bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inhibition ofO-GlcNAc transferase activates type I interferon-dependent antitumor immunity by bridging cGAS-STING pathway
Authors: Chen Jianwen , Zhao Bao , Dong Hong , Li Tianliang , Cheng Xiang , Gong Wang , Wang Jing , Zhang Junran , Xin Gang , Yu Yanbao , Lei Yu L. , Black Jennifer D. , Li Zihai , Wen Haitao
Published: December 2023

TheO-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) is an essential enzyme that mediates proteinO-GlcNAcylation, a unique form of posttranslational modification of many nuclear and cytosolic proteins. Recent studies observed increased OGT andO-GlcNAcylation levels in a broad range of human cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues, indicating a universal effect of OGT in promoting tumorigenesis. Here, we show that OGT is essential for tumor growth in immunocompetent hosts by repressing the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-dependent DNA sensing pathway. We found that deletion of OGT (Ogt−/−) caused a marked reduction in tumor growth in both syngeneic tumor models and a genetic colorectal cancer (CRC) model induced by mutation of theApcgene (Apcmin). Pharmacological inhibition or genetic deletion of OGT induced a robust genomic instability (GIN), leading to cGAS-dependent production of the type I interferon (IFN-I) and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). As a result, deletion ofCgasorStingfromOgt−/−cancer cells restored tumor growth, and this correlated with impaired CD8+T cell-mediated antitumor immunity. Mechanistically, we found that OGT-dependent cleavage of host cell factor C1 (HCF-1) is required for the avoidance of GIN and IFN-I production in tumors. In summary, our results identify OGT-mediated genomic stability and activate cGAS-STING pathway as an important tumor cell-intrinsic mechanism to repress antitumor immunity.
Substrate recruitment via eIF2γ enhances catalytic efficiency of a holophosphatase that terminates the Integrated Stress Response
Authors: Yan Yahui , Shetty Maithili , Harding Heather P. , George Ginto , Zyryanova Alisa , Labbé Katherine , Mafi Amirhossein , Hao Qi , Sidrauski Carmela , Ron David
Published: December 2023

Dephosphorylation of pSer51 of the α subunit of translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2αP) terminates signalling in the integrated stress response (ISR). A trimeric mammalian holophosphatase comprised of a PP1 catalytic subunit, the conserved C-terminally located ∼70 amino acid core of a substrate-specific regulatory subunit (PPP1R15A/GADD34 or PPP1R15B/CReP) and G-actin (an essential co-factor) efficiently dephosphorylate eIF2αPin vitro. Unlike their viral or invertebrate counterparts, with whom they share the conserved 70 residue core, the mammalian PPP1R15s are large proteins of more than 600 residues. Genetic and cellular observations point to a functional role for regions outside the conserved core of mammalian PPP1R15A in dephosphorylating its natural substrate, the eIF2 trimer. We have combined deep learning technology, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, X-Ray crystallography and biochemistry to uncover binding of the γ subunit of eIF2 to a short helical peptide repeated four times in the functionally-important N-terminus of human PPP1R15A that extends past its conserved core. Binding entails insertion of Phe and Trp residues that project from one face of an α-helix formed by the conserved repeats of PPP1R15A into a hydrophobic groove exposed on the surface of eIF2γ in the eIF2 trimer. Replacing these conserved Phe and Trp residues with Ala compromises PPP1R15A function in cells and in vitro. These findings suggest mechanisms by which contacts between a distant subunit of eIF2 and elements of PPP1R15A distant to the holophosphatase active site contribute to dephosphorylation of eIF2αPby the core PPP1R15 holophosphatase and to efficient termination of the ISR in mammals.
Plants perceive aerosols as an intensification of atmospheric dryness and react according to their isohydricity
Authors: Chi Chia-Ju Ellen , Grantz David A. , Burkhardt Juergen
Published: December 2023

Hygroscopic aerosols deposited to leaves are a local water vapor sink and can affect the water balance of plants by deliquescence and the formation of hydraulic films that penetrate into the stomata. Stomatal responses to aerosols and vapor pressure deficit(VPD) were investigated in two poplar clones grown hydroponically in ventilated greenhouses with and almost without ambient aerosols.

With increasing VPD, transpiration increased in ANI, the more anisohydric clone, and decreased in ISO, the more isohydric clone, while aerosols had little effect. In ANI, stomatal conductance (gsw) and photosynthesis (A) decreased slightly with increasing VPD, but significantly with exposure to aerosols. Leaf carbon isotopes confirmed the long-term reduction in stomatal aperture by aerosols. In ISO, gswand A decreased strongly with increasing VPD. Aerosols had no effect on stomatal conductance in ISO, but increased the minimum leaf conductance and decreased the turgor loss point. In both clones, aerosols reduced stomatal density by >20%, indicating increased water scarcity.

