bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CLIPPER 2.0: Peptide level annotation and data analysis for positional proteomics
Authors: Kalogeropoulos Konstantinos , Haack Aleksander Moldt , Madzharova Elizabeta , Lorenzo Antea Di , Hanna Rawad , Schoof Erwin M. , auf dem Keller Ulrich
Published: December 2023

Positional proteomics methodologies have transformed protease research, and have brought mass spectrometry (MS)-based degradomics studies to the forefront of protease characterization and system-wide interrogation of protease signaling. Considerable advancements in sensitivity and throughput of liquid chromatography (LC)-MS/MS instrumentation enable generation of enormous positional proteomics datasets of natural and protein termini and neo-termini of cleaved protease substrates. However, such progress has not been observed to the same extent in data analysis and post-processing steps, which arguably constitute the largest bottleneck in positional proteomics workflows. Here, we present a computational tool, CLIPPER 2.0, that builds on prior algorithms developed for MS-based protein termini analysis, facilitating peptide level annotation and data analysis. CLIPPER 2.0 can be used with several sample preparation workflows and proteomics search algorithms, and enables fast and automated database information retrieval, statistical and network analysis, as well as visualization of terminomic datasets. We demonstrate our tool by analyzing GluC and MMP9 cleavages in HeLa lysates. CLIPPER 2.0 is available athttps://github.com/UadKLab/CLIPPER-2.0.
HPClas: A data-driven approach for identifying halophilic proteins based on catBoost
Authors: Hu Shantong , Wang Xiaoyu , Wang Zhikang , Chang Yongfei , Tian Yun , Li Zhuoqian , Jiang Menghan , Wang Shihui , Wang Wenya , Song Jiangning , Zhang Guimin
Published: December 2023

Halophilic proteins possess unique structural properties and exhibit high stability under extreme conditions. Such distinct characteristic makes them invaluable for applications in various aspects such as bioenergy, pharmaceuticals, environmental clean-up and energy production. Generally, halophilic proteins are discovered and characterized through labor-intensive and time-consuming wetlab experiments. Here, we introduced HPClas, a machine learning-based classifier developed using the catBoost ensemble learning technique to identify halophilic proteins. Extensivein silicocalculations were conducted on a large public data set of 12574 samples and an independent test set of 200 sample pairs, on which HPClas achieved an AUROC of 0.877 and 0.845, respectively. The source code and curated data set of HPClas are publicly available athttps://github.com/Showmake2/HPClas. In conclusion, HPClas can be explored as a promising tool to aid in the identification of halophilic proteins and accelerate their applications in different fields.

Impact Statement

In this study, we used a method based on prediction of proteins secreted by extreme halophilic bacteria to successfully extract a large number of halophilic proteins. Using this data, we have trained an accurate halophilic protein classifier that could determine whether an input protein is halophilic with a high accuracy of 84.5%. This research could not only promote the exploration and mining of halophilic proteins in nature, but also provide guidance for the generation of mutant halophilic enzymes.
CO2Reduction by the Iron Nitrogenase Competes with N2Fixation Under Physiological Conditions
Authors: Oehlmann Niels N. , Schmidt Frederik V. , Herzog Marcello , Goldman Annelise L. , Rebelein Johannes G.
Published: December 2023

Nitrogenases are the only known enzymes that reduce molecular nitrogen (N2) to ammonia. Recent findings have demonstrated that nitrogenases also reduce the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2), suggesting CO2to be a competitor of N2. Intriguingly, nitrogenase isoforms (i.e., molybdenum (Mo), vanadium and iron (Fe) nitrogenase) differ significantly in their ability to reduce CO2,but the mechanisms underlying these differences remain elusive. Here, we study the competing reduction of CO2and N2by the two nitrogenases ofRhodobacter capsulatus, the Mo and Fe nitrogenase. Analyzing their full CO2reduction product spectrumin vitro, we find the Fe nitrogenase almost three-fold more efficient in CO2reduction than the Mo isoform. Furthermore, thein vitrocompetition experiments reveal the Fe nitrogenase to be profoundly less selective for the reduction of N2than the Mo nitrogenase. We observe the same effectsin vivo, where adding CO2drastically increases the doubling times of diazotrophically grownR. capsulatusstrains that rely on the Fe nitrogenase. The Fe nitrogenase-dependentR. capsulatusstrains reduce CO2to methane under physiological conditions, highlighting the potential of the Fe nitrogenase for the biotechnological conversion of CO2into value-added compounds. Furthermore, both products are secreted into the surrounding, potentially influencing the composition of microbial communities in Mo-deficient environments.
Late Pleistocene polar bear genomes reveal the timing of allele fixation in key genes associated with Arctic adaptation
Authors: Sun Yulin , Lorenzen Eline D. , Westbury Michael V.
Published: December 2023

