bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic Liability to Higher Muscle Strength Associates with a Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Men Irrespective of Physical Activity in Adulthood: A Longitudinal Cohort Study
Authors: Herranen Päivi , Waller Katja , Joensuu Laura , Palviainen Teemu , Laakkonen Eija K , Kaprio Jaakko , Sillanpää Elina
Published: June 2024

Background

Low muscle strength predicts premature mortality. We determined whether genetic liability to muscle strength is associated with mortality and whether this association is influenced by long-term leisure-time physical activity (PA).

Methods and Results

We estimated the effects of a polygenic score for hand grip strength (PGS HGS) on all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality risk in the older Finnish Twin Cohort (N=8815, 53% women). National registries provided dates and causes of death. PA volume was assessed longitudinally in 1975, 1981, and 1990 using validated questionnaires. During the 16.9-year median follow-up time (143,723 person-years), 2896 deaths occurred, of which 1089 were due to CVD. We found a significant interaction between sex and PGS HGS (P=0.016) for predicting all-cause mortality. In men, one standard deviation increase in the PGS HGS was associated with a decreased risk both of all-cause (hazard ratio, HR [95% confidence interval, CI]): 0.93 [0.89–0.98] and CVD mortality (HR 0.88 [0.81–0.96]). Associations persisted after adjusting for PA, but only with CVD mortality after adjusting for other lifestyle covariates (HR 0.85 [0.76–0.96]). The cumulative incidence rates by age 75 years were 4.3% lower for all-cause mortality and 2.1% lower for CVD mortality in the highest PGS HGS quintile compared to the lowest quintile. No PGS HGS×PA interactions were found. PGS HGS was not associated with mortality in women.

Conclusions

Higher PGS HGS was associated with a decreased risk of all-cause and CVD mortality in men; however, long-term PA in adulthood did not potentiate this association.

Clinical Perspective

What Is New?

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to use a genome-wide polygenic score for hand grip strength to investigate whether the association between genetic liability to muscle strength and lifespan is affected by physical activity.

Our results suggest that individuals with a genetic predisposition for higher muscle strength have a modest decreased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, independent of their lifestyle.

What Are the Clinical Implications?

Polygenic scores for muscle strength require further development but may help identify individuals who represent extreme ends of genetic predisposition and vulnerability to premature death.
No Electrophysiological Evidence for Semantic Processing During Inattentional Blindness
Authors: Hutchinson Brendan T. , Jack Bradley N. , Pammer Kristen , Canseco-Gonzalez Enriqueta , Pitts Michael
Published: June 2024

A long-standing question concerns whether sensory input can reach semantic stages of processing in the absence of attention and awareness. Here, we examine whether the N400, an event related potential associated with semantic processing, can occur under conditions of inattentional blindness. By employing a novel three-phase inattentional blindness paradigm designed to maximise the opportunity for detecting an N400, we found no evidence for it when participants were inattentionally blind to the eliciting stimuli (related and unrelated word pairs). In contrast, when minimal attention was allocated to the same task-irrelevant word pairs, participants became aware of them, and a small N400 became evident. Finally, when the same stimuli were fully attended and relevant to the task, a robust N400 was observed. In addition to univariate ERP measures, multivariate decoding analyses were unable to classify related versus unrelated word pairs when observers were inattentionally blind to the words, with decoding reaching above-chance levels only when the words were (at least minimally) attended. Our results also replicated several previous studies by finding a “visual awareness negativity” (VAN) that distinguished task-irrelevant stimuli that were perceived compared with those that were not perceived, and a P3b (or “late positivity”) that was evident only when the stimuli were perceived and task relevant. Together, our findings suggest that semantic processing might require at least a minimal amount of attention.
Loss of the lysosomal protein CLN3 modifies the lipid content of the nuclear envelope leading to DNA damage and activation of YAP1 pro-apoptotic signaling
Authors: Domingues Neuza , Calcagni’ Alessia , Pires Joana , Freire Sofia Roque , Herz Niculin Joachim , Huynh Tuong , Wieciorek Katarzyna , Moreno Maria João , Outeiro Tiago Fleming , Girão Henrique , Milosevic Ira , Ballabio Andrea , Raimundo Nuno
Published: June 2024

Batten disease is characterized by early-onset blindness, juvenile dementia and death during the second decade of life. The most common genetic causes are mutations in theCLN3gene encoding a lysosomal protein. There are currently no therapies targeting the progression of the disease, mostly due to the lack of knowledge about the disease mechanisms.

To gain insight into the impact of CLN3 loss on cellular signaling and organelle function, we generated CLN3 knock-out cells in a human cell line (CLN3-KO), and performed RNA sequencing to obtain the cellular transcriptome. Following a multi-dimensional transcriptome analysis, we identified the transcriptional regulator YAP1 as a major driver of the transcriptional changes observed in CLN3-KO cells.

