analysis showed that Tortricidae diverged ∼124 million years ago, accompanied by an SA fusion between the Merian elements M(20 + 17) and MZ. In contrast to partial autosomal fusions, the fused neo-Z Chromosome developed a hierarchical architecture, in which the three elements exhibit heterogeneous sequence features and evolutionary patterns. Specifically, the M17 part had a distinct base composition and chromatin domains. Unlike M20 and MZ, M17 was expressed at the same levels as autosomes in both sexes, compensating for the lost gene dosage in females. Concurrently, the SA fusion drove M17 as an evolutionary hotspot, accelerating the evolution of several genes related to ecological adaptation (e.g.,ABCCs) and facilitating the divergence of closely related species, whereas the undercompensated M20 did not show such an effect. Thus, accelerated evolution under a novel pattern of dosage compensation may have favored the adaptive radiation of this group. This study demonstrates the association between a karyotype variant and adaptive evolution and explains the recurrent SA fusion in the Lepidoptera.
Fusion, fission, and scrambling of the bilaterian genome in Bryozoa
Authors: Lewin Thomas D. , Liao Isabel Jiah-Yih , Chen Mu-En , Bishop John D.D. , Holland Peter W.H. , Luo Yi-Jyun
Published: January 2025

Groups of orthologous genes are commonly found together on the same chromosome over vast evolutionary distances. This extensive physical gene linkage, known as macrosynteny, is seen between bilaterian phyla as divergent as Chordata, Echinodermata, Mollusca, and Nemertea. Here, we report a unique pattern of genome evolution in Bryozoa, an understudied phylum of colonial invertebrates. Using comparative genomics, we reconstruct the chromosomal evolutionary history of five bryozoans. Multiple ancient chromosome fusions followed by gene mixing led to the near-complete loss of bilaterian linkage groups in the ancestor of extant bryozoans. A second wave of rearrangements, including chromosome fission, then occurred independently in two bryozoan classes, further scrambling bryozoan genomes. We also discover at least five derived chromosomal fusion events shared between bryozoans and brachiopods, supporting the traditional but highly debated Lophophorata hypothesis and suggesting macrosynteny to be a potentially powerful source of phylogenetic information. Finally, we show that genome rearrangements led to the dispersion of genes from bryozoan Hox clusters onto multiple chromosomes. Our findings demonstrate that the canonical bilaterian genome structure has been lost across all studied representatives of an entire phylum, and reveal that linkage group fission can occur very frequently in specific lineages.
Yrast states of quantum droplets confined in a ring potential
Authors: Ögren M. , Kavoulakis G. M.
Published: January 2025

We consider a quantum droplet which is confined in a ring potential. We investigate the so-called yrast state, i.e., the lowest-energy state of the droplet assuming that it has some fixed expectation value of the angular momentum. Two of the most interesting aspects of this problem are the nonlinear term—which is partly attractive and partly repulsive—and the periodic boundary conditions. For some range of the parameters, the attractive or the repulsive part of the nonlinear term dominates and one gets the expected behavior. In some intermediate regime, the two nonlinear terms are of comparable size. In this case, both the solution and the corresponding dispersion relation show an interesting behavior. Finally, we make contact with the problem of solitary-wave excitation since the derived solutions are traveling-wave, i.e., solitary-wave, solutions.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Picosecond laser pulses for quantum dot–microcavity-based single-photon generation by cascaded electro-optic modulation of a narrow-linewidth laser
Authors: Poortvliet Mio , Steindl Petr , Kuijf Ilse , Visser Harry , van Amersfoort Arno , Löffler Wolfgang
Published: January 2025

