bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-resolution profiling reveals coupled transcriptional and translational regulation of transgenes
Authors: Peterman Emma L. , Ploessl Deon S. , Love Kasey S. , Sanabria Valeria , Daniels Rachel F. , Johnstone Christopher P. , Godavarti Diya R. , Kabaria Sneha R. , Oakes Conrad G. , Pai Athma A. , Galloway Kate E.
Published: November 2024

Concentrations of RNAs and proteins provide important determinants of cell fate. Robust gene circuit design requires an understanding of how the combined actions of individual genetic components influence both mRNA and protein levels. Here, we simultaneously measure mRNA and protein levels in single cells using HCR Flow-FISH for a set of commonly used synthetic promoters. We find that promoters generate differences in both the mRNA abundance and the effective translation rate of these transcripts. Stronger promoters not only transcribe more RNA but also show higher effective translation rates. While the strength of the promoter is largely preserved upon genome integration with identical elements, the choice of polyadenylation signal and coding sequence can generate large differences in the profiles of the mRNAs and proteins. We used long-read direct RNA sequencing to characterize full-length mRNA isoforms and observe remarkable uniformity of mRNA isoforms from the transgenic units. Together, our high-resolution profiling of transgenic mRNAs and proteins offers insight into the impact of common synthetic genetic components on transcriptional and translational mechanisms. By developing a novel framework for quantifying expression profiles of transgenes, we have established a system for comparing native and synthetic gene regulation and for building more robust transgenic systems.
Functional Dichotomy of Orbitofrontal Cortex and Anterior Cingulate Cortex Subregions in Decision-Making and Brain-Body Regulation
Authors: Papageorgiou G.K. , Gibson D.J. , Amemori K. , Schwerdt H.N. , Naim M. , Wang M.C. , Yoshida T. , Sharma J. , Upadhyay U. , Yang G.R. , Graybiel A.M.
Published: November 2024

Mood disorders are associated with complex disruptions in brain networks, including those associated with the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC). The functional contribution of the caudal OFC (cOFC) has remained largely unexplored. We investigated the functions of the cOFC and pACC in macaques performing an approach-avoidance task by the combination of multimodal recordings and electrical microstimulation (EMS) of the cOFC. We assessed neural, autonomic and behavioral responses. We found the cOFC to be sensitive to both positive and negative stimuli, whereas the pACC was singificantly more active during aversive outcomes. EMS of the cOFC increased avoidance behavior, suggesting a causal role for the OFC subdivision in cost-benefit decision-making. Physiological measurements were positively correlated with behavioral patterns, emphasizing body-brain synchronization during emotionally significant decision-making. We suggest that the cOFC contributes to inducing pessimistic states, thereby making its dysfunction a potential contributor to the etiology of mood disorders.
Codon optimality modulates cellular stress and innate immune responses triggered by exogenous RNAs
Authors: Seephetdee Chotiwat , Kiss Daniel L.
Published: November 2024

The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines demonstrated the power of mRNA medicines. Despite advancements in sequence design, evidence regarding the preferential use of synonymous codons on cellular stress and innate immune responses is lacking. To this end, we developed a proprietary codon optimality matrix to re-engineer the coding sequences of three luciferase reporters. We demonstrate that optimal mRNAs elicited dramatic increases in luciferase activities compared to non-optimal sequences. Notably, transfecting an optimal RNA affects the translation of other RNAs in the cell including control transcripts in dual luciferase assays. This held true in multiple cell lines and for an unrelated reporter. Further, non-optimal mRNAs preferentially activated innate immune pathways and the phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2α, a central event of the integrated stress response. Using nucleoside-modified or circular RNAs partially or fully abrogated these responses. Finally, we show that circularizing RNAs enhances both RNA lifespan and durability of protein expression. Our results show that RNA sequence, composition, and structure all govern RNA translatability. However, we also show that RNA sequences with poor codon optimality are immunogenic and induce cellular stress. Hence, RNA sequence engineering, chemical, and topological modifications must all be combined to elicit favorable therapeutic outcomes.
Analysis of a cell-free DNA–based cancer screening cohort links fragmentomic profiles, nuclease levels, and plasma DNA concentrations
Authors: Malki Yasine , Kang Guannan , Lam W.K. Jacky , Zhou Qing , Cheng Suk Hang , Cheung Peter P.H. , Bai Jinyue , Chan Ming Lok , Lee Chui Ting , Peng Wenlei , Zhang Yiqiong , Gai Wanxia , Wong Winsome W.S. , Ma Mary-Jane L. , Li Wenshuo , Xu Xinzhou , Gao Zhuoran , Tse Irene O.L. , Shang Huimin , Choy L.Y. Lois , Jiang Peiyong , Chan K.C. Allen , Lo Y.M. Dennis
Published: November 2024