We further observed that YAP1 pro-apoptotic signaling is hyperactive as a consequence of CLN3 functional loss in retinal pigment epithelia cells, and in the hippocampus and thalamus of CLN3exΔ7/8mice, an established model of Batten disease. Loss of CLN3 activates YAP1 by a cascade of events that starts with the inability of releasing glycerophosphodiesthers from CLN3-KO lysosomes, which leads to perturbations in the lipid content of the nuclear envelope and nuclear dysmorphism. This results in increased number of DNA lesions, activating the kinase c-Abl, which phosphorylates YAP1, stimulating its pro-apoptotic signaling.

Altogether, our results highlight a novel organelle crosstalk paradigm in which lysosomal metabolites regulate nuclear envelope content, nuclear shape and DNA homeostasis. This novel molecular mechanism underlying the loss of CLN3 in mammalian cells and tissues may open new c-Abl-centric therapeutic strategies to target Batten disease.
Type-2 diabetes mellitus enhancesKlebsiella pneumoniaepathogenesis
Authors: Todd Katlyn , Gunter Krista , Bowen James M. , Holmes Caitlyn L. , Tilston-Lunel Natasha L. , Vornhagen Jay
Published: June 2024

Klebsiella pneumoniaeis an opportunistic pathogen and an important cause of pneumonia, bacteremia, and urinary tract infection.K. pneumoniaeinfections are historically associated with diabetes mellitus. There is a fundamental gap in our understanding of how diabetes mellitus, specifically type 2 diabetes, influencesK. pneumoniaepathogenesis.K. pneumoniaepathogenesis is a multifactorial process that often begins with gut colonization, followed by an escape from the gut to peripheral sites, leading to host damage and infection. We hypothesized that type 2 diabetes enhancesK. pneumoniaepathogenesis. To test this, we used well-established mouse models ofK. pneumoniaecolonization and lung infection in conjunction with a mouse model of spontaneous type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We show that T2DM enhances susceptibility to bothK. pneumoniaecolonization and infection. The enhancement of gut colonization is dependent on T2DM-induced modulation of the gut microbiota community structure. In contrast, lung infection is exacerbated by the increased availability of amino acids in the lung, which is associated with higher levels of vascular endothelial growth factor. These data lay the foundation for mechanistic interrogation of the relationship betweenK. pneumoniaepathogenesis and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and explicitly establish T2DM as a risk factor forK. pneumoniaedisease.
The development of social attention in orangutans: comparing peering behaviour in wild and zoo-housed individuals
Authors: Kukofka Paulina , Young Richard , Kunz Julia A. , Nellissen Lara , Alavi Shauhin E. , Basalamah Fitriah , Haun Daniel B. M. , Schuppli Caroline
Published: June 2024

Social learning is the cornerstone of all cultural processes and plays a pivotal role during the evolution of cognition. To understand how social learning evolved, we have to look at the immediate and developmental conditions affecting individuals’ tendencies to attend to social information. We compared peering behaviour (i.e., close-range and sustained observation of the activities of conspecifics) in wild and zoo-housed immature Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii) by analysing long-term data which included 3101 peering events collected at the Suaq Balimbing research site in Indonesia and at four European zoos on 35 immature individuals. Using Generalized-Additive-Mixed-Models, we tested for age-specific patterns in peering frequency, target, and context selection. We found similar age trajectories of peering in both settings but higher mean frequencies of peering in the zoos, even after controlling for varying social opportunities to peer. Wild immatures preferably peered at their mothers but zoo-housed immatures at non-mother individuals. In both settings, immatures preferred to peer at older individuals, and in learning-intense contexts. Our findings suggest a hard-wired component in the tendency to attend to social information and a considerable degree of ontogenetic plasticity - a combination that was likely foundational for the evolution of complex cultures, including human culture.

Highlights

We compared attendance to social information in wild and zoo-housed orangutans

Immature orangutans peer in contexts where learning is expected

Peering frequency develops similarly over age, suggesting hardwired propensities

Peering target and context selection differs between the two settings

Orangutans’ tendency to attend to social information shows plasticity
Melanocortin 4 receptor-expressing neurons in the lateral stripe of the striatum are involved in affect regulation and motor control
Authors: Sköld Johan , Lazzarino Gisela Paola , Nett Myra , Wiskerke Joost , Engblom David
Published: June 2024

