bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peptidyl tRNA hydrolase is required for robust prolyl-tRNA turnover inMycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Tomasi Francesca G. , Schweber Jessica T. P. , Kimura Satoshi , Zhu Junhao , Cleghorn Laura A. T. , Davis Susan H. , Green Simon R. , Waldor Matthew K. , Rubin Eric J.
Published: November 2022

Enzymes involved in rescuing stalled ribosomes and recycling translation machinery are ubiquitous in bacteria and required for growth. Peptidyl tRNA drop-off is a type of abortive translation that results in the release of a truncated peptide that is still bound to tRNA (peptidyl tRNA) into the cytoplasm. Peptidyl tRNA hydrolase (Pth) recycles the released tRNA by cleaving off the unfinished peptide and is essential in most bacterial species. We developed a sequencing-based strategy called Cu-tRNAseq to study the physiological role of Pth inMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb). While most peptidyl tRNA species accumulated in a strain with impaired Pth expression, peptidyl prolyl-tRNA was particularly enriched, suggesting that Pth is required for robust peptidyl prolyl-tRNA turnover. Reducing Pth levels increasedMtb’s susceptibility to tRNA synthetase inhibitors that are in development to treat tuberculosis (TB) and rendered this pathogen highly susceptible to macrolides, drugs that are ordinarily ineffective againstMtb. Collectively, our findings reveal the potency of Cu-tRNAseq for profiling peptidyl tRNAs and suggest that targeting Pth would open new therapeutic approaches for TB.
Revisiting pangenome openness with k-mers
Authors: Parmigiani Luca , Wittler Roland , Stoye Jens
Published: November 2022

Pangenomics is the study of related genomes collectively, usually from the same species or closely related taxa. Originally, pangenomes were defined for bacterial species. After the concept was extended to eukaryotic genomes, two definitions of pangenome evolved in parallel: the gene-based approach, which defines the pangenome as the union of all genes, and the sequence-based approach, which defines the pangenome as the set of all nonredundant genomic sequences. Estimating the total size of the pangenome for a given species has been subject of study since the very first mention of pangenomes. Traditionally, this is performed predicting the ratio at which new genes are discovered, referred to as the openness of the species. Here, we abstract each genome as a set of items, which is entirely agnostic of the two approaches (gene-based, sequence-based). Genes are a viable option for items, but also other possibilities are feasible, e.g., genome sequence substrings of fixed length k (k-mers). In the present study, we investigate the use of k-mers to estimate the openness as an alternative to genes, and compare the results. An efficient implementation is also provided.
Evolutionarily diverse caveolins share a common structural framework built around amphipathic discs
Authors: Han Bing , Connolly Sarah , Wilson Louis F. L. , Schultz Darrin T. , Gulsevin Alican , Meiler Jens , Karakas Erkan , Ohi Melanie D. , Kenworthy Anne K.
Published: November 2022

Caveolins are a unique family of membrane-remodeling proteins present broadly across animals (Metazoa), and in vertebrates form flask-shaped invaginations known as caveolae. While human caveolin-1 assembles into an amphipathic disc composed of 11 spirally packed protomers, the structural basis underlying caveolin function across animals remains elusive. Here, we predicted structures for 73 caveolins spanning animal diversity, as well as a newly identified choanoflagellate caveolin fromSalpingoeca rosetta,a unicellular relative to animals. This analysis revealed seven conserved structural elements and a propensity to assemble into amphipathic discs. Despite extreme sequence variability, new cryo-EM structures of caveolins from the choanoflagellate and the purple sea urchinStrongylocentrotus purpuratusexhibit striking structural similarities to human caveolin-1, validating the structural predictions. Lastly, tracing the chromosomal evolutionary history of caveolins revealed evolutionary branches where caveolins translocated and expanded, including a parahoxozoan ancestral chromosome as the origin of most caveolin diversity. These results show that caveolins possess an ancient structural framework predating Metazoa and provide a new structural paradigm to explore the molecular basis of caveolin function across diverse evolutionary lineages.
The effects of fasting on ischemic infarcts in the rat
Authors: Schneider Anna M , Buchan Alastair M , Couch Yvonne
Published: November 2022

Background

Inflammation has been found to be largely detrimental early in the acute phase of stroke but beneficial at more chronic stages. Fasting has been shown to reduce inflammation acutely. We aimed to determine whether post-ischemic fasting improves stroke outcomes through attenuated inflammation.

Methods

After an endothelin-1 lesion was created in the striatum, animals were subjected to either normal feeding or water-only fasting for 24 hours.