Recent progress has made high-bandwidth electro-optic modulators (EOMs) available. Here we show the cascaded operation of two such modulators driven by custom-built electronics delivering on-demand picosecond pulses and application to a quantum dot–cavity-QED single-photon source. We implement an EOM-based correlation technique and demonstrate light pulses as short as 24±2 ps with a single EOM. The EOMs can be synchronized and operated in series, and we then produce optical pulses down to 17 ps. To optimize the pulse contrast, for two different EOM devices, we analyze the transmission as a function of EOM bias, wavelength, and temperature, and we show that, by temperature tuning and stabilization, a pulse contrast above 25 dB can be obtained at the targeted wavelength. With this high contrast, we demonstrate resonant excitation of an InGaAs quantum dot–microcavity-based single-photon source, demonstrating a crucial technology for scalability and synchronization of large-scale photonic quantum applications.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Zeeman effect in oscillations of magnetars with toroidal magnetic fields
Authors: Yakovlev D. G. , Fedorov I. E.
Published: January 2025

Magnetars are neutron stars with superstrong magnetic fields. Some of them (soft-gamma repeaters, SGRs) demonstrate gigantic flares whose nature is still unclear. At the decay phase of such flares, one often observes quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs), which are treated as stellar oscillations triggered by the flares. We study, for the first time, magnetoelastic oscillations of magnetars possessing toroidal magnetic fields confined in the stellar crust, without imposing axial symmetry of perturbations. We show that the Zeeman effect makes the oscillation spectrum much richer than for axially symmetric oscillations. The main properties of theoretical QPO spectra are discussed, as well as their potential to interpret observations and explore magnetar physics.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Manifestly covariant worldline actions from coadjoint orbits. II. Twistorial descriptions
Authors: Joung Euihun , Oh TaeHwan
Published: January 2025

Worldline actions for various twistor particles in Anti de Sitter (AdS) spacetimes are constructed from the coadjoint orbits of Sp(4,R), SU(2,2), and O*(8) as constrained Hamiltonian systems. The constraints are associated with the coadjoint orbits of the dual groups, respectively identified as O(p,M−p), U(p,M−p), and Sp(p,M−p). These actions are presented in a universal form by making use of the twistor variables taking values in R, C, and H, respectively. We find that the massless, the massive, and the conformal particles (namely the singletons) of any spins appear for the compact dual groups with p=0 reproducing many of the results in earlier literature, whereas more exotic particle species, such as various tachyons, continuous spin particles, and bitemporal anti de Sitter (BdS) particles appear for the noncompact dual groups.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Second harmonic Bessel-Gauss beam shaping with elliptic axicon aberrations
Authors: Wang Tianhong , Buldt Finn , Bassène Pascal , Reza Saad Bin Ali , Fohtung Edwin , Searles Thomas A. , Law Chiu Tai , N'Gom Moussa
Published: January 2025

The second harmonic (SH) of an axicon generated Bessel-Gauss beam is created through the nonlinear interaction of photons with a crystal, resulting in the energy doubling of the output photons. In this work, we show experimentally that in addition to frequency doubling, the SH of Bessel-Gauss beams under asymmetric aberrations from an elliptic axicon exhibit intriguing beam formation. Particularly, the central region of the SH beam profile is composed of two central spots of various geometries surrounded by nested ellipses; one of which is the configuration of two central gamma dots with similar radius knotted by nested ellipses for a zeroth-order Bessel-Gauss pump. These SH beams consistently maintain their spatial profile throughout propagation, reminiscing the behavior of screw dislocations in wave patterns. Our numerical simulations produce beam dynamics consistent with that of experiments and further implicate the remarkable interweaving of bright spots with dark vortices. This is especially noticeable when the beams dynamically oscillate along the optical axis, resulting in the genesis of spatially polarized beams with a knotted framework. The insights gained from our study establish a novel paradigm for exploring interactions of Bessel-like beams with vortex dynamics. This, in turn, has the potential to spark innovations in optical applications, fostering new methodologies to harness and manipulate complex light structures. Our experimental findings could spur new methods of generating logical states of light and new opportunities for material processing control.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Why illegitimate tasks should be reduced? Investigating their impact on employee well-being
Authors: Dong Yun , Hon Alice H.Y. , Tian Jian
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to use psychological contract theory to explore the substantial impact of illegitimate tasks on the well-being of hospitality employees. It also examines the mediating role of psychological contract breach and the moderating role of employee emotional intelligence within the proposed moderated mediation model.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 338 hospitality employees in Guangdong, China, and the hypotheses were examined through hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

The results revealed that illegitimate tasks could negatively impact employee well-being through psychological contract breach. Furthermore, employee emotional intelligence was confirmed as a critical moderator that buffers the negative impact of illegitimate tasks on psychological contract breach.