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) occupies a relatively narrow ecological niche, with many characteristics adapted for cold temperatures, movement across snow, ice and open water, and for consuming highly lipid-dense prey species. The divergence of polar bears from brown bears (Ursus arctos) and their adaptation to their Arctic lifestyle is a well-known example of rapid evolution. Previous research investigating whole genomes uncovered genomic regions containing an array of key genes highly differentiated between polar and brown bears, many of which were linked to the novel Arctic environment. Further research suggested fixed alleles in these genes arose from selection on both standing variation andde novomutations in the evolution of polar bears. Here, we reevaluate these findings by incorporating more genomic data from previously unavailable polar and brown bear populations, and assess the timing of allele fixation by utilising the genomes of two Late Pleistocene polar bears (aged 130-100,000 years old and 100-70,000 years old). Contrary to previous results, we found no evidence for alleles fixed in all polar bears within these key genes arising fromde novomutation. Most alleles fixed in modern polar bears were also fixed in the Late Pleistocene bears, suggesting selection occurred prior to 70,000 years ago. However, some sites fixed in modern polar bears were not fixed in the Late Pleistocene bears, including at sites within APOB, LYST, and TTN. The functions of these three genes are associated with the cardiovascular functions, metabolism, and pigmentation, suggesting that selection may have acted on different loci at different times.
Alternative Polyadenylation Determines the Functional Landscape of Inverted Alu Repeats
Authors: Ku Jayoung , Kim Sujin , Lee Keonyong , Ku Doyeong , Kim Namwook , Do Hyunsu , Lee Hyeonjung , Han Jinju , Lee Young-suk , Kim Yoosik
Published: December 2023

Inverted Alu repeats (IRAlus) are abundantly found in the transcriptome, especially in introns and 3′ UTRs. Yet, the biological significance of 3′ UTR IRAlus remains largely unknown. Here, we find that IRAlus induce the silencing of genes involved in essential signaling pathways. We utilize J2 antibody to directly capture and map the double-stranded RNA structure of 3′ UTR IRAlus in the transcriptome. Bioinformatic analysis reveals alternative polyadenylation as a major axis of IRAlus-mediated gene regulation. Notably, the expression of mouse double minute 2 (MDM2), an inhibitor of p53, is upregulated by the exclusion of IRAlus during UTR shortening, which is exploited to silence p53 during tumorigenesis. Moreover, the transcriptome-wide UTR lengthening in neural progenitor cells results in the global downregulation of genes associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, via IRAlus inclusion. Our study establishes the functional landscape of 3′ UTR IRAlus and its role in human pathophysiology.
Warm temperature and mild water stress cooperatively promote root elongation
Authors: Hayes Scott , Leong Cheuk Ka , Zhang Wenyan , Lamain Marthe , Lamers Jasper , de Zeeuw Thijs , Verstappen Francel , Hiltbrunner Andreas , Testerink Christa
Published: December 2023

Warm temperatures have a dramatic effect on plant development. In shoots, stems elongate, and leaves are raised in a developmental programme called thermomorphogenesis. This results in enhanced leaf cooling capacity1. Thermomorphogenesis is tightly intertwined with light signalling pathways. The level of integration is so high that it has been proposed that shoot temperature sensing may have evolved from the co-option of an existing light signalling pathway during the colonisation of land by plants2. Roots also undergo thermomorphogenesis, but the mechanism by which this occurs is less well understood. Main root elongation is enhanced at warm temperatures, and this response is independent of many of the light and temperature signalling components of the shoot3. Roots develop in darkness and so it is a reasonable assumption that root temperature signalling is not through modulation of light signalling. It was recently speculated that due to the close correlation between warm temperature and soil moisture content, root temperature signalling could feasibly be related to water availability signals2. In this study we tested the interaction between temperature and water availability signalling in plant roots. We found that these environmental factors co-operatively enhance main root elongation. This interaction effect was dependent on SUCROSE NON-FERMENTING RELATED KINASE 2.2 (SnRK2.2) and SnRK2.3 and the E3 ubiquitin ligase CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1). We found that SnRK2.2 / 2.3 and COP1 have opposite effects on the stability of the transcription factor ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) in elongation zone hair cells. The stability of HY5 in these cell types generally corresponded to the degree of root elongation seen in each mutant background. Our study reveals several molecular components of root thermomorphogenesis and highlights the importance of an integrative approach to plant environmental signalling. Our results may have direct implications for agricultural land management, especially as global climates become more unpredictable.
Engrailed transcription factors direct excitatory cerebellar neuron diversity and survival
Authors: Krishnamurthy Anjana , Lee Andrew S. , Bayin N. Sumru , Stephen Daniel N. , Nasef Olivia , Lao Zhimin , Joyner Alexandra L.
Published: December 2023