Aerosols enhance the transmission of atmospheric dryness to the leaf, with plant responses depending on their isohydricity. Sensitive stomatal closure of isohydric plants is an effective adaptation to atmospheric dryness, but aerosol accumulation mediates a liquid pathway for water loss that undermines stomatal control.
Improved bladder cancer antitumor efficacy with a recombinant BCG that releases a STING agonist
Authors: Um Peter K. , Praharaj Monali , Lombardo Kara A. , Yoshida Takahiro , Matoso Andres , Baras Alex S. , Zhao Liang , Srikrishna Geetha , Huang Joy , Prasad Pankaj , Kates Max , McConkey David , Pardoll Drew M. , Bishai William R. , Bivalacqua Trinity J.
Published: December 2023

Despite the introduction of several new agents for the treatment of bladder cancer (BC), intravesical BCG remains a first line agent for the management of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. In this study we evaluated the antitumor efficacy in animal models of BC of a recombinant BCG known as BCG-disA-OE that releases the small molecule STING agonist c-di-AMP. We found that compared to wild-type BCG (BCG-WT), in both the orthotopic, carcinogen-induced rat MNU model and the heterotopic syngeneic mouse MB-49 model BCG-disA-OE afforded improved antitumor efficacy. A mouse safety evaluation further revealed that BCG-disA-OE proliferated to lesser degree than BCG-WT in BALB/c mice and displayed reduced lethality in SCID mice. To probe the mechanisms that may underlie these effects, we found that BCG-disA-OE was more potent than BCG-WT in eliciting IFN-β release by exposed macrophages, in reprogramming myeloid cell subsets towards an M1-like proinflammatory phenotypes, inducing epigenetic activation marks in proinflammatory cytokine promoters, and in shifting monocyte metabolomic profiles towards glycolysis. Many of the parameters elevated in cells exposed to BCG-disA-OE are associated with BCG-mediated trained innate immunity suggesting that STING agonist overexpression may enhance trained immunity. These results indicate that modifying BCG to release high levels of proinflammatory PAMP molecules such as the STING agonist c-di-AMP can enhance antitumor efficacy in bladder cancer.
Genomic, Epigenomic, and Transcriptional Characterisation of Carbapenem and Colistin Resistance Mechanisms inKlebsiella pneumoniaeandEnterobacterspecies
Authors: Mmatli Masego , Mbelle Nontombi Marylucy , Fourie P. Bernard , Sekyere John Osei
Published: December 2023

The emergence of colistin and carbapenem-resistantKlebsiella pneumoniaeisolates presents a significant global health threat. This study investigates the resistance mechanisms in sixK. pneumoniaeand fourEnterobactersp. isolates lacking carbapenemases ormcrgenes using genomics and transcriptomics. The ten isolates were classified into three categories: non-carbapenemase-producing, carbapenem-resistant strains (n = 4), non-mcr–producing colistin-resistant strains (n = 5), and one isolate susceptible to both antibiotics.

The analysis included phenotypic characterization using MicroScan ID/AST, enzyme (MCR and Metallo β-lactamase) and efflux pump inhibition (EPI) assays. Whole-genome sequencing, RNA sequencing, and bioinformatics tools were employed in subsequent analysis. Most of theK. pneumoniaewere ST307 with KL102 and O1/O2V2 serotypes. MicroScan revealed multidrug resistance, and AMR analysis identified numerous ARGs inK. pneumoniae.Enterobacterspecies possessed fewer resistance genes; nevertheless, they encoded virulence factors and gene mutations, potentially impacting the AST profile.K. pneumoniaeARGs were mainly plasmid-borne, with IncFIB(K)/IncFII(K) in Kp_15 harbouring up to nineteen ARGs. Virulence factors included biofilm formation, capsule production, and type IV secretion. Epigenomic investigations revealed prevalent type I (M1.Ecl34977I) and type II (M.Kpn34618Dcm) restriction modification sites. Compared to international isolates, the study isolates phylogenetically clustered more closely with Chinese strains. Transcriptomics showed high efflux pump activity in carbapenem-resistant isolates, confirmed by EPI. Further, mutations were identified in outer membrane proteins. Colistin-resistant isolates exhibited high capsule production, efflux pump, and putative glycotransferase activity, potentially influencing their phenotypes.

