bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Splicing factor SRSF1 is essential for homing of precursor spermatogonial stem cells in mice
Authors: Sun Longjie , Lv Zheng , Chen Xuexue , Ye Rong , Tian Shuang , Wang Chaofan , Xie Xiaomei , Yan Lu , Yao Xiaohong , Shao Yujing , Cui Sheng , Chen Juan , Liu Jiali
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are essential for continuous spermatogenesis and male fertility. The underlying mechanisms of alternative splicing (AS) in mouse SSCs are still largely unclear. We demonstrated that SRSF1 is essential for gene expression and splicing in mouse SSCs. Crosslinking immunoprecipitation and sequencing (CLIP-seq) data revealed that spermatogonia-related genes (e.g.,Plzf,Id4,Setdb1, Stra8,Tial1/Tiar,Bcas2,Ddx5,Srsf10,Uhrf1, andBud31) were bound by SRSF1 in the mouse testes. Specific deletion ofSrsf1in mouse germ cells impairs homing of precursor SSCs leading to male infertility. Whole-mount staining data showed the absence of germ cells in the testes of adult conditional knockout (cKO) mice, which indicates Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS) in cKO mice. The expression of spermatogonia-related genes (Gfra1,Pou5f1,Plzf,Dnd1,Stra8, andTaf4b) was significantly reduced in the testes of cKO mice. Moreover, multiomics analysis suggests that SRSF1 may affect survival of spermatogonia by directly binding and regulatingTial1/Tiarexpression through AS. In addition, immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry (IP-MS) and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) data showed that SRSF1 interacts with RNA splicing-related proteins (SART1, RBM15, and SRSF10). Collectively, our data reveal the critical role of SRSF1 in spermatogonia survival, which may provide a framework to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the posttranscriptional network underlying homing of precursor SSCs.
Brain Metabolic Network Covariance and Aging in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Chumin EJ , Burton CP , Silvola R , Miner EW , Persohn SC , Veronese M , Territo PR
Published: June 2023

INTRODUCTION

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the leading cause of dementia worldwide, represents a human and financial impact for which few effective drugs exist to treat the disease. Advances in molecular imaging have enabled assessment of cerebral glycolytic metabolism, and network modeling of brain region have linked to alterations in metabolic activity to AD stage.

METHODS

We performed18F-FDG Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging in 4-, 6-, and 12-month-old 5XFAD and littermate controls (WT) of both sexes and analyzed region data via brain metabolic covariance analysis.

RESULTS

5XFAD model mice showed age related changes glucose uptake relative to WT mice. Analysis of community structure of covariance networks was different across age and sex, with a disruption of metabolic coupling in the 5XFAD model.

DISCUSSION

The current study replicates clinical AD findings and indicates that metabolic network covariance modeling provides a translational tool to assess disease progression in AD models.

RESEARCH IN CONTEXT

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

The authors extensively reviewed literature (e.g., PubMed), meeting abstracts, and presentations on approaches to evaluate brain network analysis in animal models. Based on the available data, there were clear gaps in our understanding of how metabolic networks change with disease progression at the preclinical phase, thus limiting the utility of these measures for clinical comparison in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

INTERPRETATION

Our findings indicate that employing metabolic covariance modeling in mouse models of AD and littermate controls of both sexes with age provides a mechanism to evaluate brain changes in network function which align closely with previous clinical stages of AD. Moreover, utilizing open-source clinical tools from the Brain Connectivity Toolbox (BCT), we demonstrated that brain networks reorganize with AD progression at multiple levels, and these changes are consistent with previous reports in human AD studies.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

The open-source framework developed in the current work provides valuable tools for brain metabolic covariance modeling. Such tools can be used in both preclinical and clinical settings and they enable more direct translation of preclinical imaging studies to those in the clinic. When matched with an appropriate animal model, genetics, and/or treatments, this study will enable assessment ofin vivotarget engagement, translational pharmacodynamics, and insight into potential treatments of AD.
Spatial decomposition of ultrafast ultrasound images to identify motor unit activity – A validation study using intramuscular and surface EMG
Authors: Rohlén Robin , Lubel Emma , Sgambato Bruno Grandi , Antfolk Christian , Farina Dario
Published: June 2023