The excitatory neurons of the three cerebellar nuclei (eCN) form the primary output for the cerebellar circuit. The medial eCN (eCNm) were recently divided into molecularly defined subdomains in the adult, however how they are established during development is not known. We define molecular subdomains of the eCNm using scRNA-seq and spatial expression analysis and show they evolve during embryogenesis to resemble the adult. Furthermore, the eCNm is transcriptionally divergent from the rest of the eCN by E14.5. We previously showed that loss of the homeobox genesEn1andEn2leads to death of a subset of embryonic eCNm. We demonstrate that mutation ofEn1/2in embryonic eCNm results in cell death of specific posterior eCNm molecular subdomains and loss of TBR2 (EOMES) expression in an anterior subdomain, as well as reduced synaptic gene expression. We further reveal a similar function for EN1/2 in mediating TBR2 expression, neuron differentiation and survival in the two other cerebellar excitatory neuron types. Thus, our work defines embryonic eCNm molecular diversity and reveals conserved roles for EN1/2 in the cerebellar excitatory neuron lineage.
The Right Atrium Affects in silico Arrhythmia Vulnerability in Both Atria
Authors: Martínez Díaz Patricia , Sánchez Jorge , Fitzen Nikola André , Ravens Ursula , Dössel Olaf , Loewe Axel
Published: December 2023

Introduction

The role of the right atrium (RA) in atrial fibrillation (AF) has long been overlooked. Computer models of the atria can aid in assessing how the RA influences arrhythmia vulnerability and in studying the role of RA drivers in the induction of AF, both aspects challenging to assess in living patients. It remains unclear if incorporating the RA influences the reentry inducibility of the model. As personalized ablation strategies rely on non-inducibility criteria, the adequacy of left atrium (LA)-only models for developing such ablation tools is uncertain.

Aim

To evaluate the effect of incorporating the RA in 3D patient-specific computer models on arrhythmia vulnerability.

Methods

Imaging data from 8 subjects were obtained to generate patient-specific computer models. We created 2 models for each subject: a monoatrial with only the LA and a biatrial with both the RA and LA. We considered 3 different states of substrate remodeling: healthy (H), mild (M), and severe (S). The Courte-manche et al. cellular model was modified from control conditions to a setup representing AF-induced remodeling with 0 %, 50 %, and 100 % changes for H, M, and S, respectively. Conduction velocity was set to 1.2, 1.0, and 0.8 m/s for each remodeling state. Fibrosis extent corresponded to Utah 2 (5-20 %) and Utah 4 (>35 %) stages for M and S, while the H state was modeled without fibrosis. Arrhythmia vulnerability was assessed by virtual S1S2 pacing from different points separated by 2cm using openCARP. A point was classified as inducing arrhythmia if reentry was maintained for at least 1 s. The vulnerability ratio was defined as the number of inducing points divided by the number of stimulation points. The mean tachycardia cycle length (TCL) was assessed at the stimulation site. We compared LA vulnerability ratios in monoatrial and biatrial models.

Results

Incorporating the RA increased the mean LA vulnerability ratio by 115.8 % (0.19±0.13 to 0.41±0.22,p= 0.033) in state M and 29.0 % in state S (0.31±0.14 to 0.40±0.15,p= 0.219). No arrhythmia was induced in the H models. RA inclusion increased the TCL of LA reentries by 5.5 % (186.9±13.3 ms to 197.2±18.3 ms,p= 0.006) in scenario M and decreased it by 7.2 % (224.3±27.6 ms to 208.2±34.8ms,p= 0.010) in scenario S. RA inclusion increased LA inducibility revealing 5.5±3.0 new points per patient in the LA for the biatrial model, which did not induce reentry in the monoatrial model.

Conclusions

LA reentry vulnerability in a biatrial model is higher than in a monoatrial model. Incorporating the RA in patient-specific computational models unmasked potential inducing points in the LA. The RA had a substrate-dependent effect on reentry dynamics, altering the TCL of LA-induced reentries. Our results provide evidence for an important role of the RA in the maintenance and induction of arrhythmia in patient-specific computational models, thus suggesting the use of biatrial models.
The pathogenic coronatine toxin hijacks host redox signalling to suppress plant immunity
Authors: Frungillo Lucas , Oka Nodoka , Lee Sang-Uk , Nomoto Mika , Yun Byung-Wook , Tada Yasuomi , Spoel Steven H.
Published: December 2023

Reciprocal antagonism between the hormones salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) is particularly important during infection by the bacterial pathogenPseudomonas syringae.P. syringaesecretion of the virulence-promoting toxin, coronatine, is thought to suppress SA-induced immune responses by manipulating host JA signalling. Here, we report an unexpected JA-independent role of coronatine in promoting pathogen virulence. While JA induced resistance toP. syringae, coronatine promoted pathogen virulence by suppressing cellular accumulation of glutathione, a vital antioxidant required for immunity. Coronatine-mediated suppression of glutathione levels prevented activation of NPR1, a redox-sensitive master regulator of SA-responsive immune genes. Moreover, the accrual of nitric oxide (NO) restored virulence of coronatine-deficientP. syringae, but was counteracted by expression of the hostS-nitrosothiol reductase, Thioredoxinh5. Thus, our findings indicateP. syringaeutilises coronatine to suppresses host immunity by precisely manipulating glutathione- and NO-mediated redox signalling networks.
Aberrant landscapes of maternal meiotic crossovers contribute to aneuploidies in human embryos
Authors: Ariad Daniel , Madjunkova Svetlana , Madjunkov Mitko , Chen Siwei , Abramov Rina , Librach Clifford , McCoy Rajiv C.
Published: December 2023