The concentration of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in plasma is an important determinant of the robustness of liquid biopsies. However, biological mechanisms that lead to inter-individual differences in cfDNA concentrations remain unexplored. The concentration of plasma cfDNA is governed by an interplay between its release and clearance. We hypothesized that cfDNA clearance by nucleases might be one mechanism that contributes toward inter-individual variations in cfDNA concentrations. We performed fragmentomic analysis of the plasma cfDNA from 862 healthy individuals, with a cfDNA concentration range of 1.61–41.01 ng/mL. We observed an increase in large DNA fragments (231–600 bp), a decreased frequencies of shorter DNA fragments (20–160 bp), and an increased frequency of G-end motifs with increasing cfDNA concentrations. End motif deconvolution analysis revealed a decreased contribution of DNASE1L3 and DFFB in subjects with higher cfDNA concentration. The five subjects with the highest plasma DNA concentration (top 0.58%) had aberrantly decreased levels of DNASE1L3 protein in plasma. The cfDNA concentration could be inferred from the fragmentomic profile through machine learning and was well correlated to the measured cfDNA concentration. Such an approach could infer the fractional DNA concentration from particular tissue types, such as the fetal and tumor fraction. This work shows that individuals with different cfDNA concentrations are associated with characteristic fragmentomic patterns of the cfDNA pool and that nuclease-mediated clearance of DNA is a key parameter that affects cfDNA concentration. Understanding these mechanisms has facilitated the enhanced measurement of cfDNA species of clinical interest, including circulating fetal and tumor DNA.
Sudakov double logs in single-inclusive hadron production in DIS at small
x
from the color glass condensate formalism
Authors: Altinoluk Tolga , Jalilian-Marian Jamal , Marquet Cyrille
Published: November 2024

We investigate the high Q2 (photon virtuality) limit of single-inclusive hadron production in deep inelastic scattering at small x, using the color glass condensate formalism at next-to-leading order. We focus on the ΛQCD2≪ph2≪Q2 kinematic regime, where ph is the produced hadron transverse momentum, and extract the Sudakov double logarithms. We further argue that compatibility between the color glass condensate calculation and transverse momentum dependent distribution factorization at one-loop order can only be achieved if the small-x evolution is kinematically constrained.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
QCD field-strength correlators on a Polyakov loop with gradient flow at next-to-leading order
Authors: de la Cruz David , Eller Alexander M. , Moore Guy D.
Published: November 2024

Momentum exchange between a heavy quark and a hot quark-gluon medium can be characterized nonperturbatively in terms of field-strength field-strength (E−E and B−B) correlators along a Polyakov loop. These can be studied on the lattice and analytically continued. However the lattice typically determines the correlators after the application of gradient flow. We investigate how gradient flow renormalizes these correlation functions by carrying out a next-to-leading order perturbative analysis of the correlators including gradient flow. This establishes a next-to-leading order renormalization matching between the correlators as measured on the lattice and the correlators relevant for momentum diffusion.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Constraints on primordial lepton asymmetries with full neutrino transport
Authors: Froustey Julien , Pitrou Cyril
Published: November 2024

Primordial neutrino-antineutrino asymmetries can be constrained through big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) relic abundances and cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies, both observables being sensitive to neutrino properties. The latter constraint, which is due to gravitational effects from all neutrino flavors, is very minute since it is at least quadratic in the asymmetries. On the contrary, the constraints from primordial abundances presently dominate, although these abundances are almost only sensitive to the electron flavor asymmetry. It is generally assumed that neutrino asymmetries are sufficiently averaged by flavor oscillations prior to BBN, which allows one to constrain a common primordial neutrino asymmetry at the epoch of BBN. This simplified approach suffers two caveats that we deal with in this article, combining a neutrino evolution code and BBN calculation throughout the MeV era. First, flavor “equilibration” is not true in general, therefore an accurate dynamical evolution of asymmetries is needed to connect experimental observables to the asymmetries. Second, the approximate averaging of asymmetries through flavor oscillations is associated to a reheating of the primordial plasma. It is therefore crucial to correctly describe the interplay between flavor equilibration and neutrino decoupling, as an energy redistribution prior to decoupling does not significantly alter the final effective number of neutrino species’ value. Overall, we find that the space of allowed initial asymmetries is generically unbound when using currently available primordial abundances and CMB measurements. We forecast constraints using future CMB experiment capabilities, which should reverse this experimental misfortune.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Vacuum polarization effects in impulsive fields
Authors: Ilderton Anton , Kingham Hannah
Published: November 2024