The smallest voluntarily controlled structure of the human body is the motor unit (MU), comprised of a motoneuron and its innervated fibres. MUs have been investigated in neurophysiology research and clinical applications, primarily using electromyographic (EMG) techniques. Nonetheless, EMG (both surface and intramuscular) has a limited detection volume. A recent alternative approach to detect MUs is ultrafast ultrasound (UUS) imaging. The possibility of identifying MU activity from UUS has been shown by blind source separation (BSS) of UUS images. However, this approach has yet to be fully validated for a large population of MUs. Here we validate the BSS method on UUS images using a large population of MUs from eleven participants based on concurrent recordings of either surface or intramuscular EMG from forces up to 30% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) force. We assessed the BSS method’s ability to identify MU spike trains from direct comparison with the EMG-derived spike trains as well as twitch areas and temporal profiles from comparison with the spike-triggered-averaged UUS images when using the EMG-derived spikes as triggers. We found a moderate rate of correctly identified spikes (53.0 ± 16.0%) with respect to the EMG-identified firings. However, the MU twitch areas and temporal profiles could still be identified accurately, including at 30% MVC force. These results suggest that the current BSS methods for UUS can accurately identify the location and average twitch of a large pool of MUs in UUS images, providing potential avenues for studying neuromechanics from a large cross-section of the muscle. On the other hand, more advanced methods are needed to address the non-linear summation of velocities for recovering the full spike trains.
Structural Elucidation of Intact Rough-Type Lipopolysaccharides using Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry and Kendrick Mass Defect Plots
Authors: Mikhael Abanoub , Hardie Darryl , Smith Derek , Pětrošová Helena , Ernst Robert K. , Goodlett David R.
Published: June 2023

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a hallmark virulence factor of Gram-negative bacteria. It is a complex, structurally heterogeneous mixture due to variations in number, type, and position of its simplest units: fatty acids and monosaccharides. Thus, LPS structural characterization by traditional mass spectrometry (MS) methods is challenging. Here, we describe the benefits of field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) for analysis of intact R-type lipopolysaccharide complex mixture (lipooligosaccharide; LOS). Structural characterization was performed usingEscherichia coliJ5 (Rc mutant) LOS, a TLR4 agonist widely used in glycoconjugate vaccine research. FAIMS gas phase fractionation improved the (S/N) ratio and number of detected LOS species. Additionally, FAIMS allowed the separation of overlapping isobars facilitating their tandem MS characterization and unequivocal structural assignments. In addition to FAIMS gas phase fractionation benefits, extra sorting of the structurally related LOS molecules was further accomplished using Kendrick mass defect (KMD) plots. Notably, a custom KMD base unit of [Na-H] created a highly organized KMD plot that allowed identification of interesting and novel structural differences across the different LOS ion families; i.e., ions with different acylation degrees, oligosaccharides composition, and chemical modifications. Defining the composition of a single LOS ion by tandem MS along with the organized KMD plot structural network was sufficient to deduce the composition of 179 LOS species out of 321 species present in the mixture. The combination of FAIMS and KMD plots allowed in-depth characterization of the complex LOS mixture and uncovered a wealth of novel information about its structural variations.
Brooklyn plots to identify co-expression dysregulation in single cell sequencing
Authors: Patil Arun H. , Halushka Marc K
Published: June 2023

Altered open chromatin regions, impacting gene expression, is a feature of some human disorders. We discovered it is possible to detect global changes in genomically-related gene co-expression within single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. We built a software package to generate and test non-randomness using ‘Brooklyn plots’ to identify the percent of genes significantly co-expressed from the same chromosome in ∼10MB intervals across the genome. These plots establish an expected low baseline of co-expression in scRNA-seq from most cell types, but, as seen in dilated cardiomyopathy cardiomyocytes, altered patterns of open chromatin appear. These may relate to larger regions of transcriptional bursting, observable in single cell, but not bulk datasets.
Exploring the Interactome of PML nuclear subdomains during fatty acid stress using APEX2-mediated proximity labeling
Authors: Thompson Jordan , Boisvert François-Michel , Salsman Jayme , Dellaire Graham , Ridgway Neale D.
Published: June 2023

When exposed to excess fatty acids, specific cell types produce nuclear lipid droplets (nLDs) that associate with promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein to formLipidAssociatedPMLStructures (LAPS) that are enriched in lipid biosynthetic enzymes but deficient in canonical proteins associated with PML nuclear bodies (PML NBs). To identify the PML interactome during lipid stress, we employed proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID) in U2OS cells expressing PMLI and PMLII fused to the ascorbate peroxidase APEX2 and cultured in the absence or presence of oleate to enhance lipid droplet formation. The resulting interactome included proteins enriched under oleate-treated conditions, such mitogen activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2), ESCRT proteins and the COPII vesicle transport proteins Sec23B, Sec24A and USO1. COPII proteins co-localized with both PML-NBs and LAPS but were selectively enriched in PML-NBs following oleate treatment. The nuclear localization of USO1 was uniquely dependent on PML expression. Thus, the APEX2-PML proximity interactome implicates PML domains in the nuclear function of a non-canonical network of COPII vesicle trafficking proteins.