Meiotic recombination is crucial for human genetic diversity and chromosome segregation accuracy. Understanding its variation across individuals and the processes by which it goes awry are long-standing goals in human genetics. Current approaches for inferring recombination landscapes rely either on population genetic patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD)—capturing a time-averaged view—or on direct detection of crossovers in gametes or multigeneration pedigrees, which limits data set scale and availability. Here, we introduce an approach for inferring sex-specific recombination landscapes using data from preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A). This method relies on low-coverage (<0.05×) whole-genome sequencing of in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryo biopsies. To overcome the data sparsity, our method exploits its inherent relatedness structure, knowledge of haplotypes from external population reference panels, and the frequent occurrence of monosomies in embryos, whereby the remaining chromosome is phased by default. Extensive simulations show our method's high accuracy, even at coverages as low as 0.02×. Applying this method to PGT-A data from 18,967 embryos, we mapped 70,660 recombination events with ∼150 kbp resolution, replicating established sex-specific recombination patterns. We observed a reduced total length of the female genetic map in trisomies compared with disomies, as well as chromosome-specific alterations in crossover distributions. Based on haplotype configurations in pericentromeric regions, our data indicate chromosome-specific propensities for different mechanisms of meiotic error. Our results provide a comprehensive view of the role of aberrant meiotic recombination in the origins of human aneuploidies and offer a versatile tool for mapping crossovers in low-coverage sequencing data from multiple siblings.
Performance of a photoelectron momentum microscope in direct- and momentum-space imaging with ultraviolet photon sources
Authors: Chuang Tzu-Hung , Hsu Chuan-Che , Chiu Wei-Sheng , Jhuang Jyun-Syong , Yeh I-Chun , Chen Ruei-San , Gwo Shanjr , Wei Der-Hsin
Published: December 2023

The Photoelectron-Related Image and Nano-Spectroscopy (PRINS) endstation located at the Taiwan Photon Source beamline 27A2 houses a photoelectron momentum microscope capable of performing direct-space imaging, momentum-space imaging and photoemission spectroscopy with position sensitivity. Here, the performance of this microscope is demonstrated using two in-house photon sources – an Hg lamp and He(I) radiation – on a standard checkerboard-patterned specimen and an Au(111) single crystal, respectively. By analyzing the intensity profile of the edge of the Au patterns, the Rashba-splitting of the Au(111) Shockley surface state at 300 K, and the photoelectron intensity across the Fermi edge at 80 K, the spatial, momentum and energy resolution were estimated to be 50 nm, 0.0172 Å−1 and 26 meV, respectively. Additionally, it is shown that the band structures acquired in either constant energy contour mode or momentum-resolved photoemission spectroscopy mode were in close agreement.
STEM SerialED: achieving high-resolution data for ab initio structure determination of beam-sensitive nanocrystalline materials
Authors: Hogan-Lamarre Pascal , Luo Yi , Bücker Robert , Miller R. J. Dwayne , Zou Xiaodong
Published: December 2023

Serial electron diffraction (SerialED), which applies a snapshot data acquisition strategy for each crystal, was introduced to tackle the problem of radiation damage in the structure determination of beam-sensitive materials by three-dimensional electron diffraction (3DED). The snapshot data acquisition in SerialED can be realized using both transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopes (TEM/STEM). However, the current SerialED workflow based on STEM setups requires special external devices and software, which limits broader adoption. Here, we present a simplified experimental implementation of STEM-based SerialED on Thermo Fisher Scientific STEMs using common proprietary software interfaced through Python scripts to automate data collection. Specifically, we utilize TEM Imaging and Analysis (TIA) scripting and TEM scripting to access the STEM functionalities of the microscope, and DigitalMicrograph scripting to control the camera for snapshot data acquisition. Data analysis adapts the existing workflow using the software CrystFEL, which was developed for serial X-ray crystallography. Our workflow for STEM SerialED can be used on any Gatan or Thermo Fisher Scientific camera. We apply this workflow to collect high-resolution STEM SerialED data from two aluminosilicate zeolites, zeolite Y and ZSM-25. We demonstrate, for the first time, ab initio structure determination through direct methods using STEM SerialED data. Zeolite Y is relatively stable under the electron beam, and STEM SerialED data extend to 0.60 Å. We show that the structural model obtained using STEM SerialED data merged from 358 crystals is nearly identical to that using continuous rotation electron diffraction data from one crystal. This demonstrates that accurate structures can be obtained from STEM SerialED. Zeolite ZSM-25 is very beam-sensitive and has a complex structure. We show that STEM SerialED greatly improves the data resolution of ZSM-25, compared with serial rotation electron diffraction (SerialRED), from 1.50 to 0.90 Å. This allows, for the first time, the use of standard phasing methods, such as direct methods, for the ab initio structure determination of ZSM-25.
Exploring the differential effects of consumer brand attitude persuasion for printed advertisements in luxury and nonluxury brands
Authors: Jayawardena Nirma Sadamali , Quach Sara , Bandyopadhyay Chinmoy , Thaichon Park
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study examined the differential effects of printed advertisements with luxury and nonluxury brands on consumer brand attitude persuasion using a qualitative experimental approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopted a qualitative experimental approach and the authors conducted two experiments over six months. In the first experiment, participants were asked to view five print advertisements related to five different luxury brands. In the second experiment, the same participants were asked to view another five print advertisements on non-luxury brands. The qualitative thematic differences for each brand were analyzed using NVivo software, employing the theoretical assumptions of Petty and Cacioppo's (1981) elaboration likelihood model (ELM).