In conclusion, genomic and transcriptional analyses enhanced our understanding of adaptive mechanisms in clinical multidrug-resistant pathogens, posing significant public health challenges.
Simulations reveal that beta burst detection may inappropriately characterize the beta band
Authors: Langford Zachary D , Wilson Charles R E
Published: December 2023

In neurophysiological research, the traditional view of beta band activity as sustained oscillations is being reinterpreted as transient bursts. Bursts are characterized by a distinct wavelet shape, high amplitude, and, most importantly, brief temporal occurrence. The primary method for their detection relies on a threshold-based analysis of spectral power, and this presents two fundamental issues. First, the threshold selection is effectively arbitrary, being influenced by both local and global factors in the signal. Second, the method necessarily detects temporal events, as such it is susceptible to misidentifying sustained signals as transient bursts. To address these issues, this study systematically explores burst detection through simulations, shedding light on the method’s robustness across various scenarios. Although the method is effective in detecting transients in numerous cases, it can be overly sensitive, leading to spurious detections. Moreover, when applied to simulations featuring exclusively sustained events, the method frequently yields events exhibiting characteristics consistent with a transient burst interpretation. By simulating an average difference in power between experimental conditions, we illustrate how apparent burst rate differences between conditions can emerge even in the absence of actual burst rate disparities, and even in the absence of bursts. This capacity to produce misleading outcomes challenges the reinterpretation of sustained beta oscillations as transient bursts and prompts a critical reassessment of the existing literature.

New and Noteworthy

Neurophysiological research is experiencing a transformative shift in understanding beta band activity, moving away from the notion of sustained oscillations towards recognizing the significance of transient bursts. Here we show how the methods to detect such bursts are prone to spurious detections and can blur the distinction between sustained signals and transient bursts. Further, in realistic scenarios these methods can produce apparent behavioral associations where no such association exists.
Task dependent coarticulation of movement sequences
Authors: Kalidindi Hari Teja , Crevecoeur Frederic
Published: December 2023

Combining individual actions into sequences is a hallmark of everyday activities. Classical theories propose that the motor system forms a single specification of the sequence as a whole, leading to coarticulation of the different elements. In contrast, recent neural recordings challenge this idea and suggest independent execution of each element specified separately. Here we show that separate or coarticulated sequences can result from the same task-dependent controller, without implying different representations in the brain. Simulations show that planning for multiple reaches simultaneously allows separate or coarticulated sequences depending on instructions about intermediate goals. Human experiments in a two-reach sequence task validated this model. Furthermore, in co-articulated sequences, the second goal influenced long-latency stretch responses to external loads applied during the first reach, demonstrating the involvement of the sensorimotor network supporting fast feedback control. Overall, our study establishes a computational framework for sequence production that highlights the importance of feedback control in this essential motor skill.
Markov Spatial Flows in Bold Fmri: A Novel Lens on the Bold Signal Reveals Attracting Patterns of Signal Intensity
Authors: Miller Robyn L. , Vergara Victor M. , Erhardt Erik B. , Calhoun Vince D.
Published: December 2023

While the analysis of temporal signal fluctuations and cofluctuations has long been a fixture of blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research, the role and implications of spatial propagation within the 4D neurovascular BOLD signal has been almost entirely neglected. As part of a larger research program aimed at capturing and analyzing spatially propagative dynamics in BOLD fMRI, we report here a method that exposes large-scale functional attractors of spatial flows formulated as Markov processes defined at the voxel level. The brainwide stationary distributions of these voxel-level Markov processes represent patterns of signal accumulation toward which we find evidence that the brain exerts a probabilistic propagative undertow. These probabilistic propagative attractors are spatially structured and organized interpretably over functional regions. They also differ significantly between schizophrenia patients and controls.
Direct relationship between dimeric form and activity in the acidic copper–zinc superoxide dismutase from lemon
Authors: Utami Ratna A. , Yoshida Hiromi , Kartadinata Lydia H. , Abdillah Virgi A. , Faratilla Cut R. , Retnoningrum Debbie S. , Ismaya Wangsa T.
Published: December 2023

The copper–zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) from lemon (SOD_CL) is active in an acidic environment and resists proteolytic degradation. The enzyme occurs as a dimer, which has an indirect effect on the enzyme activity as the monomer retains only ∼35% of the activity. Here, the crystal structure of SOD_CL at 1.86 Å resolution is reported that may explain this peculiarity. The crystal belonged to space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 61.11, b = 74.55, c = 61.69 Å, β = 106.86°, and contained four molecules in the asymmetric unit. The overall structure of SOD_CL resembles that of CuZnSOD from plants. The structure of SOD_CL shows a unique arrangement of surface loop IV that connects the dimer interface and the active site, which is located away from the dimer-interface region. This arrangement allows direct interaction between the residues residing in the dimer interface and those in the active site. The arrangement also includes Leu62 and Gln164, which are conserved in cytoplasmic CuZnSOD. This supports the classification of SOD_CL as a cytoplasmic CuZnSOD despite sharing the highest amino-acid sequence homology with CuZnSODs from spinach and tomato, which are chloroplastic.
Measuring digital literacy with eye tracking: an examination of skills and performance based on user gaze
Authors: Steinfeld Nili , Lev-On Azi , Abu-Kishk Hama
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study presents an innovative approach to analyzing user behavior when performing digital tasks by integrating eye-tracking technology. Through the measurement of user scan patterns, gaze and attention during task completion, the authors gain valuable insights into users' approaches and execution of these tasks.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, the authors conducted an observational study that centered on assessing the digital skills of individuals with limited proficiency who enrolled in a computer introductory course. A group of 19 participants were tasked with completing various online assignments both before and after completing the course.