SUMMARY STATEMENT

This is the first study to utilize APEX2 proximity labelling to identify the protein interactome of PML nuclear substructures and how interactions are modified under conditions of fatty acid-induced stress.
Stability of Alternative Bacteriorhodopsin Folds
Authors: Mackin Kristine A. , Theobald Douglas L.
Published: June 2023

Bacteriorhodopsin is a light-activated proton pump found in archaea and some single-celled eukaryotes (Findlay and Pappin, 1986; Sharma et al., 2006; Spudich et al., 2000). This protein adopts the 7TM fold found used by all type I and type II rhodopsins. In previous work, we used bacteriorhodopsin fromHaloterrigena turkmenicato demonstrate that substantially altered protein folds exhibit light-activated proton pumping (Kamo et al., 2006; Mackin et al., 2014). In this work, we further characterized these novel folds by assessing the stability of our mutants. We used SDS denaturation to calculate the change in unfolding free energy relative to the wild-type (Cao et al., 2012). We also determine the extinction coefficient for each mutant. These results demonstrate that even dramatic structural rearrangements do not critically destabilize the protein, although the extinction coefficient does vary independently of the stability and the proton-pumping activity. Interestingly, the position of the A helix in the protein sequence has the largest effect on the stability of the mutant; those mutants where A is not located at a terminus are destabilized compared to the wild-type.
Leucine alleviates cytokine storm syndrome by regulating macrophage polarization via the mTORC1/LXRα signaling pathway
Authors: Yan Hui , Liu Yao , Li Xipeng , Yu Bing , He Jun , Mao Xiangbing , Yu Jie , Huang Zhiqing , Luo Yuheng , Luo Junqiu , Wu Aimin , Chen Daiwen
Published: June 2023

Cytokine storms are associated with severe pathological damage and death in some diseases. Excessive activation of M1 macrophages and the subsequent secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines are a major cause of cytokine storms. Therefore, promoting the polarization of M2 macrophages to restore immune balance is a promising therapeutic strategy for treating cytokine storm syndrome (CSS). This study was aimed at investigating the potential protective effects of leucine on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced CSS in mice and exploring the underlying mechanisms. CSS was induced by LPS administration in mice, which were concurrently administered leucine orally. In vitro, BMDMs were polarized to M1 and M2 phenotypes with LPS and IL-4, respectively, and treated with leucine. Leucine decreased mortality in mice treated with lethal doses of LPS. Specifically, leucine decreased M1 polarization and promoted M2 polarization, thus diminishing pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and ameliorating CSS in mice. Further studies revealed that leucine induced macrophage polarization through the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1)/liver X receptor α (LXRα) pathway, which synergistically enhanced the expression of the IL-4-induced M2 marker Arg1 and subsequent M2 polarization. In summary, this study revealed that leucine ameliorates CSS in LPS mice by promoting M2 polarization through the mTORC1/LXRα/Arg1 signaling pathway. Our findings indicate that a fundamental link between metabolism and immunity contributes to the resolution of inflammation and the repair of damaged tissues.
DNAJC12 in monoamine metabolism, neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration
Authors: Deng Isaac Bul , Follett Jordan , Bu Mengfei , Farrer Matthew J.
Published: June 2023

Recent studies show that mutations inDNAJC12, a co-chaperone for monoamine synthesis may cause mild hyperphenylalaninemia with infantile dystonia, young-onset parkinsonism, developmental delay and cognitive deficits. To this end,DNAJC12gene has been included in newborn screening, most revealingly in Spain, and those results are a testament to the importance of early diagnosis and treatment in combating human diseases. However, practitioners may be unaware of these advances and it is probable that many patients, especially adults, have yet to receive molecular testing forDNAJC12. Therefore, this review summarizes genotype-phenotype relationships and treatment paradigms for patients withDNAJC12mutations. It provides an overview of the structure of DNAJC12 protein, known mutations, domains and binding partners, and elaborates on its role in monoamine synthesis, disease etiology and pathogenesis.
Single-session measures of quadriceps neuromuscular function are reliable in healthy females and unaffected by age
Authors: O’Bryan Steven J. , Hiam Danielle , Lamon Séverine
Published: June 2023

Objective

The inter-session reliability of a wide range of measures used to characterize the aging neuromuscular system is unknown, particularly in females. The aim of this study was to determine the inter-session reliability of quadriceps neuromuscular function assessed via maximal voluntary and evoked force and electromyography responses in healthy young and older females.

Methods

Twenty-six females aged 19 – 74 years completed two identical testing sessions 9 ± 7 days apart. Quadriceps neuromuscular function measurements included isometric maximal voluntary force (MVC), high and low frequency twitch force, voluntary and evoked electromyography (EMG) in superficial quadriceps (RMS, M-wave and H-reflex), and maximal torque (T0), velocity (V0) and power (PMAX) derived from torque-velocity and power-velocity relationships. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), coefficients of variation (CoV) and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess inter-session reliability. The effect of participant age on inter-session reliability was assessed by linear regression.