Results

It was found that at 24 hours, fasting reduced infarct volume and BBB breakdown and lowered both circulating and brain neutrophils.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that fasting is a potentially beneficial non-pharmacological additive therapeutic option for cerebral ischemia, which might act by reducing inflammation in the acute disease stage.
MiR-138-5p upregulation during neuronal maturation parallels with an increase in neuronal survival
Authors: Barreda-Manso M. Asunción , Soto Altea , Muñoz-Galdeano Teresa , Reigada David , Nieto-Díaz Manuel , Maza Rodrigo M.
Published: November 2022

Neuronal maturation is a process that plays a key role in the development and regeneration of the central nervous system. Although embryonic brain development and neurodegeneration have received considerable attention, the events that govern postnatal neuronal maturation are less understood. Among the mechanisms influencing such neuronal maturation process, apoptosis plays a key role. Several regulators have been described to modulate apoptosis, including post-transcriptional regulation by microRNAs. This study aimed to assess whether the strikingly induced miR-138-5p during neuronal maturation contributes to avoiding the neuronal death induced by apoptosis. Our results point out that the observed opposite expression of miR-138-5p and its target Caspase3 might modulate apoptosis favouring neuronal survival at distinct maturation stages. The unchanged expression of miR-138-5p in mature neurons contrasts with the significant downregulation in immature neurons upon apoptotic stimulation. Similarly, immunoblot and individual cellular assays confirmed that during maturation, not only the expression but processing of CASP-3 and caspase activity is reduced after apoptotic stimulation which resulted in a reduction of neuronal death. For all this data, we suggest that the upregulation of miR-138-5p during neuronal maturation is crucial in neuronal survival in pathological or traumatic conditions. Further studies would be needed to determine a more detailed role of miR-138-5p in apoptosis during neuronal maturation and the synergistic action of several microRNAs acting cooperatively on Caspase3 or other apoptotic targets.

Graphical abstract

Highligths

Neuronal maturation promotes cell survival.

Neuronal maturation reduces the processing of CASP-3 and caspase activity after apoptotic stimulation.

The expression changes of miR-138-5p and Caspase 3 are opposite during hippocampal neuron maturation.

The increase of miR-138-5p expression throughout maturation is not influenced by apoptotic stimulation.

MiR-138-5p is suggested as an essential factor concerning neuronal maturation, regulating Caspase 3 and favouring survival.
Modular gene interactions drive modular pan-genome evolution in bacteria
Authors: Castro Juan C. , Brown Sam P.
Published: November 2022

Depending on the scale of observation, bacterial genomes are both organized and fluid. While individual bacterial genomes show signatures of organization (e.g., operons), pan-genomes reveal genome fluidity, both in terms of gene content and order (synteny). Here we ask how mutational forces (including recombination and horizontal gene transfer) combine with selection and gene interactions to shape genome organization and variation both within and across strains. We first build an evolutionary simulation model to assess the impact of gene interactions on pan-genome structure. A neutral evolutionary model can produce transient co-segregation of initially linked genes but is vulnerable on longer time-scales to perturbing mutational events. In contrast, incorporation of modular gene fitness interactions can produce sustainable clusters of linked and co-segregating genes, with the network of co-segregation recapitulating the defined simulation ‘ground-truth’ network of gene interactions. To test our model predictions, we exploit the increasing number of closed genomes in model species to define gene co-segregation networks in the pan-genomes ofEscherichia coliandPseudomonas aeruginosa. Using these highly curated pan-genomes, we identify modular clusters of physically linked and co-segregating genes and show that the resulting co-segregation networks map onto underlying gene-regulatory and metabolic gene interaction networks. The results imply that co-segregation networks can contribute to accessory genome annotation, and more generally that gene interactions are the primary force shaping genome structure and operon evolution.
Test-Retest Reliability of Dynamic Functional Connectivity Parameters for a Two-State Model
Authors: Fang Xiaojing , Marxen Michael
Published: November 2022

Dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) metrics derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) that measure dynamic features of brain communications that change over time are gaining more and more attention. A key concern is the reliability of DFC parameters, especially given the many methodological options. The DFC parameters mean dwell time (MDT), prevalence (Prev.), inter-transition interval (ITI) and state variability (Var.) were computed in 23 participants using a two-state model, sliding window analysis, and two imaging sessions. Reliability of the connectivity states, test-retest reliability of the parameters as well as correlations between DFC parameters were investigated for different scan lengths (i.e., 16 vs 8 min.), atlases (i.e., 116 vs. 442 regions of interest) and with/without within-subject centering of DFC matrices. The results showed an integrated (I) and a segregated (S) brain state with high intra-class correlation (ICC) values of the states between sessions (0.67 ≥ ICC ≥ 0.99). Reliability of the DFC parameters is, at best, intermediate with an ICC = 0.51 for prevalence for not-centered, 16 min. data and the coarse atlas. Moreover,MDTsof both states were positively correlated for centered data. Prevalence of one state was positively correlated withMDTof the same state and frequently negatively correlated withMDTof the other state.Varwas positively correlated withMDTandPrevfor the same state and negatively correlated for the other state for not-centered data. This study suggests that prevalence is the most reliable DFC parameter with lower reliability for shorter scans, more atlas regions and centering. Thus, it is advantageous to formulate hypotheses related to brain dynamics in terms of prevalence, especially in small-scale studies.
Selective control of synaptic plasticity in heterogeneous networks through transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)
Authors: Pariz Aref , Trotter Daniel , Hutt Axel , Lefebvre Jeremie
Published: November 2022

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) represents a promising non-invasive treatment for an increasingly wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. The ability to use periodically oscillating electric fields to non-invasively engage neural dynamics opens up the possibility of recruiting synaptic plasticity and to modulate brain function. However, despite consistent reports about tACS clinical effectiveness, strong state-dependence combined with the ubiquitous heterogeneity of cortical networks collectively results in high outcome variability. Introducing variations in intrinsic neuronal timescales, we explored how such heterogeneity influences stimulation-induced change in synaptic connectivity. We examined how spike timing dependent plasticity, at the level of cells, intra- and inter-laminar cortical networks, can be selectively and preferentially engaged by periodic stimulation. Using computational simulations informed by human experimental data, we analyzed cortical circuits comprised of multiple cell-types, alongside superficial multi-layered networks expressing distinct layer-specific timescales. Our results show that mismatch in neuronal timescales within and/or between cells - and the resulting variability in excitability, temporal integration properties and frequency tuning - enables selective and directional control on synaptic connectivity by tACS. Our work provides new vistas on how to recruit neural heterogeneity to guide brain plasticity using non-invasive stimulation paradigms.

Author summary

Brain stimulation techniques, such as transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), are increasingly used to treat mental health disorders and to probe brain function. Despite promising results, it remains unclear how these non-invasive interventions impact both the dynamics and connectivity of neural circuits. We developed an interdisciplinary framework showing that heterogeneity in neuronal timescales, and its consequences on cellular excitability and temporal integration properties of cortical neurons, may lead to selective and directional control on synaptic modifications by tACS. Differences in neuron responses resulting from timescale mismatch establishes phase- and frequency-specific tuning relationships which may be recruited by periodic stimuli to guide synaptic plasticity. We confirmed this using both intra - and inter-laminar cortical circuit models comprised of multiple cell-types and informed by experimental data. Our work showcases how heterogeneity might be used to guide synaptic plasticity using non-invasive stimulation paradigms.
Pseudomonas aeruginosamechanosensing controls cell polarity during twitching by activating two antagonistic response regulators
Authors: Kühn Marco J. , Macmillan Henriette , Talà Lorenzo , Inclan Yuki , Patino Ramiro , Pierrat Xavier , Al-Mayyah Zainebe , Engel Joanne N. , Persat Alexandre
Published: November 2022

The opportunistic pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosaadapts to solid surfaces to enhance virulence and infect its host. Type IV pili (T4P), long and thin filaments that power surface-specific twitching motility, allow single cells to mechanosense surfaces. For example, cells sense T4P attachment to control the direction of twitching motility. In this process, they establish a local positive feedback that polarizes T4P distribution to the sensing pole. A complex chemotaxis-like system called Chp mediates this response. The signalling mechanism allowing for transduction of this spatially-resolved signal is however unresolved. Here we demonstrate that the two Chp response regulators PilG and PilH enable dynamic cell polarization by coupling their antagonistic functions on T4P extension. By precisely quantifying the localization of fluorescent protein fusions, we show that PilG polarizes in response to mechanosensing through phosphorylation by the histidine kinase ChpA. We find that PilH is not inherently required for reversals. However, PilH activation is necessary to break the local positive feedback established by PilG so that forward-twitching cells can reverse. To spatially resolve mechanical signals, Chp thus locally transduces signals with a main output response regulator, PilG. To respond to signal changes, Chp uses its second regulator PilH to break the local feedback. By identifying the molecular functions of two response regulators that dynamically control cell polarization, our work provides a rationale for the diversity of architectures often found in non-canonical chemotaxis systems.
Partially observable Markov models inferred using statistical tests reveal context-dependent syllable transitions in Bengalese finch songs
Authors: Lu Jiali , Surendralal Sumithra , Bouchard Kristofer E. , Jin Dezhe Z.
Published: November 2022

