bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeting primary and metastatic ovarian cancer with a peptide derived from the human NAF-1/CISD2 protein
Authors: Neumann Ehud , Sohn Yang Sung , Karmi Ola , Darash Yahana Merav , Cardenas Alfredo E. , Pikarsky Eli , Elber Ron , Friedler Assaf , Mittler Ron , Nechushtai Rachel
Published: December 2024

Ovarian cancer is the most fatal cancer of female reproductive organs. Ovarian cancer is typically diagnosed at a late stage, after metastasis occurred, leading to a 5-years relative survival rate of only ∼5%. Here, we demonstrate the anti-ovarian cancer properties of a peptide derived from the human protein CISD2/NAF-1 (3D-NAF-144-67-6K). This peptide selectively permeates the plasma membrane of ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells without affecting healthy cells. 3D-NAF-144-67-6Ktargets and destroys the cancer cells’ mitochondria which leads to cancer cell death.In vivostudies of mice carrying xenograft tumours of SKOV-3 showed that the peptide significantly decreased the overall size and growth rate of both primary and metastatic ovarian cancer tumours. We further show that 3D-NAF-144-67-6Khas a broad-spectrum anticancer activity targeting leukaemia, brain, and pancreas cancer cells. Our study suggests that 3D-NAF-144-67-6Kcould be used, alone or in drug combinations, to treat ovarian cancer and improve patient survival.
Long-term, cell type-specific effects of prenatal stress on dorsal striatum and relevant behaviors in mice
Authors: Evans Maya M. , Hing Benjamin W. Q. , Weber Matthew A. , Maurer Sara V. , Baig Ahmed I. , Kim Grace S. , Anema Samantha L. , Ellerbroek Rhett M. , Sivakumar Kartik , Michaelson Jacob J. , Narayanan Nandakumar S. , Stevens Hanna E.
Published: December 2024

Maternal stress during pregnancy, or prenatal stress, is a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In ASD, dorsal striatum displays abnormalities correlating with symptom severity, but there is a gap in knowledge about dorsal striatal cellular and molecular mechanisms that may contribute. Using a mouse model, we investigated how prenatal stress impacted striatal-dependent behavior in adult offspring. We observed enhanced motor learning and earlier response times on an interval timing task, with accompanying changes in time-related medium spiny neuron (MSN) activity. We performed adult dorsal striatal single-cell RNA sequencing following prenatal stress which revealed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in multiple cell types; downregulated DEGs were enriched for ribosome and translational pathways consistently in MSN subtypes, microglia, and somatostatin neurons. DEGs in MSN subtypes over-represented ASD risk genes and were enriched for synapse-related processes. These results provide insights into striatal alterations relevant to neurodevelopmental disorders.
Vegetative induction increases plant resistance to antagonistic insect frugivores
Authors: Jacobsen Deidra J. , Hewko Carmen D.
Published: December 2024

Plant fitness is shaped by interactions with insect mutualists and antagonists. Vegetative (leaf) herbivory often results in increased allocation of resources to defense in order to deter further damage. This allocation to defense can reduce floral or reproductive allocation. Reductions in floral allocation can have negative effects on pollinator attraction and therefore decrease plant fitness. However, defense-induced changes in reproductive tissues may also be protective against antagonistic fruit-feeding insects (frugivores). This may have important implications for plant fitness when plants experience multiple types of insect damage, but the potential protective effect of herbivory against frugivory is not well-understood.

In this study, we tested the prediction that herbivory mediates interactions between plants and their antagonistic frugivores. In the greenhouse, we manipulated vegetative induction inPhysalis pubescens(Solanaceae) and measured the effects on plant fitness via changes in floral and fruit allocation, herbivore resistance in the next generation, and deterrence of an antagonistic frugivore (Chloridea virescens(Lepidoptera)).

Vegetative induction inP. pubescensenhanced plant resistance toChloridea virescensfrugivores with minimal negative effects on plant reproductive traits. Vegetative induction reducedC. virescenslarval growth rate on fruits.Chloridea virescensalso avoided induced plants for larval fruit feeding and oviposition. While leaf induction reduced flower size, induction did not negatively affect fruit size, seed set, or seed germination. Furthermore, offspring of induced plants showed increased resistance toManduca sextaleaf herbivory. These findings indicate that herbivore-induced resistance may benefit plant fitness when plants are under simultaneous pressure from herbivores and frugivores.
Horizontal Gene Transfer Inference: Gene presence-absence outperforms gene trees
Authors: Mishra Swastik , Lercher Martin J.
Published: December 2024