Results

Excellent reliability (ICC > 0.8) was shown for all voluntary and evoked mechanical outcomes and systematic bias was essentially absent. Similarly, allvastus lateralisEMG outcomes showed excellent reliability (ICC > 0.8) with CoVs < 12%, which were better thanvastus medialisandrectus femorisoutcomes. Participant age was not associated with inter-session reliability (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Excellent reliability of voluntary and evoked force andvastus lateralisEMG outcomes measured in healthy females can be attained in one testing session, irrespective of age, increasing feasibility for future research. The random error should however be considered when quantifying age-related differences and/or adaptation to exercise in female neuromuscular function.

New and Noteworthy

The test-retest reliability of a diverse range of measures used to quantify neuromuscular function were assessed in younger and older females for the first time. We show that reliable measures of maximal voluntary and evoked quadriceps force and electromyography outcomes can be obtained in one testing session, irrespective of participant age. Thus, neuromuscular function can be accurately assessed across the female lifespan with minimal inconvenience imposed on participants, increasing feasibility for future research.
Paeniclostridium sordellii NanS works synergistically with TcsL to increase cytotoxicity and the severity of pathogenesis in the murine uterus
Authors: Bernard Sarah C. , Kroh Heather K. , Washington M. Kay , Lacy D. Borden
Published: June 2023

Paeniclostridium sordellii, a pathogen capable of causing lethal uterine infections post-partum or post-abortion, produces a variety of potential virulence factors. Lethal toxin (TcsL) has been found to be essential for lethalP. sordelliiinfections, but the physiological role of NanS, a sialidase, remains elusive. Here, we purify enzymatically activeP. sordelliiNanS and report the crystal structure. We show that NanS works in a synergistic manner with TcsL to increase cytotoxicity and cell rounding of tissue culture cells. Using a mouse model of hormone-dependent uterine intoxication, we show that NanS augments TcsL-induced lethality in diestrus mice. In estrus mice, the combination of NanS and TcsL significantly increases uterine histologic damage compared to challenge with TcsL alone. This suggests that NanS enhancement of TcsL-induced uterine epithelial injury may potentiate TcsL access to the tissue when mucus is present.

Author Summary

P. sordelliiproduces several proteins predicted to contribute to lethal uterine infections following childbirth, stillbirth, or abortion. The role of lethal toxin (TcsL) in causing lethal outcomes, has been well documented, but little is known of how NanS, a sialidase, contributes to disease development. Previous reports have suggested a role for NanS in increasing the tissue culture cell toxicity fromP. sordelliisupernatants. In this study, we show in cell culture and using a uterine mouse model that TcsL and NanS work together to increase cell cytotoxicity and to worsen disease outcome. This finding suggests an accessory role for NanS to enhanceP. sordelliipathogenesis when host environmental conditions reduce the influence of TcsL.
A Common Pathway for Detergent-Assisted Oligomerization of Aβ42
Authors: Kunnath Muhammedkutty Fidha Nazreen , Prasad Ramesh , Gao Yuan , Rao Sudarshan Tarunya , Robang Alicia S. , Watzlawik Jens O. , Rosenberry Terrone L. , Paravastu Anant K. , Zhou Huan-Xiang
Published: June 2023

Amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregation is a slow process without seeding or assisted nucleation. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles stabilize Aβ42 small oligomers (in the dimer-tetramer range); subsequent SDS removal leads to a 150-kD Aβ42 oligomer. Dodecylphosphorylcholine (DPC) micelles also stabilize an Aβ42 tetramer. Here we characterize the detergent-assisted oligomerization pathway by solid-state NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. SDS and DPC-induced oligomers have the same structure, implying a common oligomerization pathway. An antiparallel β-sheet formed by the C-terminal region, the only stable structure in SDS and DPC micelles, is directly incorporated into the 150-kD oligomer. Three Gly residues (at positions 33, 37, and 38) create holes that are filled by the SDS and DPC hydrocarbon tails, thereby turning a potentially destabilizing feature into a stabilizing factor. These observations have implications for endogenous Aβ aggregation at cellular interfaces.
Integrated genomic and functional analyses of human skin-associatedStaphylococcusreveals extensive inter- and intra-species diversity
Authors: Joglekar Payal , Conlan Sean , Lee-Lin Shih-Queen , Deming Clay , Kashaf Sara Saheb ,   NISC Comparative Sequencing Program, Kong Heidi H. , Segre Julia A.
Published: June 2023