The dopaminergic system is crucial for affect regulation. Melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4R) in the ventral striatum have been shown to be necessary for establishing aversive states. Here, we set out to functionally characterize MC4R-expressing striatal neurons. MC4Rs were enriched in atypical Dopamine receptor 1 (D1) neurons in the lateral stripe of the striatum (LSS), an understudied area in the ventrolateral striatum. Fiber photometry recordings showed that MC4R neuron activity and local dopamine release in the LSS were increased by rewarding as well as aversive stimuli. Moreover, MC4R neuronal activity and glutamate release correlated strongly to body movement. Optogenetic activation of MC4R-LSS neurons was rewarding in a real-time place preference test and a self-stimulation paradigm, increased locomotor activity and induced striatal dopamine release. Collectively, our findings suggest that MC4R-LSS neurons are activated by salient stimuli of both rewarding and aversive character and that they induce positive affect, dopamine release and locomotion.
A mycobacterial DNA extraction protocol designed for resource limited settings generates high quality whole genome sequencing
Authors: Percy Caitlin , Memelis Ilinca , Edwards Thomas , Roberts Adam P. , Biagini Giancarlo , Cantillon Daire
Published: June 2024

Mycobacteria are major global human pathogens and includeMycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, andM. abscessus, an emerging multidrug resistant pathogen.

M. abscessusaffects people with structural lung disease and those who are immunocompromised, most commonly causing pulmonary disease but also disseminated infections in the central nervous system and skin. High quality whole genome sequencing is essential to research mycobacterial epidemiology, pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance. However, current DNA extraction protocols are time consuming, use toxic chemicals, require cold chain storage for certain reagents and can often result in poor quality, degraded DNA that directly impacts whole genome sequencing outputs. This is a particular challenge in low-income settings.

Here, we report a novel optimised DNA extraction workflow forM. tuberculosisandM. abscessusthat invariably generates high quality Illumina short read sequencing data. We evaluated input culture CFU and physical cell disruption times. DNA quantity was determined using a Qubit fluorometer system with DNA integrity assessed using the Agilent TapeStation platform.

We showed that this protocol facilitated complete genome assemblies ofM. abscessusandM. tuberculosisreference strains. There is no requirement for cold chain transport or storage of reagents, solvent extractions, or boiling to heat inactivate cultures, and the method does not require surfactant chemicals such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB).
Cardiometabolic state links neurovascular burden with brain structure and function across age: evidence from EEG and MRI
Authors: Franco-O’Byrne Daniel , Castro-Laguardia Ana M. , Delgado Carolina , Shine James M. , Huepe David , Tagliazucchi Enzo , Campo Cecilia Gonzalez , Ibañez Agustín , Medel Vicente
Published: June 2024

Aging affects brain structure and function alongside metabolic and vascular processes leading to energetic impairments. While local neurometabolic dysfunction in aging is well-documented, the influence of systemic cardiometabolic and vascular markers on brain structure and function remains less understood. We examine the link between cardiometabolic dysfunction (measured by an allostatic load index) and neurovascular burden (measured by white matter hyperintensities) with brain changes, including ventricular and hippocampal volume, as well as EEG activity, across age. Analyzing data from 196 healthy individuals across age (20-75 years), we found a significant positive correlation between allostatic load index and white-matter hyperintensities, irrespective of age. White-matter hyperintensities are also positively linked with ventricular enlargement, but not hippocampal atrophy. The allostatic load index mediated the relationship between white-matter hyperintensities and ventricular volume. Regarding brain function, changes in the spectral aperiodic exponent but not periodic alpha power were linked to white-matter hyperintensities and the allostatic load index. Such index mediated the relationship between spectral aperiodic exponent and white-matter hyperintensities. Thus, findings suggest that the cardiometabolic state, as measured by an allostatic load index, plays a crucial role in brain health across age, particularly influencing ventricular enlargement and increased aperiodic activity.
Variable rates of SARS-CoV-2 evolution in chronic infections
Authors: Smith Ewan , Hamilton William L , Warne Ben , Walker Elena R , Jahun Aminu S , Hosmillo Myra ,   ISARIC Consortium, Gupta Ravindra K , Goodfellow Ian , Gkrania-Klotsas Effrossyni , Torok M. Estee , Illingworth Christopher J. R.
Published: June 2024

An important feature of the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been the emergence of highly mutated novel variants, which are characterised by the gain of multiple mutations relative to viruses circulating in the general global population. Cases of chronic viral infection have been suggested as an explanation for this phenomenon, whereby an extended period of infection, with an increased rate of evolution, creates viruses with substantial genetic novelty. However, measuring a rate of evolution during chronic infection is made more difficult by the potential existence of compartmentalisation in the viral population, whereby the viruses in a host form distinct subpopulations. We here describe and apply a novel statistical method to study within-host virus evolution, identifying the minimum number of subpopulations required to explain sequence data observed from cases of chronic infection, and inferring rates for within-host viral evolution. Across nine cases of chronic SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalised patients we find that non-trivial population structure is relatively common, with four cases showing evidence of more than one viral population evolving independently within the host. We find cases of within-host evolution proceeding significantly faster, and significantly slower, than that of the global SARS-CoV-2 population, and of cases in which viral subpopulations in the same host have statistically distinguishable rates of evolution. Non-trivial population structure was associated with high rates of within-host evolution that were systematically underestimated by a more standard inference method.
Picophytoplankton dominate phytoplankton communities in the Elbe estuary in terms of cell counts
Authors: Martens Nele , Biederbick Johanna , Schaum C.-Elisa
Published: June 2024

(1)

Picophytoplankton are important primary producers, but not always adequately recognized, e.g. due to methodological limitations.