Photons impinging on strong electromagnetic fields can change both momentum and helicity state, due to quantum vacuum polarization. We investigate these effects in the collision of photons with impulsive PP-waves, which describe e.g. the fields of ultraboosted charge distributions. We connect our results to vacuum birefringence and quantum reflection in both QED and SUSY QED. We also compare with helicity flip in plane wave backgrounds, exploring how and when known tree-level relations, relating amplitudes in PP-waves and in plane waves, extend to one-loop corrections.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Nonperturbative random matrix model of
N=2
JT supergravity
Authors: Johnson Clifford V.
Published: November 2024

It is shown how to nonperturbatively define a random matrix model that captures key physics of N=2 Jackiw-Teitelboim supergravity, going well beyond the perturbative topological expansion defined recently by Turiaci and Witten. A decomposition into an infinite family of certain multicritical models is derived, leading to the definition of a nonlinear ordinary differential equation from which the physics may be computed. Bogomol’nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) states are naturally described by the model. The nonperturbative completions of the spectral densities for non-BPS multiplets are readily extracted.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Optimal quantum sensing of the nonlinear bosonic interactions using Fock states
Authors: Mahmoudi Payman , Ritboon Atirach , Filip Radim
Published: November 2024

Nonlinear processes with individual quanta beyond bilinear interactions are essential for quantum technology with bosonic systems. Diverse coherent splitting and merging of quanta in them already manifest in the estimation of their nonlinear coupling from observed statistics. We derive nontrivial but optimal strategies for sensing the experimentally feasible trilinear interactions, served here as basic gates and examples of multimode nonlinear interactions, using nonclassical particlelike Fock states as a probe and feasible measurement strategies. Remarkably, the optimal probing of nonlinear coupling reaches estimation errors scaled down with N−3/2 for overall N of quanta in specific and high-quality Fock states in all interacting modes. It can reveal unexplored aspects of nonlinear dynamics relevant to using such nonlinear processes in bosonic experiments with trapped ions and superconducting circuits and opens further developments of quantum technology with them.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Exploring supersymmetry: Interchangeability between Jaynes-Cummings and anti-Jaynes-Cummings models
Authors: Bocanegra-Garay Ivan A. , Castillo-Celeita Miguel , Negro J. , Nieto L. M. , Gómez-Ruiz Fernando J.
Published: November 2024

The supersymmetric connection that exists between the Jaynes-Cummings (JC) and anti-Jaynes Cummings (AJC) models in quantum optics is unraveled entirely. A new method is proposed to obtain the temporal evolution of observables in the AJC model using supersymmetric techniques, providing an overview of its dynamics and extending the calculation to full photon counting statistics. The approach is general and can be applied to determine the high-order cumulants given an initial state. The analysis reveals that engineering the collapse-revival behavior and the quantum properties of the interacting field is possible by controlling the initial state of the atomic subsystem and the corresponding atomic frequency in the AJC model. The substantial potential for applications of supersymmetric techniques in the context of photonic quantum technologies is thus demonstrated.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Crystal structure of glutamyl-tRNA synthetase from Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Davis Dylan E. , Ayanlade Jesuferanmi P. , Laseinde David T. , Subramanian Sandhya , Udell Hannah , Lorimer Donald J. , Dranow David M. , Edwards Thomas E. , Myler Peter J. , Asojo Oluwatoyin A.
Published: November 2024

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common bacterial infections; over two-thirds of the world's population is infected by early childhood. Persistent H. pylori infection results in gastric ulcers and cancers. Due to drug resistance, there is a need to develop alternative treatments to clear H. pylori. The Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID) conducts structure–function analysis of potential therapeutic targets from H. pylori. Glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (GluRS) is essential for tRNA aminoacylation and is under investigation as a bacterial drug target. The SSGCID produced, crystallized and determined the apo structure of H. pylori GluRS (HpGluRS). HpGluRS has the prototypical bacterial GluRS topology and has similar binding sites and tertiary structures to other bacterial GluRS that are promising drug targets. Residues involved in glutamate binding are well conserved in comparison with Pseudomonas aeruginosa GluRS (PaGluRS), which has been studied to develop promising new inhibitors for P. aeruginosa. These structural similarities can be exploited for drug discovery and repurposing to generate new antibacterials to clear persistent H. pylori infection and reduce gastric ulcers and cancer.
Revisiting sodium phosphotungstate and ammonium molybdate as nonradioactive negative-staining agents for single-particle analysis
Authors: Gunkel Monika , Macha Arthur , Behrmann Elmar
Published: November 2024