Human skin is stably colonized by a distinct microbiota that functions together with epidermal cells to maintain a protective physical barrier.Staphylococcus, a prominent genus of the skin microbiota, participates in colonization resistance, tissue repair, and host immune regulation in strain specific manners. To unlock the potential of engineering skin microbial communities, we aim to fully characterize the functional diversity of this genus within the context of the skin environment. We conducted metagenome and pan-genome analyses of isolates obtained from distinct body sites of healthy volunteers, providing a detailed biogeographic depiction of staphylococcal species that colonize our skin.S. epidermidis,S. capitis,andS. hominiswere the most abundant species present in all volunteers and were detected at all body sites. Pan-genome analysis of these three species revealed that the genus-core was dominated by central metabolism genes. Species-specific core genes were enriched in host colonization functions. The majority (∼68%) of genes were detected only in a fraction of isolate genomes, underscoring the immense strain-specific gene diversity. Conspecific genomes grouped into phylogenetic clades, exhibiting body site preference. Each clade was enriched for distinct gene-sets that are potentially involved in site tropism. Finally, we conducted gene expression studies of select isolates showing variable growth phenotypes in skin-like medium.In vitroexpression revealed extensive intra- and inter-species gene expression variation, substantially expanding the functional diversification within each species. Our study provides an important resource for future ecological and translational studies to examine the role of shared and strain-specific staphylococcal genes within the skin environment.

SIGNIFICANCE

The bacterial genusStaphylococcusis a prominent member of the human skin microbiome, performing important and diverse functions such as tuning immunity, driving tissue repair, and preventing pathogen colonization. Each of these functions is carried out by a subset of staphylococcal strains, displaying differences in gene content and regulation. Delineating the genomic and functional diversity ofStaphylococcuswill enable researchers to unlock the potential of engineering skin communities to promote health. Here, we present a comprehensive multi-omics analysis to characterize the inter- and intra-species diversity present in human skin-associated staphylococci. Our study is the first to conduct a detailed pan-genome comparison between prominent skin staphylococcal species giving a valuable insight into gene sharing and provides an important resource.
Structural properties of the HNF-1A transactivation domain
Authors: Kind Laura , Driver Mark , Raasakka Arne , Onck Patrick R. , Njølstad Pål Rasmus , Arnesen Thomas , Kursula Petri
Published: June 2023

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α (HNF-1A) is a transcription factor with important gene regulatory roles in pancreatic β-cells.HNF1Agene variants are associated with a monogenic form of diabetes (HNF1A-MODY) or an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. While several pancreatic target genes of HNF-1A have been described, a lack of knowledge regarding the structure-function relationships in HNF-1A prohibits a detailed understanding of HNF-1A-mediated gene transcription, which is important for precision medicine and improved patient care. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the understudied transactivation domain (TAD) of HNF-1Ain vitro. We present a bioinformatic approach to dissect the TAD sequence, analyzing protein structure, sequence composition, sequence conservation, and the existence of protein interaction motifs. Moreover, we developed the first protocol for the recombinant expression and purification of the HNF-1A TAD. Small-angle X-ray scattering and synchrotron radiation circular dichroism suggested a disordered conformation for the TAD. Furthermore, we present functional data on HNF-1A undergoing liquid-liquid phase separation, which is in line within silicopredictions and may be of biological relevance for gene transcriptional processes in pancreatic β-cells.
Fast inference of genetic recombination rates in biobank scale data
Authors: Naseri Ardalan , Yue William , Zhang Shaojie , Zhi Degui
Published: June 2023

Although rates of recombination events across the genome (genetic maps) are fundamental to genetic research, the majority of current studies only use one standard map. There is evidence suggesting population differences in genetic maps, and thus estimating population-specific maps, are of interest. Although the recent availability of biobank-scale data offers such opportunities, current methods are not efficient at leveraging very large sample sizes. The most accurate methods are still linkage disequilibrium (LD)–based methods that are only tractable for a few hundred samples. In this work, we propose a fast and memory-efficient method for estimating genetic maps from population genotyping data. Our method, FastRecomb, leverages the efficient positional Burrows–Wheeler transform (PBWT) data structure for counting IBD segment boundaries as potential recombination events. We used PBWT blocks to avoid redundant counting of pairwise matches. Moreover, we used a panel-smoothing technique to reduce the noise from errors and recent mutations. Using simulation, we found that FastRecomb achieves state-of-the-art performance at 10-kb resolution, in terms of correlation coefficients between the estimated map and the ground truth. This is mainly because FastRecomb can effectively take advantage of large panels comprising more than hundreds of thousands of haplotypes. At the same time, other methods lack the efficiency to handle such data. We believe further refinement of FastRecomb would deliver more accurate genetic maps for the genetics community.
Assessment of building retrofit scenarios using embodied energy and life cycle impact assessment
Authors: Tokede Olubukola , Boggavarapu Mani Kumar , Wamuziri Sam
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Crucial transition of the Indian residential building sector into a low-emission economy require an in-depth understanding of the potentials for retrofitting the existing building stock. There are, however, limited studies that have recognised the interdependencies and trade-offs in the embodied energy and life cycle impact assessment of retrofit interventions. This research appraises the life cycle assessment and embodied energy output of a residential building in India to assess the environmental implications of selected retrofit scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilises a single case study building project in South India to assess the effectiveness and impact of three retrofit scenarios based on life cycle assessment (LCA) and embodied energy (EE) estimates. The LCA was conducted using SimaPro version 9.3 and with background data from Ecoinvent database version 3.81. The EE estimates were calculated using material coefficients from relevant databases in the published literature. Monte Carlo Simulation is then used to allow for uncertainties in the estimates for the scenarios.