(2)

In this study, we combined flow cytometry and metabarcoding to investigate seasonal and spatial patterns of picophytoplankton abundance and community composition in the Elbe estuary.

(3)

Picophytoplankton (mostly picoeukaryotes such asMychonastesandMinidiscus)contributed on average 70 % (SD = 14 %) to the total phytoplankton counts. In the summer picocyanobacteria (e.g.Synechococcus) played a more significant role. The contributions of picophytoplankton to the total phytoplankton were particularly high from summer to winter as well as in the mid estuary. However, at salinities of around 10 PSU in the mixing area the proportion of picophytoplankton was comparably low (average 49 %, SD = 13 %).

(4)

Our results indicate that picophytoplankton prevail in the Elbe estuary year-round with respect to cell counts. Picophytoplankton could occupy important niche positions to maintain primary production under extreme conditions where larger phytoplankton might struggle (e.g. at high or low temperature and high turbidity), and also benefit from high nutrient availability here. However, we did not find evidence that they played a particularly significant role at the salinity interface. Our study highlights the importance of including picophytoplankton when assessing estuarine phytoplankton as has been suggested for other ecosystems such as oceans.
Molecular insight into theDrosophilapiRNA pathway network through a combination of systematic protein interaction screening and structural prediction
Authors: Salgania Harpreet Kaur , Metz Jutta , Lingren Eric , Bleischwitz Christian , Hauser David , Oliveras Máté Katalin , Bollack Daniel , Lahr Felix , Garbelyanski Asen , Jeske Mandy
Published: June 2024

piRNA-bound PIWI proteins mediate the silencing of transposons at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, processes that are critical for genome integrity and fertility in animals. While numerous additional proteins are known to be essential for piRNA biogenesis and function inDrosophilaand other animals, their molecular and mechanistic functions have remained largely unknown. To improve our molecular understanding of theDrosophilapiRNA pathway, we used a cell culture-based protein-protein interaction assay called ReLo to perform a systematic pairwise interaction screen involving 22 factors operating in the cytoplasm, including PIWI proteins, Tudor domain-containing proteins (TDRDs), RNA helicases, and mitochondrial surface proteins. Through additional ReLo interaction testing and structural modeling using AlphaFold-Multimer, we have characterized six protein complexes at the molecular and structural levels. We believe that the results of this screen and our methodological approach are likely to guide future research into the molecular mechanisms underlying piRNA biogenesis and function.
CRMP/UNC-33 maintains neuronal microtubule arrays by promoting individual microtubule rescue
Authors: Liang Xing , Agulto Regina , Eichel Kelsie , Taylor Caitlin Ann , Paat Victor Alexander , Deng Huichao , Ori-McKenney Kassandra , Shen Kang
Published: June 2024

Microtubules (MTs) are intrinsically dynamic polymers. In neurons, staggered individual microtubules form stable, polarized acentrosomal MT arrays spanning the axon and dendrite to support long-distance intracellular transport. How the stability and polarity of these arrays are maintained when individual MTs remain highly dynamic is still an open question. Here we visualize MT arraysin vivoinC. elegansneurons with single microtubule resolution. We find that the CRMP family homolog, UNC-33, is essential for the stability and polarity of MT arrays in neurites. Inunc-33mutants, MTs exhibit dramatically reduced rescue after catastrophe, develop gaps in coverage, and lose their polarity, leading to trafficking defects. UNC-33 is stably anchored on the cortical cytoskeleton and forms patch-like structures along the dendritic shaft. These discrete and stable UNC-33 patches concentrate free tubulins and correlate with MT rescue sites.In vitro, purified UNC-33 preferentially associates with MT tips and increases MT rescue frequency. Together, we propose that UNC-33 functions as a microtubule-associated protein (MAP) to promote individual MT rescue locally. Through this activity, UNC-33 prevents the loss of individual MTs, thereby maintaining the coverage and polarity of MT arrays throughout the lifetime of neurons.
Extracellular vesicles mediate OxLDL-induced stromal cell proliferation in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Authors: Roldán Gallardo Franco F. , Martinez Piñerez Daniel E. , Reinarz Torrado Kevin F. , Berg Gabriela A. , Da Ros Vanina G. , Seoane Manuel López , Maldonado Cristina A. , Quintar Amado A.
Published: June 2024

2

Background

Clinical and basic research evidence has suggested a possible linkage of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) to proatherogenic conditions such as dyslipedemia and hypercholesterolemia, but the underlying mechanisms remain still unknown. We here aimed to explore the impact of dyslipidemic contexts on prostatic stromal cell proliferation and on the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs).