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a fundamental driver of prokaryotic evolution, facilitating the acquisition of novel traits and adaptation to new environments. Despite its importance, methods for inferring HGT are rarely systematically compared, leaving a gap in our understanding of their relative strengths and limitations. Validating HGT inference methods is challenging due to the absence of a genomic fossil record that could confirm historical transfer events. Without an empirical gold standard, new inference methods are typically validated using simulated data; however, these simulations may not accurately capture biological complexity and often embed the same assumptions used in the inference methods themselves. Here, we leverage the tendency of HGT events to involve multiple neighboring genes to assess the accuracy of diverse HGT inference methods. We show that methods analyzing gene family presence/absence patterns across species trees consistently outperform approaches based on gene tree-species tree reconciliation. Our findings challenge the prevailing assumption that explicit phylogenetic reconciliation methods are superior to simpler implicit methods. By providing a comprehensive benchmark, we offer practical recommendations for selecting appropriate methods and indicate avenues for future methodological advancements.
Taylor’s power law rules the dynamics of allele frequencies during viral evolution in response to host changes
Authors: Silva João M. F. , Olmo-Uceda María J. , Morley Valerie J. , Turner Paul E. , Elena Santiago F.
Published: December 2024

Sudden and gradual changes in host species composition —transitioning from more permissive to less permissive hosts— have been shown to influence viral fitness, virulence, and rates of molecular evolution. In this study, we analyzed the roles of stochasticity and selection using previously published time-series data from evolving populations of Sindbis virus under different rates of host replacement. First, an approximate Markov model within the Wright-Fisher diffusion framework revealed a reduction in effective population size by approximately half in scenarios involving sudden host changes. These scenarios were also associated with fewer and generally weaker beneficial mutations. Second, genetic distance analysis between populations at consecutive time points indicated that populations undergoing gradual host changes evolved steadily until the original host was no longer present. Distances to the ancestral sequence in these cases exhibited occasional leapfrog phenomena, where the rise of certain haplotypes is not predictable based solely on their relatedness to previously dominant ones. In contrast, populations exposed to sudden host changes displayed less stable compositions and diverged from the ancestral sequence at a more constant rate. Third, we observed that allele frequencies distribution followed a power law consistent with Taylor’s law. Both treatments exhibited high levels of allele aggregation with significant fluctuations, where neutral, beneficial, and deleterious alleles could be distinguished by their general behavior and their position on Taylor’s plot. Finally, we found evidence that the host replacement regime influences the temporal distribution of mutations across the genome.
Effects of Forefoot versus Rearfoot Landing on Biomechanical Risk Factors for Lower Limb Injuries and Performance During Stop-Jump Tasks
Authors: Huang Tianchen , He Yuqi , Mao Lizhi , Ruan Mianfang , Takeshita Daisuke
Published: December 2024

Background

Lower limb injuries commonly occur during sudden deceleration movements. Instructing landing with forefoot or rearfoot is hard to answer, especially considering the injury prevention and keep the performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of the forefoot and rearfoot landing on the biomechanical risk of lower limb injury prevention and performance during the stop-jumping task.

Method

Twenty-three male health subjects were recruited for this study. During a stop-jumping task, three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic, and performance data were collected under two conditions: forefoot landing at initial ground contact and rearfoot landing at initial ground contact. Statistical parametric mapping analysis was used to compare the differences between different landing strategies.

Result

Significant differences were found in ankle internal rotation angle and ankle joint moment at foot initial contact with ground between different landing strategies. Landing with forefoot has shorter stance time compared with landing with rearfoot. In the rearfoot strike, posterior ground reaction force (GRF) and GRF inclination angle were smaller than forefoot strike in 0-14% of the stance phase.

Conclusion

Landing with forefoot may decrease the risk of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injuries and have an advancement in quick reaction time, as indicated by decreased stance time, but the risk of lateral ankle sprain may increase for the stop-jump task.
Mixed DAMP/MAMP oligosaccharides promote both growth and defense against fungal pathogens of cucumber
Authors: Pring Sreynich , Kato Hiroaki , Taniuchi Keiko , Camagna Maurizio , Saito Makoto , Tanaka Aiko , Merritt Bryn A. , Argüello-Miranda Orlando , Sato Ikuo , Chiba Sotaro , Takemoto Daigo
Published: December 2024