Findings

The three key findings that materialized from the study are as follows: (1) the retrofitting of Indian residential buildings could achieve up to 20% reduction in the life cycle energy emissions, (2) the modification of the building envelope and upgrading of the building service systems could suffice in providing optimum operational energy savings, if the electricity from the grid is sourced from renewable plants, and (3) the production of LEDs and other building services systems has the highest environmental impacts across a suite of LCA indicators.

Originality/value

The retrofitting of residential buildings in India will lead to better and improved opportunities to meet the commitments in the Paris Climate Change Agreement and will lead to enhanced savings for building owners.
Human resource management, quality of patient care and burnout during the pandemic: a job demands-resources approach
Authors: Salas-Vallina Andrés , Herrera Justo , Rofcanin Yasin
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Based on the job-demands resources model, this study examines the potential of human resource management practices to simultaneously improve physicians' burnout and quality of patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on a sample of 499 physicians working in specialised medical units, structural equation models through PLS-SEM was used to check the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that human resource management can reduce physicians' burnout and increase quality of patient care by considering job demands and job resources as mediators. In addition, this study suggests that burnout and quality of patient care can be improved simultaneously.

Research limitations/implications

This research is focused on healthcare, which opens important opportunities to extend the proposed model in other public and private industries.

Practical implications

Managers need to understand that fostering well-being among employees is crucial for human resource management and impacts positively on employee performance.

Originality/value

This study offers a double mediation process whereby job demands and job resources are key underlying mechanisms through which human resource management practices reduce burnout and improve performance in a compatible way.
Digital technologies, social entrepreneurship and resilience during crisis in developing countries: evidence from Nigeria
Authors: Nakpodia Franklin , Ashiru Folajimi , You Jacqueline Jing , Oni Oluwasola
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Social entrepreneurship (SE) is a complex phenomenon designed to resolve numerous societal challenges while remaining economically viable. However, how social entrepreneurs in developing countries have deployed digital technologies to address communal challenges during the Covid-19 crisis is largely undocumented. This research examines social entrepreneurs' adoption of digital technologies, the multi-level organisational conditions, and associated innovative outcomes of engaging digital technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the organisational resilience theoretical framework, this research employs a qualitative methodology, comprising 38 semi-structured interviews with Nigerian SE firms, to investigate social entrepreneurs' engagement with digital technologies.

Findings

The study’s findings reveal 19 pathways through which digital technologies enabled organisational resilience outcomes by Nigerian SE firms during the Covid-19 pandemic. This allows the authors to show, via a 3 × 3 matrix, how social entrepreneurs deploy digital technologies to build proximate, dynamic, and continuous resilience in a weak institutional context.

Originality/value

The study’s findings enables the authors to advance the SE – digital technologies – resilience scholarship in a developing economy.
A bibliometric analysis on innovation in philanthropy research: a study based on Scopus database
Authors: Medias Fahmi , Rosari Reni , Susamto Akhmad Akbar , Ab Rahman Asmak Binti
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Intellectual curiosity about innovation in philanthropic organizations has grown recently. This study aims to provide a thorough bibliometric analysis of the patterns and trends in the scientific literature on innovation in philanthropy.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the Scopus database, a descriptive bibliometric analysis with a visualization tool (RStudio®) was used to assess the creation of 159 articles on innovation in philanthropic organizations.

Findings

This research finds a large number of papers on innovation in philanthropic organizations. According to this study, the USA has published more research than any other country. The Icahn School of Medicine has the most popular publications, followed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. According to the number of citations, the Journal of Business Ethics is the most prolific journal. However, according to the h-index, Corporate Reputation Review is the most important publication. Halme M is regarded as a prominent scholar. With 244 citations, the work of Kramer MR and Porter ME is the most referenced. “Philanthropy” is the most often used keywords category, followed by “innovation” and “social innovation”.

Practical implications

This study can serve as a useful reference for researchers conducting bibliometric research by offering information on the field’s famous authors. Furthermore, the outcomes of this study make it straightforward for researchers to seek extensive academic collaboration in this field.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to present a pattern in research on innovation in philanthropic organizations.
Supply chain risk and resilience in startups, SMEs, and large enterprises: a systematic review and directions for research
Authors: Safari Arsalan , Balicevac Al Ismail Vanesa , Parast Mahour , Gölgeci Ismail , Pokharel Shaligram
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This systematic literature review analyzes the academic literature to understand SC risk and resilience across different organizational sizes and industries. The academic literature has well discussed the causes of supply chain (SC) risk events, the impact of SC disruptions, and associated plans for SC resilience. However, the literature remains fragmented on the role of two fundamental elements in achieving SC resilience: the firm's size and the firm's industry as firms' contingent factors. Therefore, it is important to investigate and highlight SC resilience differences by size and industry type to establish more resilient firms.