Methods

Mice were exposed to a high-fat diet and human prostatic stromal cells (HPSC) subjected to oxidized-LDL (OxLDL). Cell proliferation assays and EV characterization were performed to elucidate the involvement of EVs in the BPH.

Results

Pro-atherogenic conditions significantly induced proliferation in murine prostatic cells and HPSC, while metformin demonstrated a mitigating effect on OxLDL-induced proliferation. Additionally, OxLDL augmented EV production and release by HPSC, thereby promoting further proliferation, highlighting a potential mechanism underlying BPH progression.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that pro-atherogenic conditions contributes to prostatic cell proliferation and EV production, influencing BPH progression. Metformin emerges as a promising therapeutic avenue for BPH management. This study underscores the intricate interplay between dyslipidemia, cell proliferation, and therapeutic targets in BPH pathogenesis.
Transportome remodeling of a symbiotic microalga inside a planktonic host
Authors: Juery C , Auladell A , Füssy Z , Chevalier F , Yee DP , Pelletier E , Corre E , Allen AE , Richter DJ , Decelle J
Published: June 2024

Metabolic exchange is one of the foundations of symbiotic associations between organisms and is a driving force in evolution. In the ocean, photosymbiosis between heterotrophic host and microalgae is powered by photosynthesis and relies on the transfer of organic carbon to the host (e.g. sugars). Yet, the identity of transferred carbohydrates as well as the molecular mechanisms that drive this exchange remain largely unknown, especially in unicellular photosymbioses that are widespread in the open ocean. Combining genomics, single-holobiont transcriptomics and environmental metatranscriptomics, we revealed the transportome of the marine microalgaPhaeocystisin symbiosis within acantharia, with a focus on sugar transporters. At the genomic level, the sugar transportome ofPhaeocystisis comparable to non-symbiotic haptophytes. By contrast, we found significant remodeling of the expression of the transportome in symbiotic microalgae compared to the free-living stage. More particularly, 32% of sugar transporter genes were differentially expressed. Several of them, such as GLUTs, TPTs and aquaporins, with glucose, triose-phosphate sugars and glycerol as potential substrates, were upregulated at the holobiont and community level. We also showed that algal sugar transporter genes exhibit distinct temporal expression patterns during the day. This reprogrammed transportome indicates that symbiosis has a major impact on sugar fluxes within and outside the algal cell, and highlights the complexity and the dynamics of metabolic exchanges between partners. This study improves our understanding of the molecular players of the metabolic connectivity underlying the ecological success of planktonic photosymbiosis and paves the way for more studies on transporters across photosymbiotic models.
Putting boundaries in the middle of business model innovation: A framework to face megatrends in the digital and sustainable landscape
Authors: Capurro Rosita , Fiorentino Raffaele , Garzella Stefano
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The paper aims to analyse the construct of business model innovation (BMI) in the digital and sustainable landscape, investigating the key role of boundary strategies. The paper advances a comprehensive framework aimed at further understanding the overlap among digitalization, sustainability and BMI development, by a “boundary approach”.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper follows a theoretical approach based on an in-depth review of relevant literature on BMI, digitalization and sustainability as relevant megatrends and, boundary management. By critically integrating the literature, a framework is developed with the objective of supporting firms in the current transformation challenges.

Findings

The paper highlights the interplay among BMIs, megatrends and boundary management. The pressures and opportunities driven by the technological changes have made even more relevant the management of resources placed in the boundary area. Our study shows how firms can rethink their BMs in the digital and sustainable landscape by providing a boundary-based framework.

Practical implications

The framework offers insights and guidelines to help practitioners manage the change processes dictated by digitalization and sustainability. The authors encourage a focus on boundary resources/capabilities to increase the effective management of the digitalization and sustainability processes, to grasp the external stimuli driven by these two megatrends and to develop new/renewed BMIs.

Originality/value

This study emphasizes the importance of developing new BMIs in the current digital and sustainable landscape starting from the analysis of firm’s boundaries. The paper enriches the BMI literature supporting the enhancement of boundary management, leading firms to overcome challenges in the digital and sustainable landscape.
Linking green entrepreneurial orientation and ambidextrous green innovation to stimulate green performance: a moderated mediation approach
Authors: Baquero Asier
Published: June 2024

Purpose

In view of the significance of intangible organizational resources and firm sustainability, this study investigates the mediating role of ambidextrous green innovation and the moderating effects of resource orchestration capability in the relationship between green entrepreneurial orientation and green performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The research employed a quantitative analysis technique using hierarchical linear regression and a moderated mediation approach on a sample of 409 managers from UAE manufacturing firms to investigate the proposed relationships among the variables.