This study reports the successful replacement of uranyl-based stains by either sodium phosphotungstate or ammonium molybdate in negative-staining electron microscopy. Using apoferritin as a test specimen, it is demonstrated that in combination with a facile on-grid fixation step, both stains yield comparable images to uranyl formate. Subsequently, using β-galactosidase, it is shown that both stains can also successfully be employed for single-particle analysis, yielding virtually indistinguishable results from uranyl formate. As both replacement stains are nonradioactive, they are not subjected to the same handling restrictions as uranyl-based stains. Therefore they are not only cheaper to use, but also make decentralized sample-grid preparation, directly after purification, accessible to a broader range of scientists.
Convergence theory of efficient parametric iterative methods for solving the Yang-Baxter-like matrix equation
Authors: Erfanifar Raziyeh , Sayevand Khosro , Hajarian Masoud
Published: November 2024

Purpose

In this study, we present a novel parametric iterative method for computing the polar decomposition and determining the matrix sign function.

Design/methodology/approach

This method demonstrates exceptional efficiency, requiring only two matrix-by-matrix multiplications and one matrix inversion per iteration. Additionally, we establish that the convergence order of the proposed method is three and four, and confirm that it is asymptotically stable.

Findings

In conclusion, we extend the iterative method to solve the Yang-Baxter-like matrix equation. The efficiency indices of the proposed methods are shown to be superior compared to previous approaches.

Originality/value

The efficiency and accuracy of our proposed methods are demonstrated through various high-dimensional numerical examples, highlighting their superiority over established methods.
Environmental preferences in architecture based on personality types
Authors: Sarrafzadeh Ahmad , Gharehbaglou Minou
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Individuals show different environmental preferences, often influenced by their personality types. However, instances arise where the alignment of an individual’s personality and the architectural environment disappears, resulting in a mismatch. Consequently, the purpose of this study considers the urgent need to acknowledge and understand the complex interplay between architecture and individual personality traits.

Design/methodology/approach

The research method is based on the correlation between the variables, which is calculated by the significant assessment of the sample population and with SmartPLS. Finally, the findings and results of the research in relation to personality components and architectural aspects indicate the existence of a relationship. In the end, this study establishes correlations among variables and conclusions are drawn through systematic logical deductions.

Findings

The research findings underscore a compelling relationship between distinct personality components and various architectural facets. Furthermore, psychological cohesiveness within distinct social cohorts emerges as a pivotal factor influencing the relationship between individuals and architecture. In this regard, the main aspects of environmental preferences (surprise, cryptic, etc.) and personality types (neuroticism, extroversion, etc.) based on their significance and the factors affecting it in sub-components, create direct or indirect relationships. Additionally, the determination of the relationships created in each of these components is specified based on Image 12, and the path of creating architectural patterns can be considered according to that.

Originality/value

The results of the research show that the correlation between personality and physical components in different social groups is an effective issue in the relationship between human and the environment. It can also be considered as a factor for improving the quality of architectural design and creating a favorable cultural atmosphere in the environment. This issue has caused a connection between architecture and human personality, which creates the ground for improving the relationship between them. Also, architecture is placed by adapting to the personality and psychological needs of people and has an effective role in the quality of their relationships in organizing and expanding the environment.
Burnout in healthcare: can job autonomy heal, or does context hold the key?
Authors: Reyes-Luján Juanjo , Cruz-Ortiz Valeria , Antino Mirko , Salanova Marisa
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study investigates the relationship between job autonomy and burnout among healthcare professionals, focusing on two key contextual elements that moderate this relationship: role ambiguity and workers’ age.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing an integrative approach, this research combines the Job Demands-Resources model with the lifespan developmental framework. A multilevel analysis was conducted on a sample of 1,232 hospital workers, nested within 74 units, to examine the relationships between job autonomy and burnout across teams with varying levels of aggregated role ambiguity, incorporating the factor of workers’ age.

Findings

The results indicate significant interaction effects between job autonomy, age and role ambiguity in relation to burnout. Job autonomy is associated with lower levels of burnout in contexts of moderate role ambiguity. In contrast, in highly uncertain contexts, job autonomy proves more beneficial for older workers, while it appears to have negative effects on younger workers.

Originality/value

This study enhances our understanding of the complex dynamics between job autonomy and burnout among healthcare professionals by utilizing a multilevel approach to examine the impact of contextual role ambiguity and workers’ age. The multilevel analysis offers original insights into the role of ambiguity, while the integration of two robust theoretical frameworks (i.e. JD-R model and Lifespan framework) provides a solid foundation for contributing to the discussion.
Nigeria for women project (NFWP) and social cohesion in rural livelihoods
Authors: Uduji Joseph Ikechukwu , Okolo-Obasi Elda Nduka
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is critically examine the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the impact of NFWP on social cohesion in entrepreneurship development in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a quasi-experimental research design to address the scarcity of quantitative studies on women’s groups in Nigeria. A total of 2,400 respondents were sampled across the rural areas of the six geographical regions of the country.