Originality/value

This research offers novel insights into the dynamics affecting hospitality employee well-being by framing illegitimate tasks within psychological contract theory. It identifies the critical conditions under which employees’ well-being is impacted, thus broadening the understanding of employee–organization interactions.
Investigation on the influence of rotational speed on oil film stability of hydrostatic rotary table
Authors: Yu Xiaodong , Lan Zhiyuan , Meng Xiuli , Wang Peng , Lin Yanlong , Du Boyu , Shao Mingjuan , Yang Xinyi , Dai Ruichun , Jia Wentao , Wang Junfeng , Jiang Hui , Jiao Jian-Hua
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of rotational speed on the oil film stability of the hydrostatic rotary table having double rectangular oil pads. The oil film stability is evaluated based on the oil film stiffness under constant load condition and the displacement response amplitude of the oil film under disturbance load condition.

Design/methodology/approach

The oil film stability theoretical equations of the double rectangular oil cavity are deduced such as oil film stiffness, damping and dynamic equations. A simulation model is developed to analyze the relationship among oil film temperature, oil film pressure fields and oil film stability. The user-defined function programs are used to control the rotational speed, lubricant viscosity and oil film thickness during the simulation. In addition, an experimental rig is built to test the simulation results.

Findings

This study shows that oil film stability decreases with increasing rotational speed under constant load and disturbance load. The trend of oil film stability decreased slowly within 30 r/min, and then rapidly. However, since the hydrodynamic pressure effect, the decrease rate of stability is mitigated under constant load and high rotational speeds.

Originality/value

The conclusions can provide a theoretical basis for improving the oil film stability of machines with similar hydrostatic support structure.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-07-2024-0267/
Financial inclusion and bank stability: evidence from capital buffer and capital adequacy ratio
Authors: Ozili Peterson K.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of financial inclusion on bank stability, and the effect of bank stability on financial inclusion from 2011 to 2020.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyses 33 countries which are divided into Asian countries, African countries, European countries and countries in the region of the Americas and using the panel regression method.

Findings

The analysis for the impact of financial inclusion on bank stability shows that high levels of financial inclusion have a significant positive impact on bank stability. The regional results show that financial inclusion improves bank stability in African countries and in countries in the region of the Americas while financial inclusion impairs bank stability in European countries. The analysis for the impact of bank stability on financial inclusion shows that bank stability has a significant effect on financial inclusion. The regional analysis shows that greater bank stability decreases financial inclusion in European and African countries while greater bank stability increases financial inclusion in countries in the Americas region. The results suggest that the effect of financial inclusion on bank stability, and the effect of bank stability on financial inclusion, depends on how financial inclusion and bank stability are measured and the region examined.

Originality/value

Existing studies have not examined the effect of financial inclusion on capital-based measures of bank stability and have not examined the effect of capital-based measures of bank stability on the level of financial inclusion.
Creating a genetic algorithm for third-party logistics’ warehouse delivery scheduling via a large language model
Authors: Kmiecik Mariusz
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the design and implementation of a genetic algorithm (GA), using a large language model (LLM) for optimizing the delivery scheduling process in warehouses of third-party logistics (3PL) companies, within the context of a simplified case study, and to highlight the main directions for implementing this methodology in business realities.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a simplified case study of an international 3PL company, this study applies a GA developed in RStudio by LLM to generate test scenarios and input data. The GA was optimized to minimize the time and distance of movement in the process of preparing goods for shipment, demonstrating its effectiveness in improving warehouse delivery scheduling.

Findings

The study confirms that the GA, supported by LLM, significantly improves the delivery planning process in the warehouse. Specifically, the implementation of the GA led to notable improvements in scheduling efficiency and a reduction in the distance traveled within the warehouse. These enhancements enable more efficient generation, evaluation and optimization of logistic scenarios. Additionally, the use of LLM greatly facilitates the creation and refinement of complex algorithms like GA, through automation and innovative approaches in logistics.