Findings

In experiments 1 and 2, it was identified that brand experience, personalized brand experience, product quality, product quantity, personal image-conscious, nonpersonal image-conscious, affordability and unaffordability as the main thematic findings leading to consumer attitude persuasion.

Practical implications

The two main contributions are as follows: theoretically, applying a social psychology theory to the advertising industry offers an understanding of the social cognition stages of a human mindset. As a practical implication, this study's findings guide advertising agencies, marketers and salespeople regarding how to design effective print advertisements in a way that persuades consumer attitudes.

Originality/value

Through the theoretical assumptions of Petty and Cacioppo's (1981) ELM, this paper can be considered one of the first studies to combine social psychology and advertising to investigate the differential effects on consumer brand attitude persuasion for luxury and nonluxury brands.
Addressing global overconsumption: positioning the anti-consumption through communication appeals
Authors: Lučić Andrea , Uzelac Marija
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The study aims to analyse the possibilities of positioning the anti-consumption through different communication appeals. It analyses commercial and social marketing campaigns in the global context, with the aim to recommend communication guidelines to empower anti-consumption among different industries.

Design/methodology/approach

The study conducted a qualitative content analysis of marketing communication focused on anti-consumption promotion.

Findings

The results bring a comprehensive overview of possible communication appeals of anti-consumption and prove feasibility of their implementation. The analysis of used appeals leads to recommendations for developing effective marketing communication for promoting anti-consumption.

Practical implications

The recommendations can serve both for-profit and non-profit organization as a showcase to discover the idea of anti-consumption as communication appeals. By empowering anti-consumption, consumers could reach personal welfare and participate in social equilibrium. Also, the study brings recommendations for further research considering the evaluation of the implemented strategies.

Originality/value

The study covers a gap in published literature focusing on comprehensive analysis of existing anti-consumption marketing communication strategies and appeals and brings an overview of potential strategies for empowering anti-consumption among modern consumers.
The relationship between labour-only procurement and health and safety performance of construction projects
Authors: Umeokafor Nnedinma , Windapo Abimbola , Olatunji Oluwole Alfred
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences of the characteristics of procurement strategies, in this instance labour-only, on project performance concerning health and safety (H&S), a project performance indicator.

Design/methodology/approach

Using non-probability purposeful and snowballing sampling methods, questionnaires were used to collect data from construction professionals in Nigeria. This was then analysed using descriptive (frequency and mean scores) and inferential statistics (Mann–Whitney-U and Kendall's Tau_b tests).

Findings

The findings indicate a statistically significant negative correlation between ‘the level of client involvement and ‘fatalities' and a positive one with ‘conducting of health and safety risk assessment' and ‘conducting employee surveys on health and safety attitude’. Poor hygiene is found to be the worst lagging indicator, while conducting of inspection is the most adopted leading indicator of project health and safety performance. It also emerged that there is no significant difference in the health and safety performance of projects procured through the procurement strategy in urban and rural areas.

Practical implications

The study provides valuable insight into the complexities in H&S management due to the high level of client involvement in labour-only procurement system (LoPS) projects and the level of diversity in their responsibilities therein. It creates a fundamental direction for developing a detailed framework or guidance notes for client involvement in the integration of H&S into LoPS projects.

Originality/value

This is the first study that examines the influence of the characteristics of procurement strategy on project health and safety performance. Evidence in the literature shows that project delivery outcomes significantly improve if procurement is strategically used, including when it is considered early in projects. However, integrating H&S into procurement strategies has received little attention.
Essential building blocks for future blended learning with the right amount of blend
Authors: Savara Vandana , Assaf Yousef , Hariri Mustafa , Alastal Haya Bassam , Asad Rania
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to shed light on how the composition of future blended learning (BL) courses can be changed to provide students with quality academic learning experiences. The model suggested in this study will guide instructors on how to design their course learning outcomes to ensure effective delivery.

Design/methodology/approach

The new model has been developed by combining Bloom's taxonomy and Carman's model. Later, a new framework entitled “PATHCO” based on an extensive literature review is applied to enhance the quality of all five components of Carman's model.