Plants recognize a variety of environmental molecules, thereby triggering appropriate responses to biotic or abiotic stresses. Substances containing microbes-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are representative inducers of pathogen resistance and damage repair, thus treatment of healthy plants with such substances can pre-activate plant immunity and cell repair functions. In this study, the effects of DAMP/MAMP oligosaccharides mixture (Oligo-Mix) derived from plant cell wall (cello-oligosaccharide and xylo-oligosaccharide), and fungal cell wall (chitin-oligosaccharide) were examined in cucumber. Treatment of cucumber with Oligo-Mix promoted root germination and plant growth, along with increased chlorophyll contents in the leaves. Oligo-Mix treatment also induced typical defense responses such as MAP kinase activation and callose deposition in leaves. Pretreatment of Oligo-Mix enhanced disease resistance of cucumber leaves against pathogenic fungiPodosphaera xanthii(powdery mildew) andColletotrichum orbiculare(anthracnose). Oligo-Mix treatment increased the induction of hypersensitive cell death around the infection site of pathogens, which inhibited further infection and the conidial formation of pathogens on the cucumber leaves. RNA-seq analysis revealed that Oligo-Mix treatment upregulated genes associated with plant structural reinforcement, responses to abiotic stresses and plant defense. These results suggested that Oligo-Mix has beneficial effects on growth and disease resistance in cucumber, making it a promising biostimulant for agricultural application.
Understanding the mechanisms underlying microbiota variation in wild tick populations
Authors: Noguerales Víctor , de la Fuente José , Díaz-Sánchez Sandra
Published: December 2024

Ticks are fascinating arthropods that have developed a unique blood-feeding lifestyle, making them intriguing subjects for understanding how they adapt to living with vertebrate hosts, their ability to transmit diseases, and their versatile roles in the ecosystem. Recent research highlights how significantly microbes impact the evolution of ticks, suggesting a genetic link to their hosts. These microbial partnerships are vital in improving tick nutrition, metabolism, reproduction, and overall survival, highlighting their important role as vectors in diverse ecological environments. In this study, we took a close look at the microbial communities present in three wild tick species—Hyalomma lusitanicum,Rhipicephalus sanguineus, andRhipicephalus bursa—collected from several sites across central Spain. Through high-throughput DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we discovered a complex and diverse microbiota largely composed of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Firmicutes. While all species exhibited a shared core microbiota, notable differences in microbial composition and network microbial interactions suggest that each species may be influenced by ecological and evolutionary factors shaping their microbiota. These insights deepen our understanding of the complex relationships between ticks, their microbiota, and the surrounding environment, which can inform better strategies for managing vectors and controlling pathogens.
Long-term homogenization of vascular plant and lichen communities across Fennoscandian heathlands and tundra is connected to the expansion of an allelopathic dwarf shrub
Authors: Maliniemi Tuija , Kiilunen Petteri , Bråthen Kari Anne , Kapfer Jutta , Bockelie Rosendal Torunn , Grytnes John-Arvid , Saccone Patrick , Virtanen Risto
Published: December 2024

Boreal and tundra plant communities are expected to change in biodiversity due to increasing global change pressures such as climate warming. One long-term scenario is increasing compositional similarity, i.e., biotic homogenization, which has been relatively little studied in high-latitude plant communities. Here, we study how the composition and diversity of heathland and tundra plant communities have changed in northern Fennoscandia over several decades. In 2013–2023, we resurveyed 275 historic vegetation plots, originally surveyed in 1964–1975, with percentage covers for vascular plant, bryophyte and lichen species. We analyzed temporal changes in community composition and diversity across the study area and in different habitat types, biogeographic zones, and along the continentality-humidity gradient. We found a strong trend across the study area, with plant communities becoming more similar in composition over the decades. The observed homogenization was associated with compositional changes in vascular plant and lichen communities, and in particular with the encroachment of the evergreen dwarf shrubEmpetrum nigrum. In comparison to vascular plants and lichens, the diversity of bryophytes generally remained more stable over time. Our findings suggest that Fennoscandian heathland and tundra vegetation is transforming towards a more homogenous evergreen dwarf shrub dominated system, which may threaten ecosystem multifunctionality. Our results highlight the importance of exploring biodiversity among different metrics and growth forms to understand the overall changes in heathland and tundra biodiversity.
Targeting endothelial ERG to mitigate vascular regression and neuronal ischemia in retinopathies
Authors: Ma Eric , Schafer Christopher M. , Xie Jun , Rudenko Yelyzaveta , Knapp John T. H. , Randi Anna M. , Birdsey Graeme M. , Griffin Courtney T.
Published: December 2024

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) are ocular disorders in which a loss of retinal vasculature leads to ischemia followed by a compensatory neovascularization response. In mice, this is modeled using oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR), whereby neonatal animals are transiently housed under hyperoxic conditions that result in central retina vessel regression and subsequent neovascularization. Using endothelial cell (EC)-specific gene deletion, we found that loss of two ETS-family transcription factors, ERG and FLI1, led to regression of OIR-induced neovascular vessels but failed to improve visual function, suggesting that relevant retinal damage occurs prior to and independently of neovascularization. Turning our attention to the initial stage of OIR, we found that hyperoxia repressed ERG expression in retinal ECs of wild type mice, raising the possibility that oxygen-induced ERG downregulation promotes vessel regression during the initiation of OIR-induced pathology. We therefore developed a murine model of EC-specific ERG overexpression and found it sufficient to prevent hyperoxia-induced vascular regression, neuronal cell death, and neovascularization in the OIR model. Importantly, ERG overexpression also improved visual function in OIR-challenged mice. Moreover, we show that both ERG and FLI1 are downregulated in the retinal vessels of human patients with early stages of DR, suggesting that neovascular disorders of the eye may share common mechanisms underlying pathological retinal capillary regression. Collectively, these data suggest that the regulation of vascular regression by EC-expressed ETS transcription factors may be adapted towards novel therapeutic approaches for the prevention and/or alleviation of ocular neovascular disorders.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACTUAL STRESS AND IN SITU MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMIMETIC POROUS HIERARCHICAL SCAFFOLDS
Authors: Marchiori Gregorio , Sancisi Nicola , Tozzi Gianluca , Zingales Massimiliano , Prezioso Gaia , Visani Andrea , Zucchelli Andrea , Sensini Alberto
Published: December 2024