Research limitations/implications

The study highlights limitations related to data quality, the dynamic nature of logistic operations, computational complexity and the need for generalization of results. It also points out the lack of research in business realities that demonstrate the effectiveness of combining the benefits of LLM and GA in practice.

Originality/value

This paper makes a significant contribution to the literature by demonstrating the capabilities of advanced technologies such as GA and LLM in 3PL logistics. It presents an innovative approach to optimizing logistic processes, offering perspectives for further innovations and automation in supply chain management. It also indicates new opportunities for 3PL companies in terms of improving operational and cost efficiency, emphasizing the importance of continuously seeking innovative solutions in the face of increasing market demands.
An integrated MCDM approach for dielectric fluid selection during electrical discharge machining of aluminum bronze alloy
Authors: Chatterjee Saikat , Das Partha Protim , Chakraborty Shankar
Published: January 2025

Purpose

In electrical discharge machining (EDM) process, EDM oil used as a dielectric fluid plays an important role in determining quality of the machining operation, serving as a medium to generate controlled electrical discharges, quenching medium to cool down and solidify the eroded gaseous particles, removal of solidified waste, and lubrication medium to absorb and remove the heat generated at the machining zone. Due to presence of numerous decisive factors, no single dielectric fluid (mainly in the form of EDM oil) meets all the required characteristics during a real-time EDM operation. Thus, this paper proposes application of an integrated methodology to select the most appropriate EDM oil for enhanced machining performance during deep-hole drilling of aluminum bronze alloy.

Design/methodology/approach

A good dielectric fluid should possess several characteristics, like low cost, non-toxicity, low viscosity, good wetting property, high flash and fire points to avoid fire hazards, chemically non-corrosive, high electric strength and specific gravity, minimal aromatics and good quenching behavior. In this paper, performance of 10 alternative EDM oils is evaluated based on six selection criteria. Integrated determination of objective criteria weights (IDOCRIW) method is adopted to compute the criteria weights, whereas double normalization-based multiple aggregation (DNMA) approach is applied to identify the best-suited EDM oil from the candidate alternatives.

Findings

Spark SPO-A EDM oil appears as the most suitable dielectric fluid, followed by Fine Spark 110. Contrarily, Exxsol D80 emerges as the worst choice.

Originality/value

The robustness of the adopted methodology is finally validated through sensitivity analysis studies. It can thus be applied to solve any of the decision-making problems with high degree of accuracy and consistency.
Marketing with a social conscience: strategic windows for aligning societal marketing with corporate identity
Authors: Siaw Christopher Agyapong
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study proposes a conceptual framework for strategically integrating societal marketing (SM) into corporate identity to effectively represent a firm’s SM programs to stakeholders. The framework is crucial for firms to align their SM efforts with their identity in a manner that minimizes, if not eliminating, the accusations of dishonesty, such as greenwashing, brownwashing, or greenhushing.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on corporate identity theory and synthesizing the literature on SM, the study identifies three levels of corporate identity (strategic, operational, and functional) and three dimensions of SM’s alignment with business objectives (direct, indirect, and remote). Subsequently, the study develops a conceptual framework based on an interaction between corporate identity levels (strategic, operational, and functional) and dimensions of SM’s alignment with business objectives (direct, indirect, and remote) to identify strategic windows to represent SM to stakeholders.

Findings

The study identifies nine strategic windows at the strategic, operational, and functional levels of corporate identity to represent a firm’s SM programs to stakeholders. At the strategic level, CSR, corporate citizenship, and sustainability programs may be utilized to represent SM programs to stakeholders when SM respectively aligns with business objectives remotely, indirectly, and directly. At the operational level, environmental safety, stakeholder marketing, and business/marketing ethics programs serve this role. At the functional level, philanthropy, cause-related marketing, and green marketing are identified to represent SM to stakeholders, depending on the respective alignment of SM with business objectives remotely, indirectly, and directly.