Findings

The study findings indicate a significant improvement in participants' skills, particularly in basic and straightforward applications. However, advancements in more sophisticated utilization, such as mastering efficient search techniques or harnessing the Internet for enhanced situational awareness, demonstrate only marginal enhancement.

Originality/value

In recent decades, extensive research has been conducted on the issue of digital inequality, given its significant societal implications. This paper introduces a novel tool designed to analyze digital inequalities and subsequently employs it to evaluate the effectiveness of “LEHAVA,” the largest government-sponsored program aimed at mitigating these disparities in Israel.
Towards measuring strategic leadership capabilities for innovation: an empirical validation
Authors: Tikas Gaurav
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to conceptualize and measure strategic leadership capabilities within research and development (R&D) teams pursuing high-tech innovation at public-funded R&D organizations in India.

Design/methodology/approach

A rigorous five-stage multi-method approach defines, conceptualizes and validates the core construct “strategic leadership capabilities for innovation” (SLCI). The first stage correlates the insights generated from theoretical analysis and expert opinions on the importance of leadership for innovation. The second study identifies a three-dimensional factor structure underlying the SLCI construct and the third validates it through a confirmatory factor analysis. Replication provides additional validation.

Findings

SLCI emerges as a three-dimensional construct with sub-dimensions: dynamic envisioning, ambidextrous resource utilization and empowering support for innovation.

Originality/value

Conceptualization of the SLCI construct and its measurement through a 15-item scale that has been empirically validated in the public-funded R&D organizations in India.
Systematic bibliometric review of artificial intelligence in human resource development: insights for HRD researchers, practitioners and policymakers
Authors: Hamouche Salima , Rofa Norffadhillah , Parent-Lamarche Annick
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a significant game changer in human resource development (HRD). The launch of ChatGPT has accelerated its progress and amplified its impact on organizations and employees. This study aims to review and examine literature on AI in HRD, using a bibliometric approach.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is a bibliometric review. Scopus was used to identify studies in the field. In total, 236 papers published in the past 10 years were examined using the VOSviewer program.

Findings

The obtained results showed that most cited documents and authors are mainly from computer sciences, emphasizing machine learning over human learning. While it was expected that HRD authors and studies would have a more substantial presence, the lesser prominence suggests several interesting avenues for explorations.

Practical implications

This study provides insights and recommendations for researchers, managers, HRD practitioners and policymakers. Prioritizing the development of both humans and machines becomes crucial, as an exclusive focus on machines may pose a risk to the sustainability of employees' skills and long-term career prospects.

Originality/value

There is a dearth of bibliometric studies examining AI in HRD. Hence, this study proposes a relatively unexplored approach to examine this topic. It provides a visual and structured overview of this topic. Also, it highlights areas of research concentration and areas that are overlooked. Shedding light on the presence of more research originating from computer sciences and focusing on machine learning over human learning represent an important contribution of this study, which may foster interdisciplinary collaboration with experts from diverse fields, broadening the scope of research on technologies and learning in workplaces.
Beliefs, flow and habit in continuance of over-the-top (OTT) platforms
Authors: Soren Anup Anurag , Chakraborty Shibashish
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The demand for over-the-top (OTT) video streaming services has grown manifold in the last few years. With increasing competition in the OTT market, it is vitally important for businesses to understand OTT retail consumers' continuance intentions. This study aims to understand the antecedents of the continuance intention of OTT platforms and distinguish the most essential and best-performing predictor variables of continuance intention.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs an integrated research model based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), flow theory and habit. Data collected from OTT retail consumers (n = 383) using the online survey method are analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results elucidated which TPB antecedents and dimensions of flow experience affect OTT platforms' continuance intention. The most important factors affecting continuance intention were habit, attitude and perceived behavioral control, while the best-performing factors were perceived behavioral control, perceived enjoyment and attitude.

Originality/value

The study is unique in harmoniously integrating conscious cognitive intention, intrinsic motivation and habit of performing an activity to explain OTT platforms' continuance intention.
Constraints to the promotion of financial inclusion in India: an empirical study of implementing agencies under Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana
Authors: Solanki Poonam , Chhikara Kuldip Singh
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The study aims to discern the primary obstacles confronted by the implementing agencies in their efforts to foster financial inclusion through the “Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana” (PMMY).