This study investigates the evolution with strain of the material volume fraction (i.e., porosity) and geometry in porous scaffolds to obtain a more accurate description of their stress-strain behavior.

Single bundles and hierarchical structures (8 bundles enveloped by a membrane) were produced by electrospinning as tendon/ligament scaffolds. They underwent a micro-tomographyin situtensile test. Apparent and net stress were obtained using the initial sample cross-section and material volume fraction to normalize axial force. Micro-tomography revealed sample morphology change with strain to calculate the actual stress-strain. Moreover, nanofibers arrangement was revealed by scanning electron microscopy on both bundles and membranes.

The description of the mechanical response significantly changed using evolving morphometry (actual stress-strain) instead of initial static one (apparent stress-strain), for both single bundle and hierarchical structure. The actual elastic modulus of the single bundles (583±97 MPa) was statistically higher than that of the hierarchical structures (163±107 MPa). This is related to the membrane, membrane-bundle and inter-bundle interactions. In the hierarchical structure, portions of the material resisting traction are constituted by nanofibers not aligned with the load. The different definitions for the stress-strain behavior allow different accuracy levels depending on the experimental complexity.

The evolution of morphology with deformation can significantly affect the description of the mechanical response of porous scaffolds. This has a double impact in practical applications: at the body scale, it allows a better comparison between the scaffold behavior and the target tissue; at the cellular scale, it predicts the actual substrate stiffness that cells will face.

Graphical Abstract
The effects of object category training on the responses of macaque inferior temporal cortex are consistent with performance-optimizing updates within a visual hierarchy
Authors: Sörensen Lynn K. A. , DiCarlo James J. , Kar Kohitij
Published: December 2024

How does the primate brain coordinate plasticity to support its remarkable ability to learn object categories? To address this question, we measured the consequences of category learning on the macaque inferior temporal (IT) cortex, a key waypoint along the ventral visual stream that is known to support object recognition. First, we observed that neural activity across task-trained monkeys’ IT showed increased object category selectivity, enhanced linear separability (of categories), and overall more categorical representations compared to those from task-naïve monkeys. To model how these differences could arise, we next developed a computational hypothesis-generation framework of the monkeys’ learning process using anatomically-mapped artificial neural network (ANN) models of the primate ventral stream that we combined with various choices of learning algorithms. Our simulations revealed that specific gradient-based, performance-optimizing updates of the ANN’s internal representations substantially approximated the observed changes in the IT cortex. Notably, we found that such models predict novel training-induced phenomena in the IT cortex, including changes in category-orthogonal representations and IT’s alignment with behavior. This convergence between experimental and modeling results suggests that plasticity in the visual ventral stream follows principles of task optimization that are well approximated by gradient descent. We propose that models like the ones developed here could be used to make accurate predictions about visual plasticity in the ventral stream and its transference – or lack thereof – to any future test image.
A Blueprint of Sex-Specific Neuronal Regulation inthe C. elegansNervous System at Single-Cell Resolution
Authors: Haque Rizwanul , Setty Hagar , Lorenzo Ramiro , Stelzer Gil , Rotkopf Ron , Salzberg Yehuda , Goldman Gal , Kumar Sandeep , Halber Shiraz Nir , Leifer Andrew M. , Schneidman Elad , Laurent Patrick , Oren-Suissa Meital
Published: December 2024

Sex-specific behaviors within a species are often attributed to variances in neuronal wiring and molecular signatures. However, how the genetic sex shapes the molecular architecture of the nervous system at a single neuron level is still unknown. To address this gap, we used single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) to profile the transcriptome of the sex-shared nervous system of adult male and hermaphroditeCaenorhabditis elegans. By ranking neurons based on the degree of molecular dimorphism, we uncover novel sexually dimorphic neurons such as PLM neurons, where functional dimorphism was corroborated by diminished posterior touch responses in hermaphrodites. We identify sex-specific regulators of mechanosensory behavior and neuronal function by combining our dataset with reverse genetic screens. While most sex-shared neurons retain their neurotransmitter identity, the male neuropeptide connectome undergoes substantial remodeling, with most of the neuropeptides showing a male-bias expression. This reinforces the notion that neuropeptides are crucial for diversifying connectome outputs. Furthermore, by correlating gene expression with outgoing synaptic connectivity, we identified regulatory candidates for synaptic wiring, including both shared and sex-specific genes. This comprehensive resource provides foundational insights into the molecular drivers of sexual dimorphism, facilitating future exploration of regulatory mechanisms and their impact on sex-specific behaviors in higher organisms.