Findings

Results from the use of a combined propensity score matching and logit model indicate that though scrimpy, the NFWP intervention targeted specifically for the empowerment of women, using the women’s affinity group model has recorded significant set up in improving women’s formation of social capital through advocacy, awareness creation, provision of credit, training of women on skill acquisition, among other activities.

Practical implications

This suggests that an increase in NFWP budget that seeks to expand participation of women in women’s groups, targeted at increasing women’s social cohesion, especially in the rural communities will help lift women and girls out of poverty in the country.

Social implications

It implies that women’s groups that serve as production cooperatives, saving associations and marketing groups can enhance women’s performance in entrepreneurship development and boost rural economy production in Nigeria.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the growing field of female entrepreneurial collaboration by proposing the moderation of social cohesion as a means to sustain agriculture and rural development in developing countries. It concludes that targeting women’s groups should form the foundation of public policy for social cohesion in women’s entrepreneurship development for rural economy.
Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian–Ukrainian war on cryptocurrency volatility
Authors: Moussa Wajdi , Regaïeg Rym , Mgadmi Nidhal
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian−Ukrainian war on the volatility of several cryptocurrencies.

Design/methodology/approach

To do this, the study uses the GJR-GARCH and dynamic conditional correlation (DCC)-GJR-GARCH models, which allow the author to estimate the conditional variance of the cryptocurrencies’ returns and assess their dependence structure over time.

Findings

The results show that the health crisis had a negative impact on all cryptocurrencies studied, except for Bitcoin, which experienced a positive impact. Additionally, the study finds that the Russian-Ukrainian war had a mixed impact on the cryptocurrencies studied, with some experiencing positive impacts (BNB, Dogecoin, Ethereum and Tether) and others experiencing negative impacts (Bitcoin, BUSD, Coin and XRP). Moreover, the author analyzes the spillover effects among the cryptocurrencies and observe significant interdependence during the periods under study.

Originality/value

Finally, the study discusses the implications of the findings for investors, policymakers and regulators, highlighting the importance of considering external factors when making investment decisions or designing regulatory frameworks for the cryptocurrency market.
Necessary but not sufficient – examining the Belmont principles’ application in social and behavioral research ethics from a Confucian perspective
Authors: Xia Huichuan , Liu Jinya
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Much prior literature has discussed bioethics from a Confucian perspective in biomedical research, but little has applied Confucianism in examining ethics in social and behavioral research involving human subjects. This paper aims to reexamine the Belmont principles in social and behavioral research from a Confucian perspective to discuss their applicability and limitations and propose implications for revising or extending them potentially in the future.

Design/methodology/approach

A comparison is conducted on bioethics and social and behavioral research ethics. Afterward, a critical analysis is conducted on the Belmont principles of respect for persons, beneficence and justice from a Confucian perspective regarding their application in social and behavioral research.

Findings

From a Confucian perspective, the Belmont principles are necessary but may not be sufficient to cover the width and depth of ethical issues in social and behavioral research, such as those in crowd work-based research. This paper proposes that ethical guidelines for social and behavioral research may need to be updated from the Belmont principles adopting or incorporating certain Confucian ethics.

Originality/value

Social and behavioral research ethics have been relatively marginal compared to the bioethics deliberation in the existing literature. Unlike Beauchamp and Childress’s continued efforts in refining ethical guidelines for biomedical research specifically, little similar work has been done in this area since the Belmont report’s publication in 1979. This paper sheds light on building more refined and specific ethical guidelines to navigate the ever-growing numbers and diversities of nonmedical research topics, methodologies and contexts.
Co-developing a care pathway for patients discharged from inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa: a case study
Authors: Mallory Daniella , Papastavrou Brooks Cat , Kafle Eshika , Jenkins Catherine L. , Startup Helen
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The transition period from eating disorder inpatient (IP) care to outpatient care can be difficult for patients and is often characterised by high relapse rates. This study aims to co-develop a novel treatment pathway to support patients during this critical period.

Design/methodology/approach

This was a mixed-methods case study using co-production methodology and a nested qualitative component. The authors co-developed an initial proposed pathway structure with clinicians and people with lived experience of an eating disorder, based on a review of the literature. They then conducted interviews with clinicians and patients (n = 8) to refine the pathway; these were analysed using framework analysis.