Findings

The PATHCO conceptual framework has been developed to ensure quality in the five main teaching and learning factors. This framework covers criteria like pedagogical, assessments, technical, health care and organizational. Further research is required to broaden the main elements of the suggested framework and to validate this research through a case study.

Originality/value

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the landscape of the education sector by encouraging an extensive acceptance of technology-enhanced learning and teaching. Blended learning (BL) has become the most appropriate medium to deliver online learning (OL). However, educators and students have reported dissatisfaction with the BL mode of delivery. To address this dissatisfaction, this study outlines, using the PATHCO model, all the essential building blocks which are required to find the right blend of both face-to-face and online components.
How best to measure connection to a team: team identification, brand attitude/loyalty, consumer lifestyle or interest level?
Authors: Trail Galen , Bang Hyejin , Dees Windy
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to compare four different consumer pathway models based on identity theory, attitude/loyalty theory, lifestyle theory and hierarchy of effects theory, each with associated instruments measuring connection to the team.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors did a two-study analysis, first collecting data from people aware of an NFL team (N = 218) and then an MLS team (N = 209) to determine which connection item performed better.

Findings

The authors found that the Consumer Pathway for Sport Fandom based on the hierarchy of effects theory and its associated interest measurement item performed better than the other three frameworks and items. The Interest item shared the most variance with games attended, games intending to attend, games watched via media and games intending to watch via media.

Originality/value

The Consumer Pathway for Sport Fandom represents the entire consumer spectrum from non-aware consumers all the way up to die-hard sports fans. This pathway will allow sport marketers to track their consumers from initial awareness of the product or service all the way through the brand relationship to ultimate loyalty.
Lecturers' turnover intention and intention to remain with the organization: a dynamic cross-lagged panel model estimation using the PLSe2 method
Authors: Ghasemy Majid , Yuan Ke-Hai
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Although numerous studies have been conducted to explore the impact of various factors on employees' turnover intention and intention to remain with the organization, the relationship between these two constructs remains largely unexplored. Considering the significance of these constructs, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors aimed to investigate their association within an academic environment using a dynamic modeling approach.

Design/methodology/approach

This study follows a quantitative approach and utilizes a longitudinal survey design. The authors utilized a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) and employed the parametric efficient partial least squares (PLSe2) methodology to estimate the dynamic model using data gathered from lecturers associated with both public and private universities in Malaysia. In order to offer methodological insights to applied higher education researchers, the authors also compared the results with maximum likelihood (ML) estimation.

Findings

The findings of the authors' study indicate a reciprocal relationship between turnover intention and intention to remain with the organization, with intention to remain with the organization being a stronger predictor. Moreover, situational factors were found to have a greater influence on eliciting turnover intention within academic settings. As anticipated, the use of the PLSe2 methodology resulted in higher R2 values compared to ML estimation, thereby reinforcing the effectiveness of PLS-based methods in explanatory-predictive modeling in applied studies.

Practical implications

The authors' findings suggest prioritizing policies that enhance training and consultation sessions to foster positive attitudes among lecturers. Positive attitudes significantly impact judgment-driven behaviors like turnover intention and intention to remain with the organization. Additionally, improving working environments, which indirectly influence judgment-driven behaviors through factors like affective work events, affect and attitudes, should also be considered.

Originality/value

This study pioneers the examination of the causal relationship between turnover intention and intention to remain with the organization, their stability over time and the association of changes in these variables using a dynamic CLPM in higher education. It introduces the novel application of the cutting-edge PLSe2 methodology in estimating a CLPM, providing valuable insights for researchers in explanatory-predictive modeling.
Understanding asymmetric effects of attribute performance on tourist satisfaction with island tourism using user-generated data
Authors: Ji GuangMeng , Ng Siew Imm , Cheah Jun-Hwa , Choo Wei-Chong
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Past research often relies on linear relationship assumptions from the perspective of managers when studying the relationship between attribute performance and satisfaction. However, this study extracts tourists’ online reviews to explore asymmetric relationships and identifies island tourism satisfiers, hybrids and dissatisfiers.

Design/methodology/approach

The research uses 3,523 reviews from Tripadvisor to examine Langkawi Island’s tourist satisfaction. Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) machine-learning approach, penalty–reward contrast analysis and asymmetric impact-performance analysis (AIPA) were employed to extract and analyse the data.

Findings

Langkawi’s dissatisfiers included “hotel and restaurant”, “beach leisure”, “water sport”, “snorkelling”, “commanding view”, “waterfall”, “sky bridge walk”, “animal show”, “animal feeding”, “history culture”, “village activity” and “duty-free mall”. Amongst these, five were low performers. Hybrids encompassed “ticket purchasing”, “amenity” “traditional food market” and “gift and souvenir”, all of which were low performers. Only one attribute was categorised as a satisfier: “nature view” which performed exceptionally well.