Generative models have broad applications, ranging from language processing to analyzing bird-song. In this study, we demonstrate how a statistical test, designed to prevent overgeneralization in sequence generation, can be used to deduce minimal models for the syllable sequences in Bengalese finch songs. We focus on the partially observable Markov model (POMM), which consists of states and the probabilistic transitions between them. Each state is associated with a specific syllable, with the possibility of multiple states being associated to a single syllable. This feature sets the POMM apart from a standard Markov model, where each syllable is associated to just one state. This multiplicity suggests that syllable transitions are influenced by the specific contexts in which the transitions appear. We apply this method to analyze the songs of six adult male Bengalese finches, both before and after they are deafened. Our findings indicate that auditory feedback is crucial in shaping the context-dependent syllable transitions characteristic of Bengalese finch songs.

Significance

Generative models are adept at representing sequences where the order of elements, such as words or birdsong syllables, depends on the context. In this study, we demonstrate that a probabilistic model, inspired by neural encoding of song production in songbirds, effectively captures context-dependent transitions of syllables in Bengalese finch songs. Our findings indicate that the absence of auditory input, as seen in deafened finches, diminishes these context dependencies. This implies that auditory feedback is vital for establishing context-based sequencing in their songs. Our method can be applied to various behavioral sequences, offering insights into the neural underpinnings that govern statistical patterns in these sequences.
Transforming inert cycloalkanes into α,ω-diamines through designed enzymatic cascade catalysis
Authors: Zhang Zhongwei , Fang Lin , Wang Fei , Deng Yu , Jiang Zhengbin , Li Aitao
Published: November 2022

Aliphatic α,ω-diamines (DAs) are important monomer precursors in polyamide plastic manufacturing. However, the dominant industrial process for DA synthesis involves energy-intensive, multistage chemical reactions that are harmful to the environment. For instance, 1,6-hexanediamine (HMD), one of most prominent monomers in nylon-66 synthesis, is mainly synthesized with currently high technological control by butadiene hydrocyanation, which suffers from the use of highly toxic hydrogen cyanide, unsatisfactory selectivity and a complex separation process. Thus, the development of sustainable green DA synthetic routes is highly desired. Herein, we report an efficient one-potin vivobiocatalytic cascade for the transformation of cycloalkanes into DAs with the aid of advanced techniques, including the RetroBioCat tool for biocatalytic route design, enzyme mining for finding appropriate enzymes and microbial consortia construction for efficient pathway assembly. As a result, DAs are successfully produced by the developed microbial consortia-based biocatalytic system, especially HMD, and product concentrations as high as 16.5 mM and 7.6 mM are achieved when using cyclohexanol (CHOL) or cyclohexane (CH) as substrates, respectively. This also represents the highest HMD biosynthesis productivity to date. Other cycloalkanes also serve as substrates, indicating the generality of our approach.
SLIPMAT: a pipeline for extracting tissue-specific spectral profiles from1H MR spectroscopic imaging data
Authors: Vella Olivia , Bagshaw Andrew P. , Wilson Martin
Published: November 2022

1H Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) is an important non-invasive tool for measuring brain metabolism, with numerous applications in the neuroscientific and clinical domains. In this work we present a new analysis pipeline (SLIPMAT), designed to extract high-quality, tissue-specific, spectral profiles from MR spectroscopic imaging data (MRSI). Spectral decomposition is combined with spatially dependant frequency and phase correction to yield high SNR white and grey matter spectra without partial-volume contamination. A subsequent series of spectral processing steps are applied to reduce unwanted spectral variation, such as baseline correction and linewidth matching, before direct spectral analysis with machine learning and traditional statistical methods. The method is validated using a 2D semi-LASER MRSI sequence, with a 5-minute duration, from data acquired in triplicate across 8 healthy participants. Reliable spectral profiles are confirmed with principal component analysis, revealing the importance of total-choline and scyllo-inositol levels in distinguishing between individuals – in good agreement with our previous work. Furthermore, since the method allows the simultaneous measurement of metabolites in grey and white matter, we show the strong discriminative value of these metabolites in both tissue types for the first time. In conclusion, we present a novel and time efficient MRSI acquisition and processing pipeline, capable of detecting reliable neuro-metabolic differences between healthy individuals, and suitable for the sensitive neurometabolic profiling of in-vivo brain tissue.
Psychedelic compounds directly excite 5-HT2ALayer 5 Pyramidal Neurons in the Prefrontal Cortex through a 5-HT2AGq -mediated activation mechanism
Authors: Schmitz Gavin P. , Chiu Yi-Ting , König Gabriele M. , Kostenis Evi , Roth Bryan L. , Herman Melissa A.
Published: November 2022