Design/methodology/approach

To collect primary data, a semi-structured questionnaire was developed. Around 120 loan officers from the implementing agencies (Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Small Finance Banks (SFBs), Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and Micro- Finance Institutions (MFIs)) of Haryana were randomly selected to fulfill the objectives. To categorize the perceived problems into discrete factors, the “factor analysis” technique was employed. The scales were then regressed on factors linked to the demographic characteristics of the loan officers to validate the hypotheses.

Findings

The study highlighted the primary obstacles impeding the advancement of financial inclusion, which encompass a range of factors. These include challenges in management, infrastructure, politics, finance and technology. Furthermore, the study established the association of the explanatory variables, namely gender, age, educational qualification, location and experience of the officers, with the extracted constraints. Notably, the experience of loan officers emerged as the most influential variable contributing to the promotion of financial inclusion through the scheme.

Originality/value

The current body of literature lacks any empirical investigation focusing on the perspectives of the implementing agencies regarding the challenges they encounter in advancing FI. Given the significance of FI in India, where access to formal financial services remains a critical issue, this research adds value by addressing the gaps in understanding the problems encountered.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-06-2023-0462
Design and validation of a usability evaluation questionnaire (UEQ) for mobile learning applications
Authors: Kumar Bimal Aklesh , Chand Sailesh Saras
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Usability is one of the key concerns in the development of mobile learning applications. The aim of this paper is to design and validate a usability evaluation questionnaire (UEQ) for mobile learning applications.

Design/methodology/approach

The UEQ was developed in four stages: selecting primary studies and extracting usability problems, thematic analysis, creating UEQ items and validation and reliability using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

Findings

CFA to derive the model fit was computed using AMOS to test the construct validity. The model-fit values were within their respective expected acceptance levels. To assess the reliability of the instrument item loadings, the internal consistency coefficients such as Cronbach’s alpha, McDonald’s Omega and composite reliability were considered. Indicator loadings ranged between 0.735 and 0.933, fulfilling the threshold of above 0.7.

Originality/value

The study provides a novel UEQ for mobile learning applications, which can be used by developers and in academic research to assess mobile learning applications.
Does knowledge management mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance?
Authors: Kusa Rafal , Suder Marcin , Duda Joanna , Czakon Wojciech , Juárez-Varón David
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study investigates the impact of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and knowledge management (KM) on firm performance (PERF), as well as the mediating role of KM in the EO–PERF (EO-PERF relationship). In particular, this study aims to explain the impact of KM on the relationship between the EO dimensions and PERF; dimensions are risk-taking (RT), innovativeness (IN) and proactiveness (PR).

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses structural equation modelling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) methodologies to explore target relationships. The sample consists of 150 small furniture manufacturers operating in Poland (out of 1,480 in the population).

Findings

The study findings show that KM partially mediates the IN–PERF relationship. Furthermore, fsQCA reveals that KM accompanied by IN is a core condition that leads to PERF. Moreover, the absence of KM (accompanied by the absence of RT and IN) leads to the absence of PERF. In addition, the results show that all the variables examined (RT, IN, PR and KM) positively impact PERF.

Originality/value

This study explores the role of KM in the context of EO and its impact on PERF in the low-tech industry. The study uses simultaneously two methodologies that represent different approaches in the search for the expected relationships. The findings reveal that KM mediates the EO-PERF relationship.
Impact of strategic HR practices on innovation performance: examining the mediation of differentiation and cost-effectiveness
Authors: Trivedi Karishma , Srivastava Kailash B.L.
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Innovation is critical for businesses to stay competitive in today's world, as it allows them to constantly look for new ways to differentiate their products or services from their competitors as well as improve cost-effectiveness. This study explore the role of strategic human resource practices in developing organizations' competitive capabilities-differentiation and cost-effectiveness, which, improves their innovation performance to create a competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected data from 387 employees from 25 knowledge-intensive information technology organizations in India through a questionnaire-based survey. After checking for biases, reliability and validity, the hypothesized relationships were tested by structural equational modeling using AMOS 26.

Findings

Strategic HR practices have a significant and positive effect on innovation performance and both competitive capabilities-differentiation and cost-effectiveness. While the differentiation capability had a strong positive effect on innovation performance, cost-effectiveness capability was not significantly related to innovation performance. The differentiation capability mediates the relationship between strategic HR practices and innovation performance link, whereas the cost-effectiveness capability did not have a mediating effect.

Practical implications

This study provides practical insights to HR and knowledge managers to focus on development of human capital and invest in hiring, training, development, strategic performance management practices to enhance employees' knowledge behaviors, which, stimulates innovation performance.