Abstract Figure
Effect of flicker-induced retinal stimulation of mice revealed by full-field electroretinography
Authors: Rai Milan , Lakshmanan Yamunadevi , Choi Kai Yip , Chan Henry Ho-lung
Published: December 2024

Purpose

To investigate the effects of brief flickering light stimulation (FLS) on retinal electrophysiology and its blood flow in normal C57BL6J mice.

Methods

Retinal blood flow (RBF) and full-field electroretinography (ffERG) were measured before and after a 60-second long FLS (12 Hz, 0.1 cd·s/m2) in a cohort of 8-12 weeks old C57BL6J mice (n=10) under anaesthetic and light-adapted conditions. A separate set of age-matched mice (n=9) underwent RBF and ffERG measurements before and after steady light stimulation (SLS) at 1 cd/m2under similar conditions. The changes in RBF (arterial and venous flow) and ffERG responses (amplitudes and implicit times of a- and b-wave) were analyzed.

Results

FLS significantly increased both arterial (p=0.003) and venous (p=0.018) blood flow as well as b-wave amplitudes (p=0.017) compared to SLS, which did not have any significant changes in both RBF and ERG. However, no significant differences were found in other ffERG responses (amplitude and implicit time of a-wave and b-wave implicit time) between the two groups after light stimulation. An increase in b-wave amplitude was positively associated with increase in both arterial (r=0.655, p=0.040) and venous blood flow (r=0.638, p=0.047) in the FLS group.

Conclusions

Transient FLS induced a significant increase in both RBF and electro-retinal activity, but such increase was not observed after SLS. Our results suggest the role of FLS, which exerts metabolic stress on the retina, in triggering retinal neurovascular coupling.
Chemically-inducible CRISPR/Cas9 circuits for ultra-high dynamic range gene perturbation
Authors: Srinivasan Rajini , Sun Tao , Sandles Azalia , Wu Diana , Wang Liang , Heidersbach Amy , Ho Clark , Xie Shiqi , Ng Andrew , Haley Benjamin
Published: December 2024

CRISPR/Cas9 technologies provide unique capabilities for modeling disease and understanding gene-to-phenotype connections. In cultured cells, chemical-mediated control of Cas9 activity can limit off-target effects and enable mechanistic study of essential genes. However, widely-used Tet-On systems often show “leaky” Cas9 expression, leading to unintended edits, as well as weak activity upon induction. Leakiness can be distinctly problematic in the context of Cas9 nuclease activity, which may result in cumulative DNA damage and degradation of the target cell genome over time. To overcome these deficiencies, we established transgenic platforms that minimize Cas9 functionality in the off-state along with maximized and uncompromised on-state gene editing efficiency. By combining conditional destabilization and inhibition of Cas9, we developed an all-in-one (one or multiple guide RNAs and Cas9) ultra-tight, Tet-inducible system with exceptional dynamic range (on vs. off-state) across various cell lines and targets. As an alternative to Tet-mediated induction, we created a branaplam-regulated splice switch module for low-baseline and robust Cas9 activity control. Lastly, for circumstances where DNA damage needs to be avoided, we constructed a dual-control, Tet-inducible CRISPRi module for tight and potent transcriptional silencing. This upgraded suite of inducible CRISPR systems has broad applications for numerous cell types and experimental conditions.
Pathological α-synuclein elicits granulovacuolar degeneration independent of tau
Authors: Dues Dylan J. , Erb Madalynn L. , Kasen Alysa , Vatsa Naman , Williams Erin T. , Nguyen An Phu Tran , Henderson Michael X. , Moore Darren J.
Published: December 2024

Background

Pathologic heterogeneity is a hallmark of Lewy body dementia (LBD), yet the impact of Lewy pathology on co-pathologies is poorly understood. Lewy pathology, containing α-synuclein, is often associated with regional tau pathology burden in LBD. Similarly, granulovacuolar degeneration bodies (GVBs) have been associated with tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease. Interestingly, GVBs have been detected in a broad range of neurodegenerative conditions including both α-synucleinopathies and tauopathies. Despite the frequent co-occurrence, little is known about the relationship between α-synuclein, tau, and granulovacuolar degeneration.