Research limitations/implications

The study implies that firms can minimize corporate misrepresentation of SM programs, especially when diverse stakeholder expectations demand varied representation of SM across levels of corporate identity. Additionally, firms can mitigate stakeholder confusion and misinterpretation by highlighting the differing degrees of alignment between SM and their economic goals when competing firms promote SM programs in the same context.

Practical implications

The study implies that firms can selectively prioritize different SM programs at different contexts depending on how stakeholders’ expectations are satisfied by the interaction between levels of corporate identity and dimensions of SM.

Originality/value

This paper advances corporate marketing research on corporate identity by proposing strategic windows to integrate SM into corporate identity for effective representation of SM programs to stakeholders.
Protecting natural environment of destination through tourists’ environment responsible behavior: empirical analysis of green brand equity model
Authors: Aziz Sadia , Niazi Muhammad Abdullah Khan
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Recently tourist destinations are facing serious issues of environmental degradation and destination managers are developing strategies to achieve the sustainable destinations’ natural environment. The primary purpose of this study is to analyze the role of green destination brand equity (DBE) in shaping tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior (ERB). Green DBE is analyzed through green destination awareness (GDA), green destination image (GDI), green destination quality (GDQ) and green destination loyalty (GDL). Furthermore, perceived destination trust (PDT) is considered a mediator, and green perceived value is a moderator to explain the tourists’ ERB.

Design/methodology/approach

Respondents attending the green-certified destinations were approached physically, and data was gathered from 701 respondents through a self-administered survey method.

Findings

Results of the study indicated a significant effect of GDA on GDI and GDQ while an insignificant effect on GDL. Study found significant effect of GDI on GDQ and GDL. Study indicated significant effect of GDQ on GDL. Results of the study indicated significant effect of GDA, GDI, GDQ and GDL on tourists’ ERB. Furthermore, PDT significantly mediated the relationship between green DBE and tourists’ ERB. Finally, moderation results for green destination value (GPV) were significant between green DBE and tourists’ ERB.

Originality/value

Based on the theoretical perspectives of the simulation-organism-response model, a study has explained the influence of green DBE destinations on tourists’ ERB. The study has significantly used the concept of green DBE to explain tourists’ ERB and endorsed the importance of branding in achieving a sustainable tourist destination environment. Finally, the study has uniquely explained tourists’ ERB with the PDT and GPV. The study has highlighted the significance of green branding strategies in protecting the destination environment through shaping tourists’ ERB.
Functional reading teaching in special education: Experiences of teacher candidates
Authors: Cavkaytar Serap , Yildiz Gizem
Published: January 2025

The aim of this research is to determine the functional reading teaching experiences of special education teacher candidates studying in the final year of the faculty of education special education teaching program. Teacher candidates' functional reading teaching experiences, the difficulties they experienced in functional reading teaching, and their support needs were determined in special education schools where they did their internships. The research was designed with a case study, which is one of the qualitative research designs. The study group of the research is twelve special education teacher candidates determined by criterion sampling method. The data, in this research, were collected through semi‐structured interviews, observation, and researcher's diary. The data were analysed with inductive content analysis. The findings have shown that the majority of special education teacher candidates, as prospective teachers, have difficulty in planning functional reading instruction, have difficulties in providing sound‐based teaching and developing games, in the teaching process due to children's severe disabilities and their inability to cope with problem behaviours. In addition, all of the participants stated that they needed practical functional reading teaching training and that teacher qualifications should be improved through intensive supervision for this. When the findings obtained from classroom observations in this research were examined, it was observed that, in parallel with the interview findings, teacher candidates had difficulties in choosing and applying methods, and they often used errorless teaching methods and direct teaching method.
Adding economic insult to chauvinistic injury? Attitudes toward immigration in Germany, Sweden and the UK
Authors: CAPPELEN CORNELIUS , KUHNLE STEIN , LINDE JONAS , MIDTBØ TOR
Published: January 2025