Originality/value

The paper adds to the strategic HRM paradigm by clarifying the underlying process of how strategic HR practices leads to higher innovation. It affirms the vitality of choosing appropriate competitive capabilities, and supporting organizational factor for business's success. It fills an important research gap by providing original empirical evidence from knowledge intensive information technology organizations in the emerging economy of India.
“Am I supposed to call them?” Relearning interactions in the digital workplace
Authors: Högberg Karin , Willermark Sara
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to develop the understanding of learning processes related to the new ways of interacting in the enforced digital workplace over time.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple, longitudinal case study of knowledge-based workers in three firms located in Sweden has been conducted from March 2020 to March 2023. In total, 89 interviews with 32 employees in three knowledge-based firms have been collected.

Findings

The study shows how the intricate interaction between rules and norms for interaction and work must be renegotiated as well as un- and relearned when the physical work environment no longer frames the work context. Furthermore, technology can be viewed as both an enable and a barrier, that is, technology has enhanced collaboration between organizational members yet also created social difficulties, for example, related to communication and interaction. The study emphasizes that individuals learned through trial and error. That is, they tried behaviors such as translating social interactions" to a digital arena, appraised the outcomes and modified the practices if the outcomes were poor.

Research limitations/implications

The present study does have several limitations. First, it is based on interviews with respondents within three organizations in Sweden. To broaden and deepen the understanding of both organizational and learning, future studies can contribute by studying other contexts as well as using a mixed method approach in other countries.

Practical implications

Results from the study can provide a practical understanding of how the rapid change from working at the office to working from home using digital technologies can be understood and managed.

Originality/value

Contributions include combining interaction order and un- and relearning among organizational employees. This insight is important given that the rapid digital transformation of our society has changed how work is performed and how the future workplace will be both structured and organized.
Peter J Lor: mentor and mentee unbounded
Authors: Thomas Gwenda
Published: December 2023

Purpose

An attribute common throughout Lor’s distinguished career has been a passion for learning and continuous improvement in an approach that sets high standards, both for himself and others. Taking on the informal mantle of both mentor and mentee, these contributions have blended with no clear boundaries or timelines.

Design/methodology/approach

Lor has been active in the library and information sector (LIS) landscape since the 1960s. A stalwart of the library and information profession, the author is being honoured by International Federation of Library Associations and Institution (IFLA) with a prestigious festschrift in recognition of a librarian who has made a sustained contribution to the library and information profession over decades with significant impact on academia, scholarship, praxis, communities and individual librarians.

Findings

Lor is recognized as a lifelong mentee as evidenced by his unbounded forays into discovery driven by a natural curiosity that, in turn, shaped his approach to mentoring through teaching, instilling best practices in research methodology and significant contributions to international librarianship. Today this continues in a regular column for South African librarians, drawing from the international literature of books, libraries and information, his role as a key figure in the establishment of Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) in the 1990s, as well as experience from close involvement in developing LIS policies for post-apartheid South Africa, drafting guidelines for national library legislation and serving as IFLA Secretary-General in The Hague.

Originality/value

This viewpoint has been an attempt to share reflections on one individual’s lifetime of influence without borders or timelines. Without doubt, Lor’s global mentorship reach remains unbounded in his approach to critical thinking and desire for continuous improvement for himself and others.
Adoption of pre-letting and pre-sale financing arrangements for real estate development in a developing economy: an assessment of the influencing factors
Authors: Olayiwola Funminiyi Emmanuel , Aluko Bioye Tajudeen , Ayodele Timothy Oluwafemi
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Pre-letting and pre-sale financing arrangements have been widely adopted to increase housing delivery in the developed economy. Despite the increasing level of adoption in some developed countries, some are reverting to spot property buying because of factors militating the adoption of pre-letting and pre-sale financing. However, little has been done on the factors influencing the adoption of these trust-based financing arrangements in the developing economy where there are challenges of trust and market transparency.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a closed-ended questionnaire, 87 property development companies (PDCs), which constituted 63.5% of the 137 PDCs in Lagos metropolis, were sampled. Variables that influence adoption of pre-letting and pre-sale financing arrangements were presented to respondents for rating on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (not influential) to 5 (very highly influential). With the aid of SPSS software, acquired data were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA), mean rating and standard deviation.

Findings

The PCA finding revealed that factors influencing the adoption of pre-letting and pre-sale financing had 69.641% total variance. Top-rated components were fear of financial risk and firm’s reputation and poor government involvement and contractors' credibility, with 15.114% and 11.895% variances, respectively. The study findings suggested that the buyers' apprehension regarding the transfer of financial risk and the reputation of the firms significantly influence their decision to embrace both arrangements. As a result, the buyers' willingness to engage the financing arrangements is reduced, which consequently imparts adoption negatively. Furthermore, there is worrisome lack of government involvement, a crucial aspect for the success of such arrangements.