Design/methodology/approach

Building upon the contingent resource-based view of the firm, the authors posit that organizational factors such as size and industry sector have important roles in developing organizational resilience capabilities. This systematic literature review and analysis is based on the structural and systematic analysis of high-ranked peer-reviewed journal papers from January 2000 to June 2021 collected through three global scientific databases (i.e. ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar) using relevant keywords.

Findings

This systematic literature review of 230 high-quality articles shows that SC risk events can be categorized into demand, supply, organizational, operational, environmental, and network/control risk events. This study suggests that the SC resilience plans developed by startups, small and mdium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and large organizations are not necessarily the same as those of large enterprises. While collaboration and networking and risk management are the most crucial resilience capabilities for all firms, applying lean and quality management principles and utilizing information technology are more crucial for SMEs. For large firms, knowledge management and contingency planning are more important.

Originality/value

This study provides a comprehensive review of the literature on SC resilience plans across different organizational sizes and industries, offering new insights into the nature and dynamics of startups', SMEs', and large enterprises' SC resilience in different industries. The study highlights the need for further investigation of SC risk and resilience for startups, SMEs, and different industries on a more detailed level using empirical data. This study’s findings have important implications for researchers and practitioners and guide the development of effective SC resilience strategies for different types of firms.
ICT-enabled approach for humanitarian disaster management: a systems perspective
Authors: Ghadge Abhijeet
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Each stage in disaster management faces different challenges concerning information gathering, sharing, interpretation and dissemination. However, a comprehensive understanding of different information and communication technology (ICT) systems utilised for humanitarian disaster management is limited. Therefore, the paper follows a systems thinking approach to examine ten major man-made and/or natural disasters to comprehend the influence of ICT systems on humanitarian relief operations.

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal, multi-case study captures the use of ICT tools, stakeholders involvement, disaster stages and zones of operations for relief operations over the past two decades. A systems thinking approach is utilised to draw several inferences and develop frameworks.

Findings

Multiple ICT tools such as geographic information systems, online webpages/search engines, social media, unmanned aerial vehicles/robots and artificial intelligence are used for rapid disaster response and mitigation. Speed and coordination of relief operations have significantly increased in recent years due to the increased use of ICT systems.

Research limitations/implications

Secondary data on the past ten disasters is utilised to draw inferences. The developed ICT-driven model must be validated during upcoming humanitarian relief operations.

Practical implications

A holistic understanding of a complex inter-relationship between influential variables (stakeholders, disaster stages, zones of operation, ICT systems) is beneficial for effectively managing humanitarian disasters.

Originality/value

Broadly classifying the ICT systems into surveillance, decision support and broadcasting systems, a novel ICT-enabled model for humanitarian relief operations is developed.
Improving Patient Access Scheme in Malaysia: lessons from Italy
Authors: Ashraf Amirul , Ong Siew Chin
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Medicine prices are increasing globally, including in Malaysia where previous studies show prices higher than international averages. Patient Access Scheme (PAS) is a mechanism adopted by Malaysia in 2018 to facilitate access to expensive medicines, similarly used by Italy since 2005. This study aims to compare the implementation of PAS in Malaysia and Italy.

Design/methodology/approach

This review systematically searched for peer-reviewed articles in PubMed, Scopus and ScienceDirect on how Italy implemented PAS system from 2012 to 2022 using the related keywords. The systematic review is reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Findings

The search identified 363 articles. A total of eight studies were included. Most of the studies found that PAS is able to control the expenditure on expensive drugs. PAS has also had several challenges, such as high administrative burden, high upfront cost and the need for good data infrastructure.

Originality/value

This study’s unique focus on Italy’s adoption of managed entry agreements (MEA) can provide valuable insights for Malaysia’s pricing mechanisms and access to expensive drugs. Notably, this research addresses a gap in the literature regarding the practical implications of MEA implementation in developing countries. The findings have the potential to improve access to essential medicines for Malaysian citizens while offering a fresh perspective on MEA utilization in emerging markets.
A problem of generations? Habitus, social processes and climate change
Authors: Bickerstaffe Tim
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This conceptual paper focusses on climate change as a social issue and therefore as a social scientific problem. According to young climate activists, Greta Thunberg being the most widely known, climate change is specifically a problem of generations. Typically, the discourse on responsibility focusses on the technical and philosophical questions posed by the study into “intra-” and “inter-generational justice”. It is the purpose of this paper to present sociological conceptual tools with which to both analyze and propose solutions to specific social problems caused by current generations that will affect future generations.