Findings

The research results show that a firm’s green performance is influenced by its green entrepreneurial orientation. Green innovation, both exploratory and exploitative, mediates the link between green entrepreneurial orientation and green performance. Moreover, the association between green entrepreneurial orientation and exploitative green innovation, as well as between exploitative green innovation and a firm's green performance, is strengthened by resource orchestration capability. The findings of the moderated mediation show that when resource orchestration capacity is high, exploitative green innovation has a greater mediating effect on green entrepreneurial orientation and green performance.

Practical implications

This study provides valuable insights for manufacturing firms to achieve sustainable performance and reduce their environmental impact. Firms should adopt proactive environmental strategies and innovative approaches to achieve sustainable green performance by adopting green entrepreneurship and establishing ambidextrous green innovation.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on GEO, ambidextrous green innovation, resource orchestration capability, and green performance. These results provide insight into fostering green innovation in the manufacturing industry, deepen the theoretical foundation for green entrepreneurship, and advance the field of green entrepreneurship study.
Education and FinTech adoption: evidence from China
Authors: Wang Qi , Niu Geng , Zhou Yang , Gan Xu
Published: June 2024

Purpose

In this paper, we explore the role of education in household financial technology (FinTech) adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

Using representative nationwide household data from the 2017 China Household Finance Survey, we employ the change in China’s compulsory schooling law in the 1980s as an instrumental variable for educational attainment.

Findings

We find that among Chinese households, education has statistically significant and economically important effects on the use of various FinTech services, including digital banking, mobile payment, digital wealth management and digital consumer credit. Further analysis indicates that exogeneous increases in education lead to higher levels of financial literacy and social trust, both of which are potential drivers of FinTech adoption. Our findings provide new insights into the importance of education for household financial decision-making and technology adoption.

Originality/value

The contribution of our study is mainly twofold. First, we provide evidence on the role of education in household financial decision making. Second, this study adds to the literature on household adoption of technological innovation in finance. Our findings are also policy-relevant.
Serious gaming to explore and investigate disaster recovery gaps
Authors: Forrest Steven Ashley , De Ita Cecilia , Smith Kate , Davidson Giles , Amen-Thompson Patience Ejuma
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand the potential of serious gaming as an imaginative and creative method to collect data in disaster studies that address key concerns such as extractive research, power inequalities, and bridging the theory-practice gap in exploring post-disaster recovery.

Design/methodology/approach

Novel serious gaming approach deployed to connect theory-practice by identifying and co-analysing post-disaster recovery gaps in a workshop setting.

Findings

The serious game has value in bridging theory-practice divides, identifying and exploring gaps/solutions in post-flood recovery, and serving as a novel social science research approach for disaster studies.

Practical implications

Outlining a dialogic approach to knowledge construction between academics, practitioners, policymakers and community voices on post-disaster recovery.

Social implications

Fostering collaboration and knowledge construction on post-disaster recovery gaps across stakeholders is valuable in improving disaster resilience strategies that benefit communities affected by disasters.

Originality/value

The paper proposes a creative and co-developed serious game method of data collection for disaster studies.
Assessing the reconstruction process following a wildland urban interface (WUI) fire in Viña del Mar, Chile
Authors: León Jorge , Rojas María Ignacia , Gutiérrez Soraya , Román Randy
Published: June 2024

Purpose

To critically assess the reconstruction process's outcomes four months after a wildfire disaster in Viña del Mar, Chile, comparing the governmental reconstruction plan and the actual rebuilding efforts by the dwellers.

Design/methodology/approach

A geographic information system (GIS)-based analysis to deliver a spatial-based comparison of (1) the cadastre of damaged dwellings; (2) the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism’s (MINVU) reconstruction plan and (3) the actual reconstruction that has been carried out by the dwellers themselves up to November 2023 (as surveyed through fieldwork and drone flights).

Findings

Around 307 dwellings (97.7% of the 314 examined households) had been rebuilt by November 2023, all through the dwellers’ self-reconstruction efforts, except for two houses delivered by MINVU. Around 105 of these dwellings (34.2%) were granted a reconstruction subsidy by MINVU, while 155 (49.4% of the sample of 314 dwellings) were rebuilt without this aid. Also, 47 houses were rebuilt by dwellers in areas deemed “non-rebuildable” due to their high-risk levels.