Findings

A four-component pathway structure was developed. Six main themes emerged from this qualitative analysis: autonomy, the need for holistic patient care, difficult experiences, service provision, relationships and feedback on the discharge pathway.

Practical implications

This study highlighted the importance of centring patient autonomy during treatment, as well as ensuring treatments are holistic in nature. This may reduce the high levels of relapse associated with discharge from IP treatment and improve the quality and effectiveness of eating disorder treatment delivered.

Originality/value

Co-production approaches were used to develop the IP discharge pathway with members of a Lived Experience Advisory Panel alongside clinicians. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study was also the first intervention development study aimed at providing targeted support for patients dealing with the adverse effects of hospitalisation and difficulties transitioning to outpatient care.
Wired for work: brain-computer interfaces’ impact on frontline employees’ well-being
Authors: Kies Alexander , De Keyser Arne , Jaramillo Susana , Li Jiarui , Tang Yihui (Elina) , Ud Din Ihtesham
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Neurotechnologies such as brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are rapidly moving out of laboratories and onto frontline employees' (FLEs) heads. BCIs offer thought-controlled device operation and real-time adjustment of work tasks based on employees’ mental states, balancing the potential for optimal well-being with the risk of exploitative employee treatment. Despite its profound implications, a considerable gap exists in understanding how BCIs affect FLEs. This article’s purpose is to investigate BCIs’ impact on FLEs’ well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

This article uses a conceptual approach to synthesize interdisciplinary research from service marketing, neurotechnology and well-being.

Findings

This article highlights the expected impact from BCIs on the work environment and conceptualizes what BCIs entail for the service sector and the different BCI types that may be discerned. Second, a conceptual framework is introduced to explicate BCIs’ impact on FLEs’ well-being, identifying two mediating factors (i.e. BCI as a stressor versus BCI as a resource) and three categories of moderating factors that influence this relationship. Third, this article identifies areas for future research on this important topic.

Practical implications

Service firms can benefit from integrating BCIs to enhance efficiency and foster a healthy work environment. This article provides managers with an overview of BCI technology and key implementation considerations.

Originality/value

This article pioneers a systematic examination of BCIs as workplace technology, investigating their influence on FLEs’ well-being.
Embedding behavioral biases into robo-advisory platforms-case of UAE investors
Authors: Banerjee Arindam , Kumar Raghavendra Prasanna , Mohnot Rajesh
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study aims to identify individuals' biases while making investment decisions and explore how these biases can be incorporated into a robo-advisory platform to help mitigate these biases. This paper identifies eight investment-related behavioral biases: mental accounting, gambler’s fallacy, hindsight, regret aversion, disposition, trend-chasing, loss aversion and herding.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses primary data from 263 respondents across various age groups, of which approximately 50 were wealth management professionals in the UAE. A random sampling method from probability sampling is employed to gather the primary data. The identified biases serve as dependent variables; the age and income of individuals serve as the independent variables.

Findings

Age and income are significantly related to mental accounting, herding, gambler fallacy and loss aversion. Existing studies on behavioral finance demonstrate that individuals who make investment decisions are susceptible to cognitive fallacies, leading to nonrational investment decisions.

Practical implications

By studying these biases affecting individuals of varying ages and income levels, wealth management professionals can tailor their financial robo-advisory services to address these biases and help clients build wealth with consistent investment.

Originality/value

This study uses survey-based sampling in the context of the UAE; hence, the data and analysis represent originality.
Analysis of European accounting and auditing firms: do they have different business viability?
Authors: Gelashvili Vera , Gómez-Ortega Alba , Macías-Guillén Almudena , Delgado Jalón María Luisa
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The Audit and Accounting Firms (AAF) companies are of great importance as they audit companies in different sectors and report on their economic-financial situation. The academic literature has analysed these firms but has not gone as far as to review their economic and financial health. Therefore, this study aims to focus on the analysis of whether these companies are viable companies beyond the large firms, whether they generate profits from their activity or whether they tend to go bankrupt. In addition, the impact of COVID-19 has been studied, since it is questionable whether the effect on AAF has been negative or positive.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to answer the hypotheses put forward in this study, analysis of the profitability, liquidity and solvency situation of AAF considering their size and age, as well as the impact of the pandemic on this sector has been done. In total, 12,469 European companies are analysed. After the descriptive analysis of the companies by ratios, the Altman Z-score model is used as a methodology to assess whether they are bankruptcy-prone companies based on their characteristics.