Psilocin, the active compound inPsilocybe sp. mushrooms, is a serotonergic psychedelic that has recently gained renewed interest due to its potential as a therapeutic tool. Despite promising clinical findings, the underlying signaling mechanisms and brain region-specific effects of psilocin and other psychedelic drugs remain unclear. Psilocin, like other psychedelic compounds, is an agonist at many serotonin and other biogenic amine receptors; however, activation of serotonin (5-Hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) 2A receptors (5-HT2ARs) is understood as the main molecular target for the psychoactive effects in animals and humans. 5-HT2ARs are abundantly expressed in the prefrontal cortex (PFC); however, the biochemical actions of psilocin on PFC neurons remain poorly understood. In this study, we usedin vitroslice electrophysiology to examine how psilocin acutely alters the activity and electrophysiological properties of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the mouse PFC. Focal application of psilocin (10μM) onto nonspecified Layer 5 Pyramidal neurons in the prelimbic PFC of C57BL/6J mice produced variable effects on firing (increase, decrease, or no change). 5-HT2AR layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the mouse prelimbic PFC were identified via labeling in a 5-HT2A-ERT2-Cre mouse crossed with an Ai9 tdTomato reporter. Focal application of psilocin increased firing in all identified 5-HT2AR neurons but did not result in any significant changes in synaptic transmission. Overall, the results demonstrate that psilocin evokes strong firing changes in the PFC that are 5-HT2AR and Gαqdependent, thereby providing valuable insights into the effects of psilocin on a brain region implicated in mediating psychedelic drug actions.
Social Curiosity in Monkeys
Authors: Joiner Jessica A. , Nair Amrita R. , Fagan Nicholas A. , Chang Steve W. C.
Published: November 2022

Humans and nonhuman animals derive value from many different sources. Some of these sources, notably primary reinforcers like food, are clearly rewarding and can powerfully shape our behaviors. Other sources of reward, such as information, are more intangible and abstract. Like humans, nonhuman primates also find information inherently rewarding, displaying a preference to reveal information about upcoming primary reinforcers even though the information has no bearing on the outcome itself. For animals living in social groups, the need for information extends beyond primary reinforcers like food. They need to acquire information from others or about others. This is especially true for animals, such as nonhuman primates, which live in large and often hierarchically organized societies, where processing social information for the purpose of learning and socializing can be just as critical to survival. To quantify curiosity for knowing social information in monkeys, we extend the advanced informationseeking paradigm (Bromberg-Martin and Hikosaka, 2009) into the realm of abstract, social information. We first replicated the finding that monkeys prefer advanced information about juice size (Bromberg-Martin and Hikosaka, 2009). We next trained monkeys on a social variant of this task. In the advanced social information-seeking task, monkeys had the option to choose a cue that tells them in advance the valence, or facial expression, on a monkey’s face that they will be viewing before receiving the invariant amount of juice. Even though this cue did not impact which facial expression the monkeys would see, they preferred to know the valence of the facial expression in advance. Our results indicate that information-seeking behavior generalizes to seeking social information. Our findings also suggest that curiosity in nonhuman primates can be translated into increasingly abstract levels of information.
Factors influencing users' online information disclosure intention and the moderating effect of cultural background and platform type
Authors: Wang Ning , Zhao Yang , Zhou Ruoxin , Li Yixuan
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Online platforms are providing diversified and personalized services with user information. Users should decide if they should give up parts of information for convenience, with their information being at the risk of being illegally collected, leaked, spread and misused. This study aims to explore the main factors influencing users' online information disclosure intention from the perspectives of privacy, technology acceptance and trust, and the authors extend previous research with two moderators.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on 48 independent empirical studies, this paper conducted a meta-analysis to synthesize existing results from collected individual studies. This meta-analysis explored the main factors influencing users' online information disclosure intention from the perspectives of privacy, technology acceptance and trust.

Findings

The meta-analysis results based on 48 independent studies revealed that perceived benefit, trust, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control have significant positive effects, while perceived privacy risk and privacy concern have significant negative effects. Moreover, cultural background and platform type moderate the relationship between antecedents and online information disclosure intention.