Practical implications

This study provides recommendations to enhance tourist satisfaction and address tourist dissatisfaction. The elements requiring immediate attention for enhancement are the five low-performance dissatisfiers, as they represent tourists’ fundamental expectations. Conversely, the satisfier or excitement factor (i.e. nature views – mangroves and wildlife) could be prominently featured in promotional materials.

Originality/value

This research constitutes an early endeavour to categorise attributes of island tourism into groups of satisfaction, hybrid or dissatisfaction based on user-generated data. It is underpinned by two-factor and three-factor theories.
Breaking the silence: the role of social media in fostering community and challenging the spiral of silence
Authors: Laor Tal
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This research aims to examine the ways and the extent to which social media platforms undermine the spiral of silence by facilitating the expression of diverse voices and opinions.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of closed groups focused on non-consensus topics.

Findings

Facebook closed group members perceive the media as isolating and portraying their issues negatively. However, these groups offer support, inclusion and non-judgmental opinion-sharing space. Consequently, members feel more comfortable discussing and sharing the topic outside the group, indicating a slight trend of challenging and undermining the spiral of silence through social networks.

Research limitations/implications

The study faces challenges in comparing diverse groups due to unique circumstances, complex needs and societal attitudes. Each group stands alone, potentially yielding slightly different findings.

Practical implications

Social media challenges and undermines the spiral of silence, as these opinions are shared with the wider society and can even find their way back to mainstream media outlets. Thus, social media platforms play a significant role in disrupting the spiral of silence and facilitating the expression of diverse opinions that may have been previously suppressed.

Social implications

This research emphasizes the critical role of social media in shaping public opinion and its interaction with the broader media landscape, illustrating a circular process where social media disrupts the spiral of silence by facilitating the expression of previously suppressed diverse opinions, which can then potentially influence mainstream media.

Originality/value

This study adds value by exploring how social media platforms can challenge and undermine the spiral of silence, enabling the expression of diverse, marginalized and underrepresented opinions in society. It highlights the role of social media in shaping public opinion and discourse, challenging the dominance of traditional media. Its originality emanates from its revelations concerning the legitimization of conversational topics, which may consequently affect media agendas.
Multi-objective optimization design of anti-roll torsion bar using improved beluga whale optimization algorithm
Authors: Li Yonghua , Chen Zhe , Hou Maorui , Guo Tao
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to reduce the redundant weight of the anti-roll torsion bar brought by the traditional empirical design and improving its strength and stiffness.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the finite element approach coupled with the improved beluga whale optimization (IBWO) algorithm, a collaborative optimization method is suggested to optimize the design of the anti-roll torsion bar structure and weight. The dimensions and material properties of the torsion bar were defined as random variables, and the torsion bar's mass and strength were investigated using finite elements. Then, chaotic mapping and differential evolution (DE) operators are introduced to improve the beluga whale optimization (BWO) algorithm and run case studies.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that the IBWO has superior solution set distribution uniformity, convergence speed, solution correctness and stability than the BWO. The IBWO algorithm is used to optimize the anti-roll torsion bar design. The error between the optimization and finite element simulation results was less than 1%. The weight of the optimized anti-roll torsion bar was lessened by 4%, the maximum stress was reduced by 35% and the stiffness was increased by 1.9%.

Originality/value

The study provides a methodological reference for the simulation optimization process of the lateral anti-roll torsion bar.
A methodology to estimate the benefits and costs of stakeholder engagement in a transport decision-making process
Authors: Pagliara Francesca , El-Ansari Walid , Henke Ilaria
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to propose a methodology to estimate the benefits and costs of stakeholder engagement (SE). Indeed, in the transport sector, it is consolidated that a good decision-making process foresees the involvement of the main stakeholders, but what are the benefits and costs of the SE? How to quantify these impacts and explicitly take them into account in a cost-benefit analysis? In this paper, an attempt to answer these questions is provided.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, a methodology is proposed to estimate the benefits and costs of SE. Moreover, the proposed methodology is applied to a case study with an attempt to identify direct and indirect cost and benefit drivers within the context.

Findings

A range of examples of the monetary costs and benefits of SE is provided through the case study of the high-speed rail corridor connecting Bari and Naples in Italy.

Research limitations/implications

Limits in quantifying all the aspects of engagement.

Practical implications

To be adopted by public administrations when deciding whether carrying out a project.

Social implications

Social inclusion is a must in any decision-making process concerning big projects affecting the community.

Originality/value

The original value of this paper is to provide a contribution to the current literature on the quantitative representation of the impacts of SE. Indeed, a methodology to quantify and monetize the costs and benefits of SE is proposed.
Confronting the cycle synchronisation paradigm of defoliator outbreaks in space and time—Evidence from two systems in a mixed‐species forest landscape
Authors: Cooke Barry J. , Robert Louis‐Etienne , Sturtevant Brian R. , Kneeshaw Dan , Thapa Bina
Published: December 2023

Defoliators cause extensive damage in boreal and temperate forests of the world. Considerable effort has been invested to understand their individual population dynamics, and despite ample theorising, there is little empirical evidence on factors causing spatial synchrony of pest eruptions at landscape scales.