In this study we show that on different dimensions of social security (compensation level, maximum duration and eligibility criteria), respondents in Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom prefer their governments to compensate unemployed immigrants less generously than unemployed natives, even after considering potential prejudices about work ethics, job experience, etc. We add to the extant literature in several ways. Based on survey experiments, we identify a strong economic component in welfare chauvinistic sentiments across the three countries. Chauvinism is negatively related to the income level of both immigrants and the respondents. We also find that low income reinforces the effect of chauvinism, a phenomenon we refer to as ‘intersectionality’. Furthermore, by comparing the preferences in the experiments with the actual welfare schemes, we find that the respondents are more generous than their respective governments regarding the level of compensation for natives as well as immigrants. When the comparison is between respondents’ preferences and actual welfare policies rather than between treatment groups, the respondents appear to be more welfare inclusive than welfare chauvinistic.
Global and Regional Burden of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Attributable to Low Physical Activity From 1990 to 2021
Authors: Yang Lihang , Xie Diya , Liu Fengmin , Lin Jiaying , Lin Xin , Chen Yuquan , Zhang Kun
Published: January 2025

Aim

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) contributes to the heavy burden, but there lacks latest and comprehensive global research on the burden of T2DM attributable to low physical activity (LPA). This study aimed to quantify the global and regional burden of T2DM attributable to LPA from 1990 to 2021.

Methods

We utilized data including disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs), mortality, age‐standardized disability‐adjusted life years (ASDR), and age‐standardized mortality rates (ASMR) from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. We assessed the burden across different ages, genders, and sociodemographic index (SDI). Joinpoint regression analysis was applied to estimated average annual percent change (AAPC).

Results

Between 1990 and 2021, DALYs and mortality of T2DM attributable to LPA increased rapidly. There was an increase in the ASDR and ASMR, with AAPC of 1.09 (95% CI: 1.03–1.16) and 0.32 (95% CI: 0.2–0.43), which was increased faster in males. Low‐middle SDI countries have the highest ASDR and highest ASMR. The global PAF for ASDR and ASMR in 2021 is 7.38% and 9.45%. A U‐shaped drift pattern was observed in most SDI quintiles in APC model. Population growth is a major contributor to the burden of T2DM, especially in countries with low SDI. Epidemiological changes also play an important role in DALYs and mortality. A negative correlation existed between SDI and both ASMR and ASDR.

Conclusion

Between 1990 and 2021, there was a marked rise in the global burden of T2DM associated with LPA. The findings lay the groundwork for informed decision‐making a public health and healthcare delivery.
TangBi Formula for Painful Diabetic Distal Symmetric Polyneuropathy: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled and Parallel‐Group Trial
Authors: Zhao Xuefei , An Xuedong , Cui Yashan , Dong Liu , Fang Zhaohui , Zheng Zhonghua , Zuo Xinhe , Gao Huailin , Gao Tianshu , Ni Qing , Lian Fengmei , Tong Xiaolin
Published: January 2025

Objective

To determine whether the use of herbal medicines combined with conventional treatment is more effective than conventional medication alone in improving clinical symptoms in patients with diabetic distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSPN).

Methods

This multicenter, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, randomized controlled clinical trial recruited patients from 6 clinical centers in mainland China. A total of 188 patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the treatment group (Tangbi Formula plus methylcobalamin) and the control group (placebo plus methylcobalamin). Subjects were reassessed after the 24‐week intervention. The primary outcomes were differences in changes in clinical signs and symptoms and changes in the Michigan Diabetic Neuropathy Score (MDNS) between the two groups before and after treatment. Secondary outcomes were changes in nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and single clinical signs and symptoms as measured by the visual‐analogue scale (VAS) and Toronto clinical scoring system (TCSS).

Results

Compared with the placebo group, after 24 weeks of treatment, the MDNS score of TangBi Formula group was significantly reduced (p < 0.001). There were no significant changes in NCV results in either group before or after treatment. Compared with baseline, the difference in the change value of VAS score between the two groups after treatment was statistically significant (p = 0.031). A statistically significant difference in the change value of TCSS after treatment compared to baseline was found between the two groups (p = 0.033 at 12 weeks and p = 0.030 at 24 weeks). No severe adverse events due to study participation or study intervention were reported.

Conclusions and Relevance

This trial demonstrated that combining Tangbi Formula with basal therapy can be safer and more effective in improving the symptoms of DSPN patients.