Practical implications

Pre-letting and pre-sale financing arrangements are found to be highly suitable for environments where there is trust. The findings enlighten the development firms on the need to uphold their reputation, as buyers attach great significance to the credibility and integrity of the companies they engage in business.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the few attempts that have sought to explore the factors influencing pre-letting and pre-sale financing arrangements in an emerging market like Nigeria.
Development of recombinant rotavirus carrying herpes simplex virus 2 glycoprotein D gene based on reverse genetics technology
Authors: Kawamura Yoshiki , Komoto Satoshi , Fukuda Saori , Kugita Masanori , Tang Shuang , Patel Amita , Pieknik Julianna R. , Nagao Shizuko , Taniguchi Koki , Krause Philip R. , Yoshikawa Tetsushi
Published: December 2023

Vaccine development for herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV‐2) has been attempted, but no vaccines are yet available. A plasmid‐based reverse genetics system for Rotavirus (RV), which can cause gastroenteritis, allows the generation of recombinant RV containing foreign genes. In this study, we sought to develop simian RV (SA11) as a vector to express HSV‐2 glycoprotein D (gD2) and evaluated its immunogenicity in mice. We generated the recombinant SA11‐gD2 virus (rSA11‐gD2) and confirmed its ability to express gD2 in vitro. The virus was orally inoculated into suckling BALB/c mice and into 8‐week‐old mice. Serum IgG and IgA titers against RV and gD2 were measured by ELISA. In the 8‐week‐old mice inoculated with rSA11‐gD2, significant increases in not only antibodies against RV but also IgG against gD2 were demonstrated. In the suckling mice, antibodies against RV were induced, but gD2 antibody was not detected. Diarrhea observed after the first inoculation of rSA11‐gD2 in suckling mice was similar to that induced by the parent virus. A gD2 expressing simian RV recombinant, which was orally inoculated, induced IgG against gD2. This strategy holds possibility for genital herpes vaccine development.
Decadal survival of tropical pioneer seeds in the soil seed bank is accompanied by fungal infection and dormancy release
Authors: Zalamea Paul‐Camilo , Sarmiento Carolina , Arnold A. Elizabeth , Kuo Venus , Delevich Carolyn , Davis Adam S. , Brown Thomas A. , Dalling James W.
Published: December 2023

Pioneer trees require high‐light environments for successful seedling establishment. Consequently, seeds of these species often persist in the soil seed bank (SSB) for periods ranging from several weeks to decades. How they survive despite extensive pressure from seed predators and soil‐borne pathogens remains an intriguing question.

This study aims to test the hypotheses that decades‐old seeds collected from the SSB in a lowland tropical forest remain viable by (i) escaping infection by fungi, which are major drivers of seed mortality in tropical soils, and/or (ii) maintaining high levels of seed dormancy and seed coat integrity when compared to inviable seeds.

We collected seeds of Trema micrantha and Zanthoxylum ekmanii at Barro Colorado Island, Panama, from sites where adult trees previously occurred in the past 30 years. We used carbon dating to measure seed age and characterized seed coat integrity, seed dormancy and fungal communities.

Viable seeds from the SSB ranged in age from 9 to 30 years for T. micrantha, and 5 to 33 years for Z. ekmanii. We found no evidence that decades‐old seeds maintain high levels of seed dormancy or seed coat integrity. Fungi were rarely detected in fresh seeds (no soil contact), but phylogenetically diverse fungi were detected often in seeds from the SSB. Although fungal infections were more commonly detected in inviable seeds than in viable seeds, a lack of differences in fungal diversity and community composition between viable and inviable seeds suggested that viable seeds are not simply excluding fungal species to survive long periods in the SSB.

Synthesis. Our findings reveal the importance of a previously understudied aspect of seed survival, where the impact of seed–microbial interactions may be critical to understand long‐term persistence in the SSB.

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Revisiting the burglar alarm hypothesis: A behavioural cascade mediated by dinoflagellate bioluminescence
Authors: Huang Yuan , Ryderheim Fredrik , Kiørboe Thomas
Published: December 2023

Bioluminescence is widespread among marine organisms and has evolved independently multiple times. While its specific adaptive value is diverse, bioluminescence in most cases mediates fundamental interactions between individuals (predator, prey, mates) and thus impacts ecosystem processes. One hypothesized value of bioluminescence in dinoflagellates is through the ‘burglar alarm’: Grazers of phytoplankton will make the ambient water ‘glow’ as they swim, thereby attracting visual predators of the grazer, thus indirectly protecting the dinoflagellates.

However, the most important grazers of dinoflagellates, copepods, are generally too small to elicit dinoflagellates to glow. Only individual cells captured by a copepod will flash, which in turn elicits a powerful escape response in the copepod. Here, we test a variant of this hypothesis that may work for copepods. The behavioural response of the grazer to the flashing of a captured dinoflagellate, rather than the flashing itself, attracts the attention of the grazer's flow‐sensing predators.