Findings

The results of the analysis of the study have shown that these are companies of great importance to the European economy and that, depending on their characteristics, there are companies that may be closer to the risk of bankruptcy. This study is an essential contribution to the academic literature, public administration and the management of auditing and accounting firms.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to analyse AAF at the European level with a panel data sample. The results obtained can be generalized and form the basis for future lines of research.
Individual effects and complementarities-in-performance: the long-run impacts of CSR on an acquirer’s performance in cross-border mergers
Authors: Shahiduzzaman Md
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relative effects of individual environmental, social and governance pillars on the performance of international mergers. We examine whether performance complementarity exists among the environmental, social and governance pillars.

Design/methodology/approach

We draw on a global set of cross-border merger data covering 2002 to 2018 and employ pooled least squares (PLS) and instrumental variable (IV) approaches to gain novel and robust insights into the short- and long-term effects of the relationships among the three CSR pillars on acquisition returns. To study the examined interrelationships across three pillars, we rely on theories related to super-modular optimization and games.

Findings

We find positive and significant effects of the environmental pillar and the social pillar on changes in ROA and Tobin’s Q of acquirers during the three years following acquisitions. Furthermore, the governance pillar only impacts short-run ROA change. We found complementarities among the three pillars of CSR to attain performance synergy. The effects of CSR on post-merger performance are more profound in the long run.

Originality/value

We analyze the relative importance of CSR individual pillars (i.e. the environmental, social and governance pillars) and the nature of the relationship among them. This research question remained unexplored in the previous literature. Our analysis sheds light on prevailing concerns regarding the mutual relations among the different pillars of CSR; e.g. previous literature argued that the governance component is different from the social and environmental pillars.
The effect of preexercise meal composition on substrate oxidation during incremental cycling to exhaustion in recreationally active adults: randomized parallel pilot trial
Authors: Zawieja Emilia , Podgórski Tomasz , Zanchi Nelo Eidy , Durkalec-Michalski Krzysztof
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of three different preexercise meals: high-carbohydrate, low-glycemic index (LGI), high-carbohydrate, high-GI (HGI) and low-carbohydrate high fat (LCHO) on substrate oxidation during an incremental cycling test (ICT) in recreationally active adults.

Design/methodology/approach

This was a parallel, randomized study in which participants ingested one of three meals (LGI, HGI or LCHO) 3 h prior to exercise testing. Testing included ICT to exhaustion with continuous ergospirometry measurement.

Findings

Fat oxidation rate was significantly higher in LCHO compared to HGI (p = 0.039). Carbohydrate contribution to energy production was significantly lower and fat contribution higher in LCHO compared to HGI (p = 0.034). Fat-to-carbohydrates crossover point was achieved at significantly higher heart rate in LCHO group compared to LGI and HGI (p = 0.046 and p = 0.049, respectively). Peak fat oxidation occurred significantly later during exercises in LCHO group compared to HGI (p = 0.025). In conclusion, LCHO meal results in a higher fat oxidation, reduced carbohydrates contribution-to-energy production, delayed peak fat oxidation point and altered fat-to-carbohydrates crossover dynamics. There are no differences in substrate oxidation between high-carbohydrate preexercise meals that differ only in GI.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to compare the acute effect of both the amount of carbohydrates and the GI in a preexercise meal on substrate utilization during ICT.
Unveiling the dynamic linkages between energy, forex and financial markets amidst natural and man-made outbreaks
Authors: Yadav Miklesh Prasad , Kushwah Silky Vigg , Taghizadeh-Hesary Farhad , Mishra Nandita
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the dynamic linkages of the energy market with the forex market. The energy market is measured by crude oil WTI, while the forex market is proxied by Brazilian real (RBRL), Mexican peso (RMXN), South African rand (RZAR), Turkish lira (RTRY) and British pound sterling (RGBP) exchange rate.

Design/methodology/approach

For the study, daily observations of these constituent asset classes extending from December 31, 2019, to August 16, 2022, are taken as the data. Furthermore, it is categorized into two different sub-samples in the form of the COVID-19 outbreak (December 31, 2019 to February 23, 2022) and the Russo−Ukraine invasion (February 24, 2022 to August 16, 2022). For empirical estimation, Diebold and Yilmaz model (2014) and Barunik and Krehlik test (2018) are used to examine the dynamic linkages.

Findings

The study concludes that the Mexican peso (RMXN) receives and transmits the highest spillover, while crude oil (RCOWTI) receives and transmits the least volatility to the network connection in full sample. In addition, the authors report that the dynamic linkage is not constant in the short, medium and long run. Furthermore, the spillover index in the Russo−Ukraine invasion is higher (29.92%) than full observation (22.03%) and COVID-19 outbreak (21.10%) in the short run.