Methods

We developed a mouse model of limbic-predominant α-synucleinopathy by stereotactic injection of α-synuclein pre-formed fibrils (PFFs) into the basal forebrain. This model was used to investigate the relationship of α-synuclein pathology with tau and GVB formation.

Results

Our model displayed widespread α-synuclein pathology with a limbic predominant distribution. Aberrantly phosphorylated tau accumulated in a subset of α-synuclein inclusion-bearing neurons, often colocalized with lysosomes. Many of these same neurons also contained CHMP2b- and CK1δ-positive granules, established markers of GVBs, which suggests a link between tau accumulation and GVB formation. Despite this observation, GVBs were also detected in tau-deficient mice following PFF-injection, suggesting that pathological α-synuclein alone is sufficient to elicit GVB formation.

Conclusions

Our findings support that α-synuclein pathology can independently elicit granulovacuolar degeneration. The frequent co-accumulation of tau and GVBs suggests a parallel mechanism of cellular dysfunction. The ability of α-synuclein pathology to drive GVB formation in the absence of tau highlights the broader relevance of this process to neurodegeneration with relevance to the pathobiology of LBD.
The trade-off between innovation value and risk: the roles of external venture capital and internal innovation assets
Authors: Xiao Ting , Yang Zhi , Jiang Yanhui , Huang Shitong , Lu Chongyu
Published: December 2024

Purpose

Research generally believes that both corporate venture capital (CVC) and independent venture capital (IVC) promote the innovation value of entrepreneurial ventures, but their roles in innovation risk remain unclear. To reveal the bright and dark sides of CVC and IVC, we compare their influence on innovation performance and performance variability of entrepreneurial ventures as well as their interaction effects with innovation assets through physical and intellectual assets.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a panel dataset consisting of 630 high-tech ventures and the Heckman selection model to test the hypotheses and correct the endogenous problems.

Findings

We find that CVC improves the innovation performance of entrepreneurial ventures but at the cost of increasing their performance variability, whereas IVC is the opposite. We also find the combination effect of external and internal capital of entrepreneurial ventures. CVC and IVC complement intellectual assets to enhance innovation performance and dance with physical assets to reduce variability.

Originality/value

We use a value-risk dyadic perspective to reveal the bright side and dark side of CVC and IVC. We unveil the interplay mechanism between internal and external capital of entrepreneurial ventures and develop some kinds of capital configuration strategies to balance innovation value and risk.
The role of masculine and feminine gender enactment in hospitality leadership
Authors: Russen Michelle , Dawson Mary , Legendre Tiffany
Published: December 2024

Purpose

The stereotypical assumptions of what it means to be hegemonically masculine and to be a leader are aligned in current society, potentially creating role incongruity for anyone who does not fit into this definition. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether masculine and feminine leadership traits of men and women hospitality managers affect employees’ intention to trust leaders and organizational attractiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

Explanatory mixed methods were used. First, two experiments (Study 1 = woman manager, n = 137; Study 2 = man manager, n = 117) were conducted with current hospitality employees to test the interaction of masculine versus feminine enactment and the leadership gender composition (3%, 23% or 53% women) on organizational attractiveness and intent to trust the leader. Results did not align with the theories; therefore, three focus groups were held with 13 current hospitality employees.

Findings

Results indicate a shift toward the preference for communal (feminine) characteristics in hospitality leadership with a balance of masculine traits.

Research limitations/implications

The influence of managers’ gender-related behaviors on trust and organizational attractiveness goes beyond their physical gender traits, indicating that gender plays a more crucial role than previously understood.

Originality/value

By using role congruity theory and hegemonic masculinity, this study offers a nuanced understanding of masculine and feminine gender enactment and broadens leadership theory by including the perspectives of nonhegemonic men and assertive women.
Community-level risk awareness and disaster preparedness: an exploratory investigation of Quetta, Balochistan
Authors: Ainuddin Syed , Suriyachan Chamawong , Aruninta Ariya , Aldrich Daniel , Sher Mohammad Abida
Published: December 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to foster disaster risk reduction as identified by the Sendai Framework through understanding disaster risk mitigation and strengthening disaster preparedness at the community level.

Design/methodology/approach

Using qualitative and quantitative data from Quetta, Balochistan, the team collected primary data from 400 households using stratified random sampling with proportionate allocation through a survey questionnaire, along with fieldwork and group discussions. SPSS was used for the survey data for analysis. This paper identifies factors that promote community resilience through raising community awareness, preparedness and reducing risk.

Findings

Natural hazards including seismic shocks and their consequences such as avalanches and landslides remain serious challenges to vulnerable communities in developing and developed nations around the world. The results of this study reveal that despite being in an active fault zone with large-scale earthquakes, most respondents had little interaction with warning systems, no engagement with planning efforts and a minimum knowledge of evacuation procedures.