Originality/value

We use a mixed-methods approach to examine disruptions between planned reconstruction and actual rebuilding processes following a wildfire disaster in areas with significant informality.
Integrated measurement of public safety risks in international construction projects in the belt and road initiative
Authors: Xiang Pengcheng , Yang Simai , Yuan Yongqi , Li Ranyang
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the public safety risks of international construction projects (ICPs) from the perspective of threat and vulnerability. A novel and comprehensive risk assessment approach is developed from a systemic perspective and applied to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to improve the public safety risk management strategy for ICPs in BRI.

Design/methodology/approach

First, a public safety risk indicator system was constructed from the two dimensions, namely threat and vulnerability. Next, an integrated measurement model was constructed by combining the Genetic Algorithm-Backpropagation (GA-BP) neural network, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and matter-element extension (MME) method. Data from 49 countries involved in the BRI, as well as five typical projects, were used to validate the model. Finally, targeted risk prevention measures were identified for use at the national, enterprise and project levels.

Findings

The findings indicate that while the vulnerability risks of typical projects in each region of the BRI were generally low, threat risks were high in West Asia and North Africa, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries and South Asia.

Originality/value

First, the structure of the public safety risk system of ICPs was analyzed using vulnerability and system theories. The connotation of public safety risk was defined based on two dimensions, namely threat and vulnerability. The idea of measuring threat risk with public data and measuring vulnerability risk with project data was clarified, and the risk measurement was integrated into the measurement results to help researchers and managers understand and systematically consider the public safety risks of ICPs. Second, a public safety risk indicator system was constructed, including 18 threat risk indicators and 14 vulnerability risk indicators to address the gaps in the existing research. The MEE model was employed to overcome the problem of incompatible indicator systems and provide stable and credible integrated measurement results. Finally, the whole-process public safety risk management scheme designed in this study can help to both provide a reference point for the Chinese enterprises and oversea contractors in market selection as well as improve ICP public safety risk management.
Do strategic management, innovation and social capital matter for firm performance in developing countries? Evidence from Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt
Authors: Becheikh Nizar , Bouaddi Mohammed
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Using the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theory, we explore the impact of strategic management practices, innovation and social capital on small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) performance in three developing Arab countries, namely, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon firm-level data derived from the standardized World Bank Enterprise Surveys, we use quantile regressions and the marginal effects analysis to test our hypotheses.

Findings

Our results show heterogeneity among the three countries as to the factors affecting firm performance. The configuration of performance determinants also differs among firms within each country, depending on their level of performance.

Research limitations/implications

Our findings further the understanding of the performance determinants of SMEs in developing countries within their own local context. They imply important theoretical, methodological, managerial and policy implications.

Originality/value

This study is the first to investigate simultaneously strategic management practices, innovation and social capital as determinants of SMEs’ performance in developing countries. We confirm an important premise of the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theory, which has not been thoroughly investigated in the literature, claiming that strategic management, innovation and social capital cannot be separately investigated as determinants of firm performance. We do so by going beyond the mere inclusion of interaction terms in regression equations to computing marginal effects.
Deconstructing ageism among older informal workers: a systematic review
Authors: Oteng Samuel Ampadu , Amoah Padmore Adusei , Huang Genghua
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study aims to conduct a systematic review of existing literature on ageism among older informal workers, as most studies have focused on formal work settings. Specifically, it seeks to identify the scope and characteristics of ageism that older informal workers encounter and its influence on their work and well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) framework to conduct a systematic review. Eleven studies from six databases were included and thematically analysed.

Findings

The findings revealed four main themes: the contextual nature of ageism, dimensions of work-related ageism, navigating work-related challenges, and effects on well-being. These themes highlight that, despite being perceived as experienced and reliable, older informal workers face exclusion from work opportunities as they are perceived as unproductive and less capable of acquiring new skills. These negative perceptions significantly impacted their willingness to continue working and overall well-being.

Practical implications

The findings offer an overview of extant research and the direction for future research and policy interventions to address ageism among older informal workers. The findings are crucial for enhancing older workers' quality of life, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where population ageing is the fastest.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few to systematically explore and evaluate empirical evidence on ageism in the informal work sector. It thus expands existing knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon of ageism in a least explored context.
Innovate, learn, sustain: unveiling dynamics of value addition in smallholder dairy farming
Authors: Arshad Muhammad Waqar , Moazzam Muhammad , Raziq Muhammad Mustafa , Ahmed Waqas
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study explores value-added food products in smallholder dairy farming in developing countries by analyzing external pressures, supply chain learning, farmer innovation, education level, and food safety compliance.