Originality/value

This paper ventures to offer insight to investors, traders and policymakers based on normal trading days and crisis periods.
SGR-AutoLap: Surgical gesture recognition-based autonomous laparoscope control for human-robot shared control in semi-autonomous minimally invasive surgical robot
Authors: Sun Yanwen , Shi Xiaojing , Zhai Shixun , Zhang Kaige , Pan Bo , Fu Yili
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the problem of vision based autonomous laparoscope control, which can serve as the primary function for semi-autonomous minimally invasive surgical robot system. Providing the surgical gesture recognition information is a fundamental key component for enabling intelligent context-aware assistance in autonomous laparoscope control task. While significant advances have been made in recent years, how to effectively carry out the efficient integration of surgical gesture recognition and autonomous laparoscope control algorithms for robotic assisted minimally invasive surgical robot system is still an open and challenging topic.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors demonstrate a novel surgeon in-loop semi-autonomous robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery framework by integrating the surgical gesture recognition and autonomous laparoscope control tasks. Specifically, they explore using a transformer-based deep convolutional neural network to effectively recognize the current surgical gesture. Next, they propose an autonomous laparoscope control model to provide optimal field of view which is in line with surgeon intra-operation preferences.

Findings

The effectiveness of this surgical gesture recognition methodology is demonstrated on the public JIGSAWS and Cholec80 data sets, outperforming the comparable state-of-the-art methods. Furthermore, the authors have validated the effectiveness of the proposed semi-autonomous framework on the developed HUAQUE surgical robot platforms.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates the feasibility to perform cognitive assistant human–robot shared control for semi-autonomous robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery, contributing to the reference for further surgical intelligence in computer-assisted intervention systems.
An autoethnography of physical education teacher educator: self-reflection for learning and teaching in Hong Kong physical education after the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Kam Wai-keung Kevin
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This paper reported an autoethnographic study based on the author’s reflections during and after COVID-19 in Hong Kong. The author took on the role of a teacher educator in supporting the professional development of both pre-service and in-service teachers facing the related challenges and difficulties during the pandemic. Through ongoing dialogues with different stakeholders, including PE teachers, school principals, and university academics as well as the author’s own reflective self, the study drew upon the author’s deliberate choice to situate the efforts to engage with critical pedagogy about the broader context of changes made by PE Teacher Education in higher education institution during the COVID-19 in Hong Kong.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a generic self-reflective model with an autoethnographic approach for PE teachers who might seek resolutions and insight by referencing the author’s reflections about learning and teaching in and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong.

Findings

The challenges and future development of PE were reflected.

Originality/value

Veriguide: A146240400999491 (8.05%).
Fuel architecture influences interspecific variation in shoot flammability, but not as much as leaf traits
Authors: Alam Md Azharul , Wyse Sarah V. , Buckley Hannah L. , Perry George L. W. , Cui Xinglei , Sullivan Jon J. , Schwilk Dylan W. , Curran Timothy J.
Published: November 2024

Plant flammability is strongly influenced by functional traits, meaning that the quantitative measurement of trait–flammability relationships is key to understanding why some species burn better than others. While relationships between flammability and leaf traits are well‐studied, the role of architectural traits has rarely been assessed. Shoots preserve some of the architecture of plants; therefore, shoot‐level trait–flammability relationships offer great promise for determining the relative influence of fuel architecture and leaf traits on flammability.

We quantified plant flammability by burning 70‐cm‐long shoot samples from 65 species of indigenous and exotic New Zealand trees and shrubs and measured a range of leaf and fuel architectural traits on the same individuals. The influence of species' evolutionary history on flammability variation was also quantified.

Most of the variation in flammability and functional traits was explained by between‐species differences. No significant phylogenetic signal was detected for the flammability variables measured in this study. Fuel architecture influenced shoot flammability, and along with leaf traits, explained a high proportion (41%–54%) of flammability variation. Branching patterns (number of ramifications and sub‐branches) was the key architectural trait that was strongly positively correlated with flammability. Other architectural traits, such as foliage and twig fraction mass, and fuel bulk density were also significantly associated with some flammability variables. Leaf dry matter content (LDMC; positive relationship) and leaf thickness (negative relationship) were the leaf traits most strongly correlated with shoot flammability.

Synthesis. Our study addresses a key knowledge gap by demonstrating the influence of fuel architecture on shoot flammability and improves our understanding of why species with certain architecture (e.g. highly branched) burn better than others. However, leaf traits such as leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and leaf thickness emerged as having a relatively stronger influence on flammability than architectural traits. Where available, traits such as LDMC, leaf thickness and branching pattern can be effective surrogates of plant flammability and can be used to improve global dynamic vegetation models and fire behaviour models. However, several architectural traits are time‐consuming to measure, so where they are not available, it will be quicker to simply measure shoot flammability.