Practical implications

This study provides policy guidance to government and non-government agencies to optimize disaster management activities in pre- and post-disaster situations.

Originality/value

To the best if the authors knowledge, the study is the first of its kind in the study area focusing on risk reduction strategies including up-grading bottom-up engagement and community risk mitigation through grassroots educational outreach to build resilience and reduce community vulnerability to natural disasters.
The influence of perceived music quality, atmosphere and place on music festival visitors' behavioural intentions: satisfaction and subjective well-being’s mediating roles
Authors: Çiki Kartal Doğukan , Öğretmenoğlu Mert , Huang Ting-Yen
Published: December 2024

Purpose

This research investigates the effect of festival attributes such as music quality, atmosphere and place on music festival visitors' behavioural intentions, particularly focusing on how visitors’ satisfaction and their subjective well-being mediate these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

This research was designed as quantitative research to reveal the relationships between music quality, place and atmosphere with visitors' behavioural intentions. Structural equation modelling was used to test the relationships between the constructs using data from 256 festival attendees in Edirne.

Findings

The results reveal that perceived music quality and atmosphere significantly enhance visitors’ satisfaction, which in turn positively impacts word-of-mouth intention and subjective well-being. Moreover, subjective well-being positively and significantly affects visitors' revisit intentions. Finally, visitors’ satisfaction mediates the relationship between perceived music quality and word-of-mouth intention.

Originality/value

It is one of the first studies to investigate the mediating effects of visitor satisfaction and subjective well-being on the relationships between perceived music quality, atmosphere, place and the behavioural intentions of music festival attendees. Furthermore, the present study provides not only empirical support for the theoretical frameworks but also offers practical insights for festival organizers on enhancing visitor experiences to improve behavioural outcomes.
A quantitative analysis of ESG disclosure and financial performance in renewable energy companies: a two-step approach using unsupervised machine learning
Authors: Parashar Mayank , Jaiswal Ritika , Sharma Manish
Published: December 2024

Purpose

In the era of Industry 5.0, understanding the balance between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and firm performance is crucial for mitigating climate change and enhancing financial outcomes. This paper aims to analyze the effect of ESG disclosure on the financial performance (FP) of renewable and clean energy (RCE) companies, focusing on the combined ESG disclosure and individual E, S, and G disclosure scores.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyzed a panel data sample from 2015–2021, covering 41 RCE companies. By applying the K-means++ clustering technique, the research also explored how firm-specific features influence the relationship between ESG disclosure and FP. The Bloomberg database and audited financial reports were used to gather the data for the study.

Findings

The findings indicate that increased ESG disclosure positively influences FP. Further, a significant positive relationship exists between FP and a company’s E and S disclosure. However, firm-specific characteristics significantly influence this relationship. Findings suggest that a company’s commitment to comprehensive ESG efforts enhances financial efficiency rather than increasing costs.

Originality/value

This study adds to the ESG-FP literature by emphasizing global RCE companies, a key player in sustainability. Further, to the best of the author’s knowledge, the study’s uniqueness is attributed to its application of a two-step approach, combining ESG-FP analysis with K-means++ clustering to account for firm-specific characteristics. It also uniquely examines the individual impact of E, S, and G disclosure on the FP of global RCE companies. The findings offer valuable insights for businesses and policymakers in developing strategies that improve profitability while addressing climate change risks.
Factors influencing paddy farmers' choice of marketing channels: study of a nationally representative survey from India
Authors: Naik Chuleshwar , Mohan Bijuna C.
Published: December 2024

Purpose

This study aims to examine the factors that impact the choice of paddy marketing channels in India at the farm level and household contingencies.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing multinomial logistic regression, the analysis utilizes the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) 77th round Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) data from the 2018 to 2019 period, specifically for the paddy Kharif season, to determine the factors determining the choice of marketing channels. The significant independent variables include minimum support price (MSP) awareness, access to and adoption of technical advice, input agency, social group, farm size of farmers, region, age and education of the household head.

Findings

Awareness of MSP and adoption of technical advice from experts can enhance the probability of selecting government channels for paddy. The reliance on government input agencies has a favourable impact on the choice of government channels. Government channels are more likely preferred by higher social groups and those with higher land-holdings. There has been a state-wise variation in access to regulated marketing channels for paddy.

Research limitations/implications

Transaction cost associated with marketing channel choice is an important factor, not incorporated in this study due to the unavailability in the NSS data.

Originality/value

The research uses the latest unit-level data of the NSSO 77th round, published by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the Government of India.
Crypto resource management: solving the puzzle of bitcoin mining and climate policy uncertainty
Authors: Gaies Brahim , Nakhli Mohamed Sahbi , Arfaoui Nadia
Published: December 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the dynamic and evolving relationship between Bitcoin mining (BTC) and climate policy uncertainty. By using the newly developed U.S. Climate Policy Uncertainty (CPU) indicator by Gavriilidis (2021) as a proxy for global climate-related transition risk, this study aims to explore the complex bidirectional causality between these two critical phenomena in climate-related finance. Further, we explore how economic and market factors influence the cryptocurrency market, focusing on the relationship between CPU and Bitcoin mining.