We report on the landscape‐level effect of forest configuration and composition on the intensity of outbreaks of spruce budworm and forest tent caterpillar in a mixedwood boreal forest in northern Minnesota (USA) and adjacent Ontario (Canada), and how this is related to the degree of spatial synchrony in each species' outbreak cycling.

Using a large spatiotemporal tree‐ring reconstruction of outbreak impacts across these two systems, we evaluate two contrasting theories governing defoliator outbreaks: harmonic oscillation (a.k.a. ‘clockwork’) and relaxation oscillation (a.k.a. ‘catastrophe’), each with consequences linked to top‐down versus bottom‐up influences on outbreak behaviour in time and space.

We find synchrony varies temporally, among outbreak cycles and in direct proportion to cycle peak intensity; however, cycle peak intensities are distributed bimodally in time, and so, therefore, are synchrony coefficients. Spatially, the area where each pest species currently cycles with the greatest peak intensity and synchrony is where their preferred host trees are currently found in greatest proportion.

Despite overall synchrony in cycling, we found, in both systems, a persistent negative spatial correlation among successive eruptive pulses of defoliation. Many of these eruptions failed to spread spatially and to coalesce with other spot eruptions to form extensive area‐wide outbreaks. Eruptions often fail to spread at the hardwood‐conifer interface, resulting in outbreak pulses that systematically bounce back and forth between landscape types, particularly when systems were cycling at low amplitude. These over‐dispersed spatial patterns of pulse impact are consistent with a contagious theory of eruption and outbreak spread. They could be considered consistent with harmonic oscillation theory only for populations cycling at different frequencies, with cycling frequency determined by host forest landscape structure.

Synthesis. We find that defoliator outbreak dynamics across systems include spatiotemporal signatures of each theoretical paradigm—suggesting a hybrid approach will better characterise outbreak behaviour. Host concentration influences which paradigm dominates the spatial dynamics in any given forest landscape context. Because of the synchronising effect of host concentration on forest insect spatial dynamics, mixedwoods appear to be less prone to intense, synchronised defoliator attack than forests of pure hardwood or pure conifer.
Tanshinone IIA ameliorates the development of dermal fibrosis in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Jiang Ying , Hu Feifei , Li Ming , Li Qiao
Published: December 2023

Objectives

We previously revealed the role of tanshinone IIA (TAN IIA) on endothelial cells and the impact of TAN IIA on the endothelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition in systemic sclerosis (SSc). In this study, we sought to further determine whether TAN IIA can directly act on the skin fibroblasts of scleroderma and look into its underlying anti‐fibrotic mechanisms.

Methods

Bleomycin was used to establish the SSc mouse model. After TAN IIA treatment, dermal thickness, type I collagen and hydroxyproline content were measured. Primary fibroblasts were acquired from SSc patients and cultured in vitro, and the effects of TAN IIA on proliferation, apoptosis and the cell cycle of fibroblasts were detected.

Results

In a bleomycin‐induced SSc model, we discovered that TAN IIA significantly improved skin thickness and collagen deposition, demonstrating a potent anti‐fibrotic action. TAN IIA inhibits the proliferation of skin fibroblasts derived from SSc patients by causing G2/M cell cycle arrest and promoting apoptosis. Additionally, TAN IIA downregulated extracellular matrix gene transcription and collagen protein expression in skin fibroblasts in a dose‐gradient‐dependent manner. Furthermore, we showed how TAN IIA can reduce the activation of the transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β)/Smad and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) pathways, which are important factors in SSc.

Conclusions

In summary, these data suggest that TAN IIA can reduce SSc‐related skin fibrosis by modulating the TGF‐β/Smad and MAPK/ERK signalling pathways. More importantly, our results imply that TAN IIA can directly act on the skin fibroblasts of SSc, therefore, inhibiting fibrosis.
A developmental perspective on social status: children's understanding of hierarchy in Nanjing and London
Authors: Kajanus Anni
Published: December 2023

From an early age, children become attuned to processes of social power in their environment. Findings from cognitive sciences suggest that the ability to discern hierarchical relationships, as well as coercive and non‐coercive processes that give rise to them, rests on evolved cognitive capacities. Yet reasoning about social relations is always already a cultural process. Anthropological theory routinely deploys terms such as ‘power’ and ‘hierarchy’ to analyse diverse features of social organization, but little is known about the culturally grounded psychological processes that give rise to hierarchies at the interpersonal level. A comparison of children in London and Nanjing brings together ethnographic and experimental approaches to cut across the cognitive, social, and cultural dimensions of child development, and reveals how central moral frameworks mediating hierarchy and conflict – respect in London and yielding in Nanjing – lead to particular expectations about the behaviour of high‐status individuals. This article highlights the benefits of mixed methodology in providing insights into how children develop psychologically and culturally rooted understandings of social status and provides directions for anthropology to contribute to the multidisciplinary study of the social cognition of human hierarchies.