We demonstrate that bioluminescence in three dinoflagellates reduces the clearance and ingestion rate of nauplii of the copepod Temora longicornis. The presence of bioluminescent cells also elicited an increased frequency of high‐speed jumps of the grazers.

The increased jump frequency elevated the detectability of the grazers to a flow‐sensing predator, the copepod Centropages typicus, consequently leading to increased predation mortality of T. longicornis nauplii.

The consequent behavioural cascade mediated by bioluminescence works for small grazers that cause only single cells to flash, unlike the traditional description of the burglar alarm. The significance of such behavioural mediated indirect interactions in shaping food webs is becoming increasingly recognized, although rarely demonstrated in pelagic food webs.

We argue that the burglar alarm is a secondary adaptation, while the defence of individual cells is the primary adaptive value of bioluminescence in dinoflagellates.

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Drought‐tolerant grassland species are generally more resistant to competition
Authors: Mount Hailey E. , Smith Melinda D. , Knapp Alan K. , Griffin‐Nolan Robert J. , Collins Scott L. , Atkins David H. , Stears Alice E. , Laughlin Daniel C.
Published: December 2023

Plant populations are limited by resource availability and exhibit physiological trade‐offs in resource acquisition strategies. These trade‐offs may constrain the ability of populations to exhibit fast growth rates under water limitation and high cover of neighbours. However, traits that confer drought tolerance may also confer resistance to competition. It remains unclear how fitness responses to these abiotic conditions and biotic interactions combine to structure grassland communities and how this relationship may change along a gradient of water availability.

To address these knowledge gaps, we estimated the low‐density growth rates of populations in drought conditions with low neighbour cover and in ambient conditions with average neighbour cover for 82 species in six grassland communities across the Central Plains and Southwestern United States. We assessed the relationship between population tolerance to drought and resistance to competition and determined if this relationship was consistent across a precipitation gradient. We also tested whether population growth rates could be predicted using plant functional traits.

Across six sites, we observed a positive correlation between low‐density population growth rates in drought and in the presence of interspecific neighbours. This positive relationship was particularly strong in the grasslands of the northern Great Plains but weak in the most xeric grasslands. High leaf dry matter content and a low (more negative) leaf turgor loss point were associated with high population growth rates in drought and with neighbours in most grassland communities.

Synthesis: A better understanding of how both biotic and abiotic factors impact population fitness provides valuable insights into how grasslands will respond to extreme drought. Our results advance plant strategy theory by suggesting that drought tolerance increases population resistance to interspecific competition in grassland communities. However, this relationship is not evident in the driest grasslands, where above‐ground competition is likely less important. Leaf dry matter content and turgor loss point may help predict which populations will establish and persist based on local water availability and neighbour cover, and these predictions can be used to guide the conservation and restoration of biodiversity in grasslands.
Effects of thermal treatment on foam properties and simulated in vitro digestion properties of α‐lactalbumin–tea saponin complex
Authors: Xu Cong , Jiang Qiuwan , Li Hongyu , Jiang Zhanmei , Liu Zhenmin
Published: December 2023

In this experiment, changes in properties of α‐lactalbumin (α‐LA)‐tea saponin (TS) complex were analysed and compared after two heating temperature (65 °C for 30 min and 90 °C for 10 min). The results showed that thermal treatment can improve foaming ability, DPPH radical scavenging ability, digestibility, degree of hydrolysis and bioaccessibility of α‐LA‐TS complex. Furthermore, the addition of TS was beneficial to the foaming ability and DPPH radical scavenging ability after digestion of α‐LA and has a certain inhibitory effect on the in vitro digestibility. This study provided a theoretical basis for the application of α‐LA‐TS complex in heat‐processed food products.
Treaty obligations and support for collective defence: Evidence from Italy after the invasion of Ukraine
Authors: KREPS SARAH , KRINER DOUGLAS L.
Published: December 2023

Whether countries and their publics are responsive to the international legal commitments they make is the source of long‐standing academic debate. Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine brought real‐world significance to these debates. While Ukraine is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the invasion raised the prospect that other NATO members could be targeted and that Article 5 collective security commitments would be invoked. While recent research suggests that emphasizing mutual defence treaties can increase public support for defending an ally, prior work focuses on US opinion in a less fraught political environment. We constructed and fielded a survey experiment in Italy in the initial weeks of the Ukraine invasion to probe support for defending a NATO ally, the relevance of the Article 5 legal commitment on support for defending an ally, and the potential moderating influence of gender and political party. Our findings show that the Article 5 commitment significantly increased support for defending an ally. Consistent with past research, we find a significant gender gap, with men being more supportive of defending an ally than women; however, both men and women responded to the Article 5 commitment to virtually the same degree. The estimated treatment effect was larger for supporters of right‐wing parties than for the left; however, the difference was not statistically significant.