Design/methodology/approach

We employed a quantitative approach by surveying 418 smallholder dairy farmers in three districts of Pakistan using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Data analysis involved confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results indicate that external pressure significantly affects value-added smallholder dairy farms. This relationship is mediated by supply chain learning and farmers' innovative behavior, and moderated by farmers' education level and compliance with food safety standards.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is required to explore the drivers of value addition at the supply chain level.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the understanding of smallholder dairy farming dynamics and provides practical implications for improving value addition by managing the interplay between antecedents and promoting best practices in the industry.
Our Heritage, Our Stories: developing AI tools to link and support community-generated digital cultural heritage
Authors: Hannaford Ewan D. , Schlegel Viktor , Lewis Rhiannon , Ramsden Stefan , Bunn Jenny , Moore John , Alexander Marc , Barker Hannah , Batista-Navarro Riza , Hughes Lorna , Nenadic Goran
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Community-generated digital content (CGDC) is one of the UK’s prime cultural assets. However, CGDC is currently “critically endangered” (Digital Preservation Coalition, 2021) due to technological and organisational barriers and has proven resistant to traditional methods of linking and integration. The challenge of integrating CGDC into larger archives has effectively silenced diverse community voices within our national collection. Our Heritage, Our Stories (OHOS), funded by the UK’s AHRC programme Towards a National Collection, responds to these urgent challenges by bringing together cutting-edge approaches from cultural heritage, humanities and computer science.

Design/methodology/approach

Existing solutions to CGDC integration, involving bespoke interventionist activities, are expensive, time-consuming and unsustainable at scale, while unsophisticated computational integration erases the meaning and purpose of both CGDC and its creators. Using innovative multidisciplinary methods, AI tools and a co-design process, previously unfindable and unlinkable CGDC will be made discoverable in our virtual national collection.

Findings

There currently exists a range of disconnected, fragile and under-represented community-generated heritage which is at increasing risk of loss. Therefore, OHOS will work to ensure the survival and preservation of these nationally important resources, for the future and for our shared national collection.

Originality/value

As we dissolve barriers to create meaningful new links across CGDC collections and develop new methods of engagement, OHOS will also make this content accessible to new and diverse audiences. This will facilitate a wealth of fresh research while also embedding new strategies for future management of CGDC into heritage practice and training and fostering newly enriching, robust connections between communities and archival institutions.
Competency and efficacy of energy futures: empirical investigation from emerging economy
Authors: Samal Laxmidhar
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze the price discovery and market efficiency of energy futures traded in India. The study also examines the volatility spillover effect between the cash and futures markets of energy commodities.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses crude oil and natural gas spot and futures series traded at Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), India. To evaluate the objectives, the paper employs the cointegration test, causality check, dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) method and Baba, Engle, Kraft and Kroner (BEKK) GARCH Model.

Findings

The study supports the long-run association between the selected markets. Unlike natural gas, in the case of crude oil bidirectional, flow of information is observed. The study rejects the unbiasedness and efficient market hypothesis of the energy futures market in India. Further, the study confirms that the selected energy commodities indicate bidirectional shock transmission between their respective cash and futures markets.

Practical implications

The study will assist the commodity market participants in designing their trading strategy. The volatility signal will be used by investors and portfolio managers for risk management and portfolio adjustment. Regulators will be able to anticipate future spillover and can design policies to strengthen the market.

Originality/value

The paper evaluates the three aspects of the energy futures market, namely price discovery, market efficiency and volatility slipover. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, studies on efficacy and shock transmission in the context of the energy futures market in India are rare. Further, the study also contributes by investigating the price discovery process of the energy futures market.
A crew task allocation and sequencing method considering workload distribution and minimum task completion time
Authors: Sun Jianhua , Yu Suihuai , Chu Jianjie , Cun Wenzhe , Wang Hanyu , Chen Chen , Li Feilong , Huang Yuexin
Published: June 2024

Purpose

In situations where the crew is reduced, the optimization of crew task allocation and sequencing (CTAS) can significantly enhance the operational efficiency of the man-machine system by rationally distributing workload and minimizing task completion time. Existing related studies exhibit a limited consideration of workload distribution and involve the violation of precedence constraints in the solution process. This study proposes a CTAS method to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The method defines visual, auditory, cognitive and psychomotor (VACP) load balancing objectives and integrates them with workload balancing and minimum task completion time to ensure equitable workload distribution and task execution efficiency, and then a multi-objective optimization model for CTAS is constructed. Subsequently, it designs a population initialization strategy and a repair mechanism to maintain sequence feasibility, and utilizes them to improve the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm III (NSGA-III) for solving the CTAS model.

Findings

The CTAS method is validated through a numerical example involving a mission with a specific type of armored vehicle. The results demonstrate that the method achieves equitable workload distribution by integrating VACP load balancing and workload balancing. Moreover, the improved NSGA-III maintains sequence feasibility and thus reduces computation time.

Originality/value

The study can achieve equitable workload distribution and enhance the search efficiency of the optimal CTAS scheme. It provides a novel perspective for task planners in objective determination and solution methodologies for CTAS.