Originality/value

This paper explored the moderating effects of an individual factor and a platform factor on users' online information disclosure intention. The moderating effect of cultural differences is examined with Hofstede's dimensions, and the moderating role of the purpose of online information disclosure is examined with platform type. This study extends online information disclosure literature with a multi-perspective meta-analysis and provides guidelines for practitioners.
A big-data analysis of the communication patterns of parliament members with the public on Facebook: top-down, non-inclusive and non-egalitarian
Authors: Steinfeld Nili , Lev-On Azi
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Social media have become the main channel of direct communication between members of parliament and constituents. The study analyzes the content in all Israeli MPs' Facebook channels throughout an entire term of parliament and asks if the results are consistent with the equalization or the normalization hypotheses.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses automatic analysis to produce a birds-eye-view of the content uploaded to the Facebook pages of all Israeli MPs during a full term of parliament. All 106 MP pages were automatically scraped. Some complementary information was added to each post in the dataset, such as post length (number of words) and whether the page belongs to a member of the opposition or coalition. The total of 441,974 posts was analyzed to compare engagement and publication rates between pages, coalition vs opposition MPs, MPs vs users etc.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that the MP-Facebook sphere is non-egalitarian, in that it follows skewed distributions by MPs in terms of post publication and engagement rates; non-inclusive, in that pages of coalition members receive significantly much more engagement vis-a-vis pages of members of the oppositions; and “top-down”, in that MP-authored posts receive dramatically more engagement then user-authored posts, suggesting MPs have a near-monopoly on setting the agendas manifest in their pages, while users have extremely limited agenda-setting capabilities in these pages.

Originality/value

Previous studies have looked at the character of the interactions between MPs and constituents on the Internet and particularly on online social media. Yet, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study provides a birds-eye-view of the content in all MPs' Facebook channels throughout a full term of parliament. Such an analysis provides a more comprehensive understanding of the character and dynamics of conversations that take place in such arenas.
Poison or remedy? Masculinity in a pathos-based sustainable brand story
Authors: Huang Chaohua , Zhuang Shaoshuang , Ma Haiyan
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effects of pathos in sustainable brand stories featuring masculinity on brand masculinity and men’s sustainable brand attitude using Aristotle’s rhetoric theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Three independent online experiments (N = 398; N = 216; N = 247) were conducted to observe how participants responded to a sustainable brand story. Data collected through a post-experimental survey were used to test the proposed model. Research hypotheses were inspected using SPSS.

Findings

The authors reveal brand masculinity is influenced by varying degrees of pathos: participants who read stories with all three pathos elements (metaphor, humor and empathy) demonstrated the highest level of perceived brand masculinity. Male consumers showed more positive attitudes toward masculine sustainable brand stories than feminine ones. The authors also identify the moderating effect of consumer generation: Gen Z (versus Gen Y) consumers demonstrated stronger character identification with hybrid masculinity (versus hegemonic masculinity) sustainable brand stories, resulting in more favorable sustainable brand attitudes.

Originality/value

The study provides a new angle for exploring the relationship between gendered sustainable brand stories and sustainable brand attitudes. It is the first (to the authors’ knowledge) that links Aristotle’s rhetoric theory to brand gender research, and it empirically demonstrates how male consumers from different generational cohorts respond to different masculinity strategies used by sustainable brands.
Three dimensions of transforming the advantages of the basic socialist economic system into governance efficacy
Authors: Li Nan , Chen Wei
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is further leveraging the advantages of the basic socialist economic system and exploring the realistic way of transforming the advantages of the socialist economic system with Chinese characteristics into governance efficacy. At its Fourth Plenary Session, the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) elevated the socialist market economy system to China's basic economic system, further affirming the significant advantages embedded in the socialist market economy from an institutional perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The essence of the basic socialist economic system consists of the ownership structure with public ownership as the mainstay, the income distribution system with distribution according to work as the mainstay and the socialist market economy, which are interrelated, supportive and reinforcing mutually, forming an organic whole.

Findings

Over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, it has been proven through practice that the basic socialist economic system has played a fundamental role in guaranteeing rapid economic development and social stability. The system not only corresponds to the development level of the productive forces in the primary stage of socialism in China but also demonstrates its strengths in eliminating polarization between the poor and the rich and achieving common prosperity.

Originality/value

It is necessary to make the basic economic system more coordinated and consistent and be committed to the philosophy that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts to form a systemic synergy, so as to achieve synergistic enhancement of institutional advantages and governance efficacy.
Online teaching and its impact on self-monitoring of faculty members: learnings for the future from a pandemic
Authors: Pandita Deepika , Kumar V.V. Ravi
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This research aims to combine and extend the literature on the self-monitoring approach used by faculty members in online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) model. The study also highlights the challenges faced by faculty members in online teaching.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a mixed methodology approach, the primary data was obtained from the faculty members of the post-graduate business schools. This data enabled the measurement of self-monitoring adopted by the faculty members and the relationship of the factors by using the TAM model. Multivariate regression was adopted to study the relationships between the elements in the TAM model and faculty members’ self-monitoring. Secondly, a few exploratory questions were asked to the respondents about the challenges faced by them during online teaching.