Design/methodology/approach

We employ a linear and non-linear rolling window sub-sample Granger causality approach combined with a probit model to examine the time-varying causalities between Bitcoin mining and the U.S. Climate Policy Uncertainty (CPU) indicator. This method captures asymmetric effects and dynamic interactions that are often missed by linear and static models. It also allows for the endogenous determination of key drivers in the BTC–CPU nexus, ensuring that the results are not influenced by ad-hoc assumptions but are instead grounded in the data’s inherent properties.

Findings

The findings indicate that Bitcoin mining is negatively impacted by climate policy uncertainty during periods of increased environmental concern, while its energy-intensive nature contributes to increasing climate policy uncertainty. In addition to market factors, such as Bitcoin halving, and alternative assets, such as green equity, five main macroeconomic factors influence these relationships: financial instability, economic policy uncertainty, rising oil prices and increasing industrial production. Furthermore, two non-linear dynamics in the relationship between climate policy uncertainty and Bitcoin (CPU-BTC nexus) are identified: the “anticipatory regulatory decline effect”, when miners boost activity ahead of expected regulatory changes, but this increase is unsustainable due to stricter regulations, compliance costs, investor scrutiny and reputational risks linked to high energy use.

Originality/value

This study is the first in the literature to examine the time-varying and asymmetric relationships between Bitcoin mining and climate policy uncertainty, aspects often overlooked by static causality and average-based coefficient models used in previous research. It uncovers two previously unidentified non-linear effects in the BTC-CPU nexus: the “anticipatory regulatory decline effect” and the “mining-driven regulatory surge”, and identifies major market factors macro-determinants of this nexus. The implications are substantial, aiding policymakers in formulating effective regulatory frameworks, helping investors develop more sustainable investment strategies and enabling industry stakeholders to better manage the environmental challenges facing the Bitcoin mining sector.
Examining the impact of artificial intelligence capability on dynamic capabilities, organizational creativity and organization performance in public organizations
Authors: Almheiri Hamad Mohamed , Ahmad Syed Zamberi , Khalid Khalizani , Ngah Abdul Hafaz
Published: December 2024

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate an artificial intelligence (AI) capability scale using resource-based theory and tests its impact on dynamic capabilities and organizational creativity to influence the performance of public organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used qualitative and quantitative methods to develop and validate an AI capability scale using an integrative psychometric approach. An initial set of 26 items was selected from the literature for qualitative analysis. Self-reported data from 344 public managers in United Arab Emirates public organizations were used for scale refinement and validation. Hypotheses were tested against theoretically related constructs for nomological validation.

Findings

A 23-item AI capability scale was developed. Nomological testing confirmed that AI capability positively and significantly enhances dynamic capabilities, which in turn boosts organizational creativity and improves organizational performance.

Originality/value

Previous information system literature has not sufficiently addressed the importance of organizational-level complementary resources in developing distinctive capabilities within public organizations. Grounded in resource-based theory and recent AI research, this study provides a framework for public sector organizations to assess their AI capabilities. The findings empirically support the proposed theoretical framework, showing that AI capability increases dynamic capabilities, organizational creativity and performance.
The impact of board gender diversity on ESG disclosure. A contingency perspective
Authors: Gavana Giovanna , Gottardo Pietro , Moisello Anna Maria
Published: December 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to study how corporate governance and country-related contextual factors affect the relationship between board gender diversity and environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure in its components: governance, social and environmental.

Design/methodology/approach

Using ordinary least-squares and two-stage least squares (2SLS) regressions, and retrieving ESG disclosure data from Bloomberg’s database, the paper analyses a sample of European nonfinancial listed firms (1,935 firm-year observations) over the period 2014–2022. The study adopts board independence and board cultural diversity as structural and demographic board attributes that characterize the corporate governance environment in which female directors operate; the enforcement of law and gender equality as country-related institutional and cultural factors.

Findings

Results suggest that female directors may substitute board independence in improving ESG and governance disclosure, whilst they co-occur with board cultural diversity in increasing ESG, governance and social disclosure. Findings indicate that the enforcement of law increases the positive effect of female directors on environmental disclosure and lowers the impact on governance disclosure. Conversely, a more gender-equal environment enhances female directors’ engagement in improving governance disclosure, reducing their beneficial effect on environmental information.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature suggesting that structural and other demographic board contextual aspects, as well as institutional and cultural country-related contextual factors, affect the relationship between board gender diversity and ESG disclosure differently and the effect may vary depending on ESG disclosure.