Design/methodology/approach

Figurational process sociology develops and tests models of long-term, unplanned developments, which produce the conditions in which short-term practices of informing and planning social interventions are bound up.

Findings

The paper reveals the significance of sociological models that can describe and explain social processes and long-term developments in human habitus that have important explanatory value for understanding contemporary social problems such as human-caused climate change.

Originality/value

The concepts and analytical frames of reference provided by figurational process sociology provide crucial insights into the problem of generations and can help reveal how this social dynamic contributes to challenges facing young climate activists calling for rapid “ecologization” processes and increased human restraint with regard to the natural environment.
Devote yourself to enjoy daily work: a diary study on flow experience and organizational identification
Authors: Mao Yanhui , Guo Shuangyang , Xie Mei , Yu Junkai , Deng Xuyuan , Li Yingchao , Zhai Yuxi , Kong Feng
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the day-to-day within-person associations between employees' flow experience and organizational identification within the rarely studied context of construction engineering project organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

In this daily diary design, the authors surveyed 204 (Mage = 28.3, SD = 5.69) employees of a state-owned construction engineering project organization in southwest China via the online questionnaires comprising flow and organizational identification scales once daily on each workday for three consecutive weeks, which yielded 3,060 data entries. The authors then tested the temporal directionality between flow and organizational identification with multilevel time-series cross-lagged path analysis using Mplus 8.3.

Findings

Daily flow experience was linked positively with same-day organizational identification. Importantly, flow experience on the previous day predicted organizational identification on a subsequent day, but not vice versa.

Practical implications

This study suggests that construction engineering project managers should implement interventions fostering the employees' flow experience to promote organizational identification, with important implications for organizations aiming at flourishing workforces by facilitating organizational identification through implementing flow strategies.

Originality/value

There is a dearth of diary studies on flow and organizational identification specific to construction engineering project employees. The authors’ findings provide concrete evidence of the fluctuant nature of daily flow experience and organizational identification as well as their dynamic predictive pathway relationship.
Transparency in public administrations: a structured literature review
Authors: Cuadrado-Ballesteros Beatriz , Ríos Ana-María , Guillamón María-Dolores
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Literature about transparency in public-sector organizations has been attracting the attention of scholars for the last two decades. This study reviews the existing literature with the intention of creating a description of the state of the art, categorized by geographical areas, levels of government, topics, and methodologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have developed a structured literature review following a rigorous protocol. The initial search was launched on 25 April 2022 on Scopus and Web of Science, resulting in 3,217 articles. After removing duplicates and studies that did not meet all the inclusion criteria specified in the review protocol, the final sample includes 956 articles from 1991 to 2021.

Findings

The analyses show a considerable increase in studies since 2005, especially in the last two years, when 30% of the publications have been produced. Most of the studies analyze the national/central level of government. Many authors compare different countries, while other scholars focus on specific countries, overall, the USA and the UK. The local level of government has also been widely studied, especially in the Spanish and Chinese contexts. The most frequently used methodologies are quantitative and empirical techniques, and the most common topics are those associated with accountability.

Originality/value

This study uses a huge sample (956 articles over the period 1991–2021), which has never been used before, to examine the literature on transparency. The structured literature review facilitates the identification of gaps that can be filled by future studies. These include analyzing transparency in specific geographical areas like Africa, Asia, and Latin America, studying transparency at different levels of government, especially at the regional and federal levels, and providing comparative studies and case study collections.
Intangible capital and financial leverage in SMEs
Authors: Norkio Antti
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Intangible capital (IC) is an important factor for economic growth and firm performance. The role IC has played has become even more crucial in recent decades, possibly influencing debt capacity and default risk assessment. This paper studies how entrepreneurial and employee-based IC affects financial leverage.

Design/methodology/approach

Employer–employee unbalanced panel data provided by Statistics Finland that refer to Finnish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are used. Intangibles are measured with an expenditure-based method. Employee-based IC and entrepreneurial knowledge are used to explain debt financing in SMEs.

Findings

The findings imply that IC-intensive firms have less debt capacity due to weak pledgeability and asymmetric information between borrower and lender. Entrepreneurs with managerial or financial knowledge increase the firm's debt capacity compared to other entrepreneurs, especially in knowledge-intensive services (KIS). One explanation is that the entrepreneurs are more competent in negotiating with lenders as the entrepreneurs possess better financial skills. Entrepreneurs with technical knowledge decrease the firm's debt capacity in all industries.

Originality/value

While some earlier research focused on the IC–financial leverage relationship, hardly any study has looked at entrepreneurial IC. This paper provides new insights by including entrepreneurial IC alongside employee-based IC.