Findings

The quantitative analysis conducted using multiple regression directed that the faculty’s contentment with any digital platform influenced their engagement, attention and participation while taking an online class as a part of the self-monitoring process. The perception of the technology platforms used for online teaching affected the faculty members’ self-monitoring dimensions: attention, participation and engagement. Based on the qualitative approach, the thematic analysis pointed out five major challenges for faculty members in conducting online classes: I.T. support, hesitation, interaction with peers and students, proficiency with an online platform and evaluation challenges.

Research limitations/implications

This study was conducted during the complete lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic; many faculty members were initially trained to get familiarized with the online teaching platforms and educate students. Hence, this study enriches the literature on online teaching during pandemic times.

Practical implications

To ensure that the faculty impacts quality online education and the students obtain the knowledge and skills required, faculty need to alter their pedagogy based on the technology they use to focus on their students’ teaching, learning and needs.

Originality/value

This study measures self-monitoring and its dimensions for faculty members, which is unique in nature. This was the first time the faculty members were imposed with the responsibility of online teaching and ensuring that the learning-teaching process was fruitful. This study has both-theoretical and practical implications as the paper focuses on various insights which can make online teaching-learning more effective.
A joint modeling and exploratory framework for intra-firm collaboration within construction and mining equipment industry
Authors: Goswami Mohit , Chan Felix T.S. , Ramkumar M. , Daultani Yash , Pratap Saurabh , Chhabra Ankita
Published: November 2022

Purpose

In this research, collaboration attributes related to the firm's intrinsic and extrinsic facets at pertinent levels (i.e. enterprise, strategic, operational, and tactical levels) for construction equipment OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) operating in India have been quantified and modeled.

Design/methodology/approach

For modeling the intra-firm collaboration at respective organizational levels, relevant attributes have been populated employing literature review followed by subsequent validation from pertinent focus groups. The focus groups comprising professionals working in the construction and mining equipment industry in India aided us in estimating the extent of interdependencies and influences within/amongst collaboration attributes. The collaboration attributes and respective interdependencies/influences are modeled employing the concept of graph theory wherein the individual attributes are represented using vertices and influences/interdependencies are represented using edges. The collaboration indices resulting from the variable permanent matrix have been derived as well.

Findings

Scenario and subsequent sensitivity analysis are performed. This research discusses the significance and aspects related to various collaborative attributes and the interrelations amongst them. Further, the research also evolves quantitative measures of collaboration indices at enterprise, strategic, tactical and operational levels by employing a graph-theoretic approach (GTA). The authors have also extricated and discussed a number of meaningful implications from both the perspectives of interorganizational relationships (IORs) and the normative theory of organizations using a cross-case analysis of five firms having operations in India.

Originality/value

The research would aid organizations (particularly those belonging to the construction equipment sector) measure the efficacy of collaboration in respective value-chains at strategic, tactical and operational levels. From the theoretical perspective, the integration of the IORs and normative theory of organizations enables looking at the intra-firm collaboration problem from a multi-dimensional standpoint involving activities, performance measures, action initiation, communication, shades of top management, level of activity, etc.
Optimism and intellectual engagement: a mediating moderating role of academic self-efficacy and academic burnout
Authors: Azila-Gbettor Edem Maxwell , Mensah Christopher , Abiemo Martin Kwasi , Agbodza Mavis
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The study examines a mediated, moderated process of students' intellectual engagement from optimism, academic self-efficacy and academic burnout.

Design/methodology/approach

Five hundred and twenty-seven participants who completed a self-reported questionnaire were selected using a convenient sampling technique. PLSc was used to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

Results showed that optimism positively affects students' intellectual engagement and academic self-efficacy. Additionally, academic self-efficacy correlates positively with students' intellectual engagement and further mediates the relationship between optimism and intellectual engagement. Finally, the moderation effect of academic burnout was positive and non-significant.

Originality/value

This paper is among the first to have tested a model including optimism, academic self-efficacy, intellectual engagement and academic burnout in a university setup from a developing country perspective.
GA-BP neural network modeling for project portfolio risk prediction
Authors: Bai Libiao , Wei Lan , Zhang Yipei , Zheng Kanyin , Zhou Xinyu
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Project portfolio risk (PPR) management plays an important role in promoting the smooth implementation of a project portfolio (PP). Accurate PPR prediction helps managers cope with risks timely in complicated PP environments. However, studies on accurate PPR impact degree prediction, which consists of both risk occurrence probabilities and risk impact consequences considering project interactions, are limited. This study aims to model PPR prediction and expand PPR prediction tools.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the authors build a PPR prediction model based on a genetic algorithm and back-propagation neural network (GA-BPNN) integrated with entropy-trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Then, the authors verify the proposed model with real data and obtain PPR impact degrees.

Findings

The test results indicate that the proposed method achieves an average absolute error of 0.002 and an average prediction accuracy rate of 97.8%. The former is reduced by 0.038, while the latter is improved by 32.1% when compared with the results of the original BPNN model. Finally, the authors conduct an index sensitivity analysis for identifying critical risks to effectively control them.

Originality/value

This study develops a hybrid PPR prediction model that integrates a GA-BPNN with entropy-trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. The authors use this model to predict PPR impact degrees, which consist of both risk occurrence probabilities and risk impact consequences considering project interactions. The results provide insights into PPR management.
Linking green intellectual capital, ambidextrous green innovation and firms green performance: evidence from Pakistani manufacturing firms
Authors: Shehzad Muhammad Usman , Zhang Jianhua , Dost Mir , Ahmad Muhammad Shakil , Alam Sajjad
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Given the importance of environmental protection and the crucial role of manufacturing firms in environmental degradation, the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of green intellectual capital (GIC) on firms' green performance (GP), mediating effects of ambidextrous green innovation (GI) and moderating role of technological turbulence (TT).

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a quantitative research approach with the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) methodology to assess the proposed relationships among the constructs on a sample of 334 executives from 134 medium and large-sized manufacturing firms.

Findings

The findings show that GIC significantly impacts different aspects of GP, including green management, green process and green product performance. Moreover, exploitative and exploratory GI serves as mediators between GIC and firms' GP. Finally, the findings demonstrate that TT moderation enhanced the effects of GIC on exploratory GI, while decreasing the effects of GIC on exploitative GI.

Practical implications

The research offers valuable insights and a novel strategy for manufacturing firms and policymakers to mitigate environmental degradation and attain sustainable GP by stimulating ambidextrous GI through green intangible resources.

Originality/value

This research adds to the current GIC, GI and GP literature by focusing on green environmental issues using the resource-based view (RBV) theory. This research also provides a significant theoretical and practical justification for explaining the relationships by differentiating ambidextrous GI between exploitative and exploratory GI's mediating effects and TT's moderating effects.
Marketing strategies for fintech companies: text data analysis of social media posts
Authors: Oh Sungwon , Park Min Jae , Kim Tae You , Shin Jiho
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study aimed to present the methodology of the text data analysis to establish marketing strategies for fintech companies in a practical way. Specifically, the methodology was presented to convert customers' review data, which consisted of the text data (unstructured data), to the numerical data (structured data) by using a text mining algorithm “Global Vectors for Word Representation,” abbreviated as “GloVe”; additionally, the authors presented the methodology to deploy the numerical data for marketing strategies with eliminate-reduce-raise-create (ERRC) value factor analytics.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the authors defined the background, features and contents of fintech services based on a review of related literature review. Additionally, they examined business strategies, the importance of social media for fintech services and fintech technology trends based on the literature review. Next, they analyzed the similarity between fintech-related keywords, which represent the trends in fintech services, and the text data related to fintech corporations and their services posted on Facebook and Twitter, which are two of the most popular social media globally, during the period 2017–2019. The similarity was then quantified and categorized in terms of the representative global fintech companies and the status of each fintech service sector. Furthermore, the similarity was visualized, and value elements were rebuilt using ERRC strategy analytics.

Findings

This study is meaningful in that it quantifies the degree of similarity between customers' responses, experiences and expectations regarding the rapidly growing global fintech firms' services and trends in fintech services.

Originality/value

This study suggests a practical way to apply in business by providing a method for transforming unstructured text data into structured numerical data it is measurable. It is expected that this study can be used as the basis for exploring sustainable development strategies for the fintech industry.
Culture and well-being among sworn officers: an empirical examination
Authors: Patterson Silas , King William R.
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study aims to bridge the police culture and the police employee well-being literature by demonstrating significant linkages between the two.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors examined the effects of culture on the well-being of officers in one police agency in the western United States during the summer of 2020. Using individual-level data, the authors model the association between officer perceptions of occupational culture and personal well-being for 125 sworn employees.

Findings

The results indicate that, for individual sworn officers, their adherence to elements of culture is related to well-being; specifically, burnout (BO) exhaustion, BO disengagement, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Additionally, the cultural attitudes of administration, and citizens in the population, are both consistent predictors of officer well-being.

Originality/value

This study provides an important linkage between the police culture and police well-being literature, which to date has been given limited attention.